Are dreams a glimpse of heaven?

It has been almost two years since my Dad passed away. As often as I have thought of him, it is only recently that I dreamed about him. I wanted to dream about him often after he died. I would pray at night asking to dream about him only to awake disappointed.

In the last two months, I have dreamed about dad twice. I guess this is part of the grieving process. I know we can't make ourselves dream. We have no control over our subconscious, although I believe we dream every night.

In my first dream, I turned around and saw my Dad walking by me. He looked like he did when he was in his fifty’s. He had a determined look on his face as if he was trying to get somewhere. He didn’t look at me. In my dream, I remember crying out “Dad, you are alive!” and I began to cry in my sleep. First, I had tears of joy that quickly turned to tears of sorrow as I realized he did not stop or look at me. I awoke sobbing. Was this a dream of acknowledgement that he was gone? Does this dream signal the end of my grieving?

In my second dream, I remember standing on the balcony at mom and dads house. I turned around to see Dad coming out of his bedroom with a big smile on his face; He looked older. We hugged and I told him I loved him and he said he loved me too. There were no tears in this dream only joy, and I didn’t awake crying like my first dream.
 

Are dreams made of heaven? Are they a brief view of the eternal life? I don’t know for sure. I do know that I miss him dearly and I look forward to a time and place in hope that I will see him again.

E Pluribus Unum –

"E Pluribus Unum" means "Out of many, one." This maxim was one of the nation's mottos at the time of the creation of the Great Seal of the United States (see back of one-dollar bill). Charles Thompson designed the seal, and Congress approved it on June 20, 1782. The emblem projects the founders’ original vision of peace and unity. It has significant purpose and meaning to past, present, and future generations of Americans.

On one side the image consists of an American bald eagle with spread wings with a shield covering its breast. The shield is without support to signify that the United States of America must trust in its own virtue. It consists of 13 stripes representing the original states that joined into one union. In the eagles beak is a banner with the motto "E Pluribus Unum." In its right (stronger) talon it holds an olive branch symbolizing peace, and in the left talon it holds 13 arrows. The arrows represent the collective resolve and power of the 13 states forming the new union. Together, the olive branch and arrows denote the power of peace and war. The eagle is looking to the (stronger right talon) side of the olive branch to signal the new states preference for peace above war. A constellation of 13 stars is above the eagle. The stars represent the arrival of a new state that is taking its place among other sovereign powers.

The other side of the seal contains a partially-constructed pyramid that signifies strength and duration. Furthermore, the unfinished pyramid symbolizes the founding fathers’ desire for future generations to continue building upon the foundation they began. Above the unfinished pyramid is an eye that represents providence. Beams of light representing glory surround the eye. Above the pyramid is the motto "Annuit Coeptis" that translates "favor undertakings." The imagery of all three signals that providence favors the American cause. Inscribed on the foundation of the pyramid is "1776" in Roman Numerals. Underneath the pyramid is the banner "Novus Ordo Seclorum" that means "A New Order of the Ages." This acknowledges the beginning of the new American era commencing in the year 1776.

Republic or Democracy?

Is the United States a republic, democracy, or a hybrid form of government? Today’s politicians mostly refer to our system of government as a democracy and not a republic. I find this word-play to be confusing and somewhat divisive.

What does the United States Constitution say about this question, and does this guiding document mention the word republic? In searching the text, I found “republican” used one time in Article 4, Section 4. Interestingly, the Constitution contains the word “union” seven times, and democracy is never used. The Pledge of Allegiance is the only official document I can find in which “republic” is used.

According to historical records and writings, the Founding Fathers verbally referred to the country as a republic in private and public discussions. However, their orientation to a republic was largely based on a classic republican form of government used in ancient Rome and Greece; these republics were small city-states. A republic the size of the United States never before existed. Furthermore, they possessed a negative opinion of democratic forms of government based largely on the principle of majority rule as the deciding factor in governing.

Our form of government is a hybrid. It depends on a popular form of government where our representatives win election with a majority vote. This is the rare time that the “majority rules” so to speak. The election of representatives, by and for the people, as well as the participation of the people in the process is a characteristic of a democracy, but our country is governed by the rule of law set forth by the Constitution as opposed to the rule of a monarch or majority, which is the distinguishing feature of a republican form of government.

What's in a name?

While watching the movie Secretariat recently, I began to wonder why I admire horses so much. I thought to myself, what connection do I have to the horse? Why am I so attracted to them? I’ve never owned one, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved them.

When the movie ended, I went straight to the internet to research the symbolic meaning of the horse. What I found surprised me.

In most ancient cultures, the horse was associated with war, fertility, and symbolic of power, victory, honor, domination and virility. In Greco-Roman mythology, Poseidon (Neptune) created the horse and dedicated it to Hades (Pluto) and Ares (Mars). Romans believed the Horse to be a symbol of the continuity of life, and would sacrifice a horse to the god Mars every October. In Chinese culture, one of the symbols of the Chinese zodiac is the horse and is equated with the Gemini zodiac sign.

Interestingly the name Martin and its derivative Marty comes from the Latin word “Mars” and means “dedicated to Mars,” the “God of War”; my zodiac sign just happens to be Gemini. Furthermore, like the horse, my name is also associated with war, and like the horse who is dedicated to the god Mars, my name means “dedicated to Mars” also. Now, my wife would agree that I like to fight and that I am frustratingly practical, which is probably true. Of course, I like think of myself as powerful, honorable, dominating, and virile. All of these virtues are masculine qualities.

These are serendipitous findings because I had no idea these connections existed. However, I can think of other connections. For instance, I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, home of Pimlico Park and the venue for the Preakness Stakes (part of horse racing’s Triple Crown) and the past home of my favorite NFL team growing up, the Baltimore Colts.

I grew up in Oklahoma where horses are plentiful; in fact, it was in Oklahoma that I began wanting a horse of my own. In Tulsa, I began riding horses at an early age because we lived three miles from a horse stable. At 14, I wanted a car called the Mustang, probably because my neighbor owned one along with several family friends. I have since owned four Mustangs in the last 15 years, and I currently drive one every day. I currently live a mile away from - you guessed it - a horse stable.

I was actually named after a family member, and I knew my name meant war-like. However, the connection to horses, be it perceived or otherwise, is interesting and may have no spiritual meaning at all, or does it?

Seek the truth and sell it not -

President Barak Obama is constantly pummeled in the political arena for being, among other things, a Socialist. Now, we must understand that in our two-party system of government, the party in power is considered the ruling party, and the president is acknowledged as the leader of his party. The party not in power is the opposition party. With this in mind, we must consider most all political rhetoric with this perspective.

Throughout American history, the opposition party is voracious in its efforts to pounce on the character of the president, his missteps, or the missteps of his party. Political rhetoric is the weapon of choice for the opposition party. Even the most beloved president in American history, George Washington, was not immune to false allegations and conspiracy theories. In his second term, the opposition party accused the most revered hero in American history of being a British spy during the war.

American citizenship is an active not passive endeavor. Implied in our citizenship is the responsibility to seek the truth about our political leaders. Political rhetoric isn’t about the truth; it’s about shaping perception. Consequently, believing this rhetoric serves to mislead us, not to inform us. In fact, it can cause us to vote against our own best interest and the interest of our country.

Political rhetoric is practically the same as name-calling. Its goal is to create a deceptive perception of its target. In some cases, political rhetoric is specifically designed to conjure up conspiracy theories to scare people who are not diligent in their pursuit of the truth.

Every American should understand that our country has socialistic features mixed in with our democracy. For example, Social Security, Medicare, public libraries, and public education are socialistic in nature. The design of these organizations is for the good of the people.

Another popular example of socialism is the National Football League where the owners share the league profit. They do this so smaller market teams have a level playing field to compete with large markets. This redistribution of wealth is for the good of the league even though it penalizes successful franchises for being successful. Now, most men I know love football and consider it as American as Apple Pie. They seem to have no conflict with the NFL’s socialistic business model.

So, let’s take responsibility for what we believe and not allow misinformation to create wrong perceptions and misinformed opinions. Seeking the truth takes work; I believe it’s one of the most patriotic activities we can do.

The power of an ideal –

On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry delivered arguably the most famous quote in American history, "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!” This passionate and defiant statement, spoken in opposition to tyranny, represents the heart of the American Spirit.

In 1776, Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence. Within this document are thirty-five words that elegantly communicate an ideal so simple and powerful that it has launched rebellions worldwide.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

This ideal represents a universal truth that appeals to the hearts of men concerning the rights and liberty of all people; our republic rests upon this principle. This conviction still has the power to inspire revolution today. What we are seeing today in the Middle East is the direct result of this uniquely American ideal. Young people in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and other Arab countries are risking their lives by speaking out against oppression in their countries.

I’ve always believed that America’s greatness isn’t derived from its military power or because of capitalism, but the power of our words and ideals. The Middle East rebellions began because of the spread of ideals made possible by the internet and social media websites like Facebook. The internet provides a forum for the free exchange of ideals that has created a force that despotic regimes are powerless to contain. As a result, the Middle East is experiencing a renaissance like never before. Much like the invention of the printing press, which encouraged literacy and helped to spread new ideas during the European Renaissance, the internet is having the same influence worldwide today.

The ideal of self-governance, which started in Western Europe in the 17th century, became a reality in the 18th century in the form of the American Revolution. Today, young people in the Middle East are exercising their “unalienable” rights in the same fashion as young colonials did, both influenced by the writing of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence.

“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

We are seeing history in the making in the Middle East. History influenced by the quintessential American ideal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness spoken by Thomas Jefferson 235 years ago.

Let freedom ring!

Snow Days –

When I was in elementary school, I loved snow days; who didn’t? I remember waking up with anticipation to watch TV and see if my school district was closing. My brother and I watched excitedly as each school closing announcement scrolled across the bottom of the screen. Finally, our school district, one of the last, scrolled by and we screamed for joy!

We put on our snow clothes and headed outside as quickly as we could. Unfortunately, our snow clothes were not like ski clothes. We wore jeans that my mom scotch guarded, plastic baggies under our shoes, and crochet mittens and a hat my mom made for us; we were outside as quickly as we could throw on our patchwork snow clothes.

Our enthusiasm lasted about fifteen minutes, which is how long it took for our feet and hands to become wet. Of course, we gutted out the cold hands and feet as long as we could. This was a snow day after all. We didn’t get them very often, so we had to enjoy every minute of the freedom from school provided by Mother Nature.

After a couple of hours, my brother and I would trudge home to begin the slow removal of our cold and wet clothes so we could enjoy something warm to drink and eat. Thankfully, my mom enjoyed snow days as much as we did and always provided us with a willing heart. She greeted us with soup, homemade hot chocolate, and cookies. She helped us put on our snow clothes and take them off. She would dry them immediately because she knew we were going out again as soon as we were warm and fed!