The Patriot Academy Blog

What do you think should be done about rebuilding the Republican Party? What would you suggest as a strategy for 2012? Who do you think can/should run?

Rasmussen reports: 

“When asked to choose among some of the GOP’s top names for their choice for the party’s 2012 presidential nominee, 64% say Palin. The next closest contenders are two former governors and unsuccessful challengers for the presidential nomination this year — Mike Huckabee of Arkansas with 12% support and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts with 11%.

Three other sitting governors – Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Charlie Crist of Florida and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota – all pull low single-digit support.”

Thoughts?

Dear Mama Seay,

Hey!!!  How are you doing?  I know that you said that you would be available if we had any questions, and I thought that if you had some time you could help me with a question!  I just finished reading ‘Seven Men Who Rule the World from the Grave.’  I have been interested in learning more about regular men who arose from the normal requirements of life to invest their time in developing their ideas and projects into something that impacted all of humanity. These people influenced thousands and are still looked up to today as the fathers of modern thinking and Science.  They were not necessarily right on their theories, however the methods they used to express themselves and excerpt their thoughts about life were very effective.  Some of these men include Charles Darwin and Carl Marx (hence Darwinism and Marxism). Other men that stood from the crowd and impacted humanity (not included in the book) are some of our own forefathers, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, William Samuel Johnson (Rick Green’s favorite). Currently, we have stand outs such as Billy Graham, John Kerry, the Bush’s, Obama….etc. Even though these random individuals might seem like complete opposites, black and white, they all have something in common. They all achieved high levels of greatness in our world and excerpted their influence on many.  From long ago history, to current modern society, what was it that made these men great?  Was it how they were born, or was it a chosen characteristic?  My particular question Mama Seay, is what is greatness?  Is it good or bad and how can we achieve it in our everyday life?

-AJ Meredith

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Wow! You are what I commonly refer to as a deep thought thinker!  Books have been written on this topic. But, let me start with a biblical answer for you and then try to hit the highlights of your question.

First, I could give you the dictionary definition of greatness, but I don’t think that is what you are looking for. We live in a superficial world where greatness is confused with being famous (or infamous). Is a movie star great because they are well known? Are terrorists great because they have our attention and they have impacted how we live our lives in a time of heightened security? Is Satan great because he is effective? I don’t normally think of those who are remembered negatively for their impact on mankind as great (meaning noble), though they may have had a great (meaning large) impact on mankind.

The answer to your question as to whether or not we can achieve greatness in our everyday life is a resounding, “Yes, AJ, you can achieve greatness.” And, it is not difficult at all. The key to greatness is understanding what the Lord says about it. Several scriptures come immediately to mind. Read the first chapter of 1 Corinthians:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all thing, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it  will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So, faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

How do you become great? Love greatly. The greatest commandment given by our Lord is to love our neighbors as ourselves. Understand that life is not about you. It is about what the Lord is trying to accomplish within and around you. Do not get off track attempting to become great in the eyes of the world and miss the opportunity to become great in the eyes of the Lord. Who is greater – Adolf Hitler or the mother who sits up all night nursing her sick child? The world hears a lot more about the first, but what if the sick child turns out to be the one who is ordained to find the cure for cancer? Or, even greater than that, what if the child is the next Billy Graham? The truth is, the love of the mother is greater than the notoriety of Hitler even if that child was me or you or any one of the “least of these.” The sacrifice of mothers and fathers to raise the next generation of leaders is a sacrifice that makes them great.

It is September 11 and there is a remembrance of the terrorist attacks on the nation in 2001. Who is great? The terrorists who initiated the attacks or the men and women who have, because of their love of our nation, volunteered to serve in the military and first responder units? The terrorists have gained more media attention and will be forever remembered in our history. We, as a nation, (erroneously) have had periods where our military has been ridiculed or held in distain. Yet, every man or woman who has served in our military is great because of the love with which they have offered their service.

Greatness, AJ, is fulfilling the destiny the Lord has for you. Don’t ever  confuse notoriety with greatness. The thing the list of individuals you gave all have in common is they are remembered by man. Don’t be confused. Every worldly thing will fade away. Your greatness comes from the Lord. And, His Word tells us what is required in Micah 6:8

You will reach greatness, AJ, because you are taking the time and effort to inquire into how to achieve it. I look forward to witnessing the great things the Lord does through you.

Mama Seay

Congrats! You are reading our first, brand new Q&A post! Here’s how this works: we will ask a thought-provoking, interesting or fun question. You will leave an informative, witty, or fun answer in the comment section. In this way, we shall all contribute to the overall expansion and enlightenment of Patriot minds everywhere. So, let’s do it! Here are the first two questions.

Question 1: Do you have an RSS reader?

Question 2: What do you subscribe to in your RSS reader? (If you don’t have an RSS reader, what are your favorite websites? Where do you get your news/commentary/information? What would you recommend we subscribe to or visit?)