Couldn’t see the moon last night.  However, this morning the clouds are burning away as the sun is coming through at about 1130.  Nice.  At 1300 I see that it has gone back into hiding.

I have to wonder where all these college students, that can’t deal with life’s minor stresses, are coming from.  Have they lived such a sheltered life that they have never been told no?

Safe places for those that get troubled by a statement or thought they disagree with?  What are they going to do when they get into the real world?

I understand they are disappointed, and it is ‘bigger’ than some minor statement,’ I understand that they felt invested in this election – which, by the way, I find refreshing – but come on, what are you going to do when you start working and find out the boss expects you to work regardless, or you get a supervisor you don’t agree with, or any other real life situations.

As I scratch my head pondering this situation this morning I thought, there might be a REAL way to help them.

AND, yes, I know that some of this has been thought of, but maybe we really should implement something like this idea.

One of the things that Bernie proposed was free college; there might be a way to make that happen and actually cost the country less money.

Here is my proposal:

ALL eighteen year olds must serve our country for a minimum two years.

They will have a choice.  They can serve in the military or they can serve in various areas of community service.

The community service must be done in the States, not other countries, until we get our Nation on an even keel.

The community service might include teachers’ aides in the inner cities, working on the infrastructures throughout the nation, rebuilding the derelict housing and buildings in many of the cities using them to help the homeless and needy – who must also contribute.  I am sure there are many other areas that I haven’t listed.

We will use the military formula for training.  Camps will be set up for those going into community service to train them in the basics in dealing with people in need, trained by people who have actual on the ground experience in helping people.  There will then be special schools that will go into more detail for their area of interest, again by on the ground experience people, journeymen tradesmen who know how to teach, etc.

The work will be hands on.  They will have to deal with the ‘down and dirty’ aspects of helping people, not just standing back telling what to do, but actually working alongside them making a difference both physically and emotionally.  Actually accomplishing something real and tangible.

They will receive housing and food, just like our military people.  They will wear a uniform of some kind, paid for by the government, that show they are serving – it would be different and specific for their assignments.

Leaves of absence, days off AND an expectation that they will have to work more than 40 hours a week without ‘extra’ pay, just as our military people do – work until the assignment is done, then move on to the next.

Obviously those going into the schools would need different uniforms than those working with their hands.

They would be placed in these communities, living together in housing as military do.  They would have the same benefits and they would receive the same pay as a private – and since supervisors will be needed, they can prove their leadership abilities and be appointed to supervisor positions similar to the military and the same pay.

Like the military during the two year stint, there will be NO POLITICKING,  the emphasis will be placed on helping people in their communities, the politicking can be done by others;  the volunteers can politic AFTER they have completed their tour of duty.

At the end of the two year stint they can go to the state college or trade school of their choice in their HOME state for free.  Their books, tuition and housing will be paid by the federal government. 

However, to keep state colleges from ‘upping’ the stipends to scam the feds into giving more money, there would be a maximum rate they could charge.

There would be no restriction on legitimate courses that would lead to any degree they wished; they would receive the assistance for four years.  If they choose to get the bachelor’s within three years, they can go on to graduate school.

Their experiences for those two years would be counted toward degrees as life experience.  They would be trained in the original training sessions on how to document their experiences and how it works into the degree they are interested in.

If they wish to go to a private college then they pay the difference in the costs, but they receive the money they would have received at one of their state college – not in their pockets, but to the college of their choice.

I am sure there are down sides but I see the positive.  There would be no discrimination; even those that are physically challenged could be used.

It strengthens our military AND our nation by using the energy of young people to help the country and more importantly the people that truly need it.

EVERYONE would have the same opportunity to attend college or a trade school, not just those that are ‘rich’ or a good athlete.

There would be no student loans to be paid back. 

The colleges would not have to give scholarships.

These young people would learn how others live, learn to adjust and help others, learn how to use team work to accomplish a given goal.

They would mature and have a better understanding of how the real world works.  They would bring what they have learned to the college campuses and not be trampled under by those that they disagree with – both other students and the professors who can sometimes be bullies themselves.

They will have a much better chance to obtain a good paying job while making a difference in their communities. 

They can bring those skills they learned to help to keep the progress going within those communities that were helped and help those that were too small, originally, to be assigned a team of service people.

The cost of this program would be paid by the reduced need for welfare. Other programs that are currently in use would be absorbed by this one, casting out those that are ineffective and building on the ones that are working. 

They would be contributing to society in very positive ways instead of feeling like they can’t overcome their circumstances and the only way they can survive is to depend on government funding for the rest of their lives.

They would learn the value of accomplishing something and making a difference in peoples’ lives.

They would develop self-esteem, something far too many of our young adults have not had the opportunity to enjoy.  There would be no need for ‘participation trophies’ because the work itself would give satisfaction.

There would be some who could legitimately be excused from service, for whatever reason they just can’t serve and parameters would be set up understanding that.

Anyway, just my thoughts, or part of them, the rest follows.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The country as well as the rest of the world is in turmoil.  That has been going on for millenniums. 

We like to think, here in America, that we are something special and no one has experienced the same distressing things we have, when the truth is, our country has experienced some dreadful things but nothing like what has gone on and what is NOW going on in other parts of the world.

So many people, right now, are needing peace in their lives, not just the young people who have little experience, but many adults.

They are afraid, they are wondering what is going to happen, they are having a difficult time adjusting to the realities of the moment and many need that inner peace.

A major part of the problems in America has been the denigration of God and His Son.  Mocking and deriding Christians who do the best they can to live for Him.

Parents training their children not to believe in God, but use something else to use as a guide for their lives – and when they try and use that they don’t receive that peace in their hearts they would expect.

There is a new program that is to be shown on the Audience network called ‘The Religion of Sports.’  I have not yet made up my mind whether I will watch it or not – I may watch just to learn how I can present Christ’s Gospel to those that have supplanted Him with sports.

The show, from what I have heard so far, doesn’t downgrade religion as much as it demonstrates how worldwide people are turning to sports to somehow meet their spiritual needs.

Folks, it is indeed happening.  Sports isn’t the only thing interfering with God’s Word, it is just one of many that satan is using to undermine God and tell the world that he, satan, knows best.

Satan tells them that they can receive more satisfaction in their hobbies, games, participating in sports and/or watching national and regional sports among many things to give them peace in their lives.  He tells them they don’t need God and they believe his lies.

And when real crisis comes in they don’t know how to deal with it.  The stop gap measures, for the moment, are not life changing, are not lasting relationships that calm the heart and give peace to the souls.

When we insisted God not be allowed in our schools; when we demanded that all mention of Him and His Word not be allowed in public places; when we allowed condemnation by others to quiet the witnessing and work of Christians; when we told churches to get involved in helping the poor BUT DON’T YOU DARE preach to them; when we watered down the Gospel into a weak kneed state trying to pacify people rather than introducing them to Christ and the Holy Spirit’s peace; when we – you know, you can add to the list just as I can.

These people who are so traumatized not just from an election but from what life is handing them and they can only strike out to deal with it, thinking that in doing so they will achieve peace need our prayers, and our love.

God can do mighty things with all this negativity and fear, we but have to pray He will, pray people will open their hearts to the message, and pray that Christians will share their faith in God in a public way.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

When we remember that fact, we really do have His peace in our hearts and minds.

But more importantly, right now, so will these people.

Later, Art (-: