From Shame to Redemption

Do you know why I love the American System? Because I believe in second chances. Some of us took a bad detour in life. We made mistakes. We battled addiction. We carried consequences, shame and labels that followed us long after we started changing our lives. I know what it means to wonder whether your past will always speak louder than the person you have become. But I also know what redemption looks like. My Christian faith taught me that God is not just a God of second chances. He is a God of many chances. He restores people the world has written off. He takes what was broken and gives it purpose. And I believe an economy should leave room for that same human potential. That is one reason the American System speaks so deeply to me. At its heart, the American System was about developing America’s productive strength through industry, agriculture, commerce and infrastructure. But to me, production isn't only about steel mills, factories, energy and railroads. It is about people. Give someone the opportunity to learn a trade. Give the person coming out of addiction a real job. Give the formerly incarcerated person a way to earn trust again. Give someone who wasted years of their life the opportunity to build something with the years they have left. Don't permanently define people by the worst chapter of their story. Let them produce. Let them contribute. Let them rebuild. Because work is more than a paycheck. There is dignity in becoming useful again, providing for yourself, helping your family and knowing that your life still has something to contribute. Christianity taught me that redemption means the past does not get the final word. My own life taught me that. And maybe that's one of the things America needs to remember too. We don't strengthen this country by throwing broken people away. We strengthen it by giving people the opportunity to become builders again. Second chances. Productive work. Human dignity. Redemption. That is why I love the American System. @PrometheanActn @JDVance @SecScottBessent

God is and will always be in control!

Another Great Day in Eastern North Carolina! 🇺🇸 I never would have imagined that my passion for helping people struggling with addiction and finding their way into recovery would lead me into some of the places I’ve been lately. But here I am, and I’m enjoying every minute of it! Last week, I attended my very first @POTUS rally in Greenville, and now I’ve had the opportunity to attend @VP ’s rally in Kinston, NC. What an experience these past couple of weeks have been! I’ve met some wonderful people, had conversations I never expected to have, and walked away with an even greater appreciation for the opportunities God continues to put in front of me. I’ve been thinking a lot about why I’ve become more involved in the Republican Party and what it really means to me. While there are certainly political issues I care about, my biggest motivation isn’t necessarily what you hear being debated on the news every day. It’s something much closer to my heart. It’s addiction. It’s recovery. It’s the people and families whose lives are being torn apart, and the belief that we can do more to help them find their way back. I truly believe God has called me to this work, and I’m learning that sometimes He opens doors in places you never expected. Through my involvement with Promethean Action, I’ve gained a much greater understanding of the American System and the importance of rebuilding our country through productive jobs, manufacturing, education, and opportunities for people to become self-sufficient. I see a real connection between those ideas and the work I’m so passionate about in addiction recovery. One thing that has really stood out to me at these events is how genuinely friendly and approachable people have been. I’ve had opportunities to meet people, share my concerns, and talk about things that matter deeply to me. And they’ve actually taken the time to listen. A special thank you to @WhatleyNC , @lauriebuckhout , and @RepGregMurphy for doing just that. It means more than you know. I don’t expect everyone to agree with my politics, and that’s okay. But I do hope we can agree that helping people overcome addiction, restoring families, and giving people a chance to build a better life are things worth fighting for. Because at the end of the day, this is what matters most to me. There are people struggling with addiction right now who have lost hope, families praying for someone they love, and people in recovery working every single day to put their lives back together. They deserve more than just conversations about the addiction crisis. They deserve opportunities, resources, support, and people willing to stand up and advocate for them. I know I can’t change everything, but I can keep showing up, keep learning, keep building relationships, and keep speaking for those whose voices aren’t always heard. If being involved in these circles allows me to bring the message of recovery to people with the ability to make a difference, then that’s exactly where I want to be. Recovery is about so much more than getting someone off drugs. It’s about restoring hope, rebuilding families, finding purpose, and helping people believe they have a future worth fighting for. That’s the message I want to carry into every room God allows me to enter. Not for recognition, not for a photograph, and certainly not for politics alone, but because I have seen what recovery can do in a person’s life, and I believe every person deserves that chance. And if God keeps opening these doors, I’m going to keep walking through them. 🙏❤️🇺🇸 @PrometheanActn @donbrownfornc @GOP @NCGOP @NcfrWomen

Why does @FoxNews keep turning off their comment section on posts?

Powerful

This one can be a hard pill to swallow. From my daily devotion: CHOOSE PEACE “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” ~MATTHEW 5:9 A word. A slight. A look. A forgotten birthday or anniversary. A piece of gossip about us. Things happen to us every day, from minor to major, that could serve as an excuse for vengeance. And each time something hurtful happens, we have a choice to make: Will we be a peacemaker or a revenge seeker? Will we inflame the event with the fire of revenge, or will we smother it with the blanket of peace? Let's assume you've been hurt purposefully. What should you do? God said, "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live" (Ezekiel 33:11). Substitute whatever you're tempted to do in retaliation for the word "death" in that verse, and you'll get God's counsel on your course of action. God said that vengeance is His; He will repay (Romans 12:19). Paul writes that we are to do everything possible to "live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18). When we choose to forgive instead of fight, we become peacemakers. If you are faced with the choice of seeking peace or seeking vengeance, choose peace and receive the blessing of God. “The noblest revenge is to forgive.” ~THOMAS FULLER (From “Walking With God”~David Jeremiah)

It's happening

Just ate at the one in Raleigh, NC. Had the herb salmon and it was delicious.

From Shame to Rede... ••2m S And now Mike Pence is under investigation for being a major leaker in Trump's first administration. Light is being shown on all these cockroaches as they scatter.

For those that need to play catch-up. This is way better than a Tom Clancy novel. Hopefully it will end in handcuffs and perp walks for those involved.

This is what happens when your hubris was out ways your intellect. “Cone of Silence?” “Chatham House Rules?” @PrometheanActn @BarbaraMBoyd @sjkokinda @CryptoRichYT @JoinTAB_USA @ace_afire

Projection at its finest=The Left

I need this as a reminder everyday: Selfish to Selfless Our default setting is selfishness. Don’t believe it? Try hanging out with a toddler for a day. Toddlers want what they want, and they want it now. Toddlers will fight (and sometimes bite) to maintain dominion over their prized possessions. Toddlers have little concern for schedules, agendas, or perfectly white walls. The good news about toddlers—and people in general—is that they have the capacity to change into selfless people as they grow. But, if toddlers aren’t lovingly redirected and taught how to consider others, that selfishness will continue. So if we’re naturally self-centered humans, how do we train our minds not to default to selfishness? The Bible encourages us to model our lives after Jesus… “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…” Philippians 2:3-5 NIV Jesus didn’t leverage His authority for personal advantage—power, pleasure, control, or comfort—but took on the nature of a servant. Jesus spent His time investing in others. Jesus focused His attention on helping others. Jesus gave up His own life for others. If you find yourself becoming self-obsessed, self-indulgent, or even a little self-righteous, consider asking God for His help. - Ask Him to help you see people the way He does. - Ask Him to use any knowledge you gain to love Him and serve others.  - Ask Him to put opportunities in your path to lead others toward Him. The Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and relationships with other believers are what refine our hearts. And with God’s help, we can change our tendency from living selfishly into living selflessly.

We need to stop framing this as capitalism versus socialism. The real battle is between the American System and the British System. Go back and study Alexander Hamilton, Henry Clay, and the American System of economics. It was built around productive industry, infrastructure, technological progress, and creating opportunities for Americans to earn a living, raise their families, and build wealth through their own work. Now compare that with the old British imperial system, where financial power and inherited privilege concentrated wealth at the top while working people produced it. Do we want a nation of producers, builders, inventors, and independent families, or a modern version of feudalism, divided between the haves and the have-nots? The American Dream was never supposed to depend on being born into the right family. It was supposed to give ordinary Americans the opportunity to build something better. That’s the economic debate we ought to be having.

Meanwhile in Haiti…….

The American System is at it again. @PrometheanActn @POTUS

I’ve been to hell and back. Addiction. Darkness. Shame. Brokenness. And by the grace of God, REDEMPTION! I no longer live in fear. Not of people, not of tomorrow, and certainly not of what’s happening in this world. I know WHO brought me out of that darkness, and I know WHO holds my future! “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 (KJV) Whatever is happening in this world today, remember this: GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL. I’ve seen what happens when I try to run my own life. Now I let HIM lead. I don’t fear the future. I trust the One who holds it. @DataRepublican

THEY KNOW HOW TO TEAR DOWN. BUT WHO KNOWS HOW TO REBUILD AMERICA? @Schwalm5132 raises a question that I believe every American ought to be asking, especially in light of the recent disclosures by @DataRepublican and the discussion @BarbaraMBoyd and @sjkokinda have been having at @PrometheanActn . What happens the day after you declare the federal government illegitimate? It’s one thing to organize protests, develop political strategies, challenge authority, and talk about restructuring government. It’s quite another to keep an entire nation functioning. Who keeps the electricity flowing? Who keeps the trucks moving, the water treatment plants operating, the hospitals supplied, and the farmers producing? Who makes certain Social Security checks arrive and American families can still put food on their tables? These are not abstract political questions. They concern the daily lives of millions of Americans. The alleged discussions exposed by DataRepublican deserve a thorough examination. We need to know what was actually proposed, who participated, and whether any of it crossed the line from lawful political opposition into something more serious. But what strikes me most is something I’ve been learning through Promethean Action. There is an enormous difference between destroying an existing system and possessing the knowledge, creativity, and productive capacity to build something better. Barbara Boyd and Susan Kokinda have repeatedly brought us back to the American System of political economy. Alexander Hamilton understood that a nation’s strength depended upon developing its productive powers. Abraham Lincoln understood it. And the industrial achievements that followed helped transform this country. We have been learning about the importance of manufacturing, energy production, infrastructure, technological advancement, and restoring the dignity of productive work. Look at the investments being announced in North Carolina alone. Manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, aviation, and advanced technology represent opportunities to build something lasting. That is where I believe our attention belongs. Having worked with individuals struggling with addiction, homelessness, and reentry into society, I’ve seen what happens when people lose their sense of purpose. I’ve also seen what becomes possible when they are given an opportunity to rebuild their lives through meaningful work. I see a parallel in our country. You cannot build a productive society on anger, disruption, and political opposition alone. Eventually, somebody has to know how to build the factories, train the workers, produce the energy, maintain the infrastructure, and make the economy function. And that brings me back to Schwalm’s article. If anyone is seriously proposing that state governments assume responsibilities currently supported by federal institutions, then show us the operational plan. Show us how essential services continue, how constitutional authority is preserved, and how ordinary Americans are protected. Because tearing something apart without understanding what holds it together is not a plan for America’s future. America doesn’t need another revolution that simply changes who holds power. America needs a renaissance of productive thinking, scientific advancement, skilled labor, and national purpose. That is what I find so compelling about the American System we have been studying through Promethean Action. We should be asking our leaders, regardless of party, one fundamental question: Are you capable of building something that will still be standing for our children and grandchildren, or do you only know how to tear down what previous generations built? That, to me, is the real issue. Read Eric Schwalm’s article and consider the consequences for yourself. teapawt.net/schwalm5132/status/211… @POTUS @monicaonairtalk @WhatleyNC @lauriebuckhout @SecRubio PrometheanAction.com

Hope and faith in Christ is what sustains me.