#386 (12/14) "Happy Birthday to the Minutemen"

NOTE: As I woke up this morning, the Lord made me realize for the first time that TODAY marks 40 days before the 40th anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision that spearheaded the legalizaion of the abortion of the unborn in America. I feel led to begin a 40 day period of prayer and (limited) fasting to honor the memory of the almost 60 million ! unborn that have been murdered and the 10s of millions of their mothers, fathers, and siblings who have been victimized by this great American Holocaust. I will share more in a later post(s), for now, may I ask you to

PLEASE PRAY:

1. For the girls/women each day contemplating an abortion; the abortionists and their staff; the crisis pregnancy centers seeking to serve the women facing unplanned pregnancies.
2,  For the passage of even more state laws that will effectively help to limit the number of abortions being performed.
3. The defunding of Planned Parenthood that performs over 300,000 abortions (about 1/3 the toal) for profit and still receives almost 1/2 billion dollars in federal tax dollars.
4. That one day America might finally pass a constitutional amendment promoting the Sanctity of Every Human Life - in effect oulawing both abortion and euthanasia.
5. For churches/Christians being pro-life- not just claiming to be but demonstrating it conclusively by their actiions.

"Pentagon Says Afghan Forces Still Need Assistance," December 11, 2012, http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/Prayerwatch?pw=962

As President Obama considers how quickly to withdraw the remaining 68,000 American troops in Afghanistan and turn over the war to Afghan security forces, a bleak new Pentagon report has found that only one of the Afghan National Army’s 23 brigades is able to operate independently without air or other military support from the United States and NATO partners.

The report, released Monday, also found that violence in Afghanistan is higher than it was before the surge of American forces into the country two years ago, although it is down from a high in the summer of 2010.

The assessment found that the Taliban remain resilient, that widespread corruption continues to weaken the central Afghan government and that Pakistan persists in providing critical support to the insurgency. Insider attacks by Afghan security forces on their NATO coalition partners, while still small, are up significantly: there have been 37 so far in 2012, compared with 2 in 2007.
As bright spots the report identified the continued transition by Afghan security forces into taking the lead on most routine patrols throughout the country and a decline in violence in populated areas like Kabul, the Afghan capital, and Kandahar, the largest city in the south. (Source: New York Times)   PRAYER REQUESTS:

• For our military men and women serving in Afghanistan who will be away from t their families for the holidays.
• For the men and women of the military who know the Lord to be a vibrant and effective witness during this season.
• About the political and military situations in Afghanistan as well as here in the U.S. in areas of aid, troop strength, departure dates and Islamic militancy.

NOTE: You may note that I post a lot of articles from the highly respected conserative think tank The Heritage Foundation. The following is an example of why I do so. It speaks to an issue of our day in the context of the history of the American republic. There is so much great information available there that I hope that you will take time to visit their website to see it for yourself. [www.blog.heritage.org]

"Happy Birthday to the Minutemen," Steven Bucci, December 13, 2012, http://blog.heritage.org/2012/12/13/happy-birthday-to-the-minutemen/

Photo: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

[Yesterday, December 13, was] ... the birthday of the National Guard, our nation’s oldest force.

The brave men and women of the Army and Air Force National Guard are the descendants of the men and boys who rallied to Lexington and Concord to fire “the shot heard ’round the world.” They are every bit as important today. In spite of this, the U.S. is rewarding their sacrifices with massive cuts that will weaken their ability to protect America into the future.

In the First and Second World Wars and in Korea, National Guard units were called up to augment their active-duty brethren. In major wars, they come on duty and amplify America’s military power. Today, we have the best-trained National Guard we have ever fielded. They perform this traditional mission without equal.

The post-9/11 world has shown that there is another huge mission for the Guard: being an operational reserve in smaller wars, which last a long time, such as in Iraq and Afghanistan. The modern active-duty force is not large enough to conduct continuous extended operations over a period of years without augmentation from the Guard. The bottom line is simple: The National Guard remains an essential part of our national defense structure. Without it, the U.S. would be left hobbled. Sadly, we are headed in that direction.

Those who think looming cuts under sequestration will inordinately affect the Guard are right to be concerned. If it happens, the readiness posture of America will crumble as a result.

Let’s celebrate the long service of the Minutemen—both past and present. The nation owes them a debt of gratitude that will never be adequately repaid. We can start with Congress and the Administration giving them the support they need and have earned.

[bold and italics emphasis  mine]