Check this out, PA friends!

Five Patriot Academy Alumni, working as lobbyists for Texas Home School Coalition, were featured on World magazine’s website:

Read the lead story here.

We’re looking forward to seeing more of you making headlines in the near future!

Oh, and by the way, if you haven’t signed up for the 2013 class yet, now would be a good time. This year’s class is going to be stellar, with new technology and an expanded Senate. We’re filling up! You don’t want to miss out just because you forgot to apply. Go here and get it done: http://www.patriotacademy.com/apply/apply-online/ .

The post PA students in the news! appeared first on Patriot Academy.

Patriot Academy was fantastic.

These types of events- where we learn things pertinent to what we find ourselves called to, where we engage in vibrant interaction with a massive spectrum of exciting personalities- these are the events, places, and people we tend to romanticize. We tend to look at anybody behind a podium or on a stage with a sense of awe and illusion. These people become demigods in our sight, whose true identity lies hidden underneath the muffling blanket of heroic charisma we cast over them.

This was my second time at Patriot Academy. The first year was inspiring and encouraging, and gave me an invigorating presentation of hope for grass-roots movements and youth involvement in American politics. To my inexperienced and overly-simplistic view of political mechanics, it seemed that  preparation, involvement, and success were merely three delightfully easy steps in a cakewalk that would take me from here to grand finale.

This second time through, though, I got a massive dose of reality.

It was strong, refreshing, maturing. All of a sudden I was presented with a vivid understanding of how much I was required to pay, to sacrifice, to give…

My hyped-up, overly-romanticized image of politics came crashing down in a glittery display of faux-crystal thoughts. I saw all the things I saw before: optimism, enthusiasm, hope, etc., but the glorious hope for the future was now truly tempered with an understanding of how much tedious and thankless work would have to be invested in a cause for potentially so few immediate benefits. The thin gossamer curtains that had dazzled my eyes for so long were torn from before my sight, and I saw clearly the grueling, day-in, day-out battle-wrinkles of wizened brows, haggard faces, and mended-together hearts; I read tiredness in the frowns and drawn faces of the experienced ones; I felt the angst and frustration in between the lines as they spoke of their victories and losses; and I realized just how terrible and inhuman a machine was this thing called Politics. Everything I saw now was colored with the remembrance of defeat and hardship, worry and disappointment. The letters written from that ink never fully wash away.

We are born into a world we didn’t make, yet we’re required to pay the full price for long-term victory in the war we find ourselves in. It is a mighty, daunting undertaking. It’s almost too big. Almost.

In a majestic passage about the juggernaut nature of the Gospel, an angel asks Zechariah, “Who hath despised the day of small things?” Big things don’t happen without little things. Anyone can take a small step on the road today toward victory for tomorrow.

We have been called to a very difficult path. All the same, we have been graciously outfitted with the necessary accoutrements, talents, and time to carry out our duty, although we must also develop our skills. We run a fine balance between making our calling and election sure, and yet relying upon the mighty hand of God to carry us through anything and everything. We must say with John Quincy Adams, “Duty is ours; results are God’s.” Thus, we trust in God’s unfaltering strength to carry us over the torrential cascade of opposition, for, “our labor is not in vain in the LORD (1 Cor. 15:58).”

Let us each seek the will of God for our particular part to play in this battle, and let us be confident, for God is not only the source of planning, but the source of accomplishing as well. And as we set out to perform that will, may we face our task without illusion and, unshrinking, call upon the world to stand aside, for we who march on the order of God are unstoppable.

The post Awake appeared first on Patriot Academy.

In 2 Kings 22 we find one of the most unusual and noteworthy characters of all Scripture. King Josiah was just eight years old when he took the throne after his father was assassinated. Despite his extreme youth, Josiah “did all that was right in the sight of the Lord.” When he had reigned for eighteen years (and reached the ripe old age of twenty-six), the high priest made a discovery of epic proportions: he found the “lost book of the law” amidst a royal renovation project in an abandoned building—the temple.

When the high priest brought the book to Josiah, he had a scribe read it aloud. Though the book had been lost for decades, the significance of the holy writings was not lost on the young king. He was so humbled and repentant for the sins of his father and his nation that he tore his clothes in sorrow and shame. He demonstrated gratitude, reverence, and tenderness towards the truths of Scripture, hid for so long.

We have some things in common with King Josiah. We’re young, we’re leaders, and we appear to be accomplishing a lot for our age. The key difference is that Josiah had been deprived of access to God’s word for his entire life, and we are surrounded by a million ways to study Scripture. Does the convenience make it seem unimportant or cheap to us? Do we take the wisdom of Scripture for granted? Do we try to out-smart it? To throw it out like milk past the expiration date? Or do we revere it with tenderness and gratitude?

We can discard the Scripture, and wait for it to be found and dusted off by some future Josiah, or we can reach back and find the hidden truths of God’s Word and dust them off for our generation. Josiah’s actions led to a kick-start of prosperity and greatness for Israel, but it all began with simple gratitude for God’s first free gift to us; His Word.

The post The Boy King appeared first on Patriot Academy.

The beginning of the year is always full of great anticipation, intentions, and resolutions. It’s an exciting time of new opportunities and is a God-given gift that constantly reminds us to rekindle the fire that He has lit within our hearts. We each have passions for which we say we live, distant achievements we hope to one day complete, and abstract impacts on this world we intend to leave.

But how many of us can say that we are on track to making that happen? How much closer are we now to changing the world than we were at the beginning of last year? Are we “forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead” as Paul says in the book of Philippians? Do we have a clear vision of where we are going or are we just shooting in the dark?

As I look back over 2012, it discourages me to see the time I wasted because I didn’t have a vision, because I wasn’t constantly pursuing the passion that Christ has placed within me. Prior to last year, I had a goal with specific deadlines and actionable steps; it was to complete my college and attend a military-style Basic Training with the ALERT Academy. This goal guided me and I was working each week towards its accomplishment. These two meaningful tasks were achieved in March of 2012 (by God’s grace) and I was pleased to have reached this milestone. Yet afterwards, I fell into a slump, with a mentality of just going about the daily grind. I lived a year of fun and mediocrity, just going to work, socializing, vacationing, and the like. Why? Because I’d lost my vision… that purpose that directed my steps. While mine was a life of pleasure, after a few months I was beginning to feel a lack of fulfillment. How much further along I could be as we enter 2013 had I simply laid out a vision and direction for my life!

Helen Keller, the inspiring blind and deaf author, activist and lecturer, once wisely said, “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision.” Fellow Patriots, I lived that visionless life this past year and can vouch for the truth of that statement. God has awakened me to the need for vision in one’s life and I cry out to you, find YOUR vision! If we really want to make a difference in our nation, if we really want to preserve the Torch of Freedom, we must have vision. And I’m not just talking about the abstract desires that we as young Christian conservatives have, to make a difference or to change our world. I’m talking about the kind of vision that will drive us daily to accomplish the purpose that God has placed within each one of us. T. E. Lawrence said it this way, “All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.” My friends, may we not simply be pathetic dreamers, but may we be dangerous men and women that act our dreams with open eyes! God, make it so!

What does a vision specifically do in our lives? A clear vision and defined purpose will result in three valuable outcomes:

1. Vision gives us direction. While this seems obvious, a vision allows you to develop actionable steps that you can accomplish daily. Quoting from the wisdom of Alice in Wonderland, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” On the other hand, if we do know where we are going, we can choose the most direct route.
2. Vision becomes our “Activities Filter.” When we have the future and our goals at the forefront of our minds, we are led to evaluate the way we spend our time. Movies, TV, Music, News, etc. suddenly seem less important as we see the future quickly becoming the present and the time to accomplish our goals rapidly slipping away. We begin making decisions regarding the activities in which we engage with our vision in mind.
3. Pursuing our purpose brings fulfillment. If we find the purpose for which God has made us and are pursuing that daily, we will have fulfillment in life. God has assigned each of us a unique purpose that no one else can accomplish more perfectly than ourselves. Only after we’ve decided to live for our King will true fulfillment come.

Now that we know we need a vision, it’s time to get one if we haven’t already. Here are some practical ways we can accomplish this task… Let’s not put it off!

1. Pray. This step can’t be overlooked. Ask God for His wisdom as you seek to discover His plan for your life. It says in Proverbs 16:9, “The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”
2. Write out your vision. Answer the following questions in a brief statement, a vision statement. Where are you headed? Who do you want to be? Why has God put you on this earth? If you really nail it, this statement will get your blood flowing and excite you. I’ve written out a long version (about 300 words) and a short version (under 100 words). The long version expounds on the main points and the short version gives you something to memorize and keep at the forefront of your mind.
3. Set goals. Plan out some stepping-stones along the path to fulfilling your vision. What better time to do it than at the beginning of the year! Get specific, make them achievable and give yourself a deadline.
4. Accountability. Identify a couple of likeminded friends that you really respect and hold each other to your goals and encourage each other along the way. As it says in Ecclesiastes, “… A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

Patriots, we have tremendous potential! But Satan is trying to keep it at that… just potential. Resist him. Pray for God’s strength to fight back and overcome. Find your vision and pursue it with every ounce of your being! Don’t get entangled in the frivolous enticements we see everyday. Cast them aside and pursue Christ and the purpose He has laid on your heart. Don’t allow your dreams to be distant fantasies… begin the pursuit! The time for vision is now!

The post The Time is Now appeared first on Patriot Academy.

I’m betting you all remember Thomas Umstattd’s celebrated session on social media at PA. It’s one of the most popular sessions every year. Just last year, student reviews ranked it the second-most-popular session of the Academy—tied with another stellar session on teambuilding by…Thomas Umstattd. (One wonders how things would have turned out if he had presented only one.)

Some of you have taken his advice and engaged on social media at a new level. I’ve seen several new blogs by PA alumni, and I hope to see more. This post is for you, and for anyone else who want to bone up on making an impact online.

When he’s not giving gripping presentations on strategy at PA, Thomas is a self-described “Speaker, writer, entrepreneur, WordPress guru, political troublemaker, homeschool graduate and Christ follower.” He built his first website at the age of 13 and taught his first web design class at only 16 years of age. He has been helping authors and small businesses use the web ever since. As an award-winning speaker, Thomas teaches all over the world. He currently serves as the CEO of Castle Media Group LLC, a company that builds websites for world-changers. He’s got a branch for authors, a branch for small businesses, and a branch for conservative politicians (future candidates, take note!). I’ve been following his business for a while now, and I’ve been blown away by its savvy online presence.

Below is a video lecture he’s shared with us on building a better blog. Remember that PA session? This is more of the same, but for blogs. Blogger or not, you’ll want to check it out. You just may decide to start one by the end. Even if you don’t, a lot of his tips apply to practically any kind of networking. People are people, after all.

If you’re still working on getting started blogging, check out this step-by-step post on setting up your own blog in 20 minutes by Michael Hyatt (and follow him while you’re at it—he’s got a fantastic leadership site). From the research I’ve done, the hosting service he recommends, BlueHost, is one of the best out there. You should be in good hands. Then go back and watch Thomas’s video again. The conservative movement, and any other movement you ever stand for, will thank you.

The post Blogging Savvy, for World-Changers appeared first on Patriot Academy.

Patriot Academy 2012 taught all of the fundamentals of leadership that it always does, and better than ever. It also taught the foundational principles of law and government that built this nation, as it always has. But in 2012 I learned something new about leadership. A lesson that is so simple, so obvious, and yet often overlooked; A lesson that was ultimately proven in the elections of 2008 and 2012, both nationally and locally.

The lesson was this -

Leadership is a Team Sport. To effectively lead communities, counties, states, nations, and the world, we have to become effective leaders, in effective leadership teams.

Frances Hesselbein had this to say; “Organizations exist to make people’s strengths effective and their weaknesses irrelevant.  And this is the work of effective leaders.”

Organizations- teams, really—have the power to eliminate holes.  It’s like in Rocky, when he’s talking about Adrian.  ”I got gaps.  She’s got gaps.  Together, we got no gaps!”  I wish Americans and Christians were saying this for each other more often.

Americans, and most notably American leadership, have started focusing on individualism instead of organizational or team leadership. As a result, we have started following a pageant model for vetting our leaders. This attracts a certain type of narcissist to the leadership spotlight and encourages a ‘king of the hill’ mentality of leadership—kicking others down in an effort to reach the top of the human pyramid.  We need to think of leadership as a pillar that fully assumes the weight and responsibility of those in our coalitions.

In 2008 and 2012, (and in every election, really), we’ve seen two models of leadership represented. One was individualistic and had a clear anthem through the primaries. ‘Unless I win, nobody wins.’ This detracted from the credibility of everybody in that team, even those who were willing team players. The winners were those who, on the other team, chose to edify each other, praise the strengths and cover for weaknesses, and ultimately serve each other in a team capacity.

Capable leaders are those who lead in packs, who lead toward a cause instead of toward a spotlight. When you’re one of the Knights who defend Camelot, you learn to cover the blind side of your brothers in arms. John Maxwell says, “Teams share the credit for victories, and the blame for losses. This fosters genuine humility and authentic community. Individuals take credit and blame alone. This fosters pride and often times, a sense of failure.”

In 2013 commit to being a team player. Commit to loving your teammates and loving your cause, instead of loving the stage or the spotlight. Commit to playing for keeps, commit to playing for each other, and commit to playing for the other leaders you work with.

Here are some principles of Team Leadership to carry into 2013:

1.) Team work divides the effort and multiplies the effect.

This means as a team player, you will look for ways to divide the effort with the leaders around you. Look for ways to lift the load from them. This won’t just divide the effort, it will invariably multiply their effect, and yours as well.

2.) Individuals play the game; Teams win championships.

Play the game, and play hard, but stop to think once in a while, ‘How does this contribute to or hinder the team around me?’ If you see a pattern of individualism in your projects, you may want to start asking leaders how your efforts can cross-promote or contribute to their efforts. This is the only way you and your team can win the championship. You don’t have to be carrying the ball to help move it down the field.

3.) Friendly fire kills you just as dead as enemy fire. 

As tempting as it may be to shoot down somebody for having a slightly dissenting opinion, that energy is just as damaging to those in your coalition as an attack from the outside. In fact, it’s more damaging. Because when the world looks for leadership, they won’t trust a team if the players don’t trust each other. Ask yourself if you have a habit of friendly fire, and make note of how damaging it is when you’re fired upon.

4.) “Ask not what your teammates can do for you, ask what you can do for your teammates!”

This was how an NBA star paraphrased the famous quote by JFK. His comment applies right back to healing communities and building nations. A team wins games locally first, then regionally, before going to state and ultimately national championship playoffs. How is this different when it comes to solving the crises that face our country? Remember that by serving the team locally, you’re serving the whole team; that includes you. When you move your community forward, you gain the necessary credibility for all of the leaders in your team to move the nation forward.

5.) Teams win daily – Not in a day.

John Maxwell’s ‘Law of Process’ from his bestseller, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership says it all—“Leadership Develops Daily, Not in a Day.” My Dad often quotes, ‘Success would be easy, if it wasn’t so daily.’ The simple fact is this: winning as part of a team is a daily project that doesn’t happen in a day. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it was built daily. Nations can’t be mended in a single day, but there is no nation that can’t be mended through daily action of coalitions and individuals, applying themselves to the principles and laws of national prosperity.

As you may have guessed, national prosperity can’t happen without local victories from teams committed to national success. A team is greater than the sum of all its talents, and you will be able to accomplish more by playing for the team than you will by fighting for your individual spotlight.

The New Commandment

Christ said it best, of course, when he paused his disciples and delivered this charge: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

You got gaps. I got gaps. Together we got no gaps. Let’s storm the beaches of 2013 and beyond, and take the hill together.

The post No Gaps appeared first on Patriot Academy.

I am sure that, like me, many of you were extremely disappointed by the latest election results.  That goes without saying; deep inside every student who has ever graduated Patriot Academy, none of them would have chosen our 44^th president to serve two consecutive terms (I do not believe that any of us would have even given him the first either).  I think it’s time for us as Christian conservatives to step back and take stock of all that has transpired.  What is really important to us? Was it only the Presidential election?  That Congressman you worked for, the Senator who will not be going back, every judge you knew.  I can go on and on I am sure that if it were necessary we could all find someone who lost and should have won.  Regardless of wins or losses, what are we going to do with them now? Will we stand up and take a move past the darkness of November 6^th?  Cast your net on the other side.

Now that it’s over, we’ve been pronounced by every news network and talk radio host in the country as the biggest losers.  I even heard one radio host say he hoped Republicans never won another election.  I think we need to look past this year of failures–the conservative movement could not nominate a candidate, the whole Republican party was defeated nationally, every judge in Bexar County lost their bench to someone of lesser qualifications, and the list goes on. I think that if we are to move forward we need to start having those awkward political conversations in the line at the grocery store.  We need to ask co-workers hard questions like, “Did you vote your values this year?”   We (and that’s an all-inclusive we) continually miss opportunities to ask tough questions and are unwilling to wait for tough answers.  Just this last week a co-worker was surprised to hear that I attended the Republican State convention.  It was humbling that she had not guessed I was a conservative by the way I talked when we had political conversations at work.  I know I am more guilty of skipping the tough conversations than anyone.  I let guys in my workplace get away with a vote for the 44^th because it would be uncomfortable to have that conversation.  It is up to us to disciple spiritually and politically those God places around us and remember Jesus’ words to exhausted disciples who had fished all night: “Cast your net on the other side.”

The post Cast Your Net on the Other Side appeared first on Patriot Academy.

Note from Lt. Gov. Nicholson: Patriots–You wanted more training on parlipro? Here’s some from the best! At the 2012 class, Michael Levens’s exceptional familiarity with parliamentary procedure made him perhaps the most powerful (and certainly the most feared) member on the Floor. Only when his enemies delved as deeply into the Rules as he had were they able to stop him, and even then their triumph lasted a mere 5 minutes. When we asked him, he agreed to share some tips with the rest of the Academy. Take some time over the Thanksgiving holiday to check them out. Come August 2013, you’ll be glad you did!

As you prepare for Patriot Academy (PA), you will want to ensure that you are well-versed in the procedural rules. They can help you craft a flawless bill that can be defeated only on substance rather than an error in form, and even allow you to delay pieces of legislation that you disagree with. These rules are powerful, and when you see how they work, you can use them to your advantage during PA!

First, ensure that you are very comfortable with the rules in the Parliamentary Packet provided on the PA website. This gives you a very good overview of the general rules of decorum and order of business on the floor and in committee. These foundational rules are not the ones you will need to consult to look for points of order on bills, but they will help you to understand the basic flow of the procedural process. It is absolutely essential to know exactly what to say to make a motion, lay out a bill, ask questions, and make amendments both on the house floor and in committee. If you become familiar with the order of business and the key phrases contained within that short packet, you are well on your way to being an effective Representative.

The most helpful (and advanced) portion of the Parliamentary Packet is “Part Four: General Parliamentary Procedure.” This part describes various motions that can be made such as points of privilege, parliamentary inquiries, and, most importantly, points of order. It provides detailed descriptions and the exact wording you should use while making each motion. This supplies an excellent introduction to these very powerful tools of procedure.

After you have familiarized yourself with the rules provided by PA and if you wish to become a real procedural guru, go to http://www.house.state.tx.us/_media/pdf/hrrules.pdf to download the Texas House Rules. These are the actual procedural rules used in the Texas House of Representatives. Upon opening it, do not feel overwhelmed. There are a plethora of rules contained within the Texas House Rules, but many of them are not very pertinent to PA’s realistic, yet very condensed and simplified, version of a legislative session. Pay particular attention to rules 4, 8, 9, 10, and 11. These rules will cover committees, bills, resolutions, and amendments and are the most relevant rules to PA.

Rule 4 covers the role, duties, and functions of committees. You can use this to ensure that your committee is following the appropriate procedure while it is sitting and to make certain that all reports are submitted to the legislative council without errors (pay particular attention to Chapter C). If a rule 4 violation is discovered on the house floor, a point of order can require that bill to be sent back to the committee to have the error corrected. This delay can be deadly to your bill, so make sure that your committee follows these rules carefully!

Rules 8, 9, and 10 cover the rules on bills and resolutions. Remember that any rule listed in the instructional materials provided by PA on writing your bill will trump any conflicting rule within the House Rules! However, these rules are excellent sources to ensure that you have written a piece of legislation that is free of any defects that could cause it to be killed on a point of order (pay particular attention to sections 1 and 3 of rule 8, as well as section 1 of rule 9). A violation under these rules might be a death blow to your bill and require you to actually suspend all rules to submit another copy of your bill/resolution without the error, which is a lot easier said than done!

Last, rule 11 covers the amendment process. Amendments are a great way to build coalitions of support for your bill. You can appease individuals who have concerns about your bill and turn them from tentative supporters to people who will work the floor for you if you consider an amendment for them! Thus, you should avail yourself of this process so long as the proposed amendment doesn’t violate your principles. Rule 11 will help you to make sure that you propose valid amendments. Specifically, you want to make sure that the amendment still falls within the caption of the bill so that it is germane, such that it relates to the original subject-matter of your legislation (see House Precedents 1-3 of section 2). Consequently, it is always wise to have broad captions for your bill so you can add related amendments.

The rules of procedure can help you to become an incredibly effective Representative during your week at PA. It is also wise to consult with the Parliamentarian for guidance on particular rules while you are still getting comfortable with the process, but don’t be shy! Be bold in your week at PA! Immerse yourself in the process and you just might be surprised at how competent and effective you are after just a few days of using the process to your advantage. Once you have mastered these few rules, you will be able to wield the rules of procedure as either a shield in the drafting stage or a sword on the floor and in committee!

The post The Michael Levens Guide to Legendary Parliamentary Power appeared first on Patriot Academy.

You may have seen the letter below, or a version of it, on Facebook recently. It was written in 1959 by a judge who spent his career in the juvenile court system. According to The Rebelution, Judge Philip Gilliam “was a tireless advocate for the young, wielding his substantial popularity to direct new resources towards preventing juvenile delinquency and helping those already in the system.” In this article, called “Letter to the Teen-Ager,” he issued a blunt call to action and responsibility.

Always we hear the plaintive cry of the teen-ager. What can we do? … Where can we go?

 

The answer is GO HOME!

 

Hang the storm windows, paint the woodwork. Rake the leaves, mow the lawn, shovel the walk. Wash the car, learn to cook, scrub some floors. Repair the sink, build a boat, get a job.

 

Help the minister, priest, or rabbi, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army. Visit the sick, assist the poor, study your lessons. And then when you are through — and not too tired — read a book.

 

Your parents do not owe you entertainment. Your city or village does not owe you recreational activities.

 

The world does not owe you a living… You owe the world something.

 

You owe it your time and your energy and your talents so that no one will be at war or in poverty or sick or lonely again.

 

Grow up; quit being a crybaby. Get out of your dream world and develop a backbone, not a wishbone, and start acting like a man or a lady.

 

You’re supposed to be mature enough to accept some of the responsibility your parents have carried for years.

 

They have nursed, protected, helped, appealed, begged, excused, tolerated and denied themselves needed comforts so that you could have every benefit. This they have done gladly, for you are their dearest treasure.

 

But now, you have no right to expect them to bow to every whim and fancy just because selfish ego instead of common sense dominates your personality, thinking and request.

 

In Heaven’s name, grow up and go home!

 

The key sentence is right in the middle: “The world does not owe you a living… You owe the world something.” A child looks for what he can get; an adult looks for what he can contribute.

Our nation voted last week to elect a president who promises us a living. It was the childish choice. Sadly, voters under the age of 30 agreed with that decision 12-7.

Our generation is growing up. It’s still undecided whether we will be a generation of adults or delinquents, but the evidence is leaning in favor of delinquency. The rest of the world is waiting for the verdict. Will the youth of America accept the privileges and responsibilities of liberty in the heroic spirit of past great generations, or will they continue to sit resentfully crying for a nanny state to buy them toys and feed them something sweet?

The only way to keep the children from destroying this country is for the adults, and enough adults, to show up. For our generation, “the adults” means you.

I’m so proud of what I’ve seen of you Patriots in the weeks leading up to the election. You showed up. You were working. You were praying. You were contributing to the world around you. I’d tell you to keep it up, but I know you don’t need me to. You care about freedom as much as I do. Love of liberty burns in you and cannot be quenched. To you, there is no greater fear than spending your sunset years telling your children and your children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free. And you don’t even need me to tell you whom I just quoted. That phrase haunts you as much as it haunts me.

But “the adults” means more than you. If the children outnumber the adults 12-7 and have an equal voice, simple math dictates that the children will win every time.

You have to double yourself.

There are plenty of ways to double yourself. I’m going to keep it simple and suggest just one: pick one friend–just one–and get them to come to Patriot Academy. I’m not saying that because it does anything for me. I don’t get paid to promote the Academy. If you think they will learn more and be inspired to join the ranks of the adults more deeply somewhere else, that’s fine. Send them there. But for your sake and the sake of the future, send them somewhere. While you’re at it, send two, or three. There’s nothing wrong with multiplication.

The good news is, simple math works both ways. It’s time to swing the odds back in favor of the adults.

The post Double the Adults appeared first on Patriot Academy.

by Mama Seay

Patriots:

Tomorrow we will know the outcome of what may prove to be the most important election of your lifetime.

The incessant coverage of the election cycle this season has saddened me to no end in the lack of common courtesy on both sides. Some of the comments by people supporting the candidates I support alarm me as much as comments by those who oppose my candidates. As a Christian, I will be held accountable for every word I speak ( a sobering thought considering my mouth). That knowledge makes me think twice before I engage in making comments on Facebook, Twitter, or in response to news articles.

I have a few points I want you to remember as your watch the election returns and make comments on your Facebook and Twitter accounts.

1) The outcome of the election may be news to you, but the Creator of the Universe has been aware of it since before the beginning of time. Regardless of your perception of the events, the news will not knock Him off of His throne nor take Him by surprise.

2) The winner of this election will not be the savior of our nation. Righteousness exalts a nation. Not Republicans. Not Democrats. Do not be confused.

3) Your character is revealed both in how you handle victory and how you handle defeat. If your candidate loses, do not mourn as if you had no hope. Your candidate wasn’t going to be the savior of our nation anyway. (See point 2). More importantly, if your candidate wins, remember to treat those on the other side as you would want to be treated. In football terms, “no excessive celebration in the end zone.” That means no name calling, no rubbing noses in their defeat, and stay away from “I told you so.”

4) Nothing proves the Mama Seay adage, “Life is not fair and some people are stupid” like elections. It is what it is. Deal with it.

If the above admonition does not give you pause to consider your words before you write them, remember this. This is a golf ball issue. It will be a topic in next year’s PA Facebook presentation.

Do all that you do to the glory of God!  ~ Mama Seay

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