10 Things To Do Today To Make a Difference in America

#1 Obey the Laws of the Land.

This is something all of us can do better. Did you run any red lights or stop signs today? Did you cut anybody off in traffic or drive faster than the posted speed limit? Did you throw any trash out of the window of your car today? Simply obeying your local traffic laws can make a huge difference in everyday life of millions of Americans. 

#2 Do Something Meaningful to Help Your Neighbor.

We all have neighbors that we might not care for very much, but I dare you to put your differences aside and love them anyway. Think of ways you might be able to mend the relationships in your neighborhood to help unify your community. Why is this important? America is only as good as the communities of which she's made of! Be the first one to organize a neighborhood watch or a service project to reach out and lift up the less fortunate folks in the area. You may not realize how important neighbors are until a disaster strikes and you don't know who to turn to, because you never got to know your neighbors. It's one thing to know who they are, but good deeds without thought for recompense solidify relationships that can last for generations.

#3 Pick up a piece of trash lying on the ground in your community.

When I was a kid I threw a wrapper out the window once. We travelled a few miles and my mom asked me where my wrapper went. I admitted to tossing it out the window. She stopped the car, turned around and drove back looking for the piece of trash. She made me get out of the car and pick it up. I'll never forget it. Set an example for others by picking up the trash in your community. Properly managing our refuse can make a huge difference in how we feel about our homes, communities, cities, counties, states and country. 

#4 Report an illegal alien to Immigration & Customs Enforcement.

This one might scare a lot of you, but if you know of somebody living in your community that came into the country illegally isn't it your duty to report them to the proper authorities? These people take jobs away from American citizens. They become a burden to our welfare systems. If you don't want to report them, then help them assimilate through the proper channels. They may need to be deported and then come back through following proper immigration laws, but at least then they won't be hiding in the darkness of lawlessness. 

#5 Raise an American Flag in your yard.

The more flags we see flying in our communities the better. The American flag is the ultimate symbol of freedom. Wave it loud and proud without any fear of overdoing it. This is America and we have our own flag. A flag that has been on every battlefield in America and throughout the word. It has been shot, blasted, burned and soaked with the blood of patriots. It is so much more than a piece of cloth. Put a light on it at night and take good care of it. Retire it before it shreds and replace it with another as a bright reminder to those who see it that freedom doesn't come free. Flying the flag is also a silent way to express your right of freedom of speech.

#6 Teach your kids about the American revolution and why it happened.

If we don't remember the captivity of our forefathers and why they sought to throw off the bands of oppression then how will we ever be able to keep history from repeating itself. Teach why we didn't want to be ruled by the British anymore. Teach them about the courageous stories of those who gave their lives to fight for the freedoms that we enjoy today. The spirit of freedom is one of the most incredible forces for good in the world today. The problem with many of us is that the comforts we enjoy might not be here tomorrow if we don't get our patriotic hands dirty from time to time by reminding our elected officials that We The People are the ones with the power.

#7 Go out and buy a gun and some ammunition.
One of the reasons America is a country to be reckoned with is, because we have the right to bear arms. We all have guns! These guns are to protect us from foreign and domestic enemies. Owning one sends a reminder to our local, state and federal governments that we will not tolerate any violation of both our divinely and constitutionally given rights. Get out and shoot your gun on a regular basis so that you're prepared to use it when the time for action knocks on your door. Learn how to use it safely and stockpile ammunition, because a gun isn't more than a club without bullets.

#8 Get a job or start a business.

Why are nearly a 1/3 of Americans not working? Come on people get off the welfare programs and take your lives back. I'm convinced that there are jobs out there to be done. Swallow your dignity and work jobs that get your hands dirty. It'll make you feel better. There is nothing worse than a man without a job. It's self-degrading. Don't be afraid to do something different. If you're in a position to start a business and provide jobs for others--do it! Look around and see what you can do to fill a need in your community. Turn that need into something of value and that's a business. If you're drawing a blank then use the internet, library and public services to educate yourself about job and business opportunities available in your area. If there aren't any. Keep looking! Never give up your right to change your future and never rely on government to give you a future. Government cripples the working man when that man accepts unnecessary handouts.

#9 Sit down and eat dinner with your family.

Harder than you think, but this one action changes nations. Quality family time is priceless. Make it count!

#10 Go to church.

Where do you get your hope recharged? Do the best you can with what your parents taught you and carry on that tradition by teaching your children. We all need a good foundation underneath us to carry our hearts and minds through the good times and the bad times. Just do the best you can with the knowledge you have. Jesus Saves!

What Can We Do to Save America?

What I am about to write is written with the intent to scare you into getting prepared for the tough times ahead. World markets are spinning out of control and when economies tank, goods and services skyrocket and become unavailable. Use this fear to motivate you to prepare for any calamity that might present itself. I have some good news for those who live in rural America close to agriculture and some not so good news for the masses that live in large cities void of agriculture.

I was raised on a dairy farm in Nevada. We raised crops and fed and milked our cows. We had a large garden each year where we enjoyed fresh vegetables. We had fruit trees and when we needed meat we butchered a cow, pig or chicken. We also had a flock of chickens and enjoyed fresh eggs. There is nothing quite like an ice-cold mason jar filled with fresh cows milk on a hot day with buttery corn on the cob, a lean steak and mashed potatoes with gravy. Those who have access to the earth and a water source will be able to provide for themselves if they have saved up seeds for planting and have some livestock for protein. 

Raising chickens has really taken off in urban America and is probably one of the only hopes for city dwellers to enjoy a daily egg or two. The problem is getting grain to feed them. There are literally billions of people in cities who depend on trucks to deliver the food they consume. Always consider worst-case-scenario and prepare for that while hoping for the best. City folk will need to rely on getting some dehydrated food storage. If the world slips into chaos then we are going to see a lot of hungry Americans looking for food. This can often be a problem for the self-reliant Americans who've laid up a food store.

This is where self-defense items come into play.  When the hordes of hungry Americans show up at your doorstep you have two choices. You can share your food with them or you can put a gun in their faces and try to defend your stores for your own. If you share your food it won't be long before you join the hordes, because you and yours will also be hungry. I think it's going to be a tough situation that will require some tough decisions. Those who have spent their money on food, shelter, clothing and water preparations will still have to defend these resources from those who havn't prepared. 

Also consider medical supplies, a mobile power source, water filtration, fuel, firewood, cooking supplies, batteries, hygiene, toiletries, a mobile shelter, winter clothing, sleeping bags, tools and the list goes on and on. A survival guide is a good item to tote along in your backpack. You might consider practicing fire starting using items other than matches and gasoline. I could write a book on all the things you can do to prepare yourself, but that's not my job. It's yours! Just do it before the moment of emergency arrives, because it will be too late for preparations when disaster strikes.

I wish I could tell you to save some money and keep that on hand, but if the course our country is heading doesn't change then I'm afraid paper money won't do any of us any good. It will be all about food, weapons, ammunition and useful supplies, tools and services that we'll use as currency to barter and trade with. I hate writing articles like this, because they remind me of post nuclear war movies. I don't want to have to experience any of the above conditions, but I'd rather be prepared for the worst then not be. I pray we all stand up and stop the corruption in our communities, cities, counties, states and federal government. 

Why are we still allowing the uncontrolled spending of our hard earned tax dollars? Why are we still allowing those who do it to get away with it? Who is going to stop them if we don't? They're not even spending the money where it's most needed like toward our national defense. No, instead they are spending it on their utopian entitlement programs where government takes care of every need of a persons everday life. There are millions of Americans who have worked for the government for so long that they have forgetten what it's like to work for themselves. They work to be paid by the private sectors tax dollars. 

The burden on our shoulders to bear the weight of all of the public sector jobs is killing us! I am all for military jobs. I'm all for the bare bones departments that administer the nuts and bolts of proven social nets, but I'm sick of the wanton waste and self-entitled hipocrisy from the professional political class that wants more and more and more and more and more and more and more and more. I'm greatful for those who seek public jobs to administer the policies, procedures, maintenance and construction and management of our communities, citities, counties, states and country, but not when they continue to bloat their budgets and increase their salaries to put themselves above the rest of us.

Our education system no longer turns out young adults ready to change the world with new ideas armed with the practical tools necessary to build businesses and pursue self-employment opportunities. Most of our media movies and shows have become so base and crass that the infection their garbage spews has poisoned our minds and made us dumb, lazy and without feeling. We've become numb to goodness and wholesomeness. We are no longer offended by perversion and immoral behavior in print and video formats. We can't afford to lose the value our previous generations have taught about the value of a human life.

The more I write the madder I get when I consider what is killing America. It's a disgusting feeling and every thought could be a title heading for an entire article. Funny how a focused mind begins cutting through the frill around the edges and goes straight to the heart of the problem. We have a lot of crap to cut through and nobody's going to do it unless We The People do. Right?

Is Donald Trump What America Needs Right Now?

The American people are sick and tired of politicians, news organizations and government agencies slimy antics used to sugar-coat the world we live in. Common sense gained through real-world work experience alludes the majority of these think-tank-poll-driven-consultant-polished bureaucrats.  What comes out of their mouths is always geared toward saving their own butts rather than geared toward fixing our nations problems. I keep hearing people trash talk Donald Trump calling him a "clown" and a passing sideshow, but he seems to be the only one with a get-to-the-point message. America is dying people!

I'm excited to hear a true patriot get up and paint an ugly picture. Someone who pulls out all of the props and just tells us what's wrong. We already know what's wrong, we just need a leader who can articulate the problems and then share a straightforward plan of action. Donald Trump is doing this. Winston Churchill was an amazing war leader, because he himself had fought in the trenches of World War I. He knew firsthand about what had worked and what hadn't. This is why his leadership was so valuable in World War II.

Donald Trump has been in the trenches of business. He has seen what works and what doesn't work in trade negotiations. He knows how to take an idea and use that idea to create jobs. He has employed tens of thousands of Americans. I bet he knows a thing or two about how government interference through over-taxation and over-regulation held his businesses back from contributing more opportunities for those workers. He knows that government doesn't create jobs, entrepreneurs do. I'm excited to see what happens to America when he removes these crippling abuses from American industry.

When he talks about trade he makes sense. He says that we have terrible deals that are moving millions of jobs and dollars out of our country every year, but doing very little for America. He has brought the issue of immigration to the forefront. This issue has been in the back of our minds for years as we have watched the safety nets in our country dwindle and go bankrupt sucking the lifeblood out of the taxpayers who fund them. Donald Trump is a fighter, but he might not be the most eloquent speaker. My favorite thing to do when reading news articles about Donald Trump and the 2016 political environment is to read the comments posted by the viewers.

99.9% of these comments are made by very stupid people. They might be book smart, but they are very ignorant when it comes to real life experience in the private sector. They go on about how dumb Donald Trump is and how he would be a terrible statesman, because of his crazy rhetoric. They have no idea what it takes for a guy to make billion dollar business deals. Donald Trump has spent years building up the TRUMP brand to the tune of 10 billion dollars. How does an idiot do that?

Donald Trump loves America. How do I know this? It's easy, he doesn't spend all day talking about loving America, he spends all day sharing how he plans to save her and he has spent decades literally building her from the ground up. He needs to save her from the professional political class. Save her from the bloated government agencies. Save her from the ignorant, brain-washed millions who suck off the hind tit of self-esteem destroying government welfare programs. This guy is all about cutting costs. He's all about firing the unproductive and encouraging excellence from Americas great men and women who know their true worth and aren't afraid to get their hands dirty.

Donald Trump is the right guy for the job right now, but are we? Are we ready to be the Americans who are going to save our country? Donald is only one man. He can't do this alone! Are we going to take a stand and redirect our lives so that we can be favored by God once again? We have to cast aside our wicked ways or Donald Trump will fail. He speaks about how he is great at business, but are the American people still a wholesome and righteous people full of ideas, self-reliance and commitment to the American Dream? I hate to say this, but I don't know.

Do we have to wait until we're starving, before we wake up and realize that our society is only great inasmuch as we live righteous and principled lives? The corruption will only get worse if integrity has flown out the window. I think we can do this. I think that we still have men and women of true merit and character. I think that those of us who have strong moral character can stand up and bring America back to life. Lets polish the light on a hill and continue as the force for good in the world. Lets put down the devilish appetites of the flesh that seek to destroy our goodness. Throw down any lifestyle that leads to selfishness, cruelty, inhumanity and immoral behavior.

Lets give Donald Trump a great society to work with. Begin with yourself. Rid your life of the things you know have been causing you to cower from the light. When the light of God returns to your eyes when you look in the mirror, spread that light throughout the lives of your loved ones. Lift up your wife. Lift up your children. Encourage your neighbors to step up. Entire communities, cities, counties, states and regions will advance. What good is all the money and jobs in the world if the society we create isn't conducive to a kind-hearted and charitable people.

Sure we have problems, but lets not be the problem. Donald Trump preaches that he can make America great again, but he can't if her people don't believe and see a path to achieve this greatness. Cast out evil from your lives and the right leader just might have a chance. There are countries who hate America for her goodness. They are jealous of her prosperity and humility. Humility is the true source of Americas power. I know it might not make sense to a lot of people, but it's true. The humbler we get the more powerful we become, because the depths of humility is where we find our Creator and with Him with us, who can stand against us?

I don't want the moral decay of our society to be the cause of our destruction. It will be if we don't change course. We have been blessed like no other nation on earth. Let us not throw it away. Donald Trump is a business man. We come from industrious ancestors. We are the benefactors of our ancestors industry. We mustn't forget how hard they worked. We mustn't forget how much they sacrificed so that we could have it so easy. We mustn't forget how much blood was spilt to keep oppressive organizations, governments and tyrants from violating our inalienable rights which provide us with the fruits of freedom we have enjoyed for so long.

When you listen to Donald Trump and consider the goods and the bads, I want you to remember the Apostle Paul. He was a disciple of Jesus Christ, but had blood on his hands from his previous life as Saul. Donald Trump isn't perfect, but neither are any of us. Donald Trump is sincere. He has put everything on the line. He doesn't need to be President! He doesn't need the money. He is being slandered from the left and the right. He has lost millions of dollars from making a stand. I like other candidates, but Trump is the only one that is playing The American Song in the hearts and minds of so many disenfranchised Americans who's forefathers and mothers gave their all to build this great land.

We have people here now who don't even want to learn English. They don't want to assimilate into Americans. They want to make America the countries where they came from. IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT! It can't work like that. Get the hell out of here if you don't want to be an American! My ancestors did it. Why can't you? Donald Trump understands this. We can't have a nation of nations, because then we can't stand united as "ONE NATION UNDER GOD".

The Parable of the Farmer, the Chicken Flock, the Dog, the Raccoon and the Skunk and How it Applies to America

We moved to our home five years ago and I immediately set out to build a chicken coop to house the chickens we brought from our previous home. When finished it was pretty cool (I thought so). It included a run on 3 sides of it with exits to access entire tracks of our yard. One exit was an underground tunnel that the chickens had to go through to access our raspberry and garden patch. Another exit accessed two sections of grass beneath our apple and peach trees. The 3rd exit accessed a hillside between our property and a public road.

Each of the larger tracks were fenced using 6' tall chicken wire with 2" diameter holes. I even created a youtube video called, "How to Build a Chicken Run" at the time of construction which now has over 80,000 views. It has now been 5 years and something interesting has happened. During the first 4 years I never had any chickens die from predators. I may have had the occasional neighborhood dog catch and kill a chicken that flew over my fences, but for the most part, my flock was safe within the fences and coop.

A few months ago we started loosing 1, 2, 3 and sometimes even more chickens a day. I couldn't figure out what was killing my chickens. It wasn't long before I had lost 30 to 40 birds. It was creepy too. These chickens were being ripped to pieces. Guts were everywhere. Entire bodies would be hardly touched, but would be disemboweled or have their heads missing. One night my wife thought she heard a chicken freaking out so I ran out there with my .22 rifle. I looked for signs of an attack and was kind of creeped out when I noticed a freshly killed chicken floating in a watering basin.

At this point I wondered if the attacker was maybe something more sinister. My mind went straight to sci-fi horror films like Alien and Predator. Yikes! Then I noticed wet foot prints leading away from the crime scene. I climbed inside the run and started investigating. The footprints weren't alien, they were familiar. I followed them through one of the exit points and out into the hillside track. They went up the hill and under the fence near the street curb. I followed the wet tracks across the pavement and into thick 1970's style shrubbery. That's where the trail ended.

My guess was either a dog or a raccoon. The tracks had dried a little and so they looked more like dog tracks to me. I went back to where the attacker had gone under the fence and found a tuft of hair. It looked like coon at first, but then I started wondering if it was hair from my neighbors husky. My neighbors dog had killed several of my chickens in the past so I accused him of the deed the next day to an apologetic neighbor. Just in case it wasn't the neighbors dog, that night I set a live catch trap. The next morning I had a large raccoon in my trap. I apologized to my neighbor and thought my troubles were over.

Yesterday I noticed that some of my chickens were missing so I set the trap out again expecting to catch another coon that had moved into the area. I hadn't improved my fences or coop and so my chickens were still vulnerable to attack. This morning I was surprised to find a skunk in the trap. So after years of allowing my fences and coop to fall into ruin, it has allowed predators to take advantage of these weaknesses in the borders and many chickens have been lost. I've been lazy. I have known about these vulnerabilities and I have done very little to strengthen them. My flock used to be very productive. We were getting so many eggs that we had to sell the excess.

The egg production of my flock was so great that the sales from their eggs actually paid for all of the feed they consumed and allowed us to enjoy eating eggs for free. During these good years I neglected to spend time and resources on protecting the producers. Now we barely get enough eggs to eat for ourselves, let alone sell. My chickens live scared and fly into the trees in my yard at night to avoid being eaten. They don't even sleep in the dilapidated coop anymore because they sense the danger.

I hope after reading this story you can draw some parallels to compare America's borders to the borders of my chicken flock. Compare America's once robust economy to my once robust egg production. Maybe think about who the dog, raccoon and skunk might represent. Who was I in this story? Was I not the government? Did I fail to protect my flock by not fixing my fences? Is our government failing to protect America's flock? I considered what I should do with the raccoon and the skunk who had come in and murdered bird after bird after bird. What should we do with those who come into our country and commit crimes? Food for thought...

America Will Suffer a Lot Before She Gets Better

Went to Endodontist Dr. Jon W. Jenson today to get a couple of retreats done on two of my front teeth that had developed infections at the root tips. These teeth died when I was a teenager and were crowned back in 1997. He told me that I would feel a pinch while he gave me four shots of novacaine. His assistant asked if I wanted some laughing gas to calm my nerves. I declined and said, "I can do this."  I had been suffering a dull ache caused by these infections for who knows how long and I was committed to go through this ordeal if it meant that I would get better.

I know it sounds odd, but I was welcoming the temporary pain and discomfort, because I believed that this treatment would lead to less pain and greater comfort in the future. To get America back to greatness is going to require short term and possibly even some long term pain. We're going to feel a few pinches, but the end goal is the same as my desire to get my teeth fixed. The first thing we have to do is remember God's hand in our lives. The second step will be for us to strengthen our individual selves and nuclear families. From these areas of strength anything is possible. These efforts won't be in vain if we give it our best effort.

Infections have been festering in all aspects of American life for years. I just hope that we can treat the infections before they become untreatable. Dr. Jenson prescribed me some anti-biotics and said if my face starts to swell, to go ahead and taken them. The idea is for my natural defenses to move in and kill any bacteria left in the infected area. He gave me a lot of reassurance and based on his experience, he thinks that my success rate of a full recovery is high. What about America's success rate of recovery? America is only as good as her people.

We have to care about each other again. We have to love each other through sacrificing our own time, energy and resources to boost each other up. The closer we get to God the easier it's going to be for us to discern when a politician is lying. Even when what they are saying is the truth, if we don't know the intent of their hearts, we can be led astray if they don't actually stand behind the truth in principle. Another thing we can do to fight the decline of America is to live upright lives. We can stop overusing alcohol, drugs, pornagraphy, music and multi-media from consuming our lives to the point that we can no longer function at a creative level of productivity.

Music is a wonderful thing, but it is also very powerful. Music can evoke strong emotions which release chemicals into our bodies that can either uplift us or depress us depending on what the lyrics or melodies inspire us to think about. When music overpowers our ability think for ourselves, then it's time to unplug the player. Same goes for television, movies, internet and any other thing that slips us into a state of stupor. I love all of the creative arts, but to save America, sometimes we have to turn the drugs off to get to work.

Just like the teeth in this xray are anchored in my jaw to allow me to use them to chew and tear food, righteous principles are what anchor America through times of adversity. Without a solid foundation built upon correct principles such as humility, kindess, service, forgiveness, charity, virtue and justice America will never be great again. It's easy to talk about what needs to be done, but if we don't "DO" something, America will lose it's anchors and become like a loose tooth that doesn't work and has to be extracted. I really love my teeth and wish I had taken better care of them in my youth. I really love my country and hope I can take better care of her.

The American Song is a way that I feel like I can contribute to our society in an effort to make positive change. I appreicate anyone who takes a minute to read my blog posts and I hope my thoughts can inspire you to take action. I am trying my hardest to get the song recorded, but it's a process and anything worth doing is worth doing well. America is worth doing well. We are a country of laws and without obedience to these laws order is lost. Laws that don't work can be discussed and reversed if need be. Lets be smart about the methods we use to save our country. Lets avoid killing each other in a bloody civil war if we can. We can do this!

America is Going to Die if We Don't Fight To Cure Her Infirmities

Today I met up with Michael Dowdle to lay down some guitar tracks. Afterward I asked him what he thought about the song and we began a conversation about America and her struggles. He said that his biggest concern was for his children and grandchildren and what their America would look like. We talked about what changed America from the powerhouse that it used to be to the limping country it is now.

I wondered aloud how we could roll out tens of thousands of war machines to aid in winning World War I and World War II and yet now we can't even enforce the laws of our land or defend the borders of the country. He said that the generations of the great world wars had "conviction through affliction". I think Michael makes an interesting point with this rhyming phrase. The greatest generations had were children during the first world war and then teenagers through the great depression.

They had a very real, first-hand experience with adversity by first witnessing their parents' country suffer and make it through and then they themselves experienced the sting of Pearl Harbor.  These struggles really brought our people together and united us in a way that nothing since has. The attacks on New York in 2001 brought us together for a while, but faded away, because the threat stayed in foreign lands. Michael thinks that it's going to take something bigger to unite us again and I agree.

We are so divided right now. We need unity more than ever. Family units have been destroyed by infidelity and a lack of the morality that held the families of yesteryear together. America has been overrun with "stuff". I grew up with a grandfather that kept everything and when stuff broke he didn't throw it away--he fixed it. This throw away tradition has led many of us to not truly appreciate the process that industry requires to produce goods. We take for granted and have nearly forgotten the hard work and focus an idea requires to go from the raw materials to a finished product.

By becoming a consuming nation, rather than a producing nation we don't have to wait for anything. We can just go buy it at the store without a thought for the blood, sweat and tears it took others to provide it for us. This includes food and services also, not just products. We must return to the fields of toil and the factories of industry, not to prove that we can work hard, but so we remember the production processes of what we eat, what we wear and what we use.

The American Song is the calling card to all Americans to stand up and get back to the basics. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the finer things in life that have made our lifestyles so convenient, comfortable and easy, but what if it all comes to a halt? What if we have some global scale catostrophes that disable communications, transportation, food production, clothing production, electricity, water, etc.? Are you prepared? Can we pull on our boots and survive? Will we be able to feed ourselves? Will we be able to keep ourselves warm in winter and cool in the summer? Will we be able to protect our wives and children? Will we be able to defend ourselves from a domestic or forgeign enemy? Will we be able to treat, cure, mend and heal our sick bodies? I don't want us to suffer some horrible, debilitating experience before we remember and humble ourselves. Isn't the power within us to come together before destruction is upon us?

Tomorrow I'm going to an endotontist to get a couple teeth retreated for root canals that I had done nearly 15 years ago. He has to go back in and treat dime-size infections that are at the root tips. He's using the latest technology in anesthesia, tools and technique. If our way of life were to fail, I can't imagine what I would do about these infections that are threatening to destroy bone in my upper jaw. We can't afford to lose the advances and progress that our civilization has made, because we're too lazy to care about the direction we're headed.

Michael Dowdle used a word to describe the attitudes that the newer generations have toward life. The word was, "apathy". If a person is apathetic, it means they have a lack of concern, enthusiam or interest. Does this not describe how many Americans act toward the issues facing The United States of America?  There are so many preaching doom and destruction around every corner, but I hope we take a different path. I hope we start caring for our neighbors. I hope we start caring about our wives and our children. I hope we take a moment each day to remember our creator and humble ourselves to empower ourselves with the strength of His arm rather than the strength of our own.

The more Americans I share this song with, the more I realize that we share the same fears, concerns, problems and ideas on how to solve them. Sometimes I hesitate to write about God for fear of offending somebody, but when our nation is at stake, everybody seems to start caring less about offending and more about defending. Lets keep the faith and move forward with love in our hearts for our fellowman and a hatred toward all evil that seeks to destroy what we've built in the last two centuries. Let the song I wrote reignite our national pride and individual determination to make a difference in ourselves and the communities in which we live.

The American Dream Doesn't Just Happen

Today I went and met up with Cliff Maag at the Record Lab in Provo, Utah. I worked with Cliff before on this same song, but today started work on the new pop version. We laid down scratch vocals and guitar following a click track. The click track allowed me to keep time as I played guitar and sang the lyrics. These tracks will give the musicians a format around which they'll be able to lay their tracks. The next step will be to lay down some guitar tracks and then on to bass and drums. Something interesting happened at the Record Lab.

Just after we were wrapping up the scratch tracks I was introduced to Cliff's son Ryan. I asked him if he would be willing to listen to the song and if he would maybe share his thoughts on its marketability. He didn't even wait for the song to finish before sharing enthusiam for the project. He, Cliff and I carried on a wonderful conversation about our concerns for our country and Ryan looked me straight in the face at one point and said, "I love my country....I really, really love my country." It might not be word for word, but it wasn't what he said that impressed me--it was how he said it.

It was like he wasn't just saying it to be patriotic, but it was like he was a literal part of the American body and could feel the weak and hurting parts of that body. I could feel the pain in his heart in his words and a sense of worry. Cliff said the same things. He was deeply worried and concerned for his country. Neither of them held back their praise for the song or for my desires to get it out into the world to inspire others to start standing up in whatever way they can. An American dream lives as much as we share it with others. I believe that the more I share this song, the more momentum it's going to get.

The power of The American Song incites patriotic conversation. It creates a space for Americans to voice their concerns, fears, joys and frustrations. I really enjoy the dialog that this song inspires. It starts off with talk about problems, but then turns to a problem/solution kind of conversation. This song just might become the song of summer 2016. It might just become the song of the 2016 presidential contest. I really hope it does. I hope it becomes a part of the America that I love. I hope it touches the hearts and minds of others and that it moves our nation toward a better balance between the people who govern and the people governed.

My favorite part of the music business is the creative part of producing a song. There is nothing funner than starting from scratch and being a witness to the creative process. It's one thing to write a song, but to actually bring those lyrics to life with instrumentation and vocals is absolutely fun and amazing to me. It's also very frustrating and tricky when trying to find the right balance between the words, the music and the feeling I want to create. I am rarely satisfied with my work. I just hope I can do this one to the best of my abilities and hope it's good enough to send out into the world to become the anthem of the revolution. Whatever that revolution might be for my fellow Americans.