The Budweiser Clydesdale horses bow in tribute, with the Statue of Liberty in the background, ten years after the 9/11 tragedy.
In an idyllic rural setting, a team of eight horses pull an antique red wagon out of a vintage barn. There are two uniformed riders on the wagon.
A close-up reveals that these horses are stunningly beautiful Clydesdales.
A transition montage shows the horses walking and trotting along a green pasture, then along the cobblestone road of a small town, and then across the Brooklyn Bridge. Beyond the bridge, the Clydesdales reach a field where skyscrapers can be seen in the distant background.
The distant skyline becomes recognizable as New York. The team of horses become recognizable as the Budweiser Clydesdales.
With the Statue of Liberty in the background, the Budweiser Clydesdales stop walking and begin to bow their heads in unison. A wider camera angle then shows “Budweiser” painted on the side of the beer wagon. Wistful background music reaches its emotional crescendo.
In Paul Clayton’s collection of short stories, “
Dolly Parton lived a life that felt bigger than life itself. Born in a one-room cabin in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, she turned grit, talent, and that famous smile into one of the most remarkable American success stories of our time. 
Things may be somewhat different now, but when I was a kid the school system required us to read books; a lot of books. We had the typical text books that taught us subjects such as history, science, and math. Then, once we got past the basics in learning how to read and write, we were given reading assignments, a specific number of chapters from a book assigned by the teacher; which we would then discuss the following day in class. Finally, there were the book reports.
What comes after victory is not freedom at all. It’s control. Control of institutions. Control of speech. Control of memory. Control of what is allowed to be said out loud without consequences.
Do you think that God cares about what you look like? Do you think He cares if you are rich/poor; if you are a Democrat or a Republican; if you are a famous actor or just some working stiff trying to make ends meet? All God cares about is what is in your heart; whether or not you believe what John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
I’m guessing that many of you have heard the saying, Thinking outside the box. For those that haven’t, what it basically means is: to explore ideas that are creative and unusual and that are not limited or controlled by rules or tradition. Those who think outside the box are not limited to, or confined by, traditional thoughts and beliefs. What I find ironic about thinking outside the box is the fact that those who are able to do it effortlessly are often praised and admired; except when it comes to politics and government. I am of the firm belief that the biggest obstacle that prevents us from solving the problems we face as a nation is our refusal to think outside the box. 
When the Framers drafted the Constitution in 1787, the first three words were “We the People.” The rest of the document repeatedly refers to “the people,” a term clearly denoting citizens of the United States, those whose rights the Constitution addressed. Additionally, the Tenth Amendment to the Bill of Rights identifies the states and “the people” as the repositories of plenary power, in contrast to the limited powers delegated to the federal government. 
