I appreciate my privilege of writing for The Post-Searchlight and my goal is to find something of a light-hearted nature; something that most of us can identify with and, then, poke a little fun at it.

Living life can be very difficult and challenging and if I can make you smile, that’s what I would like to do.

It’s the same with my work as a preacher. I would much rather preach the Good News than beat someone over the head with a Bible. I certainly owe it to the people to preach the consequences of rejecting God, but, as the popular hymn goes, “I love to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.”

If I were a weatherman, it would be a pleasure to forecast a great spring or fall day of sunshine and mild temperatures.

At the same time, if ominous storm clouds were rising because of a hurricane or tornado bearing down, it would be irresponsible to ignore that forecast.

Every now and then something happens that demands some sort of response, even from we who like to “accentuate the positive.”

To do otherwise would be to have our heads in the sand.

Recently, I was shocked to see the hooded and militant terrorist brandishing his knife and threatening the life of an American citizen. As the video continued, the threat became reality

We have all heard the phrase “wake-up call.”

In my opinion, the phone has been ringing for a while, but if our nation’s consciousness is not aroused by this barbaric act, we had better check our pulse!

Plus, we had better get off our couches and get our act together.

Long ago America was stunned by another act of aggression. As the world seemed to be rushing to war, America in 1939-41 seemed to be satisfied with its air of invulnerability.

We did not have to become involved because we were protected by two vast oceans to our east and west and good neighbors to our north and south. What the rest of world did had nothing to do with us.

It didn’t matter that Europe was being overrun by a madman named Hitler or that Asia was a Japanese hornet’s

Then, on that day of infamy, December 7, 1941, our sovereignty was defiled by an attack on Pearl Harbor.

An aggressive enemy showed its hand and its intention to do us harm, to kill us. We were shocked as we were on September 11, 2001, and in this recent beheading of James Foley.

The Japanese admiral who planned the Pearl Harbor attack was named Yamamoto. He had attended an American university and knew much about this country. So much in fact that after the attack and its success, he supposedly said, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”

Yamamoto prophesied accurately. The United States of America awakened, became the giant, and won the war with great resolve.

That was 1941. This is 2014. We are a different country.

We are still big as a giant, but I think we have fallen asleep again.

Plus, the only resolve I see is on the side of our enemies.

We’re out of shape physically, mentally, and most of all, spiritually.

Too bad there is not a smartphone application to cure.