Thursday; January 9

Today, our nation says a final good-bye to President James Earl Carter, Jr.  Jimmy Carter was raised in Plains, Georgia and seemingly came out of nowhere to become the 39th president of the United States in 1977.  Whether you agreed with President Carter’s politics or not, just about everyone I know will acknowledge him as one of the best ex-presidents in our era.  Jimmy Carter ended up being the oldest living ex-president (living to be 100 years old) – but more than that, he filled his life with good deeds.  President Carter was involved in the first election I could vote in; but maybe more important to me was that he portrayed a morality fitting a leader of our nation.  No, I didn’t agree with everything he did or even all that he believed, but I did like the way he carried himself. 

As I looked through some of his quotes, I came across one that really struck me, “We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.”.  The older I get the more I see the world changing.  Whether it is technology, morays or opportunities; things are constantly transforming – and we’ll never stop it from happening no matter how hard we try.  However, even though situations change, that doesn’t mean that our principles should change.  Truth, values and beliefs can (and should) remain firm especially as the world around us spins out of control.  Interestingly, for us to stick to our beliefs we must define what we believe.  It is easy to be influenced by changing times without cementing our values in our hearts and minds. 

As we say goodbye to President Carter, let’s balance his politics with him as a person.  When we do that, we can celebrate the passing of a good citizen and capable public servant. 

Think About It!

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