A week from today is already Thanksgiving. I’m not sure if that brings warm feelings or dread of the holiday season, but let’s talk about giving thanks right now.
I am personally thankful for many things. First and foremost, I am thankful for salvation in Christ. I am very thankful for a loving wife, amazing kids, and for living in this wonderful state, in spite of the winters. I am also thankful for Godly men and women who serve us in the state legislature and Congress. I am thankful for the Family Policy Foundation® Statesmen Academy℠ that helps train new legislators on how to best integrate their faith and values into their political life. And I am very thankful for you, our faithful ministry partners around the state.
As Americans, we have a lot to be thankful for as well. We live in a country founded on biblical principles, which is a huge blessing. We have religious freedom, a society where hard work produces commensurate rewards, respectful dialog happens around contentious issues, Christianity is respected, and societal norms are shifting more toward biblical values every day.
Really? To some extent all those aforementioned items exist and we should certainly thank God for them. However, they are going away at an ever-increasing rate. The ending to “I am thankful for…” on these issues could soon become moot. They could be gone far faster than you or I can imagine.
We see girls on sports teams competing with boys who “identify as a girl”. The news broadcasts almost daily how another company, public figure, church, or other entity has sacrificed biblical values on the altar of political correctness. We see bakers, photographers, and other business owners taken to court over their religious freedoms, and I’ve personally heard from business leaders right here in our state about the pressure on them to capitulate to the “new order”.
Hard work no longer guarantees commensurate rewards you can keep. The Left and the Right bicker on seemly every issue. More and more states are giving permission to abort under any circumstances at any point in the pregnancy (or after!).
Why am I giving you this litany of things that are going wrong? For three reasons. First, I want to highlight that the freedoms we still possess in these areas are a precious thing, and once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. In other words, be thankful for what you have.
Second, I want you to be painfully aware that we are not going the right direction on these issues as a nation. Further, we may live in what is overall a conservative and bible-honoring state, but we are not insulated from these issues. I see them every day in my work – they’re coming, or in some cases, they are already here.
Finally, I want to ask for your help in upholding these fundamental beliefs and values that make us who we are as a nation and a North Dakota. In the next few weeks you will be getting emails and postal mail talking about our organization’s need for funding. We exist 100% off your generous donations, and we want to keep it that way, so that we are totally accountable to you and your biblical beliefs. So, I would ask you to please consider donating as you see these requests (you can also give online at any time).
Moreover, right now we have $15,000 in commitments that will match your donation dollar-for-dollar if you donate before the end of this year. Please take advantage of this opportunity and let us help you guard your freedoms and beliefs from those who want to sweep them onto on the trash pile of history. We all want something for our children and grandchildren to be thankful for; you can help ensure that happens!
Sincerely,
Mark Jorritsma
President and Executive Director