As a young country we have a bit to learn about being meek or what the Greeks called praios or praus. Far from the English term meek which lacks the blend of gentleness and strength, but rather praus refers to exercising God’s strength under His control or demonstrating power without undue harshness. Something not-so-coincidental about the beginnings of the land of the brave and home of the free. Built on the notion of freedom, so long as we staunchly preserve it from extinction and choose living under God and believing all mankind and womankind has the opportunity to grow. It’s what my family came here for; it’s what I stand up to for the sake of my children. Grow from within, no one else knows you better, no one else, no matter how many credentials in tote, can be of greater service to you than you. Build a better you; it guarantees the best country.

But how do you become more praus?

In the Greek army, the war horse held power under authority and strength under control. A war horse never ceased to be determined, stout and passionate yet it learned to refrain from being wild, unruly, out of control and rebellious. It developed a disciplined nature to respond to the slightest touch of its rider, and yet spirited enough to charge through cannon fire, thunder into battle and stop at a whispered breath. It was now meek.

Some bits of knowing and more and more bits unraveling here and into the next stage. There’s an ultimate choice…we know what we know, yet we don’t know what we don’t know and in what we don’t know we are missing out on all of the gifts in the offing. American beauty indeed. Live fearlessly, live freely—over are the days of taking it all for granted. Do what we came here for, not so much with bravado, that wears thin all too quickly. It’s about knowing what influences to contend with and stimulating and reviving praus. So fellow country men and women, how do you stand when others are firing rounds of hurtful words your way? Do you become still to recognize that something is better off not said? How well do you respond when tweaked and torched? The heat is on, will you be the man or woman who understands that power? When you are one, you don’t have to tell anyone, nor anyone tell you. God, help me become more praus for “we will be known as we were known,” pressure is on folks how do you want to be known? I for one choose God-strength, unfaltering God-strength with my sword sheathed at my side.