I hope your holidays were enjoyable and safe.  But let us not forget the reason for the season. It’s more than gifts, home cooked meals and lights, its about Jesus.  Although we get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle please try to take time to appreciate all that God has done.  I wish you all have a prosperous New Year!

Starting ones business in a recession. Buying a second home during a housing downturn and investing in the stock market for the five years after 9/11 though the market had consistently bad news. Good decisions are always good decisions regardless of what is happening around you. A good investment will remain a good investment (of course, that is relative to other investments) regardless of whether the market is up or down. Going out on your own and starting your new business is never out of style. Sure it is easier when the market is up and the economy is strong but regardless of ones environment the “cream will always rise to the top”. Trued and tried marketing techniques may be more difficult to successfully implement than in a down market but a wise and ardent business owner’s savvy will always serve one well. One thing I have learned is that we all cannot do it alone. To learn more about selling in a down economy I suggest visiting http://www.gwinnettnetwork.com/ArticleSellingInADownEconomy.htm there you will become aware/reminded of what to do and how to never give up. Though we should always be aware when our efforts are futile, many times our very success lies just beyond our reach waiting for our very best efforts to reach the awaiting prize.

As well as learning how to sell in a down economy is to learn the art of sales itself. Selling is a lot like a game of golf, it is one that you can never master and what works in one place or situation is bound and even likely not to work in another. One of the best recaps of the many varied tips of learning how to grow your business can be found at

http://www.gwinnettnetwork.com/Archived%20Articles.htm Honing up on your sales skill will help you survive and even thrive in any economy. 

As the Presidential race heats up, real issues are beginning to come to the forefront rather than political rhetoric alone. The candidates continue to jostle for position in a game of one up man-ship which will continue throughout the primaries, each convention, and indeed up until election day. News was made recently when both Oprah Winfey and Chuck Norris endorsed Barack Obama leaving the press reporters on all sides scrambling. While all of our citizenry are entitled to endorse publicly or privately their respective choices, no one should be able to influence the way you chose to cast your vote as it is yours alone. To that end I suggest that all spend quality time reviewing as many facts as possible about the race, the candidates, and their viewpoints. A good place to start this search would be  http://news.yahoo.com/fc/US/2008_Presidential_Election where you can look deeper behind the scenes and where candidates stand on real issues.

At present the race for the Democratic nomination has Hillary Clinton with a commanding lead of 43% over Barack Obama with 23% but still no majority, with John Edwards bringing up the rear with 13%. You and read more about the Democrats overall political platform at

http://www.democrats.org/

On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani leads the pack with 25% while essentially Mike Huckabee, John McCain, and Fred Thompson in a dead heat with approximately 14% each.

Unlike past elections where the incumbent might be utilized as an asset, President Bush’s approval rating as resulted in the candidates keeping their distance choosing predominantly strike out on their own. If you visit http://www.gop.com/ you will be able to discover the Republicans premises of their platform.

This prognosticator believes the initial state caucuses will cause a uncertain environment in the polls which will rival that of the late 1960’s. Though time will tell, this race potentially offers many surprises yet to come.

And always remember, the vote you cast today will be the taxes you pay tomorrow.

As Atlanta’s Drought worsens with no apparent end in sight, a day of reckoning is upon us. The drought is one of unprecedented proportions and extends throughout much of the Southeastern United States. Rainfall levels are well below normal and now with levels at both Lake Lanier and Alltoona well below normal it is time for all good men to come to the aid of our country and to protect this critical resource. As water in these two river basins provide most of the water to the Atlanta region and beyond, a fresh look is needed by outsiders who have no vested interest, no ax to grind, and only a people to protect.

Marina’s are being forced to close, landscaping business’s are going out of business, restaurants are concerned about their future ability to obtain water, and throughout the business and residential community people are concerned about their drinking waters availability and their very livelihood. Though much has been written about what to do about the present crisis, little has been done to change the processes and procedures which contributed to the drought in the first-place. From the outside looking in there is much which can be done to alleviate future water shortfalls but it takes planning, investment, a strong will, and determination. The status quo is not working and we need to take a determined look to change past policies and to positively look to the future. Though many of these steps will be difficult to implement their successful integration into our water resource protection and planning are critical to the regions long term success.

Of primary importance is to first establish that people are more important than any special interest groups. Though I am an avid supporter of protecting the beauty and nature of this world we have been given I do not believe the needs of downstream mussels outweigh the needs of an entire region, its farmers, and its people. No, I am not suggesting that we ignore the fisherman or the mussels but when special interests outweigh the needs of all it is obvious that our priorities are out of balance and should be re-evaluated.

We need to immediately begin the process of acquiring additional land for reservoirs. Not only would this tend to beautify our land but it would provide additional pockets of water which could be utilized to stem any future water shortage. If it is safe to do so and would not harm the overall integrity of our dams, full water levels of both Lake Lanier and Lake Alltoona should be raised to as to raise the capacities of water which could be stored.

It’s time to stop talking and start walking towards investing in the infrastructure and capital expenditures to immediately begin working on alternative fuel sources. Though nuclear energy has long been a political “hot potato”, our nuclear energy program needs to be brought up to speed and revitalized.

No longer should we look to future rainfalls to fill our lakes but we should look to protect the water that we have. Water releases, water restrictions, and water use of any type either for navigation or for the environment should be first evaluated in terms of water levels. Critical water management issues should not start when there is a crisis but before one occurs to hopefully avoid and critical shortages.

Water treatment plants such as the F. Wayne Hill, Water Resources Center, in Gwinnett County need to be built throughout the region. This plant recycles the water at a state of the art facility and then replenishes/dispenses the water back into Lake Lanier. Previous limits as established by the Environmental Protection Division should be re-evaluated first and foremost to be sure that water emissions from the plant are clean and then secondarily the levels of releases should be raised and maximized.

Water planning and its preservation are not for the faint of heart or those who are willing to bend on the issues. Water protection and its safeguards will necessitate a multi-prong approach and will never cease to be a critical component as the Atlanta region continues to grow. Act today; the future of you and your children depend on it.

With the recent political instability in Pakistan, we are reminded how fragile our pursuit of world peace truly is. The Associated Press just reported that Sharif who had been previously exiled, was banned from political consideration when his nomination papers were rejected. Ever since President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule one month ago Pakistan has been in the news as he has tightened his rule over the country.

Pakistan, a low income country with a sizable population of approximately 132 million has struggled since its independence from Britain on August 14, 1947 to gain status as a moderate income country. Although it is the ninth largest country in terms of population it is thirty second in land size with its population being packed in to a relatively confined area. At present approximately 90% of its petroleum is imported leaving it even more vulnerable to changes in the world economy. This economic reality has left Pakistan’s government unstable and has resulted in the recent firing of Supreme Court judges, a crackdown on freedom of the press, and imprisonment of critics.

No, the sky is not falling nor is the world coming to an end. But we are constantly reminded of the need to plan. For whether we are making plans for our lives, our government, the military, or our business/family finances we constantly need to be building into them contingency scenarios for what might befall us. As life is what happens while we are making plans so it is as well with governments and our world alike. But unrest, although it also brings uncertainty, is an opportunity for us to learn anew from the lessons of the past resolving to work together to make our world a better place for us all.

Missions: Spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ

  “But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” (2 Corinthians 8:7) 

F-Financial Independence

 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8) -Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.

Economic Independence would be a predominant theme offering long-term rather than short-term relief enabling the community and its leaders to begin the process of taking care of their own financial needs. By passing on the gift out of our abundance we would work with local community leaders and the populace at large. By offering seed capital, a cottage industry idea, or needed livestock, seeds, seedlings, etc., mission trips would center on improving the overall economic development of the community offering an investment, which can lead to independence rather than dependence. This is perhaps the longer-term aspect of missions but also one of its most important. An initial mission trip to a community may not be able to best determine what specific application would work best but work should not be unduly delayed as the “time is short”. Giving the local community to transcend poverty for themselves will not only empower them but also strengthen the community at large. Utilization of organizations such as www.Heifer.org is strongly encouraged as they will already have the existing infrastructure and resources to effect the desired result allowing the mission team to be the hands and feet of Christ rather than developing a program from the ground floor up.  

I-Instruction

 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17) 

Missions should include an emphasis with working with a local church to both empower and support through active teaching, programs, and active Bible study. Just as Paul frequently visited and wrote to the church at Thessalonica so should we support, develop, and help mature a local church. By working with local church members we will also be better armed to be more sensitive to physical, emotional, and spiritual needs within a community enabling a mission trip to be more effective and to make a bigger impact by getting behind and supporting a local trip. These actions will lean themselves towards a more ongoing working relationship with a local church enabling mission members as well as the local church to have a more positive impact on the community. Constant care and attention should be given to always respecting the norms of the local culture while not watering down the truth of the Word.

S-Support

 “These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” (Luke 8:3) 

 Spiritual, financial, and construction support are all critical components of missions. Emphasis should be directed towards the needs of the community and directives of the local church. Resources should be supplied and left from which the recipients will be able to take the next step in their own economic or spiritual awakening. Age appropriate NIV/study Bible should be left with all active recipients of all church programs and those attending should be actively taught how to read and utilize them. Mission members rather than funding their own support would write “support letters” seeking to raise financial and prayer support. This support should be predominantly centered around non-church members where not only can support and excitement be raised about the project but also telling the good news of Christ to those from whom support is solicited. Care and attention should also be placed to bridge missions to the church congregation at large by active exposure to projects, the mission, and seeking how the local church can be supported on an ongoing basis during the year. An example of this might be for how a local community to produce a product, which could be sold at both the church and locally. 

H-Headmanship

 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) 

Just as the Apostle Paul developed his protégée Baranabas so should we work to develop local leaders who will take our actions to the next level. Training and instruction with a select few leaders within the local church and community each trip will enable us to not only broaden our influence but to perpetuate it as well. By following the preview of the early evangelism we can best model our success in the present. Care should be given to ensure that leaders are equipped with not only the word of God but materials, resources, and methodologies to ensure they are ready to lead others and to multiply to making even further disciples/leaders. An ongoing relationship of support and resources will assist the local church in furtherance of the word/overall mission.        

Taking Christianity Into the World

 As a Body of Believers we are called to take the good news of Jesus Christ along with us each and every day. In an effort to fulfill the Great Commission, Jesus’s last words before he ascended into heaven are with us today calling us to share the love of Christ in action and by our hearts. Striving to live under the principles of the Bible we are therefore called to study His word so we might better understand the way we should live. Join us as we:

“Serving HIM by serving You…one tax return at a time”.

Developing faith without fear is not an easy process. We all get caught up in the daily routine and the “me” world and the thought of doing anything without a little apprehension just seems irrational at best. However, I have learned by stepping out in my faith, God gives me the courage, the strength and the support to overcome my fears, my doubts and my apprehensions. I have seen it most in my career paths.

I am a CPA and have been for more than twenty-five years. For many years, I worked for the big corporate firms and soon realized that it wasn’t for me. I have been running my own small practice for 18 years. It has provided me with so many opportunities to meet people, to get out in the community, to travel and live a comfortable life. I was breezing along and my company was very successful under John C. Dillard, CPA, however, God wasn’t quite satisfied with my content, comfortable life and position and challenged me. In 2004, he encouraged me to step out in my faith and walk the walk. For so many years I had kept the same clients, frequently gaining new clients and they didn’t have to meet any criteria, nor did I, except that I had to be honest, and good at what I did. For God, that wasn’t enough. I changed the name of my firm to His CPA, P.C. and held my breath. I knew God would provide in the end, but I really was quite nervous, waiting to see what would happen with the new name and the philosophy, “serving Him by serving you…one tax return at a time”. I lost some clients, offended some clients and had others who questioned my move. And I had clients seeking me out because I had been brave enough to step out and lay my faith out there for the world to see. I would love to say that the overall reaction was an abundance of new clients, but that wasn’t the case. However, I did begin to notice that the new clients I was getting were those who God had placed in my path for one reason or another. Since 2004, I have shared many things with my clients and feel like I know each of them on a different level than I ever would have if I had not changed the name and not stepped into my faith. Christians are so open when they walk into a place and find that the person they are talking to is on fire for God. They want to share, they want to talk, they want to let me in and they want to discuss my faith and theirs. When I look back on that move now, I wish I could say I dove into it headfirst without a thought simply because that is what God wanted me to do. That is not true. I had apprehensions, doubts, fears, questions but I knew that this was what God wanted me to do and I was in no position to question or decline his command.

That same year, my wife and I took a cruise - a cruise that would forever alter my spare time. I felt an urge to write. Not just an urge to write but to create. I know, not the kind of thing you would decide to do while sitting on a beautiful ship with your mate overlooking a vast expanse of beautiful blue water and taking in all the beauty of God’s creative artistry. But one of the talents God alone has blessed me with is exhortation so write I did and in April 2004, my first Christian fiction novel was published. We were thrilled and I was halfway through my second one when God all but opened the bible to me and said, “Study Nehemiah, learn from Job - develop a relationship with them based on your own experiences, trials and tribulations and then share. Hence, the Inspiration Series was created. After several months of prayer to discover what it is God would have me write, I opened my Bible to the first page of the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament and there I discovered fresh revelations of which I had never before heard or seen. Discovering God’s grace and compassion, I studied and as God divinely guided my hand, I wrote A Voice of One and how Nehemiah, a layman, steps out to accomplish great things in God’s name.

I, on a much smaller scale, had experienced my own Nehemiah moment. Just as Nehemiah was able to look after those about him, so are we called to help those about hurting and us who are in need. I have learned by being bolder in my faith it is easier to be who God has always made me to be. My own Nehemiah story began with my heart open and breaking and I had been in prayer and mourning for two plus years and my heart was burdened by God to help the oppressed. At the time, Georgia law did not require perpetrators of serious/felony crimes against individuals to compensate their victims for the resulting medical and counseling care resulting from the offense. It is here when God burdened my heart deeply. In December 2004, I learned California had a law on the books requiring the perpetrators of serious/felony crimes to pay for the victim’s medical and counseling care. When I heard the news, my heart was burdened for the people of Georgia and I set out to find out what it was God would have me do. I cast fear aside and stepped out with nothing but my faith and took this issue to the legislature of Georgia. I knew I was to see if a law might be passed to protect the people of Georgia. Within a week of God telling me to march, I was able to obtain a meeting with a Georgia Senator and within sixty days of my defining prayer, the proposed law and I were in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The law was unanimously agreed to by the committee and went to the Senate floor where it passed by a vote of 47-1. The law got stuck in the Georgia House of Representatives. During this time and afterwards I felt led to continually contact and lobby the Georgia Governor’s office although I was afraid those contacts were falling on deaf ears. I continued on in obedience, action, and prayer and felt God’s continued leading. To begin the 2005 Legislative Session, Georgia Governor Sonny Purdue sponsored the Crime Victim Restitutions Act of 2005, which set up a procedure for notification, and reimbursement by the perpetrators of the victim’s medical and counseling expenses. Eighty six percent of Georgia’s State legislature voted in favor of the bill with Governor Purdue signing it on April 11, 2005, and becoming law on July 1, 2005. I tell this story not to take any of the glory for myself, but simply to show that turning it over to God, having faith and overcoming fear, allows you to accomplish even the mightiest of feats.

After completing my first inspirational book, God introduced me to Job and again, I found someone I could relate to with my experiences. Life is fraught full of paradoxical horrors bringing forth both excruciating physical pain and deep emotional sorrow, and Job’s story shines a light of what faith without fear is all about. Job loses everything in his life, both mentally and physically. He was challenged at every turn and yet discovering that God never left his side & believed in him during his darkest times. Despite ravenous trials, which arrive in quick succession, Job never deters in his faith choosing to believe God would ultimately redeem him. Job lives his life in pursuit of God while doing His work.

I learned to lean into the pain by seeking God’s will to overcome all that comes my way. In learning more and writing about Job, I was inspired and motivated to great expectations, heightening and growing in my faith and my relationship with God by leaning on him during life’s fiery trials. God does not promise that our life will be easy but he does say that with him our yoke will be light. And that became very evident to me in November 2004. Maybe you have already dealt with your life’s biggest challenges, or perhaps you are in the midst of one right now. Over a several month period, each bit of news I was to receive brought me another step closer to what I felt was life’s end. In the fall of two thousand four, I began to experience a bit of discomfort in my lower abdominal area. I shared with my doctor the nature of my discomfort and the side effects and symptoms I had been experiencing. My doctor immediately referred me to a specialist who took exhaustive x-rays, sonar tests and cat scans, concentrating on my abdominal area. With each appointment, prod, and procedure, I became more and more concerned as to what the doctors were looking for and why they were so worried. My doctor never mentioned any particular disease but I knew he was screening for cancer. The end of November found my wife and I talking one morning as we readied ourselves for the day ahead. Within just a few moments the phone rang with the doctor confirming my steadfast belief and worst fear, I had cancer!

Due to cancer’s aggressive nature, the surgery was set for late the following day. The surgery went well with the surgeon explaining what he had done and his belief that the procedure had been a success. I immediately began twenty radiation treatments, designed to eradicate any cancer cell remnants, which might still remain in my body, spanning over a period of five weeks. As the treatments wore on, I became increasingly more fatigued and often would have to rest for several hours after a treatment to regain my strength. Along with the exhaustion, I also found myself extremely nauseous to the point it was debilitating, making every muscle and joint in my body wrench in pain.

Finally, the treatments were over and my physician advised that I might continue to feel tired and nauseous for some time due to the lingering effects of the radiation. Though we knew the symptoms could worsen, they soon were far more difficult than we expected. Though I began to struggle more each day, I continued to believe in God’s sovereignty and ability to guide me through this. I also thought my ordeal would soon be over and my health would quickly begin improving. Hoping to have an additional cat scan and blood work soon to ensure the cancer’s blight had been completely removed from my body, I waited, ready for God’s and the physician’s proclamation of my healing.

he cancer surgery behind me, my radiation treatments complete, I was ready to begin life anew. Ready and poised to take on life’s 9/11’s; I looked forward to the day when the doctors would announce the successful elimination of the cancer from my body. My ordeal had already spanned several months and I was preparing for what lay ahead. I know my cancer was God ordained and therefore part of my destiny. However as time wore on, my health did not improve but quite the opposite. It soon got progressively worse as I waited, anticipating the moment when the tide would turn and my health would improve. But as I would soon learn, that was not going to happen anytime soon. Through a series of events, I ended up in the hospital in February with diverticulitis (a disease that in essence shuts down your colon) that just about killed me. I was in the hospital for a 4-week period and there were times we didn’t know if I would ever leave. As I lay in the hospital bed, I saw God work in so many ways and help me overcome my fear. Though in pain, I was in great peace knowing that I was as ready as any man could be to go and be with my Heavenly Father. Over the four-week period, I had an opportunity to witness to doctors and nurses and any one who came into my room. Without me even being aware, God was in my room every step of the way and while I didn’t always feel it, others did and many nights my wife and I lay awake talking of our faith, our walk with Christ and many, many prayers were said in the quiet darkness of my hospital room. My overall stay at the hospital turned out to be five weeks and then I had to return 6 months later to finish the operation. It was a very trying time for my family and for me, but by turning it all over to God and relying on my faith and not giving into my fear, I was able to gain strength and a deeper relationship with my Father. I have never seen a firestorm with fire falling from the sky as the one, which occurred in Job’s life, but I have watched events occur in my life and others that felt the same way.

I have always tried to live in my faith. I have always had confidence and a sense of “Why not me?” But it is only through God’s grace and mercy and love that I have been able to simply forge ahead, taking whatever comes my way and dealing with it in a way that I think God would direct me to do. Having faith without fear is not an easy place to be, but it is definitely the most rewarding place. Full of blessings, failures, surprises, miracles, highs and lows - but having faith, sharing faith, taking on the world with God at your back - that helps ease the fear. I learned that whether serving in your family, your work, or globally, God has a task for you and he will always give you the tools you need to complete that task. By faith as small as that of a mustard seed, you can step out of the relative safety of your present position, and watch God guide and measure your steps. Seek after God with all your heart. Seek his ways allowing him to guide your very steps along your journey. By beckoning to the great helper, the Holy Spirit, we are able to tap into the strength of the Lord, one that surpasses all understanding and live our faith without fear.

Dare to dream, dare to achieve, and most of all dare to accomplish something so great that it is doomed to failure lest Christ be in it!

You can view John’s books and his CPA practice at www.HISCPA.com or www.John-Dillard.com

John Dillard CPA
1940 Woods River Lane
Duluth, GA 30097
770 814 9304
HISCPA@yahoo.com

A President’s Challenge 

With Democrats now in control of both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives we are now charged more than ever to set aside bipartisan politics in pursuit of world wide freedom. Ours is not a task for the faint or the lighthearted as toils and troubles are waiting striving to ensnare us at each and every step. Leading the way America has long since served as the barometer for peace loving nations throughout the world. Repeatedly stepping up to the plate, our nation has taken the fight to her enemies throughout our two hundred and thirty year history. Striking the enemy on their home-turf, America continues to pursue her enemies by land, sea, and air. America’s brightest and best heroically serve in our military risking it all to maintain peace in her homeland. By their great sacrifice alone we remain safe and secure in our homes as they take the battle to the enemy. Leaving their world behind they tread into harms way at great risk to their own life making the Statue of Liberty a living symbol of freedom and not a historical footnote. Since the Revolutionary War, America has stood alone as a beacon of freedom to the world, ready to stand for all that is right in the world. From the Boston Tea party forward through to the year in Iraq, America’s people have sacrificed for their homeland and the homelands of others. Though far from perfect in her execution, America remains the standard against which all peace loving nations judge their success.

War is a last resort. As the sum of all evils it represents a country’s final option fighting for what is right and pure. There are no good wars as war itself is the result of humanity failing to police itself leading to untold conflicts, atrocities of every kind, and oppressed peoples. Throughout the ages war has been misused, forcing countries and peoples alike to submit to leaders not of their choosing. Just as Saddam Hussein ruled over his people inflicting a reign of fear as terror and atrocities were his watchword. Leaders throughout history from Stalin to Hitler ruled over their countries with an iron fist needlessly eliminating all who stood in their path. Seeking might rather than right, dictators have singularly ruled vehemently pursuing autocratic rather than democratic control. It is in the pursuit of morality that America has steadfastly stood on her principles willing to rightly stand against those who are willing to lay waste to her lands and peoples.

America’s servicemen are indeed heroes volunteering to serve a country and indeed the world by their valiant actions and deeds. I have attended Memorial Day ceremonies where a flag was placed for every life lost in the Iraqi war. As I walked from the reviewing stand taking my flag and placing  it with the others I could not help but reflect on the nearly three thousand lives lost but also of the brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and husbands and wives left behind. My heart mourned for each and every life lost and the empty chairs at Thanksgiving and irreparable loss felt by those they love. Just as our country’s innocence was stolen that dark Tuesday so similarly are those lives of the survivors and their families as they strive in Overcoming Life’s 9/11’s. Unannounced and uninvited America was invaded by satanic forces striving for her destruction. Our soldiers, all noble, stand in the gap protecting the land of the free.

War throughout the ages has remained an unpredictable bedfellow dramatically ebbing and flowing in erratic patterns wrecking havoc in her path. No one could have predicted after the first Gulf War that America would have to return in force some ten years later to eliminate Saddam’s regime. Believing Iraq to be accumulating weapons of mass destruction, President Bush orders our servicemen to return to Iraq to completely eradicate its evil leadership. Regardless of how history chooses to record our President’s decision it is no less noble as we look to liberate the oppressed people of Iraq bringing the shining light of democracy to that section of the world.

Looking back into our own history by over one hundred and fifty years no one on either side of the Civil War believed that the war would last beyond just a few months. During one of our most significant battles over fifty thousand lives were lost on the battlefields of Gettysburg as General Lee suffers his worst defeat but one in retrospect it  was the stepping stone to the war soon ending allowing for our great country being reunited. The last major war fought on our homeland the war left our people beleaguered and suffering from the ravages of war. Though a great work of rebuilding was ahead for its countrymen I believe the Civil War was God ordained readying our country to fulfill its manifesto destiny setting the stage for America’s leadership into the twentieth century and beyond.

During World War II, the world was plunged headfirst into the battle of all battles embroiling seventy countries and our very world into dramatic turmoil. By most estimates over sixty million people lost their lives during the epic battle which spanned all seven continents. Indeed all of the events of the twentieth century led up to D-Day when America and her Allies landed on the beaches on Normandy determined to retake Europe from German control. Since that heroic day America has plunged forward consistently leading the world striving for justice for all. Over the last sixty years we have watched as Germany and her Axis of evil are defeated, the fall of the Berlin wall, and Germany being reunited shortly thereafter. NATO which was originally formed in 1949 as an alliance to safeguard its members’ freedom by both political and military means experienced its largest expansion of members in 2004 when seven countries formerly of the Eastern Communist Bloc joined its ranks. The world continues to get smaller the Euro dollar is used as a broad based currency throughout Europe and its prevalence and use continue to grow.

In spite of history’s lessons and the wealth of knowledge afforded us by their study we are quick as a people to forget the wisdom of the past and the paths required for their successful completion. When President Truman ordered the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan it was done to shorten the war and to save the estimated one million lives which would be lost if American military were forced to invade Japan’s mainland. Shortly after the bomb dropping the treaty was signed signaling the end of the war to end all wars. From the end of the war and for seven years thereafter America had a military presence on Japan’s mainland helping to restore her infrastructure and a fair and just government to protect her people. Though we have been in Iraq now for three years and counting, let us not neglect the past and the necessary efforts to achieve ultimate success.

America, A Voice of One is a bright light shining on a hill bringing hope and freedom to all. We now count as allies and friends all three of the countries we fought against in World War II. Though presently we are at war, we are fighting for truth, freedom, and all that is right under God’s eyes. Our present world and the future of our children are totally weighted and depending on our decisions as we look ahead. Uniting together absent from the labels which would otherwise separate us we can do great things as a house divided against itself will not stand. Though there will be pundits about who will strive to discredit those who look ahead seeking the best for a generation and all the world, we must press on taking the fight to the enemy never letting him sleep in his lair. America, at war is my country and I offer and commit my whole hearted support to our brave soldiers and leaders who try to strive to share her freedom with the world!

Author John Dillard CPA and his work can be viewed at www.John-Dillard.com and www.HISCPA.com

John Dillard, CPA
HIS CPA, PC
Phone 770-814-9304   www.HISCPA.com
1940 Woods River Lane
Duluth, GA  30097

Serving HIM by serving YOU…one tax return at a time!

Author of Charleston Dawn a Christian Fiction Romance     www.John-Dillard.com