Six months ago I felt God's calling to take a stand for Christian morals, beliefs and family values. I believed that he was leading me to run for SC House District 17. With the support of my family and friends I began the process of running for office. Immediately I was received by others with encouragement and approval. On March 15, I held my campaign announcement at Clearview Baptist Church's Family Life Center. I was amazed as over 100 family, friends, and acquaintances gathered to hear my declaration for office.

In our culture, we see many skewed views of work. On one end of the spectrum there are people who hate work and do anything and everything to try to get out of it. On the other end are the workaholics to whom their work is their life and it trumps everything, including God and family. Obviously neither extreme is correct. But what is the biblical view of work? How do we teach it to our children?

A few weeks ago I wrote about one of the all-time great song writers. This week’s feature is about another writer who has penned some of the classic Southern Gospel Music songs. His name is Albert E. Brumley and he spent most of his adult life in the small town of Powell, Missouri.

PTA President Chuck Saylors rejects pro-family organization’s request to exhibit at PTA Convention

CHICAGO – Charles ('Chuck') Saylors, hailed as the first male president of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), has rejected a pro-family organization's request to exhibit at the national PTA convention.  Although the PTA allows gay rights groups to exhibit, Saylors rejected the exhibit application of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX).

PFOX is a family organization that educates the public on the message of hope and support for students, families and educators affected by homosexuality, gender confusion, and school bullying. 

A Veteran of the Vietnam War, Shivers was Recipient of Four Purple Hearts, Silver Star Medal, and Battlefield Commission

Lieutenant Colonel Stephen L. Shivers, USMC (Ret), was presented the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution War Medal and Certificate. Charles Porter of the Colonel Robert Anderson Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, made the presentation on Memorial Day, 2010, during ceremonies at Woodlawn Memorial Park. Porter summarized Shivers’ military service.

May 15, 2010, was a pleasant, warm Saturday.  We drove toward Choice Hills Baptist Church to attend Pastor Craig’s wedding, and along the way we listened to his Trumpet Pulpit segment on WTBI radio.  Bro. Stan Craig was happily preaching “live” from his church office!  It was 12:30pm, and getting closer to the start of his own wedding ceremony!  Being so near to the starting time, it made us both chuckle!  You could just imagine Brother Craig’s big smile!  He said, “In just 30 minutes,  I’m going to be married!  Everyone is invited to come!”

The South Carolina Republican Party has joined the Greenville County Republican Party to file a suit in U.S. District Court in Greenville, seeking to overturn laws that prevent political parties in this state from holding primaries in which only people registered for that party can vote.

The suit filed last week had no effect on the June 8, 2010, Primary Elections, as it seeks only to change the way future primaries are conducted.

Each spring, Greenville County Schools names Students of Year — the senior or seniors with the highest SAT score or highest ACT score. This year, six students received the prestigious title.

Hannah Chen from Riverside High and Valedictorian Natasha Deshpande from Mauldin High scored a perfect 2400 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Irina Danescu and Amy Li from Riverside High, and MingZhe Lin and Valedictorian Angela Luo from Southside High Academy scored 35 out of a possible 36 points on the American College Test (ACT) to be named Students of the Year.

My first encounter with Lewis Millett was in 1964. He was a Lieutenant Colonel instructor at the Command and General Staff College. I was a Captain student.

“I hope you are not like that last guy named Dill who came through here. He was a genuine (expletive deleted).”

“I don’t have any relatives in the Army,” was my response.

My son, Tim Baldwin, is a constitutional attorney and historian. And now, after reading his just-released book, FREEDOM FOR A CHANGE, I learned something else about him: he is quite the scholar. I dare say his new book, FREEDOM FOR A CHANGE, rivals any great textbook of law and history written during the last hundred years. And I am not saying that because he is my son. I am saying that because it is the truth.

The Executive Committee of the Greenville County Republican Party elected Retired Engineer, Jan Williams, Third Vice Chairman of the County party Monday evening.

Williams replaces Evert Headley who is resigning for personal reason.

The primary duty of the Third Vice Chairman is precinct coordination, organization and reorganization.

During the annual Memorial Day program held inside Woodlawn Funeral Home due to rain, two local trumpeters were honored.

The Col. Robert Anderson Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, presented the two with the SAR Outstanding Citizenship Pin and Certificate. This is a prestigious award given to those who attained noteworthy achievements in their community and state.

Speaking on behalf of chapter president Victor Compton and the chapter members, master of ceremonies Charles Porter, the past state and chapter SAR president noted that despite a 50-year difference in age between the two recipients, they both have a strong sense of community service.

Two members of the Blue Star Mothers Association explain to His Royal Highness Prince Edward what their organization does on behalf of mothers whose sons/daughters are serving in the military in a war zone, as board member Phil Bradley and Greenville Scottish Games President Dee Benedict listen.

Ruth Helen Massey, Gold Star Mother, and American Legion Post 3 Commander John Collins prepare to place a wreath in front of the Veterans Wall of Remembrance.

The Boiling Springs Tea Party has announced their endorsement of candidates in the upcoming Republican primary election.

United States Senate – Jim DeMint

South Carolina Governor – Henry McMaster

South Carolina Secretary of State – Mark Hammond

South Carolina Comptroller General – Richard Eckstrom

South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture – Hugh Weathers

SC House District 38 – Joey Millwood

SC Attorney General – Robert Bolchoz

On Memorial Day I reflected on the friends I have known who lost their lives while serving in the uniform of our country. It is only natural for those of us who returned safely from a combat zone having lost friends to experience varying degrees of remorse. We do not know why some suffer fatal wounds and others survive.

On this Memorial Day I recall Heroes who looked death in the eye and lived to receive the Nation’s highest honor: The Medal of Honor.

Would you be satisfied if your only access to a computer was to try to boot up one that hadn't been used or tested since 1992? That's the predicament of our nuclear deterrent on which we depend for our ultimate physical survival.

On April 8 in Prague, President Obama signed what is called the New START bilateral arms control agreement. It reads like it was written by the Russians and has nothing good in it for the United States.

Obama is demanding a rush to ratification, after which we can then discover the details of what the treaty requires. Does that remind you of the procedure used for Obamacare?

Final Vote June 1st

An amendment to Section 9-132 of the Greenville County Code of Ordinances impacting certain property owners, passed second reading and will receive a final vote during the next Council meeting on the first Tuesday in June.

The change is worded as follows and will have the force of law immediately upon passage:

Nine graduating seniors successfully completed the requirements to receive commissions as Second Lieutenants in the United States Army or National Guard during commissioning ceremonies May 8, 2010. An awards ceremony was held on Friday, May 7th.

Awards were presented to cadets and members of the Military Science Department by officers of the Colonel Robert Anderson Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Cadet Alex Moore, a freshman enrolled in the Furman Army ROTC program received an SAR medal and certificate.

Signed and numbered paintings by Doug Chaffie entitled The Southern Campaign were presented to LTC William Maddox and LTC Bill Price.

Almost three hundred people attended the Greenville County Republican Party Bronze Elephant Dinner and debate Saturday evening. It was a fast moving, informative and entertaining evening with two of the nation’s leading conservative statesmen and potential presidential candidates sharing the speakers platform.

Former U. S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania was the guest speaker and hometown patriot Sen. Jim DeMint added to the occasion with his assessment of the political landscape in a time of crisis with both the White House and the Congress out-of-control, creating havoc with the economy and foreign policy daily, while with reckless abandon, racking up unprecedented debt for future generations of Americans.