The Elegant Pen - About Us

A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have!!! Thomas Jefferson

"The trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money."

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931-2005

"The most dangerous myth is the demagoguery that business can be made to pay a larger share, thus relieving the individual. Politicians preaching this are either deliberately dishonest, or economically illiterate, and either one should scare us. Business doesn't pay taxes, and who better than business to make this message known? Only people pay taxes, and people pay as consumers every tax that is assessed against a business. Begin with the food and fiber raised in the farm, to the ore drilled in a mine, to the oil and gas from out of the ground, whatever it may be-through the processing, through the manufacturing, on out to the retailer's license. If the tax cannot be included in the price of the product, no one along that line can stay in business." -Ronald Reagan

***Wise words***

* You cannot help the poor, by destroying the rich.

* You cannot strengthen the weak, by weakening the strong.

* You cannot bring about prosperity, by discouraging thrift.

* You cannot lift the wage earner up, by pulling the wage payer down.

* You cannot further the brotherhood of man, by inciting class hatred.

* You cannot build character and courage, by taking away men's initiative and independence.

* You cannot help men permanently, by doing for them what they could and should, do for themselves .

Do you recognize the author?
It was Abraham Lincoln

The lettering and flourishing that you see on the pages of this website is not the cold and sterile outpourings of some computer! It is all done by the human hand.

Simplicity IS elegance. See our timeless, classic heritage pages!

All the pieces you see on this site are for sale. Feel free to contact us if you see something that you would like. I don't have everything priced.

Generations of Valor

The cost of freedom is unbelievable!!! Freedom isn't free!!!

This picture was sent to me by my good friend, Les Twiford, one of this country's true heroes, a man who devoted his life to serving this great nation. Thank you Les!

When I saved the above image to my Images folder I entitled it simply, "Bravery". This is one of the most moving pictures I have ever set my eyes upon. In a country that makes athletes heroes, and looks down upon its soldiers I do not hesitate to declare that this young man is more of a hero than any of those athletes who make countless millions each year playing games. May God cause His face to shine ever upon this young man and his family; and upon those men, nay, those HEROES, who many times pay the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live the kind of peaceable lives that we enjoy living.

Many years ago George Washington uttered this prayer. Might it be ours also.

"Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United states at large. And finally that Thou >wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Support our troops!!

What we have in this country; our freedoms, our abundant wealth, the overabundance of provender that sustains us, etc., was given us through the spilt blood of countless thousands of young men who died so that we might have what we have. These were men who at the dawn of victory did not sit down to rest and resting there died, rather these were men who continued on in their struggles allowing us these wonderful freedoms that we so enjoy.

Without freedom we cannot truly live! God bless those loyal men and women who are willingly and proudly serving this great nation, and God bless America!

Soldier's Psalm 91 Prayer
By Harriet Yoder

O Lord Most High, help me to dwell in your secret place and abide under Your shadow.

Help me to believe and say out loud for everyone to hear that You are my refuge and my fortress; that You are my God; and that in You I put my trust.

O Lord God Almighty, please deliver me from hidden traps and diseases.

Father God, cover me with Your camouflage; hide me under Your wings; and let Your truth be my shield and buckler against the fiery darts—the lies—of the enemy.

Lord Jesus, help me not to be afraid of terrorists' attacks in the night; or weapons that fly by day; or sicknesses that walk in darkness; or destruction that wastes at noonday.

O Holy God, though a thousand fall at my side, and ten thousand fall at my right hand; please let it not come close to me and my companions.

O Lord Most High, let me live to see the reward of the wicked, because You are my refuge and my home. Let no evil conquer me and let no plague come into my house or near my family.

O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer, please set angels over me to keep me in all Your ways, to bear me up in their hands and to keep my feet from stumbling.

Father God, help me to tread upon the lion and adder and trample the young lion and the dragon under my feet.

Lord Jesus, I love you with all my heart and I know Your name. Deliver me and lift me on high to soar with the eagles. I call upon you to be with me in times of trouble to deliver and honor me because I know Your name. Please show me Your salvation and satisfy me with a long life.

I ask this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ

Amen.

A retired military friend sent me the following, "Little Perspective". Please take the time to read it, as it is a must read.

A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes. He stays up for days on end.

You take a warm shower to help you wake

up. He goes days or weeks without running water.

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick. He gets shot at, as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends. He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket. He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.

You talk trash on your "buddies" that aren't with you. He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls. He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

You complain about how hot it is. He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong. He does not get to eat today.

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes. He wears the same things for months, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

You go to the mall and get your hair redone. He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.

You are angry because your class ran 5 minutes over. He is told he will be held an extra 2 months.

You call your girlfriend and set a date for that night. He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday. He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries. He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything. He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own government and remembers why he is fighting.

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of the men like him. He hears the gun fire and bombs.

You see only what the media wants you to see. He sees the bodies lying around him.

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't. He does what he is told.

You stay at home and watch TV. He takes whatever time he is given to call and write home, sleep, and eat.

You crawl into your bed, with down pillows, and try to get comfortable. He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gun fire.

You sit there and judge him, saying the world is a worse place because of men like him.

If only there were more men like him.

Click here to hear Dottie Knudsen of The Elegant Pen singing, "God Bless America" at the 2003 IAMPETH convention held in Cleveland, Ohio.

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