Poem - "The Freedom Dream"

The Freedom Dream
A July 4th Celebration
by Curtis Schofield

What were our ancestors to do? Where could they turn?
With hunger and illness, exploitation and persecution on all sides.
There was fear and frustration in the land, especially in Europe.
The stories about American land and new life made them yearn,
Giving our grandparents a new hope, a "yes we can."
And a vision of a future place to make a new stand.
They were hearing America calling, with freedom to worship,
To learn, to assemble, and to speak one's own word.
They especially wanted the freedom to have their own land,
For a home, for a place to work, and for their voice to be heard.
They wanted freedom to move, when necessary to avoid strife,
In their efforts to seek and make a better life.
Thomas Jefferson later expressed their desires for bliss;
"To have God given rights, of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness."
To the immigrates the American natural bounty,
From border to border and sea to sea, was incomparably varied.
To them it was an inexhaustible paradise and more.
For the most part, the new comers enthusiastically worked together.
With imagination, vitality, and persistence they were able to score,
With triumphs of inventiveness in technology and industry galore.
Also in communications and transportation they were esteemed.
It was beyond anything the world has ever seen or dreamed.
Unprecedented in the history of the world was the explosion,
Of social, political, religious, and technical phenomena. Wow!
This all occurred in America, especially from the 1850's till now.
In that brief span humankind accelerated the rate of travel,
To twice the speed of sound and we saw many barriers unravel.
Communication progressed from the pony express to instantaneous.
Comfort and convenience advanced from candlelight and open flame,
To control of every nuance of light, heat, and humidity the same.
While it is true that other countries helped provide the pioneer,
The most dramatic breakthroughs in progress happened here.
Right here! With the America dream in the land of the free.
While the harsh restrictive aspects of the Calvinist doctrine,
Espoused by the founding pilgrims, current Americans tend to veto.
The founders dedication to the practical virtue of hard work,
And the importance of faith in God are still valued in our credo.
Anyone not valuing freedom of worship and hard work,
Is considered not a leader, and only tolerated as a jerk.
Freedom of worship went hand in hand with a widespread belief,
That our primary goals should always be righteous,
And designed not only to see American's glory unfurled,
But to be a blessing to all the peoples of the world.
The founders believed devoutly in this country,
And believed that Americans were beneficiaries of a will,
Not for pleasures like the Roman followers of Aphrodite.
Our founders believed that theirs was a "City on a Hill,"
Being guided for greatness by the hand of the Almighty.
Puritan historian Edward Johnson wrote in the 1650's,
That the Lord has "sifted a whole Nation to plant his choice grain."
To him we were destined for great service, not just for personal gain.
Two centuries later this theme was still being played,
When Novelist Herman Meville said, "Americans are the peculiar,
Chosen people, the Israel of our time;
We bear the ark of liberties of the world."
From the very beginning the engine that would subdue,
A wild continent was fueled by a dream and a faith view.
People from all over the world were attracted to the freedom dream.
To worship, to freely speak, and to work on your own land,
Was and is the settlers' primary theme.
With the success there was an ebb and flow of cooperation,
Overcoming divisions over conflicts that arose among the settlers.
They came from every land, bringing their religion, language, music, and cuisine.
Some came as slaves, without their consent, and without a dream.
But the freedom vision was too much even for slavery's strong hold.
By 1864 President Lincoln set all slaves free, we are told.
With the 20th century leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr. came full civil rights.
The sun began to shine in hidden places. It was a beautiful sight.
The American Indian also has played a significant role in the freedom dream.
By the 1880's the whole nation was asking,
What have we done to the red man and the buffalo on the virgin land?
Without them the western plains seemed as empty as a broken glass.
The evening sun cast long shadows on the lonely endless grass.
Yet the Indians' dream would not so easily fade from the scene,
Even when the hopes of the slain red ones lay lonely on the plains.
The shadows tried in vain to hide the American Indians' pain.
But the faithful witnesses of history tell us a different story.
In the victories over the red man there was little glory.
Most died a starvation death, from destruction of the buffalo meat, and
From illegal immigrants destroying wild game that was the red man's claim.
"Total warfare" was a phrase the red man at first did not understand.
By the time he understood, the US command had already spoken.
It was then the red man's dominance of the west was broken.
He could not win, while believing one battle can decide all claims.
In his war history, a great victory in battle could achieve all aims.
He was not ready for the army's continuos campaign of war games.
But the US Army kept a coming, seeking total victory.
The Indian, not able to win an army campaign, still had a plan.
When he had to slip away, he never gave up his battle array.
Like a Roman senator in his toga, he continues to impress today.
Many rivers, roads, and places wear Indian names, they say.
These signatures verify the Indian was never fully defeated.
Think about how the US Military names its equipment,
The AH-64 Apache (helicopter), the BGM-109 Tomahawk (missile),
And the UH-72A Lakota (helicopter) to name a few.
When the academics teach about great military leaders,
The west's best warriors as listed in "who's who,"
They tell how the US army lost to Crazy Horse and the Sioux.
For General Custer and his 700 veterans, the event was a "Waterloo."
When Custer's battle against the world's finest cavalry was over,
There were no US army attackers left for the Sioux to pursue.
Therefore, we ask, where have all the red men gone?
They are undefeated. They are living among us, everyone.
We find more Americans every day with the red man's DNA.
They are butchers and bakers and "candlestick makers."
They are bankers and teachers and child caretakers.
They are city officers and drivers of buses and vans.
Many are soldiers who help protect this free land.
In World War II the U.S. sought a fool-proof encryption code,
So as to protect the nation and the services of the G I Joe.
The answer was found in the ancient language of the Navajo.
It all began with a vision of freedom unfurled.
This vision was shared by the immigrants with friends in the old world.
They responded to the vision in great numbers.
It must have been a sight to stand watching the caravan of immigrants.
They had been rejected by the land owners of their place of birth.
They made the hard decision to leave most of their wares and cares.
Because nearly all their past dreams had become nightmares.
All that is except the dream of a place to begin anew.
That was it! The dream inspired them with a new point of view.
No one can describe early American better than western writer, Louis Lamour.

"They were haggard, worn, hungry for rest and cool drink.
The inner urges of the flesh were crying out to stop and think.
But the deep desires of the heart moved them further, one step at a time.
How was it possible for them to go on? One step at a time in a death march rhyme.
But they kept moving, because the vision was upon them, with all it thrills.
They could not forget the golden promise of the distant hills,
Offering a land of milk and honey, the fair and flowering land,.
In their dream they could see it, in spite of their struggle in the desert sand.
The dream is sought by all wandering peoples of whatever time and place.
No hardship is too great. No road is too steep or rough.
No mountain is impassable when the vision is upon a people."
The vision sustains us no matter how tough.
The sacrifice can be endured as long as we can see the steeple.

- Louis Lamour (paraphrased) THE TALL STRANGER. p.6.

This freedom poem was inspired by reading "The Story of America" by The Reader's Digest Association, Inc, 1975, especially pages 8-15 and by reading novels y Louis LaMour(see "The Tall Stranger". p.6.)

Hero - Dr. Don Cannon

Dr. Cannon practiced medicine in Chattanooga for over 46 years. He touched many lives with his kind and compassionate way of making each patient feel special. We felt as if each of us was part of his own family. He will be greatly missed. He certainly will be missed by the Schofields. He was our doctor.

I remember what a blessing he was when I went to see him for my annual physical examination or when I was dealing with some physical problem. In the last few years he would come into the room in his wheel chair. First, he would want to know about my family and my ministry. Then he would ask about the issues that his assistant had put on the chart. He would cover each detail, including the effects of physical issues that he had treated me for long time ago.

One patient, who nominated Dr. Cannon for Memorial's National Doctor's Day award in 2007, wrote that Dr. Cannon continued to practice medicine even while he was fighting cancer. "He is a survivor and a dedicated doctor," the patient wrote, "I have asked him several times, 'Why do you not retire and enjoy your life resting?' And he always responds. 'I'll be in the office until the day the Lord takes me home.'"

It was a blessing and a Christian witness to walk into his office and see on a table his picture, along with a personal statement. This personal statement was placed there when he returned to work after cancer surgery and a period of recovery. The statement was an appreciation to his patients for their prayers and for their encouragement during his time of recuperation. I was very much blessed by his personal testimony, giving God the glory for the healing that had taken place in his body. I have read that statement several times. It has always gives me hope as it assures me that "the Great Physician" is at work in my life, as well as my favorite doctor and his dedicate staff.

Recently, he died at the age of 75. He will be missed by his wife, Grandeana, to whom he was married for 56 years, his daughters, especially Dr. Allison, who has been his professional medical partner for several years, and the many of us who have been his patients for many years.

The medical doctor, Luke, wrote one of the Gospels. He recorded that Jesus said, "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge him or her before the angels of God"(Luke 12:8). I have no doubt that, even now, Don Cannon is being acknowledged before the angels. Lord, help me to live for others so that You and they will be blessed and honored among the angels.

Count Olaf, the Norweigan Viking Giant

In the mid 40's my dad and mom rented a dairy farm near Scandanavia, Wisconsin. It was there I learned how to milk a cow. Before long I was milking five cows every morning and again in the evenings. The owner of the farm was Clifford Thompson, known in Wisconsin as the tallest man in the world. I remember the times that he came to visit. As he walked in he had to bend over to keep from hitting his head on the ceiling. He always came in a light gray suit, and used a walking stick to steady himself. He recognized each of us individually. Dad always referred to him as a lawyer. On one of his visits to our home he gave dad a ring from his finger. Dad used to impress others when he would take out Mr. Thompson's ring and push a fifty cent piece through it.

I was totally surprised, years later, when I was doing research to discover that Mr. Thompson had spent several years in circus life. He was known as Count Olaf from Norway. In fact he was actually Clifford Marshall Thompson, a Norwegian-American farm boy from Rugby, North Dakota. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Julius Gustavus Thompson, moved to Scandanavia, Wisconsin, shortly after the birth of their son. Clifford kept growing long after other boys his age had stopped, and eventually reached the height of eight feet, six inches, making him one of the tallest men in history. Despite the limitations of his size, Clifford managed to finish school in nearby Stevens Point before embarking on a career as a professional giant.

After eight years as a career giant, he left the circus to become a traveling salesman. Though no longer a freak by trade, Clifford was still continually on display, representing The Big Shoe Store in Stevens Point. At the Wisconsin State Fair he wore a sign that said "Drink Milk: Look what it did for me". He advertised the 1935 Ford V8 as roomy enough for a giant, although his own car was custom-fitted to accommodate his size.

The research revealed that in his spare time Clifford enjoyed lecturing to civic organizations and was a member of the B.P.O. Elks in Wisconsin Rapids. He and his wife owned a 110-dairy farm near Scandinavia. That farm was the Schofield home in the mid-forties. Like most giants, Clifford required custom-made clothes; his shoes were size sixteen, his hat size nine, his chest forty-six inches and his waist forty-two inches. He was said to consume at one sitting three pounds of steak, three potatoes, three dishes of vegetables, a quart of milk and a whole apple pie. In 1949 he entered Marquette University in Milwaukee and obtained his law degree within two years, becoming the tallest lawyer in history. He practiced first in Iola, Wisconsin, then in Los Angeles, before finally settling in Portland, Oregon. He died on October 15, 1955, four days short of his 51st birthday. See http://phreeque.tripod.com/cliff_thompson.html. To many people in the circus life he was a freak, but to the Schofields he was a hero. He made it possible for us to get into the dairy business.

Scripture Insight: "A friend loves at all times." Proverbs 17:17

The Power of Presence

Several years ago, when I was a young pastor, I rushed to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee to visit a person who had called Contact Telephone Ministry to share that she was in the process of making a suicide attempt. I was following up after the caller had been rescued and taken to the hospital. When I entered I was very anxious. But I found myself immediately calmed as I hurriedly walked into the hospital and saw in the hall a friend, the pastor of First Christian Church. He was listening to a troubled family member of someone who was in surgery. Since he was focused on the person with whom he was giving support, I did not interrupt him, but I still felt the same support he was sharing with another person. The support was coming from his presence.

When Dr. Debbie Hall wrote an article in 2005 named, "I believe in the power of presence" she had been a psychologist in San Diego's Naval Medical Center Pediatrics Department for several years. She was reminded of this belief when she and several other Red Cross volunteers met a group of evacuees from Hurricane Katrina. They were there, as mental health professionals, to offer "psychological first aid." Despite all the training in how to "debrief," to educate about stress reactions and to screen for those needing therapy, Debbie Hall was struck by the simple healing power of presence. Before they had done anything, as they walked in the gate to the shelter, they were greeted with an ardent burst of gratitude from the first person they encountered. Since Debbie and her team had not done anything yet, they felt guilty for receiving the affirmation. It was at that moment that Debby was reminded of the healing power of presence.

In her article Dr. Hall shares how she was first hurled into an ambivalent presence many years ago, when a friend's mother died unexpectedly. She had received a phone call from the hospital where the mother had just passed away. Part of her wanted to rush down there, but another part of her didn't want to intrude on this acute and very personal phase of grief. She was torn about what to do. Another friend with her at the time said, "Just go. Just be there." She did, and she says, "I will never regret it."(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5064534)

Billy Wilson, a friend of mine, recently lost a close friend through death. Several days after the burial he saw his late friend's wife. When Billy greeted her, he said, "Mary, I am sorrow you lost your best friend." She responded immediately, "Billy, my wonderful husband died, and I miss him very much, but I did not lose my best friend. My best friend is Jesus, and His presence is faithfully with me all the time."

Jesus said, "I am with you always. Even to the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20)

Faith Story - Dr. Worley

He had everyone's attention just by walking into the room. For many years he was the pastor of Church Street United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. He brought smiles to our faces and laughter to our inner being. Once he told us that he used every occasion to share faith with others. He was an incarnation theologian in that he saw Christ somehow in every situation.

One of his favorite places of sharing faith was when he left the church at noon to cross six lanes of traffic to go to his favorite cafeteria. When he arrived at what he called "busiest street corner in the state of Tennessee," most of the time there would be several persons waiting for the right moment to cross. Usually there was someone there who needed assistance. Paul Worley was in his "hay day" helping someone in need. He not only helped them across but he also made sure he got their names and a story of something they liked about themselves or about someone else. When they reached the other side, Paul would then, thank them for the blessing that the person gave him by sharing his or her story with him. He would share, "God has used you to be a blessing for me today. I believe the rest of this day will be better because you and I got to spend some time with each other." Sometimes the new friend would say, "Dr. Worley you are the one who is a blessing. Most people ignore me when I am in need. Then some would say, "Dr. Worley, if there is anything I can do for you, do not hesitate to ask me." "There is something very important you can do for me today!" They would always say, "I can't imagine anything I could do." He would then say, "I am great need of someone who will pray a simple prayer for me three or four times during the rest of this day." "What simple prayer?" "Dear Jesus, have mercy on Paul today!"

"Would you pray that prayer for me today?" When they answered in the affirmative, Dr. Worley sometimes would say, "Why don't we just stop here for a moment, look each other in the eyes, and pray that prayer for each other."

Sometimes there was great humor in one of Dr. Worley's encounters at the corner of Church Street and Smoky Mountain Drive. He loved to tell about the day he helped a drunk man cross the street. When they made it to the other side, Dr. Worley decided to get better acquainted. When they exchanged names, the fellow got excited and said, "Paul, I knew there was something special about you. I could feel it. Is that your church across this road?" Paul said, "I am the pastor of that Church." Then his new friend got really excited. "Paul, I have been wanting to meet you for a long time. I have been wanting to ask you a question." Paul, asked, "My friend, what do you want to ask me." The man looked him straight in the eyes and asked, "Did those Corinthians ever answer that second letter you sent them?" What a joy it is to be in ministry on the street.

Scriptural Guide: "Then Jesus will say to some, 'Welcome to my house, for one time I was a stranger and you took me in.'"

(Matthew 25:35)

Faith Story - Todd Beamer

Shorty after noon on 9/11 a friend handed the phone to Lisa Beamer. The voice on the phone said, "Mrs. Beamer, my name is Nick Leonard from United Airlines. I'm sorry to inform you that your husband, Todd, was a passenger aboard Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania." Lisa turned to her friends, who had come to her home to support her and the children, and said, "That was United calling. Todd was definitely on the plane taken over by terrorists; the one that was on the way to Washington, but that crashed in Pennsylvania." Her husband, Todd, had kissed her good by early that same morning as he prepared to catch an early morning flight to California. The plane had been taken over by terrorists shortly after it took off. After traveling west for some time, the terrorists turned the plane around and by the time a group of brave passengers attacked the hijackers, the plane was heading back east, toward Washington DC. Two other planes had been hijacked and had been flown into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York. One more had been crashed into the Pentagon. Flight 93, on which Todd Beamer was traveling, was brought down in a crash on a Pennsylvania farm.

Two days later, on September 13, Larry Elison, sent out an e-mail to all employees of Oracle Corporation, saying, "Todd Beamer, an employee of Oracle Corporation died when Flight 93 crashed. We believe that he died when he and other passengers tried to recover the hijacked airplane from the terrorists...Todd's courageous actions may have helped keep the airplane from reaching its target-our nation's Capitol. Todd and other passengers probably helped save the lives of many in Washington DC."(see "Let's Roll" by Lisa Beamer, Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois. 2002. p. 184).

Nick Leonard called Lisa, Todd's wife, reporting to her that the FBI had confirmed that during the flight Todd Beamer had called on the GTE Airfone aboard the plane. The call went to a GTE supervisor, Lisa Jefferson. Todd had told her that he and some other passengers were going to fight their way into the cockpit and try to overcome the terrorists. He had asked her to get a message to his wife, Lisa Beamer, telling her that he loved her, and then asked the supervisor to pray with him. Together, they prayed the Lord's prayer, which Todd concluded with "Jesus, help me!" Then Todd's call was interrupted by one of his associates, and Todd's last words were recorded as he called to the small group, planning to stop the hijackers, "Let's roll!" A minute later, at 9:28, the Cleveland controllers clearly heard screams over the open mike aboard Flight 93. Then, just before the plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, the controllers heard a voice in English, demanding "Get out of here! Get out of here!"

Scriptural Guide: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." -Jesus(John 15:13)