by Thelen Paulk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I had a dream the other night, I did not understand--
A figure walking through the mist, with flintlock in his hand.
His clothes were torn and dirty, as he stood there by my bed.
He took off his three-cornered-hat and speaking low, he said,
"We fought a revolution to secure our Liberty,
We wrote the Constitution, as a shield from tyranny.
For future generations this legacy we gave
In this, the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The freedom we secured for you, we hoped you'd always keep,
But tyrants labored endlessly, while your parents were asleep.
Your freedom gone - Your courage lost - You're no more than a slave
In this, the land of the free and the home of the brave.
You buy a permit to travel, and a permit to own a gun,
Permits to start a business or to build a place for one.
On land that you believe you own, you pay a yearly rent,
Although you have no voice in choosing, how the money's spent.
Your children must attend a school that does not educate,
Your Christian values can't be taught, according to the State.
You read about the current news in a regulated press.
You pay a tax you do not owe, to please the I.R.S.
Your money is no longer made of silver or of gold.
You trade your wealth for paper, so your life can be controlled.
You pay for crimes that make your nation turn from God in shame.
You've taken Satan's number, as you traded in your name.
You've given government control to those who do you harm,
So they can padlock churches, and steal the family farm,
And keep our country deep in debt, put men of God in jail,
Harass your fellow countrymen while corrupted courts prevail.
Your public servants don't uphold the solemn oath they've sworn.
Your daughters visit doctors, so their children won't be born.
Your leaders ship artillery and guns to foreign shores,
and send your sons to slaughter, fighting other people's wars.
Can you regain your freedom, for which we fought and died?
Or don't you have the courage or the faith to stand with pride?
Are there no more values for which you would fight to save,
or do you wish your children, to live in fear and be a slave?
Sons of the Republic, arise and take a stand!
Defend the Constitution, the Supreme Law of the Land!
Preserve our great Republic, and teach each God-given right,
And pray to God, to keep the torch of freedom burning bright!"
As I awoke he vanished, in the mist from whence he came.
His words were true, we are not Free, we have ourselves to blame.
For even now, as tyrants trample each God-given right,
We only watch and tremble, too afraid to stand and fight.
If he stood by your bedside, in a dream, while you're asleep,
And wonders what remains of our Rights he fought to keep,
What would be your answer, if he called out from the grave:
"Is this still the land of the free and the home of the brave???"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I had a dream the other night, I did not understand--
A figure walking through the mist, with flintlock in his hand.
His clothes were torn and dirty, as he stood there by my bed.
He took off his three-cornered-hat and speaking low, he said,
"We fought a revolution to secure our Liberty,
We wrote the Constitution, as a shield from tyranny.
For future generations this legacy we gave
In this, the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The freedom we secured for you, we hoped you'd always keep,
But tyrants labored endlessly, while your parents were asleep.
Your freedom gone - Your courage lost - You're no more than a slave
In this, the land of the free and the home of the brave.
You buy a permit to travel, and a permit to own a gun,
Permits to start a business or to build a place for one.
On land that you believe you own, you pay a yearly rent,
Although you have no voice in choosing, how the money's spent.
Your children must attend a school that does not educate,
Your Christian values can't be taught, according to the State.
You read about the current news in a regulated press.
You pay a tax you do not owe, to please the I.R.S.
Your money is no longer made of silver or of gold.
You trade your wealth for paper, so your life can be controlled.
You pay for crimes that make your nation turn from God in shame.
You've taken Satan's number, as you traded in your name.
You've given government control to those who do you harm,
So they can padlock churches, and steal the family farm,
And keep our country deep in debt, put men of God in jail,
Harass your fellow countrymen while corrupted courts prevail.
Your public servants don't uphold the solemn oath they've sworn.
Your daughters visit doctors, so their children won't be born.
Your leaders ship artillery and guns to foreign shores,
and send your sons to slaughter, fighting other people's wars.
Can you regain your freedom, for which we fought and died?
Or don't you have the courage or the faith to stand with pride?
Are there no more values for which you would fight to save,
or do you wish your children, to live in fear and be a slave?
Sons of the Republic, arise and take a stand!
Defend the Constitution, the Supreme Law of the Land!
Preserve our great Republic, and teach each God-given right,
And pray to God, to keep the torch of freedom burning bright!"
As I awoke he vanished, in the mist from whence he came.
His words were true, we are not Free, we have ourselves to blame.
For even now, as tyrants trample each God-given right,
We only watch and tremble, too afraid to stand and fight.
If he stood by your bedside, in a dream, while you're asleep,
And wonders what remains of our Rights he fought to keep,
What would be your answer, if he called out from the grave:
"Is this still the land of the free and the home of the brave???"
Good times are had in many barns....
Older children can be pretty cute too!
God has His reasons for such things though, I know, even when we can't see them!
....just a couple rooms down the hallway from a couple sweet families we know. 
After the first talk by Mr. Swanson, all the young people headed for the gym. Here are some people lined up on one end of the building:
...and more people on the other end, all of them just waiting for someone to say "Go" so they could all run to the middle and try to grab a ball for a game of something like freeze-tag, except, if you were tagged, you went in "Jail". You had a chance to escape from jail if one of your team-mates got someone from the other team in "Jail".
My friend, Hayley, all in a blur, with her yellow ball:
During the "Free time" on Saturday and Sunday, there were many games of volleyball being played! (Can you spot Andrew in this picture?)
That's all of my pictures. I know Mother took more pictures than I did this time and Andrew video-taped Mr. Swansons' talks, so we have several things to remember this family camp by.