Glenn Beck's letter to his college daughter

"GLENN: My daughter just started her first year in college and as I was flying here today, I didn't feel like I had anything to share with you that you hadn't already learned here. I took out my journal and looked up the things that I wrote to my daughter as she was sitting there listening to one of her professors on her first day as a Freshman. These are the things that I wrote to tell my daughter: "

   You are never alone and there is never trouble that is beyond help. Your father loves you and your Heavenly Father loves you. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow may never come, but as long as we have today, it's never too late. Question with boldness.
  Read what they tell you not to. Challenge everything. The educated of this time are growing arrogant, and arrogance leads to darkness. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. However, sanitizer is a must, especially in New York City. In New York City, honey, it's best both times just not to touch. Look for the exits. They may save your life. Respect others. Know that they are most likely afraid, just like you. In fact, I found more arrogant and forceful they become, the more afraid they are. The worst thing in life you can do is dishonor yourself or your family and then go living a life without setting it right. 
    Marry for love, marry for laughs, but most importantly, as my wife Tania taught me, marry with God. For without God, life's storms are too strong to withstand. Wealth and fame are an illusion. We've been rich, we've been poor. We've been happy both times. The only times I've truly been miserable is when I was lying to myself or to others. 
     Alcohol and drugs make life easier for a very short time and then they destroy. There is no experience that is bad. Experience just is. It's what you do with that experience, how you'll use it. Will it shape your life for the better and help you become a stronger person? Or will you allow those experiences to smother and destroy you? 
     Call 911 first and then call your dad. Always have a picture on your desk of someone you admire. Don't let life wash over you wave after wave. You're not a rock. Learn from the waves. Learn from the currents. Choose to sail. 
    "I am that I am" is the most powerful phrase in any language, as it is the name of God. Never use it in vain. Use it to create who you want to be. I am, blank. But know if you don't fill that blank in, someone else will. You can ignore it, but if you do, it will be filled in by others or just life. There will always be many that will try to fill that blank in but only you can fill it in and be happy. 
      The Lord lives and He is personal. He loves you, and he's always there to help. But we have to train ourselves to hear it. We have to use our faith and exercise it like a muscle. The more we use faith, the louder he becomes. Serve Him in all things. Stand where He asks you to stand. Stand, for you do have a purpose. Your job is just to remember who you are, remember what you agreed upon. We're meant to be happy. But remember, no pain, no gain. Life is hard and then it gets harder. And then you die.
      But every single second of life is worth it. Always say what you mean and mean what you say. Turn the other cheek and always forgive. But don't forget so much that you put yourself in the same situation. Question authority, including everything that I've just told you. Make these things true because you know them to be true. You have everything you need. You have everything you need to be happy. May you figure that out before I do. Freedom, rights, are given to man by God. They are His. Protect them. You are the guardian.
     Private jet travel is the only material thing that can actually change your life. However, refined manner, gentleness, meekness, kindness, will be the only currency of any true value. Stuff doesn't matter. Forgiveness is divine. The atonement is real. You are worthy. Hell is an eternity of regret, not being able to forgive yourself. 
    Haves smell worse in the summer. Walk a lot and never stop noticing things around you. When you do, change your ways or change your address. People are good. They want to do the right thing. Give them the opportunity. Shadows are darkest at noon, and it always gets colder before sunrise.     
   It's never wrong to do the right thing. Learn to love others that you don't know or really don't like. Read the scriptures every day. They are alive, and He speaks to you through them. There are no coincidences in life. Learn, laugh, love. Sleep hard and sleep less. Pray on your knees. To whom much is given, much is required. You've been given the world and beyond. 
   Only date those who love you as much as I do. Only date those who will treat you as I have tried. If you are going to date, do it with the knowledge of marriage preparation. Never date just because you like someone, that's what friendship is for, build that up first.
    Never want anything too much. You'll always end up paying too high of a price one way or another.
    If you must shoot, shoot to kill. 
    Labels are meaningless. Someone you meet today is afraid or suffering. Find them. Comfort them. Never let the sun go down without saying you're sorry for your wrongs. Your dad misses you. Call him. Call him now. What? Why haven't you called him yet? 
    Life goes by far too fast. Keep a journal. Write what you think; write what you question; write what you know. There is order in all things. Stay in that order. Stay in the flow. You will find very few real friends in life. Cherish them. Things will change and you'll fall in and out of each other's lives, but when you do come back, it will be as if you never left. The hardest thing to do is to admit failure, to admit weakness. Only the very strong do. The weak never ask for help. Fasting is prayer. Fasting without prayer is a diet. And why? Why haven't you called your father yet? 

"GLENN: That's something that I actually wrote as I listened to my daughter's orientation at her college and I sat there and I thought, what could I possibly give her as advice. And I wrote those things down for her. That is I don't know. As I was sitting there listening to that, I hadn't heard that whole thing yet and as I sat there and listened to it, I thought, boy, this is the lifetime of hard lessons, a lifetime of, if I could leave my family with just my knowledge that I think is important, that would be it. What I consider common sense."


"TIM: I added some of my own morals to the list, seeing it all as true, there was no way I could help but see this list, not as a gospel, but common sense that NEEDS to be applied and should be questioned. If you are not sure about a part of this, feel free to ask someone, growth happens when you learn something by experience or are taught no matter what age you are. Love God and Love others"

A Special note from Ben Stein

The following was written by  Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

"My  confession: 

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish.  And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees...  I don't feel  threatened..  I don't feel discriminated against..  That's what they are, Christmas trees. 

It  doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas'  to me.  I don't think they are slighting me or  getting ready to put me in a ghetto.  In fact, I kind  of like it.  It shows that we are all brothers and  sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't  bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display  at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu  ..  If people want a creche, it's just as fine with  me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards  away. 

I don't like getting pushed around for  being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting  pushed around for being Christians.  I think people  who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed  around, period.  I have no idea where the concept  came from, that America is an explicitly atheist  country.  I can't find it in the Constitution and I  don't like it being shoved down my throat. 

Or  maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come  from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't  allowed to worship God as we understand Him?  I guess  that's a sign that I'm getting old, too.  But there  are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities  came from and where the America we knew went  to. 

In light of the many jokes we send to one  another for a laugh, this is a little different:   This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's  intended to get you thinking. 

Billy Graham's  daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane  Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this  happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina)..  Anne Graham  gave an extremely profound and insightful response..   She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just  as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out  of our schools, to get out of our government and to get  out of our lives.  And being the gentleman He is, I  believe He has calmly backed out.  How can we expect  God to give us His blessing and His protection if we  demand He leave us alone?' 

In light of recent  events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc..   I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was  murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she  didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.   Then someone said you better not read the Bible in  school.  The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou  shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself.   And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we  shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because  their little personalities would be warped and we might  damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed  suicide).  We said an expert should know what he's  talking about..  And we said okay..

Now we're  asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why  they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't  bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and  themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and  hard enough, we can figure it out.  I think it has a  great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE  SOW.' 

Funny how simple it is for people to  trash God and then wonder why the world's going to  hell.  Funny how we believe what the newspapers say,  but question what the Bible says.  Funny how you can  send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire,  but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord,  people think twice about sharing.  Funny how lewd,  crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through  cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in  the school and workplace. 

Are you laughing  yet? 

Funny how when you forward this message,  you will not send it to many on your address list because  you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think  of you for sending it. 

Funny how we can be  more worried about what other people think of us than what  God thinks of us. 

Pass it on if you think it  has merit. 
If not, then just discard it... no one  will know you did.  But, if you discard this thought  process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape  the world is in.  
My Best Regards,   Honestly and respectfully, 

Ben S"

Traveling to Bintan Island.

   My brain hit record once the incredibly dank odor of “disgusting unclean restroom” hit my nose. I quickly finished my business and walked toward the vessel that was going to take all of us to the next ministry opportunity. As we all got our passports stamped yet again, we left to our transport boat that made birth in Singapore and our destination was Bintan Island.

   The boat was big and clean, with hardly anyone taking this trip. The gentle waves slapping the side of the ship as the roar of the massive engines behind us gave me a sense of euphoria. I sat in my chair, only to look to my left, watching an old Chinese man sleeping in his chair, with the windows next to him and a 6 foot in circumference padding buoy tied tightly to the outside, obstructing most of the sea viewing window. Not a noise was heard over the humming of the engine, slipping into my seat I sank into a deep sleep… Of course I did eat a little snack and enjoyed “Shrek” being played right in front of me for a few minutes before I slept. The boat rocked in the sea, the people rested in it’s gentle throw, The head was used, and the people unenthused.

   I woke quickly to a startling tap on my shoulder and vaguely heard a voice utter “Were here”. I never noticed that the boat turned to dock and was ready to unload everyone. All of us quickly got up and got off the boat, my left leg trying to wake up  as well.

   Walking through the outdoor hallways and passing through customs, we nabbed our bags quickly and got in a waiting van. As we were being ushered from the government facility, all of us were commenting on the color coordinated family packed on a motorcycle, that’s right, 5 people on a two person motorcycle; we all wish we had a camera.

   

   Travelling to our final destination, stopping only for a random doughnut break, we zoomed through the countryside passing every available motorcycle and nearly endangering our lives multiple times in transit. It was so beautiful to drive by the ocean, the red clay deposits that consumed the island combined with the many palm trees created a very unique travel experience. I found out later that some of the palm trees that had no head on them were struck by lightning, and there were a lot of palm trees that looked like sticks coming out of the ground.

   Once we got to our place of ministry we were all VERY shocked at where it was and the quality of which the venue was being held. The 2 story resort was touching the south china sea, and the view from the sea from anywhere in the complex was nothing short of beautiful. Rocks grouped on one side of the island accented the alien sunset on the horizon; peppered with little islands. We had a few hours to prepare for the session that was going to happen that night. I couldn’t help but look out into that peaceful landscape and love Gods creation, that He could make something that beautiful and say “This is for you because I love you, but there’s so much more you haven’t seen”.

   It was a blast spending time in the rock formations, digging through a narrow passage between rocks, and running around with local kids from the island hiking around the rocks who spoke no more English than "spider-man" and "the hulk" which was pronounced "Hulek" by their tongue.

   

   The days that followed were full of ministry and food, but it was quickly evident that there was a language barrier in place, and I HATED IT! It’s so hard to talk to the “next generation” speaking an entirely different language halfway around the world. It was very strange to again feel like the minority in society.

   There was a moment when I stepped my first foot in the sea, the warm bath water sensation and familiar aroma of salt water that I cherished as a youth. It was easy to jump in the sea, unlike the cold snow runoff of western Montana, this sea was alive. The sea floor was living and nearly moving with animals of many kinds, from those with little fins swimming to those with shells and claws on the bottom, there was always movement. I snorkeled on the cloudy coast of this place, looking for sunken treasure at first, then finally being mesmerized by a single fish the size of my pinky that dug a hole for itself in the sand and decorated around it many small shells, it would pop out when I moved, so you can just imagine how much entertainment I got, at the fishes expense.

   During one of the many ministry times we had there, we had the youth fill out “lie cards” which basically are cards that people fill out stating what lies they believe, and all of them are deep rooted, painful things. As I was taking the cards from the youth as they finished, there were 2 times that I felt like God was telling me to “look at this card” so I dog eared the 2 the Lord prompted me to view and continued my job as “lie collector”.

   The last night we were there, I was finally able to talk with one of the 2 people God told me read their “lie cards” He had 3 lies written down, and I addressed all 3. I will put a * by the lies addressed.

 Using the translator, I said:

“Out of everyone, there were only 2 people God wanted me to talk to, and that makes you special"
"And, God told me to read the lie card you wrote”

(His face turned to an embarrassed pain)

“As I read the card, I realized why I was supposed to read it”
“It’s because we have gone through so much of the same thing”

(Now he was listening)

“I know what it’s like to be called names*, to be called a queer, and be so angry at others. I know how much it hurts when people say those things and you cant get it out of your head… you feel like a failure without a destiny*. ”

(He was holding back tears and moving from side to side)

“God made you special for this time, you are important and I want to let you know that you can do it, it really hurts at times, but you need to guard your heart like a shield, let God show you who you are, not others. There’s a lot of people here who know you and love you, they WILL help you through this, don’t be afraid to talk to people you trust. You will never be abandoned*, because you are surrounded by people who again, love you. Remember that.

(He was now crying hard with tears rolling down his face, trying not to sob)

“I want to give you a coin so that you remember everything I just said, and everything you learned at camp this year.”

   I gave him a coin, and asked the translator if it was ok for me to give him a hug (literally asking for permission) after gaining permission, I asked the boy through the translator if I could Give him a hug, and he said yes, and I literally picked him up and twirled him around a few times, the translator laughing at my type of hug. I had the translator tell the boy “Remember what God did at camp” and we went our way.

Leaving almost abruptly the next day, I left with a smile on my face and an appreciation for being obedient to what my mission is here in Asia.

   1. Protect everyone

2.      2. Carry heavy stuff

3.      3. Help with setting up books

4.      4. Focus on the details

5.      5. Over communicate