Core Values

We have all gotten a laugh or two from the concept of being a Redneck. Having lived in Nashville, TN and also, rural Georgia there is actually another side to “these” people. There are a set of Core Values that they all hold dear – namely, God, Country, Friendships and Family all centered around the home … now the home might have one or more cars up on blocks, a car tire planter or two, and a few beer cans in the bushes, but their Core Values still hold true. This just might explain why Country and Western music is some of the most popular music on the radio presently. After 9/11 we, as a country, began to come back to those same Core Values.

Recently, I came across one of those “You might be a redneck if” lists, but this one was different. It spoke directly to those basic Core Values which places God, Country, Friendships, Family and Home above everything else. I’m proud to share these Core Values as a great place to build integrity and a sense of well being.

You might be a redneck if: It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God.'
You might be a redneck if: You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
You might be a redneck if: You still say 'Christmas' instead of 'Winter Festival.'
You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when someone prays.
You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.
You might be a redneck if: You treat our armed forces veterans with great respect, and always have.
You might be a redneck if: You've never burned an American flag, nor intend to.
You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and raised your kids to do the same.
You might be a redneck if: You'd give your last dollar to a friend.

May we all be Rednecks … at least in the Core Values of our life.

Quote for today: “At one time, Francis Schaeffer says, he shared a platform with former cabinet member and urban leader John Gardner, during which Gardner spoke on the need to restore values to our culture. After he finished, a Harvard student asked him: ‘On what do you build your values?’ Gardner, usually articulate and erudite, paused, looked down, and said, ‘I do not know.’ I repeatedly encounter the same reaction. When I have contended before scholars and college audiences that in a secular, relativistic society there is no basis for ethics, no one has ever challenged me. In fact, in private they often agree.” Charles W. Colson