Christine and I attended the funeral service Thursday of Chris Bordelon, a former Watonga High School band director, and positive influencer extraordinaire.

The service was a true celebration of a life well-lived. The Kingfisher church of Christ was packed to capacity by residents of both Kingfisher and Watonga– lots of family, fans and friends.

Although Chris and wife, George Ann, lived/live in Watonga, they also were members and boosters of the church of Christ in both communities.

Chris shed light and good feeling wherever he went. He was an encourager – a great talent for a teacher; kids learn better when they are happy and feel confident of their worth, it seems to me.

I especially enjoyed hearing one of his former students (I wish I knew his name) who delighted the church with Chris’ words and gestures when directing his bands.

He said Bordelon expected the best from his students and got it.

Speakers from several walks of life explained Chris’ charisma; he was intense, friendly, courteous and everyone mentioned that he was “fun.”

Speakers included his duck-hunting and fishing buddies, preachers and former students.

His former student said he was a stickler for timeliness and a good work ethic…and his students understood and learned from his example.

My family’s experience with Chris began when our daughter, Ellyn, participated in a youth choir that Chris directed at the local church as well as conversations following services.

His church choirs were enthusiastically applauded at regional events and his bands were consistent winners at all levels.

He and George Ann looked after both sets of their parents.

I know everyone who knew Chris will miss him. We certainly will.

Religion Under Attack in America

It seems to me that there is a concerted effort under way in America to destroy the nation’s religious foundation, especially Christianity, that contributed mightily in creating the greatest nation yet devised.

The entertainment industry seems determined to change America from a civil society to one that disdains religion.

I have watched a series on Netflix, “Suits,” (about a New York law firm) that seems to push an agnostic or atheistic world view by its frequent us of the G-D curse in its dialogue, virtually always unnecessarily.

Like most of the stuff on television today, it is not fit for young ears (or old).

The apparent plan of the elitists who control so much of today’s ideation, at least in my view, is to create a belief that there is no higher authority than government. The goal is to bring people to the belief that their only hope is government dogma and the willingness to do what they’re told ... by government.

That is certainly not what the nation’s founders’ envisioned – a free people.

Senate Rejects Controls on Military Abortions, Transgender Interventions

The Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate proved last week that it was on board with the anti-Christian agenda when it passed its version of the House of Representatives’ military spending bill, the National Defense Authorization Act, but omitted two amendments that the legacy media has spun as Republicans inserting social issues (abortion and transgender medical interventions) into routine legislation.

The Wall Street Journal reported that “senators largely sidestepped the polarizing social issues that had roiled the House weeks earlier,” specifically mentioning amendments that would “overturn a Pentagon policy allowing troops’ leave and travel funds for reproductive health care — including abortion” and another that “would prevent the Defense Department or Tricare, the military’s health care program, from providing gender-related surgeries and hormone treatments for transgender people.”

Tyler O’Neal, columnist for the Daily Signal, news arm of The Heritage Foundation, says House amendments face an uphill battle as the NDAA moves into the reconciliation process —where House and Senate staff will seek to craft a version of the bill that both chambers are likely to pass — but that does not mean that House Republicans were the aggressors here.

Biden started the culture war in the military, while Republicans are seeking to restore common sense.

O’Neal added: “When Biden reversed the Trump-era policy requiring members of the military to serve in accordance with their biological sex, rather than their claimed gender identity, his policy also led the military to offer controversial experimental transgender medical interventions, such as cross-sex hormones and surgeries often euphemistically referred to as “gender-affirming care.”

European countries that are often considered more left-leaning than the U.S. have started to backtrack on transgender medical interventions, warning that children may grow to regret altering their bodies.

The NDAA represents a chance for Congress to check an out-of-control president who has seized every opportunity to push an extreme social agenda, O’Neal writes, adding: “Don’t let the Democrats’ narrative fool you. Their opposition to amendments like these is not about cooling passions but about distracting from the way Biden himself has politicized the military.”