Wildrose Cottage at sunset

Our get-away cottage

Clan Davidson,…my ancestors

Celebrating Freedom…

"Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" is one of the most often quoted and famous phrases in the US Declaration of Independence. Considered by many to be one of the most well crafted, influential sentences in the history of the English language, these three dynamic aspects of life are listed among the "unalienable rights" or sovereign rights of humankind. There is born in the breast of every person that ever drew breath, the need to survive, to endure, to live in such a way as to preserve the liberty and freedom to choose one’s own path, be it good or bad. To pursue the course to happiness with freedom to choose must be carefully measured, knowing the result of our choice will be weighed in the just balance of a Sovereign God.

If a Sovereign God will judge the consequence of our choices, why then do nations choose to fight? Most fight for greed and gain, for what will benefit them personally. But there are some who fight for freedom…freedom from the tyranny of rulers, from the bonds of oppression and slavery, for denying men of their unalienable rights; the right to live freely, to choose, to pursue happiness. Some peoples and nations will raise armies, go to war and even die to preserve their rights as men and women with the God ordained right to be free and to maintain the inherent right of free will.

My ancestors, Scots who valued these basic rights so much that life itself was not dearer than their liberty, and for this cause, this passion for freedom, they remember the ancient times, the days of old when their predecessors bled the ground red with blood on the misty battlefields of Scotland. This same passion for freedom runs deep in the gene pool of our people, an inner fire rekindled in the gatherings of the clans from their places of exile in faraway lands.

I feel fortunate to be born in the US, yet have an ancestral home and heritage where I return to remember the cause of my people, a cause that wrings the withers of my heart. I place a strong value on freedom, for those who fought and died on American soil to preserve a nation of free people. May God stir every heart to value and maintain our precious freedoms as Scottish-Americans. The photos above are a few from the recent Clan Davidson International Gathering in June when Davidsons from all over the world came together in KS to rehearse and remember their turbulent and colorful heritage.

©2011Ruth Carmichael Ellinger

An excerpt from the Epilogue of my latest book,

“Sword of the Wild Rose,” reads:

But where are the Scottish Highlanders today? Where are their lands and their ancient clans? The glens are quiet, wreathed in misty silence. The mountain paths are overgrown with grass, and the villages lie in stony ruin. The warrior’s cause is forgotten, but for those of his own blood who still hear the song of the pipes echoing in the glen, a mournful tune resonating from the shadows of their stormy past,

The mysterious war cry of the Highlander is heard no more, and his bonny bride waits in vain for his return. His battles are over and his deeds are done. The ancient tale is told in the land of mist and tears. Never again will he boast of his all-conquering arm over the enemy, nor will his heart leap at the cry of the curlew or the whistle of the arrow, for he sleeps in the shade of the glen, beneath the moss and the heather. ♦

Thoughts on Liberty

"Statesmen may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our people in a greater measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty." John Adams

"Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend of the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who, so far as his power and influence extend, will not suffer a man to be chosen onto any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man." Samuel Adams

"Freedom exists only when a nation obeys the dictates of morality and right reason, that of the natural law and righteous judgment. When a government imposes policies contrary to the laws of nature and common sense, confusion and disorder dominate the society. Where wickedness rules, liberty ends." (paraphrased)

Remember…

By understanding our past, those events that have shaped our world, we can gain the knowledge and insight to change the future—sometimes to alter the course of history.

Ruth Carmichael Ellinger

One little hand…

Meeting Michael…

I wondered how the first meeting with our newly adopted grandson, Michael, now five, would be? Would he understand the family connection and accept me as his “Grammy?”

A hundred thoughts danced through my mind as we prepared for the trip to meet with our Idaho daughter and her family.

Michael had lost his birth mother, his adoptive mother, and been in a number of foster care situations; some good, some bad, and the little boy was only four when my daughter felt constrained by God to add this little misplaced person to her growing family of two teenage daughters and one son, now eleven.

Her home in the rugged and picturesque northern panhandle of Idaho was ideal for those who love the laid-back country life where horses graze in pastures of wildflowers and vegetable gardens grow and are put away for the winter. The root cellar added last year was the latest “back to the earth” innovation to Kathy’s healthy eating, living, and home schooling life style. This little boy, “nobody’s child,” would now belong to a real family, a Christian family who would teach him to love and serve God. Of course, this would be an adjustment for everyone concerned. But, if anyone could manage the challenges this entailed, our daughter, husband, and family could make a home for Michael.

In book 2, Wild Rose of Promise, the Wildrose series, we meet Sarah Faye, a child unwanted and unloved. My mind has gone to that portion of my book many times since I knew Michael would soon join our extended family. Like Sarah Faye, he deserved a chance to have a good life, to have a strong foundation for his future.

First Meeting: Michael was small with dark hair and big brown eyes. He walked up to me, a smile spreading across his face. I knew his mother had schooled him for this special first meeting.

“Are you my Grammy?” he queried. He never stopped smiling.

“Yes, I am your own Grammy, your mommy’s mother.”

A warm little hand slipped softly into mine and he said looking up at me, “Grammy…I love you.” Then he threw his arms around me and gave me a hot little kiss and a warm hug. Such total and unconditional acceptance of me melted my heart.

One more time, I fell in love.

Granduation time...

I can hardly believe it but it's true -- aMandalin, Mandy as we call her, our firstborn granddaughter is graduating from high school. It seems like only yesterday that we were rushing her mother down the mountain near Coeur d’Alene to the hospital on a freezing November night. New snow was falling and we stopped for a cup of tea at a local restaurant (near the hospital) while we waited for Kathy to progress in her labor. It was a long, long night...but finally, Mandy came into the world, eyes wide open, ready for something. Now...she is still in that "eyes wide open" state and waiting to see what God has for her future. We know whatever that might be, a lovely young girl is dedicated to the plan God has mapped out for her. What a blessing she has been to all who know her and how blessed we feel to know that she loves and serves her Creator.

PS. I think she might be a writer...like her Grammy.