The Foundation of Our Country and Its Founding Family

On this Election Day and as Veterans’ Day and Thanksgiving approach this month, my heart has been filled with gratitude for  our country’s founding father George Washington. Recently I learned how prayerful and faithful President George Washington was, and how his mother Mary Washington bathed our new country in prayer each day.

On a recent trip to Virginia to visit friends, I took my first tour of Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate, as well as Mary Washington’s home in Fredericksburg, VA. The home and grounds were lovely. I was pleasantly surprised to learn how deep the faith was of both George and his mother Mary. Even on the museum at Mt. Vernon, you are given an opportunity to place your hand on the Bible and repeat the words George Washington did as our first President. Scripture is carved and engraved throughout his burial site and home.

After leaving Mt. Vernon, we headed to Fredericksburg, VA to see where George Washington grew up and where his mother lived. President George’s mother Mary was married to Augustine and was widowed at a young age. She raised seven children. While the Revolutionary War was being fought, Mary lived in Fredericksburg, VA. She frequently prayed near her home at a landmark called Meditation Rock, where she is buried today. She prayed for her son and our country.

George Washington had served as commander of the Colonial Forces and led to win the British claim to America. George came to visit his Mother Mary just days before his presidential inauguration in New York City. Their meeting on March 12, 1789, was the last visit before her death from breast cancer three months later.

George and his mother met in her bedroom sitting area and George gave her the poignant news that he had been selected to lead our new country as its first president of the United States. The Mother of our country placed her hand on his head as he knelt before her. She gave her final blessing and told him that “Heaven’s and his Mother’s blessing would always be with him.” They embraced at her bedroom door and said tearful goodbyes.

Their family was focused on prayer and meditation on God. Divine intervention saved George Washington many times. One glowing instance is his narrowly escaped death in Pittsburg on an expedition to overwhelm the Native American stronghold. Washington had been sick in bed for 10 days, weak as he fought. Four bullets passed through his coat. Two different horses had been shot out from under him.

He was also the last of 20 officers to command their small army before they won. He said, “The all powerful protection of Providence had saved him.”

I visited Meditation Rock myself. It is located on a cliff that now overlooks a city playground. Mary Ball Washington’s memorial, a mini-Washington monument obelisk, is a few yards away from the rock.

I knelt and prayed. I felt the cool rock under my knees, rock worn smooth from hundreds of years of kneeling prayers. I thanked God for our country, for Mary, who represents so many of our praying mothers, and for our faithful first president George Washington. He, led by the Holy Spirit’s wisdom, gave us roots and wings as a nation. I prayed for unity and revival in our country today. I asked for forgiveness for the times I have been silent.

I prayed for the Deborah’s Voice Prayer Gathering I planned to attend at the Lincoln Memorial the next day where 2500+ Christian women gathered to pray for unity of our nation (www.deborahsvoice.net). I prayed for our President, Congressmen, state, city, and local officials, pastors of our churches, and those who are unbelievers.

I lingered there after my prayer, imagining Mary Washington kneeling in the same spot and crying out to God for her son and her fledgling country. What a strong and courageous woman she was. I considered that just like Mary, our circumstances will be hard and uncertain. We too will discover, like Mary, that prayer moves God’s heart into action and intercession is vital in this crucial time in our country before Jesus returns.

No matter where you and I stand politically, we have much to learn from George Washington’s deep faith as a leader. He exemplified the four points of this Old Testament life verse for our nation:
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”—2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV

  1. Humble ourselves—George Washington was a quintessential humble leader. In the museum at Mt. Vernon, he said “Good moral character is the first essential in a man.”
  2. Pray—President Washington was prayerful, as demonstrated in the examples above.
  3. Seek God’s face—President Washington was dependent on the Lord and His Word, the Bible, through the years.
  4. Turn from our wicked ways—President Washington was known for his good moral character and manners. When he was a boy in Virginia, he hand-copied a list called “The Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation.” The rules were written almost 150 years before by French Jesuits—priests and teachers in the Catholic Church—and passed on from generation to generation. The rules covered everything from how to have good table manners, how to respect other people, how to be a good citizen, even how to sit, stand, talk and what expression to have on your face.

May we do the same as American citizens and leaders. May we humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways, THEN God will hear us from heaven and will forgive our sins and heal our land. Amen and Amen.

PS. My gifted fine artist friend Dale Glasgow painted the two poignant moments I describe—one entitled “Mother’s Blessing of George Washington” and the other of “Mary Washington Praying at Meditation Rock.” His work is hanging in the White House and the Smithsonian Museum. You can purchase these giclees or prints on his website at www.daleglasgow.com.

“For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” –1 Corinthians 3:11

Freedom is Not Free

On this Election Day and as Veterans’ Day approaches this week, my heart overflows with gratitude. We are blessed to be born in a country where we can elect our leaders. So many countries don’t grant their citizens such a privilege.

I thank God for those who fight and fought for our freedom. Freedom is not free.

A lump formed in my throat as soon as we drove onto the holy ground of the majestic Florida military cemetery this past weekend. My Uncle Tommy Carter defended our country years ago as a Marine. We honored his memory this weekend at a heart-rending Marine service. A solo trumpet played “Taps” somberly in this distance, and a 21-gun salute captured our attention.

img_3930

The beautiful US Flag was reverently unfolded and draped over my uncle’s remains. Then the two Marine servicemen intricately folded the US Flag back ceremoniously, silently. The officer knelt, bowed his head, and presented the US flag to my Aunt Vicky in a touching presentation. Tears streamed down my face, down almost every face present.

img_3933img_3935

Moments like these are what make America great.

How ever you may vote politically and how ever you may feel about war, we are all united as American citizens.  Please vote today.

We serve and play on the same team–Team USA.  Our country’s future is in your hands.  One vote makes a difference–yours. Freedom is not free.

Please pray for our leaders, whether you vote for them or not.

“Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.”  –1 Timothy 2:2 NLT

Happy Election Day.  Freedom is not free.

Reflect:

–Would you consider yourself to be patriotic? Please comment.

–Who are some American heroes in your life? How will you show your appreciation for them? Please comment.

Renew:

–” ‘…no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will not refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord.” –Isaiah 54:17 NIV

–“Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.” –Romans 9:5 NIV

–“Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs–he wants to please his commanding officer.” –2 Timothy 2:3-4 NIV

Recharge:

–What do you or will you do this week to demonstrate your patriotism? Vote today.

–Please unfurl your American flag and wave it high. Let us show the world we are honored to be Americans.

Resource:

–Your Vote Counts

America! America!

FullSizeRender-20 copy

Have you noticed it also? The stores are packed with various sizes of American flags and patriotic bunting. The metal trailers for selling fireworks are cropping up throughout the city. Even the clothing stores are featuring larger quantities of patriotic attire. It’s coming soon… The Fourth of July, our nation’s 240th birthday.

However strong your Christian faith may be, however you may vote politically, we are all united as American citizens. May we all remember what is imprinted and engraved on all our US dollars and coins, as well as all of our hearts…In God we Trust.

We live in the greatest country in the world and are blessed with abundance and freedoms most countries envy.  We serve and play on the same team–Team USA.

We are blessed with valiant heroes today and in wars past. Each time I see a serviceman or woman in uniform, no matter where I am, if I am able to make eye contact, I say, “Thank you so much for serving our country.” To me, our encouragement is the least we can do for their valiant service of defending our country. Freedom is not free.

Let’s unfurl our American flags and wave them high. Let us show the world how much we believe in America. God truly shed His grace on thee.

In eighth grade, our Social Studies teacher had us memorize a portion of the Constitution’s Preamble. It still is recalled easily, as it is seered on my heart:

“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility,  provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.” Amen.

May we savor these tender words of “America the Beautiful”:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

Reflect:

–Who are some American heroes in your life? How will you show your appreciation for them? Please comment.

Renew:

–” ‘…no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will not refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord.” –Isaiah 54:17 NIV

–“Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.” –Romans 9:5 NIV

–“Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” –2 Timothy 2:3 NIV

Recharge:

–What do you or will you do this week to demonstrate your patriotism?

Resource:

–Enjoy the US Naval Academy singing “America the Beautiful.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JKCom39yKQ