America the Beautiful on display at the White House this Christmas

Melania Trump showing off some of the White House decorations for Christmas this year.

SO beautiful...America the Beautiful!

God Bless America and all her patriot warriors around the world.

 

"We resolve with abiding faith and patriotism to celebrate the joys of freedom..." DJTrump

A painting of the 90 foot long Mayflower.

Proclamation on Thanksgiving Day, 2020

Issued on: November 25, 2020

On Thanksgiving Day, we thank God for the abundant blessings in our lives.  As we gather with family and friends to celebrate this season of generosity, hope, and gratitude, we commemorate America’s founding traditions of faith, family, and friendship, and give thanks for the principles of freedom, liberty, and democracy that make our country exceptional in the history of the world.

This November marks 400 years since the Mayflower and its passengers faced the unknown and set sail across the Atlantic Ocean.  Propelled by hope for a brighter future, these intrepid men and women endured two long months at sea, tired and hungry, to arrive in a new world full of potential.  In the winter weather that greeted their arrival, they lost nearly half of their fellow travelers to exposure, disease, and starvation.  

Despite unimaginable hardships, these first Americans nevertheless remained firm in their faith and unwavering in their commitment to their dreams.  They forged friendships with the Wampanoag Tribe, fostered a spirit of common purpose among themselves, and trusted in God to provide for them.  The following year, they celebrated a successful harvest alongside their Native American neighbors — the first Thanksgiving.  This seminal event in the history of our Nation is a continual reminder of the power of faith, love, perseverance, prayer, and fellowship.

The Mayflower’s arrival to the New World in 1620 also marks the arrival of the first seeds of democracy to our land.  Absent the rule of a monarch in an uncharted wilderness, these early settlers resolved to create their own government through what is known as the Mayflower Compact.  Defined by majority rule through elected leaders responsible for creating “just and equal laws,” the Mayflower Compact represents the first chapter in the long tradition of self-determination and rule of law in America.  One hundred and fifty-six years later, our Nation’s Founding Fathers resolved to break free from England, building upon the Mayflower Compact to establish an enduring government whose authority came solely “from the consent of the governed.”

This year, as our Nation continues to combat the coronavirus pandemic, we have once again joined together to overcome the challenges facing us.  In the midst of suffering and loss, we are witnessing the remarkable courage and boundless generosity of the American people as they come to the aid of those in need, reflecting the spirit of those first settlers who worked together to meet the needs of their community.  First responders, medical professionals, essential workers, neighbors, and countless other patriots have served and sacrificed for their fellow Americans, and the prayers of our people have once again lifted up our Nation, providing comfort, healing, and strength during times of uncertainty.  Despite unprecedented challenges, we have not faltered in the face of adversity.  To the contrary, we have leveraged our strengths to make significant breakthroughs that will end this crisis, rebuilding our stockpiles, revamping our manufacturing capabilities, and developing groundbreaking therapeutics and life-saving vaccines on record-shattering timeframes.

During this season of gratitude, we also acknowledge those who cannot be with their families.  This includes the brave American patriots of our Armed Forces who selflessly defend our sacred liberty at home and abroad.  And we pause to remember the sacrifices of our law enforcement personnel and first responders.  We are deeply grateful for all those who remain on watch over the holidays and keep us safe as we celebrate and give thanks for the blessings in our lives.

This Thanksgiving, we reaffirm our everlasting gratitude for all that we enjoy, and we commemorate the legacy of generosity bestowed upon us by our forbearers.  Although challenges remain, we will never yield in our quest to live up to the promise of our heritage.  As we gather with our loved ones, we resolve with abiding faith and patriotism to celebrate the joys of freedom and cherish the hope and peace of a brighter future ahead.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 26, 2020, as a National Day of Thanksgiving.  I encourage all Americans to gather, in homes and places of worship, to offer a prayer of thanks to God for our many blessings.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

DONALD J. TRUMP

Abraham Lincoln on this Day 1863

Today is my birthday...my only claim to fame is that it is also the anniversary of the day that Abraham Lincoln delivered the greatest American speech ever written...The Gettysburg Address. Its theme has never been more fitting than it is today. Let us pray that "this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." 

 

 The Gettysburg Address 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.  Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. 

We are met on a great battle-field of that war. 

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. 

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. 

 Abraham Lincoln November 19, 1863 

I found some great background information on the speech

from Abrahamlincolnonline.org 

On June 1, 1865, Senator Charles Sumner referred to the most famous speech ever given by President Abraham Lincoln. In his eulogy on the slain president, he called the Gettysburg Address a "monumental act." He said Lincoln was mistaken that "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here." Rather, the Bostonian remarked, "The world noted at once what he said, and will never cease to remember it. The battle itself was less important than the speech." There are five known copies of the speech in Lincoln's handwriting, each with a slightly different text, and named for the people who first received them: Nicolay, Hay, Everett, Bancroft and Bliss. 

Two copies apparently were written before delivering the speech, one of which probably was the reading copy. The remaining ones were produced months later for soldier benefit events. Despite widely-circulated stories to the contrary, the president did not dash off a copy aboard a train to Gettysburg. Lincoln carefully prepared his major speeches in advance; his steady, even script in every manuscript is consistent with a firm writing surface, not the notoriously bumpy Civil War-era trains. 

Additional versions of the speech appeared in newspapers of the era, feeding modern-day confusion about the authoritative text.  

The Bliss Copy... 

Ever since Lincoln wrote it in 1864, this version has been the most often reproduced, notably on the walls of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. It is named after Colonel Alexander Bliss, stepson of historian George Bancroft. Bancroft asked President Lincoln for a copy to use as a fundraiser for soldiers (see "Bancroft Copy" below). However, because Lincoln wrote on both sides of the paper, the speech could not be reprinted, so Lincoln made another copy at Bliss's request. It is the last known copy written by Lincoln and the only one signed and dated by him. Today it is on display at the Lincoln Room of the White House.

It is for Freedom that Christ has set us free

Some of the most powerful words in the New Testament are these by Paul in Galatians (chapter 5 verse 1): "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." We have been created in Christ to be FREE. Free from the fear of the slavery of death. Free from the law that condmemns us to death. And today we could say..."Free of fear of being shut down by the media to say what we believe". But we ARE also free to embrace the truth of grace abundantly given...Jesus has given it to us over and over and over again. May our nation jump into the grace and freedom that sets us free forever. Only there can we love and forgive and rejoice in being one family..in HIM.

How Marvelous! I stand Amazed by the Norton Hall Band

Just discovered a band of young people who sing and bless all who hear...I'm sharing them with you all https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK1AWAwqFy0

Freedom 2020

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” Ronald Reagan

Thank you Firefighters...We love you

God bless our awesome firefighters!!!!! 

Working on  the Northern Complex Fire in Plumas County,

this kitten came running for safety towards the firefighters and they kept her/him safe and sound in a pocket.

Is this kitty grateful or what??? I love this photo! 

God bless our firefighters...

Fireworks Over the White House Last Night

 

Last night, President Trump accepted the nomination for President of the United States by the Republican National Committee. While the whole convention was a beautiful and powerful display of patriotism and support of our military, the icing on the cake was the fireworks display after the President's acceptance speech outside the White House. How they were able to spell out Trump in fireworks is beyond me. It lasted a split second and you almost didn't believe it happened...here and gone. 

But not gone, the show of love and support for our country by each speaker throughout the week, not gone their support for our citizens who yearn for freedom, peace and safety. I was so proud of every speaker featured for they spoke of their love for America and desire to see each person flourish and see their dreams fulfilled...because their dreams had been fulfilled...from Alice Johnson, who spoke of her journey from drugs to prison to pardon by Trump to Jon Ponder, a former inmate who now supports other inmates as they transition back into society, to the first black attorney general of Kentucky Daniel Cameron who made sure the Democrats knew the Black people can make up their own minds, to Sister Dede Byrne who spoke of Trump's unflagging support of the unborn to Madison Cawthorn, the young man in a wheel chair now running for Congress in North Carolina...he stood up from his wheel chair with the aid of arm supports...to stand up for America. Wow, it was so moving to see such great Americans be the champion of Trump because he is the champion of Americans. 

Many veterans and police officials were asked to speak at the Convention as well as many women. All were well spoken, and had their own story to tell...so you didn't feel like you were listening to hackneyed politicians but rather friends, family and neighbors who had something special to share.

We now start the path to Election Day. We need peace in the land. We need love and acceptance. We need hope and a future worth looking forward to. I read this verse the other day that reminded me of the good news...that we are in good hands. 

"And the government shall be upon his shoulders. And he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end." Isaiah 9:6

America says GoodBye to a Great American

Herman Caine died this week from complications due to Corona Virus. My husband and I admired him and supported him in his run for the Presidency in 2012. Mitt Romney won the nomination and lost the Presidency. Maybe it should have been Herman all along. Whatever the case, he was a great man with a beautiful always present smile. He was kind, funny, intuitive and natural. He was also an associate pastor for many years. He knew and loved Jesus which must have been a large part of that smile. He also loved America and the American dream which he personified. He will be missed for his calming influence, positive attitude and ability to make any place he was seem like the place you wanted to be. Did I know him? No. 
It just felt like I did.

Here is a great excerpt of an interview Herman did with writer Byron York. It is the perfect picture of 
Herman Caine, 

beloved American.

"CAIN DEEPLY BELIEVED THAT AMERICA NEEDED someone who would bring a businessman's perspective to the White House. "I've actually run stuff," he told me. "I've actually fixed stuff. I've actually solved stuff." As evidence, he cited his turnaround of Godfather's, which was losing money when Cain took over in 1986. He would do the same thing, he said, with the United States, still suffering from the Great Recession in 2012.
"I spent the first 60 days of my time at Godfather's listening, to figure out what we needed to do," Cain said, leaning back at his desk. "It wasn't complicated: get back to basics."
"Number one, we had too many products on the menu," he explained. "We had gotten away from our core product. We had too many crusts.  We had the original Godfather's pizza crust, we had the original Godfather's pizza, and then we had three imitations that looked like Pizza Hut, Domino's, and Little Caesar's. I got rid of the three imitations, and we got back to focus on the one we were good at. Number two, we simplified the operations, because if you simplify the operations, you make it possible for the people in the restaurant to execute exceptionally well every day. When you've got too much stuff, they can't execute. Number three, we instilled in the company that we could, in fact, win again."
The same approach, he said, would work to shrink and simplify the workings of the U.S. government. "So in your view," I asked him, "America has too many crusts?" "Yes!" Cain exclaimed, breaking into a long laugh. "America has too many crusts! And we've got to simplify things, clarify things so that we can achieve real progress. You get it!"

 

America...Sweet America...God shed His grace on thee!

The Betsy Ross Flag

I was listening to Ray Charles singing "America" today while I was walking through Sycamore Grove Park -- golden waves of grain before me and great blue skies over head. We are on the verge of an epic July 4...I do love America, America, because like Ray sings..."God shed his grace on thee and crowned thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea." The lyrics to the song first appeared as a poem published in "The Congregationalist" on July 4, 1895 written by author and teacher, Katharine Lee Bates. At 33 years of age and traveling the country, she was inspired by a trip over Colorado's Pikes Peak looking over the majestic land displayed before her. Here is the great Ray Charles singing it like no other. 
Happy Independence Day!

ray charles america

Day 30 Shelter in Place

Stencils, paint, paper

Easter: Living from the Inside Out

Covid-19 has disrupted the entire world. Thankfully we were able to get our care packages out before the lock down. We have cancelled our major fundraising Gala this year for many reasons related to the disease. We were all hoping that Easter would be the day we could reopen and get America back to work. But it didn't happen. So I made a sign instead and read the Easter story over the phone with my best friend and her son. 

It was a great Easter for all of us. We are learning what it means to live from the inside out. 

8 days in: shelter In place

No one knows where we go from here. I don't know, but I am confident that God knows.

I don't know anything about this group..I only know I was singing this song today while walking in Sycamore Park...keeping my social distance...and I wanted to find someone singing it with a choir...I like this version.

my hope is built on nothing less

PMF Packs Out 220 boxes for our Troops this morning!

Veterans Memorial Building stage in Pleasanton with boxes ready to pack

Well, here we are in the middle of the virus scare events canceled all over the state...but PMF was still busy putting granola bars, t-shirts, sunscreen, jerky and Easter eggs into care packages for our incredible troops. 

May they arrive safely and bring great big smiles to hundreds of faces. Our school kids wrote many many letters that were also put into each box...they have great enthusiasm for sending their love and good wishes to their "Heroes".

I have been thinking of a song all day and found a version that will make you sing, feel hopeful and probably start dancing...Aretha Franklin at what looks like the Kennedy Center Honors in the late 1970's...Gregory Peck in the front row in one shot. Anyway, take a listen and shine on.

He's got the whole world in his hands...the visuals are rusty, the sound out of this world...it's Aretha after all.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=he%27s+got+the+whole+world&ru=%2fvideos%2fsearch%3fq%3dhe%2527s%2bgot%2bthe%2bwhole%2bworld%26FORM%3dHDRSC3&view=detail&mid=4622720F3437099C63C14622720F3437099C63C1&&FORM=VDRVRV

God Bless our Troops

God Bless America


"A story with God is the better story."
from the life of pi