Bruce Vincent meets with George W Bush
WHAT AN AWESOME TRIBUTE TO GEORGE W BUSH! PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE STORY NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PERCEPTION IS OF HIM. YOU WON’T REGRET IT…
Story by: Bruce Vincent
For those of us who sometimes find ourselves having doubts about our former President, here is an excellent piece — worth every minute it takes to read it. This story is from Bruce Vincent of Libby , Montana who had gone to the White House with others to receive an award from the President.
He writes:
I’ve written the following narrative to chronicle the day of the award ceremony in DC. I’m still working on a press release but the White House press corps has yet to provide a photo to go with it. When the photo comes I’ll ship it out. When you get done reading this you’ll understand the dilemma I face in telling this story beyond my circle of close friends.
Stepping into the Oval Office, each of us was introduced to the President and Mrs. Bush. We shook hands and participated in small talk. When the President was told that we were from Libby , Montana , I reminded him that Marc Racicot is our native son and the President offered his warm thoughts about Governor Racicot.
I have to tell you, I wasblown away by twothings upon entering the office. First, the Oval Office sense of ‘place’ is unreal. The President later shared a story of Russian President Putin entering the room prepared to tackle the President in a tough negotiation and upon entering, the atheist muttered his first words to the President and they were “Oh, my God.”
I concurred. I could feel the history in my bones. Second, the man that inhabits the office engaged me with a firm handshake and a look that can only be described as penetrating. Warm, alive, fully engaged, disarmingly penetrating. I was admittedly concerned about meeting the man. I think all of us have an inner hope that the most powerful man in our country is worthy of the responsibility and authority that we bestow upon them through our vote.
I admit that part of me was afraid that I would be let down by the moment — that the person and the place could not meet the lofty expectations of my fantasy world. This says nothing about my esteem for President Bush but just my practical realization that reality may not match my ‘dream.’
Once inside the office, President Bush got right down to business and, standing in front of his desk, handed out the awards one at a time while posing for photos with the winners and Mrs. Bush. With the mission accomplished, the President and Mrs. Bush relaxed and initiated a lengthy, informal conversation about a number of things with our entire small group. He and the First Lady talked about such things as the rug in the office. It is traditionally designed by the First Lady to make a statement about the President, and Mrs.Bush chose a brilliant yellow sunburst pattern to
reflect ‘hope.’ President Bush talked about the absolute need to believe that with hard work and faith in God there is every reason to start each day in the Oval Office with hope. He and the First Lady were asked about the impact of the Presidency on their marriage and, with an arm casually wrapped around Laura, he said that he thought the place may be hard on weak marriages but that it had the ability to make strong marriages even stronger and that he was blessed with a strong one.
After about 30 or 35 minutes, it was time to go. By then we were all relaxed and I felt as if I had just had an excellent visit with a friend. The President and First Lady made one more pass down the line of awardees, shaking hands and offering congratulations. When the President shook my hand I said, “Thank you Mr. President and God bless you and your family.” He was already in motion to the next person in line, but he stopped abruptly turned fully back to me, gave me a piercing look, renewed the vigor of his handshake and said, “Thank you — and God bless you and yours as well.”
On our way out of the office we were to leave by the glass doors on the west side of the office. I was the last person in the exit line. As I shook his hand one final time, President Bush said, “I’ll be sure to tell Marc hello and give him your regards.”
I then did something that surprised even me. I said to him, “Mr. President, I know you are a busy man and your time is precious. I also know you to be a man of strong faith and I have a favor to ask of you.”
As he shook my hand he looked me in the eye and said, “Just name it.” I told him that my step-Mom was at that moment in a hospital in Kalispell , Montana , having a tumor removed from her skull and it would mean a great deal to me if he would consider adding her to his prayers that day. He grabbed me by the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, “So that’s it. I could tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart today. I could see it in your eyes. This explains it.”
From the top drawer of his desk he retrieved a pen and a note card with his seal on it and asked, “How do you spell her name?” He then jotted a note to her while discussing the importance of family and the strength of prayer. When he handed me the card, he asked about the surgery and the prognosis. I told him we were hoping that it is not a recurrence of an earlier cancer and that, if it is, they can get it all with this surgery.
He said, “If it’s okay with you, we’ll take care of the prayer right now. Would you pray with me?” I told him yes and he turned to the staff that remained in the office and hand motioned the folks to step back or leave. He said, “Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer.”
As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his. I was prepared to do a traditional prayer stance — standing with each other with heads bowed. Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand and pulling gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder. With his left arm on my mid-back, he pulled me to him in a prayerful embrace.
He started to pray softly. I started to cry. He continued his prayer for Loretta and for God’s perfect will to be done. I cried some more. My body shook a bit as I cried and he just held tighter. He closed by asking God’s blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months. I stepped away from our embrace, wiped my eyes, swiped at the tears I’d left on his shoulder, and looked into the eyes of our president. I thanked him as best I could and told him that me and my family would continue praying for him and his.
As I write this account down and reflect upon what it means, I have to tell you that all I really know is that his simple act left me humbled and believing. I so hoped that the man I thought him to be was the man that he is. I know that our nation needs a man such as this in the Oval Office. George W. Bush is the real deal. I’ve read Internet stories about the President praying with troops in hospitals and other such uplifting accounts. Each time I read them I hoped them to be true and not an Internet perpetuated myth. This one, I know to be true. I was there. He is real. He has a pile of incredible stuff on his plate each day — and yet he is tuned in so well to the here and now that he ‘sensed’ something heavy on my heart. He took time out of his life to care, to share, and to seek God’s blessing for my family in a simple man-to-man, father-to-father, son-to-son, husband-to-husbad, Christian- to-Christian prayerful embrace. He’s not what I had hoped he would be. He is, in fact, so very, very much more.
NOTE: If you decide to forward this story… please do not add to it. Let Mr. Vincent’s encounter stand as he wrote it.
Print This Post
Filed under CloserToGod, email, government, quote
| Tags: George W Bush, prayer, thoughtful |
Comments Off
The Sack Lunch
I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. ‘I’m glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,’ I thought.
Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.
‘Where are you headed?’ I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.
‘Petawawa. We’ll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we’re being deployed to Afghanistan
After flying for about an hour, an announce ment was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time…
As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. ‘No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn’t be worth five bucks. I’ll wait till we get to base.’
His friend agreed.
I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. ‘Take a lunch to all those soldiers.’ She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. ‘My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it’s almost like you are doing it for him.’
Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, ‘Which do you like best – beef or chicken?’
‘Chicken ,’ I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.
‘This is your thanks..’
After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room.
A man stopped me. ‘I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.’ He handed me twenty-five dollars.
Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, ‘I want to shake your hand.’ Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain’s hand. With a booming voice he said, ‘I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.’ I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.
Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.
When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!
Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base.
I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. ‘It will take you some time to reach the base.. It will be about time for a sandwich.
God Bless You.’
Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.
As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe r eturn. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little…
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made pa yable to ‘The United States of America ‘ for an amount of ‘up to and including my life.’
That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.’
May God give you the strength and courage to pass this along to everyone on your email buddy list….
I JUST DID
Let us pray…
Prayer chain for our Military… Don’t break it!
Please send this on after a short prayer.. Prayer for our soldiers Don’t break it!
Prayer:
‘Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.’
Prayer Request: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world.
There is nothing attached. Just send this to people in your address book. Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could g ive a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm’s way, prayer is the very best one.
GOD BLESS YOU FOR PASSING IT ON!
Print This Post
Filed under News&Views, quote, views
| Tags: honor, soldier |
Comment (1)
Talking about George Soros’ lapdog
Print This Post
Filed under quote, views
| Tags: obama |
Comments Off
Tennessee High School Principal’s Remarks About Prayer at a Football Game
“This is a statement that was read over the PA system at the football game at Roane County High School, Kingston, Tennessee by school Principal Jody McLoud, on September 1, 2000.
I thought it was worth sharing with the world, and hope you will forward it to all your friends. It clearly shows just how far this country has gone in the wrong direction.
“It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games to say a prayer and play the National Anthem to honor God and Country. Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law.
As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it an alternate lifestyle, and if someone is offended, that’s OK.
I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity by dispensing condoms and calling it safe sex. If someone is offended, that’s OK.
I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a viable means of birth control.
If someone is offended, no problem.
I can designate a school day as earth day and involve students in activities to religiously worship and praise the goddess, mother earth, and call it ecology.
I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depict people with strong, traditional, Christian convictions as simple minded and ignorant and call it enlightenment.
However, if anyone uses this facility to honor God and ask Him to bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, Federal Case Law is violated.
This appears to be at best, inconsistent and at worst, diabolical. Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone except God and His Commandments.
Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules which they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be at best, inconsistent and at worst, hypocritical. I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression.
For this reason, I shall, “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s,” and refrain from praying at this time.
However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank God, and ask Him in the name of Jesus to bless this event, please feel free to do so. As far as I know, that’s not against the law—-yet.”
truthorfiction.com says:
Tennessee High School Principal’s Remarks About Prayer at a Football Game-Truth!
Print This Post
Filed under CloserToGod, email, quote, views
| Tags: CULTure, God, government, stupidity, the lie |
Comments Off
What have we learned in 2,064 years?
What have we learned in 2,064 years?
“The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Romebecome bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.”
– Cicero – 55 BC
Evidently nothing
Print This Post
Filed under email, government, history, quote
|
Comments Off
The Inerrancy of Scripture
Albert Mohler sums writes on his now 60 year stance on the inerrancy of scripture. He says…
“[W]hen you encounter a present-day view of Holy Scripture, you encounter more than a view of Scripture. What you meet is a total view of God and the world, that is, a total theology, which is both an ontology, declaring what there is, and an epistemology, stating how we know what there is. This is necessarily so, for a theology is a seamless robe, a circle within which everything links up with everything else through its common grounding in God.”
You see, it is this “grounding” in God that sticks everything. If your morality is not grounded, it becomes subject to relativity. God is unchangeable. He is the uncaused. He is eternal, holy, good, just and righteous… just to start.
The bible, to me is an amazing document. It has withstood almost 2,000 years of naysayers… yet eventually, disproves them all.
So, when you compare yourself to the standard declared in just the ten commandments, how do you stack up?
I know I don’t! BUT… I thank God for a Savior Who could AND DID, thereby covering me and anyone else who places their faith in that fact!
Check out what Albert Mohler has to say about the inerrancy of scripture.
Print This Post
Filed under CULTure, news, quote, reference
| Tags: arrogance, CULTure, End Times, God, progressive, prophecy, the lie |
Comments Off
Phil Hare Doesn’t Care About the Constitution
In fact, he cares so much, he quotes the Declaration of Independence! Why do we continue to place these people in roles protecting the document that ensures our freedom… and they have NO CLUE what it says, nor obviously, do they care?
Bonus point question: What political party does he belong to?
His response is below…
And he claims the response was taken out of context. Can he really say that when there are over three minutes of context provided?
Print This Post
Filed under government, news, quote
| Tags: Constitution, Democrats, government, Health Care Reform, Obamacare, socialism |
Comments Off
Another One! Would You Trust this Man with Any of Your Children?
Then why elect him to Congress?
Seriously… you cannot trust Democrats, they admit they lie, steal and now make it up as they go along!
Wake up America, there is REAL DANGER! There is an enemy within! Before you cast any ballot for any politician… find out WHO THEY ARE and what, if any, character they show!
I guess when you select an impeached judge to represent you in Congress… it shows your character, or lack thereof!
Print This Post
Filed under government, news, quote, views
| Tags: Alcee Hastings, arrogance, congress, corruption, Democrats, failure, florida, government, Healthcare, progressive, TEA, the lie, unpatriotic |
Comments Off
Rep. Wasserman Schultz on MSNBC regarding Haiti’s earthquake
Listen to the video clip. This is posted on Ms. Wasserman-Schultz’s YouTube.com channel.
First, I understand the nervousness, but pay close attention… the first issue I have is the comment about a “7.3 hurricane?” I know she stuttered and misspoke, but these are contemporaneous remarks and they really don’t sound coherent! That would be easy to overlook.
Listen further to Ms. Wasserman-Schultz. At around 3:20 in the clip, she talks about weather and stuff, but this curious quote pops up…
“The wrath seems to be reining down on them.”
I have to ask… what wrath? From where does this wrath come? From whom and why?
Ms. Wasserman-Schultz continues…
“It is absolutely imperative that the nations of the world come to Haiti’s assistance and make sure that we can deal with the scourge that exists there. It is wrong, especially in a region as prosperous as this one, for us to continue to allow the desperate situation that exists in Haiti to continue”
More questions arise… If we do not allow poverty, how can we disallow it? Is not Haiti a sovereign nation?
I am sure the congresswoman does have some concern for the nation of Haiti, however, with this post I have a hard time finding it!
Little hope exists for those who have called out Pat Robertson to also do the same for Ms. Wasserman-Schultz! Her comments are on a par with his, especially “The wrath is coming down on them.”
Pat Robertson does not speak for all of Christendom! His comments on the earthquake in Haiti have been rightly castigated form all ends of the internet. Surely, thinking people know, Ms. Wasserman-Schultz’s comments are equally outrageous!
Rep. Wasserman Schultz on MSNBC regarding Haiti’s earthquake.wmv
Print This Post
Filed under government, news, quote, views
| Tags: america, corruption, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Democrats, End Times, florida, Haiti, politics |
Comments Off
God put his name on Jerusalem
1Ki 11:36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.
Print This Post
Filed under BibleStudies, CloserToGod, quote, views
| Tags: David, God, Jerusalem |
Comments Off
