Rambles from the Heart

All The More Important to Pray for Our President and Our Country

2009-05-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

This is and article telling us that Mr. President has canceled the National day of prayer.

Obama defends, curtails National Day of Prayer

By RYAN J. FOLEY |Associated Press Writer

12:11 PM CDT, May 6, 2009

MADISON, Wis. - President Barack Obama is scaling back White House plans for Thursday's National Day of Prayer even as his administration defends the tradition in federal court in Wisconsin.

Obama's position has disappointed Christian conservatives, who want the president to do more to mark the day, and an atheist group that wants him to end the tradition.

The Obama administration has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which claims the day violates the separation of church and state. In a rare alliance, 31 mostly Republican members of Congress and a prominent Christian legal group are joining the administration to fight the lawsuit.

Congress established the day in 1952 and in 1988 set the first Thursday in May as the day for presidents to issue proclamations asking Americans to pray.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday that Obama would issue such a proclamation Thursday but not hold any public events with religious leaders as President George W. Bush did.

Gibbs said Obama prays privately and his plan for the day was in line with those of past presidents. Still, Obama drew a rebuke from the National Day of Prayer Task Force, a private group that promotes prayer events around the country.

"We are disappointed in the lack of participation by the Obama Administration," said task force chairwoman Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. "At this time in our country's history, we would hope our President would recognize more fully the importance of prayer."

The task force estimates 2 million Americans attended more than 40,000 events marking the day last year.

Meanwhile, Freedom From Religion Foundation Co-Director Annie Laurie Gaylor welcomed Obama's more subdued observance but said she has been shocked by his administration's strong defense of the day in court.

The Madison-based group of 12,000 atheists and agnostics filed the lawsuit near the end of Bush's second term in U.S. District Court in Madison. The suit asks a judge to declare the law unconstitutional and to order presidents and governors to stop issuing prayer proclamations.

The lawsuit also claimed federal and state governments work too closely with Dobson's task force to promote the day and give it a Christian bent. Among other things, the task force asks governors and mayors to issue prayer proclamations and suggests specific Bible verses and themes to quote in them.

The Obama administration asked U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb to dismiss the case in March. The administration argued the group has no legal standing to sue, said the tradition's roots date to 1775 and that most presidents have invoked faith in a higher power.

It also said the day does not promote religion and argued that preventing presidents from issuing a proclamation would unfairly restrict how they communicate with Americans.

"It was very right-wing," Gaylor said of the administration's arguments. "One would expect that under a Reagan or a Bush, but I did not expect that under an Obama."

She said the day disenfranchises the millions of Americans who do not believe in God or pray and suggested Obama implement a "national day of service" instead.

Thirty-one members of Congress, including House Minority Leader John Boehner, R- Ohio and Rep. Eric Cantor, R- Virginia, have filed a friend-of-the-court brief opposing the lawsuit. They call the prayer day "deeply embedded in the tradition and history of this country."

The Alliance Defense Fund, an Arizona-based group of Christian lawyers that is representing Shirley Dobson and the task force, has made similar arguments in asking for the case to be dismissed. Crabb is expected to rule on the motions in coming weeks.

All the more reason why we should have National Prayer week. I think that not only should we pray for President Obama, We should pray for our Country. That we would be a land with many followers of Christ. Please, Please, Please Get this out. Tell everybody you know about it. God has really been leading me to do this. Lets get the message across The US before prayer week. God Bless You All, and God Bless America!!!

Pray for Our President Week

2009-04-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

This was a part of an email sent to me by my friends sister. I implore you to go to her blog called Pray for Our President Week and find out more about this (after you read the post of course;) ) here is a link to her blog, God bless all who read this. Prayforourpresidentweek.blogspot.com

Hey guys, I wanted to share with you a project that the Lord has been powerfully leading me to organize: Setting aside one week, JUNE 7-13 for Christians across the United States to join together with other believers to pray specifically for President Obama to confess his sins before God and surrender his life to Jesus Christ as Lord. It's tempting to think of this as impossible - both my goal to get Christians across the country to set aside a week to pray, and the idea that President Obama would give his life to the Lord - but I am here to tell you that with man it is impossible, but with GOD all things are possible! 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. "

The Lord first began laying this project on my heart just last Wednesday, at my church's prayer meeting. Several of us were praying that God would convict President Obama of his sins, and that he would realize his need for the Lord and surrender his life to Christ. The Lord was impressing on my heart just how powerful it was for us as Christians to be gathering together to intercede for the Salvation of our president, because of the promise in Matthew 18:19-20, "Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them."

More than that, though, I kept thinking, "How much more powerful would this be, and what amazing things would God do in this nation, if we as Christians all over the United States would make a point of joining together to fall on our knees before God to ask for the Salvation of our president. We have a national day of prayer for our country, but what if besides that, we also gathered together on a different day to pray specifically that President Obama would give his life to the Lord!" Later, I thought, "Why just one day? Why not a whole week?" I knew that these ideas had to come from God. Where else could ideas like this come from?

I have to say, God's timing is perfect. Had He laid this on my heart just over a week before, I would have rolled my eyes, said, "You're kidding, right?" and forgotten about it. But there were two books that the Lord had me read just before then, that really solidified God's call in my mind, and gave me the courage to step out in faith (Did I say step out? I think I meant jump out) to begin this project.

The first was Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle. This book, which I highly recommend to all of you, is a powerful witness to the way God works through the effectual, fervent prayers of His people. It was this book that God was reminding me of in that prayer meeting at my little church, with eight people lifting up our hearts in prayer for President Obama, when He showed me how powerfully He would work through the prayers of the body of Christ throughout the United States joined together in intercession for our president to surrender his life to the Lord.

The second book was Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. Through this book, God showed me that I had no business making excuses based on my own ability. He showed me, through Do Hard Things, that He could and would do great things through me if I would let Him. So I'm letting Him work through me. And asking you to let Him work through you.

National Pray for Our President Week is set for the second week in June. (June 7-13) I am asking you guys to dedicate that week to praying that God would convict President Obama of his sin, make him realize where he will be on judgement day if he continues living as he is now, and that God will draw our president to surrender himself totally and completely to Jesus Christ. Also, I am asking you to forward this message about Pray for Our President Week among all of the Christians that you know - especially church and ministry leaders.

Snow men

2008-12-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

I really like my snow dudes......

An Update

2008-11-25T11:34:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody,

Here's a little update on what has been happening, and why I have not blogged in just about forever.

First I started debate, An it so Totally AWESOME!!! Okay... nothing is awesome but God, but it is pretty cool. It also eats up a LOT of my time.

I also started school like 3 months ago, and that takes Forever to do.

Anyway, I have been quite busy but God is so good.

Hope you come back sometime after I haven't posted in so long. ;)

Really, Quite Crazily,Full of Strangeness

2008-08-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

It was really, quite crazily, full of strangeness. It all began one fine day after the summer reading program. They were having a pick-the-name-out-of-the-hat. And I got a phone call from the Library; "oh dear" thought I.

Hold it!!! First of all I really must tell you about my experience with phone calls from the library. Every phone call I have ever gotten from the library, has been because I have late books.

Now where was I??? oh yes, "oh dear" thought I!!! But then the man with the monotone voice said,
Hello, I'm calling you because YOU HAVE JUST WON A iPOD NANO!!!! _scream!!!_

the end.

Cherry Juice

2008-07-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

So here's the story, I picked a few cherries from our tree. You know so we don't wast anything, right? Wrong! I wasted allot of time taking each cherry, examining it for a little hole, digging my thumb into it and pulling a seed out! Okay you say,that can't be bad and your just exaggerating. Well I agree with you...that is until you do about 500 cherries, nonstop. THEN it is no joke to pick, wash, pit, freeze, rinse, mix, bake, and finally (Oh joy!) eat 500 cherries. Well the last thing is not so bad.:)
Needless to say I do not want see another cherry for a Very,Very long time. And that is the end of that!

Movie vote thingy

2008-06-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

I want to take a little vote thing on the following list. Here's what you do, look at the types of movies below, then pick one and tell me which one it was in the comments place under the post. (If you like several, just put your favorites) Okay so here's the list:

Violent movies,
Pixar or Disney,
Any type of 3d animation,
Romance (like Jane Austen),
R rated stuff,
Classic Old Disney movie's,
Any film, as long as your with friends,
Or if there is one that I can't think of you can tell me and I'll add it to my list. :)

Moving day Morning

2008-06-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

So today I had allot of fun... that is if you like packing up boxes with candles, and helping somebody move....but here, let me tell you the whole story.

It all started this morning when my little brother came to my room. I sleep with my sister. My brother always comes to my room to "wake up Renee."(Renee is my sister) What he does not know is it wakes up me to... as Renee's bed is above my bed. (We have bunk's) So anyway I woke up...sorta, I mean I wasn't ready to get out of bed.That is until I heard that we were going to get donuts. Then I got up and made my way to the bathroom, just like everyday. When I got back to my room, I started reading for my summer reading program. Then my mom found out what I was doing... she told my to march right back into my room (basically) and get dressed. She told me that we were going to move my aunt. I didn't even know my aunt was moving!!!

So this is the picture, I am getting dressed, as fast as I can; getting in the car, as fast as I can; and running into the house to eat donuts...as fast as I can. (Yeah ,yeah, I know, you think it was for the donuts; it was not, well sorta. It was to move my aunt, partly)

So this is the fun part, I got to be with one of my aunts almost all day long. It was amazing. I think that moving is great...if you are helping a really cool person.

So I know what your thinking now..." I read this entire post and this is what it was" well what do you expect on a blog called "Rambles from the Heart?"

cool pictures...Literally

2008-06-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

How to Eat Skittles

2008-06-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Okay...My brother said(in his blog) that there is only one food that there is a certain way to eat. That food was M&M's. I am here to say that is not true! There is one other food that you actually have to eat a certain way, and that is skittles. The link on the word skittles is to the official skittles website,where there are games that you can play, if you want to. (I think they are very stupid games, but that is for you to decide for yourself.) Okay this is how to eat skittles...the right way:

First find a clean surface in your house, if you can't find one then you will have to make a clean surface.
Open your pack of skittles.
Carefully, oh so carefully, pour the entire bag of skittles on to the counter.
Put them in groups of nine.(at this point you may want to sterilize a pair of needle-nose pliers, and use them to pick up the skittles)
Take one pile of the skittles, and put them carefully put them in front of you.
Pick three of the skittles that look the most appealing to you and carefully place them,one by one into your mouth
now you can do one of two things A: as soon as the third skittle is in your mouth suck on all three until they are gone, or B: as soon as the third skittle is in your mouth, chew (all three) for a delightful tasting treat.

8. Repeat steps 6 & 7 until all your skittles are gone. ENJOY!

My First Blog

2008-06-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

Okay...so this is my first time blogging; I have never done it before, so it will be just what the title is...Rambles from the heart.

I'm your average teen age kid...except for one tiny thing, I want to be able to rebel against low expectations! I went to a conference just a couple days ago called "The Rebelution." Now, if you look up the word "rebelution" in the dictionary...your not going to find it; In fact it's not an English word. It is a word made up bye the two teenagers,the ones that did the conference. It is actually two words combined, rebel, and revalution. So now you know if I refer to a "rebelutionary" or "rebelution" you know what in the world I'm talking about.

I have a book that I highly recommend. This is the title: Do Hard Things ,by: Alex & Brett Harris
It is Amazing like the best teenage book I have ever read. But don't be intimidated by the title, It is Not so scary as you might think.

Well now you can really take me up for my word...Rambles from the Heart