Washington's Birthday
"Washington was the directing spirit without which there would have been no independence, no Union, no Constitution, and no Republic. . . . We cannot yet estimate him. We can only indicate our reverence for him and thank the Divine Providence which kept him to serve and inspire his fellow man." - Calvin Coolidge

"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence." - George Washington

George Washington (www.whitehouse.gov )
On April 30, 1789, George Washington, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York, took his oath of office as the first President of the United States. "As the first of every thing, in our situation will serve to establish a Precedent," he wrote James Madison, "it is devoutly wished on my part, that these precedents may be fixed on true principles."
Born in 1732 into a Virginia planter family, he learned the morals, manners, and body of knowledge requisite for an 18th century Virginia gentleman.
He pursued two intertwined interests: military arts and western expansion. At 16 he helped survey Shenandoah lands for Thomas, Lord Fairfax. Commissioned a lieutenant colonel in 1754, he fought the first skirmishes of what grew into the French and Indian War. The next year, as an aide to Gen. Edward Braddock, he escaped injury although four bullets ripped his coat and two horses were shot from under him.

From 1759 to the outbreak of the American Revolution, Washington managed his lands around Mount Vernon and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. Married to a widow, Martha Dandridge Custis, he devoted himself to a busy and happy life. But like his fellow planters, Washington felt himself exploited by British merchants and hampered by British regulations. As the quarrel with the mother country grew acute, he moderately but firmly voiced his resistance to the restrictions.
When the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia in May 1775, Washington, one of the Virginia delegates, was elected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. On July 3, 1775, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, he took command of his ill-trained troops and embarked upon a war that was to last six grueling years.
He realized early that the best strategy was to harass the British. He reported to Congress, "we should on all Occasions avoid a general Action, or put anything to the Risque, unless compelled by a necessity, into which we ought never to be drawn." Ensuing battles saw him fall back slowly, then strike unexpectedly. Finally in 1781 with the aid of French allies--he forced the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.
Washington longed to retire to his fields at Mount Vernon. But he soon realized that the Nation under its Articles of Confederation was not functioning well, so he became a prime mover in the steps leading to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. When the new Constitution was ratified, the Electoral College unanimously elected Washington President
He did not infringe upon the policy making powers that he felt the Constitution gave Congress. But the determination of foreign policy became preponderantly a Presidential concern. When the French Revolution led to a major war between France and England, Washington refused to accept entirely the recommendations of either his Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, who was pro-French, or his Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, who was pro-British. Rather, he insisted upon a neutral course until the United States could grow stronger.
To his disappointment, two parties were developing by the end of his first term. Wearied of politics, feeling old, he retired at the end of his second. In his Farewell Address, he urged his countrymen to forswear excessive party spirit and geographical distinctions. In foreign affairs, he warned against long-term alliances.
Washington enjoyed less than three years of retirement at Mount Vernon, for he died of a throat infection December 14, 1799. For months the Nation mourned him.

Meditations From Iraqby Fr. Steve Dundas
“O God, who hast made of one blood all the peoples ofthe earth, and didst send thy blessed Son to preach tothose who are far off and to those who are near: Grantthat people everywhere may seek and find thee, bringthe nations to thy fold; pour out thy Spirit on all flesh;and hasten the coming of thy kingdom; through thesame thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” From the Book of Common Prayer
Father Steve Dundas (center of circle) leads a prayer with servicemen in Iraq.Seven months ago I set out on a journey to serve as Chaplain to the Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and others who serve as advisors to the Iraqi Army and security forces in Al Anbar Province. From my youth I had felt the call to be a Navy Chaplain and serve in harm’s way. I was the first Navy Chaplain to do this since Vietnam. Traveling the entirety of the province, my assistant and I logged close to 4500 miles on 30 air missions and about 35 convoys to over 30 bases where our teams served, both US and Iraqi.
We were blessed with wonderful ministry, the highlight being the celebration of Christmas Eve and Day at small Iraqi bases near the Syrian border. It’s hard to imagine from the States just how little life has changed for many in this part of the world since that first Christmas, meeting and having “Chi” (tea) with Bedouin families in their tents.
Watching them tend their flocks and seeing mangers tended by young Bedouin boys took me to a place 2000 years ago when the Holy Family celebrated Christmas with shepherds. The cold, barren desert and the simple, harsh life gave me a new appreciation of that first Christmas. When I read the Gospel passage of the birth of Jesus from Luke during services with the Marines, I found myself with tears in my eyes. No tinsel, no fancy trimmings, but the grace of God in the wilderness.
The Lord was good; wherever we traveled we spent time with wonderful Americans and some equally wonderful Iraqis. We had numerous encounters that only the Holy Spirit could have arranged. In the little Southwest Asia huts, airfields, and Iraqi military bases, we ministered to guys who in many cases had not had a chaplain stay with them during their tour. I really do think that the Lord used us to reach people who would never step into a church or chapel. Likewise, we were encouraged by the faith of many of these fine men, some of whom have calls to ministry or other Christian service.
Most of the advisors we served lived in primitive conditions -- nothing like the states or even the bigger bases here. Travel is difficult. It took two days of air travel and convoys to reach some of our teams. Out of the limelight, they build relationships that are impacting Iraqis and hopefully will bring about peace in this country.
I was privileged to meet some great Iraqi military officers -- professionals determined to see their country freed from the tyranny of extremists. One young officer, a Sunni Moslem, found me one night and told me how much he appreciated what I did as a chaplain and priest for our Marines and his country. Another Sh’ia Moslem officer told me that he wished that his Army had people like us to care for the soldiers. A General showed me his Arabic-English Bible which he said that he read because it had things that the Koran did not contain. Yet another General invited us to dinner at his home where we establish bonds of fellowship over some great food and the ever present “Chi.” I saw him last when we crossed paths at an airfield and he gave me a bear-hug in front of his security detachment and American Soldiers.
There were many other instances during the tour: Iraqi soldiers thanking me for blessing the vehicles of our mixed US-Iraqi convoys, meeting with the first class of female Iraqi police officers and seeing them with tears in their eyes when I thanked them for their service and the sacrifice of their families. I told them that I prayed for them daily, something that I told every Iraqi that I met.
All of this ministry with the troops, proclaiming the Gospel and building friendships with Iraqis is about the Gospel that God, who “through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” War destroys. The Iraqi people have suffered greatly during almost 30 years of war, dictatorship and terrorism. Through our love, care, prayer and practical deeds as Christians, as well as the sacrifices of our troops and the Iraqis themselves, maybe someday (as one Iraqi officer told me) we will all live in peace.
I pray for Iraq every day and will miss my Iraqi friends when I leave. I ask you to continue to pray for the troops, as well as the people of Iraq.
This WeekPray for everyone serving in Iraq. Also pray for the Iraqi people that they may know the Prince of Peace.
Prayer"Father, send your Holy Spirit to guide and care for those serving in Iraq. Empower those who believe in You to share your love and hope with the suffering people across the Middle East."
Fr. Steve Dundas is a US Navy Chaplain holding the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He is a priest in the Charismatic Episcopal Church and worked at Life Outreach International from 1990-1993 as a staff counselor. He has served in the military 26 years. He and his wife Judy live in Virginia Beach where he is Chaplain of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group Two at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek.

Valentines Birthday

Happy Valentines Day!
"A Diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age." - Robert Frost
I'm 35 today...at least according to my birth certificate...what do I care? It's just a number.

Voter's Guide link

Benjamin Franklin observed, "Make yourself sheep, and the wolves will eat you," and Thomas Jefferson wisely advised, "In matters of principle, stand like a rock!"
http://wallbuilders.com/downloads/newsletter/VotersGuide.pdf

The Secret Message of Valentine's Day by Kayla Smith

It’s that time of the year again: candy-colored hearts, pink-and-red greeting cards and naked babies shooting people with romance-inducing arrows (which is a little weird when you think about). It’s a time of bliss for the lovebird and contempt for the single, an excuse to dress up and act mushy with the one you love.

Like many of the modern holidays we observe, the true meaning and origins of Valentine’s Day are often forgotten in a commercialized frenzy of money and mass-produced teddy bears. But a little research shows that though February 14 may have little resemblance to the saint it remembers, the heart of the celebration is the same: the mystery surrounding St. Valentine is a love—of sorts.
For whatever the holiday may look like in our culture today, legends say it was created to memorialize the saint (or saints) called Valentine of long ago. Research shows at least three saints by that name were martyred on the day we celebrate love. While the details in the actual story of St. Valentine are largely a mystery, there is an underlying theme for every legend associated with the holiday—a theme that is centered around sacrificial love for one another.
Some believe that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men so that his crop of potential soldiers would multiply; all current engagements were also nullified. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied the emperor and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. Swooning yet?
When Valentine's actions were discovered, he was arrested and imprisoned by the emperor. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s blind daughter, whose vision he restored by a saintly miracle. The emperor found out about the healing and ordered that Valentine be beheaded. On the eve of his execution, he wrote a farewell note to the jailer’s daughter, dripping with love and words of affection, signing it “from your Valentine.”
Nowadays, the commercialization of the holiday may have distorted our understanding of the passion of this event by incorporating cards with SpongeBob SquarePants on them signed, “from your Valentine.” However, the original story is as achingly romantic as they come. It is further believed that the “from your Valentine” tradition carried on after the saint’s execution through an annual Roman festival where young men gave handwritten letters of affection to the young women they wished to court. The festival was held on February 14, and determined the romantic fate for young people in the coming year. Fortunately, present-day Valentine cards that kids pass out during class do not determine their romantic destinies, so the switch to candy was probably a smart move in this case—unless arranged marriage is what you have in mind for your children one day.
Another legend holds that Valentine was a martyr for the Church in Rome. According to some theories, he was executed after trying to help several prisoners escape harsh conditions where they were often beaten or tortured. This type of brotherly or Christ-like love is not often associated with Valentine’s Day, but the premise of the holiday clearly lies in the idea of a sacrificial love—to whomever that may be. Even Russell Stover can’t top that.
Another view on this mysterious Valentine character asserts that he was an outspoken priest and volunteer physician who healed the sick. He allegedly combined his professions to work all day healing people and then praying all night for their recovery. When Valentine grew old and became bedridden, he continued his ministry by sending letters to those he couldn’t visit in person. Like the other Valentines, he was imprisoned and sentenced to execution. His offense? Refusing to denounce Christianity in a time when Protestantism was under fire by the Roman government. While incarcerated he received notes, candy and flowers from young children whom he had healed. Even though incarceration followed by execution seems to be the dominant theme for the lives of Valentine, this may explain why today we send chocolate, roses and love notes to our special someone.
So what can we say Valentine’s Day really encompasses? In all cases, it is the effort to protect the sanctity of love—the holiday has become synonymous with all things tender. The idea of celebrating love on the date of a saint’s execution may seem strange, but it is as much a celebration of the life of Valentine and those he helped as it is a memorial of his death. Valentine’s Day is as closely tied to the love of a romantic interest or a friend in need as it is to a passion for God and serving a greater purpose.
Whether you’ll be gallivanting around with your significant other or cursing all things cute, take some time to remember the real meaning of Valentine’s Day: sacrifice and true love. In a society that continues to grow more and more independent and out of touch with those around them, the concept of sacrifice and genuine love should be fought for.
Author: Kayla Smith Kayla Smith is an Editorial Intern at RELEVANT Magazine.

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." - C.S. Lewis