Good-bye Mr. President

Wow! I just discovered this new song by Steven Curtis Chapman, and what an amazing tribute to former President Bush! As you probably well know, I am a big fan of SCC, and he has been an incredible testimony of the Lord living through him during such tough times in the loss of his daughter Maria. He lives out what he sings, and this song is no different.

Although I did not agree with every policy George W. Bush made I thought he was a great president, and I appreciated his desire to seek the Lord. He stood firm behind his convictions and didn't allow the world to sway him of what he knew was right. He received a lot of undue criticism, but he didn't back down. No one is perfect, and no president is either, but I thank the former president for serving and leading our country.

Here is a quote that was found on Steven Curtis Chapman's website back in November:

"Whether you voted for him & love him, or you’ve disagreed with all his policies and dislike him… Could we all agree on this? We owe President Bush a sincere thank you. As the historic Inauguration of President Elect Barack Obama approaches, StevenCurtisChapman.com pauses to thank our outgoing President for his service to our great country. This Thanksgiving weekend, we hope you’ll enjoy a new song by Steven written in President Bush’s honor."

Scroll down to turn off the music then watch the following slideshow featuring "Good-bye Mr. President".



The lyrics are as follows:

Good-bye Mr. President,
I guess the time has come for you to,
Pack up all your things and turn the page,
So I was thinking as you left,
I’d try to write a song to tell you,
What so many of us want to say.

For all those sleepless nights,
I am sure you must have had,
For all the prayers I’m sure you prayed,
For how you tried to lead us when the way was so unclear,
I am sure it wasn’t always evident,
But thank you Mr. President!

Good-bye Mr. President,
You will not be forgotten,
All the courage and the hope you helped us find,
I can’t imagine how it felt,
To stand where you were standing,
And to try to make the calls you thought were right.

So for those sleepless nights,
I am sure you must have had,
That put those lines around your eyes,
For how you carried the weight,
Even when the lights went out,
I am sure you’ll never know how much it meant,
I thank you Mr. President.

So for those days ahead,
When they write about the past,
And everybody has their say,
From all of us who know,
You gave us everything you could,
We hope you will remember this,
Thank you Mr. President!
Good-bye Mr. President.

- by Steven Curtis Chapman

An Historical Day

I've been reflecting today over the uniqueness of today as Barack Obama became the President of the United States of America the day after we recognized the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. Although we still have a long way to go, we have come a long way to elect a man to lead our country who is an African-American. Who would have imagined that our country would be ready for this so soon? But, we have.

Although I disagree with much of Obama's ideas and am praying for him and hoping he will govern more from the middle than the far-left, I am proud of our country for tearing down walls and seeking to fight against racism. Today was a day to not focus on Democrat vs. Republican nor liberal vs. conservative, but to come together as a country and unite as Americans for such an historical day.

Because I was out all morning I missed the Inauguration. I didn't think to record it ahead of time, so I hope I can find recordings of the event because today marks a very historic moment for our country. I was sad to see former President and Mrs. George W. Bush leave the White House, board the plane, and take off, but it is also time for a new era. God is in control, and He has raised up Obama for such a time as this. I didn't agree with all of Bush's policies, but I admire him for his faithfulness to do what was right, particularly on moral issues among others. I was pleased to see such warmth between the former and new presidents and their wives as they hugged and said their good-byes. It was a proud moment for me as an American to see two of our nation's leaders who disagree on issues to put their politics aside and leave us with such a scene.

I will continue to pray for Obama. He has a great task ahead over the next four years. It has been amazing to me to see the enthusiasm he has inspired, and I hope that he will not only reach out to all peoples, but that he will seek to do what is right first and foremost.

This past week was Sanctity of Human Life Week. What an awesome time to remember the unborn and to call on people to pray that Obama will recognize these children as human life and to fight for them. He has promised to sign the Freedom of Choice Act which would eliminate restrictions on abortions all over the country. I pray he has a change of heart and will not sign this bill that would make abortions even easier to be made. Each child is made special and unique by our Creator and is life.

Candace shared this video on her blog, and I thought it was so appropriate at this time. Be sure to scroll down and turn off the music before you watch the video.

40 Days to Pray the Vote

I discovered from Candace's blog about 40 Days to Pray the Vote. No matter where you stand in the political process it is important that we pray for the election and for the man whom God will raise up to be our next American leader and president. Through this website you can receive an email each day with something specific for which to pray for the election. It is not about Democrats or Republicans, Independents or Libertarians, or any other party. It is about falling on our knees before the Almighty God and surrendering our nation and the results over to Him. Please join me in this prayer opportunity.