National Prayer Day

May 1, 2008
National Day of Prayer

Have you heard this on the news? Have you heard it at work? Have you read it in the newspaper? I think not! Folks, let me tell you I have heard more hoopla over Sweetest Day, Grandparents Day, and St. Patrick's Day. What gets me is only a portion of this great county we live in can celebrate these days. Never heard of Americans from Italy celebrating St. Patrick's Day with the same zeal as my Irish friends...have you? Mom and Dad don't celebrate Grandparents Day 'cause they have their own days to celebrate. What I am getting at is what has got to be one of the most important days of the year and nobody seems to be celebrating it, or at least a very few. This is not just Catholic Day, Jewish Day or even Muslim Day or Baptist Day. We in America what ever faith we are can certainly celebrate National Day of Prayer.

Why aren't the TVstations announcing it or the newspapers printing it. Hey America! National Day of Prayer!! One day every free American can celebrate. C'mon folks for once in your life do something a little different perhaps, say a prayer. I know my G-d won't mind receiving an extra one or two and I am sure the Jewish G-d, and the G-Ds of the other faiths will have some time to listen also.

Some may say this is blasphemy because there is only one G-d, but I think you get my point. Take a moment, ask a friend or relative or for goodness sakes someone you don't even know. Give thanks for living in the GREATEST county on Earth, The United States of America. And, while you're at it you might just remember the 140,000 young men and women in the military currently fighting to keep us free and safe, giving us the chance, without fear of reprisal, to pray any doggone place we want. Better yet, call your local TV and radio station and ask them where the coverage on National Day of Prayer is. I think I will. So in keeping with my thought of National Day of Prayer I, ABNPOPPA, am going to pray now for all of you and the soldiers, and the leaders of all the countries, and people of all faiths for a better tomorrow......Will you say a prayer for someone now, here's your chance.........

G-d Bless,

ABNPOPPA

Children of ABNPOPPA & ABNMOMMA

This blog was not meant to be a running diary of my life and family however, it was strongly pointed out to me by a good friend we had more children. My friend pointed out my other children may feel left out since they had not been mentioned as my posts have been of my son, Jacob, who is with the 2-319th AFAR, 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION. I tried to explain to my friend our other children received the same attention when they excelled only not over the world wide web.

This I find quite hard,but easy to do as our other two children are safe and secure in the US of A and not in the military. So now if you do simple math you know we have 3 children. They are two young men and one lovely daughter, all adults with families of their own. I wrote a story once and described them in this manner.

I was married to a beautiful, younger woman who graciously allowed me to help her raise 3 wonderful children; they are, Aaron, the elder, a carpenter by trade and a builder of ,strong sound buildings and homes. He took time to build ABNMOMMA and me a beautiful home. One we had been wanting for the first 20 years of our marriage. As I say to people who visit it, Aaron was the ramrod, I just wrote the checks. I am always careful to point out his signature door arch that he has put into every home he has built. He is quite the perfectionist and creative in his work. He has given me the next line in my family generation and an athlete. His son, Ryan, the spitfire is a soccer player extraordinaire, in poppa’s eyes or course. And his daughter is always willing to talk with poppa on the phone, and sometime never stop.

Our daughter, Sarah, is by degree a teacher, or rabbi in Hebrew. She worked her way though college and earned two degrees. One in what my un-political correctness terms as Special Education. Because of her I have grandchildren who can “sign” at 5 years old and have vocabularies better than old ABNPOPPA. She is the first child in my family to go to college and earn a four year degree. The whole family is exceptionally proud of her and what she has accomplished. Although educated she and her husband decided that raising a family in a Christian home was more important therefore, she is a stay at home mom. Her husband is a farmer, provider, father and good Christian man who believes in being a helpmate as was intended by G-d. I am extremely proud to call him my son-in-law and never worry about my daughter or the grandchildren.

Of course, if you have read my Blog you know of Jacob, the warrior, who has taken up the sword to protect the clan and homeland. Jacob could have been Joshua save the fact his great grandfather was named Jacob.

As you might have noticed our children's name all are Biblical which was somewhat intended. I wonder though about their occupations. A carpenter, a rabbi, and a warrior, do you believe G-d works in strange ways? Hmmm?

Where have all the Great American ICONS Gone?

ICON: An important and enduring symbol: One who is the object of great attention and devotion;*

There is going to be a lot of buzz over the next couple of weeks with the passing of Charlton Heston. Charlton Heston like John Wayne, Audey Murphy, Presidents Truman, Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Reagan, General Douglas MacArthur and General George Patton was a true American ICON. You see you don’t have to be a man of war or a president to be an ICON. You can also be a man of peace. Another one just came to mind, actually two, the Reverend Billy Graham and Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. An ICON can be a woman like Shirley Chisholm Black or Betsey Ross, or Clara Barton, Rosa Parks, or Grandma Moses.

These men and women were leaders in their respective fields. Some were heroes, some were movie stars, some made statements of sorts that changed the way this county grew and became a world leader. They all believed in America and the American Way of Life. They believed fiercely in their cause. They believed with hard work and a strong will they would and could help make this county better for all people. All were looked up to and respected for their Honesty, Character, Integrity and belief in this county. A belief that they had been born in the greatest county in the world. A country where everyone had a chance to excel and be the best at what ever they choose. The choice was theirs. A country God had smiled on and had given opportunity that is only found in the United States of America.

As I look around with the passing of Charlton Heston I ask myself, who will take his place? Who are the ICONS of America now? Do I look to Hollywood with their self-centered egotistical actors? Do I look to Washington DC for those who think they are elite and powerful? Who will take up the torch? Who will my grandchildren remember like I did of the Bishop Sheen’s, John Wayne’s and Charlton Heston's? I look over the county side and see no one. I ask myself, is it I who have set the bar too high that no one can measure up? Have my hero ICONS set the standard so unattainable that no American can now measure up? Who and where will the next Great American ICON be, where will he or she come from?

Silently I wait.

* The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.