Saturday, June 30, 2018

America's Story (part 22): Our Lives, Our Fortunes, and Our Sacred Honor

Independence Day/everystockphoto.com

Did George Washington sign the Declaration of Independence?

Short answer. No.

Actually, he was very busy at the time. As Commander of the the Continental Army, General Washington was defending New York City in July 1776. But on July 9, 1776, as directed by John Hancock,  Washington read The Declaration of Independence to the Army.

[reference: Did any of our "Founding Fathers" NOT sign the Declaration of Independence? ]

Here is the reenactment:

Note the last line:

“And for the support of this Declaration, 
with a firm reliance on the protection
of Divine Providence, 
we mutually pledge to each other 
our Lives, 
our Fortunes, 
and our sacred Honor.”


So what happened to the 56 signers and their families?

The late Paul Harvey tells us the rest of the story:


The signers were prosperous men, with everything to lose. But they considered liberty much more important than security. So they pledged--

Their lives,
their fortunes,
and their sacred honor

Today, may we remember what they were fighting for


We hold these truths to be self-evident: 
that all men are created equal; 
that they are endowed by their Creator 
with certain unalienable rights; 
that among these are 
life,
liberty, 
and 
the pursuit of happiness. 


-- Thomas Jefferson, 1776


Have a Blessed Independence Day!


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Other posts in this series:



America's Story (part 19) - Trinity and "The Long Peace"  (2015)

America's Story (part 20) - Patton's Weather Prayer (2015)

America's Story (part 21) - Is America Great?  (2017)


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Saturday, June 16, 2018

Science 101 (part 7) - Sun Henge

Summer Solstice Sunrise over Stonehenge 2005/wikipedia.com


The Summer Solstice 

As of this posting, it's coming up June 21, 2018.

When the day will get as long as it will get this year. At least in the northern hemisphere.

The Science?

It's explained in this video:



An intriguing spot to observe the solstice is in England.

Stonehenge

Many gather there for various reasons to observe and experience the turning point of the seasons. For the Solstice can not only be reduced to a scientific fact. But also one of myth and lore and wonder.

The video below relives the longest day of the year at Stonehenge with sunset on 20 June and sunrise on 21 June, 2017.




For many, the Solstice is a mystical, spiritual, even religious experience. 

And in that vein of thought, let's go back to the revelation of the origin of the seasons:

In the Beginning...


As in Genesis 1:

And God said, 
Let there be lights
 in the firmament of the heaven 
to divide 
the day from the night; 
and let them be 
for signs, 
and for seasons
and for days, 
and years:

And let them be for lights 
in the firmament of the heaven 
to give light upon the earth: 
and it was so.

And God made two great lights; 
the greater light to rule the day, 
and the lesser light to rule the night: 
He made the stars also.

And God set them 
in the firmament of the heaven 
to give light upon the earth,

And to rule over the day 
and over the night, 
and to divide the light 
from the darkness: 
and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:14-18 (KJV)

And for a Summer Solstice that is really out of this world, check out the view from the International Space Station:




And God saw 
every thing
 that He had made, 
and, behold,
 it was very good. 
...

Genesis 1:31 (KVJ)


So marks the changing of the seasons.

Have a blessed summer!

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