-----Original Message-----
From: Richoux, Fred 
Sent:  Tuesday, October 16, 2001 8:49 AM
To: Beane, Jan; Gardner, Tom; Heard,  Anne; Ramirez, Guale; Rochelle, Betty; Wagner, Bob
Subject: FW:  President Bush and Prayer
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Ridley, Joe  [mailto:JRidley@carterbloodcare.org]
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2001  7:29 AM
To: Newlin, Lauri; Parsley, Amy; Grivich, Terrie; 'Fred  Richoux'; 'Garrett Whitney'; 'I.E.'; 'Robert Whitfield --  home'
Subject: FW: President Bush and Prayer
> > "First of all, then, I urge that supplications,
> >  prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for
> > all men, for  kings and all who are in high
> > positions..." 1 Tim. 2:1
>  >
> >
> >
> > President Bush our leader
>  >
> > This was the same man who came within a hair's breadth of  losing an
> > election in November, who withstood the political  chicanery of the
> > Florida Democratic machine to fix the vote  count.
> >
> > This was the same man who admitted to having a  drinking problem in
> > younger years, and whose happy-go-lucky  lifestyle led him to
mediocre
> > grades in college and an ill-fated  oil venture.
> >
> > This was the same man who mangled syntax  even more than his father,
> > and whose speaking missteps became known  as "Bushisms."
> >
> > And on Friday, this was the man who  bore the weight of the world and
> > the responsibilities of a  generation with dignity, class,
confidence,
> > appropriate  solemnity, and even much-needed wit.
> >
> > One thing struck  me during the campaign, that difficult,
> > roller-coaster campaign  that now seems years ago. It was that George
> > W. Bush never seemed  to get ruffled. Whether the theft of a campaign
> > debate video or the  sudden (some would say, vicious) release of a
DUI
> > arrest two  decades ago at a key moment, "W" did not lose his cool.
At
> >  times, his staff seemed overconfident, as did many of us. A
> >  350-electoral-vote win, they quietly implied . . . and we
> >  optimistically believed. Then they counted the votes, miscounted
> >  others, and re-counted still others. At the end, he was still there.
>  > Whereas Al Gore almost frantically huffed and puffed, trying to gin
>  > up something out of nothing, Bush quietly but confidently waited at
>  > his ranch. He didn't do nothing: that is the mistake people have
>  > constantly made with this man, confusing lack of
> > bluster for  absence of action.
> >
> > No, his team of attorneys and the  iron-willed James Baker were
> > carrying out his orders, but W stayed  in the background, confident
> > and faithful. You see, it is this  faith business that confounded
> > everyone. We have had such actors  and liars in public office that we
> > have looked skeptically whenever  anyone used the term faith. But
this
> > was the same man who was  the first politician ever in recent memory
> > to name Jesus Christ as  the lord of his life on public TV. Not an
> > oblique reference to  being "born-again" or having a "life change."
He
> > said the  un-PC-like phrase, "Jesus Christ," to which his handlers
and
> >  advisors, no doubt, off stage, were also saying, "Jesus Christ" in a
>  > much different tone.
> >
> > God has a way of honoring  those who honor Him. David learned that
> > while he was on the run  from Saul's armies. Job learned that after
> > his time of horrible  tribulation. The Messiah said so Himself, many
> > times.
>  >
> > So this was the man who actually put faith into practice.  He
actually
> > loves those who hate him. It is a staggering  concept, so foreign in
> > daily occurrence that few thought it  anything but grandstanding.
Even
> > one of W's biggest supporters  chided the President for adhering to
> > his "new tone." Yet there he  was, again and again, thanking the
> > Democrats. Appointing his  enemies to high places in his government.
> > Inviting his former foes  and their wives to private movie
> > screenings, and (I know, this is  hard to stomach) even treating them
> > with dignity. See, this was the  man who learned early on how faith
> > worked: by praying for his  enemies, you "heap burning coals upon
their
> > heads."
>  >
> > This was the man who named the absolute top people in  national
> > security and defense, then caught barbs from the  politically
> > righteous that this one didn't have the right views on  abortion or
> > that one didn't have the right position on  guns.
> >
> > And on September 11, at mid-morning, this was  the man thrust into a
> > position only known by Roosevelt, Churchill,  Lincoln, and
Washington.
> > The weight of the world was on his  shoulders, and the responsibility
> > of a generation was on his soul.  So this same man---the one that the
> > media repeatedly attempted to  tarnish with charges of
"illegitimacy,"
> > and the one whose  political opponents desperately sought to
stonewall
> > until  mid-term elections---walked to his seat at the front of the
> >  National Cathedral just three days after the two most impressive
> >  symbols of American capitalism and prosperity virtually evaporated,
> >  along with, perhaps, thousands of Americans.
> >
> > As he sat  down next to his wife, immediately I knew that even if his
> > faith  ever faltered, hers didn't. I have never seen a more peaceful
> > face  than Laura Bush, whose eyes seemed as though they were already
> >  gazing at the final outcome . . . not just of this conflict, but of
> >  her reward in Heaven itself. In this marriage, you indeed got two
for
>  > the price of one.
> >
> > Then came the defining moment  of our generation. Some people fondly
> > recall their Woodstock days.  Others mark with grim sadness November
> > 22, 1963, as the day America  lost her innocence. But I firmly
believe
> > when the history of  this time is written, it will be acknowledged by
> > friend and foe  alike that President George W. Bush came of age in
> > that cathedral  and lifted a nation off its knees. It wasn't so much
> > his words,  though read a decade later, they will indeed be as
> > stirring as any.  This conflict would end, he noted, ". . . at a time
> > of our  choosing." It certainly wasn't his emotion. What had to have
> > been  one of the most stunning exhibitions of self-control in
> >  presidential history, W was able to deliver his remarks without
> >  losing either his resolve or his focus, or, more important, his
> >  confidence. It was as if God's hand, which had guided him through
> >  that sliver-thin election, now rested fully on him.
> >
> >  His quiet confidence let our enemies know . . . and believe me, they
>  > know. . . that they made a grave miscalculation. Now, this same man
>  > who practiced his faith through a tough election, who steeled his
>  > convictions even more in a drawn-out Florida battle, and who never
>  > once gave in to the temptation to get in the gutter with his foes
>  > (well, ok, maybe the "Clymer" comment is an exception), this  same
man
> > now lifted the weight of the world and the  responsibility of a
> > generation and put it on his modest shoulders  as though it were
> > another unpleasant duty.
> >
>  > As he walked back to his seat, the camera angle was appropriate. He
>  > was virtually alone in the scene, alone in that massive place of
>  > God, just him and the Lord. But that's the way it's always been in
>  > his life recently. In that brief time it took him to return to his
>  > seat, I believe he heard words to the effect of, "You can do this,
>  > George. I am with you always. And you can do this well, because I  am
> > going before you. And don't worry about the weight. I've got  it."
And
> > I saw in his eyes a quiet acknowledgment. "I know.  Thank you, Lord."
> >
> > Back at his seat, when W sat down,  George H. W. Bush reached over
and
> > took his son's hand. The  elder Bush always struck me as a religious
> > man, but not someone who  shared his life on a daily basis with the
> > Lord. George H. W. treats  the Father like a respected uncle,
visiting
> > Him on appropriate  holidays and knowing the relationship is real,
but
> > not  constant.
> >
> > Anyway, I believe that in that fatherly  squeeze George H. W. said,
"I
> > wish I could do this for you, son,  but I can't. You have to do this
on
> > your own."
>  >
> > W squeezed back and gave him that look of peace that Laura had  kept
> > throughout. It said, "I don't have to do it alone, dad. I've  got
help."
> >
> > What a blessing to have a professing  Christian as President - one
who
> > is not ashamed to admit it!  Please take a moment after you read this
> > to pray for him - he truly  does have the weight of the world on his
> > shoulders. Pray that God  will sustain him and give him wisdom and
> > discernment in his  decisions. Make no mistake about it - the
> > decisions he makes in the  coming days, weeks and months will
> > literally define the future of  our country and the free world. Pray
> > for his protection and that of  his family.
> >
> > After you have prayed, send this to  everyone on your E-mail list.
Our
> > President needs Christians  around the world to be praying for him.
As
> > this makes the E-mail  rounds, eventually there could literally be
> > people praying for him  24/7!! He needs it.
> >
> ----------
> 
>