Hostess Valerie McGinnis; Photo by by Nancy Thomas.
Sherry Zeise
Red, white and blue adorned the home, decorations and attire of ladies eagerly entering Valerie McGinnis’s home in the new section of the Woods. That’s because our Lunch Bunch from New Life Church celebrates our country’s history and its patriots, expressing our love for America.
After a wonderful potluck lunch, Jois Ross, our director and Peggy Zilinsky, wonderful assistant, shared a program of special stories about the founders of America and their dedication in establishing a nation and a government that would keep its citizens free from tyranny. Other stories shared the inspiration for our beloved patriotic songs and then Judy Fairchild played and Sherry Zeise led us in singing them. Sherry also sang Irving Berlin’s God Bless America and If My People.
We were encouraged to pray for our country and to make every effort to vote and promote the values and laws that keep America on the path God intended.
At the close of the program, Jois called Erna Seale, a survivor of World War II in Germany. She shared the struggles her village faced during the war and their overwhelming joy when the Americans got there to save them from the Russians. In tears she pled with us not to allow America to become a socialist nation. “You have not lived under socialism or communism,” she cried.
Dianne Edmondson, County Commissioner, closed in prayer, reading the prayer from Ronnie Floyd, President of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, Senior Pastor of Cross Church, excerpts of that prayer below:
“Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, we look to You alone for the future of America. By Your providence, You have placed each of us here at this time in history to be in this nation. Thank You for this blessing. Thank You for America.
Forgive us, O Lord, for the sins we have committed against You in America. We are failing You by dishonoring one another through our harsh and bitter words about each other…by devaluing human life from conception until death…with the division in our nation.
Lord, we turn from these sinful actions and refuse to live this way. Please forgive us now and help us to choose love over hate, unity over division and life over death.
We pray for:
1) The church to love one another. Ignite a revival of love for one another.
2) Every family, every workplace, every community and every city in America to choose love.
3) For Your love to surround America. We pray for Your love to surround and protect us in every public setting and private place. Protect us from harm…we are choosing love and forgiveness, love and restitution, love and healing, love and unity and a future that will be transformed by unconditional love.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.”
As the program closed, each of us proudly proclaimed, “This is MY country!”