February 22, 2021

Today we are going to honor the Father of our Country, the Commander in Chief of our revolutionary war armies, and the first president of the ‘United States’. He was born in 1732, and would be 289 years old today. I did a little research and found 11 Little Known Facts about President George Washington.

1. Washington had only a grade school education. When his father died (GW was 11), his mother taught him to run the farm and he later worked as a surveyor.
2. At age 22, Washington led a disastrous military skirmish that sparked a world war (At Jumonville, right down the road from here!) He was even called an assassin.
3. Washington’s first love was the wife of one of his best friends. Sally Fairfax took him under her wing and smoothed the rough edges and taught him how to act in society, deal with the wealthy and powerful, and even dance the minuet.
4. He did not have wooden teeth. He ruined his teeth cracking walnuts, and new ones were made from pulling the teeth of the poor people or enslaved workers.
5. He wasn’t always a great general but was an excellent spymaster. The CIA admitted that General Washington was more deeply involved in intelligence operations than any American general-in-chief until Dwight Eisenhower during World War II.
6. When he stepped down as commander-in-chief he did not want to run the country. He longed to be at Mt. Vernon with his family, his animals, and his crops.
7. He had no biological children but was a father figure to many. His wife Martha had two children, Jacky and Patsy, whom he adored.
8. He was really into his animals – he was a mule breeder, and loved birds and dogs, especially hunting dogs with names like Sweet Lips and Madame Moose.
9. He was pretty cagy about his religious beliefs. Never really made strong statements about his faith.
10. Had a complicated relationship with slavery. He supported abolition but owned slaves. He freed them upon his death with instructions that they remain with Martha until her death.
11. He was tough to kill. He had 8 major diseases, almost drowned in a ice-clogged river, survived the massacre at Ft. Necessity, had two horses shot out from under him, and had 4 bullets pierce his clothing. It was a cold turned to epiglottitis that finally got him – but he had made them promise to wait three days to bury him – just in case!

I will share Bram’s message from First Baptist- What do we do now? Jesus told his disciples that he was leaving and they couldn’t come with him. He emphasized what was important to him in his ministry, and they were to carry on the spirit of Jesus’ work. Each one is a part of the body of Christ. The main thing he stressed: LOVE ONE ANOTHER! He left them a new covenant. 1) Love as Jesus loved. 2) loving is evangelistic (share it with others). Preach the gospel at all times, and use words when necessary. 3) “I and the Father are one”. We should be one with one another. We have something important to do to carry on the work of Jesus.

On this day in 1935 ‘The Little Colonel’ with Shirley Temple premiered, with the famous staircase dance. In 1997 Dolly the Sheep: first cloned mammal was announced. Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter) was born in 1962 (Died in 2006), and Drew Barrymore in 1975. Andy Warhol died in 1987 at age 58.

TOMORROW February 23 is:

• National Banana Bread Day
• National Dog Biscuit Day
• National Tile Day
• World Spay Day 

I would rather have banana bread than a dog biscuit. Tonight, however, I believe I’ll have a salad. God bless!