DAY 21 - DAILY PRAYER (UNCONDITIONAL LOVE) - JUNE 14, 2012

June 14


Father in Heaven,


Thank You for loving us unconditionally, and relentlessly...for sometimes we are not worthy of Your great love.  For the times that we are unable to love, You have still pursued us in Your great love.  As a people, we have sinned against You, run away from You, forgotten about You, and even sought out other Gods to love us.  Yet through it all, You still love us!


Father, help us to live up to Your standard of Godly love.  Indwell  within us with the heart of Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Strengthen us against the daily tests of our patience, and the ill effects that it has on our mortal hearts.  Cause us to rejoice in the simple acts of compassion that we so often overlook from others, and allow us to impart true compassion to all mankind (our families, friends, co-workers, and strangers).  Soften our hardened hearts, and allow us to love unconditionally as You love us.  Help us to forgive others their debts, as You have been gracious in forgiving us ours.  And Father most of all, help us to live in the fullness of Your Word; that we might be like YOU.  For You have told us in Your Holy Word that You are LOVE!


Wally Ziolo
40DAYPRAYER4USA
Christian - Servant of Christ
Lancaster, Ohio

DAY 21 - DAILY HISTORY - AMERICAN MINUTE FOR JUNE 14, 2012

June 14



Thirteen Stars and Thirteen Stripes. 


It was on JUNE 14, 1777, that the Second Continental Congress selected the Flag of the United States. 


In 1916, Woodrow Wilson signed the Proclamation making JUNE 14 "National Flag Day." 


On Flag Day, 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt stated: 


"The belief in man, created free, in the image of God-is the crucial difference between ourselves and the enemies we face...


God of the free...grant us victory over the tyrants who would enslave all free men." 


On JUNE 14, 1954, Dwight Eisenhower signed Joint Resolution (Public Law 396) adding the phrase "One Nation Under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. 


Eisenhower stated: 


"From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural school house, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty. 


To anyone who truly loves America, nothing could be more inspiring than...this rededication of our youth, on each school morning, to our country's true meaning." 


President Eisenhower ended: 


"In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource, in peace or in war."

Eisenhower, Dwight David. June 14, 1954, on signing the Act of Congress, (bill introduced by Representative Louis Rabout of Michigan - May 6, 1954) which added the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. James Beasley Simpson, Best Quotes of '54, '55, '56 (NY: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1957), p. 73. Supreme Court Dismisses Pledge Case on Technicality, Mon. Jun 14, 2004, WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed on Monday a constitutional challenge to the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance recited by schoolchildren, without deciding the key church-state issue. The justices ruled that California atheist Michael Newdow lacked the legal right to bring the challenge in the first place. "We conclude that Newdow lacks standing," Justice John Paul Stevens declared in the opinion. The ruling came down on the 50th anniversary of the addition of the words "under God" to the pledge. Congress adopted the June 14, 1954, law in an effort to distinguish America's religious values and heritage from those of communism, which is atheistic. June 14, 2004 A Unanimous Supreme Court Vacates Ninth Circuit Court Of Appeals Decision Striking Down "Under God" In The Pledge Of Allegiance WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the United States Supreme Court held, in a unanimous decision, that Michael Newdow, an atheist from California who had challenged the constitutionality of the words "Under God" in the pledge of allegiance, did not have standing to bring his case. The legal effect of the Supreme Court's ruling is to vacate the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision that struck the words "Under God" from the pledge. Liberty Counsel, a nationwide civil liberties legal defense and education organization headquartered in Orlando, Florida, filed an Amicus Brief at the United States Supreme Court in the case. The Supreme Court decision held that Michael Newdow lacked standing to bring his case because he did not have the legal authority to speak on behalf of his daughter. Mr. Newdow is currently involved in a custody battle with his ex-wife. Justices Rehnquist, Thomas and O'Connor issued a concurring opinion agreeing that Mr. Newdow lacked standing, but also arguing that the phrase "Under God" in the pledge is constitutional. The legal effect of the Supreme Court's ruling is to vacate the Ninth Circuit's earlier decision holding the pledge to be unconstitutional. After today's ruling, it is as if Mr. Newdow had never brought his case in the courts. Prior to today's ruling by the Supreme Court, schoolchildren in states covered by the Ninth Circuit (Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington) were barred from saying the pledge of allegiance with the inclusion of the phrase "Under God." Now, there is no prohibition against saying the entire pledge in those states. Mathew Staver, President and General Counsel of Liberty Counsel, stated, "We are pleased that the effect of the Supreme Court's decision is to uphold the constitutionality of the pledge of allegiance. Schoolchildren in states covered by the Ninth Circuit can now say the entire pledge of allegiance without fear of censorship." Staver continued, "Justices Rehnquist, Thomas and O'Connor are correct that the pledge of allegiance is constitutional. Our history is not complete without God. If "under God" were removed, many history books and founding documents will be in jeopardy, not the least of which is the Declaration of Independence." ### The United States Supreme Court's Opinion will be posted on its web site later today. Read the brief filed by Liberty Counsel before the Supreme Court. Liberty Counsel, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, is a national public interest law firm dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family. On the campus of Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty Counsel's Center for Constitutional Litigation and Policy trains attorneys, law students, policymakers, legislators, clergy and world leaders in constitutional principles and government policies. Mathew D. Staver, Esq., Liberty Counsel, PO Box 540774, Orlando, FL 32854, 800-671-1776 http://www.lc.org/donations.html

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