ALEXANDRIA, Pa. - The Rev. George M. Docherty, credited with helping to push Congress to insert the phrase "under God" into the Pledge of Allegiance, has died at 97.

Docherty died on Thanksgiving at his home in central Pennsylvania, according to his wife, Sue Docherty.

She said her husband of 36 years had been in failing health for about three years.

"George said he was going to live to be a hundred and he was determined," she said in a telephone interview Saturday. "It's amazing that he was with us this long."

Docherty, then pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, just blocks from the White House, gave a sermon in 1952 saying the pledge should acknowledge God.

He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and was unfamiliar with the pledge until he heard it recited by his 7-year-old son, Garth.

"I didn't know that the Pledge of Allegiance was, and he recited it, 'one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,'" he recalled in an interview with The Associated Press in 2004. "I came from Scotland, where we said 'God save our gracious queen,' 'God save our gracious king.' Here was the Pledge of Allegiance, and God wasn't in it at all."

There was little effect from that initial sermon, but he delivered it again on Feb. 7, 1954, after learning that President Dwight Eisenhower would be at the church.

The next day, Rep. Charles G. Oakman, R-Mich., introduced a bill to add the phrase "under God" to the pledge, and a companion bill was introduced in the Senate. Eisenhower signed the law on Flag Day that year.

As some of you know my lovely little grand daughter, Velvet Rose, age 11, lives with me. She has been here since around the first of the school year. Velvet suffers with Bi-Polar Disorder, ADHD and ODD. In early Sept. she was hospitalized for being suicidal. When she was released she came home with me instead of her parents. She has made great progress here with her grandpa and I. But on Tuesday she had to admitted to the hospital again.

She has been having bouts of very manic behaviour followed by severe depression. This is a way of life for those having Bi-Polar disorders.  She is a precious little girl who loves Jesus and her family very much. Please help us pray for her to be healed. I know God wants her to have a more stable life.  She needs peace of mind only He can give her.

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Let Israel now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
I called on the LORD in distress;
The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.
The LORD is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The LORD is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.
It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in man.
It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in princes.
All nations surrounded me,
But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
They surrounded me,
Yes, they surrounded me;
But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
They surrounded me like bees;
They were quenched like a fire of thorns;
For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
You pushed me violently, that I might fall,
But the LORD helped me.
The LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.
The voice of rejoicing and salvation
Is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
I shall not die, but live,
And declare the works of the LORD.
The LORD has chastened me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will go through them,
And I will praise the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD,
Through which the righteous shall enter.
I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation.

The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Save now, I pray, O LORD;
O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
God is the LORD,
And He has given us light;
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will praise You;
You are my God, I will exalt You.
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Recipe Hit List: 12 Homemade Bread Recipes

Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

Ingredients

• 3 cups cauliflower, diced small
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cups half and half
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Directions

Blanch cauliflower in boiling salted water and refresh under cold water. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in large saucepan, add onions and saute until tender and translucent. Add garlic and saute' 30 seconds. Add flour and cook and stir 2 minutes. Whisking hard, add half and half and chicken broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir in cheese. Add the seasonings and mustard. Lower heat to be sure soup does not boil again or it may curdle. Add cauliflower and heat through. Garnish with bits of red pepper and lots of minced parsley. Makes 2 quarts.

Parents' Responsibilities

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your strength.

And these words which I command you today shall be in your
heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when
you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

__________________

We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

Psalm 78:4-7 NIV

__________________

Train up a child in the way he should go,
even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 NASB

__________________

And now a word to you fathers. Don't make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4 NLT

__________________

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:14,15 NIV

The apostle Peter knew that hard days lay ahead for his fellow believers. So he reminded them about their security as children of God: they were chosen by Him, born into a living hope, given spiritual protection during this life, and guaranteed eternity in heaven with their Father. Peter then gave them specific ways to prepare for the coming trials. His words, divinely inspired by the Lord, can guide us as well.

His first instruction relates to our minds: What we believe has a direct impact on our response to life's problems. If we trust that God is looking out for us, then we will feel less threatened by hard circumstances. But if we decide we must rely on ourselves, then we are more likely to react poorly to situations beyond our control. A negative attitude--whether from anger, fear, worry, or jealousy--can make a hard time worse. Preparation for the future starts with developing biblical thinking.

A second lesson from Peter is to be "sober in spirit"--in other words, to maintain our balance in the midst of crises (v. 13). That requires resisting quick fixes to problems and refusing to embrace ungodly ideas or philosophies. Our enemy Satan is quick to offer suggestions designed to trip us up or turn us away from God's path. With the Spirit's help, we can learn to stand firm in a crisis and steadfastly follow the Lord.

Our culture is increasingly distancing itself from Jesus Christ and opposing His followers. Are you preparing spiritually for whatever the future holds?

God bless and keep you safe.

The Poem: ~i'm no hero~

by Gary Jacobson © 2000

http://namtour.com/hero.html

The gracious lady said, “Heroes sit here,
In our most honored chair,”
“I don’t mean to sound insincere,”
I replied, “but where do I sit,”
“Because I’m no hero. No, not a bit.
I just went where my country told me to go.
There was no question, there was no pause,
Nothing there that should merit applause.

I’m no hero!
Just because into the breach of hell I did go.
For men of honor have no choice
Than to join in the shout with freedom’s voice
I didn’t think about it, I just went,
To join the army of soldiers sent...
Wouldn’t anybody?

I’m no hero!
I would rather not have had to go,
If there was another way I don’t know.
Sure, I’ve got a purple heart for the time I bled.
People saw me then, thought I’d soon be dead.
But I survived the war winds foulest blow.
Escaped the master of death in embattled mist below.

I’m no hero!
I just slugged it out with Charley toe-to-toe,
I crossed his deadly path
Still feel his demonic wrath
His bullets incessantly stinging
Feeling incessant tearing forever shedding
In my soldier’s wearied mind,
Honoring buddies left behind!
Though the war’s now blowing in the wind,
Heart and soul still rend.

I’m no hero!
For then I felt no fear I now intimately know.
Now I dream of rogue bullets that death’s questions ask,
Killing their favorite task...
I see in dreams where through fetid jungle they tore
Doing their killing chore,
So quick, so clean, sweeping past
Memories suck me in from future cast,
Forever changing moods lightning fast,
Forever taking lives, yet not the last...

I’m no hero!
I simply had a duty when called to go
I didn’t back down, but quelled the foe.
I swore with all might to try
To God’s bidding do, or die!
Because I loved my country more than life
Vowed to follow behind patriot’s drum and fife.
To win freedoms to which forefathers clove
Undead regiments with youthful principles war drove!

Heroes are men endowed with great courage,
Who with great strength sway bloody fields of carnage.
Heroes are men of bold exploits favored by God,
Bearing noble purpose born of native sod.
I’m just an ordinary man who saw his duty,
Who answered a call to arms to defend beloved liberty.

I’m no hero, as you can plainly see.
When the roll was called to stand for their country
I stood...that’s all!
I did nothing special that honor on me should befall.
In Vietnam I did a little walking,
A little sweating, A little bleeding,
Almost dying
A purple heart earning
Some call A “Move too slow award”
That near cut life’s silver cord.

I'm no hero, for I did nothing witty nor wise
I’m just one of the countless little guys
Who faced daily war’s evil eyes...
Doing his duty against war's bestial ogre cunning
Demons within and without constantly fighting
Hoping, searching, fearing, humping
Marching with thousands of brothers-in-arms alongside
Through valley's shadow where patriotic spirits guide.

I’m no hero...
Though for uncle Sam seeds of war did sow
Bearing patriotic heritage planted long ago.
I faced warlord Ho Chi Minh’s fiery breath,
Deep and deeper into bowels of shadowed death.
With vengeance he'd banished freedom’s light,
Cast unwelcome caresses of wars despicable blight.
Good men of conscience had that despot to stop,
Proclaim bastions of freedom on every mountaintop.

I’m no hero...
Just another war-torn Joe,
Whose warrior soul arose above cannon’s roar,
Like eagles, young men's brave spirits soar,
Bearing naive and gung-ho this boy next door,
Above a soil enriched with soldiers seeping blood,
Getting down and dirty in Nam’s mud.

They say war measures the depth of a hero
Young boy’s ruin mid thundered guns aglow,
Just links in the chain
Sent duty to retain, freedom to proclaim
Growing acts of war like cancer in the brain
A new set of senses war does indelibly ingrain,
Combat infantrymen fates defy
Virulent beasts raging inside till the day I too die.

I’m no hero!
Not at all like Rambo.
To this day living with war etched into my lifetime
Always watching for movements out of rhyme
Ever listening for sounds that don’t belong,
Always with the feeling something’s wrong.
I still roam triple canopied jungle where I lost the boy
In elephant grasses lost much of life’s joy.
Neither wine nor advances of withering sun
Can ever warm a cold, heated year of the gun.

I’m no hero!
Just because I stepped into war’s inferno.
I was raised believing you answered when called,
To go somewhere where freedom's were galled
For a noble allegiance the young owed
To shoulder a nation's heavy load
To honor a sacred duty forsworn,
The clarion trumpeted an obligation born,
To win the red badge of courage, proudly worn.

Vietnam was a duty you could not with honor refuse.
Respect for goodly values I will always choose
There was no choice but to do it, or self esteem lose,
For their comes a time when you have to pay your dues
To beloved honor uphold
To keep this the land of the free and bold
For country, for neighbors, for family, for God...for self!
So no ma’am, I’m no hero!