Happy President's Day!

Hope many of you are enjoying a President's Day holiday.

Today we remember and honor those who have guided our country throughout its history. We are blessed to live in a land where we have the right to speak freely about our most cherished beliefs and worship without fear of persecution. While we hold a definite distinction between church and state, a look at our former presidents makes clear that faith has and continues to play an important role in our nation and with its leaders.

Here are some interesting quotes and facts to ponder as we remember and honor our presidents.

"It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports."

George Washington (Sept. 17, 1796)

"The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forbears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that all rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God . . .Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty . . .With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own."

John F. Kennedy (Inaugural Address, Jan. 20, 1961)

"But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people, and do our best to help them find their own grace. That's what I strive to do, that's what I pray to do every day."

Barack Obama

Presidents can choose a Bible passage on which to solemnly swear at their inauguration. Here are a few chosen by different presidents.

Abraham Lincoln, 1865

"Judge not, that ye be not judged." (Matthew 7:1)

Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933, 1937, 1941, 1945

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity" (1 Corinthians 13:13)

James E. Carter, 1977

"He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8)

George W. Bush, 2005

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)