In November we will be recognizing Veterans for their service to our great nation. We can never thank our veterans enough for all they have done to keep our nation free. As we remember these great warriors, let us remind ourselves of how this 'blessed' land got its start. Some may say that we are not a Christian Nation. Allow me to set the record straight. In 1776, Pastor John Peter Muhlenberg after preached a sermon, said, "There is a time to fight and that time is now!" He removed his clerical robe to reveal the military uniform that he wore under his robe. He then led 300 men from his church to defend their liberties. This group became the 8th Virginia Brigade and Muhlenberg became a Major General under George Washington. Where did the writers of the Constitution get their specific ideas? In attempt to answer this question, political scientists embarked on an ambitious ten-year project to analyze over 15,000 writing from the Founding Era. Their research revealed that the single most cited authority in the writing of the Constitution was taken from the Bible. Let's review what our founding fathers said: *President George Washington said, "It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor."

*President John Adams urged, "The safety and prosperity of a nation ultimately and essentially depends on the protection and the blessing of Almighty God."

*Samuel Adams said, "May every citizen have a proper sense of the Deity upon his mind and an impression of the declaration as recorded in the Bible."

*Later President Reagan warned, "If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."

The Iwo Jima memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world. If you take a close look at the statue, you will count 13 hands raising the flag. Twelve of the hands belonged to the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag. The artist who made the statue said that the 13th hand was the hand of God.

The shortest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 117; the longest chapter is Psalm 119; The chapter in the middle, Psalm 118, is the center of the Bible. There are 594 chapters before Psalm 118 and 594 chapters after Psalm 118. Add the first 594 to the last 594 and the result is 1188. The center of the Bible is Psalm chapter 118, verse 8 which states, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in man." And that is what the Founding Fathers did when they wrote the Constitution. That is what we must continue to do!

Your chaplain, Chuck Trout