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Alafia River State Park, Lithia, Florida

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” ~ Matthew 1:20-21 I suspect that God had spoken to Joseph through his dreams in the past. He didn’t have the benefit of the indwelling Holy Spirit as we do today. In fact, Matthew (and only Matthew) tells us of four directions given to Joseph in dreams within the first two chapters of his book. People like to focus on Mary, the shepherds and the wisemen, but I think we do Joseph a great disservice by not recognizing his importance. By not studying this righteous man God chose to be the father of His Son. Joseph and Mary were both told to name their son ‘Jesus’. In Hebrew, the name is ‘Yeshua’ which means ‘salvation’. What an astronomically important task they were entrusted with! I can’t imagine raising a child knowing His Origins, as well as His Destiny, which is to save His people from their sins!

Today is President’s Day! But what does that mean, other than a day for kids to be off school and government agencies to close? And when and why did it start?

Have you already figured out that it’s gonna be a long post today? There’s so much to talk about!!

I found the following on history.com:

Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present.

The story of Presidents’ Day date begins in 1800. Following the death of George Washington in 1799, his February 22 birthday became a perennial day of remembrance.

At the time, Washington was venerated as the most important figure in American history, and events like the 1832 centennial of his birth and the start of construction of the Washington Monument in 1848 were cause for national celebration.

While Washington’s Birthday was an unofficial observance for most of the 1800s, it was not until the late 1870s that it became a federal holiday. Senator Stephen Wallace Dorsey of Arkansas was the first to propose the measure, and in 1879 President Rutherford B. Hayes signed it into law.

The holiday initially only applied to the District of Columbia, but in 1885 it was expanded to the whole country. At the time, Washington’s Birthday joined four other nationally recognized federal bank holidays—Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving—and was the first to celebrate the life of an individual American. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, signed into law in 1983, was the second.

The shift from Washington’s Birthday to Presidents’ Day began in the late 1960s, when Congress proposed a measure known as the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Championed by Senator Robert McClory of Illinois, this law sought to shift the celebration of several federal holidays from specific dates to a series of predetermined Mondays.

The proposed change was seen by many as a novel way to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers, and it was believed that ensuring holidays always fell on the same weekday would reduce employee absenteeism. While some argued that shifting holidays from their original dates would cheapen their meaning, the bill also had widespread support from both the private sector and labor unions and was seen as a surefire way to bolster retail sales.

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act also included a provision to combine the celebration of Washington’s birthday with that of Abraham Lincoln, which fell on February 12. Lincoln’s Birthday had long been a state holiday in places like Illinois, and many supported joining the two days as a way of giving equal recognition to two of America’s most famous statesmen.

McClory was among the measure’s major proponents, and he even floated the idea of renaming the holiday Presidents’ Day. This proved to be a point of contention for lawmakers from George Washington’s home state of Virginia, and the proposal was eventually dropped.

Nevertheless, the main piece of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed in 1968 and officially took effect in 1971 following an executive order from President Richard M. Nixon. Washington’s Birthday was then shifted from the fixed date of February 22 to the third Monday of February. Columbus Day, Memorial Day and Veterans Day were also moved from their traditionally designated dates. (As a result of widespread criticism, in 1978 Veterans Day was returned to its original November 11 date.)

Did you know? Presidents’ Day never falls on the actual birthday of any American president. Four chief executives—George Washington, William Henry Harrison, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan—were born in February, but their birthdays all come either too early or late to coincide with Presidents’ Day, which is always celebrated on the third Monday of the month.

What Presidents Do We Celebrate on Presidents’ Day?

While Nixon’s order plainly called the newly placed holiday Washington’s Birthday, it was not long before the shift to Presidents’ Day began.

The move away from February 22 led many to believe that the new date was intended to honor both Washington and Lincoln, as it now fell between their two birthdays. Marketers soon jumped at the opportunity to play up the three-day weekend with sales, and “Presidents’ Day” bargains were advertised at stores around the country.

By the mid-1980s, Washington’s Birthday was known to many Americans as Presidents’ Day. This shift had solidified in the early 2000s, by which time as many as half the 50 states had changed the holiday’s name to Presidents’ Day on their calendars.

Some states have even chosen to customize the holiday by adding new figures to the celebration. Arkansas, for instance, celebrates Washington as well as civil rights activist Daisy Gatson Bates. Alabama, meanwhile, uses Presidents’ Day to commemorate Washington and Thomas Jefferson (who was born in April).

Washington and Lincoln still remain the two most recognized leaders, but Presidents’ Day is now popularly seen as a day to recognize the lives and achievements of all of America’s chief executives. Some lawmakers have objected to this view, arguing that grouping George Washington and Abraham Lincoln together with less successful presidents minimizes their legacies.

Congressional measures to restore Washington and Lincoln’s individual birthdays were proposed during the early 2000s, but all failed to gain much attention. For its part, the federal government has held fast to the original incarnation of the holiday as a celebration of the country’s first president. The third Monday in February is still listed on official calendars as Washington’s Birthday.

Well, that’s a whole lot more than I knew! I just always thought it had been a commemerence of Presidents Washington and Lincoln and that it’s been that way since maybe the late 1800s or early 1900s. Boy, was I wrong!

Now that you know a little something about how it all began, “celebrate Presidents Day 2023 by soaking up knowledge about our country’s interesting leaders” as FoxNews reported today:

Throughout our nation’s history, there have been quite a number of memorable leaders at the helm. This Presidents Day, take a look at interesting numerical info about America’s leaders.

Feb. 22, 1732 – Presidents Day takes place on Feb. 22 each year in commemoration of George Washington’s birthday. President Washington was born on February 22, 1732, on his family’s plantation, according to History.com. He served as the nation’s first U.S. president from April 30, 1789 – March 4, 1797.

3 deaths – In the history of America, three presidents have died on July 4.

On July 4, 1826, John Adams, the second U.S. president, and Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. president, died within hours of each other on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The nation’s fifth president, James Monroe, died on July 4, 1831.

Left to right, James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams are former U.S. presidents who all died on July 4. (iStock)

8 deaths – Eight presidents have died while serving in office.

Four former presidents, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt, died from natural causes; the other four were killed by assassination, according to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

32 days – As president, William Henry Harrison served the shortest term with 32 days in office – after presenting his Inaugural Address on March 4, 1841. It was noted as being the longest Presidential Inaugural Address in history with 8,445 words (it took him two hours!), according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. Harrison died after less than four weeks into his presidency.

Presidential Inauguration of William Henry Harrison, in Washington, D.C., on the 4th of March 1841, Lithograph, Charles Fenderich, 1841. (Photo by: GHI Vintage/Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

1863 – In the year 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, declaring “that all persons held as slaves” within the states that had seceded from the Union, “are, and henceforward shall be free,” according to the National Archives.

That same year, President Lincoln gave one of the greatest speeches ever spoken, the Gettysburg Address – leaving Americans with the line “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

The Gettysburg Address can be seen behind the 19-foot-tall statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (iStock)

4 terms – Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the only president to have served more than two terms. He served a full third term and was re-elected for a fourth term.

After winning his fourth term on Nov. 7, 1944, FDR died on April 12, 1945, six months into his fourth and final term as president.

June 30, 1921 – President Warren Harding announced that he would nominate former President William Howard Taft to become the new Chief Justice of the United States. To this day, Taft remains the only person to hold the top position in both the executive and judicial branches.

21 states – Out of the 50 states in the U.S., 21 states have given us presidents.

Virginia has produced eight U.S. presidents, followed closely by Ohio with seven presidents. New York has provided five presidents and Massachusetts has given four.

North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont have each produced two presidents. Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey and South Carolina each gave one president.

President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), 35th president of the United States, relaxes in his trademark rocking chair in the Oval Office. (Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

43 years old – To this day, John F. Kennedy is the nation’s youngest elected leader. He was elected at the age of 43 and died while in office at the age of 46.

81 movies – Ronald Reagan, an actor turned U.S. president, was in 81 movies, according to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, before assuming the most important role in his career.

Ronald Reagan is shown above as he appeared when he played George Gipp in the 1940 Warner Brothers film, “Knute Rockne, All-American.” The president was named recipient of the “Tuss” McLaughry Award, given annually by Eastman Kodak Company and the American Football Coaches Association, for distinguished public service. (Getty Images)

His most memorable films are “Dark Victory” (1939), “Knute Rockne, All-American” (1940), “Kings Row” (1942), “Storm Warning” (1951) and “The Killers” (1964), according to Entertainment Weekly. (What about “Bedtime for Bonzo”??)

98 years old – There are six former and current U.S. presidents still alive. Jimmy Carter is the oldest living former U.S. president at the age of 98.

He was first elected in 1976 after defeating the Republican incumbent Gerald Ford. He was defeated in 1981 by Republican nominee Ronald Reagan.

Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt were fifth cousins. (Getty Images)

5th cousins – Teddy Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt were fifth cousins. It has also been shown that FDR is related to 10 other former U.S. presidents: John Adams, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison and William Howard Taft, reports History.com.

20 presidents – Twenty presidents previously served as governors; 17 presidents were state governors; and nine were governors immediately before their election as presidents.

Two presidents, William Henry Harrison and William Howard Taft, served as territorial governors. Two, Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson, served as military governors.

1909: William Howard Taft (1857-1930), the 27th president of the United States. He later served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

46 – Throughout the history of America, there have been 46 presidencies, including that of Joe Biden, who was elected in 2020.

Grover Cleveland was the only president to leave the White House and return for a second term (1885-1889 and 1893-1897), according to whitehouse.gov.

This is the cardinal that adores our vehicles.
He’s gonna miss us when we’re gone! : )

Blaine told me two days ago that I would be biking this morning before we move. I had no say in the matter. 😉 But he really did tell me we were going, and I really wasn’t all that thrilled about it. Mostly, I suppose it was my own fault. Friday through Sunday, there were quite a few people biking in this Park known for its mountain biking trails – everything from “easy” to “extremely difficult”. The signs all say that helmets are required, and like I said, there were a lot of people, so when Blaine asked about riding, I said, “No.” then, but I find it difficult to turn my hubby down when he’s so excited about something. 😊

So off we went.

I didn’t take my phone, because everything I own that I can wear for a bike ride that has pockets is in the laundry. (Just in case you’re wondering why there aren’t more great pictures from today.) I had to ask for the ones we have. 😊

The first one (Hidden Rivers) was full of roots, and that was a challenge in and of itself. Especially for a woman. My thighs got a bit of a workout as I lifted myself an inch or two off my seat – frequently. I was so busy looking at where I was going, I didn’t really look around.

The second (Sand Pine) was full of sand, which wasn’t horrible, but still makes riding a bit more difficult. Plus it didn’t have much shade, and even at 10:00am, the sun was hot – especially when you’re wearing long-legged stretchy pants and a long-sleeved T.

But the third (Rock Garden)? Now that one was fun! Sure, it contained all the elements of the other two, along with a few rocks to navigate, but they’d also built some fun things into the course! If we’d had the time and I wasn’t melting onto my seat, I’d’ve gone around and done it again!

There were a few minutes back home to relax before time to pack up and move on for yet another short 66-mile drive.

The physical driving itself wasn’t much to speak of, but the early part of it took us through the town of Plant City. Plant City is mostly known for its strawberries, and we’d seen massive fields of them during our time here.

Today, we saw workers picking them. Workers who were transported by the busloads (I don’t know where they pick up the people to fill the buses), out in the fields, bent at a 90⁰ angle picking those berries we take for granted when we enter the grocery store and complain about how much they cost.

Every one of these pictures were taken as we were driving by at 45-50mph.
That shows you how many there are and how extensive the fields are.

Here’s a little bit about what I learned. They pick and pack those strawberries directly into the plastic “clam shell” containers you buy at the store. So not only do they have to have to pick them, but they have to be gentle with them, and make sure there aren’t stems attached and then “arrange” them to fit with no leaves showing on top. Eight of those clam shells fills a flat. In Florida, they get paid $8/flat. Since they pick more than a flat per hour, it works out that the average worker gets paid about $11/hour, which means if we’re paying $3/container, roughly half of the selling price goes to paying people to pick them. One article I read says that Americans won’t do the work because it’s too hard.

Some of the orange groves we passed had these white bags over their tiny, new trees.

Highlands Hammock State Park, Sebring, Florida

After dinner, we decided to go ride our bikes around the loop drive in the Park. We only stopped at one trailhead – Cypress something or other – just to see what was happening. There wasn’t a lot, but we did spot a couple of small gators, and as always, the scenery was outstanding!

The bags on the young trees keep out some kind of Asian bug that causes ‘greening’. It’s the most serious citrus disease in all the world and causes the fruit to turn green, bitter and unsuitable for fruit or juice.

So how much of all this information I fed you today are you going to retain? If you’re like me, maybe not much. But if you’re like Blaine? Well, you’ll be on your way to acing Trivial Pursuit!

Alafia River State Park, Lithia, Florida

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. ~ Matthew 1:18-19 Back then, being pledged (sort of like an engagement) was serious business. Being pledged was the equivalent of being married, but conjugation was forbidden. Mary left town for three months to visit her cousins Zechariah and Elizabeth (parents of John the Baptist) after being told by the angel Gabriel that she was carrying the Son of God (Luke 1). When she returned everyone knew she was pregnant, and it wasn’t Joseph’s child. Even if it was, her pregnancy would’ve been frowned upon very severely. I imagine at least a small part of her was terrified, not only of the potential of being stoned to death, not only facing the scorn and ridicule of her family and community, but also of what Joseph would do. For His part, Joseph had to have been shocked, dismayed, and maybe even angry that she disgraced him in such a way. As her husband, he had the right to deal with her as he pleased. But Matthew is quick to point out that Joseph was a righteous man, which means he wanted to treat her as God would – mercifully. So he had in mind to release her from their pledge without making a public spectacle of it, and without causing her harm or even death. But God had other plans. How often do we make our own plans to address a situation, only to discover that God has another way? How often do we petition the Father before taking steps in our own direction without Him?

Blaine located the Fish Hawk Fellowship Church for us to worship in this morning. First impression? This wasn’t going to be our kind of place. There was smoke and lights and rap-sounding music playing as we waited in the sanctuary for the service to begin. But there were some relatively friendly people around us, so that was good.

At the appointed time, the Pastor walked out on the stage and announced that he didn’t know how the service was going to go today. He mentioned something about a place called ‘Asbury’ having a revival, but we didn’t know what he was talking about. (Later, we looked it up. It’s a Christian college in Kentucky. They began with a worship service, and it’s now blossomed into at least a 10-day, non-stop revival service! Thousands have been attending! Isn’t our Lord wonderful?!?)

Anyway, they ‘threw away the play book’. We spent nearly 1 ½ hours worshiping – most of the time on our feet, but we never grew tired of it! At one point the pastor came out again and gave a brief message, then cried and talked about his own sin of making the ministry an idol.

In the end, they called for people to come forward and spontaneously, during the service, there were a couple of new brothers added to God’s family and at least eight people were baptized!

We’ve not experienced or felt the Holy Spirit like that in ages! So glad we were there! But we wondered what would happen at the second service, as the first just kinda rolled over into the time for the second. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!!

After church, we went walking again. Pretty much the same places as yesterday. Not too interesting, but we reveled in our Sunday morning encounter with God the rest of the day!