When I started writing this week’s recommended reading, I had no idea that my topic itself makes for interesting reading! Monday, February 21st, is a federal holiday. I learned that though now commonly called Presidents’ Day, it originally only celebrated George Washington’s February 22nd birthday. Congress never officially changed the name or the day’s purpose, though most people now use it to honor presidents in general. Apparently the placement of the apostrophe (or not) in the name generates some controversy, too. The holiday is always on the third Monday of February. However, some states do not observe it. We Missourians do!
With that in mind, I would recommend reading about one of our presidents. That gives you 45 choices! I used to have a ruler with all of the presidents pictured in order. How little I knew about so many of them! These were all men who achieved the ultimate in American experiences: President of the United States. There is an overwhelming amount of interesting information about most of them.
Of course, reading about George Washington would be appropriate. I highly recommend The Bulletproof George Washington, by David Barton. This book presents Washington as the true hero and leader that he was.
The Bulletproof George Washington
by David Barton
Colonial George Washington’s perilous experiences in the French and Indian War are chronicled in this riveting account of God’s providence and protection. The only officer on horseback to avoid being shot down, young Washington openly attributed his miraculous escape from harm to the intervention of a sovereign God.
Be sure to check out John Quincy Adams. He literally served his country from his youth to his death. He was a devoted Christian and patriot and a remarkable man. His father also served as president, a remarkable fact in itself.
The Bible Lessons of John Quincy Adams for His Son
Born in 1767, John Quincy Adams entered his country’s service while a mere lad as secretary to the Russian Embassy and remained through life a public servant, filling successively the posts of secretary, ambassador, United States Senator, Secretary of State, President, and finally Representative in Congress.
However, all of these remarkable achievements are secondary to his role as father. Though a busy man, Adams made it his priority to study the Bible and to train his son to love God’s Holy Word. His example stands out for all men as a shepherd who loved his family flock. This volume contains nine personal letters of counsel and admonition that he penned to his son while traveling away from home.
Those faces on my ruler represent complex men who had lives and families, like us. But something set them apart from other people. I would encourage you to pick a face and find out about the man behind it, even if he was of a different political persuasion from you and your family. If you’re like me, I can’t even name the party to which some of them belonged.
Just a word of caution. Be sure to know your source when you choose your reading material on presidents. Today’s “wokeism” often does not permit accurate depictions of many of our historical figures. I would recommend Wallbuilders.com as a great source for historical reading materials. Another good site, AmericanMinute.com even has a book, Prayers and Presidents, by founder William J. Federer.
I hope you pick an interesting president and get to know him. A fun family activity would be learning enough about some of these men to see if they would have won your vote.
Reading is Rewarding!
Katie
Request the following titles from the Family Vision Library here:
The Bulletproof George Washington, by David Barton
The Bible Lessons of John Quincy Adams for His Son
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Great article!
So glad you enjoyed it! Happy Presidents Day!