Photo courtesy of the White House.

1. President Bush has another meeting with world leaders next week! For this one, he travels to Scotland, so it is a great time to pray for the President as he travels to Gleneagles, Scotland July 6-8 for the G-8 summit, asking God for protection, wisdom and clear thought for him and all the EU leaders. Pray that God will guide the meetings, accomplishing His will in ways that will impact the world for good. Right before he goes to Scotland, he will make a stop in Denmark to meet with Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen on July 6.
2. Did you know the President's birthday is next week? Birthdays are a great time to pray for others—especially President Bush! So pray that God will bless and encourage President Bush in all kinds of fantastic ways as he celebrates his birthday on July 6. Ask God to keep on protecting the President and to give him His mighty wisdom and strength. Pray also for his family—First Lady Laura Bush, and daughters Jenna and Barbara.
3. Independence Day is a terrific time to tell God "thanks" for the blessings you enjoy—both by knowing Him and by living in America. God loves to hear your praise, so remember to thank and praise Him for all the great things in your life like your loved ones, your freedoms (freedom to worship, freedom of speech, and more!) and every single thing, large and small that is special to you.
4. Remember to pray for our troops, especially those in harm's way who live and work in some of the most dangerous places in the world. They need God's mighty care and protection, and your prayers help to provide that! While you are at it, remember to thank God for all those who serve our nation and our President through the military—they are doing a fantastic job!

Secretary of the Treasury— John W. Snow

Photo courtesy of the Department of Treasury.

John W. Snow has served our nation as Secretary of the Treasury since February 2003. As one of the chief advisors to President Bush on economic policy, John Snow is a valuable member of the cabinet. When it comes to money or the economy, John Snow is one of the first people President Bush turns to!

John Snow is also responsible for the United States Mint. Do you know what that is? It's not a piece of candy, that's for sure. The Mint is the agency responsible for making all our money—both currency and coins. There is great tradition in the Treasury department, but there is also great concern for security—just think of all the money they must safeguard. That is a very important responsibility!

With his team at Treasury, John Snow works to bring about the very best conditions for prosperity and stability in the U.S and the world. They wage war on terror by fighting and investigating terrorist financing, money laundering, counterfeiting, and narcotics trafficking. He also is responsible for the Internal Revenue Service—the folks who collect our taxes. He represents the United States to other nations on a variety of economic and financial concerns at meetings and summits around the world.

Prior to coming to the Treasury Department, John Snow had a rich and rewarding career as Chairman and CEO of CSX, a rail shipping company. He taught economics at the University of Maryland, University of Virginia and law at George Washington University. He also served the Department of Transportation in a variety of positions.

Born in Toledo, OH, John Snow graduated in 1962 from the University of Toledo. He later earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Virginia where he studied under two Nobel Prize winners. Snow lives in Richmond, Virginia with his wife Carolyn. He has three children and three grandchildren.

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security— Michael Chertoff

Photo courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security.

Michael Chertoff is a great person to be leading over our country's Department of Homeland Security! He has been an investigator for much of his professional life, having worked as a U.S. Appeals Court Judge and as a U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. He has also served in the Department of Justice, and in the days following the September 11 attacks, he investigated all the details about the attacks to learn who planned and carried them out. He did a great job with the investigation, and was the one who linked them to al-Qaeda.

As Secretary of Homeland Security, Mr. Chertoff is responsible for many key areas of security in our country—a country that is still at war! With his team, he works to protect America by reducing our vulnerability to future attack, weapons of mass destruction and cyber terrorism. He must also coordinate everything he and his team do with efforts of all the other agencies and departments concerned with America's security, from local police to all the other federal agencies. That is a big job!

Homeland Security oversees the Coast Guard, the Inspector General, FEMA, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration, the Transportation Security Administration and the Secret Service.

Michael Chertoff is married to Meryl, and together they have two children.

What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen for his own.
—Psalm 33:12

I will keep on obeying your law forever and forever. I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. I will speak to kings about your decrees, and I will not be ashamed.
—Psalm 119:44-46

PPT member Mary Beth Magee sent us this poem as a way of encouraging everyone to remember the great freedom and blessings we enjoy as Americans. Be sure you read it and thank God!

This poster was created for the 100 year anniversary of DuPage County, Illinois in 1939. DuPage County is now filled with suburbs of nearby Chicago, one of which is the town of Downers Grove. Do you know how old your town or city is? What will it be doing to celebrate Independence Day this year? Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

This weekend America will celebrate her birthday! That's right—some people call it the Fourth of July, others call it Independence Day, but however you talk about it, it's the 229th anniversary of America's birth as a nation. That is definitely something to celebrate!

America's birth came as a result of a great struggle. While we celebrate, it's good to remember the sacrifices and terrifically hard work that so many Colonists gave for their dream of freedom.

This print shows the Boston Tea Party, which was not a party but a rebellious demonstration against the oppressive taxes King George was charging the Colonists for some of their most important imports—like tea! The Boston Tea Party took place December 17, 1773 and was one of the many events that led up to America's declaring independence from Britain. Image courtesy of historyimages.com.

Why do you suppose the earliest Americans wanted their freedom? What was wrong with just remaining under the rule of the British Crown?

There were a lot of reasons, but one of the main ones was the belief that King George III of England was just being too tough on the Colonies. He was taxing them for many things and withholding shipment of important supplies.

The situation became so bad, the Colonists believed they had no choice but to declare independence from England. This was a difficult decision, but one they were ready to make. Giving up the help and support of the British government would be hard, but the freedom-loving nature of these rugged leaders made them believe it would be worth the sacrifice.

And more than that, these Colonists believed that God was leading them to establish a new nation so they could elect their own leaders rather than have them appointed for them by the British government. They didn't know exactly what the new country would look like, but they could see God's hand at work everywhere.

This Revolutionary War flag shows the sentiment that was widely accepted by many Colonists: Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God. Notice that there's almost no red on this flag. Many early flags had no red—the color of the British Redcoats! Image courtesy of the Library of Congress. Click to enlarge.

The more the idea of independence from England grew, the more the Colonists believed they were following God's will. They believed that it was simply wrong to obey the British Crown—that to give in to a tyrant was against God's plan. It also shows how they believed that the pulse beat of freedom pounds in every person's heart—God longs for us all to be free of tyranny of any kind!

This Revolutionary War flag shows us a great example of this kind of thought. Can you read the banner on it? It says Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.