One carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, making up new rules to the “game” of war as he went along.  Spending years away from home and hearth, little time with his wife and step-children, he managed miraculous escapes and some brilliant attacks.  Out-generaled in many tactical situations, he in turn out-generaled his opponents for the hearts of his people.  At the end of the war, victory accomplished and the greatest military in the world at his feet, he did something no man had ever done before.  He stepped down, relinquished power and title, and went home, confirming what another George on the other side of the ocean had said of him, “If he does that, he will be the Greatest Man in the World.”

A short break and he was needed again.  First to oversee the Constitutional Convention, and soon after sworn in as the first President of the United States of America, George Washington once again left home to become the father of the greatest nation in modern history.

He chose, for the inscription on his tomb, not the titles we assign to him, but this simple testimony:

“I am the Resurrection and the Life; sayeth the Lord. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.”

John 11. 25.26

Then, years later, another great man entered the world stage.  Tall, awkward, keenly intelligent and perceptive.  Hungry for knowledge, well-read, witty and perhaps one of the best story tellers ever to live.  Abraham Lincoln also carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.  George Washington was one of his heroes.  Of Washington he said “On that name no eulogy is expected.  It cannot be.  To add brightness to the sun, or glory to the name of Washington, is alike impossible.  Let none attempt it.”

And yet Lincoln would become equally great, becoming the second most written about man who has lived, surpassed only by the carpenter from Galilee, Jesus Christ.

Many have concluded that Lincoln suffered from debilitating depression.  I disagree. He had a melancholy temperament, but I have never known a severely depressed individual who was capable of running daily life, let alone a nation at war with itself.  Aware of his temperament, he learned to tell stories that brought laughter and life both to himself and all around him.  He taught himself to treat sadness with humor and laughter.  He had the gift of empathy; he could understand how others felt and what they would think,  allowing him to anticipate behavior and actions and know in advance how to counter these events so they would work to his (and the nation’s) benefit.

He lost a son while living in the White House.  His wife lost two brothers, who fought for the Confederacy, in the war.  No stranger to heartache, loneliness and loss, Lincoln carried more of these difficult memories throughout his life than most of us will ever experience.

But he trusted God.  After the Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln visited General Sickles in a Washington hospital.  Sickles had been wounded and was recovering from a leg amputation.  During the visit Sickles asked Washington if he had been anxious about the outcome of Gettysburg, to which Lincoln replied that he had not been anxious.  When pressed for an explanation, Lincoln said this:

“In the pinch of the campaign up there, when everybody seemed panic-stricken, and nobody could tell what was going to happen, oppressed by the gravity of our affairs, I went to my room one day, and I locked the door, and got down on my knees before Almighty God, and prayed to Him mightily for victory at Gettysburg.  I told Him that this was His war, and our cause His cause, but we couldn’t stand another Fredericksburg or Chancellorsville.  And I then and there made a solemn vow to Almighty God, that if He would stand by our boys at Gettysburg, I would stand by Him.  And He did stand by your boys, and I will stand by Him.  And after that (I don’t know how it was, and I can’t explain it), soon a sweet comfort crept into my soul that God Almighty had taken the whole business into his own hands and that things would go all right at Gettysburg.  And that is why I had no fears about you.”   (quoted in The Almost Chosen People, by William J. Wolf, p. 124-125)

Is it any wonder that the greatest speech of his career was given after this battle, after this personal experience with God?

For me, President’s Day is both somber and festive.  We celebrate with simple meals like this, and talk about the great men we’re celebrating today.  My personal reading each February features a historical work about one of these men.  This morning, just for fun, I tried my hand at painting their silhouettes (seen above).  I’ve always wanted to try this but have never taken a deep breath and tried it.  I painted them in acrylic paint, and after they dried I pinned them to a ribbon which I hung in our kitchen.  This little project was a lot of fun; I’ll be trying it again soon!

My little experiment spurred both discussion and a paint-fest in the kitchen, with six children creating colorful art of their own.

I am grateful that our country still has a day set aside to honor these great men, men who I love reading about, men who inspire me to be a better person.

Edwin Stanton said of Lincoln, “Now he belongs to the ages.”

They both do.  But they are remembered.
Happy Birthday to two great men.

Gratefully,
Jennifer

Imagine my delight when Lynne Cheney authored When Washington Crossed the Delaware.  Finally!  A picture book for children focused on such a special event in history.  It did not disappoint.  Yes, it is very broad and not particularly full of specific historical research, but it tells the story very well for its intended audience.  (It’s probably a good overview for many adults as well, especially if the Battle of Trenton doesn’t ring a bell for you.)

When I ordered the book, I was even more thrilled to discover this little quote as a preface, one I was not familiar with:

Sharing a favorite event in history is most definitely something I’m happy to have in common with Abraham Lincoln!

The book tells the story of how the Continental Army crossed the river and surprised the Germans in Trenton.  It also goes on to talk about their advance to Princeton.  What a wonderful little gem.  I also like how there is a historical quote on each two page spread.

The illustrations are wonderful and evocative.  It’s a book my children never tire of reading.  Can you guess what we’ll be reading tonight?

The more I read about him, the more I respect him.   Sure, he was just a man, imperfect.  But he was absolutely essential to the formation of the United States of America.  He’s on my short list of people I’m anxious to meet someday.  Like Lincoln, he paid a high personal price for his service to his country.  I realize that countless others have done the same, others whose names I’ll never know or whose birthdays I’ll never celebrate.  But if we forget people like George Washington, can we properly remember any of the others?

Want to celebrate with us?  Whip up some hoecakes, Washington’s breakfast of choice.  (We often have them for birthday dinner.)  The Mt. Vernon recipe I have calls for yeast, and letting it sit out overnight, which doesn’t sit really well with me, so we use Lincoln’s recipe.   They’re quick, simple, and a fun twist on our pancakes today.  They called them hoecakes because you could put a spoonful of batter on the end of a hoe (or griddle) to cook it over the fire.  You can find my recipe here.

This evening I’m making a birthday cake to celebrate.  I’m using Martha Washington’s recipe for her Great Cake.  I’ve never tried it before and the entire recipe is approximately 3 sentences, but I’m optimistic.  I’ll share pictures tomorrow.

Until then, wave a flag, pause to remember, read the Constitution, read a book (I love this picture book), or do a little research to learn something you didn’t already know about this great man.  We owe an awful lot to his leadership.

Happy Birthday to one of my greatest heroes.

Jennifer

February 12th is Mr. Lincoln’s day.  We get out the flags, read this book, and eat this food.  We talk about his life, his example, and what we can learn from him.

I like to do a little reading on my own, both of Lincoln’s own writing and also the writing of those who are scholars on his life.

I feel like pausing to celebrate him is my way of reaching back through the pages of history to thank him for his life and for his life’s work.  I wonder if any of us can know the terribly high price he paid personally for the unity of our nation.  Some scholars have written that he was depressed.   I think that few people in the history of the world have stood, alone, with such weight on their shoulders.  He and his wife buried a son while he was President.  That’s enough grief to make anyone depressed, even if losing children was a more common experience in his lifetime.  Imagine the terrible weight of the loss of life, destruction to property, and all the ugliness of war.  War on your own soil.  War between citizens of your own country.  A war which had to be won at all costs.  Trying to keep peace with other nations so that none would enter the war on either side.  Having trusted members of your cabinet, even your vice president, prove to be unworthy of your trust.  Oh, how lonely he must have been!  Lincoln himself said, “This war is eating my life out.”

I believe that Abraham Lincoln was born for the time he lived in, raised up by God to guide the United States of America through one of the most difficult chapters of its history,  guided by God in preserving the union which is represented by the Constitution.

I feel like forgetting him, choosing not to study and learn and try to teach my children, would be a betrayal on my part.  Remembering is the debt I owe, the offering I must make in gratitude for what he sacrificed.  He, who lived almost two centuries before me, and yet whose life influenced mine.  How I wish I could somehow reach back in time and ease his burdens, comfort his sadness, be a support.  I feel so grateful for his life.

This year I decided to make a new centerpiece for my table showcasing one of my all-time favorite quotes about Lincoln.  Joseph Auslander said, “Abraham wore a stovepipe hat that brushed the stars where he walked.”

Oh, do I love that quote!  Since one of the distinguishing characteristics of Lincoln’s attire was his hat, I thought it would be fun to make one and incorporate the quote in my creation.

So, I created a hat using black paper and modge podge (rather scrappy, but I like it) and used a tea dyed strip of muslin to stamp the quote on.

I attached the strip of muslin like a hat band and added some glittered stars to the top of  the hat.

I’ve always had lots of patriotic decor and a few pictures of Lincoln, but nothing that represents him like this.

It’s a project I’ve intended to get to for years, to be honest.  Completing it this year has put a spring in my step.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

What do you do to celebrate President’s Day?

This was one of Abraham Lincoln’s favorite foods.  He first ate them as a boy, and they remained his favorite breakfast food throughout his life.  He often bragged that he could eat them faster than anyone could make them.  He also enjoyed them for late Sunday supper.

Essentially, corn cakes are pancakes made with cornmeal instead of flour.  Start with 2 cups cornmeal and mix in 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda.

Add one lightly beaten egg.

Then add 3 cups (yes, you read that right) buttermilk.

Mix until combined.  The batter will be fairly thin.

Cook in a hot pan sprayed with nonstick spray and serve with butter and maple syrup.  (Lincoln ate them drenched in sorghum syrup and butter.)

They are actually really yummy.  The buttermilk adds a tangy flavor that offsets the sweetness of the syrup.  Some members of our family actually prefer corn cakes over pancakes because the cornmeal makes them a bit heartier and gives them more texture.

I have actually used many different hoecake recipes over the years.  (I think Martha Stewart even had one on her website sometime!)  The version I’ve just shared with you is our favorite.

This recipe comes from a cookbook that I hunted down after contacting a museum for more information about the foods that Lincoln ate.  It’s not easy to find, but if you’re really interested, you can go on a treasure hunt of your own.  It’s titled “Lincoln’s Table”  by Donna D. McCreary.

Just in case you’re curious, George Washington ate them, too!  They make a perfect breakfast dish for President’s Day:  tasty AND historical!

Lincoln’s Corn Cakes

2 cups cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 lightly beaten egg
3 cups buttermilk

Mix together and cook like pancakes.  Have fun!

And this book is hauntingly beautiful.  I cannot read it without feeling humbled, reverent, grateful.

I saw this book for the first time during my senior year in college.  It was for sale at the university’s bookstore, and I loved it.  Whenever I had a minute, I’d go look at it.  We were newlyweds, and I was pregnant with our first baby, so purchases were a big deal.   As soon as I’d scraped together enough cash, I snagged this copy, and it’s been one of my most beloved books since.

This book is probably unlike any you’ve read before.
Sam Fink has brilliantly illustrated the text to Lincoln’s address given at Gettysburg, with a phrase or two on each page, used as part of the drawing.  Let me give you a peek inside.

The first page, with Fink’s declaration of his intent, and the entire text to the Gettysburg Address inscribed in the Liberty Bell.

A couple of segments of the speech:

The tenderness of this page tugs at my heart.

For me, Sam Fink’s black and white illustrations are the perfect match for the message of Lincoln’s speech, and they also seem to reveal Lincoln’s heart.

Each of these drawings are on the right hand page only.  The left hand page is blank except for a small illustration and quote in the upper left hand corner of the page.  These quotes are either words spoken by Lincoln or words spoken OF Lincoln, many of them after his death.

A few that I love:

The book ends with the quote:  “Now he belongs to the ages.”  I’ll let you read it to see the incredible illustration that accompanies it.

This book really is incredible.  Reading it this morning has set the most wonderful mood in my heart, one of respect and awe, and also gratitude and joy.  What a man!  What a time.  What a privilege simply to remember him.

If you’re interested in acquiring a copy for yourself, there are some available here.