The national day of prayer in Boalsburg. Power and prayer restored.

Today is national day of prayer. All over the country, and in places overseas people, in small groups, usually around a flagpole, but here in Boalsburg at the Military Museum, gather to pray.

Normally we are joined by our Congressman, Glenn Thompson, but he was otherwise occupied by trying to pass a new and better healthcare bill, so he sent his assurances some members of Congress met today early to pray, as they did daily when the nation was founded.

On Monday, at 6:35 P.M. a squall line came by our quaint little village. The down-burst did, as so often happens in historical villages with old trees, take down a few trees, which luckily did not do much harm to the buildings. The trees had been for the most part been well pruned, except a few maple trees that had just done this year’s growth and were at their most vulnerable, so a few secondary power lines went down. The major problem was four poles in a row along the major road snapped, even though no falling trees were involved. How can that happen? These were wooden poles, showing their age, badly overloaded with one high voltage line on top, one intermediate voltage in the middle, telephone and cable lines galore below, placed too far apart so the power lines resonated and swayed harder and harder until the lines snapped. We lost power for one day, most lost power for two days, and power is not yet restored to all customers.

This is when it hit me during the morning hour of prayer for the nation:

We are like the four power poles, overloaded, showing signs of age, getting brittle and lacking maintenance and stabilizing supports. When a down-burst comes, we too can snap if we are not anchored properly with multiple supports.

Our nation’s power grid is vulnerable not only from an EMP (ElectroMagnetic Pulse from either the sun or a nuclear blast) but also from hurricanes, tornadoes, down-bursts, terror attacks, overloading and lack of maintenance.

Likewise, spiritually we are like the overloaded power grid. We are vulnerable to attack from all sides, and without proper maintenance of daily prayer we too are in danger of losing power.

Greetings from Boalsburg on National Day of Prayer

We woke up early this morning. The birds were already singing, and my Wife and I got dressed and walked down to the flagpole in front of the Military Museum in Boalsburg, the birthplace of Memorial day.


Tussey Mountain and Mount Nittany were both in the clouds, and thanks to five days of rain the leaves on the trees shone in all the different shades that can only be experienced for a few days in May before they all turn uniformly dark green. People came from the large parking lot where the Amish and other farmers sell their organic produce in season.

The Christian Business men’s Connection had organized the event, as well as four more events in State College during the day. At this gathering our congressman, Glenn Thompson was attending

DSC_0994and he spoke for all of 90 seconds after the CMBC spokesman had opened with a prayer from Thomas Jefferson. Thompson mentioned that the U.S. Congress opens every day with prayer. He stayed and prayed with us for the rest of the hour.

DSC_0990We split into small groups and prayed for our nation, our leaders, military, first responders, medical people, teachers, and other people entrusted with authority.

DSC_0995People kept joining our groups as they arrived, the clouds parted and the sun started warming our backs. DSC_0998God keeps His promises: if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. ( 2 Chronicles 7:14)

On the way back, we went back via the memorial of Decoration Day, as it was first called

DSC_1003It was a day to remember.