Heritage in American History: Jefferson Memorial

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of chaperoning Alpha Omega Academy’s first field trip to Washington, D.C. Students from the states and abroad converged at Dulles and Reagan airports to start a week-long tour of our nation’s capital.

Never having been to D.C., I soaked up the history and culture like a sponge. Day after day, I witnessed landmarks that revealed our country’s faith-based heritage and the wisdom of our early leaders.

Blessed. That’s how this trip made me feel. Not only was I thrilled to explore “history” with an amazing group of students and chaperones, but I also felt as though God had given me a gift, an affirmation for my new trilogy.

One theme in my new release The Revisionary is rediscovering heritage to find hope for the future. Over the next few posts, I’d like to share first-hand glimpses into that heritage from our nation’s capital.

The Jefferson Memorial

Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of our Declaration of Independence and a man known for his eloquent pen.

The rotunda of the Jefferson Memorial bears inscriptions, excerpts from documents he wrote.

Consider this piece from one of his writings, engraved in the rotunda. The first line expresses his acknowledgment of and respect toward God as the Creator of life and liberty.

Were our early leaders perfect? Of course not. Did they make mistakes? Yes, they did. Many people think Jefferson himself was a Deist or heavily influenced by those beliefs, but regardless, he recognized God’s hand in America’s destiny.

Parting thought: Jefferson believed that God was the giver of life and liberty. What other “gifts” has God given you? Are you thankful for them? Count your blessings today.

~ Kristen

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Heritage in History at the Jefferson Memorial – @kjhogrefe (Click to Tweet)