“President and Mrs. Polk” at the State Capitol

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Ray and I had a wonderful day at the Tennessee state capitol yesterday. We left home about 5:20 a.m. dressed as President and Mrs. James K. Polk, along with Notgrass History videographer Titus Anderson. We returned fourteen hours later. The day was full of surprising blessings. As my friend who stayed with my mother said when we returned home, we planned the first part of our day and God took over with the rest of it.

The Tennessee Home Education Association does a wonderful job of its annual Rally Day. Its purpose is to showcase the success of homeschooling in Tennessee. We arrived before the capitol opened for the business of the day, so early that the sun had only reached the top of the capitol cupola.

The capitol was not yet open for visitors, so we waited on War Memorial Plaza . . .

. . . while its reflecting pool mirrored Nashville skyscrapers on that sunny and crisp morning.

How exciting it was to see homeschooling families gather in the grand chamber of the state house of representatives for the morning program. THEA president Claiborne Thornton welcomed us and led us in prayer to begin the program and closed us with prayer at the end. A homeschool brass ensemble, a string duet, and two choruses entertained us with music. We watched homeschooled children receive outstanding student awards and speech awards. We listened to two winning speeches on apologetics.

Speakers included the president of the Tennessee Eagle Forum and state senator and former homeschool dad Mike Bell. He told us about other legislators who are homeschool dads or homeschool graduates. State representative and former homeschool mama Terri Lynn Weaver spoke to us as well. Representative Weaver is a singer and composer. After her brief talk, she sang to us a deeply heartfelt acapella song of faith.

 

The grand finale of the program was a performance and talk by singer Scott MacIntyre. He had listened attentively through the entire program before his assistant led him to his keyboard to perform for us. Besides singing his beautiful songs of faith and encouragement, he also spoke words of faith and encouragement. He told of his own homeschool experience, of his decision to develop his talents in spite of his blindness, of his severe health challenges, and of our great hope in our great God.

Ray’s and my role at Rally Day was to portray President and Mrs. Polk which we did about midway in the program. “President Polk” spoke first about his early life. When the time came to tell about his marriage to Sarah Childress, he introduced me and I joined him at the podium. What a powerful experience it was to stand beside my real husband Ray at the high podium of the speaker of the house and look out across that beautiful room with its giant chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling and portray Mrs. Polk. It was truly thrilling.

“President Polk” and “Sarah” took turns telling their story through their time in the White House and their grand tour of the South after his presidency. President Polk died just three months after leaving the White House. At that point in our story, “President Polk” sat down and was hidden by the podium while “Sarah” spoke about the last 42 years of her life which she lived as a widow in Nashville.

I was so into my role at that point, that when Ray sat down and I continued as Polk’s widow, I felt emotional and as if I could cry. That had never happened when we practiced so it took me by surprise. That was my first surprise. I plan to share the especially exciting surprises tomorrow. At the end of our day of surprises, we walked back to the lobby outside the house chamber and took this photo beside the bust of the real President James K. Polk.

In his inaugural address, James K. Polk said:

In assuming responsibilities so vast I fervently invoke the aid of that Almighty Ruler of the Universe in whose hands are the destinies of nations and of men to guard this Heaven-favored land against the mischiefs which without His guidance might arise from an unwise public policy.

May God guard America today from “the mischiefs which without His guidance might arise from an unwise public policy.” The faith I saw in Tennessee legislators yesterday was deeply encouraging.

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers,
petitions and thanksgivings,
be made on behalf of all men,
for kings and all who are in authority,
so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life
in all godliness and dignity.
This is good and acceptable
in the sight of God our Savior, 
who desires all men to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4

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