Read Heschel on The Sabbath!

Dear Mr. President,

Today I will be returning from my "vacation." Four weeks ago I planned on coming to Rhode Island to play with my three younger children, have meaningful talks with my parents and return home to face the next school year.... rested. Instead as life would have it the plans changed. I was a caregiver to my mother who had open heart surgery. My children had fun with my brother and his family and I had meaningful talks with my parents but it looked a little different than we all had anticipated.

I will go home rested but my feet will have to hit the ground running. Saturday I will assist my nineteen year old in one of the age old traditions, taking your child to college. After Labor Day I will officially start my new job and begin another school year of home schooling with the three youngest. I look forward to teach another kindergartner to read!

It was stated in one of the news articles that you are going to Camp David to rest from your vacation. I can understand that. This was your first "official" vacation with your family and I'm sure with the death of Ted Kennedy in the middle of it there was mental arranging to do. You wanted, and rightly so needed, to share your condolences and then come back to your vacation with the work laid out for you; figuring out how to rest as President of the United States.

God gave us a gift, the Sabbath. Abraham Heschel has a book called "The Sabbath" that would do you well to read. It helps to form the perspective that is needed for the day of rest. Imagine the Creator resting. You also need to rest one day as well. I pray that during your administration you can cultivate this discipline that not only allows for rest but gives life.

It is humility that allows one to have a day of rest. It is the arrogant who assume they simply can not rest for fear that all of their best laid plans would unravel without them vigilant at the helm.

Rest, Mr. President, rest. Learn how to rest so that all of the world's issues, the Americans issues are placed in perspective. There is a proverb that is worth quoting here:
"....lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight." Prov. 3:4,5

Try to pass that proverb into legislation................heaven on earth!

Why don't you also give a call to Ms. Pelosi and ask her to abort her fund raising mission, tacky! One hundred thousand dollars will be doing what? There is today some child who is in desperate need of that money to pay for the much needed medical attention. Ms. Pelosi would do well to find that child, today.

Also, it is not looking good for the democrats to be using Ted Kennedy's death to raise support for the Health Care Reform, truly it is not. This is not the time. This is the time to come around his family with comfort, maybe in a couple of weeks but not now. Call Ms. Manners on that one and confirm my advice.

You do need your rest!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Burkholder