Amazing Grace

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Here’s Pete Souza’s picture of the first family during Easter service at Shiloh Baptist Church this morning. I’m far from being religious, but looking at this photo I had to stop and say a little prayer for this family, for this man. He is facing so much non-stop bullshit, but he just continue on with endless grace and much more faith in America than I have right now. I don’t know how he’s doing it, but he’s the greatest inspiration I have ever seen, and if I could ask for one little thing, is to have a chance to tell him just that.

89 thoughts on “Amazing Grace”

  2. What a fun family to watch. The Secret Service personnel are amazing. Pretty event.

  3. Such a gorgeous and happy looking family! I know the Lord is with them! Happy Easter everyone!

  4. I would love the same thing, especially as I teach US history to 8th graders during the year, and 11th graders in the summer. I think he’s an amazing President, and wonderful husband and father.

  5. To all those celebrating today, have a wonderful holiday.

    Thought I would re-post this:

    The First Family attended church service this morning at my sister’s church – Shiloh Baptist Church in Wash. DC. She said it was a great service. President Obama declined to speak when he was asked if he wanted to. It was about the service and not the President. My sister said that Malia had her head on her’s daddy’s shoulder practically the whole time. She also said security was amazing and “off the hook”.

  6. OUR BEAUTIFUL FIRST FAMILY…OUR ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL AND COMPASSIONATE PRESIDENT…’AMAZING GRACE’ INDEED…ALSO MY FAVORITE SONG! EASTER BLESSINGS TO ALL OF YOU!…:)

  7. I could not agree more, and hope you do indeed one day have the chance to tell him that… on your own behalf, and on behalf of so many of us who feel the same way!

    THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL BLOG! Happy Easter!!

  9. BWD, I think it likely that you already have – several times over – told him of your admiration because as savvy as he and Michelle and the Bidens and their staffs are, I’m sure some of them have visited your wonderful place here 🙂

    From Reno, to LA, to everywhere he travels, it is clear that we have much to be pleased regarding our fellow citizens. Polls and blogs are of so little relevance to most Americans and its clear President Obama is very much respected and very likely to be our President for the next 5 1/2 years as long as well all do everything we can to GOTV.

    A key insight into how dreadful the situation is for the Republicans is by this time in 2007 several candidates were already into campaign mode – all anticipating that they were going to have to defeat Senator Clinton. We see zero serious campaign organization for any Republican candidate, today, four years later.

    Simple reason – who wants to step forward and face President Obama. No one, really.

    And that little ‘object lesson’ he gave to Rep Ryan – having him seated in the front row, looking him straight in the face – telling him what a colossal FAIL his budget plan is. That little lesson is what any Republican candidate knows they are going to have to face and that is not something for the faint of heart to pursue. And, I assure you, if you could find a heart in any of them, it would be ‘fainting’ at the thought of campaigning daily against President Obama.

  10. Well said. God bless all of you. God bless the Obamas, and may God bless the United States of America. Happy Easter.

  11. I share great pride in our first family and I think our President is beyond amazing. Bless him for even wanting this job.

  14. Reuters said:

    “The president declined the pastor’s invitation to speak, but a little bit of politics did slip in: the man who led the church in prayers, when mentioning the Obama family, said: “Lord, they’re going to need you for the next six years.”

    Shouts of “Oh yeah” followed that intercession.”

  15. BWD, you keep your faith in having POTUS meet you. You never know what blessings are in store for you. You give so much to all of us, surely your blessings will come. Keep doing wonderful things just as your POTUS. We know that he is given amazing grace each day in order to put up with the bitter and hateful spirits around him. God’s grace still keeps him.

  16. God bless and keep the Obama family safe and happy. BWD, I think our president keeps his head above the non-stop bullshit by staying close to his loving family and by remembering every day that he’s already done a tremendous job for millions of Americans who may not appreciate him, but are benefitting by his non-stop hard work anyway. He’s also suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune his entire life and he’s simply gifted with a magnificent brain and a gigantic heart (not to mention a gorgeous smile!). He’s a super man and that’s why so many lesser humans fear and, consequently, hate him. It’s always that way with humans. It’s just their sorry nature. And, occassionally, a truly gifted human comes along and raises us all a notch or two above our lowest nature. I pray for the entire Obama family every day and my prayers are for you to tell him in person how much you admire him. You deserve to speak with him face to face if any American does! Love you!

  19. This is such a wonderful family. The strength they have together is what keeps them grounded. Thank you BWD for posting this beautiful picture and this very special day for those of us who celebrate Easter.

    I know it is going to be a long tough 18 months. The money behind the Repubs is more than we can imagine. But we have all of the people on our side and as Wisconsin is showing, it does make a difference.

    We will all be out there doing what we can.

    Love to all of you at this wonderful site. Thank you BWD for sifting thru all those horrid emails. You are also always in my prayers. We all need you too.

  21. I am thankful for Michelle Obama, FLOTUS, that she is there to keep our POTUS Barack OBama, grounded each day with the love of his wife and children. Nothing matters outside all of that. This was a wonderful week that Blackwaterdog has shown us of who come here everyday and several times a day. She is the candle of hope that guides us each day. God Bless you BWD, POTUS, his family, and all of us. Happy Easter and Passover everyone.

  23. BWD, I am sure you will have the opportunity to meet face to face with the President some time before the election. I am equally sure that your incredible work on this blog has not escaped notice. It’s not entirely a coincidence that the word “adult” keeps popping up in the political lingo of today. Even the President himself has said that we need to have an “adult conversation” about the difficult choices we face. As for faith in America – I remember having this absolute moment of despair in 2008 when things were not going as smoothly as the revisionist journalists would have you believe. At that moment I could see all the hope and promise just slip away. I calmed myself by resolving to do what little I could do – for the rest I accepted that I had to count on the basic good sense and fairness of the American people. I still feel that way. Yes, this is a big country, as the President always points out, and a big messy democracy and people are not always kind and often ignorant. But the core of this great country – my home as a “citizen of choice” – is still the same. We have become much more diverse and complex in our “pursuit of happiness”, but common sense, fairness and basic decency will still prevail over the excesses we see today. That’s my firm belief which I find so frequently strengthened by having this exceptional man as our President, voted into office by close to 70 million of our fellow citizens.

  24. Same here, bwd. Not religious, and I am in awe of President Obama’s grace and inspiration. The depth and quality of his character is unmatched in anyone I have ever known or known about. Every day I send the most positive, safekeeping vibes I can muster in his direction.

  25. Thank you for this wonderful place, BWD. I love this picture and your post brought tears to my eyes. I agree with others here that you are already telling him, because I’m sure they know the wonderful energy of this site, and I hope with you that you’ll be able to do so in person.

    Happy Easter everyone! We had a warm and beautiful day and ate outside. I could hardly believe it! Then more rain. That I could believe.

  26. Happy Easter to all who celebrate this most holy of days! His Grace is Amazing, indeed. I experienced a most wonderful, moving, and spiritual service this morning, and it seems as if the Obamas did, as well.

    Blackwaterdog, the title of your blog post made me think of this:

    That “magnificent grace,” Obama said, “calls me to reflect. And it calls me to pray. It calls me to ask God for forgiveness for the times that I’ve not shown grace to others, those times that I’ve fallen short. It calls me to praise God for the gift of … His Son and our Savior.”
    http://www.pcusa.org/news/2011/4/20/parsons-joins-obama-white-house-prayer-breakfast/

    As a side note – my goodness, doesn’t Malia look so much like Ms. Ann Dunham?!

  28. President Obama’s optimism, generosity and civility in the face of colossal hatred, lies and racism is proof of his deep and abiding faith. By their works you shall know them. Happy Easter.

  30. Thank you BWD. I will just say amen to your comment along with a pray for safety.

  31. My dear family here with our gracious BWD, I was just thinking as I am finishing my dinner (alone) of my favorites: a rack of lamb, jasmine rice and red onions,garlic and zucchini. As I gave grace for the meal, I thought of what BWD said about “Amazing Grace.” Then tears began to flow as I thought of the amazing grace that our President and FLOTUS have shown us through this past week with all of the hateful words that have been spoken against him. Yet he rises and goes to Sunday service with a smile that speaks volumes to us. You all are so right, POTUS give us the example of what your faith can and will keep you through it all. We will all give thanks for each other, lift each other up in prayers, of send out good vibes to each other here. We can and we must do this. When we all stick together and love each other in our own unique way, we can do this. Surely, this has been an amazing day for me. I thank all of you so very much. I should stop now because I can’t see my keyboard because of the flood of tears. I love you all and thank you all for allowing me to be a part of this lovely family. God bless you all.

  33. How wonderful; your comment put all in perspective.

    May the Lord shine his light on this exceptional President, his family, and all who spread the hope for a better America.

  35. Such beautiful words, HZ. Hugs to you and all here, may His blessings, peace and grace be with you always…

  36. Thank you BWD you made our Sunday even happier
    he, he.Now I’am ready for a tall margarita.

  37. I don’t thank you often enough BWD so I’m thanking you now. This is a lovely picture of the President and his family. I do believe a higher power is watching over them.

  38. BWD, I sure hope you get your chance to meet the president. Out of anyone I know, you should be the one to meet him.

    You do so much work on his behalf, out of the goodness of your heart and your convictions.

    President Obama takes so much garbage from so many people every day; it would be heartening for him to meet someone who appreciates him unconditionally.

    Hmmm, I wonder how we might make that happen? If I had any connections at all, I’d want to use them so you could meet President Obama — and then report every last detail to the rest of us!

  39. I also extend my very best to our beautiful First Family on their holiday, as well as to the members here celebrating Easter Sunday.

  40. Amen! I second your every word.

    May the Obama family continue to be richly blessed and continue to fly above it all. And the same for all of us.

  42. I wanted to wish everyone here a happy Easter or passover, and God bless you, President Obama and his family.

  43. bwd for what you do day in and day out which is comparable in terms of media to what active OFA volunteers do, the WH owes you some flowers at minimum. I know that they’re not really into media and for good reason, but this is just such a great site and such a beacon in a sea of total negativity, the current troll swarm/lie tsunami, and egocentrism. Thank you!

  44. It is so nice to know he was able to spend today in church surrounded by his family and a church full of praying people.

  45. HZ, your comments are always so lovely, wonderful and uplifting. You are not eating that dinner alone, please know that. God bless you too, in fact, from the delightful tone of your comments, I know that God has already blessed you. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself.

  46. HZ, you are such a beautiful warm person. After reading your posts I feel so inspired. Thanks for always being so positive and uplifting. I do share your zeal for the President and his family and they are ALWAYS in my prayers.

    Happy Easter to you and the entire BWD family.

  47. Gn, thank you so much for those kind and gentle words. I just came back to my computer and read your comment. No, I am not spiritually alone. You are so correct, God has blessed me to have much. I just do not have my immediate family here with me. I’m on one coast and they are on another. My sweet brother is very busy on the bench, so we have to text and share, so I miss them on holidays like this one this year. But I put my music on, light my candles, read my devotional materials, and pray a lot. Plus you all are so sweet, respectful of each other and share so much, so I am so bless. Thank you so very much. You all are my family, if you do not mind.

  48. Thank you so much Starshine. You are so kind. Those kind words and thoughtfulness are the things that keeps us such a beautiful family here. I love you all. Thank you. May you and your family enjoy each other daily. We are bless when we have beautiful family and dear friends. Have a blessed evening.

  50. This is a very special place which bwd has created for us; there’s no other like it actually (and I absolutely love a bunch of the other spaces as well because they also have unique features).

    Regardless of whether bwd gets to meet pbo, I just love love love meeting the people who were instrumental in putting making this huge change in this country; the pbo coalition is just full of the most wonderful people and I am so fascinated and delighted to interact here and irl with everyone. This site is one of the greats. What a step up from the netroots. Thank you everyone, what a pleasure, truly.

    h/t kasai (for anyone who missed this)

  55. HZ, I so appreciate all your postings. I am sorry you have to celebrate alone but there are so many ways of either being along and not being totally lonely. We are family here and even though this have been a beautiful day with family and friends in my home, the family here at TOAITR is so special.

    What we all share here is our love and admiration for this great President. We may not always agree on everything, but we know we can discuss it rationally. I love coming here on all days. It keeps me grounded.

    I do hope everyone had a very special day.

  57. Very well said. I also see this President, this man as one with integrity, character and strength far beyond what most have.

  60. Barb – I’m with you there! And I agree with BWD (and know she’ll meet President Obama one day soon!) (as I hope we ALL will … a girl can dream, can’t she?).

  61. HZ – You’re not alone, as you can see! We’re all here with you and our delightful First Family … through 2016!

  62. God bless you faithnhope. I try to enjoy you all here. You all are so gifted, and I am so proud to be in your company. You give me insight into a well of great thinkers such as yourselves. It is a blessing to be alive and aa part of this community. I know that you all will carry this nation into a brighter future with this wonderful President. Thank you for sharing so much love, hope, and respect as you all work together to make this Presidency a great one. This one senior is delighted to be in your company here. Thank you.

  63. Thank you jacquelineobommer. I thank you for that. I pray that I will be alive and well to see it happen to this wonderful President. I know we can re-elect him with the energy, knowledge, and hard work that all of you have done already. Thank you for including me into this wonderful and loving family.

  64. Thanks meta. You are so insightful. I enjoy your posts. May you continue to be given strength, wisdom and love to carry on in this great work. I enjoy you comments so much. Have a wonderful evening.

  65. You are so right mymarilyn. I do feel much love and happiness here with all of you. I just hope that all of you will enjoy your children, mothers and fathers, grandparents etc. while you have the wonderful opportunity. It is a blessing to have a loving family and gracious friends. Thanks for this community

  66. Is Jesus H Christ really Jesus Hussein Christ ? 🙂

    Happy Easter everyone. May the eggs explode on the faces of frustrati.

  67. I am new to this site. It is refreshing to see the comments on President Obama…I saw him at church with his family yesterday and was also very taken by his equanimity of spirit despite all the things thrown at him. He is indeed a great leader, only the blind can’t see or prefer not to see…I find this site quite interesting and look forward to posting future comments…Have a great day all….

  68. Welcome, Grenadagirl. I am so envious of your day yesterday, but it must have been a happy day for you and that is good.

  69. Welcome aboard the O train Grenadagirl. Be prepared for a terrific experience here. Many wonderful, articulate and well-informed individuals post here and needless to say, BWD is amazing.

  70. Morning all, I hope BWD and the ‘TOAITR’ Family had/are havin’ a ‘Happy Easter’ weekend…

    The White House Easter Egg Roll LIVE: (Allthough it’s suppose to start at 9EDT, WH festivities ALWAYS start late…You know how it is! ;))

    http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/easter-egg-roll-balcony-cam (WhiteHouse.Gov/EasterEggRoll)

    I’m a “Obamacrat”…Obama/Biden 2012! 🙂

  71. Morning Snoopy, I love the replacement for the presidential seal. Somebody has a Googlish sense of humor.

  74. By Lynn Sweet on April 22, 2011 6:49 PM | No Comments
    WASHINGTON–Google’s Eric Schmidt is dining Friday night with Obama 2012 campaign manager Jim Messina in Chicago–at Cafe Spiaggia–the day after Obama hosted a townhall meeting at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif.

    I’m told by a Democratic source the Schmidt/Messina dinner at the upscale eatery on Michigan Avenue is part of the Obama team wooing and coordinating with the tech world–from developing relationships with the top honchos to developing the best mobile apps for political communication.

    Obama Facebook townhall transcript is here.

    Feb. 17: Obama dines with high tech leaders in Woodside, Calif. Among those present: Schmidt, FacebookCEO Mark Zuckerberg, Carol Bartz, Yahoo! President and CEO; Art Levinson, Genentech Chairman.

    Flashback: Schmidt hosted Obama at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. during the Democratic primary campaign in November, 2007.

    From my column then: “Google CEO Eric Schmidt tested the geek in Obama, asking him “the most efficient way to sort a million 32-bit intergers.” Obama, coming prepared said, “I think the bubble sort would be the wrong way to go,” which is, of course, as you all know, a computer science reference to a sorting algorithm.”

  77. Thanks Jovie…

    In the end, it will be alright. WE just gotta “get on the ball!”

    PBHO and his Cabinet ARE doin’ their part. NOW, Congress need to do theirs!!!

    Obama/Biden 2012 🙂

  80. (Reuters) – The U.S. has consolidated an investigation of billing practices by hospital operator Community Health Systems Inc, the company said on Monday.

    The Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, multiple federal prosecutors’ offices and the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services are now “closely coordinating” their investigation, according to a securities filing by Community, which cites a court motion filed by the Justice Department.

    According to the filing, the government considers recent allegations against Community by rival hospital company Tenet Healthcare Corp to be related to the government probe.

    Tenet is trying to fight off a takeover bid from Community and filed a lawsuit against its suitor earlier this month. On Friday Tenet rejected Community’s latest $3.3 billion offer.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/25/us-communityhealth-idUSTRE73O2AH20110425

  81. Hugs back. I’M doing well, but my 86 year old mother fell, broke her hip, is struggling cognitively in rehab. Life can be sucky at times 😦

  82. Thank you! Not a great time in my life, but I was due. I’ve been blessed for so long, in so many ways. Hope you are well. I dop not post often, but still try to to get on a couple times a day, to be with other Obama appreciators.

  83. gc, I’m glad you’re doing well, but sad to know your mom is struggling with her recovery. Yes, life can be sucky. I hope your mom turns the corner in the most positive way.

  84. Good morning wonderful family. Over at The Obama Diary there is a post from Proud of Obama. She is hanging in there. What a shock to lose your husband so unexpectedly. Go and give her some love.

  85. Happy Easter Mr. President
    I hope your family had time to gather and enjoy one another in privacy. I see so much in the public and wonder when your time for family gets to happen.
    You have blessed so Many lives in our Nation and I hope that your family feels the blessings of the relationships you have with them individually.
    God Bless You Obama Family May you live long and prosperous lives, Each and Every one of You.
    Thank You for serving our nation so well, and to the Girls Melia and Sasha, Thank you for being such wonderful examples of Americans.
    Happy Easter !

  86. I know how you feel BWD. Coming to this site cheers me up when I feel PBO is not being treated fairly in the press, polls, or in general. It is hard seeing his poll numbers down when we all know how very hard he is working for us. My prayers are constantly with him and with his family. My prayers are for the People of our Country to understand how hard he is working for us and to help him, not just stand around and criticize and make stupid decisions like giving those that drove us into the ditch the keys back or the oil company pawns the reins.

  88. Did you guys read NYT’s excerpts of the new book about PBO’s Mother? Great read…

    There is a picture of little Obama in a pirate suite with his Mother in the article, and the most recommended comment in the article is this:

    “From the picture, it would appear that not only was Barack Obama born in Kenya, but he was also a pirate. Why are we only finding out about these things now?
    Recommended Recommended by 816 Readers
    Rep”

    I am going to order the book.

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