Life As It Happens

It's Been A While...

2010-11-11T01:46:00.003-05:00

Haven't been on this blog for quite some time...

after a grueling 2 years caring for my dad 24/7 he's finally gone home and my hubby has become disabled due to back injuries - things a bit upside down but I know it's God who is in control...

Maybe it's time to come back to my blog...

Here I can write what I feel without constraints and maybe,

just maybe

I'll journal the progress of my new business launch.

We'll see... but if anyone reads this I hope you're well!

Fatima: The True Story / Part 3c

2009-11-15T00:38:00.005-05:00

For those who believe, no explanation is necessary.
For those who do not believe , no explanation is possible.

—Author Unknown

***

As I’ve penned in the first post of “Fatima: The True Story,” I find myself wanting to retreat to a quieter place away from the mayhem.

I’ve decided to return to my ‘roots’ and record the true story of what happened in the very small village of Fatima in 1916.

Again, as I post these excerpts, I ask that the Holy Spirit touches the hearts of many and delivers its true message therefore eliminating any pre-judged prejudices regarding Catholicism – this, in my opinion, isn’t about ‘religion’ but, rather, the message.

***

The following excerpts from the book, The True Story of Fatima, are true accounts taken directly from Lucia’s memoirs and have been personally checked by her.

***

… When noon came, they did give their lunches to the sheep. Hungry as they were, it was a hard thing to do, to give away the bread and cheese that their mothers had prepared for them. As the days went by, they thought it would be more pleasing to the Lady to give their lunches to some poor children instead of the sheep. When they themselves got hungry, Francisco climbed the holm oaks and picked acorns, even though they were still green. But this wasn’t enough of a sacrifice for Jacinta. She suggested that they should prefer the acorns from the oak trees, for they were more bitter.

“That first afternoon,” Lucia recalled, “we relished this delicious meal. Other times, we ate pine seeds, roots of bell-flowers (a little yellow flower on whose root grows a little ball the size of an olive), mulberries, mushrooms and some things that we picked from the roots of pine trees, but I don’t remember what they are called. We did have some fruit, if we happened to be near our parents property.”

Those days were long days for the children, for there was no song or peace of mind to help speed the hours away. Their greatest trial came from their families. Lucia’s lot was the worst. Mother, sisters, friends and neighbors, all heaped abuse upon the little one. Her father, however, refused to let the affair bother him. He shrugged his shoulders and called it just some more women’s gossip. Yet if he was indifferent, Lucia’s mother worried a great deal about it. She used to say, “And I was the one to be burdened with these things. This was all I needed for my old age. To think that I was always so careful to bring up my children to tell the truth, and now that girl comes up with such a lie.”

Nor did Senhora Maria Rosa content herself with mere talk. She took action to stop this carrying-on of her child. One day before Lucia went out with the sheep, her mother tried to force her to confess that she was lying. She tried caresses, threats, then resorted to the broomstick. Lucia’s answer was either silence or continued confirmations of what she had already told. Finally, in desperation, the mother commanded her, “Take the sheep out and think over during the day that I have never approved lying in my children, much less will I overlook such a lie as this. When you return in the evening, I will force you to meet those whom you deceived. – confess to them that you have lied and you will ask for their forgiveness.” Lucia went away with the sheep, and when her companions saw her coming, for they had been waiting for her, they noticed she was crying. They ran to meet her. She told them what had happened and asked for their advice, “Mother wants me to say that I lied. How can I say that? What am I going to do?”

“It’s all your fault,” Francisco said to Jacinta. “What did you tell it for?”

Jacinta fell on her knees crying, and stretching out her arms, begged to be forgiven. “It’s all my fault, but never again will I tell anybody else.”

In the evening Lucia’s mother sought again to obtain a confession, so she decided to take her to the Pastor. “When you get there,” she scowled at Lucia, “you fall on your knees before the priest, -- tell him that you lied and ask to be forgiven. Do you hear? I don’t care what you think. Either you clear things up now, admit that you lied, or I will lock you in a room where you won’t ever again see the light of day. I have always succeeded in having my children tell the truth before. Am I going to let a thing of this sort pass in my youngest child? If only it wasn’t such an important matter!” But how could the child say that she had not seen what she did see? The words of the Lady ere proving true:

“You are going to suffer a great deal. But the grace of God will be your comfort.”

Part 4 to follow.

***

The following video, “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima - Part 04 of 10 /”, courtesy of You Tube.

###

Fatima: The True Story / Part 3b

2009-10-27T17:01:00.005-04:00

For those who believe, no explanation is necessary.
For those who do not believe, no explanation is possible.

—Author Unknown

***

As I’ve penned in the first post of "Fatima: The True Story,” I find myself wanting to retreat to a quieter place away from the mayhem.

I’ve decided to return to my ‘roots’ and record the true story of what happened in the very small village of Fatima in 1916.

Again, as I post these excerpts, I ask that the Holy Spirit touches the hearts of many and delivers its true message therefore eliminating any pre-judged prejudices regarding Catholicism – this, in my opinion, isn’t about ‘religion’ but, rather, the message.

***

The following excerpts from the book, The True Story of Fatima, are true accounts taken directly from Lucia’s memoirs and have been personally checked by her.

***

…When Lucia reached home, she said not a word to anyone about the Heavenly Visitor. After supper and prayers, she listened to the reading from the New Testament and went right to bed. How different were things in her cousins’ home! The Marto's had gone to market that day to buy a pig. They were not home when Francisco and Jacinta returned from the fields. Francisco, meanwhile, busied himself in the yard but Jacinta waited at the door for her parent’s arrival. She had already forgotten Lucia’s solemn warning, “Not a word, even to your mother.” Jacinta never kept any secrets from her mother, and today, when the greatest thing on earth had happened, how could she keep it from her mother?

Finally, her mother and father came in sight, her mother walking ahead, the father guiding the little animal. “The child ran to me,” her mother described the scene, “and took hold of me as she had never before done. ‘Mother,’ she burst out excitedly, ‘I saw Our Lady today in the Cova da Iria.’ ‘My! My!’ I said. ‘Don’t tell me. You must certainly be a good little girl to see Our Lady!”

“Sad and disappointed, she followed me into the house, insisting over and over again, ‘But I did see Her!’ Then she began to tell me all that had happened, the flash, their fear, the light. She told me how beautiful and pretty the Lady was, how the Lady was surrounded by a blinding light and how the Lady asked her to say the Rosary every day. I put no stock in her words, saying ‘You are really silly. As if Our Lady would appear to a little girl like you!”

“Then I began to mix the feed for the little pig. My husband was standing by the pen, watching to see how it would get along with the other animals. After the animals were fed, he came into the house and sat by the kitchen fire to eat his supper. His brother-in-law, Antonio da Silva, was with us and all my children were there. Then, with some severity, I told Jacinta to repeat this story of Our Lady at the Cova da Iria. Right away she began, with all the simplicity in the world.”

“It was a Lady so beautiful, so pretty… dressed in white, with a chain of gold around Her neck extending down to Her breast… Her head was covered with a white mantle, yes, very white… I don’t know but it was whiter even than milk… which covered Her to the feet… all embroidered in gold… how beautiful! She kept Her hands together, in this way.’ The cold rose from the stool, joined her hands at the breast, imitating the vision. ‘She had beads between Her fingers… Oh! What a beautiful Rosary She had… all of gold, brilliant as the stars at night with a crucifix that was shining. The Lady spoke a lot with Lucia, but never with me or with Francisco. I heard everything they said. Mother, it is necessary to say the Rosary every day! The Lady said this to Lucia. She said also that She would take the three of us to Heaven, Lucia, Francisco and me, too… and many other things I don’t know, but Lucia does. And when She entered into Heaven it seemed that the doors closed with such speed that Her feet were almost caught outside.”

Francisco confirmed the words of Jacinta. The girls in the family were most interested, but the boys all laughed at the story, echoing the words of their mother, “A good little saint you are, for Our Lady to appear to you.” Antonio da Silva tried to offer his explanation, “If the children saw a Lady all dressed in white… who could it be but Our Lady?”

The father, meanwhile, was mulling it over in his mind, trying to fit together the religious principles involved. Finally he said, “Since the beginning of time, Our Lady has appeared many times and im many ways. This is what has been helping us. If the world is in bad shape today, it would be worse, had there not been cases of this sort. The power of God is great! We do not yet know what it is, but it will be something… God’s will be done.” Later he confessed, “I believed what the children said was true almost at once. Yes, I believed immediately. For I was thinking that the children had received no education, not the least. Were it not for the help of Providence, they would never even have thought of it. Did I think the children might be lying? Not at all! Francisco and Jacinta were too much opposed to untruths.” Some time later, when the Bishop of Leiria published his official decision on the matter, he did no more than develop the arguments advanced by Ti Marto over his bowl of soup. Finally, they all retired, taking the father’s advice that they should leave it in God’s hands.

When Jacinta’s mother saw the next morning some of her neighbors, she related with a smiling condescension the children’s secrets. The news caused such a sensation that in no time at all it spread all through the village, finally reaching Lucia’s family.

Maria dos Anjos was the first to hear the news. “Lucia,” she said to her sister, “I have heard people talking, saying that you saw Our Lady at the Cova da Iria. Is that true?”

“Who told you?” Lucia was so surprised that the news had gotten out. She stood there, thinking. Then, after a while, she mumbled, “And I had asked her so much not to tell anyone!”

“Why?”

“I don’t know if it is Our Lady. It was a most beautiful Lady.”

“And what did that Lady tell you?”

“She wanted us to go to the Cova da Iria for six months, without interruption, and then She would say who She is and what She wants.”

“Didn’t you ask Her who She was?”

“I asked Her where She was from; and She said to me, ‘I am from Heaven.’”

Lucia fell into great silence so that she would not have to tell anything, but Maria coaxed her so much that she told her more.

Lucia was very sad. At this point Francisco came along and confirmed Lucia’s suspicion that it was Jacinta who had wagged her tongue. Senhora Maria Rosa laughed at the whole thing. But when her eldest daughter told her was Lucia had said, she realized something serious was taking place. Calling Lucia immediately, she made her repeat the whole story. The gossip is true! She hated to believe it, but it was beginning to appear that her child was turning out to be a liar!

The afternoon of the fourteenth, the children went out as usual with their sheep. Lucia, frightened as she was by her mother’s unbelieving attitude, walked along in silence. Jacinta, too, was miserable, embarrassed because she had broken her promise to Lucia. The joy of the vision had been quickly destroyed by the ridicule and disbelief that had met their sincere account of the vision. Finally, they reached the Cova da Iria, and Jacinta sat on a rock silent, gloomy as could be. Lucia, feeling sorry at her little cousin’s grief, forced a smile and said, “Jacinta, let’s play.”

“I don’t want to play today!”

“Why?”

“Because I am thinking that the Lady told us to say the Rosary and make sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. Now, when we say the Rosary, we have to say every word in the Hail Mary and the Our Father.”

“Yes,” Lucia agreed, “but how are we going to make sacrifices?”

“We can give our lunch to the sheep,” Francisco suggested.

***

Part 3c to follow.

***

The following video, “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima - Part 03 of 10 /”, courtesy of You Tube.

###

Fatima: The True Story / Part 3a

2009-10-21T23:11:00.005-04:00

For those who believe, no explanation is necessary.
For those who do not believe, no explanation is possible.

—Author Unknown

***

The following excerpts from the book, The True Story of Fatima, are true accounts taken directly from Lucia’s memoirs and have been personally checked by her.

***

...May, the month of flowers, follows the long April rains that wash the face of mother earth after her long winter sleep. Then God covers the world with jewels more beautiful than any precious stones. What can be more beautiful than the dainty, many-colored flowers of May?

On Sunday, the thirteenth of May, in the year of 1917, during the midst of the First World War, God sent to earth the loveliest flower of the ages. His own beautiful Mother, Mary, whom [Catholics] address as 'Queen of the May'. On that day, the children went to early Mass. “Heaven forbid,” Senhora Marto said, “that we should ever miss hearing Mass on Sundays, whether it rained or thundered or even if I were nursing my babies. Sometimes we had to go to Boleiros, Atouguia or Santa Catarina, almost six miles journey. I had to get up early and leave everything in my husband’s care. He would go to a later Mass. We could not take the babies with us when they were little, for then, neither we nor anyone else in church would have been able to hear Mass. Babies look like angels, but they don’t act like angels.” Returning from Mass, the mother packed the childrens lunches and sent them off with the sheep.

This day Lucia and her little cousins met as usual at the small bog, beyond the village, called the Barreiro, on the way to Gouveia, whence they proceeded to the Cova da Ira. Because the ground was rocky and filled with so much brush, they crossed it very slowly. It was almost noon before they reached their chosen spot. When they heard the church bells summoning the people to the last Mass they knew it was time for lunch. So they opened their bags and ate, as usual saving a little for later on. Their meal finished, they sped through their Rosary and then chased the sheep up the hill. Their game today would be building, making castles out of the rocks. Francisco was the mason and architect, Lucia and Jacinta gathered the stones.

While they were thus busily intent upon their building projects, a sudden bright shaft of light pierced the air. In their efforts to describe it they called it a flash of lightning*. Frightened**, they dropped their stones, looked first at each other, then at the sky which was very clear and bright without the least spot of a cloud. No breeze stirred the air, the sun was shining strong. Such perfect weather belied this flash of lightning, the forerunner of a storm. The children decided that they had better start for home before it rained. Quickly they gathered the sheep and started down the hill. Half way down, just as they were passing a tall oak tree, another shaft of light split the air. Panicky with fear, and as if led by some unknown power, they took a few steps, turned towards the right and there, standing over a foliage of a small holm oak, they saw a most beautiful lady.

“It was a Lady dressed all in white,” Lucia records, “more brilliant than the sun, shedding rays of light, clear and stronger than a crystal glass filled with the most sparkling water, pierced by the burning rays of the sun.”

“Fear not!” the Lady said, “I will not harm you.”

“Where are you from?” Lucia made bold to ask.

“I am from Heaven,” the beautiful Lady replied, gently raising Her hand towards the distant horizons.

“What do You want of me?” Lucia humbly asked.

“I come to ask you to come here for six consecutive months, on the thirteenth day, at this same hour. I will tell you later who I am and what I want. And I shall return here again a seventh time.”

“And I, am I, too, going to Heaven?” Lucia asked.

“Yes, you shall,” the Lady assured her.

“And Jacinta?”

“Yes.”

“And Francisco?”

“He too shall go, but he must say many Rosaries,” the Lady responded.

Lucia asked some more question of the Lady. Two girls who used to come to her house to learn sewing from her sisters recently died. Lucia wanted to find out about them too.

“And Maria de Rosario, daughter of Jose das Neves, is she in Heaven?”

“Yes,” the Lady replied.

“And Amelia?”

“She is still in Purgatory.”

Lucia’s eyes filled with tears. How sad, that her friend Amelia was suffering in the fires of Purgatory. Then the Lady said to the children:

“Do you want to offer yourselves to God to endure all the sufferings that He may choose to send you, as and act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended and as a supplication for the conversion of sinners?”

Promptly Lucia responded for all three, “Yes, we want to.”

“Then you are going to suffer a great deal,” the Lady promised, “but the grace of God will be your comfort.”

As She pronounced these words, the Lady opened Her hands and shed upon the children a highly intense light, that was as if it were a reflection shining from them. “This light penetrated us to the heart,” Lucia reported, “and its very recesses, and allowed us to see ourselves in God, Who was that light, more clearly than we see ourselves in a mirror. Then we were moved by an inward impulse, also communicated to us, to fall on our knees, while we repeated to ourselves:

“O Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee; my God, my God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament.”

Again the Lady spoke to them, “Say the Rosary every day to bring peace to the world and the end of the war.”

“She began then to elevate Herself serenely,” Lucia said, “going in the direction of the East until She disappeared in the immensity of space, still surrounded by a most brilliant light that seemed to open a path for Her through the myriad galaxies of stars.”

The children stood riveted to the spot for some time, their eyes fastened on the skies where they last saw the Lady. Gradually they returned to themselves, and looking around for the sheep, they found them grazing upon the sparse grass under the shade of the holm oaks. They noticed that the vegetables in the garden were not even touched. They were ever so happy, and grateful to the Lady for Her caring for the sheep, and thereby sparing them punishment at home; but their joy was supreme and beyond all description for having seen the exquisitely beautiful Mother of God. She was so wonderful, so lovely! They felt the same joy now as when the Angel visited them, only when the Angel came, they felt a sort of annihilation before his presence; whereas, with Our Lady, they received strength and courage. “Instead of bodily exhaustion, we felt a certain physical strength,” Lucia described her reaction. “In place of annihilation before the Divine Presence, we felt exultation and joy; in place of difficulty in speaking we felt a certain communicative enthusiasm.”

The children spent the rest of the afternoon in the fields, living over and over again the short visit of Our Lady. They were so supremely happy, though mixed with deep concern. Our Lady seemed unhappy over something and they tried to fathom the meaning of Her every word. Meanwhile, Francisco pressed the girls with questions to learn everything She had said. They told him everything. When they told him that Our lady promised that he would go to Heaven, bursting with joy, he folded his hands in front of his breast and exclaimed aloud, “O, My Lady, I will say all the Rosaries You want!”

Lucia thought it best for them to keep the vision secret. She was old enough to realize how incredulous people are about such things, and more, she had had previous and bitter experience when the girls who first saw the Angel spread the news through the neighborhood. Francisco and Jacinta both agreed to Lucia’s suggestion. Lucia, however doubted Jacinta’s ability to keep it secret , for the little girl’s face shone with joy and she would say so often, “Ai que Senhora tao bonita! Oh, such a beautiful Lady!”

“I just know you are going to tell it to everyone,” Lucia warned Jacinta.

“Honest, I will not tell anyone,: Jacinta assured her.

“You won’t breathe a word, even to your mother?”

“I won’t tell anyone.”

“We’ll keep it a secret,” they all agreed.

But how could little Jacinta keep it a secret, when she had seen such a beautiful Lady?...

Part 3b to follow.
________________________________________________________________

* “it was not really lightning but the reflection of a light which approached little by little. In this light, we could see Our Lady only when She was above the holm oak. We could not explain the fact to ourselves and to avoid questioning was the reason that we sometimes said that we saw Our Lady coming, sometimes not. When we said that we saw Her coming, we were speaking of this light that we saw approaching which was afterward the Lady Herself. When we said we had not seen it come, we meant that we saw the Blessed Virgin only when She was nearer the hom oak.” (Memoirs of Lucia).

**”The fear which we experienced did not properly have to do with the Blessed Virgin but rather with the storm which we believed imminent and which we wished to escape. The apparition of Our Lady inspired neither fear nor dread but only surprise.” (Memoirs of Lucia).

***

The following video, “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima - Part 02 of 10 /Complete movie in English/”, courtesy of You Tube.

###

Fatima: The True Story / Part 2

2009-10-19T00:47:00.004-04:00

For those who believe, no explanation is necessary.
For those who do not believe , no explanation is possible.

—Author Unknown

***

As I’ve penned in the first post of Fatima: The True Story, I find myself wanting to retreat to a quieter place away from the mayhem.

I’ve decided to return to my ‘roots’ and record the true story of what happened in the very small village of Fatima in 1916.

As I post these excerpts, I again ask that the Holy Spirit touches the hearts of many and delivers its true message therefore eliminating any pre-judged prejudices regarding Catholicism – this, in my opinion, isn’t about ‘religion’ but, rather, the message.

***

The following excerpts from the book, The True Story of Fatima, are true accounts taken directly from Lucia’s memoirs and have been personally checked by her.

***

The eldest of the *three children to whom Our Lady was to appear at Fatima was Lucia de Jesus dos Santos. Born on March 28, 1907, she was the youngest of the seven children of Senor Antonio dos Santos and his wife, Maria Rosa. They lived in the hamlet of Aljustrel, which is situated as an oasis among the rocky hills of Aire, forming a part of the village of Fatima. Senhor dos Santos was a farmer whose small holdings where scattered about the hills of the vicinity. (*In photo, from left to right: Jacinta, Lucia and Francisco).

Lucia was always healthy and strong. Although her features, a rather flat nose and a heavy mouth, suggested a frown, her sweet disposition and keen mind were reflected in a pair of dark, beautiful eyes which glistened under their heavy lids, making her most attractive. She was particularly affectionate toward children and very early began to prove herself a help to mothers in minding their young ones. She was singularly gifted in holding the attention of the other children by her affection and resourcefulness. She is remembered also as being fond of dressing up. At the numerous religious festivals she was always among the most colorfully dressed of the girls. Moreover she loved these occasions for their gaity, and especially for the dancing.

Lucia’s father was like many a man of his class. He did his work, performed his religious duties, and spent his free time among his friends at the tavern, leaving the children completely in the care of his wife. And she was in every way equal to the task, even if perhaps a little strict in her discipline.

Devoutly religious, Senhora Maria Rosa was possessed of more than average common sense, and, unlike most of her neighbors, she could read. Thus she was able to instruct not only her own but her neighbors’ children in the catechism. Evenings she would read to the children from the Bible or other pious books, and sedulously she reminded them of their prayers, urging them particularly to remember the Rosary, traditionally the favorite devotion of the people of Portugal. It should not be surprising, therefore, that Lucia was able to receive her First Holy Communion at the age of six instead of ten, as the custom then dictated.

Francisco and Jancita, the other two principals, were Lucia’s first cousins, the eighth and ninth children, respectively, born of the marriage of Senhor Manuel Marot and Senhora Olimpia Jesus dos Santos. This marriage was the second for Olimpia, her first husband having died after giving her two children. Olimpia was the sister of Senhor dos Santos, Lucia’s father.

Francisco, their youngest boy, was born June 11, 1908. He grew to be a fine looking lad, in disposition much like his father, Ti Marto, as the parent was usually called. Lucia recalls particularly how calm and condescending Francisco was in contrast to the whimsical and light-hearted Jacinta. Though he loved to play games, it mattered little to him whether he won or lost. In fact, there were times when Lucia shunned his company because his apparent lack of temperament irritated her. At these times she would exert her will over him making him sit still by himself for a period of time; then feeling sorry for him she would bring him into the game they might be playing, and Francisco would remain apparently unaffected by the treatment.

“Yet for all this,” his father recalls, “he was sometimes wider and more active than his sister Jacinta. He could lose his patience and fuss like a young calf. He was absolutely fearless. He could go anywhere in the dark. He would play with lizards, and when he found a small snake he made it coil itself around his staff and he filled the holes in the rocks with ewe’s milk for the sankes to drink…”

Ti Marto, though illiterate, was a man of real wisdom and prudence. He had a remarkable sense of values, and he must have instilled into the mind and heart of Francisco a deep appreciation of the natural beauties of life. Young as the boy was, he loved to contemplate the world around him: the vastness of the skies, the wonder of the stars, and the myriad beauties of nature at sunrise and sunset. Francisco loved music too. He used to carry a reed flute with which he would accompany the singing and dancing of his companions, his sister Jacinta and his cousin Lucia.

Jacinta, born March 11, 1910, was nearly two years younger than her brother. She resembled Francisco in features, but differed sharply in temperament. Her round face was smooth-skinned, and she had bright, clear eyes and a small mouth with thin lips, but a somewhat chubby chin. She was well proportioned, but not as robust as Francisco. A quiet, untroublesome infant, she grew to be a lovable child, though not without an early tendency to selfishness. She too easily to a sense of piety, but was equally given to play. In fact, it seems to have been her idea sometime before the apparitions to reduce their daily Rosary to a repetition of only the first two worlds of the Hail Mary, a practice, which, of course, they hastily abandoned in due time.

Jacinta had a strong devotion to Lucia, and when it became the latter’s chore to take the sheep to the hills to graze, Jacinta pestered her mother until she was given a few sheep of her own so that she could accompany her cousin to the hills. Each morning before sunrise Senhora Olimpia would awaken Francisco and Jacinta. They would bless themselves as they got up and say a little prayer. Their mother, having prepared breakfast, usually a bowl of soup and some bread, would go to the barn to release the sheep, and then returning to the house, would prepare a lunch with whatever was at hand, probably bread with olives, codfish or sardines. By the time she had finished this, the children were ready to go to meet Lucia with her flock of sheep. Before the apparitions they used to meet with other children, but after the apparitions of the Angel these three stayed more or less by themselves.

Lucia would select the place for the day’s pasturing. Usually they went to the hill country, where Senhor dos Santos owned some property. Sometimes she took them out to the open country around Fatima. A favorite place in the summer, however, was the Cabeco, a grassy hill that also offered the shade of trees – olive, pine, and holm oak – as well as the Cave. It was much closer to home than the other pasturelands, and the children found it best for playing.

One of Lucia’s earlier companions recalls, “Lucia was a lot of fun and we loved to be with her because she was always so pleasant. We did whatever she told us to do. She was very wise, and she could sing and dance very well; and with her we could spend our whole day singing and dancing…”

And Lucia remembers, even today, all their beautiful, simple songs. When they heard the sound of the church bells, or when the height of the sun told them it was noon, they stopped their playing and dancing to recite the Angelus. After eating their lunch, they would say their Rosary and then go on with their playing. They would return home in the evening in time for supper, and, after their night prayers, they would go to bed.

***

The following video, Fatima Portugal 1917, courtesy of You Tube.

***

Part 3 to follow.

###

Fatima: The True Story / Part lb

2009-10-12T01:35:00.006-04:00

For those who believe, no explanation is necessary.
For those who do not believe, no explanation is possible.

—Author Unknown

***

As I’ve penned in the first post of Fatima: The True Story, I find myself wanting to retreat to a quieter place away from the mayhem.

I’ve decided to return to my ‘roots’ and record the true story of what happened in the very small village of Fatima (Portugal) beginning in 1916.

Again, as I post these excerpts, I ask that the Holy Spirit touches the hearts of many and deliver its true message therefore eliminating any pre-judged prejudices regarding Catholicism – this, in my opinion, isn’t about ‘religion’ but, rather, the message.

***

The following excerpts from the book, The True Story of Fatima, are true accounts taken directly from Lucia’s memoirs and checked by her in person.

***

...Children being children, the special fervor did wear off and it was not long before they went back to their daily round of playing, singing and dancing. One notable effect remained, however, which seemed to fit in with the events that followed. The three little cousins were content to spend all their time together.

When the summer months came, bringing with them the scorching heat of the sun, the children were awakened each dawn to take their sheep out to the fields while the grass was still covered with the morning’s dew. When the heat burned off the dew, and the sheep’s hunger was dulled, the children led them back again to the barn to stay there until evening when they would again to be led out to the fields. Meanwhile, the three cousins spent their days playing their games under the inviting shade of the fig trees. When they were tired, they relaxed at the well, under the lacy foliage of the olive and almond trees. It was while resting there, during one early afternoon, that the Angel visited them again. Lucia tells us what happened:

“What are you doing?” The Angel suddenly appeared at their side.

“Pray! Pray a great deal! The hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy for you! Offer unceasingly to the Most High prayers and sacrifices!”

“But how are we to sacrifice ourselves?” Lucia asked.

“Offer up everything within your power as a sacrifice to the Lord in an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended; and of supplication for the conversion of sinners. Thus invoke peace upon your country. I am her Guardian Angel; the Angel of Portugal. Above all, accept and bear with submission the sufferings that the Lord may send you.”

Only Lucia and Jacinta heard the Angel’s words. Francisco only saw the Angel and knew that he was speaking to the girls. Burning with curiosity, he wanted to learn what was said.

“Jacinta, tell me what the Angel said!”

“I will tell you tomorrow, Francisco. I am not able to speak now.” The little girl go so overwhelmed that she lacked the strength to speak.

The next day, as soon as he got up, Francisco asked Jacinta, “Could you sleep last night? I was thinking of the Angel all night long trying to guess what he said to you.”

Lucia told him all the Angel said. The little lad could not grasp the meaning of the words of the Angel and kept interrupting, “What is the Most High? What does he mean, “The hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplication?”

“When he learned the answers, he became thoughtful,” Lucia relates, “and then again started asking other questions. But my spirit was not yet entirely free. I told him to wait for the next day.

“Satisfied, he waited for a while, but he did not miss the first opportunity to ask new questions. It made Jacinta raise her voice, saying, “Take care! We must not speak much about these matters!”

“Every time we spoke of the Angel,” says Lucia, “I did not know what came over us. Jacinta used to say, ‘I don’t know what happens to me, but I cannot speak, play or sing; I don’t have the strength for the smallest thing,’ and Francisco would remark, ‘Neither can I. What does it matter? The Angel is more important. Let us think about him.”

In later years, Lucia revealed: “The words of the Angel were like a light that made us realize who God was, how He loved us and wanted to be loved; the value of sacrifice, to what degree it pleased Him, and how it was rewarded with the conversion of sinners. From that moment, we began to offer to the Lord everything that mortified us…repeating the prayer that the Angel had taught us.”

Autumn drew near. The children set out with the sheep to the hills for the whole day. They were due for another surprise visit.

We wandered from Pregueira to Lapa, going around the hill by the side of Aljustrel and Casa Velha,” Lucia continued her report. “We said the Rosary there an the prayer that the Angel had taught us in the first apparition. Then the Angel appeared to us for the third time. He was holding a chalice in his hand. A Host was over it, from which fell some drops of Blood into the chalice. Leaving the chalice and Host suspended in mid-air, he prostrated himself on the ground, repeating this prayer three times:

“Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly, and I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the same Son, Jesus Christ, present in the Tabernacles of the world, in reparation for all sacrileges, outrages and indifferences by which He Himself is offended. And by the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.

The Angel then arose, and holding the chalice and the Host again, he gave the Host to Lucia, and the contents of the chalice of Jacinta and Francisco, while he said:

“Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimes and console your God.”

He prostrated himself again on the ground and again repeated with the children three times the prayer: “Most Holy Trinity…" Then he disappeared.

The full meaning of this vision unfolded slowly and astonishingly to their young minds. Their whole being became absorbed by a new, strange, yet happy feeling of the inward presence of God. They kept silence for some time. Francisco was the first to break it. He had not heard the Angel speak and was anxious to learn everything.

“Lucia,” he said, “I know that the Angel gave you Holy Communion. But what did he give Jacinta and me?”

“The same; it was Holy Communion,” Jacinta replied at once, overflowing with joy, :did you not see that it was the Blood that dropped from the Host?”

“I felt that God was within me," he agreed, “but did not know how."

The tree of them remained kneeling on the ground for a long while, repeating over and over again the inspired, heart-stirring prayer the Angel had taught them.

***

To be continued.

###

One Singular Sensation...

2009-10-04T23:45:00.006-04:00

with every move that he makes...

[or so he thinks...]

just a bit of comedy relief before I resume posting Fatima's true story...

ahum, anyway, ready Maestro?

5-6-7-8:

Fatima: The True Story / Part 1a

2009-09-24T13:05:00.005-04:00

For those who believe, no explanation is necessary.
For those who do not believe, no explanation is possible.

—Author Unknown

***

As our country decays second by second, I find myself wanting to retreat to a quieter place away from the mayhem.

What is happening to our great America?

Perhaps, for me, ‘the icing on the cake’ was the ‘speech’ given by President Obama at the UN this week…

he’s clearly sold out the greatest nation on the earth….

Although I firmly believe in standing up for truth,
the time has come for America to embrace something even more ‘radical’ than that of this administration…

we, as a whole, need to seek God in true humility and obedience.

And so instead of posting numerous news events and opinions regarding these upside down days,

I’ve decided to return to my ‘roots’ and record the true story of what happened in the very small village of Fatima in 1916.

As I post these excerpts, I ask that the Holy Spirit touches the hearts of any readers and deliver its true message therefore eliminating any pre-judged prejudices regarding Catholicism – this, in my opinion, isn’t about ‘religion’ but, rather, the message.

***

The following excerpts from the book, The True Story of Fatima, are true accounts taken directly from Lucia’s memoirs and checked by her in person.

***

l. The Angel

Fatima is a village in the very center of Portugal, about 70 miles north of Lisbon. It consists of numerous little hamlets hidden away in the elevation known as Serra de Aire. One such hamlet is known as Aljustrel; and it is here, and more especially in the surrounding rocky pasturelands, that our story is centered.

On a day unnamed in any of the records, in the year 1915, four little girls had been playing in the fields. Lucia de Jesus dos Santos, a child of eight, was among them. When the sun told them that it was mid-day, they sat down to their lunch, and having finished, began the Rosary as was their custom even at that tender age. During the recitation all of them noticed the sudden appearance of a cloud in a form like that of a man, hovering above the foliage of the village.

“Like a cloud, whiter than snow, slightly transparent, with a human outline,” was Lucia’s description…..

…A year passed, Lucia as usual was out in the fields with the sheep. This time, her little cousins, Jacinta and Francisco, were her companions and playmates.

“We had gone with the sheep to the section of my father’s land that lies at the foot of the Cabeco,” Lucia recalled, giving us from memory the exact details. “It is called the Casa Velha. About mid-morning, a drizzle began to fall. Seeking shelter, we climbed the slope, followed by our sheep. It was then that we first entered the Cave that was to become so sacred. It lies in the middle of one of my godfather’s olive orchards and from it can be seen the little village where I was born, my father’s house and the hamlets of Casa Velhas and Eira da Pedra. The olive orchards extend for long distances, until they seem to become one with these small hamlets.

“The rain stopped,” Lucia went on, “and the sun shone brightly, but we spent the day in the cave. We had our lunch and after the Rosary we started to play jacks.

“We played only a short while, when a strong wind shook the trees, and made us raise our eyes to see what was happening, for the day was serene. There above the trees toward the East, we began to see a light, whiter than snow. It was the form of a young man, transparent, more brilliant thatn a crystal pierced by the rays of the sun…” Lucia tried to describe each detail of his appearance. “As he approached, we began to distinguish his features. We were so surprised and half absorbed, and we could not utter one word. He came near us and said:
“Fear not! I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me!”

The Angel knelt on the ground and bowed very low. By some inspiration, they imitated him and repeated the words they heard him pronounce:

“My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love Thee. I ask pardon for all those who do not believe in Thee, do not adore Thee, do not hope in Thee, do not love Thee.”

We repeated these words three times.

Then he arose and said:

“Pray this way. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications.”

The Angel disappeared and the awareness of the supernatural was so intense that for a long space of time they remained there in the same position in which he left them, unaware of their very existence, repeating that same payer over and over again.

“We felt the presence of God so intensely, so intimately, that we dared not speak even to each other. The next day we felt ourselves still enveloped by that atmosphere. Only very gradually did its intensity diminish within us. None of us thought of speaking of this apparition or of recommending that it be kept a secret. It imposed secrecy of itself. It was so intimate that it was not easy to utter even a single word about it. Perhaps it made a deeper impression upon us because it was the Angel’s first clear manifestation.”

***

Part 1b to follow.

Swine Flu: Nature? Accident? or...

2009-09-13T12:50:00.002-04:00

Biological warfare? You decide. The following videos courtesy of You Tube.

***

###

The Day The World Stood Still

2009-09-11T16:03:00.004-04:00

September 11, 2001... For all the lives lost that day, may we never forget... And, for today, May God help us.

In Response To Obama’s Health Care Speech

2009-09-10T10:39:00.002-04:00

"You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

—Adrian Rogers, 1931

***

As our current president forges ahead with his healthcare,

‘We the people’ are forging ahead to Washington

to end the corruption in DC.

As true patriots, ‘We the people’ believe

that if our founding father, George Washington, were alive,

he’d be leading us.

God speed, fellow patriots, and may our current president and all others on Capital Hill learn that they work for us and that we the people are what America is.

###

Cass Sunstein: Another Obama Kook

2009-09-09T12:21:00.010-04:00

... that has got to go!

SEND YOUR PETITIONS AGAINST SUNSTEIN TODAY!

Why? Well for starters, there's Sunstein’s [kooky] beliefs on animal rights, hunting and agriculture. Professor Sunstein has repeatedly stated that animals should have the right to sue in court.

In the 2004 book, Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions, he wrote, "Animals should be permitted to bring suit, with human beings as their representatives, to prevent violations of current law.”

Okay… well, there’s more, folks – he further rants: “Any animals that are entitled to bring suit would be represented by counsel, who would owe guardian like obligations and make decisions, subject to those obligations, on their clients’ behalf.”

Mmmm… don’t you kind of feel as though we’re living in the “Twilight Zone”? Has our government gone mad? Let’s face it, with Sunstein, there would practically be an end to animal use anywhere in the United States.

Following are few more of Sunstein’s unforgettable quotes:

On the Second Amendment:

Consider the view that the Second Amendment confers an individual right to own guns. The view is respectable, but it may be wrong, and prominent specialists reject it on various grounds. As late as 1980, it would have been preposterous to argue that the Second Amendment creates an individual right to own guns, and no federal court invalidated a gun control restriction on Second Amendment grounds until 2007. Yet countless Americans politicians, in recent years, have acknowledged that they respect the individual right to bear arms, at least in general terms. Their views are a product of the energetic efforts of meaning entrepreneurs – some from the National Rifle Association, who have press a particular view of the Second Amendment.
—Cass R. Sunstein, A Constitution of Many Minds,
Princeton University Press, 2009, p. 172-173

The National Association of Broadcasters and others with similar economic interests typically use the First Amendment in precisely the same way the National Rifle Association uses the Second Amendment. We should think of the two camps as jurisprudential twins. The National Association of Broadcasters is prepared to make self- serving and outlandish claims about the First Amendment before the public and before the courts, and to pay lawyers and publicists a lot of money to help establish those claims. (Perhaps they will ultimately succeed.) The National Rifle Association does the same thing with the Second Amendment. In both cases, those whose social and economic interests are at stake are prepared to use the Constitution, however implausibly invoked, in order to give a veneer of principle and respectability to arguments that would otherwise seem hopelessly partisan and self-interested.
—Cass R. Sunstein, Republic 2.0,
Princeton University Press, 2007, p. 173

“[A]lmost all gun control legislation is constitutionally fine. And if the Court is right, then fundamentalism does not justify the view that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms. ”
—Cass Sunstein, writing in his book, “Radicals in Robes”

...[T]he Second Amendment seems to specify its own purpose, which is to protect the "well regulated Militia." If that is the purpose of the Second Amendment (as Burger believed), then we might speculate that it safeguards not individual rights but federalism
—Cass R. Sunstein, “The Most Mysterious Right,”
National Review, November 12, 2007

...[T]he Supreme Court is now being asked to decide whether the Second Amendment creates an individual right to own guns. There is a decent chance that the Court will say that it does. Whatever the Court says, we have seen an amazingly rapid change in constitutional understandings--even a revolution--as an apparently fraudulent interpretation pushed by "special interest groups" (read: the National Rifle Association) has become mainstream.
—Cass R. Sunstein, “The Most Mysterious Right,”
National Review, November 12, 2007

Even if the Second Amendment does confer an individual right, and therefore imposes limits on national gun-control legislation, a further question remains. Does the Second Amendment apply to the states? By its plain terms, the original Bill of Rights applies only to the national government. To be sure, most (but not all) of the listed rights are now understood to have been "incorporated" in the Fourteenth Amendment and made applicable to the states through that route. But is the Second Amendment incorporated as well?
—Cass R. Sunstein, “The Most Mysterious Right,”
National Review, November 12, 2007

How did the individual rights position, so marginal and even laughable among judges and lawyers for so long, come to be treated as a respectable view--and even to be described as the standard model by 2007? It is certainly relevant that the National Rifle Association, and other like-minded groups and individuals, have sponsored and funded an endless stream of supportive papers and research. The Second Amendment revolution has been influenced by an intensely committed social movement with political and legal arms. But it is also true that for many decades lawyers and law professors paid hardly any attention to the Second Amendment.
—Cass R. Sunstein, “The Most Mysterious Right,”
National Review, November 12, 2007

But whatever the founding generation may have thought, the Second Amendment has become a shorthand, or a rallying cry, for a deeply felt commitment on the part of tens of millions of Americans. There would be not merely prudence, but also a kind of charity and respect, in judicial decisions that uphold reasonable restrictions without rejecting that commitment, and without purporting to untangle the deepest mysteries about the meaning of the Constitution's most mysterious provision.
—Cass R. Sunstein, “The Most Mysterious Right,”
National Review, November 12, 2007

On Hunting & Animal Rights:

"We ought to ban hunting"
—Cass Sunstein, in a 2007 speech at Harvard University

“[Humans’] willingness to subject animals to unjustified suffering will be seen ... as a form of unconscionable barbarity... morally akin to slavery and the mass extermination of human beings.”
—Cass Sunstein, in a 2007 speech at Harvard University

But I think that we should go further. We should focus attention not only on the “enforcement gap,” but on the areas where current law offers little or no protection. In short, the law should impose further regulation on hunting, scientific experiments, entertainment, and (above all) farming to ensure against unnecessary animal suffering. It is easy to imagine a set of initiatives that would do a great deal here, and indeed European nations have moved in just this direction. There are many possibilities.
—Cass R. Sunstein, “The Rights of Animals: A Very Short Primer,”
John M. Olin Law & Economics Working Paper No. 157,
The Law School, The University of Chicago

If we understand "rights" to be legal protection against harm, then many animals already do have rights, and the idea of animal rights is not terribly controversial... Almost everyone agrees that people should not be able to torture animals or to engage in acts of cruelty against them. And indeed, state law includes a wide range of protections against cruelty and neglect. We can build on state law to define a simple, minimalist position in favor of animal rights: The law should prevent acts of cruelty to animals.
—Cass R. Sunstein, Martha C. Nussbaum.
Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions.
(Oxford University Press, USA, 2004). Introduction

“We could even grant animals a right to bring suit without insisting that animals are persons, or that they are not property. A state could certainly confer rights on a pristine area, or a painting, and allow people to bring suit on its behalf, without therefore saying that that area and that painting may not be owned. It might, in these circumstances, seem puzzling that so many people are focusing on the question of whether animals are property. We could retain the idea of property but also give animals far more protection against injury or neglect of their interests.”
—Cass R. Sunstein, Martha C. Nussbaum.
Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions. (Oxford University Press, USA, 2004). P. 11

Do animals have standing? To many people, the very idea seems odd. But several cases suggest that the answer might be yes. In a remarkably large number of cases in the federal courts, animals appear as named plaintiffs. ...Indeed, I have not been able to find any federal statute that allows animals to sue in their own names. As a rule, the answer is therefore quite clear: Animals lack standing as such, simply because no relevant statute confers a cause of action on animals. It seems possible, however, that before long, Congress will grant standing to animals to protect their own rights and interests. Congress might do this in the belief that in some contexts, it will be hard to find any person with an injury in fact to bring suit in his own name. And even if statutes protecting animal welfare are enforceable by human beings, Congress might grant standing to animals in their own right, particularly to make a public statement about whose interests are most directly at stake, partly to increase the number of private monitors of illegality, and partly to bypass complex inquiries into whether prospective human plaintiffs have injuries in fact. Indeed, I believe that in some circumstances, Congress should do just that, to provide a supplement to limited public enforcement efforts.
—Cass R. Sunstein, Martha C. Nussbaum.
Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions. (Oxford University Press, USA, 2004). P. 259-260

In the future, legislative decisions on such questions will have considerable symbolic importance. But they will not only be symbolic, for they will help define the real-world meaning of legal texts that attempt to protect animal welfare – statutes that now promise a great deal but deliver far too little.
—Cass R. Sunstein, Martha C. Nussbaum.
Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions. (Oxford University Press, USA, 2004). P. 261

Do animals have rights? Almost everyone believes in animal rights, at least in some minimal sense; the real question is what that phrase actually means. By exploring that question, it is possible to give a clear sense of the lay of the land—to show the range of possible positions, and to explore what issues, of theory or fact, separate reasonable people. On reflection, the spotlight should be placed squarely on the issue of suffering and well-being. This position requires rejection of some of the most radical claims by animal rights advocates, especially those that stress the “autonomy” of animals, or that object to any human control and use of animals. But this position has radical implications of its own. It strongly suggests, for example, that there should be extensive regulation of the use of animals in entertainment, in scientific experiments, and in agriculture. It also suggests that there is a strong argument, in principle, for bans on many current uses of animals.
—Cass R. Sunstein, “The Rights of Animals: A Very Short Primer,”
John M. Olin Law & Economics Working Paper No. 157,
The Law School, The University of Chicago

...[R]epresentatives of animals should be able to bring private suits to ensure that anticruelty and related laws are actually enforced. If, for example, a farm is treating horses cruelly and in violation of legal requirements, a suit could be brought, on behalf of those animals, to bring about compliance with the law.
—Cass R. Sunstein, “The Rights of Animals: A Very Short Primer,”
John M. Olin Law & Economics Working Paper No. 157,
The Law School, The University of Chicago

Now turn to some quite radical suggestions. Suppose that we continue to believe that animal suffering is the problem that should concern us, and that we want to use the law to promote animal welfare. We might conclude that certain practices cannot be defended and should not be allowed to continue, if, in practice, mere regulation will inevitably be insufficient—and if, in practice, mere regulation will ensure that the level of animal suffering will remain very high. To make such an argument convincing, it would be helpful, whether or not necessary, to argue not only that the harms to animals are serious, but also that the benefits, to human beings, of the relevant practices are simply too small to justify the continuation of those practices. Many people who urge radical steps—who think, for example, that people should not eat meat—do so because they believe that without such steps, the level of animal suffering will be unacceptably severe.
—Cass R. Sunstein, “The Rights of Animals: A Very Short Primer,”
John M. Olin Law & Economics Working Paper No. 157,
The Law School, The University of Chicago

Of course the largest issue involves eating meat. I believe that that meat-eating would be acceptable if decent treatment is given to the animals used for food. Killing animals, whether or not troublesome, is far less troublesome than suffering. But if, as a practical matter, animals used for food are almost inevitably going to endure terrible suffering, then there is a good argument that people should not eat meat to the extent that a refusal to eat meat will reduce that suffering. Of course a legal ban on meat-eating would be extremely radical, and like prohibition, it would undoubtedly create black markets and have a set of bad, and huge, side-effects. But the principle seems clear: People should be much less inclined to eat meat if their refusal to do so would prevent significant suffering.
—Cass R. Sunstein, “The Rights of Animals: A Very Short Primer,”
John M. Olin Law & Economics Working Paper No. 157,
The Law School, The University of Chicago

We should increase the likelihood that animals will have good lives—we should not try to ensure that there are as many animals as possible.
—Cass R. Sunstein, “The Rights of Animals: A Very Short Primer,”
John M. Olin Law & Economics Working Paper No. 157,
The Law School, The University of Chicago

Every reasonable person believes in animal rights. Even the sharpest critics of animal rights support the anticruelty laws. I have suggested that the simple moral judgment behind these laws is that animal suffering matters, and that this judgment supports a significant amount of reform. Most modestly, private suits should be permitted to prevent illegal cruelty and neglect.
—Cass R. Sunstein, “The Rights of Animals: A Very Short Primer,”
John M. Olin Law & Economics Working Paper No. 157,
The Law School, The University of Chicago
Less modestly, anticruelty laws should be extended to areas that are now exempt from them, including scientific experiments and farming. There is no good reason to permit the level of suffering that is now being experienced by millions, even billions of living creatures.
—Cass R. Sunstein, “The Rights of Animals: A Very Short Primer,”
John M. Olin Law & Economics Working Paper No. 157,
The Law School, The University of Chicago

On Free Speech:

...[M]any discussion groups and websites, less and often more extreme, that can be found on the Internet. Discussion groups and websites of this kind have been around for a number of years... On the National Rifle Association’s ‘Bullet N’ Board,’ a place for discussion of matters of mutual interest, someone calling himself “Warmaster” explained how to make bombs out of ordinary household materials. Warmaster explained, “These simple, powerful bombs are not very well known even though all the materials can be easily obtained by anyone (including minors).”
—Cass R. Sunstein, Republic 2.0,
Princeton University Press, 2007, p. 47
To the extent that they weaken the power of the general interest intermediaries and increase people’s ability to wall themselves off from topics and opinions that they would prefer to avoid, emerging technologies, including the Internet, create serious dangers. I don’t want government regulation of the blogosphere in the form of mandated links or mandated civility or, you know, if you’re doing liberal ideas on your site you have to have conservative ideas too. I don’t want any of that stuff... But I do have some ideas and they’re about private voluntary solutions. One is that blog providers, either writers or those who operate them should, if they are involved in opinion – at least most of the time, work hard to obey norms of, let’s call them, civility and diversity. So not complete diversity. You’re entitled to have a point of view. But to think that some of the time if people are reading you its good to catch their eye with something that might irritate them a bit.
—Bloggingheads.tv, Cass R. Sunstein, University of Chicago Law School and Eugene Volokh, The Volokh Conspiracy, UCLA Law School video debate, recorded May 27, 2008 and posted June 2, 2008

A legislative effort to regulate broadcasting in the interest of democratic principles should not be seen as an abridgment of the free speech guarantee.
—Cass R. Sunstein, Democracy and the Problem of Free Speech,
The Free Press, 1995, p. 92

I have argued in favor of a reformulation of First Amendment law. The overriding goal of the reformulation is to reinvigorate processes of democratic deliberation, by ensuring greater attention to public issues and greater diversity of views. The First Amendment should not stand as an obstacle to democratic efforts to accomplish these goals. A New Deal for speech would draw on Justice Brandeis’ insistence on the role of free speech in promoting political deliberation and citizenship. It would reject Justice Holmes’ “marketplace” conception of free speech, a conception that disserves the aspirations of those who wrote America’s founding document.
—Cass R. Sunstein, Democracy and the Problem of Free Speech,
The Free Press, 1995, p. 119

Consider the “fairness doctrine,” now largely abandoned but once requiring radio and television broadcasters: ...[I]n light of astonishing economic and technological changes, we must doubt whether, as interpreted, the constitutional guarantee of free speech is adequately serving democratic goals. It is past time for a large-scale reassessment of the appropriate role of the First Amendment in the democratic process.
—Cass R. Sunstein, Democracy and the Problem of Free Speech,
The Free Press, 1995, p. xi

A system of limitless individual choices, with respect to communications, is not necessarily in the interest of citizenship and self-government.
—Cass Sunstein, arguing for a Fairness Doctrine for the Internet in his book, Republic.com 2.0 (Princeton University Press, 2007), p.137

[M]any people all over the world have become even more concerned about the risks of a situation in which like-minded people speak or listen mostly to one another...Democracy does best with what James Madison called a ‘yielding and accommodating spirit,’ and that spirit is at risk whenever people sort themselves into enclaves in which their own views and commitments are constantly reaffirmed... [S]uch sorting should not be identified with freedom, and much less with democratic self-government.
—Cass Sunstein, arguing for a Fairness Doctrine for the Internet in his book, Republic.com 2.0 (Princeton University Press, 2007), p. xii

On Civil Liberties:
[C]ourts should ordinarily require restrictions on civil liberties to be authorized by the legislature, not simply by the executive.
—Cass R. Sunstein, Fear & Liberty,
working paper, December 12, 2004

The availability heuristic and probability neglect often lead people to treat risks as much greater than they in fact are, and hence to accept risk-reduction strategies that do considerable harm and little good. Civil liberties may be jeopardized for precisely this reason. And when the burdens of government restrictions are faced by an identifiable minority rather by the majority, the risk of unjustified action is significantly increased.
—Cass R. Sunstein, Fear & Liberty,
working paper, December 12, 2004

On Taxes:

Sunstein scolds readers like small-minded, selfish children for opposing the size, scope, expansion and skyrocketing expense of government: “In what sense in the money in our pockets and bank accounts fully ‘ours’? Did we earn it by our own autonomous efforts? Could we have inherited it without the assistance of probate courts? Do we save it without the support of bank regulators? Could we spend it if there were no public officials to coordinate the efforts and pool the resources of the community in which we live?... Without taxes there would be no liberty. Without taxes there would be no property. Without taxes, few of us would have any assets worth defending. [It is] a dim fiction that some people enjoy and exercise their rights without placing any burden whatsoever on the public fisc. ... There is no liberty without dependency. That is why we should celebrate tax day ...”
—Cass R. Sunstein, “Why We Should Celebrate Paying Taxes,”
The Chicago Tribune, April 14, 1999

On the Second Bill of Rights:

My major aim in this book is to uncover an important but neglected part of America’s heritage: the idea of a second bill of rights. In brief, the second bill attempts to protect both opportunity and security, by creating rights to employment, adequate food and clothing, decent shelter, education, recreation, and medical care.
—Cass R. Sunstein, The Second Bill of Rights: FDR’s Unfinished Revolution and Why We Need it More Than Ever, Basic Books, New York, 2004, p. 1

Much of the time, the United States seems to have embraced a confused and pernicious form of individualism. This approach endorses rights of private property and freedom of contract, and respects political liberty, but claims to distrust “government intervention” and insists that people must fend for themselves. This form of so-called individualism is incoherent, a tangle of confusions.
—Cass R. Sunstein, The Second Bill of Rights: FDR’s Unfinished Revolution and Why We Need it More Than Ever, Basic Books, New York, 2004, p. 3

Those of us who have plenty of money and opportunities owe a great deal to an active government that is willing and able to protect what we have.
—Cass R. Sunstein, The Second Bill of Rights: FDR’s Unfinished Revolution and Why We Need it More Than Ever, Basic Books, New York, 2004, p. 4

In a nutshell, the New Deal helped vindicate a simple idea: No one really opposes government intervention. Even the people who most loudly denounce government interference depend on it every day.
—Cass R. Sunstein, The Second Bill of Rights: FDR’s Unfinished Revolution and
Why We Need it More Than Ever, Basic Books, New York, 2004

For better or worse, the Constitution’s framers gave no thought to including social and economic guarantees in the bill of rights.
—Cass R. Sunstein, The Second Bill of Rights: FDR’s Unfinished Revolution and Why We Need it More Than Ever, Basic Books, New York, 2004, p. 115

On the Judiciary:

[I]t is reasonable to suggest that the meaning of federal statutory law should not be based on whether a litigant has drawn a panel of judges appointed by a president from a particular party—or on whether the Supreme Court is dominated by judges of any particular ideological stripe.
—Thomas J. Miles & Cass R. Sunstein, Do Judges Make Regulatory Policy? An Empirical Investigation of Chevron, AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies, Working Paper 06-15, May 2006

On Government Regulation:

No institution in the executive branch, moreover, is currently responsible for long-range research and thinking about regulatory problems. It would be highly desirable to create such an office under the President, particularly for exploring problems whose solutions require extensive planning, most notably the environment. Nor is there an office charged with acting as an initiator of as well as a brake on regulation. Some entity within the executive branch, building on the ombudsman device, should be entrusted with the job of guarding against failure to implement regulatory programs. Such an entity would be especially desirable in overcoming the collective action and related problems that tend to
defeat enforcement.
—Cass R. Sunstein, After the Rights Revolution:
Reconceiving the Regulatory
State, Harvard University Press, 1990, p. 108

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has been entrusted with the power to coordinate regulatory policy and to ensure reasonable priority-setting. In the Clinton Administration, OIRA appears to have become an advisory body, more limited in its power than it was in the Bush and Reagan administrations. In view of the absence of good priority-setting, and the enormous room for savings costs and increasing regulatory benefits, this is highly unfortunate.
—Cass R. Sunstein, Free Markets & Social Justice,
Oxford University Press, 1997, p. 315

OIRA should see, as one of its central assignments, the task of overcoming governmental myopia and tunnel vision, by ensuring aggregate risks are reduced and that agency focus on particular risks does not mean that ancillary risks are ignored or increased.
—Cass R. Sunstein, Free Markets & Social Justice,
Oxford University Press, 1997, p. 315

Congress should add to existing legislation a general requirement that agencies consider a range of risks to life and health, including substitute risks, to the extent that this is feasible. Finally, OIRA should undertake the process of scrutinizing risk regulations to show that agency action does not suffer from the kind of tunnel vision exemplified by so much of modern risk regulation. Problems of selective attention, interest-group power, and myopia have created a range of irrationalities and injustices in modern government.
—Cass R. Sunstein, Free Markets & Social Justice,
Oxford University Press, 1997, p. 316

***

Could it be that Sunstein’s appointment to a politically powerful position is pay-back for animal rights groups supporting the Obama during the campaign? Presently the National Rifle Association and hunting groups such as Safari Club International are already aligning to prevent this man’s appointment not to mention all the agriculture lobbying groups.

The bottom line is this: Sunstein is a kook and is not a man
to be placed in any sector of government -

SEND YOUR PETITIONS AGAINST SUNSTEIN TODAY!

Obama and The Car Salesman

2009-09-08T09:42:00.005-04:00

Two days before the ‘Cash For Clunkers’ program was to expire, my daughter and I drove into a Chrysler dealership to do a little ‘window shopping’

and, in my rear view window,

I notice a car salesman running after me.

Panting, he finally catches up to me and, in a friendly tone, comments that he’d be more than happy to hand me over a check for my car.

Tempted, I quickly scan my 2000 Crown Victoria and ask him how the clunker program is going?

Confident he 'had a sale', he boasts of its success and promises me it will be around to stay

except there’s one problem

that the salesman doesn’t realize I know…

the ‘clunker program’ is about to expire in less than 48 hours

and the government is behind in sending out checks to most dealerships.

As I drive away from the desperate man

I am reminded of another man

who could easily be compared to that car salesman

and is desperate ‘to make the sale’

except the man I am thinking about

isn’t selling cars

he’s supposed to be our country’s president

yet he’s no different than that desperate saleman

desperate to make a sale

while knowing all along

the sale is based on lies…

***

And as I think about all the desperate acts of our president, an e-mail is delivered to me via Jay Gibbons, a wonderful patriot.

Embedded within the email is an editorial piece written by singer, Pat Boone, which ran on World Net Daily on June 6, 2009.

As our President ‘makes some marks’ speaking with the school kids today, perhaps this piece is worth revisiting and remembering…

The President Without A Country
By Pat Boone

 "We're no longer a Christian nation."
—President Barack Obama, June 2007   

"America has been arrogant."
—President Barack Obama   

"After 9/11, America didn't always live up to her ideals."
—President Barack Obama   

"You might say that America is a Muslim nation."
—President Barack Obama,Egypt, 2009   

Thinking about these and other statements made by the man who wears the title of president. I keep wondering what country he believes he's president of. 

In one of my very favorite stories, Edward Everett Hale's "The Man without a Country," a young Army lieutenant named Philip Nolan stands condemned for treason during the Revolutionary War, having come under the influence of Aaron Burr. When the judge asks him if he wishes to say anything before sentence is passed, young Nolan defiantly exclaims, "Damn the United States! I wish I might never hear of the United States again!"   

The stunned silence in the courtroom is palpable, pulsing. After a long pause, the judge soberly says to the angry lieutenant:

"You have just pronounced your own sentence. You will never hear of the United States again. I sentence you to spend the rest of your life at sea, on one or another of this country's naval vessels - under strict orders that no one will ever speak to you again about the country you have just cursed." 

And so it was. Philip Nolan was taken away and spent the next 40 years at sea, never hearing anything but an occasional slip of the tongue about America. The last few pages of the story, recounting Nolan's dying hours in his small stateroom - now turned into a shrine to the country he fore swore - never fail to bring me to tears. And I find my own love for this dream, this miracle called America, refreshed and renewed. I know how blessed and unique we are.  

But reading and hearing the audacious, shocking statements of the man who was recently elected our president - a young black man living the impossible dream of millions of young Americans, past and present, black and white - I want to ask him, "Just what country do you think you're president of?" 

You surely can't be referring to the United States of America, can you? America is emphatically a Christian nation, and has been from its inception! Seventy percent of her citizens identify themselves as Christian. The Declaration of Independence and our Constitution were framed, written and ratified by Christians. It's because this was, and is, a nation built on and guided by Judeo-Christian biblical principles that you, sir, have had the inestimable privilege of being elected her president.  

You studied law at Harvard, didn't you, sir? You taught constitutional law in Chicago? Did you not ever read the statement of John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and an author of the landmark "Federalist Papers": "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers - and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation - to select and prefer Christians for their rulers"?  

In your studies, you surely must have read the decision of the Supreme Court in 1892: "Our lives and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian."   

Did your professors have you skip over all the high-court decisions right up till the mid 1900s that echoed and reinforced these views and intentions? Did you pick up the history of American jurisprudence only in 1947, when for the first time a phrase coined by Thomas Jefferson about a "wall of separation between church and state" was used to deny some specific religious expression - contrary to Jefferson 's intent with that statement?

Or, wait a minute. were your ideas about America 's Christianity formed during the 20 years you were a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ under your pastor, Jeremiah Wright? Is that where you got the idea that " America is no longer a Christian nation"? Is this where you, even as you came to call yourself a Christian, formed the belief that "America has been arrogant"? 

Even if that's the understandable explanation of your damning of your country and accusing the whole nation (not just a few military officials trying their best to keep more Americans from being murdered by Jihadists) of "not always living up to her ideals," how did you come up with the ridiculous, alarming notion that we might be "considered a Muslim nation"?  

Is it because there are some 2 million or more Muslims living here, trying to be good Americans? Out of a current population of over 300 million, 70 percent of whom are Christians? Does that make us, by any rational definition, a "Muslim nation"?   

Why are we not, then, a "Chinese nation"? A "Korean nation"? Even a "Vietnamese nation"? There are even more of these distinct groups in America than Muslims. And if the distinction you're trying to make is a religious one, why is America not "a Jewish nation"? There's actually a case to be made for the latter, because our Constitution - and the success of our Revolution and founding - owe a deep debt to our Jewish brothers.  

Have you stopped to think what an actual Muslim America would be like? Have you ever really spent much time in Iran? Even in Egypt ? You, having been instructed in Islam as a kid at a Muslim school in Indonesia and saying you still love the call to evening prayers, can surely picture our nation founded on the Quran, not the Judeo-Christian Bible, and living under Shariah law. Can't you? You do recall Muhammad's directives [Surah 9:5,73] to "break the cross" and "kill the infidel"? 

It seems increasingly and painfully obvious that you are more influenced by your upbringing and questionable education than most suspected. If you consider yourself the president of a people who are "no longer Christian," who have "failed to live up to our ideals," who "have been arrogant," and might even be "considered Muslim" - you are president of a country most Americans don't recognize. 

Could it be you, sir, are a president without a country?

***

And so, upon being refreshed by reading Mr. Boone’s piece, I am reminded why I do not want my child to listen to this president’s talk today… enough said.

###

Obama And Student's Across America

2009-09-03T23:48:00.009-04:00

Next Tuesday, on September 8, 2009, President Obama is planning to speak to student's all across America.

Exciting, eh?

No, not really. All this is, in my opinion, is a marketing strategy aimed towards winning over our children and,

as a concerned and loving parent,

I am planning to keep my fifth grader home that day.

Afterall,

there is nothing within this administration that will help or inspire any child,

and,

me thinks there are hidden agendas going on...

For those interested, the President's agenda is posted on the US Department of Education's website.

As for myself? I'd much rather listen to how Stuart Shepard, from Citizenlink.com, encourages young people to engage in critical thinking and to participate in this historical event.

And, that folks, is how it is this day on September 3, 2009 but,

in the meantime,

may God help us.

###

Update on how our President determines his priorities:
According to The Baltimore Sun - During September (25th to be exact) - The Muslim Athan will be chanted on Capitol Hill. September is the Celebration of Ramadan - A Muslim Celebration. Click here to listen to chant and see ad.

Now, let me be clear on this. Although I am a Catholic/Christian, I have no problem with ecunemism but...

our present President would not acknowledge The National Day of Prayer yet he honored the Muslims recently by having a dinner at the White House.

This is not a leader I want my child - or any child - influenced by. The following video, What Islam is Not, posted on Live Leak, should raise concerns within every American citizen who values their freedom and liberty.

A Message For President Obama

2009-08-27T14:12:00.005-04:00

The attached video by Red Skeleton expresses the true heartbeat of America; perhaps Capital Hill should 'catch' the 'fever' and realize that 'we the people' do not want big government, are adamantly against ObamaCare and will not allow our liberty and freedom to be hijacked from us.

What our nation needs are strong, wise leaders and not the self-serving interns who are presently destroying our great land. As I pen this short post, I think of an article I wrote in October, 2008, entitled, An American Creed:

"...As Americans, we need to look to God and draw on our own strengths; not Washington's.

Washington will not fix America's problems.

It's disturbing to me that people in our government totally disregard what their constituents tell them to do. It's disturbing to me that arrogant people in Washington ignore their constituents and takes huge strides toward socialism.

As an optimist, I have to believe there are still Americans within our great nation who believe in the way things are supposed to be. I have to believe that there are still those of us who choose not to be "the common man".

As I conclude my thoughts, I think of the piece, "An American Creed", which was written by *Dean Alfange and published in The Readers Digest October 1952 and January 1954.

An American Creed

I Do Not Choose to Be a Common Man

It is my right to be uncommon if I can.

I seek opportunity not security.

I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.

I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.

I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.

I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.

I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout.

I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.

It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid;

to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say, This I have done.

*The Honorable Dean Alfange was an American statesman born December 2, 1899, in Constantinople (now Istanbul). He was raised in upstate New York. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I and attended Hamilton College, graduating in the class of 1922."

America, what else is there to say?

Some Handy Advice For Veterans

2009-08-25T12:40:00.008-04:00

…who are a burden to society:

Now, there’s a solution for all US veterans!

[Oh, yes, leave it to the government to come up with this 'doozy'] The veteran's handbook, Your Life Your Choices, by Robert Pearlman, MD MPH, an advocate for physician-assisted suicide, was suspended under the Bush administration.

But guess what?

It’s ba-a-ack!

According to Jim Towey, the former director of the White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives under President Bush, the 52-page booklet end of life planning document written by Dr. Pearlman makes injured veterans feel like a burden, encourages the severely injured to die and shouldn’t be anywhere near our veterans — especially those coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with catastrophic injuries.

For example, let’s review a worksheet [on page 21 of this ‘death book’] for veterans lists various scenarios and asks users to then decide whether their own life would be “not worth living”:

What Makes Your Life Worth Living?
Instructions To help others make sense out of your answers, think about the following questions and be sure to explain your answers to your loved ones and health care providers.

If you checked "worth living, but just barely" for more than one factor, would a combination of these factors make your life "not worth living?" If so, which factors?

If you checked "not worth living," does this mean that you would rather die than be kept alive?

If you checked "can't answer now," what information or people do you need to help you decide?

a. I can no longer walk but get around in a wheelchair.
b. I can no longer get outside—I spend all day at home.
c. I can no longer contribute to my family's well being.
d. I am in severe pain most of the time.
e. I have severe discomfort most of the time (such as
nausea, diarrhea, or shortness of breath).
f. I rely on a feeding tube to keep me alive.
g. I rely on a kidney dialysis machine to keep me alive.
h. I rely on a breathing machine to keep me alive.
i. I need someone to help take care of me all of time.
j. I can no longer control my bladder.
k. I can no longer control my bowels.
l. I live in a nursing home.
m. I can no longer think clearly-I am confused all the time.
n. I can no longer recognize family/friends
o. I can no longer talk and be understood by others.
p. My situation causes severe emotional burden for my family (such as feeling worried or stressed all the time).
q. I am a severe financial burden on my family.
r. I cannot seem to “shake the blues.”
s. Other (write in)

Instructions To help others make sense out of your answers, think about the following questions and be sure to explain your answers to your loved ones and health care providers.

If you checked "worth living, but just barely" for more than one factor, would a combination of these factors make your life "not worth living?" If so, which factors?

If you checked "not worth living," does this mean that you would rather die than be kept alive?

If you checked "can't answer now," what information or people do you need to help you decide?

***

Okay, I need to understand this. The items listed within this worksheet are to make one wonder if their life is worth it? Having veterans in my own family beginning with WWII, I can just imagine handing this crap to them once they returned home from duty… Imagine those who return traumatized with nightmares – is their life not worth living? Is this what we call ‘giving back’ to our brave vets? Assisting them towards euphanasia? As a caregiver for my 85 year-old elderly father, it seems to me that some of these questions relate quite well for the elderly as well… sorta like ‘killing two birds with one stone’, eh?

Seems to me, this is more like handing a loaded gun to those who deserve our love and support.

Let’s face it: since we live in the age of death, this might seem ‘acceptable’ but it is not. You be the judge.

Oh, just for the record, it seems that you have to be one step ahead of DC these days… When I returned to the Department of Veteran Affairs Website to review this crap today guess what?

Yup, just like the ‘snitch’ request the page [mysteriously] was not found:

PAGE NOT FOUND: The page you are looking for is unavailable. The page name may have changed, or the page has been removed. Please use the VA Search to find what you are looking for.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

To notify the VA of this broken link, please Contact the VA with the URL of the page you are trying to reach.

Methinks that posting was another 'oops'...

It is clear [to me] that the Obama Administration has a definite radical agenda and can not be trusted to protect the American people, but,

in the meantime,

may God help us.

Obama Partners With God

2009-08-20T12:05:00.005-04:00

It seems to me that President Obama is not only running out of time in his ObamaCare campaign, he’s now acting in desperation.

For instance, read Ben Smith’s article on Politico today:

We are God's Partners in Matters of Life and Death
A reader points out that President Obama's call with the rabbis today — as recorded in Rabbi Jack Moline's and other clerics' Twitter feeds — freights health care reform with a great deal of religious meaning, and veers into the blend of policy and faith that outraged liberals in the last administration.

"We are God's partners in matters of life and death," Obama said, according to Moline (paging Sarah Palin...), quoting from the Rosh Hashanah prayer that says that in the holiday period, it is decided "who shall live and who shall die."

The president ended the call by wishing the rabbis "shanah tovah," or happy new year — in reference to the High Holidays a month from now.

***

OMG! Obama said what? Did he really say that ‘We are God's partners in matters of life and death’? Has our President have no shame?

I’ll tell you one thing: as an owner of an advertising agency, Obama surely is one heck of a marketer only there’s just one problem: he’s inconsistent and is a liar.

And you know something?

Remember when it was popular to say, ‘Don’t Fool with Mother Nature?’

Now we’ve got our President messing with God and that is dangerously serious.

When it comes to life and death matters, like it or not, we are not God’s partners – only God is the ‘Head Chief’ in control and Obama, Pelosi, Reid and all the other kooks on Capital Hill better come terms with reality.

President Obama’s Health Plan is dangerous and we must not be fooled by the charismatic mistruths spurting from DC - they'd lie to God and, actually, they are.

Fox News Contributor and author, Dick Morris, has masterfully created a Television ad that exposes the dangers of ObamaCare:

Spread the word today by clicking here to have this ad aired throughout America – ObamaCare must be stopped.

###

Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama

2009-08-17T15:31:00.005-04:00

This administration reminds me of a huge circus filled with clowns who don’t know if they’re coming or going but consistent in their 'pretty lies'. As far as ObamaCare, Ronald Reagan wisely spoke out against socialized medicine in 1961, under ‘Operation Coffee Cup.’ Digging through the archives, let’s revisit some of Reagan’s beliefs and hope that our present president does the same.

The following video, Reagan Speaks Against Socialized Medicine,
courtesy of You Tube.

Make Money Defending 'ObamaCare'

2009-08-13T15:32:00.007-04:00

Did you know that you can earn $400 - $500 a week defending Obama’s Health Plan?

It’s true!!! Check ad out [currently posted on Craigs list]:

SUMMER OF CHANGE

DEFEND President Obama's Health Care Plan over August Recess! $500+/wk (Capitol Hill)

Now is our chance to make health care work.

America's health care system is broken. Health care costs are spiraling out of control, throwing families, businesses and government into financial crisis. Families are worried their health coverage won't be there when they need it. Our country can't afford to wait for health reform that keeps costs down and protects consumers.

We can't wait for affordable, dependable health care.

We're fighting for health care that will protect families' financial health, lay out a clear path for all Americans to afford health care, and improve patient safety and quality care.

You can work for change this summer.
Join motivated staff around the country working to make change happen. You can make great friends and money along the way. Earn $4000-$6000 this summer.

To apply for a job, visit our website—www.JobsThatMatter.org—or call Chris at [202-546-3965.]

***

Could it be that our president's a little desperate?

What part of “we don’t want it” does Obama not get?

As Madam Speaker [Pelosi] ignorantly labeled those of us who are against ObamaCare as being “un-American” quite the contrary is true... American's are simply being lied to by her leader's over and over and over again...

WE ARE AMERICA and we will not be silenced until our voices are heard and we return to the “we the people” government.

It is important to attend any and all town meetings in your area [with respect but persistence]. Do not be afraid: we, as true American’s, have a right to stand up for truth while utilizing freedom of speech. Click here for a listing of every Town Hall Meeting. If your state is not listed, click here to contract your state congressman.

And finally, click here and sign the Stop the ObamaCare petition right now. Let your voice be heard and let it be today!

###

EDITORIAL NOTE: As I was pinging this blog, a window appeared within my browser stating: this site has been blacklisted due to it's objectionable material. Now in all fairness, I haven't been 'blacklisted' by all but was surprised none the less. Would I have been 'safer' had I chosen to write about pro-Obama issues? Makes you wonder, eh? My decision, however, is to remain blogging as I do, afterall, to my knowledge, this is still the 'land of the free' -- is it not? God help us!

Pelossi Attacks Health Care Protesters

2009-08-10T17:16:00.006-04:00

It seems Madam Speaker's getting a bit 'worked up' these days... According to USA Today, she states:

"...We believe it is healthy for such a historic effort to be subject to so much scrutiny and debate. The failure of past attempts is a reminder that health insurance reform is a defining moment in our nation's history — it is well worth the time it takes to get it right. We are confident that we will get this right.

Already, three House committees have passed this critical legislation and over August, the two of us will work closely with those three committees to produce one strong piece of legislation that the House will approve in September.

In the meantime, as members of Congress spend time at home during August, they are talking with their constituents about reform. The dialogue between elected representatives and constituents is at the heart of our democracy and plays an integral role in assuring that the legislation we write reflects the genuine needs and concerns of the people we represent.

However, it is now evident that an ugly campaign is underway not merely to misrepresent the health insurance reform legislation, but to disrupt public meetings and prevent members of Congress and constituents from conducting a civil dialogue. These tactics have included hanging in effigy one Democratic member of Congress in Maryland and protesters holding a sign displaying a tombstone with the name of another congressman in Texas, where protesters also shouted "Just say no!" drowning out those who wanted to hold a substantive discussion.

Let the facts be heard

These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades.

Health care is complex. It touches every American life. It drives our economy. People must be allowed to learn the facts...." read more

***

It is my belief, as Ms. Pelosi writes, "...Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American...." -- quite the contrary is true and Ms. Pelosi knows it. America has been founded on truth and freedom and this administration is trying desperately to hyjack from us what our forefather's fought so desperately for. Capital Hill does not want opposing views; however they work for us and not visa versa! This is our America and, to my understanding, we still live "in the land of the free."

Bottom line is this: many American's oppose ObamaCare [including myself] and Congress needs to listen and not lie to the public any longer - There have not been violence at any town meetings; basically, America is "mad as hell" and Congress had better listen...

Following is a video to remind DC what America is all about. If our President and his gang would just take a moment to think about what America really stands for perhaps...

oh, never mind; I don't really think they get it... nor do they care... this has got to be the most 'upside-down' administration ever...

May God help us all.

***

The following video, Founding Fathers: The Threat of Tyranny, courtesy of You Tube.

Obama The ‘Joker’…

2009-08-04T14:36:00.006-04:00

Not Funny?

Okay, let me get this straight.

This was ‘funny,’

But this isn’t?

Well, this isn't funny (let's take a trip down 'memory lane'):

Okay, folks, it’s time for another fight of our lives, and the focus must now be on ObamCare!

HERE'S THE DEAL:
In case you don't know, under the guise of "health care reform" Congress is about to pass a stealth version of the Freedom of Choice Act! And to make matters worse, they will force YOU to pay for the killings that will follow!

Make no mistake. The "health care reform" bills being finalized in Congress will set off a chain reaction that will result in a massive expansion of abortion!

That's because unless Congress explicitly states that abortion is excluded, it will be regarded as "an essential benefit" for Americans. Once that's done, insurance companies would be forced to cover elective abortions which would in turn force local health networks to recruit and hire abortionists.

And to make matters even worse, because these would be federal mandates ...

state laws that now restrict abortion will probably be overturned!
(FOCA in disguise)

click the following link and
CONTACT EVERY LAWMAKER IN WASHINGTON TODAY
AND SAY NO TO OBAMACARE!

FLASH UPDATE:
Uh-oh... The White House is getting a bit 'worked up' it seems. Directly from the White House site you can read:

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

***

Now I must assume that our pals over at the White House are aware of the following scene in which Senator Arlen Specter faced blunt opposition as he attempted to defend socialized healthcare:

It is important for all who believe in the true liberty of our America to stand firm in opposing this ObamaCare. If a town hall meeting is listed in your area, call your member(s) of Congress and let them know you will be attending. If there are no town hall meetings listed, call your Senators and Reps now and find out when they are holding town hall meetings. If they are not holding a town hall meeting, tell them you are disappointed and then request an appointment with the Member or a staffer at the office closest to you. (If they reject even that, then notify them of the time you will arrive!)

Contact all numbers for Congress:
click here and just say NO ObamaCare!

Government Guides Death

2009-07-31T14:36:00.005-04:00

Don’t believe me? Just read Sec. 1233, Pg 425-426, Lines 22-25, 1-3 from the ‘ObamaCare Plan’ (HR 3200).

But guess what?

Although Congress is trying so very hard to shove this [crap] down our throats …

members of Congress will be exempt from being forced into this plan. Long story short? Our pals on Capital Hill will have a better plan which gives them the freedom all of us will be denied.

Now, isn’t that lovely...

For a “sneak peak” of this marvelous plan here’s a few excerpts to ponder upon:

• Sec. 123, Pg 30 - THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE deciding what treatments and benefits you get.

• Sec. 152, Pg 50-51 - HC will be provided to ALL NON-US citizens.

• Sec. 163, Pg 58-59 beginning at line 5 - government will have real-time access to individual’s finances & a National ID Health care card will be issued!

• Sec. 163, Pg 59, lines 21-24 - government will have direct access to your banks accounts for electronic funds transfer.

• Sec. 164, Pg 65 is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions & community organizations (ACORN).

• Sec. 201, Pg 72, Lines 8-14 - government is creating an HC Exchange to bring private plans under government control.

• Sec. 203, Pg 85, Line 7 - Specifications of benefit levels for plans means that the government will define your HC plan and has the ability to ration your healthcare!

• Sec. 205, Pg 95, Lines 8-18 - The government will use groups (i.e., ACORN & AmeriCorps) to “inform and educate” (sign up) individuals for government plan.

• Sec. 312, Pg 145, Line 15-17 - Employers MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan.

Now there’s lot’s more but have you had enough yet? Blood boiling yet? Some yes… some no, huh? Okay, let’s include a few more for the “fence-sitters”.

• Sec.59B, Pg 170 Lines, 1 - Any NONRESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes.
(Americans will pay for their healthcare.)

• Sec. 431, Pg 195, Lines 1-3 - Officers and employees of HC Administration
(government) will have access to ALL Americans financial and personal records.

• Sec. 441, Pg 203, Lines 14-15 - “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated
as tax” – mmm.. says a lot, ‘ya think?

• Sec. 1145, Pg 272 - Treatment of certain cancer hospitals: Cancer patients and their treatment are open to rationing!

There’s more, folks, much more. For those who desire to read the entire bill click here.

***

It’s time for America to stand firmly together in complete solidarity and tell the turkeys on Capital Hill:

“No to ObamaCare!”

Simply click on the eagle graphic on the left and join the thousands who have already signed the petition against this outrageous health bill.

***

The following video, courtesy of You Tube, is a prime example of our future... so relax, grab a snack and have a laugh while you still can...

And that, folks, is how it is today on Friday, July 31, 2009 and... May God help us all.

‘ObamaCare’ Pressures Elderly To Die...

2009-07-29T00:37:00.005-04:00

among other things.

Well, I’ve read the bill… yup, all of it and I am now convinced that Obama and his crew are dangerously insane but I have an idea:

While everyone on Capital Hill shuffles off for their August break (before signing this outrageous piece of crap), I suggest Obama, Pelosi and all the other power hungry nuts up there try out this health care plan for themselves before they introduce it to anyone.

Ooooh… betcha if they have to give up their private health care this bill will never pass… wanna bet? Within the following You Tube video, Betsy McCaughey Exposes Obama Healthcare Lies:

I’ve a better idea yet: America, “just say no!” and sign the “Free Our Health Care Now” Petition – We must stop the government before it’s too late!

How long are we going to allow these fools to insult us and destroy our America further?

America, wake up before it’s too late and may God help us!

###

Obama and the Cambridge Police

2009-07-24T14:19:00.008-04:00

Uh-oh...

could the reason be that Obama insulted Cambridge, MA police Sergeant James M. Crowley, be because...

oh, this is too unreal to be true, but could the reason be...

holy cow! Could the real reason be that Crowley didn't endorse Obama?

Is Obama's ego really that fragile? Oh, no! Come to think about it, we all know what's happened to the private car dealerships who didn't endorse him, don't we...

THEY'RE OUT OF BUSINESS!

Silly people, had they voted for Obama, they'd all still be in business...

It's bad enough we've a president who's an intern but a sore sport as well? Unbelievable!

Keep the faith, Sergeant, many of us support you and feel you are entitled to a public apology.

An FYI, Mr. President: if you didn't 'know all the facts' a simple "no comment at this time" would have sufficed just fine.

just 'man up' and apologize -- the situation with Henry Louis Gates Jr. had nothing to do with race!

UPDATE: okay, so the President addressed this issue today stating [something like] Crowley's an outstanding police officer but...

I still didn't hear 'I'm sorry' --

I've a feeling that this has something to do with him not wanting the Cambridge situation to overshadow his health plan but call me cynic...

anyway, that's how it is on this Friday, July 24, 2009.

***

Obama’s “Health Care Myths”

2009-07-23T00:58:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I listened to the President’s press conference this evening and only have one thought concerning Mr. Obama’s ideas…

Is this man crazy?!!!

To quote Judge Judy, “What do I have, STUPID written on my forehead?”

What a circus… if it weren’t so serious I’d probably die laughing...

but,

I’m still not getting how this man qualified in becoming the President of our United States…

***

The following video, BOEHNER anticipates which OBAMA MYTHS,
courtesy of You Tube.

Obama’s New Deal

2009-07-15T00:41:00.008-04:00

As a caregiver for my 85-year old father, I feel a bit compelled to challenge, you, Mr. President, to switch places with me for one week before you make one more decision that will affect this country.

Why?

Because 'the old US of A' is no place to grow old in and…

Medicare is pulling back tremendously.

Ha! You say, ‘Let’s go to universal medicine’ because…

it’s better?

Give me a break, Mr. President, will you please!

(Ahum, sorry… sometimes I tend to get a little worked up, y’know…)

Apparently my dad, who’s left with only 20% of his heart can’t get a prescription for oxygen without a lot of bureaucracy [still no oxygen yet he’s been rushed to the hospital four times in two weeks) and,

better yet,

he’s had diarrhea for the past 4 months but Medicare will not cover the runs…

ahum…

Did I tell you, Sir, that my dad served in WWII for 6 years in the United States Navy for you, Sir?

Did I mention that he also was a NY police officer for over 30 years?

And the funny thing, Mr. President…

My dad’s crime, Sir?

He’s worked hard all of his life and now, in the winter of his life, is not allowed to grow old with dignity.

Ain’t that a hoot, Sir?

Well, with all due respect, I am convinced you just have no clue what 'the average joe’s' going through…

do you…

so, my challenge to you, Sir?

Switch places with me for one week!

(Betcha can’t do it… LOL)

I gotta tell you, Sir, that I’m mighty upset with you, you know. How dare you to think you know what’s best for the people who have helped create the land you live so freely in!

My husband and I are tired, Sir, very tired.

Oh, before I forget, did I tell you, Sir, that my husband, who’s successfully been in business for over thirty-five years lost his business,

in which case we lost our wonderful home,

became bankrupt,

and now we’re renting?

Another hoot, huh?

Mmmm…. let’s go over this, Sir: the house we put $80K down in cash was lost because…

what did your guy Biden say?

‘You guys misjudged the economy’ yet…

you’re just dying to go after another stimulus, aren’t you, Sir…

but you know what? We’re [hubby and me] are not beaten and we are striving to re-build our lives without government intervention because…

well, I know this is no longer the American way, Sir, but you really wanna know why?

Are you sitting down, Sir?

Okay, here goes: because we are not afraid to fail and are smart enough to rebuild our own lives with our own God-given talents (and hard work) so we have something for to hand down to our children but…

your screwing up our children’s future!

Oh, my but you’re all upside down, Sir, now, aren’t you…

Check it out: this is what I believe in, Mr. President,

I strongly believe that, as Americans, we need to look to God and draw on our own strengths; not Washington's.

[Btw: what the heck was that “change” crap in your campaign anyway? I certainly didn’t buy into that one, but a lot of people surely did…]

Now what's disturbing to me, Sir, is that you, along with many in our government, totally disregard what ‘we the people’ want. It's disturbing to me that Washington’s arrogance is ignoring us and taking huge strides toward socialism. (by the way, Mr. President, how is Nancy and Harry doing these days…)

As an optimist, I have to tell you, Sir, that I believe there are still Americans within our great nation who believe in the way things are supposed to be. I have to believe that there are still those of us who choose not to be "the common man".

Ooops, if you’ll excuse me, Sir, my dad had yet another accident in his pants. I’ll need some time, so why don’t you grab your I-Pod for awhile… diarrhea is not easy to clean on an adult but…

we’re switching roles for a week, right?

Okay, Sir, thanks, I’m back… now, where was I…

Oh, yeah, Mr. President, so in conclusion, I’m thinking of the piece, "An American Creed", which was written by 1Dean Alfange and published in The Readers Digest October 1952 and January 1954.

Here goes, ‘ya ready?

An American Creed

I Do Not Choose to Be a Common Man

It is my right to be uncommon if I can.

I seek opportunity not security.

I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.

I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.

I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.

I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.

I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout.

I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.

It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid;

to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say, This I have done.

***

Great piece, Sir, huh?

Now, if I may, let me make one suggestion, Sir. Should you decide to take me up on my challenge, (to trade places for one week, remember?) I propose you hand America back to her people (you know – those who really love this nation and know what she stands for) and let America heal as she should…

and, for heaven’s sake, you gotta stop with the apologies, okay – that’s really been getting on my nerves!

Oh, sorry, but there’s one more thing. This abortion thing? Not good – nope – you gotta scratch that one out and stop getting in God’s way – life and death is His thing, Sir, not yours or…

anyone else’s. Oh, yeah, I am a Christian… that’s still okay, isn’t it… not that it matters…

Okay, I think I’ve covered enough for now, so…

we got a deal, Sir?

_____________________________________________________________________
1The Honorable Dean Alfange was an American statesman born December 2, 1899, in Constantinople (now Istanbul). He was raised in upstate New York. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I and attended Hamilton College, graduating in the class of 1922.

***

The following video, Obama's Health Care Deception - "Public Option" will end up "Single Payer", per their Pl, courtesy of You Tube.

Narcissism Spells Obama

2009-07-13T14:44:00.005-04:00

I want to be a famous Broadway star.

Does it matter that I can’t sing very well?

‘ shouldn’t, should it?

Not anymore, anyway…

after all, America knowingly elected an 'intern' to run our nation and, as he’s destroying our nation bit by bit…

a lot of people still think ‘he’s just wonderful.’

So, with that in mind, I [really] think it’ll be a cinch to manipulate people into thinking I’m a lot more talented than I am because…

Reality is really only about perception, isn’t it?

Mmm… looking at our country, that’s pretty darn apparent…

except there’s just a teeny, tiny difference between my bogus fame and Obama’s presidency…

my experience, or lack of, wouldn’t really hurt millions of people, however…

Obama’s has and will.

Penning this post, I wonder if anyone really understands what the “American Dream” really is, or…

worse yet, if it has died.

Second by second, our government is growing while America has been turned upside down. Those in DC haven’t a clue what patriotism is nor do I believe they care.

But…

they [our government] can’t destroy the spirit of those of us who truly love this nation because it us who are the true Americans.

Not too long ago, I happened upon an article written by Chuck Baldwin entitled, “Can You Imagine This Country.” In it he writes:

We hear much today about the American dream. By "the American Dream," most people mean buying a big house, driving an expensive automobile, and making a lot of money. However, this was not the dream envisioned by the Founding Fathers. Remember that, for the most part, America's founders gave up their material wealth and substance for something they considered of far greater worth. Unfortunately, this hedonistic generation knows little of the kind of sacrificial spirit personified in the lives of America's patriarchs. 

In the minds of the founders, liberty--with all of its intrinsic risks--was more desirable than material prosperity, if that prosperity was accompanied with despotism or collectivism. So strong was their desire that they were willing to give up the latter in order to procure the former for themselves and their posterity.  

How dare Americans today refer to material gain as "the American dream." It is not! It is the freedom to honestly pursue one's goals that should be celebrated. Material gain is only a fruit of freedom, not its root.

Perhaps Obama wants to be recorded in history as not only the first black American President but also the greatest.

For me, unfortunately, only one word is synonymous with this man: narcissism.

***

The following video, "The 5000 year leap: Principles of Freedom inspired by our Founding Fathers, courtesy of You Tube.

Are Christians' To Remain Passive?

2009-07-11T14:51:00.009-04:00

Today's reading is by guest author Robert Melaccio, Sr.:

Are Christians To Be Silent About Sin, Injustice, Evil?

Robert Melaccio, Sr.

As a Christian I really have a concern here. Are we who say we are to be silent about sin, wrongs, injustice, facades, charades, fabrications, irresponsibility and everything else this world can throw our way, or are we to be bold and speak out, face it, bring it into the light?

To quote the Pope Asia News 3/18/2009 “ YAOUNDE- “In the face of suffering, violence, poverty or hunger, corruption or abuse of power a Christian can never remain silent.”

What he is speaking to is all Christian who undergo, experience, know of, injustice, irresponsibility, a lack of compassion and caring, mercy and in general tolerating and allowing abuse, exploitation or anything negative or sinful to take place or hold it is encumbered, in my opinion for Christians to take an active stand against that in defense of the innocent, defenseless and all people.

Now if we as Christians are to put into work the lessons of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ then we are to love our neighbor. That is to defend them, help them, take care of them and truly be there for them in all ways even as we love ourselves. If we take that a step further and we are to love our father and mothers, then we cannot by God’s command allow anything to harm, hurt, abuse or destroy them in any way shape or form.

Now as we see these events take place we are not to respond in anger and wrath. No we are to address all things in love, patience, forbearance and long suffering. We are not to enter into conflict but it does not mean that we cannot confront what is wrong, unjust, evil, etc.

Did not Jesus show righteous indignation at what was taking place in His Fathers house? It was wrong, evil and he took direct action to resolve the issue. While we are urged not to take such direct action and show love even for o9ur enemies sometimes force is a required action to stop an injustice. We are not to sit idly by, silently, humbly while evil is done upon people. Yes pray, be humble, be patient but when necessary take action.

Ephesians 4:26 Paul Wrote “be angry and sin not.” It is finished with do not let the sun go down on your anger. [The rest of the story] In other words do not remain in anger. The lessons that are taught are that there is righteous and unrighteous anger and we must recognize the difference. Throughout the bible we are given lessons of God’s anger.

Righteous anger is toward the actions of men that directly or indirectly hurt others. What they do or fail to do. It could be against the conduct, neglect, abuse or disrespect that men use or implement. God does not jump start His anger it grows slowly until patience has worn thin and abuse become intolerable. Yes and one is not happy that it came to anger they are troubled by it. Their soul aches and feels heavy and burdened as if in sin when the sin is only applied when it becomes vindictive, self serving and personal.

Yet if we sense this and repent for the negative God understands why. If we seek vengeance and pursue wrath then we are not righteous about our anger. We have made it personal. Taking action to resolve an unjust is not in my opinion vindictive it may be required to help someone. Do not make it a point to be vindictive.

So can we speak out, should we speak out, must we speak out? I think the answers very clear under what circumstances, when and how the question.

You can read more from Mr. Melaccio on realconsiderations.blogspot.com or e-mail him directly at: tommeltimmy@yahoo.com

***

The following video, Wonderful Counselor John Michael Talbot,
courtesy of You Tube.

Complacency Will NOT Save America

2009-07-08T14:21:00.003-04:00

This week has been one heck of an emotional roller coaster [for me].

First, I reconnected with two friends I hadn’t seen for over forty years and through our moments of nostalgia; we all realized that our youth was indeed the “glory days.”

And then there was Michael Jackson’s death. All of a sudden, 1971 really didn’t seem that long ago and I realized that my generation was probably the last of the “free.”

And then…

there’s dad.

My father is 85 and I’ve been his caretaker for the past 12 years. For the past 3 months, I’ve changed more diapers for him than during my daughter’s entire infancy. I’ve also witnessed firsthand at how the medical system really doesn’t care about the elderly and that I, as an artist, am more liable for lawsuits than the medical profession.

Why should I have to fight for ample care for my father when he’s worked hard all of his life while never asking for a dime from anyone?

Why is okay for the medical field to administer incorrect medicine and just say “sorry”?

Why am I told to simply “put him away” when that is NOT what we want?

Why are social worker’s telling us that in order to obtain 20 minutes of home health aid care, we must abandon the home health care we’re privately paying for? Can he not spend his own money as he chooses even if it is for health aids?

Why are we condemned for trying to protect our loved one?

Why was I told that my father’s money “is supposed to support the poor?” (... a slip... oops, silly nurse!)

Why are my “fellow Christian” brothers and sisters rebuking my frustration and anger and wondering why I don't remain passive?

When did everyone become so damn sheeple?

Certainly Jesus wasn’t complacent when He “had it” and “lost it in the Temple:”

"The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" -- John 2:13-16

Many Scriptures speak of God's anger. That anger has ever burned against sin. It has been resting upon the world for six thousand years. But the Love of God has in no way been violated by this attitude against the condemned world.

Unlike the ‘70s, society has turned completely upside down. In my day, gay meant "happy" and homosexuals were in the closet whereas today, they’re getting married and having sex in the streets (Folsom Street Fair and NYC). The porn industry was still considered “slutty” whereas today, porn stars are role models (Jenna Jamison). Mainstream proms are slowly turning transgender with a little S&M and…

God’s been shoved out of our nation right before our eyes and we’re still “afraid.”

We’ve lost our America and we’ve lost our rights…

Hey, how did that "American" song go…

mmm… let me think for a minute…

Oh, yeah! Wasn’t it something like, “… Land of the free?”

Christians, listen up!

It’s not God’s wrath we are under but rather the consequences of our own bad choices. It is us, not God, who will destroy America through our own sinfulness!

Complacency and sheeple-mindedness is not going to save our nation.

Is God [really] worth fighting for?

Is our America worth fighting for?

Let's face it, I am counting the moments before I will no longer be allowed to “fight” for my father because, after all…

an 85-year old man is certainly insignificant to society…

as are “abnormal” babies.

And God.

As they are contemplating a second stimulus while CA is handing out IOU’s what will it take to bring us to our knees?

And so, I conclude as I always do…

God help us.

***

The following video, America Come Back to the Lord, courtesy of You Tube.

Charlie Chaplain’s “Smile”

2009-07-06T23:22:00.002-04:00

According to the Drudge Report, sources reveal that Jermaine Jackson will most probably sing Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile” at his brother’s Memorial Service on Tuesday. This will surely be a tear jerker for many, especially those who remember Michael’s rendition in 1995 from his HIStory: Past, Present and Future, LP.

Personally, this song has always been one of my favorites and adopted a new meaning for me when my beloved mother passed away in 1998.

Following are both the lyrics and video of this moving song; may it bring new meaning to all who drop by. God bless each of you….

***

Smile
Charlie Chaplin's Theme Music for 'Modern Times'
Lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons – 1954

Smile tho' your heart is aching,
Smile even tho' it's breaking,
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by,

If you smile
thro' your fear and sorrow,
Smile and maybe tomorrow,
You'll see the sun come shin-ing thro' for you

Light up your face with gladness,
Hide ev-'ry trace of sadness,
Al -'tho a tear may be ever so near,

That's the time,
You must keep on trying,
Smile, what's the use of crying,
You'll find that life is still worth-while,

If you just smile…

On This July Fourth...

2009-07-04T01:17:00.007-04:00

May We Never Take Our Liberty For Granted.

Happy Independence Day, and...

God bless America.

Independence Day

2009-07-01T14:26:00.007-04:00

As "Independence Day" approaches, I hand over my post to Fr. John Corapi who expresses my thoughts much more eloquently than I ever could. God bless you all!

by Fr. John Corapi

I have fond memories of the 4th of July going back to when I was probably only four or five years old. We remember the parades, the picnics or barbecues, and the happy gathering of families. During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain actually took place on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve the resolution of independence previously put forth by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. After debate and revision Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4th.

Of note is the letter John Adams, one of only two Founding Fathers who went on to become president, wrote to his wife Abigail:

"…This day ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

--Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive.
Massachusetts Historical Society

Like so many of the Founding Fathers, Adams recognized that the day of deliverance came from the providential hand of almighty God. I am not sure about large numbers of duplicitous politicians and other so-called public servants today, whether elected or appointed.

Freedom is a great thing, and we do well to celebrate it on the 4th of July. That being said, it’s something rooted in truth, and apart from the truth there can be no authentic freedom.

"If you continue in my word [truth] you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32)

An individual, a country, or a world that does not remain rooted in objective truth cannot ultimately live in freedom.

Some highlights of this reality:

1731: Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. By free will one shapes one’s own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude [true happiness].  

1733: The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes…  

One of the most common errors of all time is to confuse freedom and license. Today, frequently under the specious pretext freedom, mankind acts in a manner that is really license. We are not morally free to do whatever we choose to do. Only when rooted in truth and acting in objective truth can we hope to be free.

No one has the moral right to do evil. No one has the moral right to choose to take an innocent life or to engage in actions that are out of accord with right reason or any objective standards of morality we have ever known.

The inevitable consequence of abusing freedom is losing freedom. Soon, if we do not alter our present course, the United States will no longer be the home of the brave and the land of the free. Loss of personal freedoms, one at a time, is already well underway. One day we shall awake from our moral slumber and find that we have become slaves.  

We must live in truth and act in truth if we are to remain free. Abuse it and I assure you we shall lose it! Wake up America! God is not a disinterested spectator. Let’s thank God for our freedom, but let’s not sit by idly while the forces of darkness divorce freedom from truth. For, as Jesus says, “The man who sins is the slave of sin.” (John 8:34)  

I’ll leave you with the motto of the United States Army Special Forces on this 4th of July:

De oppresso liber! (To free the oppressed)  

Indeed, Jesus came to set the captives free. Let’s do our part for our country and our world that we might all remain free in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
God Bless You,
Fr. John Corapi

***

The following video, Jason Upton - Freedom Reign, courtesy of You Tube.

***

About Fr. John Corapi

Father is a perpetually professed priest member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity.

The pillars of father's preaching are basically three:

• Love for and a relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary which leads us into a vibrant and loving relationship with Jesus Christ. 

• Great love and reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist--from Holy Mass to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. 

• An uncompromising love for and obedience to the Holy Father and the teaching of the Magisterium of the Church. 

Father Corapi's audio and video series on the Catechism of the Catholic Church entitled The Teaching of Jesus Christ has been widely acclaimed and is used throughout the world as a course in religious education and catechesis.

The essence of Father's message is the essential message of Jesus Christ. It is Good News: a message of truth and goodness, love and mercy. It is above all else a message of hope. Father is available to preach retreats, missions, and conferences:

Rev. John Corapi, SOLT
P.O. Box 9440 
Kalispell, MT 59901

Telephone: (406) 751-1900  
Fax: (406) 751-1912

###

CALL TO FAST & PRAYER

2009-06-30T01:25:00.002-04:00

CALL TO FAST & PRAY WITH PDF AND WORD DOWNLOADS - GOD & COUNTRY USA

Shared via AddThis

Goodbye America

2009-06-28T23:07:00.006-04:00

Just like the game “Mononopoly” America’s printing money faster than the ink can dry and…

just like “Monopoly” our money ain’t worth the paper it’s being printed on.

I wonder, though, as I’ve written countless times before, “Who's watching the “watchdogs?”

Apparently no one and [apparently] it really doesn’t matter.

Check out the latest atrocity and see if your blood pressure doesn’t go sky high regarding the negligence with our pals over at the Federal Reserve:

(Read full story at the Daily Bail.)

Tell me, if anyone still believes there is any chance of saving our America, will you please explain to me how, at this point, is that possible?

And, speaking of the Federal Reserve, there's and old saying that goes something like this: if you want to hide something from the general public, then put it in a book. In case anyone is wondering, the Federal Reserve is a privately owned cartel of some very powerful businessmen. This cartel works cooperatively with their governments and all other powerful transnational corporations in a dominant global alliance that allows them to control the worlds markets, resources, cheap labor and our lives.

Following are some reputable quotes concerning the Federal Reserve that is available to anyone and everyone who is interested.

SENATORS & CONGRESSMEN:

Most Americans have no real understanding of the operation of the international money lenders. The accounts of the Federal Reserve System have never been audited. It operates outside the control of Congress and manipulates the credit of the United States.
--Sen. Barry Goldwater (Rep. AR)

This [Federal Reserve Act] establishes the most gigantic trust on earth. When the President [Wilson} signs this bill, the invisible government of the monetary power will be legalized.the worst legislative crime of the ages is perpetrated by this banking and currency bill.
--Charles A. Lindbergh, Sr. , 1913

From now on, depressions will be scientifically created.
--Congressman Charles A. Lindbergh Sr., 1913

The financial system has been turned over to the Federal Reserve Board. That Board administers the finance system by authority of a purely profiteering group. The system is Private, conducted for the sole purpose of obtaining the greatest possible profits from the use of other peoples money.

--Charles A. Lindbergh Sr., 1923

The Federal Reserve bank buys government bonds without one penny.
--Congressman Wright Patman,
Congressional Record, Sept 30, 1941

We have, in this country, one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board. This evil institution has impoverished the people of the United States and has practically bankrupted our government. It has done this through the corrupt practices of the moneyed vultures who control it.
--Congressman Louis T. McFadden in 1932 (Rep. Pa)

The Federal Reserve banks are one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever seen. There is not a man within the sound of my voice who does not know that this nation is run by the International bankers.
--Congressman Louis T. McFadden (Rep. Pa)

Some people think the Federal Reserve Banks are the United States governments institutions. They are not government institutions. They are private credit monopolies which prey upon the people of the United States for the benefit of themselves and their foreign swindlers.
--Congressional Record 12595-12603
Louis T. McFadden, Chairman of the Committee
on Banking and Currency (12 years) June 10, 1932

I have never seen more Senators express discontent with their jobs.I think the major cause is that, deep down in our hearts, we have been accomplices in doing something terrible and unforgivable to our wonderful country. Deep down in our heart, we know that we have given our children a legacy of bankruptcy. We have defrauded our country to get ourselves elected.
--John Danforth (R-Mo)

These 12 corporations together cover the whole country and monopolize and use for private gain every dollar of the public currency. Mr. Crozier of Cincinnati, before Senate Banking and Currency Committee, 1913.

The [Federal Reserve Act] as it stands seems to me to open the way to a vast inflation of the currency I do not like to think that any law can be passed that will make it possible to submerge the gold standard in a flood of irredeemable paper currency.
--Henry Cabot Lodge Sr., 1913

FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVES OWN ADMISSIONS

When you or I write a check there must be sufficient funds in out account to cover the check, but when the Federal Reserve writes a check there is no bank deposit on which that check is drawn. When the Federal Reserve writes a check, it is creating money.
--Boston Federal Reserve Bank

Neither paper currency nor deposits have value as commodities, intrinsically; a dollar bill is just a piece of paper. Deposits are merely book entries.
--Modern Money Mechanics Workbook,
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 1975

The Federal Reserve system pays the U.S. Treasury $20.60 per thousand notes a little over 2 cents each without regard to the face value of the note. Federal Reserve Notes, incidentally, is the only type of currency now produced for circulation. They are printed exclusively by the Treasurys Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the $20.60 per thousand price reflects the Bureaus full cost of production. Federal Reserve Notes are printed in 01, 02, 05, 10, 20, 50, and 100 dollar denominations only; notes of 500, 1000, 5000, and 10,000 denominations were last printed in 1945.
--Donald J. Winn,
Assistant to the Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System

We are completely dependant on the commercial banks. Someone has to borrow every dollar we have in circulation, cash or credit. If the banks create ample synthetic money we are prosperous; if not, we starve. We are absolutely without a permanent money system. It is the most important subject intelligent persons can investigate and reflect upon. It is so important that our present civilization may collapse unless it becomes widely understood and the defects remedied very soon.
--Robert H. Hamphill,
Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank

PAST PRESIDENTS, NOT INCLUDING THE FOUNDING FATHERS

Whoever controls the volume of money in any country is absolute master of all industry and commerce.
--James A. Garfield, President of the United States

A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the worldno longer a government of free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of small groups of dominant men.
--President Woodrow Wilson

FOUNDING FATHERS QUOTES ON BANKING

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Already they have raised up a monied aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. The issuing power (of money) should be taken away from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs.
--Thomas Jefferson,
U.S. President

 If Congress has the right [it doesnt] to issue paper money [currency], it was given to them to be used by[the government] and not to be delegated to individuals or corporations.
--President Andrew Jackson,
Vetoed Bank Bill of 1836

 History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance.
--James Madison

***

You gotta admit this, folks: our pals over at the Federal Reserve know the wisdom of what's stated in Proverbs 22:7: "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."

So you see, America, ignorance is not bliss... and unless we turn from being a god-less to a god-full nation we are…

(excuse my “French”) screwed!

###

We Are The World

2009-06-26T14:50:00.008-04:00

Yesterday, I was saddened by the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. My prayers remain for them and their loved ones.

In thinking about our mortality, I remembered the “We Are The World” project that Jackson created in the 80s and how powerful his vision was in uniting people of all faiths and colors because…

[Through God] we are the world.

Imagine how much stronger peace can be established if we would abandon our heart's completely to God's will instead of man's.

Today, I dedicate this post for all to pray for reconciliation and world peace. Let’s remember that God intended us to live together respectfully in love. God bless everyone.

***

Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

###

The following video, We Are The World, courtesy of You Tube.

Guest Author, Robert Melaccio, Sr.

2009-06-25T12:08:00.013-04:00

Greetings Friends!

Since I've intended this blog to be a "safe-haven" for all Christians to share "life as it happens," I am thrilled to step aside today for guest author, Robert Melaccio, Sr. If anyone else is interested to "guest author" on this blog, feel free to e-mail me at judi@judilake.com. Please be advised that all material is subject for approval.

In the meantime, following are Mr. Melaccio, Sr.'s thoughts for the day:

***

The Answer To All Starts At 3:OO PM
Each Day At The Foot Of The Cross

We are, in my opinion and by the prophecy of God to Saint Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska, Divine Mercy in my Soul, in a time of grace and God’s mercy before He will shortly return as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to meet out justice upon the earth.

Now you who may scoff and reject stop to think of the Word of God. He who proclaims Jesus come in the flesh is of God, John 4. Yes and God has appeared to many throughout history and given them His prophecy. To the meek, humble and lowly has He appeared?

So why 3:00 pm each day? Why is this time so critical? Well it is at this hour that God opens His heart and ears to all who call upon Him in remembrance of His passion death and crucifixion at 3:00 pm on Calvary. God stated in this prophecy that “He will refuse nothing of the soul that comes to Him” as described in Sister Faustina’s diary.

Now great trials are coming upon the Catholic Church and Christianity. Religious persecution will come and is already growing each day. Many will suffer for their stance and some will even be martyred for their faith. Many do not want to know this and prefer the belief they will be raptured away. Yet God Himself speaks to those who will be killed for His name and sent to prison and suffer before kings, rulers and judges.

As God stated and the apostles warned, we know that evil has entered the churches with many follow false doctrines and beliefs. Many Saints have given their witness and prophecy concerning the days we are living and yet many reject those warnings, following the doctrines of men, they close their eyes and ears to God. Testing not the message or messenger they just totally reject out of ignorance and false teaching.

So this day I urge you who seek to search every avenue that uses to speak to His chosen, elect for He calls those who’s names are written in the Book of Life to repent, come home, be ready for His return.

Yes, it starts at 3:00 pm each day in prayer, repentance, and asking for mercy not only for you and yours but for your enemies, and all in the world. It starts when we all join into the church of the Last Days. That is a church of the original church, a belief in God and His Word. The doing of His works and the sharing of our surplus for the love of our neighbor. Yes in prayer and humble submission that which the world and yes even denominations know little of.

Yes it is united prayer, humble prayer, faithful prayer that God expects and we must practice. Do you who profess God believe in His Word, then you will recognize whom He sends as they did before His birth and the world rejected and the apostles after His resurrection that they also killed for His sake. Are we any better then the many who died a martyr’s death for love of Him in faith? That is the trial that is the test that we pray we do not suffer. Yet are you ready should it be required of you?

The answer to all starts at 3:00 pm
each day at the foot of the Cross.

If you enjoyed Mr. Melaccio's article, you can read more at realconsiderations.blogspot.com or at his other two locations Webgazine.com and searchwarp.com.

###

The following video, 3 O'clock Prayer / 3 O' clock Habit (Original),
courtesy of You Tube.

The Plant A Cross Project

2009-06-22T12:38:00.004-04:00

The following has been written and created by Chaplain Emil Milano of God and Country USA:

I am fed up with the ACLU, this Administration, the Gay agenda and every other group that is openly or secretly anti-Semitic and/or anti-Christian.

The ACLU is battling to have a War Memorial; a Cross, erected back in 1934 by the Veterans of Foreign Wars in memory of the dead of all wars, taken down. It is in California’s Mojave Desert; a remote area where the only visible signs of human activity are off-road vehicles and trail hikers.

There is also another matter of a courthouse and the display the Ten Commandments. It is time we took this country back for God!

How hateful can these atheists be? How often have I repeated the scripture that we wrestle not against flesh and blood? It is time we tell the ACLU just where to go! Their stand that my faith is offensive to them, is offensive to me. We also have rights.

That's right! To the Cross. We must act as a body united to show our unity as believers in Christ Jesus and stop allowing ourselves to be oppressed.

The Plant A Cross Project asks believers to erect a Cross on their front lawn but within local ordinances, which I would imagine does not allow for anything over four feet in height.

If you live in a community that must approve of everything, then a Cross on your door would be sufficient. Let the world know. Believers that pass your home will stop and ask you about it. Then you can share what it is all about. You may also make a new friend or possibly get a chance to witness, which is the great commission.

Let us proclaim Jesus in EVERY way possible. They won't allow Him in our schools, our courts or our Town Squares. We pay our taxes and by all rights should have the right to display our Faith.

"If you deny me before men, I will deny you before my Father who is in Heaven."
(Matthew 10:33)

I say, we shout it out. It is time for Christians to come out of the closet. If Gays could come out and accomplish what they did, why can't we as a single Body of Believers accomplish the same thing? We have God on our side. "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he [Jesus] that is in you, than he [Satan] that is in the world." (1John 4:4) Don't allow fear to stop you from proclaiming your Faith in Jesus Christ.

Can you imagine what we could do? "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper!" (Isaiah 54:17a) Come out of the closet and proclaim Jesus to your neighbors, all passersby and to the world. Let the world see how a small spark can start a fire of faith that can not be quenched!

SPREAD THE WORD.
THIS IS A GRASSROOTS EFFORT;
NO MONEY, NOR FUNDS FOR ADS.
http://www.godcountryusa.com

###

Random Reflections For Friday, 6-19

2009-06-19T18:23:00.003-04:00

Interestingly, the more I read the news, the more my mind wanders towards God.

When will America realize her need for God? I honestly don’t know; America is being a stubborn nation and as such may have to suffer the consequences of her own god-lessness.

Why can’t people understand that it is only through God that we will obtain true freedom and peace? I have come to realize that perhaps not many really “know” God after all…

When I think of God, I think of Him as a God who saves and as a God who is interested in every single one of us. I also believe He cares about all the silly little incidentals of each of our lives.

In other words, God is a “lover”.

When we love people, we are interested in everything about them – even the smallest details in their lives. I believe that God is like that for all of us; even when no one else notices us, God does because we are interesting to Him.

But God is more than interested in us; He saves us. His love is always redeeming. One who really loves, loves us in spite of our imperfections and sins and so God loves us. But He, like no other lover, can and will redeem our imperfections and sins.

God is the one who is always there; it is man who abandons God.

God never fails to be present when we need Him and presence is what it means to care. It is precisely at this point that I believe much of our faith is tested. We call out to God and ask Him to be with us, but He seems so far away. What we are really asking is for God to reveal Himself to us, and that He will not do. He has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ and Jesus promised to be with us always through His Spirit that dwells in our hearts. That Spirit’s presence is only known through faith, not through some tangible manifestation that makes faith unnecessary. God is present to us now only through faith, and only faith knows that He is with us: that He cares and that He is interested.

Isn’t that the way with human love as well? We have to believe that the one who loves us cares; we have to believe in that person because there is often misunderstanding and doubt and we can interpret non-presence as non-caring. Often the other does not know the depth of our need at this moment or our hunger for a friend’s interest in some project that is dear to us. This in no way means he or she doesn’t love us or doesn’t care. God does know, of course, but because He does not reveal Himself as we would like Him to, we interpret His felt absence as a real absence and not caring.

It is our own complexity that makes God complex? He is simple and means every word He utters. The non-belief is in us. We project our own and others’ failures to love selflessly onto Him. If, however, we live by faith, our own lives become simple, as simple as the word that God has given us. And that word is love.

God is love, St. John says, and those who abide in love abide in God and God in them. (see 1 John 4:16)

###

The following video, John Michael Talbot - My Yoke is Easy - Quiet Reflections Part 5, courtesy of You Tube.

Boston “Spreads The Love” With Transgender Prom

2009-06-15T17:02:00.006-04:00

I openly admit that I am “a promise breaker”.

Huh?

Well, for every time that I vow not to read the news, I break my promise and guess what?

Yup, I read the news. And guess what [again]?

As hard as I try to remain composed and detached from the realities of this “upside down” world, I tend to get a little “worked up” or…

to be more specific…

I get angry.

Let me put it to you this way:
Thank God that I am not God or I would have destroyed the world (as we know it) a long time ago…

Mmmm… a little emotional am I?

Let me explain:

Amidst all the political nonsense, the following headline appears on World Net Daily:

Kids attend prom from 'sexual hell'
You won't believe how children as young as 12 years old partied

Okay, since I am a mom of a “tween” I naturally read further into this June 12 article by Chelsea Schilling:

“Note: This story contains material that readers might consider graphic and offensive.

Family advocates are outraged by a prom held at Boston City Hall that was open to children apparently as young as 12 featuring cross dressers, homosexual heavy petting, suspected drug use and a leather-clad doorman who teaches sexual bondage classes.

Children from middle schools and high schools across Massachusetts on May 9 attended a Youth Pride Day event ending with a prom inside of Boston City Hall sponsored by the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Youth, Or BAGLY, a group seated on the Massachusetts Commission for GLBT Youth.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino issued a proclamation welcoming homosexual and transgender youth to the celebration. A man in drag introduced a homosexual activist from Menino's office to read the letter. A video of that proclamation is below….” Read more.

***

Now I take a break to vomit.

I no longer recognize society any more. Who are we? I get it now more than ever that perhaps Obama is right: America really is no longer a Christian nation…

***

America is on a rapid downward spiral and evil is winning out especially within our youth. I personally make no apology for sounding off like a “fanatical, right wing extremist.” As I’ve often said, our God is the same God of yesterday, today and tomorrow but it is man who keeps reinventing God.

For those of us who profess to be Christ followers, the time is now to stand together in solidarity and, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we must pray and then act. I now understand the urgency that burned deeply within the spirit of John the Baptist to prepare everyone for the coming of the Lord:

In Luke 3:3-4, we are told, "And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." Also in Matthew 3:1-3, "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

As a Catholic/Christian, my spirit cries out to all of America: “Repent and believe the Good News” (Mark 1:15).

To understand the signs of the times means to accept the urgency of penance, conversion and of faith. For believers, we know that God will triumph. We also know, through faith, that hearts open to God and purified by His contemplation is stronger than guns, weapons and the US government.

As we see and experience continually, the evil one clearly has power in this world; he has power, however, because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But since God Himself took a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word. From that time forth, the word that prevails is this:

“In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

May God help us all -- especially our children.

###

If It Ain’t Right, It’s Wrong, Right?

2009-06-10T15:48:00.004-04:00

The majority of most [sane] individuals ultimately realize that our conscience must guide us when difficult decisions are to be made. Regardless if one believes in God or not, we often speak of doing things in “good conscience” or “bad conscience.” [I think] society still believes that good behavior is "conscientious" and bad behavior is "unconscionable".

But, especially in an “anything goes” society, what exactly is "conscience"?

Basically, it is [still] the power of making a judgment between good and evil. Conscience answers the question, “What is the right thing for me to do here and now?”

The news of yesterday revealed that George Tiller’s Clinic had closed. Although deeply saddened by this man’s murder, do I think there should be memorials for him? No, I do not. Am I saddened that the clinic has closed? No, I am not. Although Tiller’s murder was a tragedy, his work was evil and must not continue but…

will “the abortion issue” ever be resolved?

I don’t know, but as they say, as long as abortion exists, those of us who oppose it will not be silenced – even with the tragic murder of George Tiller.

Abortion is a tough issue, yet, as a friend once wisely observed, if it is not considered murder, than why on earth was Scott Peterson accused of two murders?

Mmmm…. makes ya wonder, huh?

***

Fundamental to all religious sentiment is reverence. Once we acknowledge that God exists and that He is creator and Lord of all that exists, we become aware of how minusular we are in comparison to God. [Most] are both fearsome and fascinated by God and in relation to Him, [most] find themselves in a posture of awe and submission.

This is reverence.

Reverence for God extends to all that is of God. Nothing of the creation that surrounds us is really ours to do with as we please – it is all God’s doing and a result of His loving will. Each of us is called to respect and reverence all of God’s handiwork as we are called to reverence and respect God.

We perceive that God’s human creatures are the masterwork of creation, that they have a particular dignity all their own and that, therefore, they have a claim for special reverence. Scripture effectively expresses this by stating, “humankind is created in God’s very own image and likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Human life is sacred and is to be revered and respected because it is a special reflection of the holiness associated with God.

Abortion’s Religious Slant
These fundamental religious insights are the basis for the church’s teaching about abortion. No human life, even the unborn, is ours to do with as we please because all human life is God’s. This is the foundation for the claim to inviolability and respect that each of us has the right to expect from others and they from us.

This claim to inviolability and reverence, this human dignity, is prior to all achievement. Human dignity does not depend of human accomplishments or even on human potential. It does not have to be earned. It does not have to be demonstrated. It is a presupposition established by God and therefore beyond all human demands for proof or justification. That which is human has a right to be, simply because it is there and simply because it is God’s.

The willful destruction of any innocent human life is wrong because it is a violation of the rights of God the creator and therefore a violation of reality. Killing an innocent human being involves interfering with that which is not ours, treating as our own that which is God’s alone – it is an offense against the reverence we owe to God.

This is easy to understand when we are dealing with human beings that we can see and touch however, for some, it is harder to see human dignity with those not yet born. Nevertheless, the dignity and worth is there because even the unborn belong to God in the same way and to the same degree that each of us belongs to God.

For those of us convicted by God’s Truth, abortion is never a debatable issue -- ever -- regardless of the circumstances. Abortion is clearly wrong and all the reasons are very clear. Abortion becomes a tough issue, however, when all reverence towards God is removed from society.

Abortion’s Secular Slant
A society, such as our own, that permits the general killing of innocent, unborn children runs the risk of eventual self-destruction. Such a society launches a logic that will lead to social suicide.

The basic protection that society must provide its citizens with is “the protection of the right to be.” Our Declaration of Independence clearly expresses as self-evident the truths “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and that governments are instituted to secure these rights. Whether one believes in a creator or not, the responsibility of government in the matter of human life is clear.

When abortion was legalized in our country, government, in effect, said that the unalienable right to life doesn’t apply to certain beings that are, nonetheless, human beings. An entire class was instantly eliminated from the law’s protection. For all practical purposes it made every unborn child legally vulnerable.

In doing so, government posed a threat against all of us. If unborn human beings can be left legally unprotected, then what about the terminally ill, the elderly, and those who’ve lived out their “usefulness”? What about the “misfits”? The “unpopular”?

Well, you know where we’re going here… according to the government, there is, unfortunately, no longer any value with certain lives are now considered “society’s burden.” But we must consider that here we are not dealing with religious logic but with simple social logic.

Legalizing abortion was a judicial and social mistake – a grave mistake that we must remedy if our country is to preserve its very foundation.

The question to be faced here is not whether a reversal of our country’s position on abortion is called for but how that reversal can be achieved.

Abortion and the Individual Challenge
Personally, although I am adamantly against abortion regardless of the circumstances, I do not believe that anything I can do [within my own power] will convince anyone of its evils because only God can soften the hardened hearts. So what is the acceptable route to defend our unborn babies in a society that no longer values life?

Is it acceptable to do nothing? If not, is acceptable to do everything? Are any and all means acceptable as long as the end is good? What is my obligation as a Christian woman toward those who provide abortion services? Despite his work, it is my strong opinion that murdering George Tiller was unacceptable but…

I also believe, however, that Christians should take steps under the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit to help change the destructive direction in which our society has embarked. The way we address the horrors of abortion will be determined by our humble repentance as a nation and by our love for our country and our reverence for the human dignity that comes to each of us from Almighty God.

May God forgive us and help us all.

###

The following video, Everyone Against Abortion Please Raise Your Hand, courtesy of You Tube.

As The “Annointed One Speaks” The World Stands Still

2009-06-05T01:22:00.006-04:00

I must “assume” that by now, most realize that my reference is not about Jesus Christ but…

Barack Hussein Obama.

First he says that America “is no longer a Christian nation” and now [America] “is one of the largest Muslim countries in the world.”

Oh, and did I hear him offer some of our stimulus money to the Saudi’s?

Mmmm…. I sure am relieved that it is “he” who is leading us.

Regardless of the context of his message, I am [righteously] angry; our President should always stand strong and never denounce the Judeo-Christian principles our country was founded on. (Besides, isn’t atheism and witchcraft the fastest growing movements in the US these days?...)

For the sake of our children, I really don’t care how many people I anger. I’ve never seen a country get flushed down the toilet faster than since Obama took office.

Yes, America was in trouble before but Obama has rapidly put the golden touches on her demise.

While many have praised Obama’s Cairo speech, I found it full of weakness and naiveté as I wonder if he had forgotten 9/11?

I didn’t, and, as a native New Yorker who walked through ground 0 only four days after the attack while looking and praying for lost loved ones, will never forget it… never.

Terrorists are terrorists and they cannot be rehabilitated.

While Obama is staunchly discrediting America in his ‘apology tours,’ let’s review exactly what is meant by Judeo-Christian values (Excerpt taken from Wikipedia):

Judeo–Christian (sometimes written as Judaeo–Christian) is a term used broadly to describe a body of concepts and values thought to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity. This tradition is considered, along with classical Greco-Roman civilization, a fundamental basis for Western legal codes and morality.

In particular, the term refers to a moral tradition based on shared religious scriptures, referred to as the Tanakh in Judaism and the Testament by Christians, including particularly the Ten Commandments. It implies a continuation of values represented by this religious heritage in the modern Western World. Michael Novak has identified the distinctive value of the Judeo–Christian tradition as the joint concept of liberty and equality based on Genesis, where all humans are said to be created equal, and Exodus, where the Israelites flee tyranny to freedom. Thomas Cahill has discussed Jewish belief in progress and moral responsibility as a characteristic of American culture that can be traced to a Judeo–Christian reading of the Bible….

…The evolution of Judeo–Christian influence on America is most commonly the subject of historians looking at the development of republicanism in America. The deep roots of Judeo–Christian values they explore go back to the Protestant Reformation, not the theological battles but the bloody struggle to win the right to translate the Bible into vernacular languagesThis led to a religious mandate for public education so that ordinary people could read the Bible. According to some authors, this development was crucial to the birth of the Enlightenment and rebellion against divine right of kings….

…In the American context, historians use the term Judeo–Christian to refer to the influence of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament on Protestant thought and values, most especially the Puritan, Presbyterian and Evangelical heritage. These founding generations of Americans saw themselves as heirs to the Hebrew Bible, and its teachings on liberty, responsibility, hard work, ethics, justice, equality, a sense of choseness and an ethical mission to the world, which have become key components of the American character, what is called the “American Creed.” These ideas from the Hebrew Bible, brought into American history by Protestants, are seen as underpinning the American Revolution, Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Other authors are interested in tracing the religious beliefs of America's founding fathers, emphasizing both Jewish and Christian influence in their personal beliefs and how this was translated into the creation of American institutions and character.

To these historians, the interest of the concept Judeo–Christian is not theology but on actual culture and history as it evolved in America. These authors discern a melding of Jewish thought into Protestant teachings—which added onto the heritage of English history and common law, as well as Enlightenment thinking—resulted in the birth of American democracy….”

And, so, Mr. President is the foundation for what was [once] the greatest country in the world. Father God, for the sake of our world and your children I ask that you remove my anger and have mercy on us. I beg You to touch every heart in Washington, especially our president, so that our decaying America might be healed.

###

The following video, God Bless The USA, courtesy of You Tube.

George Tiller’s Murder: A Tragedy – Not A Triumph

2009-06-01T14:20:00.006-04:00

Since the rapid decline of my father’s health, my care-giving for him is rapidly turning full-time and I’m quickly loosing touch with the happenings of the “outside world.”

Seeking a quick break, I scan “old faithful” (Drudge Report) and stop short at the latest headlines:

• Abortion doc gunned down at church…
• Man in custody…
• Abortion foes fear backlash…

George Tiller, the man tagged as “Tiller the Killer” has been murdered.

It is [most probably] assumed that I, along with a multitude of other devout “pro-lifers”, are rejoicing in this man’s violent death, but I/we am not. Even though Tiller’s “fame” was attributed to his countless late-term abortions I am deeply saddened by this act and I mourn. I mourn for the insanity of the murderer and, most importantly, I mourn for Tiller’s soul.

Murder is never a solution and Tiller’s fate, as well as all who are like him, is for God to handle; not man.

Not knowing the full extent of the situation, I can only assume that the murderer is insane but, unfortunately, many who are dedicated in protecting the lives of all unborn babies will be unjustly linked with this tragedy.

I didn’t know Tiller but I imagine that he became desensitized to the realities of Truth over a period of time. Is he unique? No, if we are to be honest, we all have a little “Tiller the Killer” in us but what matters most in our lives is in the choices we choose to make.

I believe that Christianity is a choice. The dividing line to madness is within all of us and, without the anointment of the Holy Spirit, we are all capable of the most heinous acts and crimes.

Like Tiller, America has become “desensitized” to what is evil and has unadmittably chosen to be a God-less society. As I’ve written countless times before, America has quickly transformed into “an anything goes” society with many Christians compromising on what Truth is.

Man might be fickle, but God is not.

***

[Jesus said:] “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” (Matthew 21:28-31)

Most of us have, at some point in our life, made a decision to serve God. Such moments of decision and commitment made a marked difference in our lives. We felt somehow new; we became aware of a new power, a new freedom, a new joy. Problems that had been bothering us for years disappeared; we sensed the operation of grace in us. It seemed as if our previous life had been but a preparation for this moment, and that our subsequent life would be merely a living out of our new consciousness of ourselves as Christians.

We soon discovered that euphoria was not a fruit of the Spirit; that although some problems had disappeared, other problems remained, that it still took our own effort, as well as the winds of grace, to move us along the road of salvation. So we settled in for the long haul and set about living out our life as Christians. We realized that the moment of decision was only a moment, and that we could not dwell within it forever.

There is both wisdom and danger in this realization. For with it comes a turning point in which we can continue to persevere as Christians or return to our former way of life. We can become like the second son who willingly said yes to his father but did not live out his yes. Chances are that this son was sincere when he told his father that he would work in the vineyard. He may well have meant to go but somehow got sidetracked. He may even have set out for the vineyard with fervor, but for one reason or another, never arrived.

We too can set out to serve the Lord with fervor but slowly, step by step, change our direction. We can abandon everything into the hands of God, only to gradually and imperceptibly take it back into our own hands again. We can invite Jesus into our lives as Lord and Savior, but over a period of time, reassert ourselves as “lord of our own lives” and come once again to rely on our own strength to save us.

Such a pattern is not inevitable, but there are precedents for it in Scripture. Did not the disciples leave all to follow Jesus, only to argue about whom was going to have the highest place (surely an exercise in self-assertion)? Did not one of the chosen twelve betray Jesus and another deny knowing Him? Because of the danger of saying one thing and doing another, Jesus issued this warning,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

It is not enough to have once cried out to Jesus, “You are my Lord: - we must choose to make this our decision and prayer every day. It is not enough to have once placed everything in the hands of God; we must again place in His hands anything we’ve taken back from Him.

For Catholics, yesterday was Pentecost Sunday; the day God gave us His Holy Spirit.

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, 
they were all in one place together. 
And suddenly there came from the sky 
a noise like a strong driving wind, 
and it filled the entire house in which they were. 
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, 
which parted and came to rest on each one of them. 
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit 
and began to speak in different tongues, 
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Now there were devout Jews
from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. 
At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, 
but they were confused because each one
heard them speaking in his own language. 
They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, 
"Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? 
Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? 
We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia,
Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and
Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, 
as well as travelers from Rome, 
both Jews and converts to Judaism,
Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking
in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God." (Acts 2:1-11)

What does this mean for us?

Simply put, Pentecost is about how God has comes to live in human hearts, making ordinary people into extraordinary saints.

If we really want to see the restoration of our America [and world], it is time to get out of God’s way and allow Him to take charge. Jesus is simple yet it is man who has complicated and distorted Christianity.

The time is now; right now. Together, let’s stop for a moment and take a few deep breaths. In our mind, let us imagine ourselves breathing in the Spirit and breathing out our sins. Let us envision ourselves accepting the Lord and His plans while letting go of our own plans and visions.

Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth. (Psalm 104)

###

The following video, Cece Winans- Holy Spirit Come Fill This Place, courtesy of You Tube.

Can Our America Become “The Come Back Kid”?

2009-05-20T10:43:00.007-04:00

In reading the news I, among many others, wonder if America can ever become the “come back kid.”

Where is America’s future? Where is America’s greatness? Where is our America?

Is it too late for America? I don’t think so. America’s only hope, as I’ve repeatedly written, is in her humble repentance.

[If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. (Jeremiah 18:7, 8)]

In the book of Jonah, the people repented and God did not destroy Ninevah. However…

God did destroy Jerusalem because they refused to repent. (Jeremiah 25:2-11)

We cannot dispute that our God is loving, righteous and slow to anger but He does get angry. For years people have been saying that America needs to repent, but just like Israel she continues to turn her back on God. No doubt some will think, "But that was in the Old Testament and it's not relevant for us today," but they are wrong. It is important to note that our God is the same God of yesterday, today and tomorrow and what happened to Israel is the same way God will deal with us under the New Testament:

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. (1 Corinithians 10:1-11)

***

America’s Call To Repentance: What It Means?
From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 4:17)

When we think of repentance, we usually think of forsaking sin. If there is serious sin in our life, we hear the call to repent as a call to commit that sin no longer. While repentance certainly involves a change of behavior, it involves something much more fundamental as well.

Repentance is a translation of a Greek word used in Scripture, metanoia, which means a change of mind and of heart. Thus, it means something deeper than changes within external actions; it means a change within ourselves, a change in the underlying source of our behavior (ei.: our way of thinking, our values and priorities.) Basically, it means adopting a new goal for our lives – a goal that determines how we act.

Jesus is very clear about the radical call to repentance: “He called the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?” (Matthew 8:34-36)

Jesus demands a reversal of our normal way of thinking and our instinctive values. Humanly speaking, we are all inclined to want the best for ourselves, to place our good before that of others, to weigh every decision in terms of the benefits for us. The repentance Jesus calls for is a reorientation of this instinctive urge to put ourselves first. Jesus calls for a conversion from relying on our own talents and resources to relying on His care for us. Repentance means making Him the Lord of our lives instead of ourselves.

If we truly understand Jesus’ call to repentance in this way, some of His other teachings take on added significance. The drive to accumulate wealth can be seen as an expression of self-sufficiency, a desire to make one’s future secure against all dangers. But this is as impossible as trying to march a camel through the eye of a needle. Think of the parable of the rich fool, who decided to build larger barns to store his goods for his own future security, only to have his life taken from him that very night. (Luke 12:16-21) True security lies not in what we possess but in what we give up; true security lies not in reliance on our own resources but in reliance on Jesus Christ.

Repentance is a reorientation of our personal lives. Repentance is grasping hold of the paradoxical truth that the one who would save her or his life must embrace the loss of it.

If America is to become “the come back kid,” she must reverse her instinctive set of priorities and living according to the values that Jesus Christ taught.

In my opinion, this is America’s only hope and it can happen right now if we would only allow Him to lead. How sad that so many don’t understand this…

###

The following video, Forgive Us Lord, courtesy of You Tube.

America: Divided We Fall

2009-05-04T10:10:00.005-04:00

Ahh… again, it happened.

I was tired when a well-meaning friend called to ask, “why are you wasting so much time blogging on the issues that you do?” Apparently my [Christian] friend is “offended” that I am against the Obama administration… after all, he “can’t do any worse than Bush did….”

[What I hear:]

“Judi, it doesn’t matter whether you speak against abortion – people are going to get one whether Obama is President or not! Give him a chance…”

Oh me oh my, this administration has certainly created tension with many of my [Christian] friends….

***

If we, as Christians, are who we profess to be then why is there so much strife and division amongst us?

For those of us who have chosen to become a “voice” for righteousness, we must be certain our cause is for the Lord and not ourselves. As humans, it is easy to become consumed with “who is right” but, as Christians, we must remember the glory must go to Him and not us.

And…

we must remember that God is the same God of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

I have personally chosen to remove myself from the country’s upheaval because I do not want to be angry. Is there reason for anger? You bet, but I have to remember who is in control and nothing will change until hearts change.

Am I naïve? I don’t think so. As I have written, I am convinced that America’s healing will only occur with repentance. America’s danger far exceeds a turbulent economy and liberalism – America is rapidly selling her soul to the devil at the cost of our children, and many are “buying into” the charismatic charms of our leader.

The polls were in once Obama was elected. Sadly, many Christians compromised their beliefs for “short-term” solutions. [For me] the writing was on the wall beginning with Obama’s stand on abortion. Right is right and wrong is wrong and it is naïve to think that this administration’s beliefs would change after the election. Our leaders are “power-seekers” and it is my belief that America is in the fight of her life against the principalities of darkness:

12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. —Ephesians 6:12 (KJV)

I especially am convinced that now is the time for all Christians to unite regardless of differences and be reconciled with each other. Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it ain’t but let’s look at Matthew 5:22-24:

“But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”

***

The gospels were written to preserve a record of the lived faith of the apostolic church. Not every saying or deed of Jesus was set down in writing (John 20:30; 21:25). Rather, the gospel evangelists selected those teachings of Jesus that provided guidance for the ongoing life of the church. The teachings of Jesus that deal with relationships should be understood as instructions for how Christians should relate to one another within the Church.

The teachings of Jesus place a great stress upon unity among His followers. At the Last Supper, Jesus prayed for his disciples, “that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent Me” (John 17:21). Their unity was to be so profound that it would be a sign authenticating Jesus’ mission from the Father.

Jesus not only prayed for unity among His disciples, but He instructed them about how their unity was to be preserved. He told them -- and He tells – that there must be no limit to forgiveness: “not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times” we must forgive a brother or sister who wrongs us (Matthew 18:22). We are to slow in judging others, paying more attention to the log in our own eye than to the speck in another’s eye (7:1-5).

It’s all too easy to let seeds of division grow in our midst. We can notice that others do not live out their faith in exactly the same way we do and feel that they are somehow less committed than we are. We can mistrust those we are not in steady contact with, simply because we don’t understand the reasons for their actions. But Jesus’ words to us are as plain as they were to John: “John answered, ‘Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you” (Luke 9:49-50).

If we are aware of a conflict with another, we must interrupt even the important duty of worship to bring about unity again. Jesus seems to make others the judges of our actions: if someone has something against us, it is up to us to take the first step to be reconciled.

The unity of the Church is something we should be striving for and, actually, are responsible for. If the words of Jesus are to make a difference in our lives, they must guide us in our relationships with each other, warning us of the perils of disunity, commanding us to repair disunity whenever it occurs.

If we are to be true “Ambassadors for Christ” let us be conscious of our relationships and begin to ‘let go and let God.’ Let’s face it, America, ‘divided we fall’ and we have a mighty God that America surely needs right now.

###

The following video, Let Go and Let God, courtesy of You Tube.

America’s Hope For Recovery: Jesus Christ

2009-05-01T10:55:00.007-04:00

I can no longer be consumed with the news; it’s fruitless and I firmly believe that America’s only hope for recovery is Jesus.

Does this put me further on Janet Napolitano’s “watch-list”?

Probably, but I don’t really care; I refuse to be “a closet Christian.”

I am not armed with anger or revenge toward any of our leaders – I am armed with the Truth of Jesus Christ which is mightier than anything in this world.

His Truth is mightier that the threats of DHS, the pandemic alarm of H1N1 and certainly mightier than our failing economy.

I have come to realize that America is not experiencing the consequences of an election but, rather, the consequences of living in a God-less, society. Until we humbly fall to our knees and repent, it ain’t gonna get any better.

Burned out from the happenings on Capital Hill, I willingly divert from the Drudge Report to today’s readings (Acts 9:1-29):

Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, 
went to the high priest and asked him 
for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, 
if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,
 he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.  
On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, 
a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.  
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" 
He said, "Who are you, sir?"  
The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.  
Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do."  
The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, 
for they heard the voice but could see no one. 
Saul got up from the ground, 
but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; 
so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. 
For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.

There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, 
and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias."  
He answered, "Here I am, Lord."  
The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight 
and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. 
He is there praying, 
and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias 
come in and lay his hands on him, 
that he may regain his sight." 
But Ananias replied, 
"Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, 
what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem. 
And here he has authority from the chief priests 
to imprison all who call upon your name."  
But the Lord said to him, 
"Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine 
to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel, 
and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name."  
So Ananias went and entered the house; 
laying his hands on him, he said, 
"Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me,  
Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, 
that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."  
Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes 
and he regained his sight.  
He got up and was baptized,  and when he had eaten,
he recovered his strength.

He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, 
and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, 
that he is the Son of God.

***

Talk about a life-changing experience! In a flash of an eye, Paul was changed from a relentless persecutor of Christians to a relentless preacher of the gospel. Wow! While the story of Paul’s conversion is both dramatic and inspiring, the truth is that every conversion is a miracle and that there is hope for everyone.

Jesus told Nicodemus “that everyone needs to be born again.” Simply put, there must come a time when we can say:

“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I accept His forgiveness of my sins, and I want to live my life for Him.”

Although our Lord never forces Himself on anyone, He loves us deeply and wants all of His children to come to a close, personal relationship with Him and with his Son – yes, even those who are turning our America “upside down.”

America, don’t waste another moment; turn to Him who can create the true change in our lives.

***

Thank you, Jesus, for being my Lord and Savior. I humbly beseech you to lay Your hand upon our nation’s leaders and our America now so that any scales of darkness and sin may fall from her eyes. Fill us with the light of Your Truth, for the sake of our children and those not yet born.

###

The following video, Mighty To Save, courtesy of You Tube.

Does anyone remember THIS America?

2009-04-29T00:00:00.008-04:00

BREAK TIME!
Does anyone remember THIS America?

With the help of our Almighty God, may all be awakened to the need to preserve and protect the freedoms upon which our America has been built.

***

God Bless America,  
Land that I love.  
Stand beside her,
and guide her  
Thru the night
with a light from above.  

From the mountains, to the prairies,  
To the oceans, white with foam  
God bless America,
My home sweet home.
—Irving Berlin © Copyright 1938,
1939 by Irving Berlin

###

Swine Flu Pandemic: A Warning From the Heavens?

2009-04-28T15:04:00.006-04:00

"We are concerned that this virus could cause a new influenza pandemic. It could be mild in its effect or potentially be severe," Ban told reporters.

"We don't know yet which way it will go but we are concerned that in Mexico most of those who died were young and healthy adults."

—UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

The Swine flu virus that originated in Mexico has crossed the border and reached the United States. "It has pandemic potential," Margaret Chan, the director-general of the World Health Organization, told reporters during a telephone briefing. "It is infecting people."

Chan added, "The situation is evolving quickly." "We do not yet have a complete picture of the epidemiology or the risk, including possible spread beyond the currently affected areas. Nonetheless, in the assessment of WHO this is serious situation that must be watched very carefully."

Is this pandemic or is this a warning from the heavens?

Who knows, but my spirit tells me that nothing is a coincidence and…

it is evident that we are clearly in God-less times and, for believers, the Bible offers us many warnings of things to come. Does not the Bible warn us that earthquakes, famines, pestilences and fearful sights are all signs from heaven?

“And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” Luke 21:11 (KJV)

***

I believe that our present world calls for all believers to join in solidarity to boldly spread His Word. We need not live in fear but, rather, in the conviction that is orchestrated through the Holy Spirit so that we truly experience the “power of His Word.”

In 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 4:5 we read:

Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

“Grace to you and peace…
We know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.”

Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians was the first book of the New Testament to be written. Although the traditions underlying the gospels go back to the time of Jesus, they had yet to be written down in the form in which we read them in the gospels. So, in one sense, the opening words of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians could be considered the opening words of the New Testament. It is striking that as opening words they tell us something important about the word of God.

After greeting the new converts in Thessalonica (converts made by Paul only a few months earlier) and commending them on their faith, hope and charity (1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3), Paul proceeds to talk about what led to their conversion. The message that he had preached in their midst had not been merely a matter of words but a message with power -- a message anointed by the Holy Spirit -- a message of conviction in those who heard it. Elsewhere, Paul speaks about the signs, wonders and mighty works that accompanied and confirmed his preaching of the gospel (2 Corinthians 12:12), and of a power intrinsic to the word of God; a power capable of calling forth faith. It was this power that brought about the conversion of the Thessalonians.

How do we go about tapping the power of God’s word?

The first step is very simple: we need to read it. Simply acknowledging that the Bible is the word of God is not enough; we must make it a part of ourselves and live it.

The word of God is like a seed sown in a field. The seed may have life within it, but it will only sprout and grow if the proper conditions are present. “But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patient endurance.” (Luke 8:15)

The time is now that we must welcome God’s word with eagerness while taking it to heart; we must persevere in the word so that our lives will bear a rich harvest. Then we, and our land, will experience what the Thessalonians experienced as Paul proclaimed “the good news” to them: the power of God operating through His word and the power of the Holy Spirit within us.

###

The following video, Power of Your Love, courtesy of You Tube.

###

Hillary In “Awe” Of Margaret Sanger

2009-04-24T09:23:00.006-04:00

Her Life and Leadership Is The Most Transformational In the Entire History Of The United States

—Hillary Rodham Clinton
speaking about Planned Parenthood founder and
noted eugenicist Margaret Sanger

***

On March 27, Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton made the following remarks about Planned Parenthood founder, Margaret Sanger at the Federation of America Awards Gala in Houston Texas:

“…Now, I have to tell you that it was a great privilege when I was told that I would receive this award. I admire Margaret Sanger enormously, her courage, her tenacity, her vision…. And when I think about what she did all those years ago in Brooklyn, taking on archetypes, taking on attitudes and accusations flowing from all directions, I am really in awe of her….”

Did I hear that correctly? Madam Secretary of State Clinton is in “awe” of Margaret Sanger… AWE? With all due respect, Mrs. Clinton, Sanger was not a hero -- she was a monster that needed to be stopped but, instead, was idolized.

Let’s set the facts straight here: Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, was simply a proponent of eugenics who advocated selective breeding, sterilization and euthanasia. In one of Sanger’s first pamphlets, published in 1915, she wrote, “It is a vicious cycle; ignorance breeds poverty and poverty breeds ignorance. There is only one cure for both, and that is to stop breeding these things. Stop bringing to birth children whose inheritance cannot be one of health or intelligence. Stop bringing into the world children whose parents cannot provide for them. Herein lies the key of civilization. For upon the foundation of an enlightened and voluntary motherhood shall a future civilization emerge.”

Sanger also advocated government coercion to stop the “unfit” from bearing children, saying, "The undeniably feeble-minded should, indeed, not only be discouraged but prevented from propagating their kind."

Well, apparently I’m not the only one who is stunned with Hillary. Following is a clip from Rep. Chris Smith and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry confronting our Secretary of State on the same issues (videos courtesy of you tube):

Madam Secretary, the “choice” is God’s and God's alone!

###

Barack Obama believes this legislation will “end the culture wars.” To him, “ending the culture wars” means eradicating every state and federal law on abortion—laws the majority of Americans support.

Together, we can help stop FOCA. Visit www.FightFOCA .com and join the almost 600,000 people who have signed the online Fight FOCA petition so far. Help be the voice for our unborn babies!