One of the Very Best Commercials EVAH!

McChrystal was talking TO YOU!

by: Peter Heck 6/28/2010 10:20:00 AM

The ink had not yet dried on my last column that discussed the fact that Barack Obama was woefully unprepared for the presidency and as a result is making deadly missteps in the execution of that role, when news broke of General Stanley McChrystal in essence saying the exact same thing to Rolling Stone magazine.  This isn't just a story to be brushed off.  This is a bombshell.

Don't be distracted by the media comically chastising the General for daring to speak out against "The One" (yes, the same media that hailed military officers who were willing to "speak truth to power" in criticizing George Bush).  That isn't the story.
The true meaning of the McChrystal episode is titanic, because it is quite apparent the General was sending a stern message directly to the American people.

For more reasons than I can count, it is beyond obvious that McChrystal's public criticism of Obama was not a lapse in judgment or a mistake.  It was unquestionably intentional.  First, four-star generals have not achieved that rank without knowing the chain of command and the expectation of subordination to superiors.  Second, all of McChrystal's advisers were touting the same message, demonstrating this was no fluke, nor an offhand comment taken out of context.  Third, McChrystal spoke the inflammatory words to Rolling Stone, a well known anti-war, anti-military magazine.  Fourth, reports are that McChrystal actually saw the piece before it went to print and offered up no objections to its content.

If all that is true, then it naturally begs the question: Why did he do it?

McChrystal is one of the lead authors of the "counterinsurgency" strategy that, despite the nay saying of liberals like then-Senators Obama and Biden, transformed Iraq from a quagmire into a success.  He knows the strategy works.  But as its architect, he also knows this new military policy requires two vital elements: lots of troops, and as much time as necessary for them to do their job.

While other factors are important (cultural bonds, regional partnerships, financial investment, troop morale, etc.), the two most crucial ingredients to making counterinsurgency work (in Afghanistan or anywhere) is a massive amount of troops on the ground to overwhelm the enemy and live among the people, and a commitment to stay as long as necessary to break the will of the enemy.

This is precisely why counterinsurgency worked in Iraq.  Over the ignorant objections of both Obama and Biden, then-President Bush listened to his military commanders and ordered the troop surge.  And while being pummeled by the media and Democrat political opportunists for not setting a hard deadline for withdrawal, Bush committed to stay in Iraq until the job was finished.  The result speaks for itself.

As the Afghan war began to deteriorate, Stanley McChrystal was put in charge to implement that effective strategy there.  But he quickly found that Barack Obama is no George W. Bush.  First, Obama – having championed himself as the anti-war candidate – cut the number of troops McChrystal requested.  And then, in what has to be one of the most foolish wartime moves in history, he announced an arbitrary date for the beginning of American troop withdrawal.

This may please the ex-hippies in the anti-war crowd that Obama courted during the 2008 campaign, but it has emboldened our enemy, imperiled our troops, and created a giant mess of our counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan.

Having pressed his case privately with Obama's war team in Washington, McChrystal certainly saw the handwriting on the wall, and as a final recourse, pled his case to the American people.

Were his actions a breach of protocol?  Yes.  Did they rise to the level of insubordination?  Probably.  Was Obama justified in removing him from command?  I think so.  But after we're done hammering McChrystal for going over the President's head, we better give some serious thought as to why he was so willing to put his career on the line like that.

The reason is as clear as it is frightening: our political leadership in Washington is clueless.  And their incompetence is costing us not only resources and money, but most importantly the precious lives of brave American soldiers.

General Stanley McChrystal was willing to lose his job to send that message to the only people who can do something about it.  

He was talking to you.

YOU Really DO MATTER!

AN OVERVIEW ... excerpt from CatholicCity.com

One could say we have failed to convert everyone on earth to Catholicism over the centuries because Catholics have not been, in general, holy enough. To narrow our scope, we have not converted America to Catholicism because the majority (over sixty percent in most dioceses) of baptized Catholics do not practice their faith in any meaningful way. Additionally, the vast majority of the minority who do attend Mass on Sunday either do not know the teachings of the Church or reject poorly presented versions of those teachings. As a litmus test, well over ninety percent of married Catholics reject Our Lord's teachings on openness to life by using contraception.

Additionally, we have suffered through almost three generations of bishops who apparently were either liberal in belief, were luke warm in fervor, or were reckless in preventing homosexuality and sexual abuse to flourish under their watch (although most were seemingly decent men or able administrators). We were once told in private by the head of an international religious congregation that the situation with American bishops was so dire that a majority would have voted for schism in the 1980s. As go the bishops, so went the priests. Many of our most faithful young men were driven out of the liberal seminaries. The long reign of Pope John Paul II, under whom most of the worst bishops either retired or were replaced, apparently brought us back from the edge of de facto schism.

The result, in 2010, is that less than five percent of baptized Catholics in the U.S. and Canada believe and practice what the Church teaches as the Church herself magisterially defines those teachings.

If you are reading this, you are part of the minority of the minority. Only true believers actually care about the souls of the people in their circle of influence, and thus, only true believers evangelize. Therefore, your actions are extraordinarily important for the salvation of souls of others. Yes, only God's grace saves souls. Jesus started with two people: His mom and dad. Later, twelve apostles. 

Now, He has you. 

You matter.

GULF DAY PRAYER

Just a brief reminder to join many today in prayer for relief, help and resolution for the crisis with the Gulf oil spill. May St. Francis also assist with the poor helpless and sinless animals that are suffering and dying for the sake of GREED. :-(

Cute Quips

SIGNS TO LIVE BY

    *   A clean conscience
    *   makes a soft pillow.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   A family altar can alter a family.
           ~~~~~~~
    *   A lot of kneeling
    *   will keep you in good standing.
           ~~~~~~~
    *   Are you wrinkled with burden?
    *   Come on into Church for a faith lift!
           ~~~~~~~
    *   Be ye fishers of men.
    *   You catch them
    *   and He will clean them.
           ~~~~~~~
    *   Coincidence is when
    *   God chooses to remain anonymous.
           ~~~~~~~
     *   Do your best
    *   and then sleep in peace.
    *   God is Awake.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Don't put a question mark
    *   where God put a period.
           ~~~~~~~
    *   Don't wait for 6 strong men
    *   to take you to church.
           ~~~~~~~
    *   Exercise daily.
   *   Walk with the Lord!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Fear knocked.
    *   Faith answered.
    *   No one was there.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   For all you do,
    *   His Blood's for you!
           ~~~~~~~
    *   Forbidden fruits create many jams.
           ~~~~~~~
    *   Give God what's right,
    *   not what's left!
           ~~~~~~~
    *   Give Satan an inch
    *   and he'll be a ruler.
               ~~~~~~~
    *   God doesn't call the qualified,
    *   He qualifies the called.
              ~~~~~~~
    *   God doesn't want shares of your life;
    *   He wants controlling interest!
             ~~~~~~~
    *   God grades on the cross,
    *   not the curve.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   God loves everyone,
    *   but probably prefers
    *   fruits of the spirit
    *   over religious nuts!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   God promises a safe landing,
    *   not a calm passage.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Having truth decay?
    *   Brush up on your Bible!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   He who angers you, controls you!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   He who is good at making excuses
    *   is seldom good for anything else.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   He who kneels before God
    *   can stand before anyone!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   If God is your Co-pilot -
    *   Swap seats!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   In the sentence of life
    *   the Devil may be a comma,
    *   but DO NOT let him
    *   be the PERIOD!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Kindness is difficult to give away
    *   because it keeps coming back.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Man's way
    *   leads to a hopeless end!
    *   God's way
    *   leads to an endless hope!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Most people want to serve God,
    *   but only in an advisory capacity.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Never give the devil a ride!
    *   He will always want to drive!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Nothing ruins the truth
    *   like stretching it.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Plan ahead.
    *   It wasn't raining
    *   when Noah built the ark.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Pray is a four letter word
    *   that you can say anywhere.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Prayer -
    *   Don't give God instructions -
    *   just report for duty!
           ~~~~~~~
    *   Read The Bible...
    *   It Will Scare The Hell Out Of You!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   The task ahead of us
    *   is never as great as
    *   the Power behind us.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   The Will of God
    *   will never take you
    *   to where the Grace of God
    *   will not protect you.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   This Church is Prayer Conditioned!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   To be almost saved
    *   is to be totally lost.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Walmart isn't the only saving place!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   WARNING:
    *   Exposure to the Son
    *   may prevent burning!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Watch your step carefully!
    *   Everyone else does!
            ~~~~~~~
    *   We don't change the message,
    *   the message changes us.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   We set the sail;
    *   God makes the wind.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   We're too blessed to be depressed.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   When God ordains, He sustains.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Wisdom has two parts:
    *    1) Having a lot to say.
    *    2) Not saying it.
            ~~~~~~~
    *   Worry is the darkroom in which
    *  negatives; are developed.
            ~~~~~~~
    *  You can tell how big a person is
    *  by what it takes to discourage him.

June 27th .. Join us in Praying for the Gulf!!

SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2010 - DAY OF PRAYER FOR LOUISIANA

(As an aside, for Catholics, June 27 is the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Please consider asking her intercession.)

Day of Prayer in Louisiana on Sunday! Please forward this to your families, your pastors and to everyone you know to join us in praying! Only the Lord, through our prayers, can repair the damaged oil well and protect our coast!

Today (June 24, 2010),

Governor Bobby Jindal joined three other Southern governors in issuing an EMERGENCY PRAYER PROCLAMATION, declaring SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2010, a DAY OF PRAYER IN LOUISIANA!

Governors Haley Barbour of Mississippi, Rick Perry of Texas and Bob Riley of Alabama join Jindal in issuing similar emergency directives.
America has assembled the brightest minds, the newest technology and America's finest for 65 consecutive days to seal this breach in the Gulf of Mexico and contain its unwelcomed intrusion into our lives and onto our shores. One thing that we have failed to do is corporately "PAUSE AND PRAY"and admit that our efforts are futile without the assistance of the Almighty!
Governor Bobby Jindal's proclamation calling willing Louisianians to join him in bowing their hearts and entreating Heaven's favor this Sunday, June 27, 2010, is an entirely appropriate "Call to action in this present crisis."
Please participate this Sunday by:

* BOWING your knee
"Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us." Psalm 95:6

* TURNING your heart toward Heaven
"Let us reach out our hearts toward God in heaven."
Lamentations 3:41

* HUMBLING yourself before God
"So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that
He may exalt you in due time." 1 Peter 5:6

"CRYING OUT" on behalf of our deep water, fertile coast, strained industry and precious families
"When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress He rescues them." Psalm 34:18

Ask God to "hear our cry" and to heal our wetland, coast and Gulf
waters!

2 CHRONICLES 7:14: "If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My Face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
Most holy and immaculate Virgin and our Mother Mary, You are our Perpetual Help, our refuge and our hope.

We come to You today. We thank God for all the graces received through your intercession. Mother of Perpetual Help, we promise to love you always and to do all we can to lead others to you.

Mother of Perpetual Help, confident of your powerful influence with God, obtain for us these graces:

The strength to overcome temptation, a perfect love for Jesus Christ, and a holy death so that we will live with you and your Son for all eternity.

Let us pray as a community of faith. Mary, all generations have called you blessed, and the Almighty has done great things for you.

Mother of Perpetual Help, we call upon your most powerful name. Your very name inspires confidence and hope. May it always be on our lips, especially in time of temptation and at the hour of our death. Blessed Lady, help us whenever we call on you. Let us not be content with merely pronouncing your name. May our daily lives proclaim that you are our Mother and our Perpetual Help.

Let us pray for our temporal wants.

Mother of Perpetual Help, with the greatest confidence we kneel before you. We implore your help in the problems of our daily lives. Trials and sorrows often depress us; misfortunes and privations bring misery into our lives; everywhere we meet the cross. Comforter of the Afflicted, beg your Son Jesus to strengthen us as we bear our burdens and to free us from our sufferings. Or if it be the will of God that we should suffer still longer, help us endure all with love and patience. May we follow the example of your Son, and through him, with him, and in him commend ourselves to the care of our heavenly Father.

Let us now present our petitions and our thanks.

Lord Jesus Christ, at a word from Mary your Mother, You changed water into wine at Cana of Galilee. Grant our petitions and accept our sincere thanks.

Grant peace and unity throughout the world, especially in our homes and families.

Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.

Grant that young people respond generously to the call of the Holy Spirit in deepening their faith and choosing their vocation in life.

Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.

Grant us continued health of mind and body, and help the sick, especially . . . , to regain their health according to your holy will.

Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.

Grant eternal rest to all our deceased, especially . . . , and to the souls of all the faithful departed.

Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.

Let us pause now to silently present our own petitions to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. . .

Lord, accept our thanks for the new life of grace you gave us.

We thank You, Lord, through Mary our Mother.

Obama: Christian? .. Muslim? ... um ... nope, not either!

Pray .... Trust ... and ... PREPARE

Time to Prepare from Mark Mallett on Vimeo.

Yo Mamma Wears Army Boots!!

Vatican: Oldest known images of Apostles Andrew and John found

The oldest known image of the apostles Andrew and John have been discovered in catacombs under the city of Rome, dating back to the 4th century A.D., archaeologists announced Tuesday.

The paintings were found in the same location where the oldest known painting of St. Paul was discovered last year, the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archeology said Tuesday.


They are part of a group of paintings around an image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd on the ceiling of what is thought to have been a Roman noblewoman's tomb, experts said.

A painting of St. Peter makes up the fourth member of the group, but older images of him are thought to exist, Vatican experts said.
Their inclusion in the tomb shows the aristocrats were among the last Romans to convert to Christianity, archaeologist Fabrizio Bisconti said.
The Roman matron must have been very rich, he said, as the colors and richness of the decoration show.
The images of the apostles' heads and shoulders against a deep red background were uncovered after two years of work, Vatican experts said.
Archaeologists used a new laser technology to remove layers of white carbon calcium deposited on the frescoes over the centuries without disturbing the paintings.
They are located in the catacombs of St. Tecla, one of the 40 Roman catacombs under Rome. It sits under a modern eight-story building in a working-class neighborhood. It is closed to the public and its entrance is mostly hidden.
The Vatican spent about 60,000 euros (about $74,000) on the archaeological work, it said. The apostles were a group of a dozen men, according to Christian tradition, who spread the gospel of Jesus after his crucifixion.

Clerics Living in Glass Cathedrals Should not Throw Stones!

An open letter to President Obama from Jon Voight

By Jon Voight

An open letter from actor Jon Voight to President Obama:

June 22, 2010

President Obama:

You will be the first American president that lied to the Jewish people, and the American people as well, when you said that you would defend Israel, the only Democratic state in the Middle East, against all their enemies. You have done just the opposite. You have propagandized Israel, until they look like they are everyone's enemy — and it has resonated throughout the world. You are putting Israel in harm's way, and you have promoted anti-Semitism throughout the world.
You have brought this to a people who have given the world the Ten Commandments and most laws we live by today. The Jewish people have given the world our greatest scientists and philosophers, and the cures for many diseases, and now you play a very dangerous game so you can look like a true martyr to what you see and say are the underdogs. But the underdogs you defend are murderers and criminals who want Israel eradicated.
You have brought to Arizona a civil war, once again defending the criminals and illegals, creating a meltdown for good, loyal, law-abiding citizens. Your destruction of this country may never be remedied, and we may never recover. I pray to God you stop, and I hope the people in this great country realize your agenda is not for the betterment of mankind, but for the betterment of your politics.

With heartfelt and deep concern for America and Israel,
Jon Voight

Obama: Enemy of Catholic Unity

by Thomas Peters on June 16th, 2010

When I heard that President Obama had sent a personal video message to the Catholic Health Association and to Sr. Carol Keehan at their annual meeting this Monday, thanking them for their work in helping pass the Democrat health care plan, I wasn’t surprised.
But after thinking about this move, shouldn’t I be surprised? After all, when you follow the day-to-day of politics you can miss the big picture. So let’s step back a moment and try to see what shape the forest has taken, and how Obama has been pruning the Catholic faithful back.
The first point to understand is that Obama knows about the debate Catholics are having over him.
That’s why he usually talks only to Catholics who share his agenda. He has been careful to ensure that the terms of his debate with Catholics have always been on his terms. He sends CHA a video and gives Sr. Keehan a pen because he knows that these individuals chose to follow him instead of the bishops. So he makes a place at his table for them and rewards what he sees as their loyalty.
Obama is also keenly aware of his critics, and keeps careful watch over who is opposing his efforts. Obama knew by the end of the healthcare debate, that the bishops were an obstacle to passage of the bill, perhaps even the main obstacle, and he knew this as well. Yet he does not reach out to them. He simply, determinedly, strips them of their institutional allies. He supports those who dissent from them publicly. He gives the politicians who they criticize places of power in his administration. It’s all rather like a German prince in the middle ages who picks his side between the Lutherans and Roman Catholics, not for doctrinal reasons, but because he wants peace in his kingdom – at the cost of the other side.
More to the point in this message, he speaks of the “courage” of those in CHA who lobbied for his health care bill (courage against what? why the opposition of the bishops, of course!). He calls the passage of the bill a “major victory … for the most vulnerable among us” (this coming from the most pro-abortion President in history). This is a particularly stinging line to critics of the health care bill, such as the bishops – who opposed a bill that they were prone to accept otherwise, precisely because they believed (as I do) that it will end up harming the “most vulnerable” unborn (and elderly) among us.
Finally, he says to Sr. Keehan and the CHA, that in passing his bill, they “did so in a way that protects your long-standing beliefs.” In other words, he supports their claim that being Catholic doesn’t mean you have to be obedient to the authority of the bishops or avoid publicly scandalizing the faithful. Obama, I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say, thinks he can interpret what it means to be Catholic better than the bishops when they draw upon two thousand years of tradition.
Obama’s actions are therefore directly harmful to Catholic unity because not only does he not believe in the unity provided by the bishops of the Church, he doesn’t think Catholics ought to be unified by their bishops, either.
This insight is what made me realize that I have for so long missed something crucial that makes Obama dangerous to the Catholic Church in America: Catholics who follow Obama’s vision for America, in large part, also follow his vision of the Catholic Church – as an egalitarian assembly of individual truth-seekers that take their hope from progressive visions of social activism, and who are constantly at loggerheads with an out-of-touch traditionalist hierarchy.
For instance, I have yet to hear a Catholic who supports the Obama agenda say, “I like Obama’s agenda, but of course I don’t believe what he thinks about or how he acts towards the Church.” It seems that the Catholics who support Obama’s agenda, or the individuals who criticize Catholics for not supporting his agenda, very often couch their support for him in political, not religious terms. But Obama has made religious claims, and overstepped religious boundaries, in pursuit of his political goals. In the ensuing mix-up, there can be no complaint that Catholics who oppose Obama are confusing politics with religion, for when Obama places himself against the authority of the bishops, he has stepped into the Catholic scene.
To provide a couple brief parallel (and purely hypothetical) examples, what if Obama sent a message to a group of orthodox jews who violate kosher laws and praised them for supporting his domestic initiative of promoting American pork consumption?
Or again, what if Obama sent a message to a group of Jehova’s Witnesses who practice blood transfusions and thanked them for their support of National Donate Blood Day?
In both these hypothetical cases, Obama is praising “political” actions with deep religious connotations that, when chosen by those who claim to practice each faith, violate what it has traditionally meant to be Jewish or a Jehovah’s Witness. (I doubt anyone would try to argue as a Catholic that the teaching authority of bishops is not on at least equal footing as kosher requirements for orthodox jews or the prohibition against blood transfusions for active Jehovah’s witnesses.)
I think this point about the conflict between Obama’s political overtures and the constitutive beliefs of Catholics is useful to keep in mind whenever we see Obama interacting with the Catholic community as such. He has demonstrated that his political goals often rely on “ecclesiastical” means – i.e., the promotion of doctrinal factionalism within the Catholic Church.
So unless you support Obama for President of the American Catholic Church, you may want to critically re-think your support for his unprecedented support of public dissent in the life of the Catholic Church in America.

Please Keep the Pope in Your Prayers

We need to pray for the Holy Father's intentions and for his safety and for his strength!

Smell Anything Lately???

IN THE EXTREMISM OF OUR TIMES ARE WHIFFS OF THE DISTANT SMOKE OF CIVIL DISTURBANCE

It comes at times like the waft of distant smoke -- moments when it is extremely vague, nearly undetectable, unthreatening, other days when it "smells" like it's very close (and getting nearer). We speak here of the possibility -- in the not-too-distant future -- of civil disturbance.

There are even protests of the super-secret and super-wealthy Bilderberg Group that meets each year and tries to engineer world events.

It is in the wind. There is the economy: no one knows where it will end up. It has been propped up by loans and "bailouts" and "stimulus" money (debt) but we have seen where debt leads in nations like Greece, where a financial crisis was recently and immediately met with violent civil uprisings. Will the U.S. become another Greece?

Some see a flood of bank failings by 2012 while others warn that the value of the dollar will plummet. Having some gold or silver coins doesn't seem like a bad idea. Are the warnings a bit too radical?

Like a year ago, a cadre of "soothsayers" are again warning of major economic turmoil. Some quick samplings:

"First six months of 2010, Americans will continue to live in the 'unreality... The period between July and October is when the financial fireworks will begin" (Robert Chapman).

"Forty percent devaluation at first -- the greatest depression worst than the Great Depression" (Gerald Celente).

"A very likely second crash by late 2010" (Harry Dent).

"Going into 2010, the trends seemed to lead nowhere or towards oblivion" (Alpha-Omega Report).

"A second market plunge" (Dr. John P. Hussman).

"A massive dollar sell-off" (Peter Schiff).

These are financial analysts and trends analysts.

Are they overly gloomy?

We are not so concerned about the economic as the moral dimensions when it comes to societal collapse (there is far too much focus on money in our culture, vastly too much), but we also have to be practical.

There are ethnic tensions. Arizona has enacted a tough law on illegal aliens, sparking protests among both Latinos and those who want strict laws in their own areas. States are bickering with each other over the new law -- with California threatening economic sanctions (against Arizona!). State versus state? Could the U.S. break into several independent regions?

Or will it all be brought together in a super-union with Mexico and Canada?

In Britain, far-right activists are said to be targeting Muslim communities.

There is politics. No one trusts anyone, and public debate has become vulgar and threatening. One congressman went to meet with constituents and saw that he had been hanged in effigy.  "Democrats Skip Town Halls to Avoid Voter Rage," was a headline last week.  Politicians in both parties have been harassed, their office windows broken.

There are gun sales. These were skyrocketing, and while the peak has faded, from 2011 to 2015 the industry is expected grow at an annual rate of 3.7 percent.

There are militias: increasingly, we hear about those who are rejecting the Big Government atmosphere that has engulfed the U.S. in recent decades.

Will it start with Social Security?

Right now, only forty percent of Americans -- less than half -- are supported by private paychecks. The rest are on pensions, Social Security, welfare, or work for the federal government.

Will there be uprisings against taking so many tax dollars to pay for retirements? (In New York City, it was found that some in the police department retire in the forties with pensions of $100,000 a year. One civic employee gets a pension of $220,000.)

This will spur increased anger as tax rates rise. Baby boomers are set to retire en masse while among our young (18 to 24) the unemployment rate is 19.5 percent. Only God can put such a wayward economy right.

There are fears over martial law. The expansion of government surveillance and control since 9/11 has many concerned that we are well on the way to Orwell's Big Brother, especially in the way of ID cards, new-world-order trends (now undeniable), and microchips. Who controls the banks? Who controls the flow of money? "Obama to snatch up to 75 percent of your income," screams one libertarian news site. There is rage over the environment: The Gulf spill has caused alarm over corporate abuses to skyrocket, to the point where Americans now are more concerned about the ecology than the economy. There is rage at BP. Already, some groups are taking matters into their own hands, such as an environmental group called Sea Shepherds who use controversial methods -- including throwing acrid stink bombs at another ship -- in order to stop Japanese whalers.

These are some of the "whiffs" of distant smoke or perhaps we could say building waves. There is discontent. There is lack of trust. You can witness this by taking a look at the upsurge in "survivalist" merchants. Just last week, CNN did a story on Christian groups that are learning to live "off the grid" -- independent of government and modern technology.

In Michigan, a group led by a priest is learning primitive survivalist techniques in a woodland devoid of even electricity and -- gasp -- cell phones.

There is a yearning among many to obtain a small farm (and admittedly, we don't think going back to the old way is a bad idea).

Want to see what kinds of things are selling? See here. Or here. Or here. Even Costco's is selling emergency supplies. At Wal-Mart, you can get water purifiers. It is no longer a trend just among conservative religious.

Some call it the "prepper movement": Over recent years, "a huge community of preppers has developed. Perform a simple Google search and you'll turn up plenty of prepper-related stuff, including the Web television portalPrepper TV, survival blogs, podcasts (such as DoctorPrepper and PrepperPodcast), and forums that cover everything from a woman's perspective to recycling to how to handle dead bodies," notes news site.

"There's even a rash of YouTube videos offering tutorials on such topics as how to construct your own nuclear bomb shelter, what firearms you should own, and how to earthquake-proof your stored food."

It can, however, get iffy. There is now "2012," when many expect so much disaster to arrive (as there once was Y2K; beware of dates).

But there is also legitimate angst. We saw with 9/11 and "Katrina" how rapidly our infrastructure can collapse. A sudden flare from the sun or pandemic or collapse of Wall Street could set off a chain reaction. Emergency managers are fond of saying that America is seven meals away from starvation. Many see events as quickening.

As we have strayed from God, our world has unraveled around us. Our infrastructure could easily crumble.

We'll place our trust in God. As the saying goes, you can run but you can't hide. God will lead. With Him, no fear. This is not to say, however, that it's silly to be prepared. We can pray and be led on what we should do. Clear debt? Buy gold coins (in small denominations)? Liquidate to cash? Have a hefty supply of food and water? Store medical supplies? And water filtration? Buy a little farm (or at least have a garden plot)?

When it comes to individual farms, it is probably more of what God intended. That much we'll say.

[see also: Living moneyless, Dollar posed for collapse?, U.S. money supply declines at 1930s rate, Will banks collapse?, Martial law  Racial divide, and The Greecing of America]

from Spirit Daily

The END of the Beginning

Problems with our Constitution? No Problem! It now comes with a DISCLAIMER!

This beats ALL! The Constitution now comes with a disclaimer about 'outdated' ideas regarding homosexuality, same sex marriage, transgenders and other sins .... um, yes S I N S cuz that's what they ARE, politically correct or NOT. People, we all best start praying like we never have before and do Penance like our lives depend on it ... BECAUSE OUR LIVES and LIVELIHOODS DO DEPEND ON IT!



I personally would not be at all surprised if we see the beginning of the war of Ezekiel 38 this summer, perhaps by the end of this month! The UN has stated that the Middle East map they have in their possession that does NOT show a nation called ISRAEL on it is a mere 'historical' map??? UN CLAIMS MAP ERASING ISRAEL JUST "HISTORICAL" Gimme a break! Do the majority of people really not see what's happening in our country and the WORLD? Iran wants to instigate more conflicts with Israel cuz they want "the name of Israel to be no more remembered" and want to see them pushed into the sea ... and Russia is waiting with baited breath to assist Iran.
I think the 'powers that be' .. yes, that includes satanic powers that have such a strong hold on many these days ... plan to make things so rough for people that we'll be ready, willing and BEGGING to accept what ever they offer in order to get our lives back to some kind of comfortable order again. We have no idea what we'll be giving up and I'm talking HERE on earth, let alone what many will be throwing away ETERNALLY :-(
WE NEED TO PRAY, WE NEED TO PRAY HARD AND FAST AND LONG .. WE NEED TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES ... COMPLACENCY KILLS ULTIMATELY and can make ya damned uncomfortable till ya take yer last breath ... THINK PEOPLE ... THINK AND PRAY!

Sound Like YOUR Parish? .. Hope not!

Lapsed? Fallen Away? Lukewarm? - Come Home!

Bishops Take Heed

Ezekiel 38 on the Horizon?

Rabbis: Flotilla Clash Foreshadowing of Gog and Magog Prophecy

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/

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The Rabbinical Council of Judea and Samaria issued a statement Thursday in which it said that the results of the incident in which Israel intercepted a flotilla trying to break the naval blockade of Gaza seem like the Biblical description of "the beginning of the Gog and Magog process where the world is against us, but which ends with the third and final redemption."

The statement explained that while secular Zionism always wants Israel to be beloved by other nations, “the legitimacy of our people is not derived from the nations of the world and their poisonous traditions, rather from the Torah of Israel which teaches us that Israel 'is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations'" (Numbers 23:9). They emphasized that there is no reason to be alarmed by the world's condemnation as it is a predicted result of fear of Israel's success.

The Council blessed the soldiers of the IDF and called for the formation of an emergency unity government that will lead the nation from a position of strength.

The Council was formed by Rabbi Zalman Melamed of Beit El and includes leading religious Zionist rabbis who are the spiritual leaders of communities in Judea and Samaria.

'Gog and Magog' is a reference is to chapters 38 and 39 in the book of Ezekiel, a part of which is read on the intermediate Sabbath of Sukkot (Tabernacles). These chapters describe a vision of a war where the world is united against Israel that will precede the final redemption of Israel and the world. The prophecy's symbolism involves a prince called Gog of Magog, leader of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, who leads a coalition that includes Persia (Iran), Cush, Phut, Gomer, and Beit Togarmah against Israel. There are various opinions regarding the modern identity of these nations, however one of the commonly pointed to nations is Turkey. Turkey has been at the center of this clash and many observers point to the continued deteriorating relations between the two countries as evidence the formation of Ezekiel 38 is coming to pass.

As a sampling of passages from Ezekiel 39 shows, the prophesy predicts that the coalition will be defeated by Israel, at a time following Israel's gathering from its exile:

And thou, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say: Thus saith the Lord G-d: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; and I will turn thee about and lead thee on, and will cause thee to come up from the uttermost parts of the north; and I will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel; and I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the peoples that are with thee; I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort and to the beasts of the field, to be devoured.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Now will I bring back the captivity of Jacob, and have compassion upon the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name. And they shall bear their shame, and all their breach of faith which they have committed against Me, when they shall dwell safely in their land, and none shall make them afraid; when I have brought them back from the peoples, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations.

And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, in that I caused them to go into captivity among the nations, and have gathered them unto their own land; and I will leave none of them any more there; neither will I hide My face any more from them; for I have poured out My spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.'

The dramatic flotilla incident and the international reactions to it have sparked intense emotion, and unusual unity, among the Jewish public in Israel.

Flotilla Choir presents: We Con the World 

Satire is not for everyone but the battle for Israel right now is one of PR 
and Youtube videos is one of those fronts.

Stay Natural

LIKE PLANT OR TREE, WE FARE BEST WHEN WE'RE 'NATURAL' AND CAREFUL NOT TO FORCE THINGS

It's the time of year when gardens and landscaping are running back at full tilt and as we watch what God created sprout and grow, it is a good time to meditate upon how they grow, and the way it hurts plants when we force things.

Have you not noticed that? The more you try to pressure a plant into flourishing at the pace or size you want it to flourish, the worse it seems to do, even unto killing it with too much water or fertilizer. It is important to let things flow in a way that is natural.

Note your lawn. It takes just the right kind of nourishment to make it flourish. When you underfertilze, it may turn brown, as it may also turn yellow if you over-fertilize it (or even burn out). Just the right amount of sun turns a plant green; too much burns the leaves. A lack of water causes a plant to wilt, while too much will cause it to rot.

The same is true in our own lives: pushing beyond what is planned will cause us to be stunted. All must be done in the proportion of the Holy Spirit. We break things or cause them to prematurely mature when we force issues out of God's place (he has assigned a locale for you) and timing. This is written in the blueprint of your life.

We have our place of blessing just as a plant fares best in precisely the area of yard where it belongs -- where it gets just the right amount of sunlight and water. Don't press matters. Don't force things on your spouse or kids. Guide and suggest, yes; at times (with children) you must insist. But make sure you are in the flow of the Holy Spirit. Translation: pray before every single decision or action and make sure you have prayed enough.

That is one thing you can't overdo: pleading with the Lord from the heart.

The purpose of life is to awaken to God in all things in order to find true peace and love, which come from helping our fellow man achieve the same state of being, where power is unlimited and miracles happen.

Call it "miracle-gro" for the spirit. Really, isn't it miraculous how a plant unfolds? Often the best thing to do is to let go. Let it go and let Him flow. What happens when you try to jam the wrong key into a door: does the door open or the key break?

When we try to control too much the result is wasted time and frustration. We structure things too tightly. Take that afternoon off and work when you get back. Your spirit will be energized.

Be patient. You may note that watching a plant every second and trying to nurture it obsessively causes frustration. It is nearly as if the plant slows down in response to your imbalance. It is like waiting for water to boil.

Sometimes we have to stop watering and just let a plant work with nature on its own.

The same is true of humans. Don't force things to be "big" in the world, beyond how they were meant. Here we recall the way Jesus cursed a fig tree -- causing it to wilt because it was using resources but bearing no fruit. It was a full tree, but it was pretending to be something it was not.

Neither the tree nor the temple (with its money-changers) were as they appeared and thus met with the displeasure (and correction) of Christ. At least, this is another way of viewing it. By their fruits you will know them; by our fruits are we known. We can put on any kind of a front -- a facade -- we want, but in the end who we really are will be reflected in what we produce.

And the more we produce, and the better it is, the more we are blessed.

An excellent fig tree may look small but be filled with fruit under every leaf.

Forget appearances. When we use the gifts God gave us, His Spirit flows through and heals as it courses in our veins and blossoms into fruit or flowers or however we may want to picture it.

We are "grown" according to our fruits. The eyes of the world are meaningless; in fact, often a good barometer of what you should not be doing is what the world wants and entices you to do. How hard it is for even the most "religious" to sever admiration for materialism!

Don't force things. Be natural. Find balance. And let His Spirit work through you, according to His Will. In this way will you find peace or at least unusual serenity in the rush of the passing world.
from Spirit Daily

[Resources: The God of Miracles]

For my Beloved Father

Please all that read this, say a prayer for the soul of my dear Father, George, who died 16 yrs ago today. Thank you.

Enemies from Within

This has gone mostly unnoticed by many and certainly by those outside the Church. Non-Catholics are quick to point fingers, especially those that view the Church as the 'anti-christ'. No one can deny that there are things wrong in the Church. But as I have said for the last 20 or so years now, folks NEED TO READ a very short but compelling paperback which is a true story. It is called AA-1025 by Marie Currie. It tells of a nurses care of a Catholic 'priest' after being hit by a car and her ultimate shocking discovery. This took place decades ago ... I won't say more, but READ THE BOOK! You won't be sorry and you'll have a LOT to think about in relation to what has gone on (and IS GOING ON) within the Church, our schools and CCD programs. You owe it to yourselves to be informed on this .. it WILL matter in the coming months and subsequent years.

We Do Not Believe You, Mr. President

 BRAVO Father .. you hit it square on!!

Dear President Obama,

Every citizen with a modicum of insight into public affairs would say
that America is now at a crossroads of decision about what kind of
future we want for our nation - and, by extension, for the rest of the
world. Whether we like it or not, you are the one who is designated by a
vote of the electorate to lead us in that decision-making process. You
have asked for the job, and you have proposed yourself as being
competent for it. History will judge your Administration on its own
merits when your term is complete, but we, the citizens of this country,
must judge it for what we see happening before our very eyes. Quite
frankly, the picture isn't pretty, and you haven't earned our respect as
a leader.

The reason for this, Mr. President, is that we can't believe what you
say, and frankly, what you do is utterly unbelievable at times.

The recent Gulf Coast oil spill disaster is indicative of your utter
carelessness with the onerous burden of governance. Not only did you dis
the families of the 11 workers killed in the disaster, but you also
attended fundraisers in CA, a trip to the golf course and several state
parties in the White House during the whole time the Governor of
Louisiana has been screaming frantically for your attention. How can you
expect us to believe that you were actually "in charge" of handling the
disaster? In six weeks we have seen hardly a shred of evidence to
convince us of that. A leader who says he is in charge of something and
then conducts a systematic campaign of blaming, dodging, obfuscating,
ignoring and even now prosecuting the others involved - instead of
fixing the problem - will hardly go down in the record books as the
savior he proposed himself to be when he was elected. You are the
Commander-in-Chief who has gone AWOL on a truly national crisis.

On top of all that, you basically blew off a sacred national holiday,
Memorial Day, for the sake of a vacation to gangsterland. That slap in
the face to our military men and women was not lost on anyone, nor was
the narcissistic disregard for American history or anything other than
what fits your extreme political agenda. These are appalling traits for
the one who holds the highest political office in our land, and only a
fawning and dishonest media allows you to get away with this negligence
in office.

Speaking of which, what are we to make of your pathetic excuse for the
crime of attempting to bribe Congressman Sestak to bow out of the Senate
race against Arlen Specter? Do you really think Americans believe the
utterly implausible story about offering him a "non-paying" position on
some presidential panel? Your Administration's explanation, issued on
the afternoon of a holiday weekend, rings hollow, and everyone knows it.
"Hollow" is an adequate word to describe your Administration, your
political theatre and your rhetoric. Even some of your staunchest
ideological supporters admit that it is getting increasingly hard to
believe that you mean anything you say.

In the midst of all this domestic incompetence and dishonesty, we have
seen no realistic response to North Korean, Iranian or Turkish
aggression on the world scene. Foreign politicians know you are a
leftist lightweight, and so we can expect more of the same from the
rogue nations of the world, further destabilizing the security of our
nation and the world. We have, however, seen you and your inept band of
political marauders pander to foreign dictators and exploit the Mexican
President to abuse us and our national deliberations on serious issues.
We have seen your ideological hacks take over whole industries, plunder
the private sector, abuse the good will of states and consume sound
American institutions as if they were your enemies and with a ferocity
that would befit only those who we would call our true national enemies.

Like the Gulf oil spill, your Administration is out of control, and
every day is another step closer to disaster. As the oil continues to
pollute, kill and damage the external beauty and economy of a whole
region, you and your team are doing the same with the trust of the
people who built this great country.

We deserve better, Mr. President, and it's time you start doing your
job.

Sincerely,


Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International

The Church continues its Renewal

The Pope is moving .. Stay out of His Way!

The End of an Era?