Showing posts with label spirituality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spirituality. Show all posts

Friday, November 8, 2013

The Cross - Billy Graham's Message To America

Evangelist Billy Graham delivered what is being dubbed his final “sermon” to America on Thursday night. Through a special video broadcast called “My Hope America,” Graham warned that the nation is in “great need of a spiritual awakening” and that he has wept over how far the nation has moved away from God.

Billy Graham Delivers Final Message to America: Ive Wept as Ive Seen How Far People Have Wandered From God

Evangelist Billy Graham (Credit: AP Photo/Nell Redmond, File)

The video, which is available online and through select broadcast networks across the nation (it will air on TheBlaze TV this weekend), was released today on Graham’s 95th birthday.

“I want to tell people about the meaning of the cross … the real cross of Christ,” a passionate Graham proclaimed in the video. ”I know that many will react to this message, but it is the truth and with all my heart, I want to leave you with the truth.”

Graham then went on to discuss his view on the importance of accepting Jesus Christ and following the Christian savior.

His pre-recorded message was interspersed with fiery selections from the preacher’s past sermons as well as personal testimony from musicians Lacey Sturm and Lecrae Moore.

“People don’t want to hear that they’re sinners. To many people it’s an offense,” Graham proclaimed. “The cross is offensive, because it directly confronts the evils that dominate so much of this world.”

He went on to explain that the Christian message demands that believers embrace a new lifestyle — one that directly confronts mankind’s sinful nature.

“Sin is a disease in the human heart. If affects the mind and the will and the emotions. Every part of our being is affected by this disease,” Graham said.

The evangelist told viewers, though, that God can renew their spirits and that “there is no other way of salvation except through the cross of Christ.”

Graham also warned of a cultural slide in American society — one that he is clearly worried about. He said that the nation is in great need of “a spiritual awakening.”

“There’ve been times I’ve wept as I’ve gone city to city and I’ve seen how far people have wandered from God,” he told viewers.

At the end of the broadcast, Graham invited viewers to become followers of Jesus.

“Today, I’m asking you to put your trust in Christ,” he said, offering a prayer that would invite prospective believers into the faith.

Watch Graham’s message below:

Video: The Cross - Billy Graham's Message To America

Part of "My Hope America With Billy Graham" - an urgent new message of Hope from Billy Graham, featuring Lacey Sturm and Lecrae 

Video: Party in NC to Mark Billy Graham's 95th Birthday

Among the hundreds of guests, approximately 800, were North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, New York real-estate magnate Donald Trump, Founder of The Blaze Glenn Beck and former President Bill Clinton. Singers Ricky Skaggs and Michael W. Smith were set to lead the audience in a refrain of Happy Birthday as 1,000 cupcakes were served.

Billy Graham 95th Cupcakes

Glenn Beck tweeted… They only gave me one cupcake… My wife Tania must have phoned ahead.

Palins Arrive at Billy Grahams 95th

The Palins Arrive for Billy Graham’s 95th Birthday Event

  Happy 95th Birthday Billy Graham!!!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

War on Christmas is Part of the Overall War on Religion… a Move Toward a ‘New Age’ - a NWO with a One World Religion and Often From Within Churches

OReilly and Jeffries - 42-300x193Bill O’Reilly is, let’s face it, the de facto leader of the brigade in the War on the War on Christmas, mostly because actual Christian pastors have not really expressed O’Reilly’s level of outrage. On his show tonight, O’Reilly asked pastor Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church Dallas, why Christian leaders have not been more outraged over the attack on Christian values. Jeffress laid the blame squarely on “wimpy pastors” and the “wimpy Christians” their congregations create.

“We can’t win the culture war unless the church believes in the power of Christ.” Jeffress said

The War on Christmas (and religion) verses the Spirit of Christmas Series at AskMarion – 15

Video:  Dr. Jeffress on The O’Reilly Factor: Wimpy Christians Are the Reason We’re Losing the Culture War

The Lord is my Shepherd, not some man in a fancy suit

Christian cross SC The Need for a Christian Worldview of Freedom and Economics

FIGHTING WITH THE AUTHORITIES

By Coach Dave Daubenmire  - December, 2012  -  NewsWithViews.com

One of my dear friends just received a few more bruises from another battle with “the authorities.” Not the government free-speech deniers, but those passive bullies known as Christian-leadership.

He just went toe-to-toe with the Christian version of the Obama administration. They will be ticked off because I am writing about this, because the last thing they want is for anyone to expose their deception, but I believe that sunlight is always the best disinfectant.

1Co 11:3 “Now I want you to realize that Christ is the head of every man…”

Let me make this clear. The Lord is my Shepherd, not some man in a fancy suit. I answer to the Lord. He is my Spiritual leader.

And so should you. Ultimately, we will all stand before Him and give account for what we have done. You will be alone. Your pastor won’t be there with you.

Submission to authority is not absolute. Ask the Germans if bowing down to Hitler was the right decision. Our submission is to the Word of God, not to an authority structure. Christ is the Head of the church. Not the pastor, not the elder board. Christ is the head…and the head of everyman.

“Obey God, rather than man.”

“Touch not thine anointed” is the club that they use to swat frisky Christians over the head. Blind loyalty to any man is just that…blind. I’ll have no part of it.

Absolute submission is foolishness. God gave you a mind and a backbone. Use both.

My friend saw trouble in the leadership. He saw sin in the camp. He took it to “the Pastor.” The pastor did not like his “lack of submission.” He told my friend that a church has to operate according to an “authority structure.” He explained to my friend that God put the structure in place. To question it, or fail to obey it is “divisive.”

He pounded my friend over the head with Romans 13.

But my buddy clubbed back with the Ephesians 5:11. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” The leader didn’t like that. God had ordained the authority structure in this situation and my buddy was to follow it, he demanded.

What if the actions of those in the authority chain were un-biblical and sinful, my buddy posited?

He responded that we were all “flawed people” and that God could do good things even through “bad kings” as long as we obeyed.

(I am not making this up.)

What if the actions of leadership are harmful to the sheep, my friend pushed. What if the lying to the sheep was causing a hemorrhaging in the body?

The Shepherd merely gritted his fangs more firmly. He was used to obedient sheep, compliant sheep that would merely baaa as they were fleeced. He wanted more than anything to stuff a wool sock in this trouble-making goat’s mouth.

My friend followed the Biblical pattern when he first discovered the sin. -Mathew 18:15-17

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Step 1. He went to his brother and he would not hear. He went back to him with a brother. He would not change.

Step 2. He went up the chain of command. His superior would not listen. He took a brother with and went back to him. Empty promises were spoken, not action taken.

Step 3. He went to the big cheese who referred him back to step 1. (Circular management.)

Step 4. He took eight witnesses with him in a meeting with all three of the “spiritual authorities.” Nothing was done. But they were ticked. How dare he get a “lynch mob?”

Step 5. He released they information to “the elders” above the authorities. He did it in a private communication to them.

Step 6. He ended up back in a meeting with the top two” hirelings” he had already met with. The chastised him for not being a “team player” and questioning their “authority.” His actions were “divisive” and had to stop. He was harming “the ministry.” It was time “to go a different direction” with my friend’s position.

Every word I have written is true. They can’t deny it. They just don’t want anyone to hear it…or believe it. They want to cover it up…kill the messenger…protect “the ministry.”

I see it more plainly than I ever have. Most “pastors” does not want bold men…they want compliant men. They are not interested in men being leaders…they want men to be followers. They do not train men to confront sin…they train men to accept sin. They don’t want men to be independent Christians dependent on Christ…they want them to be dependent Christians dependent on them. They don’t want men who will question authority…they want men who will submit to authority.

Submission to sinful authority is exactly how we got in this mess in America. It started in the church. Looking the other way at sin in the camp led to more sin. Mercy without judgment emboldened others. The “we are all sinners” mantra justified sinful behavior. As the Christians became more polluted, the church became more polluted. Obedience to un-Godly authority led to acceptance of un-Godly behavior. The sin-sick church led to a sin-sick world. Disobedience to the Bible led to disobedience to the Constitution. Disobedience to the Constitution led to tyrannical government. Tyrannical government led to the fleecing of the sheep.

It is not hard to follow this circular path.

A bold, out-spoken, strong Christian man is a rarity these days because our “Pastors” club them into submission with the “submit to authority” jack hammer. “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.” Thomas Jefferson told us.

Sadly, more often than not, the man wearing the backwards-collar is the greatest tyrant. Why would a mature Christian man need the approval of a “pastor” to do what is right?

Christians are being submitted to death. We are taught to submit. Submit to un-Godly laws. Submit to un-Godly politicians. Submit to un-Godly court decisions. Submit to un-Godly government regulations. Submit our children to soul-killing government education. Submit to government theft. Submit to the trampling of the individual conscience. Submit to the shackles of over-burdensome public debt. Submit our children to “children-services.” Jesus will save us!

Wimpy pastors produce wimpy church members…

Bill O'Reilly reports on the "war on Christmas"

DOOMSDAY 2012--"Spiritual Onslaught" Steve Quayle w/Russ Dizdar Video - Everyone is trying to make sense of this horrific event in Connecticut; the shooting of 20 children, 28 people total and again there is already talk about gun control all over the media. This is not a gun control issue, it is part of the spiritual war going on all around us.  Around 1 hour 28 min. in the Doomsday video above,  it talks about how churches will be attacked from within – infiltrators who are “sleepers” are in the church and the evil around us. And as to the gun control issue, if people don’t have guns, they will use knives: China school knife attack in Henan injures 22 children  The truth is that there are more attacks in gun-free zones.  Don’t e sucked into the ploy by the left to attack the second amendment over this and every shooting incident. The best thing we could do is have someone trained and armed at our schools! (In 2011, Connecticut was rated the fifth toughest state on gun control by the pro-gun control Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence). But as we saw, Gun-control laws failed Connecticut children. (Former FBI Informant: Obama Will Destroy America Once He Has All The Guns)

Spiritual warfare and the war on religion comes from many sides, but all routed in evil. The ruling elite or globalists are planning for a New World Order and if they have their way, with it will come a new global currency for a socialist world economic system that will be managed by the PE’s planned World Socialist Government which will emerge as the "World-State" from a conference in Basra, Iraq as foretold by Fabian Socialist H. G. Wells in his book The New World Order (1939). (With it will also ultimately come a one world religion if they have their way… wonder why there is a war on Christmas? On Israel?) FULL ARTICLE

Confronting our spiritual bankruptcy - By Douglas J. Hagmann

15 December 2012:  The clamor that is about to dominate the next several news cycles will be the usual stable of pundits engaging in obligatory verbal hand-wringing over the unthinkable death of innocents in a small Connecticut town. Newtown was once a town where life was the imitation of a Norman Rockwell painting, and where any of those young children whose lives were shortened by unimaginable madness could have been the very faces depicted in the paintings by Rockwell himself.

Full story

Final 2 paragraphs

We will indeed hear the cacophony of debates about gun laws over the next few weeks, but such debates and those advancing their own agenda will never address the real reason we find ourselves sobbing with our heads in our hands. Until we realize that our problems began when we declared God as an unwelcomed guest in our nation and opened ourselves to a coexistence with evil, will be even begin to repair the damage caused by years of spiritual defilement.

Can we walk back the evil we have accepted, embraced and even exported? Unless we direct the argument to its root cause, and refuse to continue our subjugation to the evil thrust upon us by a leadership of the un-Godly, then it is unlikely.

Related: 

HOW to pray and more about battle in a spiritual war (online course)

Texas teaching 'Allah is the Almighty God' 

Islam Is the Fastest Growing Religion in England; Christianity on the Decline, Census Data Shows

The Need For A Christian Worldview Of Freedom And Economics

2011 – Turning Our Backs on the Gods of the Copybook Headings

BECK GOES GLOBAL, MEETS WITH CATHOLIC CLERGY & INTERNATIONAL TEA PARTY LEADERS IN ROME

Adopt a Pet This Christmas… Or Give Someone a New Friend for Christmas (or Hanukah)!

NewsWeek and Jon Stewart Decree the War on Christmas is Over…

Christmas Baking

Carolling… or Caroling and Christmas Music

Nativity – The Reason for the Season

Christmas Trees

Hanukkah, Hanukah, Chanukah

European Markets or Christkindlmarkts Capture the Christmas Spirit

St. Nickolas Day

So Where Is the War on Christmas Coming From? – A Worthwhile Read!

Best Holiday Movie Classics – A Merry Christmas From Hollywood

God Rest Ye Merry Merchants – Christmas: An American Holiday and Tradition to Love and Preserve

Advent – The Season of Anticipation and Hope

The War on Christmas verses the Spirit of Christmas Series at AskMarion – with comments from Ben Stein

Red Kettles & Bell Ringers

Atheists intimidate Santa Monica into eliminating Nativity… And So the War on Christmas and Freedom of Religion ContinuesChurches Thwart Nativity Ban By Putting Up Living Displays In Santa Monica

Black Friday Holiday Shopping Kick-off Overshadows True Meaning of Christmas

What Movies in History Best Captures the Spirit of Thanksgiving?

“Holidays Are Great and Fun To Share With Our Pets, As Long As We Avoid the No-No Foods” - Animal Nativity

Christianity & Gun Owners in the Crosshairs: Chilling Tactic Exposed

How Should Christians Respond to Atheist ‘Hatred’ & the War on Christmas? This Priest Has Some Advice

A great read: Losing Our Religion: The Liberal Media’s Attack on Christianity

Friday, December 7, 2012

European Markets or Christkindlmarkts Capture the Christmas Spirit

By Marion Algier – The War on Christmas verses the Spirit of Christmas Series at AskMarion – 7

“There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions.” — Bill McKibben “Make sure your children have traditions to remember and build on!”

Beginning December 1st the Christmas spirit descends on the towns and cities of Germany in the form of Christkindlmarkts featuring wooden stalls laden with, toys, pretzels, wooden decorations and baked goodies of all shapes and sizes, including stollen.

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There are more than 130 places in Germany that host Christmas markets, many in Austria and some good ones in Brussels, Prague and Copenhagen all focusing on regional specialties and local flair. It has developed into an art form, with elaborate nativity displays, handcrafted wooden ornaments, and scrumptious treats that would certainly tempt Santa and his reindeer to spend a little extra time at your house.

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Nuremberg and Dresden compete for the position of oldest and most famous Christmas market. And although the markets have grown into major international tourist attractions, They also draw from locals and visitors from all over Germany and neighboring countries. The Markets draw from centuries of German Christmas traditions; in a country where the Protestant Reformation took root and where the current pope was born. Some customs date back to the Middle Ages.

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Dresden, boasts of the Striezelmarkt, the oldest documented Christmas market in the country, dating to 1434. It is the home of the largest “Christmas pyramid” — a 45-foot-high wood structure lit with candles that spin the tiers of the decorated pyramid.

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Actual pyramid and a miniature made out of gingerbread (Lebkuchen)

The tradition for Christmas wood carving comes from the Erzgebirge, or “Ore mountains,” an old mining region south of the city that borders the Czech Republic. Nutcrackers and “smoking men” incense holders originally were created here.

The Stollen Festival is another highlight of the market, with the largest loaf of Christstollen — a buttery, spiced loaf weighing between 3 and 4 tons — which was cut here and served to visitors Dec. 4.

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In Nuremberg in Bavaria, the city’s Christkindlmarkt is perhaps the most famous of all theNurnberg Christkindl in Chicago - Peter J. Schulz, City of Chicago markets, counting some 2 million visitors from Japan, the United States, China, all over Europe and elsewhere around the world every year.

They come for the Lebkuchen, a spicy gingerbread baked here since 1395, and “3 in a Weggla,” tiny Nuremberg wursts served three little sausages abreast in a bun with spicy mustard. The Christkind, an angelic or fairylike character, is the symbol of the market, and a woman with golden hair and a crown opens the market each year with her Christmas proclamation and hears the Christmas gift wishes of the children.

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In Frankfurt am Main’s historical center, the Dom Roemer transforms from its post-World War II reconstruction of history into a wonderland of carousel music, bundled groups of people laughing around cauldrons of hot spiced wine called Gluehwein, and thick clusters of gingerbread hearts laden with hardened frosting.

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In Aachen, bakeries offer their famous Aachener Printen gingerbread and marzipan bread. In Berlin, the 17th-century Charlottenburger Palace is brilliantly illuminated behind the market, and the Jewish Museum hosts a combined Hanukkah-Christmas market with kosher delicacies.

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The popularity of the Christmas markets has spread around the world, inspiring copies in Britain, the United States and elsewhere.

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Christkindlmarket ChicagoThe German American Chamber of Commerce was inspired to create a market in Chicago after Nuremberg’s Christkindlmarkt, and even has the Nuremberg’s former Christkind, Eva Sattler, an original Nuremberger, opened the market with a traditional proclamation. 

Top Christkindlmärkte in Vienna (Wien), Salzburg, Innsbruck and Linz The centrally located Salzburger Christkindlmarkt, held on the Domplatz (Cathedral Innsbruck Christmas Market in Tyrol, Austria - © 2004 | TVB Innsbruck / IAI / Saringer Square) and Residenzplatz (Palace Square), takes place in the vicinity of the city’s cathedral. The twin-towered cathedral, known locally as the Dom-Kirche, was designed Santino Solari and built between 1614 and 1657. It is one of the earliest twin-towered churches north of the Alps, and seen as one of the finest examples of early Baroque architecture. It makes a fine backdrop for tourist snaps of the Christmas market. Evening carol concerts are held on the steps of the cathedral, contributing to the seasonal atmosphere around the stalls

GERMANY’S CHRISTMAS MARKETS: Find information about hundreds of Christmas markets and other holiday events in Germany at http://tinyurl.com/5c9n9d. It features a map of cities with markets with links for more information.

RDO: Six of the Best Christmas Markets in Europe

Christmas markets have been a highlight of the winter season since the Middle Ages and today they continue to light up old city centers all around Europe. Home-made food, warm mulled wine and handcrafted tree decorations and ornaments are all part of the charm along with carol singing and street musicians all adding to the festive community atmosphere. Here are six markets where you can experience the Christmas spirit to the full.

Cologne
This German city has no less than four Christmas markets around the city which attract up to two million visitors during December. The city’s old cathedral is one of the most visited monuments in the country and its most famous market is the Am Dom, a bustling, candlelit market with over 150 stalls set against the backdrop of the cathedral’s spires with a towering, glowing centerpiece – the town’s Christmas tree.

A smaller market takes place on the cobbled square of the Alter Markt close by, there’s a merry-go-round, puppet theatre, Santa’s Grotto and stalls packed with gingerbread, sweets and handcrafted toys – it’s definitely one of the markets that’s most fun for children.

Vienna
There are few cities more beautiful than Vienna when it snows and its Christkindlmarkt by the Town Hall is the city’s showcase Christmas market. It starts early, in mid-November, and continues to draw the crowds year after year. Millions of visitors come from all over the world to experience the magic.

During the Advent season, Vienna is ablaze with activity, including nativity displays, seasonal plays and concerts. The Christkindlmarkt stalls are lined with candied fruits, candyfloss and roast chestnuts and simple gifts such as beeswax candles; the small wooden stalls give the city a nostalgic feel of bygone times.

Dresden
The first record of Dresden’s Christmas market dates back to 1434, making it the oldest one on record in Germany.

This is the place for Striezel – or Stollen which is a traditional Christmas time fruitcake now sold all over Europe and baked in the form of a loaf and dusted with icing sugar. Dresden’s residents take their Stollen very seriously and celebrate with a Stollen Festival, held on the second Sunday in December. In the 16th century, the Stollen bakers would present their handmade cakes to the local prince, who would cut them into slices with a five-foot knife and distribute them to the poor. The tradition has changed somewhat today – this year, as in the past, a 3,000 kilogram cake will be paraded around Dresden accompanied by the town’s own “Miss Stollenmadchen”, the Stollen beauty queen.

The market is pretty and old fashioned, with around 250 stalls where you can browse traditional German Christmas wares, including colorful hand-blown glass baubles from the town of Lauscha and hand-fired blue and white ceramics from Saxony.

Brussels
The much-photographed Grand Place or Grote Markt in Brussels becomes center stage for its Christmas market at this time of year and it’s a good one for food gifts. Along with the mulled wine you’ll find beautifully wrapped clusters of the chocolates Belgium is famous for, hot plates of moules and Belgian speculoos which are a type of biscuit gingerbread shaped like Santa Claus.

Another attraction is The Fish Market. This transforms into the city’s Christmas ice rink; the skaters are surrounded by jugglers, street musicians and painters all sharing the festivities.

Prague
The Czech capital is beautiful any time of year, probably more so at Christmas. The city puts on plays, concerts, folk displays and its Christmas markets are family affairs, dotted in and around Prague.
While the snow shows off the city’s cobbled squares and fairytale buildings , and carol singers provide the soundtrack, visitors have rows of colorful wooden stalls to browse and explore, which sell hand-carved puppets, candles, jewelry and toys.

Copenhagen
Another picturesque setting, this time it’s Copenhagen. This Christmas market will delight lovers of glittering lights and outdoor skating. Held in the Tivoli Gardens, the place becomes a sparkling silvery winter wonderland decked out with hundreds of Christmas trees and half a million lights. The main lake doubles as the city’s winter skating rink and there are about sixty colorfully-painted stalls, all selling locally-made porcelain, wooden dolls and typical arts and crafts.

Copenhagen’s version of mulled wine is glögg, a warm heady wine mixed with liquor and spices – perfect for those sub-zero temperatures. Sip it with some hot apple dumplings as you wander the stalls, pose for a quick pic with Father Christmas and mingle with Denmark’s famous Christmas elves – called “nisser” – all festively dressed in red.

BronnerBronner's -  The World's Largest Christmas Store

The American version of a permanent Christkindlmarkt is Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan… which lasts year round

Christmas City, Lehigh Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau

Christmas City – Lehigh Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau

For a true Christmas vacation, there are few places as caught up in the holiday spirit as Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, aka Christmas City. Here are tips on planning a trip.

Bethlehem was founded by Moravians on Christmas Eve 268 years ago, and the city’s traditions have been rooted in Christmas ever since. There are many activities wonderful for holiday visitors, from a host of Christmas events to holiday shopping to horse-drawn carriage rides to a Christmas market.

h/t to RDO, Bronner’s and Suite 101

“Christmas–that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance–a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.” …Augusta E. Rundel

Related:

St. Nickolas Day

So Where Is the War on Christmas Coming From? – A Worthwhile Read!

Best Holiday Movie Classics – A Merry Christmas From Hollywood

God Rest Ye Merry Merchants – Christmas: An American Holiday and Tradition to Love and Preserve

Advent – The Season of Anticipation and Hope

The War on Christmas verses the Spirit of Christmas Series at AskMarion – with comments from Ben Stein

Red Kettles & Bell Ringers

Atheists intimidate Santa Monica into eliminating Nativity… And So the War on Christmas and Freedom of Religion Continues - Churches Thwart Nativity Ban By Putting Up Living Displays In Santa Monica

Black Friday Holiday Shopping Kick-off Overshadows True Meaning of Christmas

What Movies in History Best Captures the Spirit of Thanksgiving?

“Holidays Are Great and Fun To Share With Our Pets, As Long As We Avoid the No-No Foods”

Christianity & Gun Owners in the Crosshairs: Chilling Tactic Exposed

A great read: Losing Our Religion: The Liberal Media’s Attack on Christianity

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Time for a Personal Revolution in the Hearts and Minds of Americans (Updated)

The answer to our problems is within each or us and in average Americans as a group.  The individual is the solution. We cannot fix our country, our political parties or anyone else until we fix ourselves.

Time For a Personal Revolution in the Hearts and Minds of Americans

Romney More Than Doubles Any Challenger in Early New Hampshire Poll, With Palin Second and All Others Lag Behind

Time is up!  We can not wait for the next George Washington or Ronald Reagan. If he shows up great… if not we each better prepared to be the example and the light.

Beck has changed his goal and the focus on his show to be a refueling station for those who chose to chart the coarse of leadership.

Enlightenment, education, empowerment and entrepreneurship are at the heart of his plan, the E-4 Project.  Add to these faith, hope, charity, integrity, truth, honor, common sense, self-reliance and questioning everything with boldness and everyone comes out the winner!

This is the best plan against the left’s top down, bottom up and inside out program that Van Jones spoke about… the Progressive Plan to fundamentally transform America.

The American Revolution was fought and won by farmers, merchants and everyday people using the power of the individual fighting against the greatest military power in the world, Great Britain.

How do we get there??  To be like our Founding Fathers?  That you have to do for yourself by wanting it and just getting to the point where you are fed up!

Glenn shared his testimony on Fridays show (01.07.11) about he went from suicidal, broke, hopeless, helpless, alcoholic to where he is now… today.  He got together earlier this year with Keith Ablow, who has an education and background in psychology.  Together they have produced Beck’s latest book: The 7: Seven Wonders That Will Change Your Life

Glenn also shared his story about a call he received from someone who has hit rock bottom. Glenn explained to him that happiness is a choice and to reach true happiness, we need to become who we were born to be. 

Friendships are under attack right now because of division: political division, spiritual division, social division, required change…  If you are one who “sees”, one who has been given that gift that can sometimes feel like a curse or are someone who truly has a need to change, many of your friends may not want you to change or be willing to love the new you, let alone be willing to trust you and come along.  Sometimes you just have to persistent.  Other times you may have to change friends and even stop hanging around with destructive family members.  Glenn credits a lot of his success to his good friend Pat and his wife Tanya who didn’t give up on him and believed in him.

Why Unhappy People Become Liberals – Dennis Praeger

2011 – Time for the Next Step

Illustration of people talking about money

“ I’ve never had a humble opinion.  If you’ve got an opinion, why be humble about it?”   --Joan Baez

The left has always been good at this… time for the rest of us to believer the same.

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A 2,600-Year-Old Manual for Living
by Alexander Green

I subscribe to the email column, Spiritual Wealth.  It is always one of my favorite emails that I receive and I got one today.  Somehow it just seemed to fit and complement Glenn Beck’s show today.

Dear Reader,

In my former life as a money manager, I found that many investors – often aided and abetted by their advisors – use a blinkered approach to the stock market.

They believe a successful strategy starts with a hunch about the economy. Based on this, they make an educated guess about what lies ahead for the stock market. This, in turn, leads to a theory about which stocks to buy. But a theory that's based on a guess that's based on a hunch may not be the best foundation for your investment portfolio.
Investors hate uncertainty. And history shows that they will pay brokers, hedge fund managers and investment gurus a lot of money to eliminate it.

The problem is they can't. Count yourself a sophisticated investor the day you wake up and say, "Given that no one can tell me with any certainty what the economy or financial markets will do, how should I run my portfolio?" This is the beginning of investment wisdom.


When my publisher, Julia Guth, first heard me describe my market-neutral approach more than a decade ago, she referred to it as "the Tao of the Dow." (I think she enjoyed saying this, in part, because Tao is also pronounced "Dow.")

I had never considered my approach a Taoist one, but as I learned more about this Eastern philosophy, I was struck by the similarities. Consider, for example, the following verses from China's ancient Tao Te Ching. They could be aimed squarely at economic forecasters, market timers, and metaphysical speculators:

The ancient Mastersdidn't try to educate the people,
but kindly taught them to not-know.

When they think that they know the answers,
people are difficult to guide.
When they know that they don't know,
people can find their own way.

Or consider this verse:

Not knowing is true knowledge.
Presuming to know is a disease.
First realize that you are sick;
then you can move toward health.

Or even more simply:

Those who know don't talk.
Those who talk don't know.

The venerable Tao Te Ching is not an investment guide, of course. It's a 2,600-year-old collection of 81 brief poems that describe a vision of what our lives would be like if we lived in harmony with the way things are.

It's among the most translated books in the world, exceeded only by the Bible and the Bhagavad-Gita. The Tao itself represents a transcendent mystery, something we cannot name or even imagine. Interpreted literally, it is "the way" of the universe, an explanation of life.

It contains no moral code, however. In fact, the Tao Te Ching is rarely about taking action. More often, it's about the wisdom of inaction and accepting what you cannot change, be it the state of the economy, the death of a loved one, or the behavior of your adult children.
Tradition tells us the author is Lao Tzu, a keeper of the imperial archives in the ancient capital of Luoyang, who lived around 600 B.C. But more likely, he didn't exist at all. Like Homer, Lao Tzu is probably a combination of many ancient sages – and the Tao is a compilation of wisdom that came into being over a great period of time. (The words lao tzu literally mean "old philosopher.")

Taoist philosophy challenges you to embrace paradoxical thinking. For example, you may believe an affront requires a forceful response. Lao Tzu encourages you to consider humility instead. A problem needs an effective solution? Consider the benefits of non-action first.

The ancient symbol of the Tao shows the two phases of the moon conjoined. This represents the yin and yang of the world: masculine and feminine, darkness and light, weakness and strength, action and inaction.

In the West, we tend to think that opposites contradict. The Oriental view is that they compliment each other – and it is only when we change our ingrained ways of thinking that we begin to change our world.

Taoist philosophy requires an open mind and considerable reflection to be fully appreciated. It reminds us, for instance, that we may be so busy trying to get rich, change the world or improve ourselves that we miss life's essence. Verse 8 says:

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people's approval
and you will be their prisoner.

Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.

Taoism offers an alternative view of abundance, one that values maintaining dignity over acquiring social position, and enjoying free time over acquiring possessions.

Culture, society and technology have changed a great deal over the last few thousand years. But the Taoist philosophy remains relevant. For example:

Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.

Or consider this timeless nugget:

Wise men don't need to prove their point;
Men who need to prove their point aren't wise.

Lao Tzu said we should have a nature like water. Water can be forceful, yet it is always the first to yield, moving quickly around obstacles and relentlessly seeking the simplest path. With time and persistence, water will wear away the tallest mountains and transform the landscape.

People who are confrontational – who remain dogmatic – never learn this lesson. They're more interested in being right than moving forward. The Tao Te Ching says:

People are born gentle and weak;
at their death they are hard and stiff.
All things, including the grass and the trees,
are soft and pliable in life;
dry and brittle in death.

Stiffness is thus a companion of death;
flexibility a companion of life.
An army that cannot yield
will be defeated.
A tree that cannot bend
will crack in the wind.

The hard and stiff will be broken;
The soft and supple will prevail.

One of the classics of Oriental literature, the Tao Te Ching is both simple and profound. And it's easy to follow. The secret is not to complicate it.

The Tao encourages you to stop feeding your ego and enjoy the fruits of your labor. It teaches that the experience of inner peace is the true gauge of accomplishment.

The Tao Te Ching deals with many of the most basic human experiences: birth, death, loss, gain, dignity in the face of challenge, how to judge the character of a person, when to move forward, when to retreat, how to deal with good fortune or ill fate. There is even sage political advice: Governing a large country is like frying a small fish. You spoil it with too much poking.

Despite his wisdom, Lao Tzu expected skepticism. He seemed to know his message would not always be well received:

When a superior man hears of the Tao,
he immediately begins to embody it.
When an average man hears of the Tao,
he half believes it, half doubts it.
When a foolish man hears of the Tao,
he laughs out loud.
If he didn't laugh,
it wouldn't be the Tao. 

Our lives are full of responsibilities and obligations. Technology and the pace of modern life add even more pressure and anxiety. Yet it's possible to gain understanding from the Tao Te Ching, a more than 2,000-year-old discourse on the nature of existence.

Taoism teaches that to be truly free we must be able to work with change rather than against it. We should be humble, flexible and detached from most worldly concerns. The art of abundance is often a matter of recognizing, appreciating and celebrating life as it is:

If you look to others for fulfillment,
you will never be truly fulfilled.
If your happiness depends on money,
you will never be happy with yourself.

Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you. 

Carpe Diem, Alex