This is Not the End

Posted on by charliej373

(I have been depressed by hearing growing numbers of people I respect pondering whether we are reaching the end of all things. At this point, the crises in the Church seems to drive it more, even, than the serial crises in the world. I do not speak publicly in overtly prophetic terms anymore, so you will not hear new prophecies here. But my interior life remains unchanged. From the earliest days of my childhood, the first thing that was emphasized to me was that this is NOT the end. It will feel like it, as we enter the greatest crisis in human history except that which will come later at the actual end, but it is NOT the end. Please, quit raging like doomed men or wilting like timorous weeds. God is about the business of recruiting heroes, stout men and women who will carry His message of hope and renewal to a world ripping itself apart with lies and nonsense – to teach them how to be happy again rather than living in constant, shrieking misery. Answer the call, be a hero of Christ, however tough it gets. To that end, I reprint here a piece from the old site and two summers ago.-CJ)

celtic cross

By Charlie Johnston

Many alleged mystics in these times posit that we have entered the sequence of the end. Not the “end times,” which, theologically, we entered into at the Resurrection of Christ. Rather, the actual end. Almost all Protestants who speak of such things see it that way – and quite a few of the Catholics, as well.

As regular readers know, I most emphatically reject that. I have to. From the time I was just a little kid, my angel emphatically told me that these times would feel like the end, but were NOT the end. Rather, he insisted, that God, in His permissive will, would let us see and live some of the consequences of our vanity and disorder (the Storm), in order to call us back to Him and give us one final chance. That means that, after the Rescue (the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart) we will be given a renewed world, still ordinary in every respect except that our hearts are entirely renewed. I was also warned that, once this renewal came, that the next time there was a mass falling away from the faith, it WOULD begin the actual end. But how long we kept faith after the Rescue was entirely up to us.

Many of those who insist this is the end do a lot of good work. I don’t particularly begrudge them – and am glad of the good work they do. But, as many of the saints themselves have done while on earth, I think they are mistaken in how they interpret some things. Thus, I emphatically reject pronouncements that this is the end. I emphatically reject that the definitive Antichrist is at hand, for he comes at the end, not this renewal (though I recognize that many antichrists, foreshadowing the eventual arrival of the definitive one, have been around since the Ascension – and are ever with us). Those who think this is the end, if they have any sympathy for me, think I am mistaken. Regardless, I must speak of what I have been shown.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the consequences of the two views, similar in the sort of events surrounding us, but vastly dissimilar in the conclusion. The consequences of belief in either scenario are dramatically different. If you think this is the actual end, there is a certain hopelessness to it. It becomes entirely self-referential in how you should proceed. If this is the end, than all you can do is seek to find sanctification for yourself – and pray for it for those you love. But if the whole world repented, it would make no difference in the sequence of things – this world would still be doomed, whatever you do.

st-joan-and-me
St. Joan of Arc and me at Mother Angelica’s Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama

You can only hope to save yourself. My message is the polar opposite of that. It is that you will find sanctification in these times BY being a sign of hope to those around you, that you are called to be participants in God’s plan of renewal and rescue for this poor, bleeding world, that God most emphatically is NOT done with us yet. Those who posit this is the end consider it vital that you get right with God. I say the same, but that getting right with God involves steadfastly being a sign of hope and witness to those around you more than anything else – to get out of your own head and live the Gospel witness to all. God is going to right the ship of salvation history, not destroy it.

I once had a very good fellow accuse me of trying to curry favor with Church authorities because my eschatology is practically identical to what the Church has taught for near 1,500 years now. To the contrary, this is what I have been SHOWN from the beginning. It is a blessing that it is consistent with what the Church has taught for a millennium and a half. But had it been different, I would have submitted obediently to what the Church teaches definitively, while remaining true to what I was shown that was not in conflict with Magisterial teaching. As I understand, the Church has definitively condemned millenarianism in any form (a rose by any other name…). Other than that, it is very permissive in interpretations of Revelation and end times eschatology. There are almost as many variations in interpretations as there are saints in the canon – with the variations often offered by the saints, themselves. I have the happy circumstance that what I have been shown since childhood matches quite well with both definitive and with general Church teaching. So I will toddle right along, insisting that this is the beginning of something glorious, the prelude to the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart. I will continue to tell you that after the birthing pains of this renewed world, my children and yours will live in a glorious Culture of Life, Love and Brotherhood. I will continue to insist that if you participate with God by acknowledging Him, taking the next right step, and being a sign of hope to those around you, a century from now your descendants will still call you blessed, honor your memory, and call for your intercession.

I have noted these last few weeks a certain frantic edge to people’s worry. Perhaps it is the election, perhaps just the general cultural angst that never seems to quiet. The answer is to go “all in” in God’s service. I repeat below my story on how I went all in, in hopes it will help you do the same.

ALL IN

man in underbrush

By Charlie Johnston

We have reached a striking pass. Many of my old critics, while not letting up on the criticism, are visibly nervous that I am right because of the sweep of events this last year. I dropped by a site that comments on me regularly a few weeks back – and was amused to see some of my critics essentially arguing that, “…just because Charlie is right doesn’t mean he is…right.” On the other hand, many of those who have found hope and inspiration here are, occasionally, showing visible signs of worry that, ultimately, I may turn out to be wrong. I have kind of been waiting for this. It makes sense because I have been stunningly accurate on the sweep of the social breakdown – and the acceleration of it over the last three years. But what I say beyond this is, plainly, unbelievable from any temporal standpoint.

One of my favorite phrases is that ‘faith is an act of the will.’ We choose faith, not simply fall into it. If we just fall into it, the roots don’t go deep. We must actively choose it at some point – or lose it. I actually have a lot of sympathy for the doubts on both sides, for I had my own moment of choosing – and it came about five years after my final commitment.

In early 2002 I was still struggling with my own belief in the phenomenon I had experienced my whole life. Though the evidence had piled up, both in large and small ways, that this was authentic, a significant part of me could not let go of the fear that this was just the way my peculiar mind processed a powerful intuition. These fears caused me to worry that if I had to go public, I would likely face humiliation, disgrace, and burn all bridges to any way of making a living – and might yet be wrong at a critical moment. Such fears were not conducive to speaking with confidence. Yet if I did not speak with confidence, how could I give heart to people when they really needed it? If I did speak with confidence, how could I be sure that I would not yet be wrong on something critical? The disclaimer from a financial commercial, “Past performance is not a guarantee of future results,” kept going through my mind. Since about 80% of what I did required interpretation of often cryptic information, what if I got a significant interpretation wrong? Despite the protocols I had put in place to prevent the devil from deceiving me, I well knew he had deceived many saints for a time and had no illusions that I was invulnerable to such assaults. What if I were deceived on a point and, for whatever reason, my angel did not correct me? The lament of Jeremiah was always on my mind: “You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped…” (Jeremiah 20:7).  If I did not speak with confidence, I might well defy God and fail the mission He had entrusted to me. What a terrible accounting I would face for that! If I did speak with confidence, I might mislead people – and the despair would be all the greater for it. Yet I had structured my whole life around the possibility this might be true and I might be called to act…so what was the purpose of my life at all if I was going to chicken out at the moment public service began? I had wrestled with this conundrum for over a decade. I needed a way where I could go all in.

I finally realized that I had been wrestling with the wrong question. The question was not whether I would ultimately be right or wrong, but whether I would be true to the promise I had made to God that I would speak in His name to give people comfort and hope if the Storm, the global civil war fought on cultural lines, fully developed as I had been told it would. When I started thinking in terms of being true and of promise, a way forward opened up to me. I could never eliminate all doubt in my head and, heaven knew, the devil would spring up to inflame those doubts if I thought of it in that fashion. Nor could I deny what was likely an authentic call from God and live with myself if I shirked it. So I decided to behave “as if” it were all true in order to keep faith with my promise. Working from this premise, it made perfect sense to adopt some rules and safeguards that would make my work a bit harder, but would protect others from any unnecessary fallout while staying absolutely true to my promise. Here are some principles I adopted to facilitate this work:

1)      Obey legitimate authority. People who are crazy think they are authentic and right. If it is from God, submitting fully to the authority He commissioned His Church on earth with is the perfect safeguard. If it is from God, He can clear the way when it seems impossible. If it is blocked, it is for my good or that of others.

2)      Never abrogate my responsibility. This is the flip side of obedience. I am given a peculiar mix of spiritual and temporal responsibility. While living full obedience to the Church I must take full responsibility both for my spiritual discernment and my temporal actions. I must always take counsel on both, but take care not to allow anyone to share in that responsibility. It can be very tempting to try to spread the responsibility around, so that blame can be shifted for any errors. That would offend God. This is why I do not seek – or accept – any ‘endorsements’ of the prophetic elements of my message. That is my responsibility alone before God. I also am careful with my Priests and close counselors to warn them away if they suggest something that would inadvertently cause them to share in my responsibility. For example, a counselor once suggested I ask a specific question of my angel for discernment. I quickly warned him not to suggest that, as it would cause him a share in the responsibility for my discernment. Rather, he could ask me specifically how I discern and make suggestions to refine my discernment – but to propose an active test of an angel would give him responsibility that he should not take on. Any errors are my own, both before God and before men.

3)      Make whatever I do or say good in itself. Past performance, though suggestive, is no guarantee of future results. I can’t know with absolute certainty that the prophetic elements of my message will come to pass precisely as I have seen them. God is trustworthy and strong, while I am small and frail. Thus, keep people’s trust focused on the God who is trustworthy and strong, reminding them of His goodness in ages past and His abiding tenderness to those who put their trust in Him. Handle everything so that if I failed miserably on everything else, I would have written material that would be useful to help people reconcile themselves to God and His Holy Church, despite my own failures.

4)      Be rigorously honest. Much of what I have been shown over my lifetime is starkly unbelievable. That the world could so flip in its values in one short lifetime that it would bluntly treat good as evil and evil as good was unbelievable to me when I was yet a boy. But it has happened, as have almost all the unbelievable things I was shown. I do not have to tell all that I am shown. It is usually best that I only tell a little. But calculations over believability must play no role in my decisions about what to tell and what to retain. Whatever is told must be true to what I am shown. Whatever calculation is involved must be over what is useful in building people up, assuring them of the hope that is in God, preparing them for trials, and exhorting them to act so as to build those around them up and so participate in the Rescue. Many people – some friends, some foes – have given me advice on what I should do to make my work “more believable.” At best, I listen politely and move on. If I were worried about believability I would never have gotten up the nerve to speak in the first place. If, in my contemplations, I find a refinement in the interpretation of what I am shown or told, I must make the refinement, regardless of how people react to it. If a core piece meets with heavy resistance, I must stick with it resolutely. I must tell people true and let the chips fall where they may. The moment I start trimming my sails to enhance believability is the moment I cease to be useful at all.

5)      Use my anger, but don’t let it use me. Anger is an incredibly useful, and often necessary, tool. It can bring focus and passion to bear, used to steady those in panic, repel  assaults, and fire up the timorous. But it is like fire: properly contained in and focused by a solid furnace, it brings warmth, light and life in the coldest times. Uncontained and unfocused, it consumes everything in its path. I am grateful here for my political training, for knowing when to respond to attacks and when to ignore them is an art form. Amateurs think that either you always respond or you never respond – a simple formula,  and one that, followed rigorously, always brings them to grief. You cannot ignore attacks that bring into question your integrity or the integrity of your message. To do so is to fail to defend the charge God has given you. But once you have responded effectively, move on. The cranks will keep raging, the malicious will mount new schemes, but you must not deeply engage with cranks and the malicious, which can only fuel the fires of anger. Once you have responded effectively, they will move on or their malicious rage will consume them. Do not notice at all the petty carping of small men of no stature or credibility, for to do so diminishes you and elevates them. Use your anger, but never let it use you.

6)      Know that your only effective audience is God. When an actor auditions for a role, there may be dozens of people watching in the studio, but the actor’s only effective audience is the casting director. If all the dozens of people think the actor is great but the casting director does not, the role will go to someone else. If all the dozens of people think the actor is horrible, but the casting director sees a compelling quality, he will get the role. I am auditioning for heaven and God is the casting director. I obey the Church in all its lawful authority, for that is what God calls me to do. I minister to, comfort, challenge, and exhort His people, for that is what God calls me to do. If I keep my promise to God, 10,000 theologians swearing I didn’t will change nothing in God’s sight. If I betray that promise, 10,000 theologians swearing I kept it will change nothing in God’s sight. I seek to please the Master, hoping not to offend the spectators, but never failing to do so if it is the only way forward that is consonant with the Master’s will for me.

7)      Don’t look back. Once you have set your course, don’t waste any time mewling with the Hamlet “to be or not to be” routine. Choose well and seriously, then go steadily and resolutely forward, regardless of the obstacles you encounter. Never calculate the odds. If it is right, go forward despite insurmountable odds. Never be seduced by mere temporal advantages into doing something unworthy. If your weakness betrays you and you do something unworthy, renounce it, get up, and continue on your way. If I am with God, I can be delayed, restrained or diverted, but I cannot be stopped. If God is not with me, I should be stopped. Know that no one on earth has any power over you that God has  not allowed. Therefore, any setbacks or resistance are for your or their good – for your purification or for their inspiration and recovery. As inspirational as it can be to others for you to live prosperity well, know that it is even more inspirational when you bear adversity well. Never squander the grace of adversity by pining away for what was safe and comfortable when you were not fully mature.

With the adoption of these guidelines, I could safely be “all in,” for I was keeping my promise to God, not restlessly trying to be right.

If I was mocked, scorned and humiliated, I was all in with my promise.

If I was honored and celebrated, I was all in with my promise.

If I was wounded and suffered, I was all in with my promise.

This is the key. I occasionally get people who tell me scornfully that if God spoke directly to them, they would act without hesitation or doubt. Besides speaking ignorantly of that which they know nothing, they badly deceive themselves. They have little faith. Everything I need for my salvation, I have from the Scriptures, the Magisterium and the Sacraments. God speaks to us all there. The extraordinary ways in which God speaks to me have to do with a particular mission I am given – to go forth and comfort His people, to help them endure until Rescue and to participate now in that Rescue. Because of people’s little faith, they actually want more convincing that God exists. I don’t need these extraordinary visits to do God’s will – and neither do they. If they really meant that they would do God’s will rigorously if He spoke to them directly, they would do it rigorously from the direction He gives them in the Scriptures, Magisterium and the comfort He offers with the Sacraments. They think to chide me for my lack of docility to an extraordinary grace but instead reveal the frailty of their faith in what we all are given freely. If you can’t even live the ordinary well and resolutely, what could possibly make you think you could easily bear the additional burden of the extraordinary? It is as absurd as a man who struggles to carry 50 pounds on his back boasting that all would be well if he were just loaded down with a thousand pounds.

Faith is not just a matter of emotional belief, of being convinced. No matter how convincing the arguments, you will encounter terrible trials and setbacks; times when you will ask, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” Times when you will wonder whether there is God at all, times when you will doubt that He has any concern for you at all. If your faith is dependent on an emotional belief, on being convinced beyond all doubt, it is a feeble thing, likely to collapse with the rise of wind and waves.

A faith that is strong and sturdy is a faith that, properly formed, is fully and consciously chosen. You cannot just sit back and wait for God or His ministers to convince you – acting like a judge at a gymnastics event, holding up a scorecard for how well someone else has performed. You are called to be a participant. Authentic faith is your response to God’s grace. You choose to act in faith, whatever trials, whatever setbacks, whatever sorrows may come. It is a conscious act of your will. You choose it knowing that there will be times when you doubt, times when you faint from weariness or fear…and when those moments come, you act with faith anyway. “O Lord, I do believe. Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Authentic faith, fully chosen, makes you a participant in God’s grace, rather than merely a spectator.

Choose faith. Believe in God, not in me. Let us choose to believe in Him together. To get through this Storm, to be active participants in the Rescue we must each be “all in.” That way, if I should ever fall, you will stand – and if you should fall, I will stand. If each of us do that resolutely, our jaws set like flint, then the people of the kingdom and the people of heaven shall rise together, shall rise forever, and God shall rule.

100 thoughts on “This is Not the End”

  1. Thank you, Charlie. Great reminders! Are we ever living the consequences of our disorder! Some days it is e-x-c-r-u-c-i-a-t-i-n-g to do so and the only way out of it is through it. And, like a broken record, I repeat the Scripture: “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” (Romans 5:20) The Word of God is l.i.v.i.n.g.; Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, therefore, this scripture is a promise. So, we can look around and SEE God’s abundant grace amidst all that is and we can look around and BE His grace as needed.

    Soon to be canonized Pope Blessed Paul VI coined the phrase “the civilization of Love.” He wrote and spoke, constantly, urging us to build it. Blessed Paul VI, please pray for us as you accompany us through this Storm of storms. May we never forget that WE ARE NOT ALONE… God is with us personally, and, also, in all the saints, angels and holy souls, and through all the means which He has provided us in the Church. We CAN do this… through, with and in Him. WE CAN..

    Liked by 21 people

  3. I agree Charlie, I’ve seen many Anti-Christ predictions too, and that doesn’t happen till after Gog & Magog war in Revelations 20 (funny most people miss this fact which happens after a millennial reign.)

    The Medjugorje website verified to me one time that it’s definitely “End Times” not the “End Finale”.

    The book of Revelations might as well be called the book of Confusion, as it can be interpreted many different ways. Which interpretation is correct? Who knows… It seems many patterns in society mirror/shadow/parallel the events in the book of Revelations which makes interpreting events even more difficult.

    It would be more wise to focus on the present and focus on today’s opportunities in the fight for a better tomorrow.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I would further add:

      What is the Millennial Reign mentioned in my Catholic Bible? A event that lasts a thousand years or is it a event that starts at the change of the millennium or something else…

      All we can be sure of is that human fate has always been linked to free will & choice. The choices we make as individuals and as larger groups (communities, countries, & the world); the Bible verifies this time and time again.

      Liked by 2 people

  4. I honestly believe in the Marian messages of “The Era of World Peace” and the era of Eucharistic reign not physical reign. I was constantly thrown into confusion by protestant teaching in the rapture, the physical 1000 year reign of Christ not to mention the antichrist is here. The 7 year time line of solar eclipse over the US marking an X made it more confusing as there seems to be a 7 year timeline of the antichrist. But then eventually it would come to the great escape from tribulation-“The Rapture” and so called antichrist pope Francis and would just reject the message.

    While anything is possible for God I am come to the realization that most true prophecies can only be interpreted after they occur as there is a mystery element to God and doesn’t play by the book (cannot be boxed into our interpretation). Not sure how could anyone interpret the mainstream media or the mine field laid out by the swamp and how trump won or they would eventually get caught.

    This is evident in the Catholic teaching of End Times and Final Judgment whereas the numerous protestant versions on different trips. The key point is the world is undergoing a cleansing God gave us a definite sign Rev 12 last Sept. God gave another sign of US been given a chance at cleansing instead of the judgement. Hopefully everyone will be on the same page after the cleansing and we can truly have world peace after sharing the same moral values. Whether this occurs in a short interval or a period is in God hands but I hope he lessens the blow as we are all tired and eager to get there 

    Liked by 3 people

    1. “I was constantly thrown into confusion by protestant teaching in the rapture, the physical 1000 year reign of Christ not to mention the antichrist is here.”

      Yes Josh and don’t forget the many Catholic false prophets who were around, mainly in the 90’s warning of impending disasters that just didn’t happen! I think they were planted to put us off listening to God’s own prophets.

      Liked by 4 people

  5. Charlie, we are at Indian Rocks beach finishing up our “tour Dr florida!” We met the nicest elderly man. Somehow we brought up the world situation,; he started telling me (Harvey from Chicago BTW) about this book he was reading about the end of the world..he looked so sad. Harvey was waiting for his grandchildren to arrive and daughter n son in law or visa versa. I told him about Fatima & Medjugorjia n era of peace. I gave him a pamphlet on medjugorjia and told him..NOOOOO!!! not end of world..beginning of new era..he smiled, a bit curiously..but today..Harvey had a big smile on his face while he watched his beautiful grandchildren play in the pool..God bless dear Harvey from Chicago😎

    Liked by 11 people

    1. Hi Linda! I live right over the bridge from where you are visiting, and our parish, St. Jerome’s, has the most beautiful Atria for children’s Faith Formation called Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. I’ve been reading Charlie’s posts since the beginning and see that helping grow this has been MY next right step….preparing for forming little hearts in the Era of Peace! Enjoy the beach!

      Liked by 4 people

  8. Charlie,
    God made me aware of you 2 years ago.
    I believe your voice, your words are part of God’s plan to empower and instruct the people he has chosen to be a part of His army at this time in history.
    God has given me the grace to understand that every thing I have done in my life, good and bad, has been for this time.
    I am thankful and humbled to be called and I am amazed each day watching how God works!
    I want to thank you for the part you have played in my journey and I want you to know that there ARE people out there who are stronger in faith and who are not afraid.
    There is a feeling of peace knowing Jesus and His Blessed Mother (who I have had a devotion to my whole life and who spoke to me in Medjugorje 19 years ago) are with me.
    Always look forward to your words.
    God bless you.

    Liked by 12 people

  9. Shortly after losing our son, my husband was praying, asking the usual ?how, ?why questions. He heard a feminine voice, Our Lady, say: “We need strong warriors!” After telling me this later on, we both thought that a curious and strange comment. It’s really hard to fathom how his loss, our loss could lead to or be related to that.

    Reading your introduction today immediately brought back that memory.

    Thank you, Charlie, love reading your articles. Even though my focus is not on the larger world, as we are waging The Good Fight right at home. God bless you, Charlie, and God bless us, Everyone!

    Keep on keepin’ on!

    Liked by 13 people

    4. Hi Little light, I often think about you and your dear son.
      I pray for you hoping that you and your family can find comfort.
      Lilia

      Liked by 4 people

  10. Thank you Charlie!! I feel the struggle and pray that we all be strong in Christ. Thank you for your words of hope even when we don’t feel hopeful at all. He is the hope we don’t feel.

    Liked by 6 people

  11. Charlie, I’m sending a hug your way. I understand the intense disappointment that comes when those we trust and respect seem to be way off the mark. I’m struggling with the fact that too many that I know don’t see a problem. Shallow living!

    Your writings and Mark Mallett’s writings have helped me believe that the world as we know it will CHANGE DRAMATICALLY – for the better – spiritually and physically, but we are going to go thru a ‘hell’ of a time of our own making before we get there. I think we may see a wide scale Sodom and Gomorrah effect and we must not look back, meaning, do not desire, pine for, long for, or cling to what was in the past. Evil must be torn down. Not the End, but the renewal [reset] of our hearts and minds in love for God and for our fellow man, and to be the stewards of earth as God intended. I hope for this.

    Frankly, I roll my eyes anymore at “make America great again”. I say let’s make America good and righteous and just again [maybe for the first time], then “great” will take care of itself and mean ‘God how great thou art!’ I may not live to see it [not sure at times if I’ll make it thru the day], but I pray for it.
    So, folks. Be of happy heart and great courage, for God is a mighty warrior!

    love and prayers to all,

    Liked by 13 people

    2. “I’m struggling with the fact that too many that I know don’t see a problem. Shallow living!”

      That’s why I think things are going to get a whole lot worse yet, to give people a reason to change.
      John

      Liked by 8 people

      1. Yes, Beckita. I saw the picture of Mt Meeker with the moon, but I was wondering if the mountain in the video with the river and forest in front of it is also Mt Meeker. Love, love , LOVE the song. Awesome reminder that God never abandons us. Thank you.

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Oh I understand your question, Judith. I simply discovered the song on You Tube. While credit is given to S E Samonte for the video, I cannot find any mention of the exact location of the footage. God bless you.

          Liked by 1 person

  13. To be a sign of hope to those around you, you need to choose to hope. You can choose to hope even when everything around you is nothing but darkness. And you can choose to hope and then go out and find reasons to hope.

    It’s hard to stay optimistic when your own circumstances are very difficult, as is true for many who come here. I get that, and I have some real empathy for that, having been through difficult times myself. Many others in our world have deliberately in effect chosen to believe that everything is terrible because Donald Trump is our president. That’s just silly. Even a moment’s reflection by such people would show that many *good* things are happening these days, but they only see the darkness because that is all they can conceive of.

    So conceive better!

    Everything is a lesson, and lessons are good, even when they feel bad! Find something, no matter how slight, to be grateful for each day, and lo and behold you will find more to be grateful for. See a little bit of Light each day, and more Light will arrive. I look around and see amazing stuff going on, not only amazingly dark things but amazingly Light things, too. You can look around with new eyes, too.

    Live as if you are already in the New Land, the Peaceful Land, the New World, and you will be there more and more often until you’ll be living there full-time. Show the rest of us the path. Do it!

    Liked by 15 people

    2. I always rememberd those past posts of Charlie’s, which really helped — the notion of doing whole-heartedly what you perceived God is asking of you.
      It’s why I stayed here; that I perceived truth however fragmented sometimes — so to stay with it.
      By the way ( Charlie), a Peter Grandich ( financial guy) piece just linked to an article about Trump planning to boost the dollar — similar to something you’d written about as possibly harmful; but now in a way similar to how Reagan had wanted to do it, that would segeway to something good. By late March ( after a meeting with financial leaders), and involving an agreement on the precise price of gold. It stays with me….

      Liked by 5 people

  16. This is a great piece to go hand in hand with Mark Mallett’s piece today, “The Last Museum”! This is not the end!! For me, one of the greatest things to hope for is Mama’s Triumph; her dogma is what I believe the Triumph to be. We know what is promised after that. Such a mixture of good and bad to go through however. I can’t focus on that part or I start thinking of things better left “unthought”, if there is such a word. All of this is surreal; how could we have imagined this time in history 40 or 50 years ago. Come Lord Jesus; come Holy Spirit. O Jesus,save the elect in the hour of darkness. St. Pio, Padre Pio’s prayer he gave us to say often.

    Liked by 10 people

  18. Well yeah, another timely post. Pretty weird to me when you try passing along hopeful news to people who claim to be people of prayer, and then it starts turning into a disagreement where you wish you could convince them that no, it’s not the end of the world, it’s actually hopeful. I’ve run into this kind of thing too, in my own way.

    As for President Trump and making America great again, he’s not afraid of mentioning God in the public square, which is definitely a step in the right direction. And as it happens, I handpainted my own Make America Great Again t-shirt … well, actually I painted the white letters MAGA on a red background with abstract navy blue painting underneath, but fellow Trump supporters will definitely be able to recognize me. 🙂

    As for my tendency to post about coincidences, with everything going on in the world, I’m not ignoring world events (they are definitely good to pray about, for peace, healing, forgiveness, consolation, strength, conversion, and salvation …), I like to focus on God being in control.

    Liked by 7 people

  19. Dear Beckita please pray today for my daughter. We will meet with Stella D. Tonight Thursday..
    Thank you for everything ….
    I ask every one to pray for healing of my child.♥️🙏🏻
    Thank you
    Dorothy

    Liked by 7 people

  21. Charlie,
    Another idea for your already overflowing, never ending, hopper of future articles: How to recognize the small quiet voice of the Holy Ghost, sometimes just a whisper, to recognize “The Next Right Step”.

    I had a moment this past week experiencing this. I was trying to improve Page Speed on our website by implementing WP-Super Cache. I was having no success after several days of working at it and was ready to delete the plug-in in despair, when a thought came into my head “try it again, just one more time”. So I did, It worked, there was one little setting that needed to be turned off. For anyone who is curious what it was, it had to do with not caching pages with GET parameters (?x=y at the end of a url). This thought came into my head after, in desperation, I prayed “Jesus, help me”.

    After the page caching system started working, I hooked our website to a CDN(content delivery network) and our page speed went from a load time of 5 – 6 seconds down 1.5 – 2.5 seconds, well under Google’s coveted 3 second page speed load time rule. I don’t like Google, but to rank well, you have to play by their rules.
    John

    Liked by 7 people

      1. Beckita,
        I really enjoy this website, I can’t express it enough. With our 5 website homebased businesses, I’m on the computer alot. Stopping by here is almost like coming home when I need a break from the cyber world of PHP, CSS, JSON-LD, HTML, Java-script and host of other techno stuff.

        Reading news from the worldly sources just isn’t the same, there is no faith element that is so desperately needed, and reading the comments on other websites is less than enjoyable to put it nicely. When Charlie talks about the hate and desire for revenge on the left from the conservative right just read the comments on Zerohedge, if you can stand it. That doesn’t happen here on this site, and that’s awesome.

        John

        Liked by 8 people

        1. Oh yes, John. This IS a true home to many, nurturing and refreshing, uplifting and sanity-bearing… for those who comment and for those who remain as silent readers. Adoration this evening, John, with prayers for you and a wonderful season for you all at StClareSeeds!

          Liked by 7 people

          1. If you (and everyone here) could also keep my wife Sarah and our unborn baby in your prayers, that would be great. After two hemorrhaging miscarriages in a row and then several years of infertility, Sarah is now 5 months pregnant with our eighth child. She had an ultrasound yesterday and the doctor said the baby is in great shape but Sarah has possible placenta previa. We found out we are having a little girl, so we are naming her Grace. We thought that after the miscarriages and infertility, we weren’t going to have any more children, but by the GRACE of God, we are.
            John

            Liked by 15 people

            1. Awwww, John and Sarah! How very beautiful! Praying a healthy development for wee Grace and for a safe delivery for Sarah and Baby Grace. Best wishes for the whole family, John!

              Liked by 7 people

    2. Wow, John, I’m impressed, by the story and by the result! I have also prayed a PMT for you and your wife and child, and for all those here today who have asked for prayers. 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  22. Regarding “This is not the end” it seems clear to me that, while we see signs of hope. that the rescue visible to all which would definitively broken the power of the “Old Evil” has not occurred anyway near how Charlie or us had seen it come. Despite this, I do believe that Charlie like all of us is in a constant process of learning and growth, and he called it as he was hearing and seeing it. . And with signs of hope including our second grandson who was born Monday I am grateful for this and for the great grace of peace in my home and yet I also find myself grieving for those in our world who by comparison seem to have so little. And with the evil around us it seems a challenge to maintain hope that God will soon better things. And so I pray that God will soon intervene to make our world a better place, but humanly, apart from prayer and trying to lead a peaceful life ourselves, there seems so little that we each can do. So Jesus please soon fulfill your desire to honor the Most Immaculate Heart of Your Dear Mother, by allowing her heart to soon triumph more fully in our world.

    Liked by 10 people

    1. Amen. Amen. Amen, Bob. Congratulations on the birth of your new and precious grandson! God’s Blessings be upon all of your family.

      This I know, with all my heart, prayers such as the one you have offered at the end of your comment are rising as so many lights all over the world AND God WANTS what we are praying for even MORE than we want it. I am convinced we need to aim our offerings of prayer, sacrifice and loving deeds to a change of heart for each person. Really, if all would repent and reform their CHOOSING to align with God’s Will and Ways, He would not need to amp up the purification.Look how often that happened in salvation history. May it be!

      Liked by 7 people

      1. So I get the idea that this seemingly prolonged time of waiting for God to intervene is an act of mercy, to perhaps minimize the pain needed for the necessary change. So let us continue to pray more fervently for the conversion of all, and while we are at it Mary at Fatima asked for more prayers and for the First Saturday Devotions in reparation for sins committed. Hopefully more of our prayers and sacrifices can hasten the day.

        Liked by 3 people

    1. Looks like a great one, Lucy. Thanks so much for the link. Just a friendly reminder for us all: please add a few lines explaining about the topic and purpose of sharing the link.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. I just went to this link where you can read excerpts from this book:

      (by a Benedictine monk who reaps the benefits of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament)
      and it has a lot of “5 Stars”

      Liked by 4 people

  24. I haven’t gotten to the reread, Charlie. I’m still on your forward.

    Seems to me that it’s not so much a matter of God recruiting heroes, as He’s about the business of using the willing. And how many among the willing consider themselves heroic? Probably not many, if any. Heck, if God is looking for “heroes,” He really has his work cut out for Him as usual.

    I hear growing numbers of people also pondering whether or not they’re ready… maybe getting bogged down in calculating the heroics required for various trials. Oh, better the merely willing –– now –– in this moment. Among those, many that will initially say, “nope,” than think better of it later and head to the fields to put in an honest, hard day of work.

    Some may write poems later, and sing songs about mighty, heroic deeds. The heroes, of course, will sit there more flummoxed than any, wondering what all the fuss was about.. Souls fixed on God, simply willing… such as they are.

    Liked by 10 people

    1. There you are, MP! I have been thinking of you and praying for you in your time away. I remember you had said you were in a transition with moving. Hope you and your family are settled in by now. So great to hear from you. In line with your thoughts, Charlie once said something which I love to contemplate about recruitment: THIS is the Ballad of the Ordinary Man.

      Liked by 5 people

      1. Yep, all moved in, B, but I must say that word, “moved,” just doesn’t seem to cut it. Surely the whole undertaking was something much more than mere moving, maybe at least worth a couple of good opening paragraphs in chapter 14 of the family saga. Then I think of the migratory route of monarch butterflies (they will be passing through soon)… how generations are spent on these lengthy, circuitous routes in all sorts of challenging outdoor conditions. I digress, but it does make the “move” seem like just another move, and the small, fragile monarch butterfly maybe a bit more worthy of our admiration. Perspective counts.

        I do remember “the Ballad of the Ordinary Man,” and I did in fact grin at my own audacity as I delivered a wee bit of counterpoint (challenge) to Charlie. Ah, but I have to imagine that he gets tired of hearing how clear, sage, brilliant, erudite, etc. he is all the time. It just seems to follow that a guy who positively challenges folks is going to appreciate being challenged in every once in awhile. What say you, Charlie?

        And WWYDS? Ah, he might give us one of those quirky Star Trek references. Maybe the one where Scotty finally showed up on the Enterprise in the reboot version amidst all the crazy action and challenges and quipped, “I like this ship! You know, it’s exciting!”

        Liked by 2 people

        1. My son and a few very close friends LOVE poking me – and love even more when they completely get me. I’m kind of like an old country boy who, after getting whopped in a fight, can’t help but admire the skill of whoever it was that whopped him.

          Liked by 3 people

          1. Your merciless friends reminds me of my fishing buddies. Once we are on the Gulf of Mexico, freed from the sight of land and loose from the threat of calls on our cell phones, we revert back to our elementary schoolyard days. At this point every conceivable weakness is pounced upon like fire ants on a cricket and our conversation darn near seems to have been taken straight out of a sitcom script. It’s all in good fun though although at the time it seems to be quite the brawl. I’ve learned a lot about human nature trapped on a boat at sea with a bunch of competitive men. I think this is the kind of place William Golding came up with the premise for his book Lord of the Flies.

            Liked by 3 people

            1. Ahh, yes, Phil. That boat. I’ve been on it more times than I can count. In fact I practically got weened on that boat. But lest some start in with the eye-rolling at this thread, I would remind them that even Jesus delivered a good poke when he gave the name “Boagernes” to the sons of Zebedee. OK, maybe it was a gentle rebuke, but no doubt delivered with a bit of a grin. Surely that qualifies as a poke.

              Liked by 4 people

  25. I recommend reading two recent articles by Father George Rutler in Crisis Magazine. With his inimitable erudition, he unveils the confusion in the thinking of Cardinal Cupich and Father Antonio Spadaro. One article from 2/14 is called “The Clarity of Cardinal Cupich”. The second from 2/22 is entitled “The Mathematical Innovations of Father Antonio Spader”. Caution: you’ll need a dictionary. But, hey, you’ll receive a free classical education in the process.

    Liked by 7 people

    1. Love Fr. Rutler. Listen to him on EWTN and soak up every insight and teaching he provides. I actually shared the link to CRUX for his piece on Cardinal Cupich. Thanks for the reminder, Frank, as well as the mention of this second article.

      Liked by 3 people

    2. Frank, Just reading your post and you mentioned Fr. Spadero and Cardinal Cupich,, Speaking to someone after mass yesterday evening, they mentioned that Fr.Spadero wants Raymond Arroyo and EWTN taken off the air. In last weeks show Raymond highlighted Fr. Spadero speech at Georgetown University. Robert Royal and Fr. Gerald Murray called The Papal Posse were guest who as far as I am concerned told the very truth about what was said…..
      Tonight Raymond just mentioned he wanted to thank all who tweeted telling him, they were with him..
      Wow what is going on.. I wonder what Charlies thoughts are on this..

      Liked by 3 people

  26. Digesting the 2nd half of Charlie’s article makes me appreciate being a nobody…

    Some people may think that being chosen by God (mystic, seer, prophet, saint, etc…) are coveted positions in the body of the Church, but those are heavy crosses to carry with massive amounts of responsibility & required obedience. If people want to grab more Heavenly glory for themselves, there’s lots need for those who serve “The greatest among you shall be your servant” as Jesus once said. I’d be doing a lot less posting here & more volunteering if I wasn’t a father of young children.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. Sure enough, Al. Each of us being simply “little ole me” is as God would want us to be, for just as St. Paul said: “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

      Liked by 6 people

    2. Al,
      I think it important that being involved with God has consequences that are a lot bigger than anyone can imagine.
      St. Thomas Aquinas wrote “a person in the state of grace, or divine friendship, possesses certain enduring powers, the infused virtues and gifts, that raise him to an orbit of existence as far above nature as heaven is above earth, and that give him abilities of thought and operation that are literally born, not of the will of flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
      It is not readily known that we, in our fallen nature, are BELOW nature and we in the state of grace are ABOVE nature (supernatural). There is no “in between” nature for us. Scripture says if we are “lukewarm” God will spit us out- back to our fallen side so, we are either hot or cold but never luke warm.
      When someone says it is just “natural” for us to…..so and so, they do not realise this truth and that we are not able to be just natural because our human nature is fallen. Now grace is a wonderful thing. It permeates our exhistance so much that the “falleness” of our nature is mitigated by it and this is why our world becomes so corrupt without it. The “below nature” of man descends back to pure chaos without the mitigating effects of the “above nature” of grace.

      Liked by 5 people

      1. “The eyes are the window to the soul”, the damage that television alone has done to our minds, hearts, & souls makes it difficult to gain & maintain many graces…

        If we could only erase the corrupting effects of television & other media…

        We need something like another Pentecost oh Lord…

        Certainly being in knowledge of God makes one very accountable to God if they choose to disobey or turn away from God. Having faith in God is much safer, as a person shows desire for God when choosing to believe in & follow God despite God not revealing himself beyond all their doubts; loosing faith for a time has less consequences because it is faith and not irrefutable knowledge.

        Liked by 4 people

  27. What disturbs me is that there are actually people who are *optimistic* about the future. I mean, I’m hopeful that God will send Our Lady to sort this all out, but optimism about anything seems totally out of touch with reality. Yes, certainly God is still doing great things in people’s lives, but websites like this?? Oy! http://humanprogress.org/

    Like

    1. Oh Gosh, louiseyvette. No doubt, the world is a mess. Still, I’m one of those optimistic ones right in the face of some heavy duty family crises and the death and decay all around us. It ain’t easy. It’s not for sissies. But complete trust in God IS possible and it is a choice one can make while waiting for the Lord to help feelings catch up to the choice.

      The words of Our Lord and Our Lady, in their approved apparitions, as well as the words of Scripture give us every reason to believe in a future filled with hope. Just a few examples…
      **Our Lady, from Fatima: *”In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
      **Our Lady from Akita, Japan: *”With my Son I have intervened so many times to appease the wrath of the Father. I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering Him the sufferings of the Son on the Cross, His Precious Blood, and beloved souls who console Him forming a cohort of victim souls. Prayer, penance and courageous sacrifices can soften the Father’s anger.” (So many of Our Lady’s kids have and continue to pray.)
      *”Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved.”

      **Jesus to St. Faustina: *“’Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of My hands are crowned with mercy.’” (No. 301)
      *“’My daughter, have fear of nothing; I am always with you. All your adversaries will harm you only to the degree that I permit them to do so. You are my dwelling place and my constant repose. For your sake I will withhold the hand which punishes; for your sake I bless the earth.’” (No. 431)
      *“The Lord said to me, ‘The loss of each soul plunges Me into mortal sadness. You always console Me when you pray for sinners. The prayer most pleasing to Me is prayer for the conversion of sinners. Know, My daughter, that this prayer is always heard and answered.’” (No. 1397)
      *“Jesus: ‘My child, life on earth is a struggle indeed; a great struggle for my kingdom. But fear not, because you are not alone. I am always supporting you, so lean on Me as you struggle, fearing nothing. Take the vessel of trust and draw from the fountain of life – for yourself, but also for other souls, especially such as are distrustful of My goodness.’” (No. 1488)
      *“All grace flows from mercy, and the last hour abounds with mercy for us. Let no one doubt concerning the goodness of God; even if a person’s sins were as dark as night, God’s mercy is stronger than our misery. One thing alone is necessary; that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God’s merciful grace, and then God will do the rest.” (No. 1507)
      *“’Oh how much I am hurt by a soul’s distrust! Such a soul professes that I am Holy and Just, but does not believe that I am Mercy and does not trust in My Goodness. Even the devils believe in My Justice, but do not glorify My Goodness. My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy.’” (No. 300)

      From Scripture:
      *Psalm 3: 2-6:
      2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”
      3 But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
      4 I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain.
      5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
      6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
      *Joshua 10:25: Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”
      *1Peter 1:3-6
      Praise to God for a Living Hope
      3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
      4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,
      5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
      6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
      *Psalm 34:18: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

      God bless us, one and all.

      Liked by 10 people

  28. Since I first read the message of Our Lady of Good Success (at Quito, Ecuador), I have believed in the Rescue. Yes, Our Lady’s Triumph will change all. So I have never believed this is the end – only something very unpleasant to live through. Things are, imo, far worse than they were in the 70s, when I was a child. Anyway, the outlook is certainly different than for those who believe we are at the End.

    Liked by 4 people

  29. God bless Bishop Paprocki. May such accountability continue to ripple throughout every diocese in America!

    Come Holy Spirit and place the fire of holy boldness in every cardinal, bishop and priest throughout the world and send your fire of conversion into the heart of every political leader.

    Excerpt of the announcement from Bishop Paprocki about Senator Dick Durbin:
    “Because his voting record in support of abortion over many years constitutes “obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin,” the determination continues that Sen. Durbin is not to be admitted to Holy Communion until he repents of this sin. This provision is intended not to punish, but to bring about a change of heart. Sen. Durbin was once pro-life. I sincerely pray that he will repent and return to being pro-life.”

    Full article: https://aleteia.org/blogs/deacon-greg-kandra/springfield-bishop-paprocki-senator-durbin-is-not-to-be-admitted-to-holy-communion/

    Liked by 10 people

    1. Yeah!!! What about The Rest of Them?? …. and MOST importantly, I expect most here are wondering the, alleged, “Shepherds”!!??
      “The Fourteen Catholic Senators Who Enabled Late Term Abortion”
      http://www.patheos.com/blogs/standi…olic-senators-enabled-late-term-abortion.html
      …. and numerous “Catholic” House members? We expect a politician to be a slimey POS but a church full of cowardly or worse Clergy!
      It’s past time for a Goat vs Sheep “Shoot-Out” … sooooo … why worry and lament that THAT TIME is upon us … Eh!!?? Rejoice that The Lord is near!! Rejoice that YOU may be a Christian Soldier that He is depending upon in These-Days!!

      Lord, Please send St Michael to help us and Save ALL Here. AMEN!!!

      Liked by 7 people

      1. We can only hope and pray, Crew Dog, that the tide is turning. Amen to St. Michael’s intercession, leading all the angels in spiritual warfare against the demonic forces of these times.

        Liked by 5 people

  30. Yes saintclareseeds I read posts on here to lift up my spirit in the days we live in to give me a break from the world stressors / reading posts here is like chatting and active listening to prayer group members around a church hall table drinking coffee.

    I thank God for Charlie and all he has done to be that spark of hope in the dark times we are navigating through.

    Liked by 9 people

  31. On a lighter note, I went out to dinner tonight and received a fortune cookie for dessert. My fortune said, “If you tempt a squirrel with a nut, be prepared to be bitten”. Reminds me of the “squirrelly “ days at TNRS. 😊

    Liked by 4 people

  32. This was the preamble from today’s St Michael Novena from PrayMoreNovenas.com. It sounds like good advice for “These -Days:

    “Peace be with you!
    When war broke out in Heaven, St. Michael the Archangel led the army of God’s angels to defeat the devil and his followers.
    Let’s pray today that we may be inspired by this, and that we, too, will have the desire to humble ourselves before God and to serve Him in whatever way we are called.”

    “Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.” Amen.

    GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 8 people

  33. Michael Brown has a piece today on the division in this country. Loved his closure with words from Abraham Lincoln. Honest Abe, please pray for us.

    But we’ll sign off here with President Abraham Lincoln and his amazing words in a Proclamation signed on March, 30, 1863 (worth reading every syllable):

    “Whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord;

    “And, insomuch as we know that by His divine law nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown.

    “But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

    “It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

    “Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do by this my proclamation designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer. And I do hereby request all the people to abstain on that day from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite at their several places of public worship and their respective homes in keeping the day holy to the Lord and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

    “All this being done in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the divine teachings that the united cry of the nation will be heard on high and answered with blessings no less than the pardon of our national sins and the restoration of our now divided and suffering country to its former happy condition of unity and peace. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed…”

    Liked by 6 people

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Published by charliej373

Charlie Johnston is a former newspaper editor, radio talk show host and political consultant. From Feb. 11, 2011 to Aug. 21, 2012, he walked 3,200 miles across the country, sleeping in the woods, meeting people and praying as he went. He writes on cultural, global and political issues from an orthodox Catholic perspective. He emphasizes that we find God most surely through the ordinary, doing the little things we should with faith and fidelity. His constant refrain is that, to live real joy, we must acknowledge God, take the next right step, and be a sign of hope to those around us. He lives in the Archdiocese of Denver in the United States.