Rules of Regency Redux – Part III

Posted on by charliej373

By Charlie Johnston

(A very nasty virus ripped through me the middle part of this week. I’m feeling on the mend today, at least enough where I don’t think I’ll sleep most of the day. A friend asked, concerned, if it might be Covid. I said I sure hoped so because, statistically, Covid is less dangerous to someone my age and system than the flu. Yeah, I know I get sick frequently, but I knock it back frequently, too and have no significant co-morbidities. Just the nerve damage. I figure my little bouts with viruses are just calisthenics for my immune system. This piece was originally published on Sept. 14, 2016. I have edited it lightly (taking out the dated intro) but making no substantive edits. It seems pretty basic and mild now, but at the time the series was a bit controversial. You can go here for Part I and here for Part II. I am deeply pleased that Donald Trump has made the Back to Work section I wrote below moot – for he has done it.-CJ)

Okay folks, here we go. I suspect the final installment is not going to be quite as dramatic as anticipation would make it out to be, but here it is.  

Education

Primary responsibility for and authority over a child’s education resides with the parents. States may demand compulsory education of the young, but if they do so they must provide for it in the form of vouchers that the parents may use in any school of their choice. The vouchers must be equivalent to the average cost per student at public schools.

States may demand performance benchmarks in basic subjects, such as mathematics, science, reading, writing and history. Such benchmarks must not provide cover for ideological indoctrination. Parents and private schools may file federal suit for damages and remediation against any state efforts to mandate ideological indoctrination under the cover of curriculum benchmarks.

Colleges must provide free speech and due process protections for all students. Colleges which encourage and indulge “safe spaces,” suppress free speech, and punish students for micro-aggressions – or fail to defend against rioting and sustained disruption of classes may be sued in class action by students for depriving them of the property right in education their tuition was supposed to pay for. Any college which refuses to allow ROTC on campus or access to military recruiters will be barred from receiving any federal funds. Since there will be no federal student loan guarantees, that will mainly consist of the denial of research funding and other federal collaborations that make use of the college’s intellectual resources. The federal Department of Education will be abolished as a stand-alone entity. Education will be the responsibility of the parents and the states – with the federal government serving merely as guarantor of rights, including property rights in the education that students and their families pay for.

War and Peace

The foundation of predictable, stable diplomacy is to start from the national interest. Just as a family’s first job is to protect and defend the family’s interest, so a nation’s first job is to defend the interests of its citizens. Effective diplomacy finds common interests with other nations and develops strategies to pursue and promote those common interests, always protecting the vital interests of native citizens.

The credible threat of the use of force – and the actual use of it – is always a key tool in the diplomatic bag. Other nations must always calculate both the benefits of cooperation and the costs of confrontation when dealing with the United States. America must be a reliable and steadfast ally to those who choose cooperation– and a relentless foe to those who insist on conflict. Predictability on the broad issues makes for global stability.

War must always be the tool of last resort, the tool used when either all others have failed or when the danger is so clear and present that decisive action must be taken to prevent a larger conflagration. If war must come, the clear object must ever be victory, defined as the unconditional surrender of opposing forces. I do not believe in proportionality or restrictive rules of engagement. That just gets more people killed. Let opponents know the true cost of confrontation early on and you will have far less confrontation later on.

America must never target civilians, but neither must it give opponents who don’t value innocent life an advantage by refusing to attack them if they embed themselves among civilians. Let civilians know, if they have embedded belligerents among them that they must get them out or themselves get out, for we are coming. Then come.

After victory, always give generous terms of surrender to an opponent, but terms that do not make it easy for belligerents to once again take control. The occupation of Japan after World War II and the Marshall Plan in Europe were successful models of how to make former opponents into real allies, while respecting their national sovereignty.

Pursue collective security agreements such as NATO with nations that have common interests and values. I am not a fan of propping up dictators’ clubs such as the United Nations (which may be the largest fully corrupt and incompetent institution in world history). If dictators must have a club to taunt free peoples, they can do it on their own dime and in one of their own lands.

Back to Work

In 2006, I did extensive research on energy resources related to two Congressional campaigns I was working on. I was surprised to discover that America is, by far, the most energy-rich nation on earth. Divide our resources in half and we would be the two biggest energy-rich nations in the world. Almost every state has substantial energy resources it could develop. We have been disabled like Gulliver with a network of restrictions and regulations that prevent us from tapping more than a tiny fraction of what we are capable of.

I realized immediately both the economic and national security implications of that fact. Open up our resources to exploration and development and it could put the whole nation humming with employment and economic vitality – while at the same time making sand the most valuable export the Middle East could muster.

Oil, natural gas and coal are just the start of what we can develop. Technology allows for clean uses. The liquefaction of coal, alone, can provide a diesel-like fuel that can power most military applications and many commercial uses. Cut away the bonds we have wrapped ourselves in and jobs would spring up in every state – white-collar, blue-collar, and all sorts of ancillary support industries.

I realized, with no little sorrow, that we weren’t going to do that any time soon. But when, in 2007, I began to develop plans that would quickly bring a shattered, disheartened people back to their feet with enough confidence and resolve to press on through the final challenges of the Storm, I realized that this was a critical ace in the hole. It was a way to get people working again quickly – and not in a pathetic make-work way – but with real dignity and providing resources that would help us endure all trials we must face. It will be done.

*******

As I said when I began this, the items I have written here do not even amount to the tip of the iceberg of what I have been working at these last nine years. But they do illustrate the principles – and types of principles – that will be used during this critical period between the final crash and the definitive Rescue that will allow us to endure and prepare the way for Rescue. Come Lord Jesus!

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159 thoughts on “Rules of Regency Redux – Part III”

  1. For a while now I’ve been turning over the idea that healthcare and education should be treated like free speech and freedom of religion, that governments shall make no laws abridging etc etc.

    Every time I look at both issues, I see nothing but an opportunity for the governments at all levels to expand their power incrementally and interfere in life and death issues they should have no say in.

    I believe no level of government should have any right whatsoever to interfere in either matter, and everything I see when they do is bad or pernicious. Education was better when government stayed out of it (it wasn’t until the progressive John Dewey that it really became a ‘thing’ for governments to do). I was given a calculus book for middle or high school kids in the 1800s, and it is *tough*. Those kids were smart and able. Governments can only dumb education down and should be kept strictly out of education at all levels, including taxation, in my opinion.

    And don’t get me started on healthcare and government interference. I once heard that the Founders considered an 11th item for the Bill of Rights that provided for complete healthcare freedom and that government could make no law to interfere. Giving government control over one’s life is a terrible idea.

    In both cases leaving education and healthcare to the People will have their own problems, but those problems will be much lower than current obvious problems. When people really see the concerted efforts made by progressive and other elites, they will be *horrified* and will never let government into either area ever again, in my considered opinion.

    Liked by 12 people

    1. I would like to add that public education at the local level, the simplest and most straightforward type of government education, is currently and probably inevitably financed by property taxes that change residents from castle owners to renters who do not actually own free and clear their houses. This kills two birds with one stone – you get worse education and open children to indoctrination at the same time as you steal their homes from them. I don’t know about you, but going with government education sounds like a very very bad idea to me.

      Liked by 13 people

          3. I’m all in MP!!! Hey I thought of you last Thursday 3 pm (and ALL of you here) First Adoration hour since lockdown!!! All I could do is blubber cry first 20 minutes!!! I figured He understood!!! ❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏🌹🌹🌹📿📿📿🐿🐿🐿🤗🤗🤗

            Liked by 2 people

          4. I copied that pic MP!!! Ha!!! Just hilarious!!! Hail Mary FULL OF GRACE, pray for us squirrels 🐿 now & at the hour of our death! Amen 🙏
            Ave Maria Stella Maris!!!

            Liked by 1 person

          5. NICE! Can this image go up on the CORAC site somewhere? Or would that be some sort of copyright infringement because of the use of the Mt. Doom photo?

            Like

  3. Charlie, this may be a bit off topic, but do you believe Donald Trump will be re-elected? Based on his standing in the polls and the amount of fraudulent ballots that will likely be cast it would seem that humanly it is impossible for him to win.

    But President Trump is the most pro-life President we ever had and he recognized Israel. Might God bless us with another 4 years of his presidency or do you think that since the majority of our country is pro-abortion and seems to have no fear of God that God will leave us to our own devices and allow us to reap the consequences?

    The Bible speaks of the justice of God but in Genesis 18:32 God also is willing to spare Sodom if he finds just 10 just men. A lot of people are praying the Rosary novena for the USA. Thanks!

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Charlie’s answer may differ, Dave, but, in my opinion, President Trump will win the upcoming election by approximately the same numbers as he did the last. Firstly, polls that are published by the MSM should be ignored, even those conducted by conservative leaning organizations. The reason for this is that starting with the UK Brexit vote, it was made clear to me that a significant portion (around 6%) of the conservative electorate were either not responding to the polls, or they were deliberately telling them the opposite of their true voting intentions. Apparently, the same rule applies on both sides of the pond.

      In 2016 and earlier, I studied the polls quite closely, both during the Brexit vote and the US Presidential election. In Britain, all the polls assessed the Leave vote 6% short of the actual result. My brother, still living in Britain, and I both concluded that there was a section of the public that no longer trusted anything produced by the media. Consequently, they played an identical role as if they were a 5th Column (1), invisible to both the media and the two traditional political organizations.

      Watching the lead-up to the 2016 election here in the States, my perception of the electorate was identical to the prior results in Britain. This had little to do with Cable or TV media (I don’t watch it), rather I had been gathering these impressions from my 20 years or so of commenting on various online sites such as Quora, Youtube, and on most of the online news sites (Real Clear Politics, The Hill, etc.). Reading and participating in the comments section under news articles and videos is a great way to assess the true leanings of the average citizen. All through the campaign, I was relatively sure that Donald Trump would win despite polling that was telling us the opposite. In fact, one of my conservative friends lost patience with me due to my insistence that Trump would win, despite all the “evidence” to the contrary. It all depends on which evidence you’re looking at; that which is concocted by the MSM, or regular people writing comments about their real opinions.

      Lo and behold, what did we see? The Presidential polls were way off up until the last minute, and there was at least a 6% (or more) swing in the actual electoral votes. Again, in my opinion, 2020 will be the same. A significant portion of US voters no longer trust the media, either political party, or the self serving individuals in both arms of the Congress. All those politicians care about is re-election to their ultra-comfy seats, regardless of whatever side of the aisle that seat is on.

      Yes, Dave, corruption of the election through fraudulent voting is a real and present danger. However, we have to bear in mind that this is American politics. Consequently, crooked, cutthroat, dishonest, unethical, unprincipled and unscrupulous voting is par for the course, is it not? Unfortunately, it quite definitely goes back at least until at least 1960 when JFK (and his father’s mob connections) won the election through approximately 200,000 votes from dead and otherwise contaminated votes in Illinois. Not to mention the suspected improper influence of LBJ in the Texas political machinery.

      True, the result in 1960 was a Democratic victory. However,,please don’t make the mistake of thinking that ballot stuffing is a talent possessed solely by the Democrats! In my humble opinion, President Trump will be re-elected for 4 more years.Of course, what happens after the votes are counted are something else. I suspect that the events that we’ve seen across the country are a mere warm up to what we have yet to witness.

      (1) https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fifth%20column

      all the best … Dave

      Liked by 8 people

      1. Dave, I think many are they who believe Trump will legitimately win the election. That said, the deeds and signs are all around us that the Far Left is pulling out all stops to continue with the soft coup, running it in overdrive to *continue* disallowing “a peaceful transfer of power.”

        Liked by 6 people

      2. The only place I might disagree, Dave, is that I think in real votes, Trump is going to win the biggest landslide ever. If the count is anywhere near honest, it could be an extinction level event for the modern Democrat Party. I actually hope so. We need an honest liberal party…and all voters have now is a largely timid Republican Party and a moonbat party.

        Liked by 15 people

        2. From your lips to God’s ear, Charlie!!! I agree and pray that we can somehow get past all the fraud, dead people voting, etc., etc. “Extinction level”, oh I like that!! Please God, hear our cries to you!

          Liked by 8 people

    3. I am not at all convinced that then majority of the country is pro-abortion. Even the rigged polls do not show that. Yes, Trump will win – and quite handily, I might add. The Democrats right now are trying to create enough chaos and facilitate enough fraud that they can plausibly claim he lost – but I don’t think it is going to be enough. The left really does NOT understand how offensive their tactics are and how furious people are becoming.

      In 1948, all the polls said Republican Thomas Dewey was going to win the presidency. One reporter noted that, contrary to the polls, the crowds for Harry Truman were large and thrumming with energy while those for Dewey were much smaller and sedate. The polls are pure propaganda now. I saw one that showed Biden winning by nine points, but when I looked at the internals, it sampled 21 points more Democrats than Republicans. So even giving Biden a 21 point advantage to start with, it could only get him up by 8 points. If anyone thinks that 21 points more Democrats than Republicans are going to show up to the polls, they are smoking some very heavy stuff.

      Liked by 11 people

      1. Well said, Charlie. That’s how they work it, isn’t it? They use a sample that’s predetermined to give them the result that they’re looking for. I still vividly remember this ABC/WaPo poll from October 23rd, 2016, two weeks prior to Election Day, claiming a 12 point lead for Hillary! Here’s what they had to say;

        “All told, Clinton leads Trump by 12 percentage points among likely voters, 50 to 38 percent, in the national survey, her highest support and his lowest to date in ABC News and ABC News/Washington Post polls.”

        https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/clinton-opens-12-point-lead-trump-thirds-biased/story?id=40114224

        The editor’s bold-font headline read as follows;

        “𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞-𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩 (𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐋)”

        The impossible image of Hillary “vaulting” anything stays in my mind until today.

        God bless you ….. Dave

        Liked by 4 people

  4. Steve;
    Off topic but the (probable) CORAC region 7 coordinator contacted me regarding ‘officially’ joining. Can you or anybody else here tell me what I need to do? This guy told me he would put me on his list but is there anybody else I should contact to formally join up?
    TIA

    Liked by 3 people

    2. Your Regional Coordinator, Gary Shawver, is a top-notch organizer. He is in regular contact with me. Please help him. When the website goes up (any day now), you can formally sign up there, but sticking with Gary will get you integrated faster and more effectively.

      Liked by 4 people

      1. Charlie, I have not yet heard from my area 14 coordinator. Is it just that I’m way down in the list? I did send my information to you as directed by Beckita.
        I have food. I cook. Maybe my talents are not yet needed?
        Thanks so much,
        Katey in Oregon
        💙📿✝️🍔🥘

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Hi Katey, this is Hopenjoy, the OR WA coordinator. I was wondering where your name was, it’s not on the last 2 lists I’ve seen. Maybe send in your interest email again? Looking forward to getting in touch w you.

          Liked by 2 people

      2. Thanks, Charlie. Yes, Gary is who contacted me. We’ve been in regular communication since he moved away from here to his current place. I told him I would ask around for instructions but I’ll hold tight until he gives me the word.
        Thanks again.

        Liked by 1 person

  5. So prescient, Charlie.

    This isn’t exactly related, but I could argue that it is. 😉

    Some years ago (c. 2007) during my formation process, I learned about human trafficking, including trafficking of children for evil purposes. It was a disturbing, sleep-depriving few days of education. Three questions remained unanswered: Who are these powerful and dangerous people engaged in the worldwide enterprise? Who are the customers that make it so vastly lucrative? Why isn’t anyone doing something about it?

    Subsequently, I encountered at least one woman who had been trafficked, and I was able to assist a legal team that was working on her behalf.

    Years later, in 2018, I became more aware than I would ever want to be of a case involving children.

    This video (link below) validates my impression that President Trump and former AG Jeff Sessions & successors initiated and continue to pursue justice in this most distressing arena:

    Sainte Thérèse of Lisieux, pray for us.

    Liked by 13 people

    2. I have read that Pres. Trump has made this a priority. Some sites claim Obama did the same and that it is fake news that Trump has actually increased arrests. It is so hard to verify truth these days.

      Liked by 5 people

    4. Sr. Bear, the President and Sessions deserve so much credit that was never given. God bless them!
      I hope Maxwell stays alive to be prosecuted. We know what happened to Epstein. Heaven help these poor women and children. Very informative video. 96% decrease b/c of the border wall and all the prosecution. Amazing what has been done under Trump! God will reward him and the others who have helped. Thank you for letting us know.

      Liked by 10 people

      1. Yes, God bless the President and Sessions. ❤

        From what I've read, it seems that Maxwell and Epstein had a bigger agenda than simply making money from the most evil and base of human weaknesses. Apparently, they had cameras everywhere. Why, pray tell? Blackmail, perhaps? Mind you, their NYC and island visitors tended to be prominent, influential people. Imagine if their influence were subject to blackmail not just to enrich M and E but for other purposes. That's speculation, of course, but something to keep in mind as things play out.

        Guardian Angels, pray for us.

        Liked by 6 people

      2. In my opinion, Annie, no-one of significance will be prosecuted. Elaine Maxwell is working with the PA and providing evidence to them. It could be that one individual will be thrown to the wolves, but the widespread nature of the sexual abuse of minors will never reach the surface. The people involved are multi-billionaires, or those closely connected to them. Since they had no problem murdering Epstein, then what would make us think that they’ll somehow become liable to answer for any other crimes?

        By the way, Epstein was housed in a cell that had paper bed sheets that make it impossible to hang yourself, and much more;

        https://nypost.com/2019/08/10/former-mcc-inmate-theres-no-way-jeffrey-epstein-killed-himself/

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Besides that, the man they carried out of his cell was NOT Epstein. There was a picture of him and the ears were definitely different that Epstein’s. AND, closer to mow, the man Trump debated had different ears than Biden, also. WHO was he?

          Liked by 1 person

    5. https://ourrescue.org/

      Recently it was found a sex trafficking ring running out of the outlets at Hershey PA. my nurse friend treated one victim. Right under our noses.

      Earlier that day I saw https://ourrescue.org/ written on a car in the grocery store parking lot.

      And now I’m wondering if my friends adopted daughters were used in such a way. They were 4 and 5 when adopted.
      God help us!

      Liked by 4 people

  6. It’s now 2:14 eastern time. I fell asleep early last night and woke up a few hours later to the news that the President and First Lady have contracted COVID 19. Pray for them, pray for the county and the world. The storm intensifies. Be with us and guide us Lord Jesus.

    JT

    Liked by 11 people

    1. Up in the wee hours here, JT. 3:34 Mountain Time. I just discovered what you have shared here. Prayers aplenty for our President and First Lady. Oh how the mockery will ensue. Prayers for our country, too, as the swirl of insanity intensifies.

      Liked by 12 people

    2. Good Morning, JTB.
      I have been praying St. Patrick’s Lorica for ACB and have now added Melania & Pres. Trump to it. Plus added the petition to protect from all diseases to the section on protections.
      Lord have mercy. (Maybe it will shield them from the media hyenas for a couple of weeks. It won’t stop their speculation however. The WAPO has a disgusting headline and Facebook has removed one of Trump’s advertisements.) Lord please have mercy on us.

      Liked by 10 people

  7. This is a little off topic but does anybody here know if our grids have been hardened yet since President Trump was elected? Newt Gingrich used to speak of it often and then all of a sudden no one discusses it anymore?!?!?! 🤔

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Linda: I have no solid information, but the long time prepper in me keeps an eye on these types of issues. So far as I have seen (without studying the matter) the issue had finally began to receive serious attention by some members of Congress and various administrative agencies. I have not seen anything that would indicate that actual steps to harden the grid have been taken. It could be that things are being done quietly, without publicity, for obvious reasons of not cluing in our enemies, but in terms of the open information on the web I have not seen any activity in this direction. I hope I am wrong and if anyone else has better information I would love to hear about it.

      Personally, I have taken some simple, non expensive steps, to allow us to live in our residence and our cabin without power from the grid if need be.

      JT

      Liked by 7 people

        1. Kathy:

          I would be happy to. Some of these are simple and obvious but we have had neighbors and family members who were not even this prepared. Also, the things that I am going to mention here will work for a period of time but more intensive and expensive preps would be necessary to live off the electric grid on a long term basis.

          1. Flashlights, working batteries, matches and candles. (The lighter sticks with the long nozzle to light grills are very helpful.) I know this seems obvious but in recent power outages we have had to lend candles and flashlights to neighbors. Headband flashlights that give you two free hands to work are also very helpful.
          2. A dc/ac converter that can plug into the cigarette lighter (or I guess today you would call it the dc outlet) in your car and an extension cord long enough to reach into your house. These can be found online for under fifty dollars. Of course, it is also important to keep your gas tank topped off and to have five or ten gallons of gas put aside to keep the car running. You do not have to run the car constantly, just enough to keep the car battery charged.
          3. Alternate sources for cooking include a barbeque propane grill with an extra tank(s) of propane and a side burner that can be used to heat water and soup. If you live in an apartment there are small butane burners (like the ones used by chefs at hot buffets), which I have seen on the net for under one hundred dollars along with a couple of full containers of butane fuel. If you have any outside space, I would also look online for videos that show how to build a “rocket stove” with a few bricks or concrete blocks. It is possible to make a small fire container which will burn twigs, cardboard, other small combustibles and can be used to cook and heat water. Along with this, it is important to keep on hand food that can be prepared by boiling water, or by cooking in one smaller pot (soups, canned stew, etc.) Cans of sterno, or similar solid fuel can also heat water and soup. Another thought. Many types of canned soups, stews and certain meats like “Spam” can be eaten out of the can without reheating. Just this summer for about eighty dollars, I purchased a small carry cooler that has a refrigeration unit that plugs into the car. It does not hold much but it would keep milk, butter, some fresh meats refrigerated. It would also help to preserve any medications that need to be refrigerated. It can also be plugged into a battery pack I have to provide some refrigeration indoors.
          4. For water, I am fortunate to have access to a dug farmer’s well at one property and to be close to several ponds and lakes (like easy walking distance) at the other. Still the water needs to be purified. I have purchased a counter top filter system but it was expensive. I keep water purification tablets and containers of regular laundry bleach on hand. You can go online and print instructions for how to use bleach to purify water. (you need to have your instructions printed out and in a paper file somewhere before the power outage occurs.) It would also be helpful to have several packages of bottled water for safe drinking. If you are not close to an open water source having containers on hand (even used, cleaned plastic milk jugs) is important. As soon as it becomes probably that the power will be out for an extended time fill every container you can from your tap while the public water is still running. Even filling the tub will give you a water source (that would still need to be purified). If water is available for more than drinking, toilets can be flushed, with water that does not have to be treated, by using a five gallon paint bucket. With the newer, water saving toilets, a half bucket will usually trigger an emptying of the bowl.
          5. I have several small, palm sized power storage devices that can recharge a cell phone or a tablet a couple of times. The ones I presently have need to be connected to a power source to charge but I have been looking at some on line which have a small solar panel on one side for recharging. Again, these can be found for under one hundred dollars.
          6. For heat, on the expensive side, we have a wood stove in one house and gas heaters that require no electricity in both houses to act as backups to the electrically powered systems. These were expensive. As alternatives, I have purchased low temperature sleeping bags and we have a large collection of quilts and blankets. We purchased an eight person tent a few years ago which we had kept at the cabin but then it occurred to me that we have the wood stove and a forest there. I moved the tent to storage in our city house. It could be set up in the living room/dining room to provide shelter, within a shelter and to hold body heat from the occupants. A small two or three person winter camping tent could be set up in most standard size living rooms. There are also kerosene room heaters that can be used without electricity in an emergency. I have never used these but the are out there and are not that expensive.

          I have over the years set up both houses with as many dual systems as I can. I have portable solar panels that can be easily moved to either location and I have a battery power pack that can be charged from the grid, from the solar panels or from the car/truck. Small generators can be obtained for a few hundred dollars. I have not invested in one as I find they are noisy, require a good deal of fuel and many of them require a mixture of gasoline and oil, a process which I have never been able to master. There are a number companies which sell battery packs which would be charged from the grid, from your car or a solar panel. They can be found for a low as under two hundred dollars. I have one from a company called Goal Zero. I have purchased a number of their products over the years. They are on the pricey side but the quality is good and their products are fairly simple to use which is important for geeky non-technical people like me.
          At the cabin we can heat with wood or propane without electricity. In the city we have a heater that can run on natural gas or propane without electricity. The kitchen stoves in both houses can be used with gas without electricity. These systems were not outrageously expensive but they were not what I would consider inexpensive. Having been working at this for a number of years I try to budget for at least one substantial improvement each year.
          A good thing you can do is to take some time to mentally review your situation. Sit and go through scenarios in your mind. If there were no electricity, where would I need flash lights, candles? (Like the bathroom has no windows and will be pitch dark even at high noon.) Do we have medicines that need refrigeration or medical devices that need to be kept running? If so should I purchase a battery pack? Do I have room in that back closet to store some extra food that can be eaten without cooking, or with little preparation like rice, pasta, canned soup, hot chocolate, tea? Where can I store some containers to hold water and how many can I gather? Do we have extra sleeping bags, blankets, warm clothes? (At our cabin my wife bought a ten gallon crock for the ‘mud room’ which is filled year round with miscellaneous mittens, socks, wool hats, gloves and scarves.) Is there somewhere I can store an extra five or ten gallons of gasoline? None of this will allow you to live in the style to which you were accustomed but simple preparation could make the difference between being just uncomfortable as opposed to being miserable, or even in life threatening, situations.

          I want to emphasize Charlie’s long-standing advice concerning all of this. Make reasonable preparations and then trust in God. In the long run none of us can prepare for everything we are going to face in the next few years. Our reliance on God is the most important plan for all situations.

          Likewise, we are not preparing for just ourselves, or our families. God will call you to share with others and to trust Him to make sure there is “enough”. Hoarding is not an option. In the early days of the COVID crisis a young neighbor texted my daughter in near hysterics. Her mother had a required medical procedure scheduled for the next morning and was told that they could not enter the building without masks. The mother and daughter had no masks and the daughter had not been able to find them anywhere. As God is good, and had given me a sense of where things might be going, I had three dozen new N-95 masks still in their cartons. This may sound excessive but we have five children, five grandchildren, my mother and aunt and siblings, nieces and nephews, none of whom were ready for what was coming. My daughter showed me the text and asked, ”Dad, can we help them?” I was still very unsure that three dozen masks would be “enough” for my own family. I thought, “oh, God, what am I to do.” I knew what I needed to do. I sent my daughter over with two masks in unopened bags. The young woman thanked my daughter through tears. This is what we will be called to do. God has been preparing us for this. Just last week I was cleaning and straightening up our supplies. We went through the last six months with everyone having a mask whenever it was needed and I still have an unopened package of half a dozen. God will take care of the “enoughs.”

          Spend time considering potential needs. Take reasonable steps. Be ready to be of service to those who are without. Trust in God to protect you and yours and to fill in the gaps.

          I hope this was helpful.

          JT

          Liked by 10 people

            1. JT & Gang,

              I’ve bought several different Solar lighting items (basic, string lights & larger camping lights, from the below outfit. They are reasonable priced, well made and last. I’ve bought many for gifts.
              Get on their e-mail and they have Sales & Deals …. NO I don’t own stock 😉
              https://mpowerd.com/

              GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!

              Liked by 6 people

          2. Great stuff, JT. I have a Goal Zero with wall charger, car charger and PV panels. I like their stuff. Lifestraw Mission water filters and SurvFilters are great to have on hand for cleaning any water except water with chemical residues in it (people, generally speaking, don’t drink pool water even if you filter it, unless you are absolutely certain your pool treatment chemicals are non-toxic!). I think water is a huge need, so I even have a UV-resistant tarp and 5-gallon buckets to capture all sorts of rain or dew or whatever I can get, which I then will filter (don’t drink roof water – the chemicals in shingle roofing materials are toxic, but I would think ceramic tile roof water would be OK). Lifestraw Mission filters will filter 11,000 gallons of water down to bacteria and parasites, so it’s used all over Africa and other poorer areas of the world, but make sure the water is not silty and does not contain chemicals like gasoline runoff or agricultural pesticides and fertilizers.

            The Rule of Three and the Rule of Two Gives One. Three minutes without oxygen, three hours without shelter, three days without water, three weeks without food, this gives you your priorities. I add in power, lighting, communication, sanitation, medical, and of course security as additional areas to provide for outside of the Rule of Three. The Rule of Two Gives One, just means that you want to have two items, not just one, for every need. For example, I bought 2 solar panels even though I could have gotten along with only one. Divide your need by two to get what you buy. If you can charge your Goal Zero with one 100W PV panel or two 60-watt PV panels, opt for the two 60W panels to give allowance for the fact that one of your PV panels may die early in a crisis. If you have two 60Ws instead of one 120W panel, if one fails, you still have the capacity to charge your GZ equipment with the one that remains, albeit at a slower rate..

            Liked by 5 people

            1. Steve and gang, I was thinking the other day about solar powered chargers for phones and tablets. It occurred to me that if everything is down, cell towers, internet, etc. won’t be working, will they? So does it do any good to have a phone charger? This is all painful to think about, b/c our kids are pretty far away.

              Liked by 2 people

              1. Annie, there are many uses for computing devices and phones even if the electricity grid is down. Some cell towers and other infrastructure will have generators to run themselves for at least awhile after the initial failure or shutdown. However, even if they are all down and your devices can’t access the internet or call anyone directly, they can still be used to take pictures and videos of events, keep large databases of information worth referring to even if the system is down for many weeks, and there are items called goTenna Mesh devices that you can run from your phone with an app that will allow you to contact people up to 10 miles away using them and your phone. Also, having a Goal Zero chargeable from a car or PV panels means you can charge other items like electric toothbrushes and have better tooth hygiene, solar powered or rechargeable batteries to run small machines or even large electric chainsaws to clear brush in a storm, and to power small LED lights and battery flashlights. So having something like a Goal Zero actually gives you quite a lot of versatility – provided that you’ve thought through *before* the failure and purchased those extra items as well.

                Liked by 2 people

          3. JTBrannigan: Genentech just came out with a solar generator for a house. Probably pricey though. We bought a gas one years ago after losing electric power several times for several years during every heavy rain or snow storm. And I live in the northeast! I have a friend who worked his entire career for a major electric supply company. It was he who told me that those companies got rid of their tree trimmers to save money. We are loaded with above ground electric wires which eventually come down when tree limbs break in storms. It wasn’t and in some cases still isn’t unusual for the whole region to go down. Tens of thousands of customers go dark for hours to days to weeks at a time. Sleeping in a freezing cold house is very, very tough. We still had gas to run the car and more importantly the heater in it and to charge the IPAD. Caution: never do this in a closed garage because of carbon monoxide poisoning. The second of one of the week long loss of power we drove to another state and rented a motel room. BTW, a whole lot of homeowners had the same idea so finding a room was a task. TY for the list. Water is the biggest concern. You need it for everything. PS We live in what I call “almost country”-trees and woods everywhere but only a few miles from malls & a plethora of restaurants. So during the last huge outage but before our gas generator and knowing 1. We had a Republican Lt Gov and 2. whose father in law lived in our development, I called his office which was closed because of the snow storm and left a message. Left my name and address and name of my development. Told the story of my electric company friend who related the ending of their maintenance of trees along their above ground electric wires. Didn’t hear back from that office but that spring many many tree trimming trucks appeared everywhere on our forested roads and the trimming began!

            Liked by 1 person

              1. Ha! I recognized that, Joanne. I am familiar with Generac – and you must be a Michael Crichton fan…for Genentech was the company that grew dinosaurs from DNA for Jurassic Park.

                Liked by 2 people

                2. Charlie my son Mike read that book after I did when he was in 7th grade. I warned him about the baby in the crib scene. He was always an avid reader. He had a book list every summer and by high school had to do a report on each book. His plowing through that long book at 12 set his sails. Anyway I didn’t remember the name of the Dino company in the book but there is an actual bio med company called Genentech. I wonder if they took the name from the book.

                  Liked by 2 people

          4. God bless you and your family, JT.

            By the way, where did you get that little cooler/refrigerator thing that you can plug into your car? Do you have a name brand or a link that I could look up?

            Like

      2. I used to see Newt Gingrich YouTube videos a lot but he’s been quiet for some time now so I wonder too if they are quietly fixing our vulnerability! We too have planned as best we can but I sure would miss a nice hot shower and natural gas stove!!! Oh we are sooooo spoiled!!! Charlie says we shall know want! I know China, NK, & Russia are hardened already. This is an interesting article too….

        https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/national-security/2020/may/you-think-lockdowns-are-hard-now-pandemic-fractures-are-fueling-fears-of-a-power-grid-blackout-battle?fbclid=IwAR3foMOV38zBjwl51XiDPZXDpY6Yn58vSmPoP772AXEdBTH8-0JzlT0sKWo

        Liked by 2 people

      1. Hehehehe at first I thought you wrote, “I don’t think the GIRDS have been hardened!” Hahahahaha girding in Ohio! Must be on my subliminal mind!!!😂😂😂

        Liked by 2 people

  8. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! – 😉

    https://dwightlongenecker.com/the-guardian-angel-and-my-little-sister/

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/10/01/archbishop-chaput-amy-coney-barrett-nightmare-progressives/

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-pompeo-vatican-china/after-pompeo-criticism-vatican-asserts-right-to-go-its-own-way-on-china-idUSKBN26M7E4

    https://pjmedia.com/culture/tyler-o-neil/2020/09/30/virginia-forces-christian-ministries-to-adopt-government-ideology-or-pay-100k-n985842

    https://www.catholicleague.org/harris-perfects-her-god-talk/

    YUP! ;-(
    https://videos.whatfinger.com/2020/10/02/ted-cruz-warns-if-dems-win-they-have-the-votes-to-make-this-radical-change-america-will-see-revolution-freedom-is-on-the-line/

    6 Covid facts MSM won’t report — New From Liz Wheeler
    https://www.citizenfreepress.com/breaking/citizen-open-thread-friday/

    https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/10/02/national-guard-taps-units-rapid-response-civil-unrest.html

    https://www.crisismagazine.com/
    https://stream.org/category/us/
    https://townhall.com/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 5 people

  9. I think the President and the First Lady will do fine. Corinoviri are relatively low impact viruses but are highly infectious. As a bat evolved virus, Covid-19 in its original state is easily infective but relatively innocuous. Bats can be found in colonies of several million and a deadly virus would exterpate such a colony because of there proximity to one another in a cave. As Covid-19 sheds the man-made additions it contained when it was first released, which cased it to be so dangerous, it is mutating back to its original highly infective but innocuous form. This is why we are seeing higher infection rates but less sever symptoms and hospitalizations.

    Liked by 6 people

  10. Pray for the President! Taken to Walter Reed out of “caution”. Finishing my Rosary and will say the Chaplet for him. Fox has the meds he’s taking; wonder what Steve thinks. Zinc, vit D, famotidine, melatonin and aspirin.

    Liked by 5 people

  11. YESSSSSSS!!!!! The Supreme Court of Michigan has smacked down Governor Whitmer! The 1945 law was ruled unconstitutional by a 4-3 majority, and the court unanimously ruled that she overstepped her authority in any event:

    https://www.redstate.com/tladuke/2020/10/02/breaking-michigan-state-supreme-court-rules-gov-whitmer-overstepped-her-authority/

    However, Her Most Petulant Totalitarian-ness has stated that since the Court’s ruling doesn’t take effect for 21 days, her executive orders (she has issued 180 of them since March) are still in effect; and that most of them will remain in affect thereafter because of alternative authorizations (like public health laws) not affected by the ruling.

    Good gravy, that woman is insufferable!

    Liked by 9 people

    4. So the Michigan justice system has its say, only to have the tyrant ignore it, clinging to her own will and the subversive powers that she thinks prop her up. She’s a dangerous woman, but Michigan ought to be able to clip her bat wings with little fuss. Fat chance of that in the short term. The problem, again, is that too many Americans lack the will and courage, maybe because they find the droves of deaf, dumb and blind too daunting to overcome. Got another word for that: “laziness.”

      99 out of 100 people can recognize the fictional Dolores Umbridge for what she is, then seem to get all stupid when confronted with the real thing. Got a word for those too: “minions.”

      These stories always end the same.

      Liked by 4 people

      1. I hope ours ends differently in Michigan, MP; but I don’t know. So many people here are fed up with her and her megalomaniacal behavior. But we have 2 1/2 more years of her, an I can’t see a recall effort succeeding for several reasons. Time for more prayer and penance.

        Liked by 3 people

    5. This sounds like what happened in PA. Iirc, just recently the PA supreme court backed the state legislature and told their gov. to stand down. One of our PA squirrels will correct me if I am mistaken. I wonder if the gov did indeed cease and desist.

      In CT we are trying to get our gov to stand down, but here all levers of power are controlled by the deplorables. So, don’t anyone move here, Lol (gallows humor).

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Something to think about:

    The unwillingness to contemplate dark forces in our midst because we so desire the peace of false security is the most despicable type of fear, because it encourages unfounded trust in fallen human nature, excuses cowardly inaction, mocks the queen of virtues (prudence), allows the present evil injustice to expand, discourages the innocent, abjures reliance on the providence of Almighty God, and tragically enables souls who otherwise might freely choose salvation to be eternally lost.”
    -Joseph Wood

    Liked by 4 people

  14. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! – PM- 😉

    HullyGee! Is the FBI runnin’ this “Investagative” Op ;-(
    https://www.ncregister.com/news/analysis-two-years-after-mccarrick-investigation-began-report-not-yet-in-sight

    https://mailchi.mp/cdd82af0c6cf/faithworks-september-2020?e=ebdd5ee3c8

    http://www.floppingaces.net/most-wanted/the-dogma-lives-loudly-within-them-too/

    https://www.redstate.com/jeffc/2020/10/02/photographer-covers-anarchist-antifa-protests/

    https://hotair.com/archives/ed-morrissey/2020/10/02/federal-court-sandmanns-libel-suits-nyt-abc-cbs-rolling-stone-can-proceed/

    https://menrec.com/mark-levin-highlights-joe-bidens-racist-tendencies-since-the-beginning-of-his-career/

    https://www.lifenews.com/2020/10/02/hillary-clinton-campaign-spokesman-on-president-trumps-coronavirus-i-hope-he-dies/

    https://galganov.com/2020/10/02/this-too-will-be-defeated/

    https://hotair.com/archives/ed-morrissey/2020/10/02/nyt-editor-golly-anarchists-just-want-watch-world-burn/

    https://saraacarter.com/debate-me-jewish-voices-for-trump-co-chair-challenges-pro-antisemitism-biden-camp/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 3 people

  16. Just want to leave a preliminary warning here. An idea’s being floated in the media to test the populace’s response and possible resistance to a receiving a mark recording.one’s vaccine history. The concept is that anyone who has received a vaccine for Covid-19 will receive a tattoo on their hand. This tattoo will be invisible under normal lighting, but it will be visible when scanned or illuminated with infra-red light. The following article describes the process in greater detail;

    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/spiky-patch-could-invisibly-record-vaccination-history-under-skin-180973809/

    The above linked article states; ” … the researchers, led by bioengineers Robert Langer and Ana Jaklenec, are preparing to conduct surveys to assess whether the invisible tattoos would be accepted by locals in high-priority regions. Backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, interviews in Malawi, Bangladesh, Benin and Kenya will begin early next year.

    “We want people to be comfortable,” says study author Kevin McHugh, a bioengineer at Rice University. “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.”

    How nice of the Gates Foundation – they want us to feel comfortable when they brand us like just so many cattle. If the significance of the tattoo ended there, it would be bad enough. However, there’s another hidden aspect to this mark. As with all UPC codes, the ones that are now present on every item that’s available for purchase, the number “6” appears at the beginning, middle and the end. They are called “Guide Bars”, and they enable the scanning device to determine the location of the data within the UPC code. See the following link for a much more detailed explanation of how this has come into place;

    (edit: link deleted ~ BH)

    Unfortunately, this same basic pattern is used in the current proposal for this tattoo. Now they are known as QR Codes (Quick Read), and the format is 2 dimensional, allowing the code to hold far more data than the original UPC code;

    https://www.explainthatstuff.com/how-data-matrix-codes-work.html

    All the above detail is to provide some support for the following crucial warning;

    𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗔𝗡𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗢𝗢 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗔 𝗤𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗗𝗘, 𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗗𝗘.

    In my opinion, there is a high probability that you will be receiving an equivalent of the mark mentioned in Revelation 13:16-18. This particularly applies when receiving the tattoo is a requirement for one to be able to buy or sell, e.g. buying groceries, withdrawing or depositing money in your bank, etc. In addition, you will be required to receive this tattoo in your RIGHT HAND or FOREHEAD.

    “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

    Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Dave, I deleted the link because it discusses many speculative kinds of things which pull us off course from where our focus remains here. We have, often, discussed how this isn’t the official Second Coming of Christ, it’s simply the end of these times of much evil abounding… not the end of the world, but a time when God is calling all men back to Himself. Too, Charlie has written a plethora of pieces discussing prophecies and the great care we must take in interpretation with so many layers of meaning embedded within prophetic words. Only in hindsight can we see clearly which words were metaphors or allegorical in expression… and what was mitigated by the response of God’s people. No matter what comes, we are focused on Christ, particularly, on acknowledging God, so that we can hear His whispers and sense His nudges to better take our next right steps, thus allowing Him to make of us a Sign of Hope. God’s Peace and Blessings to you, Dave, and to All.

      Liked by 5 people

    2. Dave, the Smithsonian article is enlightening. Thanks for sending it. I will never trust any medical innovations that are touted by Bill and Melinda Gates.

      Liked by 4 people

      1. So true, Dave and Mick, concerning the avoidance of any Gates vaccine and, of course, added to that is the refusal to accept any vaccine made from aborted fetal tissue.

        Liked by 3 people

        1. Amen, Beckita.

          Most of the front running vaccines, at one stage or another, use cells from aborted fetuses. However the USCCB has been strong in urging the FDA to develop vaccines that are a morally acceptable alternative. Yay, USCCB – good job!

          https://www.usccb.org/news/2020/bishop-chairmen-urge-fda-develop-ethical-vaccine-covid-19

          As a result, Sanofi and GSK have combined their efforts to develop just such a vaccine. Incidentally, Sanofi is the #1 vaccine developer in the world, and GSK is #3. Their vaccine has been developed completely free of aborted baby cells. Here’s some info on how it’s progressing;

          – Pre-clinical studies show promising safety and immunogenicity.
          – Over 400 participants being enrolled in Phase 1/2 study
          – Pending positive Phase 1/2 data, companies aim to move into Phase 3 by end of 2020
          – Sanofi and GSK are scaling up manufacturing of the antigen and adjuvant with the 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏.

          The Phase 3 trial will be the one that has ten’s of thousands of participants. More here from the companies;

          https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2020/2020-09-03-07-00-00

          Dave

          Liked by 1 person

  17. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! – 😉

    https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/pray-for-healing-for-donald-and-melania-trump-and-our-nation

    https://www.churchpop.com/2020/10/02/the-mystical-life-of-the-guardian-angels-according-to-the-saints/

    https://christianlifedaily.com/seattle-pastor-fights-washington-state-law-forcing-churches-to-pay-for-abortions/

    Yeah! … Right!! ……… Our Church “Leadership” is …….where????
    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/10/02/joe-biden-campaign-launches-7-figure-ad-buy-to-woo-catholics-evangelicals/

    20 + Years of Scandals …. and Generations of Pew Peons Tithings ….. “Gone With The Wind” ….. & Lavender Church Mafia STILL with the Power to ……. ;-(
    https://pjmedia.com/culture/rick-moran/2020/10/02/long-island-diocese-becomes-largest-catholic-diocese-to-file-for-bankruptcy-n998403
    … & Their CA Pals ….. In Action!
    https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/tyler-o-neil/2020/10/02/critical-race-theory-as-pandemic-response-california-requires-equity-to-ease-lockdowns-n998386

    https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/02/10-major-dc-consensus-lies-president-trump-has-shattered-forever/

    Birds of a Feather:
    https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/10/emmet_sullivans_kangaroo_court.html

    https://www.oann.com/adam-schiffs-shady-ties-to-ukraine-exposed/

    https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2020/10/02/shock-poll-astounding-percentage-of-democrats-happy-about-trumps-covid-diagnosis-n999173

    https://townhall.com/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 8 people

  18. Charlie just thinking of you and President Trump!!! Funny ur both sick at same time!!! Pray your feeling better today on this great First Saturday!!!

    Ave Maria Stella Maris!!!🤗❤️🌹🙏🐿📿

    Liked by 1 person

  20. SO SO SO sad. An absolute heartbreak.

    https://www.ncregister.com/interview/cardinal-zen-on-china-there-is-nothing-more-to-do-other-than-prayer?fbclid

    The last paragraph states: Continued Cardinal Zen, “My last act of protest will be to do just that, to now disappear with everyone knowing why. I put this in my last will and testament — that my bones shall not be placed in the cathedral, I do not want to be buried with such men. I will be buried in a simple cemetery with what remains of the faithful people of God.”

    Before that he said: “The Holy See has done three things to kill our Church. The first is this secret document, this secret deal with Beijing. Because it is secret, the government can use it to demand from the people anything in the name of the Pope,” Cardinal Joseph Zen told the Register.

    “The second horrible act was to legitimize the seven schismatic bishops,” said Cardinal Zen, referencing the lifting of excommunications, and recognition of seven bishops created by the Chinese communist state within the state-established Chine Patriotic Catholic Association.

    “The third, and even more terrible is this document for registration — to sign a document joining the independent church? That’s apostasy! I raised my voice, I wrote a letter to the Pope, and then to all the cardinals of the world, and nothing happened. This is incredible,” the Cardinal said.

    https://www.ncregister.com/interview/cardinal-zen-on-china-there-is-nothing-more-to-do-other-than-prayer?fbclid

    Liked by 6 people

    1. There’s just no words for this. Again, and again and again Our Jesus is betrayed, scourged, mocked, beaten, abused and crucified. No words.

      Liked by 7 people

    2. Cardinal Zen: ““The Holy See has done three things to kill our [China] Church.”
      What other segments of The Church is The “Holy” See attempting to destroy? …….. Eh!!???
      …. and I still want to know The Deal of 7.6 YEARS AGO when P B XVI was “removed”.
      …. and Who/What were the “Wolves” that made that happen? …. Eh!!??
      …. and, I’m still wondering, if there were secret orders of USA Church (Vatican) Bigs NOT to support/attend the Large Christian DC Prayer March & Events, 50K+, last week? …. Eh!!???
      … and if Satanic Forces had a 50 year Op to Destroy US/EU Catholic/Protestant “Mainstream” Churches, …. what would these Satanic Forces do differently than what we have witnessed these past five decades?” … Eh!!?? ……………….. Soooooooooooooo ……

      GOD SAVE ALL HERE!

      PS: I just checked the DC Catholic Diocese website …… No banner requesting PRAYERS for Our President and all afflicted with China Plague!?
      I’m guessing that if Obama … Ya Know!? … the last Prez/Big Time Supporter of the Democrat Agenda of Abortion, Perversion, Socialism, ….., was in hospital that the DC Diocese would have ….. ;-(

      Liked by 8 people

    3. Utterly astonishing, Beckita. Thinking of that bible quote, where sin abounds… may that grace not be elusive to the good Cardinal as he traveled home; and please, Lord Jesus, give them consolation in their desolation.

      Liked by 5 people

      1. Yes, Maggie, I had read this news. I just shake my head at the hypocrisy of the so many times that the value of “dialogue” and “encounter” have been put forth in exhortation. When it’s evident that one’s input will not rubber stamp the “new paradigm” the ideas of encounter and dialogue become empty platitudes while someone, such as Eugenia Scalfari is granted – not one, but *eight* – interviews.

        Liked by 5 people

      2. Heartbreaking, Maggie, reinforced by the visuals, so sad. Another one of those questions that is impossible to answer – how can the Pope do this heartless thing?!

        Liked by 3 people

      4. This gives me a strange sensing. I am thinking that Pope Francis is being kept completely in the dark about this. I have had such thoughts before…particularly with regard to his *advisors.*

        Liked by 1 person

        2. It’s a charitable thought, but the Pope would have to live isolated on an island in a cave with no form of communication to be unaware of these things. The Holy Spirit doesn’t leave us in the dark. Nor does He make us cowards.

          I will continue to defend The Faith and the faithful, but there are simply too many fronts where I cannot defend the actions or inactions of this Pope.

          Liked by 3 people

        3. Perhaps Kati but Pope Francis introduced Pachamama and Mother Earth on the altar of Peter and I saw video of his Cardinals bowing to the false idol and I have read that the liberal church want to diminish the role of the BVM.

          Liked by 2 people

          1. Would this, the mother earth and pachamama push, be the satan aping our veneration of our Blessed Mother while trying to replace her at the same time?

            Liked by 1 person

            2. audiemarie2014: good heavens it’s just unbelievable. It really is raising of a false idol against the first commandment. Don’t you see PF and his cabal Cardinals are tearing down all our symbols of faith and Christ’s Church including sin. Does that sound familiar? Same as what the left is doing to the symbols of our republic. Believe me they have to eliminate or minimize the sacraments to do what they are planning for the church. Go through the 7 in your head. Which one hasn’t been attacked? PF’s latest encyclical has been critiqued as unintelligent. Honestly after the brilliance of JPII and Benedict, I have concluded PF is not very intelligent. In any case I was willing to give him a benefit of the doubt but Pachamamma has done me in. We all know that the BVM is all we need as a symbol of the perfect women, Queen of Heaven by The Father as his beloved daughter, chosen spouse to the Holy Spirit and dearest Mother to the Son. Pachamama is just a hunk of wood.

              Liked by 3 people

              1. Joanne, that abomination (I can’t bring myself to say its name) is more than just a hunk of wood. Psalm 95:5 (Douay-Rheims version) says, “For all the gods of the Gentiles are devils….” Pope Francis, may God forgive him, allowed a demon into a sacred place; and those who bowed down to it were paying homage to a demon even if they didn’t realize it.

                Lord, have mercy on us all.

                Liked by 1 person

    4. Our (our = men of good will) collective longing for Jesus and His Kingdom is reaching a boiling point. I just recently learned this prayer by S.O.G Luisa Piccarretta. It has given me great consolation and seems like a good thing to do when confronted with such evil:
      +Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, I trust in You. I give You my will. Please give my Your will in return. Let Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven+

      Liked by 4 people

    1. This is beautiful, Sr. Bear. Before Laura landed her position at Fox, she was often a guest on Raymond Arroyo’s, The World Over, news program. That’s when I first learned of her Catholic faith.

      Liked by 6 people

    2. Laura is a convert to Catholicism as well as an adoptive mom. She clerked for Scalia at the Supreme Court and served as a correspondent in Iraq and Afghanistan. She’s quite a gal.

      Liked by 2 people

  22. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! – Late PM 😉

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/10/03/comrades-and-now-following-the-narrative-strategy-u-s-media-will-again-start-hyping-covid-19-fears/

    Get a Load of this Sad Sack ………………!
    https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/professor-wants-last-cop-strangled-with-the-intestines-of-the-last-capitalist/

    https://pjmedia.com/election/tyler-o-neil/2020/10/02/hey-joe-biden-if-antifa-is-an-idea-who-is-burning-down-american-cities-n998957

    Coach Daubenmire, Evangelical American, is essentially correct in the below! The Lunatic Left hates this Guy which means he is Welcome in My Foxhole 😉
    https://newswithviews.com/america-and-freedom-hangs-in-the-balance/

    https://www.breitbart.com/2020-election/2020/10/01/anti-defamation-league-circulates-petition-urging-jews-to-denounce-trump/

    What is really unacceptable is the fact that a “majority” of Citizens Vote to turn their cities into uninhabitable wasteland …. Satanic influence is the only reasonable explanation ;-(
    “San Francisco employs 10 (more) workers whose “sole job” is to clean up the 4.5 million free needles that it gives to illegal drug addicts every year”
    https://danfromsquirrelhill.wordpress.com/2020/10/03/san-francisco-6/

    https://stream.org/
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/

    I’ll re-post the below as I’ve learned that posts get “Memory Holed” quickly.
    Nothing is more scary than being “In the Dark” … Real Time or Spirtual…… as long as we have The SON and The Sun …. we don’t have to be in de Stinkin’ Dark 😉
    I’ve bought several different Solar lighting items (basic, string lights & larger camping lights, from the below outfit. They are reasonably priced, well made and last. I’ve bought many for gifts.
    Get on their e-mail as they have Sales & Deals …. NO! I don’t own stock 😉
    https://mpowerd.com/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 6 people

  24. This is good.
    First of all Greg Gutfield shows how sharp Trump is in the debate when he catches Biden “skipping 2” to go onto point 3. (at the 9:00-11:30 minute mark)
    Tyrus is hysterical 16:00- 17:00.
    Then listen to Charlie Hurt at the 19:20- 19:40 mark

    Liked by 3 people

    1. That didn’t take long! The video is done b/c the “YouTube account….has been terminated”. I won’t say the bad word that describes these deceitful people. Any other way to see this?

      Liked by 1 person

    3. This is good.
      First of all Greg Gutfield shows how sharp Trump is in the debate when he catches Biden “skipping 2” to go onto point 3. (at the 9:00-11:30 minute mark)
      Tyrus is hysterical 16:00- 17:00.
      Then listen to Charlie Hurt at the 19:20- 19:40 mark

      Liked by 2 people

  25. This is a beautiful message from Jesus via Anne the lay apostle on trust in Jesus during this time of transition!!! Jesus is soooo wonderful!!!

    Jesus the King

    “Dearest children in the world, you are afraid. I wish to alleviate fear entirely from your lives. Followers of the light should never fear because man cannot diminish My light. If you carry Me within you, there is nothing that can hurt your eternity. I will protect My Spirit within you and that is the only thing that should concern you, the loss of My Spirit. In this time of change, you must walk in the light with determination. Children do not often fear because they rely on their parents for everything. When they face a problem, they run to their parents and place the problem with their parents, running off again to continue with their childlike pursuits. Take heed, dear ones. This is what we ask of you at this time. And we ask this for your own peace. This is the way to proceed during this time of change and transition. Soon, it will come natu- rally to you and you will have no need to remind yourself each day. I have asked My children to practice their faith and by that I mean continued acts of trust when trust would seem difficult and there is a temptation toward fear and distress. You must say, “I have given this to my Father in heaven. God wants to protect me so I will take full advantage of my Parentage and allow Him to do so. In this way, I am mentally liberated and can do the work my Father wills for me in freedom. My concentration should be on each task that is placed in front of me, never worry- ing about the past, never worrying about the future. Only in the present can I serve my God and My God needs My service.” Would you say, “No, God, I cannot serve you now as I must sit down and worry about tomorrow. Find someone else to do your work while I busy myself with this worrying.” My brothers and sisters, your God has not asked you to worry this day. He has planned many tasks for you today and worrying is not among those tasks. Worrying and distressing yourself is your will for yourself, not God’s will for you. A true servant, and I want each one of you to be true servants, is joyful because he or she only wants to serve God in the present. This servant knows that in the present God’s will is being accomplished and this servant is a part of heaven by the commit- ment he or she has made. What else can you ask for, little ones? You are on the straight path to heaven. Should you be taken from that path at any time, you will simply complete your ascent effortlessly because I will be there to lift you the remainder of the way. In other words, as long as you stay on the path, there is noth- ing, nothing, that should have the power to upset you. Your eternity is secured. Do you understand? You will lose everything from this world eventually. That is for certain as when you lay down to die, you bring nothing with you but your service to God. If you are united to Me, your Jesus who loves you, I will stand before you and justice and your sins will be blown away like so many small embers from a fire. For this day, I ask that you simply concen- trate on what it is God is asking of you right now. That is My request, little ones. Focus on serving God’s Kingdom today.”

    Volume Four, January 19, 2004

    To read more for FREE click here: https://www.directionforourtimes.com/library/english/#.W7Tz4hbhSaM

    To purchase a copy of Volume Four visit: http://bit.ly/2FHxM5O

    Liked by 7 people

    1. Thanks, Linda. All the heavenly visitors’ words in the Volumes are expressed in truth while also heartening readers and spotlighting trust and hope. For anyone who struggles with fear, anxiety, or disturbed peace, I recommend having hard copies of these Volumes on hand, especially in light of the possibility of the Internet going down with no access to the free online library at DFOT.

      Liked by 5 people

      1. Beckita I totally agree with you!!! Everyone listen to Beckita!❤️❤️❤️ on a personal note, those volumes are like living messages! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been gripped with fear, anxiety or lack of peace, just as you say, and have had that little prodding to randomly grab one of the 10 and just open up where I may, and the messages are always so appra po to my current strife and bring me peace and calm! Just like this morning…the message I shared was on my fb memory and it so soothes my soul!!! I pray it soothed y’all as well! Such crazy interesting transitional times!!!😂😂😂

        Liked by 5 people

          1. Awwwww well thank you Timothy!!! I don’t think anyone has ever said something so kind to me before!!! 🤗 You too are an inspiration and blessing from God. God bless you Timothy!!!🤗❤️🙏🌹🐿📿😇🌞

            Liked by 2 people

  26. Hi guys– been really hectic here– daughter due with 4th baby end of the month and on bed rest because baby trying to be born a little too early. I’ve been helping Dad with their 3 others.
    This may have been shared already– forgive me if it has been. It shocked me because it sounds like Vigano is saying that the pope is trying to destroy our Church.
    https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/vigano-amid-vatican-scandals-pope-francis-has-dealt-the-most-devastating-blows-to-papacy-church?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com&utm_campaign=e9c6289aad-Daily%2520Headlines%2520-%2520U.S._COPY_859&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_12387f0e3e-e9c6289aad-401366341

    Liked by 6 people

    1. Archbishop Vigano’s words are sobering, Kim. Prayers for you, your daughter, her baby in utero and all the family as you await the arrival of your newest grandchild.

      Liked by 5 people

  27. I’ll piggyback on the basic Preparations posts of JT & Steve:

    Don’t forget amusements like old fashioned Board Games, Cards, Checkers and all those ancient things that I played with as a kid …. for your kids, grandkids & selves.
    ….. and the 800# Gorilla that nobody really wants to talk about ….. Self Defense.
    If Ya haven’t got equipped yet …Too Late?! …….. or are uncomfortable with the thought….. Find family, friends &/or neighbors who are.
    Ammo & reloading components are Out of Stock and probably will be for a Long Time.
    In my neck of the woods I’m not worried about BLM or ANTIFA but I am worried about DrugHeads, Ex Cons and that 20% who will Go-Berserker/Freak-Out when The Thin Blue Line evaporates &/or the Welfare Checks bounce ;-(
    Unless you are Grizzly Adams, you ain’t gonna survive on your own out in the woods.
    Humans have survived by Joining-Up with like minded people and why we visit Charlie’s Site and others. Watch Your Six!

    GOD GUIDE & SAVE ALL HERE!!

    Liked by 10 people

  28. Subject: Anxiety

    Our Priest this morning focussed in on Anxiety. From the first reading of St Paul to the Philippians
    Phil 4: 6-9

    “Brothers and sisters:
    Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
    by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
    make your requests known to God.
    Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
    will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
    Finally, brothers and sisters,
    whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
    whatever is just, whatever is pure,
    whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
    if there is any excellence
    and if there is anything worthy of praise,
    think about these things.
    Keep on doing what you have learned and received
    and heard and seen in me.
    Then the God of peace will be with you.”

    “Have no anxiety at all…” says St Paul. Why is that so important? Why would St Paul address
    the problem of anxiety? His audience must have been plagued by it.

    Our priest then linked this commentary by St Paul to the advice of St Francis de Sales on anxiety who must have had an audience with a similar severe problem with it. We know that St Jane de Chantal had a problem with anxiety and depression. Here’s what Francis de Sales had to say about it:

    “With the single exception of sin, anxiety is the greatest evil that can happen to a soul. Just as sedition and internal disorders bring total ruin to a nation and leave it unable to resist the enemy, so also if our heart is inwardly troubled and disturbed, it loses both the strength necessary to hold on to the virtues it has acquired and the means to resist the temptations of the enemy. We then use up our energies fishing in troubled waters, as they say. (INT. Part IV, Ch. 11; O. III, p. 311)”

    Interesting no? Next to sin anxiety is the greatest evil Satan can inflict us with. Satan grinds us down with Anxiety. Can we not see this in spades in America today? We are wracked by Anxiety as we approach this election especially now that President Trump is afflicted with Covid 19.

    From the article linked below which reflects on Francis de Sales warning against “fishing in troubled waters”.

    “Anxiety accelerates our doubt. It triggers a collapsing of faith, not unlike dominoes falling, where suddenly everything that we trust in, believe in, eludes us.

    Who can feel safe and secure, confident of a positive, successful outcome in the face of trouble that looks like heaving water overwhelming us and our fish?

    [W]hen it comes to experiences that trigger our anxiety, the point is to pause and see what’s occurring. Name it. Take a breath. Recognize that when our heart rate rises and our souls are troubled to such an extent that we feel doubt looming, and love seems to be at a great distance, that these are precisely moments when we need to lean into God’s abundance.”

    https://www.visitationmonasteryminneapolis.org/2011/07/fishing-in-troubled-waters-francis-de-sales-on-anxiety/#:~:text=Francis%20de%20Sales.%20July%2010.%20With%20the%20single,means%20to%20resist%20the%20temptations%20of%20the%20enemy.

    Sin and Anxiety. Kissing cousins as far as the impact on our souls is concerned. Weakening and wearing us down.

    I think the idea here is that dealing with both sin and anxiety requires a mastery of the mind. Self control and discipline. Recognizing what is happening when it is happening, Calling on our Guardian Angels and Saints and intercessors (St. Michael the Archangel) as well as the Holy Family to assist us in resisting and defeating sin and anxiety strengthening us for the ongoing battle.

    Let’s not give in to it. Let’s fight the evil creep behind sin and anxiety.

    P.S, As I was sitting in church at the 10:00 AM Mass looking around at the 30% attendance sitting in the every other roped off pew maintaining social distance all hunkered down in masks, I thought about the people who were not there. I thought of these people as the rock solid core of the Parish. The core that will never be moved off the faith. Then I thought about CoRaC. Corpse or Core. Perhaps
    we missed something. The Core of Renewal and Charity. Fits. At least in my Parish. The Core that will not crumble under any assault from society. Makes me want to make a stand with them. And do it without anxiety, fear and depression. With a peace that passes all understanding.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. As lector today, I loved proclaiming this second reading, Ed. It’s such a powerful reminder for us all. I’ve so enjoyed the Backpack Series produced by the apostolate, Direction for Our Times. During the summer, I enrolled in the online Adult Formation Program and am now involved in the Mothers of the Church part of the series. In all these programs, the big anxiety-buster which is fostered is training people in a beautiful style of contemplation. We.are.a.silence.deprived.world. Too much noise and too busy are we and too often this leads to anxiety. (This brings to mind Cardinal Sarah’s book, The Power of Silence-Against the Dictatorship of Noise.) Engaging with Jesus in the silence of contemplation builds our relationship with Him as well as anchoring a profound awareness of His Presence and Care. Neuroplasticity allows us to build new neural pathways to dwell on peace and move with strength in serenity. An age-old way of dealing with sin is not so much to dwell on not committing the sin, for then we hyper-focus on sin. Rather, we can dwell on the opposing virtue and, ultimately, all virtue is rooted in Love. CORAC, indeed. Onward!

      Liked by 6 people

    2. It came to me today that “social distancing” is an oxymoron. What is social about distancing??? Wouldn’t “protective distancing” be much more appropriate and powerful??? jas
      May the Holy Spirit continue to protect, guide and inspire all here
      The only thing we can be sure of today is change jas

      Liked by 4 people

      1. You’re right, JaS.

        How are you and your family? I want you to know that I frequently pray for the repose of Jerry Jr.’s soul.

        Like

  29. I haven’t read “Fratelli tutti” yet, the new Encyclical from Pope Francis. If the long summary written by Isabella Piro from Vatican City is any indication, I’m expecting more socialist, globailist gobbledygook with nary a mention of the True Salvific Power Who Is Jesus Christ.

    Thanks, but no thanks, Pope Francis. I’ll stick to the Church and the Barque of Peter… and that is all I have to say on this matter.

    Liked by 7 people

    1. Amen, MP. My caution sensors have been raised as I’ve read reporting that the new encyclical was forthcoming, particularly concerned about it in light of the meeting which occurred in February of 2019: “Catholics, Muslims and all who believe in God must work together to build a culture of love, peace and human fraternity, Pope Francis said in a joint statement he signed with Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of al-Azhar, during an interreligious meeting in Abu Dhabi.” (From Catholic World Report) Within the document it is stated: “The pluralism and the diversity of religions, colour, sex, race and language are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings.” Well no. Not according to the teachings of Jesus Christ Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. In His Own words: No one comes to the Father except through Me. Keeping vigil in prayer as we see what this new encyclical is leading to… Oh yes. Lots to pray for.

      Liked by 8 people

  30. Yes, the pope is trying to destroy the Church. Gen. Michael Flynn’s brother [all Catholic] says that the Pope wants “ONE WORLD GOV.” and hoped to join Obama and H. Clinton in helping it happen.

    GOD is on the REPUB. PLATFORM is one of my signs as is BLACK LIVES MATTER INC. and GOAL IS TO DESTROY AND DIVIDE THEN ONE WORLD GOV. AND TOTAL CONTROL. i am having far more positives than negatives from all who see it as I stand on the side of the road around churches so far. Early voting starts Oct. 13 and I will try to be there when I think it is busy.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. I’ve heard this idea presented from many observers of all that is swirling around us, Mary Anne. We shall see… what actually develops, what God allows and what we can mitigate via prayer and fasting.

      Liked by 6 people

  31. Happy Feast of St. Faustina, Friends. We have a first class relic of her in our home and I’ve tucked her into my pocket for the day as I send her to each of you and your families. It’s also my eldest grandchild’s birthday and she’s now officially a teenager.

    Seeking St. Faustina’s care for David Daleiden in special ways as he continues his work, asking her to bring a dome of protection over David and Amy Coney Barrett and her family. May St. Faustina also press into bringing forth the final lunges which will defeat the serpent’s ugliness in the abortion industry. Be gone in Jesus’ Name! Divine Mercy flow over each and every one of us; flow in us and out of us to those around us.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. Happy 13th Birthday to your granddaughter!! What a blessing and gift to us all. That picture above is stunning. Thank you.

      I thank God for you, Beckita, and all gathered here.

      Liked by 6 people

  32. “We.are.a.silence.deprived.world. ”
    .amen.
    I rememver a WSJ article some two decades back on hikers in the mountains freaking out at the relative silence*

    Here in Appalachia, a story of a couple from New Yawk bought a house up the creek andbailing because it was just too quiet.

    When I first relocated here, for a few days I could not sleep becayse it was too quiet.

    The funny thing about the country is that, ince you settle in, t has so much more going on than the burbs abndthe city.
    “A tree fell” , “Bear tracks, with two cubs in the snow”..”The light has changed”, ….word if mouth is faster than any electronic device….

    I can count on one hand how many times I have heard rock or rap;

    That said, traffic is up. Used to be a tractor/four wheeler twice a day, Mailman, once a day on weekdays, Wanita on Sundays and a rare trip to town..

    Now that has doubled and the tractor driver and I have discussed moving because it us getting too citified.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. I agree, Timothy. When we lived in Illinois, there were maybe 5 cars per day that drove by our house. Here in MI, we still live in the country; but we live on a main road with lots of cars going by during the day. My husband, who grew up in Seattle, was a died-in-the-wool “city boy” when I met him. Now, a quarter century later, he sometimes says to me, “I wish we live farther out in the country.” It’s remarkable how transformative it can be to live in the country.

      Liked by 2 people

  33. Charlie,

    Your Bears are 3 and 1 https://www.nfl.com/standings/

    So are my Bucs.

    I cannot exolplain it, but I feel it is important. It is like the catholic church; no fans, no attendance, wierd societal stuff, but the people who have faith are invested.

    Here’s hoping for a Bears/Bucs NFC champiobship where we can enjoy some smack talk after Mass.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Thanks Beckita, and I remember and agree with Charlie on this. It still irks me though. Will keep praying for his blinders to open so he sees the true meaning of what he is saying.

        Liked by 4 people

  35. JESUS = GOOD NEWS!;-)

    I went to WallyWorld this morn for my weekly visit. The Christmas Stuff is out & as I’m a Christmas Nut, I did a shelf check. Perhaps there is more stuff coming but there were no Nativity Sets that you normally see, no Jesus, Mary & Joseph ornaments , no Wise Men ……… I’m sure that The Holy Family & Gang have been “banned” in USA Regions for quite some time but I live in the Bible Belt.
    10 years ago I went to a very impressive outdoor Christmas display near Lexington, KY …. I noticed then NO JMJ, no Star of Bethlehem & no Traditional Carols ………. SIGNS ;-(

    https://www.crisismagazine.com/2020/the-u-n-is-a-madhouse-and-the-inmates-are-in-charge

    YUP!~ This Gal has got it.

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/10/04/sunday-talks-devin-nunes-without-immediate-corrective-action-its-time-to-talk-about-shutting-down-the-u-s-intelligence-agencies/

    https://www.westernjournal.com/dennis-prager-finally-realized-left-really-hates-america-much/

    https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2020/10/05/dangerous-talk-from-stupid-people-n2577408

    https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/02/i-hope-they-die-left-wingers-react-to-positive-coronavirus-diagnosis-for-trump-melania/

    https://saraacarter.com/armed-black-paramilitary-group-marches-through-lafayette-but-few-news-outlets-are-reporting-far-left-extremism/

    https://stream.org/category/us/
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Marianne, thanks for posting this. I watched it with two of my sons; and we could hardly breathe, we were laughing so hard.

      Like

Comments are closed.

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.