The Shape of Things to Come

Posted on by charliej373

By Charlie Johnston

I was planning to launch an end-of-year fundraising drive this week but I’m holding off until the second week of January. My convalescence is over but I am not fully right yet. In normal times, I can work eight to 10 hours a day four days a week just fine. Right now, I can get in three or four, but if I go to five, I will be out of commission the next day or two. Tough stuff. I long for the days before my spinal surgery when 16 was a piece of cake and I could go 48 if needed. Truth is, you can still get a lot done in the aftermath of serious infirmity if you know and respect your own limitations. Each stage of life has its own joys and delights. Live them all well. Fortunately, I get notably stronger every few days, so I should soon be up to five or six – and that will play until I am completely recovered.

This piece – and the sequences that follow it – contain predictions, not prophecy. It is the sort of thing I did routinely when I was in the media and for political and other clients. My record has been one of 85+ percent accuracy – with the big downfall coming in timing. I am off on that at least 80% of the time – and probably closer to 90. It has value, though, just as colleagues and clients always found. This will just be a quick survey. Over the next week and a half I will go into more detail on each of the subject heads.

I expect next year to be one of decision and clarity. And I expect it to be much worse than 2021. While it will look like the left is backing off from some of the madness at the start of the year, by the second quarter, it will ramp up furiously. Here, then, specific categories of the coming madness.

Public Health

When the officials and media figures who have spent the last two years hysterically peddling Covid panic porn start conceding that what they called “conspiracy theories” are actual facts (or “spoiler alerts,” as one meme deliciously put it), you know the Covid narrative is in tatters and ready to fall away completely. That does not mean we are done with “crisis” medicine. For certain personalities (very common on the left and among busybodies who delude themselves they are living a life of high adventure), excuses to boss and bully other people are more addicting than crack cocaine. After a relatively subdued start to the year, look for new “crises” to justify more draconian dictates to start falling hard and heavy in the second or third quarter of the year. This could be because of fallout from the Covid shots (as bad as the early adverse reactions have been, they have only been short-term. The long-term reactions should start hitting in spring – and they are far worse than the short-term variety, unless people are VERY different from every animal ever tested). If not, do not be surprised if sinister officials collaborate to release a new and genuinely deadly virus into the mix.

Big Tech and Media

One of the biggest problems with modern corporate media is not just that they are consistently wrong about almost everything, but that they lack the intellectual bandwidth to have a clue about what they are talking about at all. It is like listening to a kindergartner opine about nuclear physics – only with a whole lot more malice. Since they have no self-awareness and are so very smug about their comically insurmountable ignorance, expect the same thing from them in 2022 as you got in 2021. A big surprise will be the collapse and shuttering of some very established social media sites. I expect Twitter to collapse and cease operations before the end of the year. Conservatives have been busy building their own sites that are immune to cancel culture – and the migration from old sites to the new rivals the migration out of Detroit in the mid-70’s. The biggest surprise will likely be that our technology will fail for a time. All those who manipulate bytes and pixels for a living would be well advised to learn some frontier skills. But they won’t. They think themselves masters of the universe – and are not aware that the shoulders of the “little” people they stand on are actually the giants who make what they do to make money possible.

`Economics

The economy of the US has been astonishingly resilient, especially when tricks are used to hide the disorders. I knew early last spring about the serious problems with the supply chain – which are FAR more serious than public officials are letting on. Inflation is poised to skyrocket beyond anything ever seen in the US. For decades, our foreign allies could experiment with cockamamie economic plans like a teenager playing with drugs – because America was always there with a backup plan. But when America gets addicted to disastrous economics, there is no backup plan – except God. And when the American economy topples, it takes the rest of the world with it. The actual “dark winter” Joe Biden loves to opine about will not come from disease, but from Democrats economic policies. The bag of tricks used to hide the dysfunction is nearly empty.

Domestic Affairs

If it weren’t for corporate media and “experts,” public officials would be the dumbest, most malicious people (as a group) in America. They seem particularly incapable of learning from their mistakes (which are legion), so we can expect more of the same throughout this year: eliminating borders to stop illegal immigration, abandoning allies to show our commitment to stability, appeasing enemies to force them to be nice to us; printing money to stop inflation and create prosperity. Most federal officials would make a marginally competent village board member. But just because we can expect more of the same invincibly ignorant behavior, that does not mean we will get the same results. The longer stupid policy is indulged, the more catastrophic the consequences. Our cities are in deadly danger of becoming Mad Max style dystopian landscapes. Migration from blue states to red will accelerate as people desperately seek safety and some limited opportunity rather than deadly crime and serfdom. If our technology fails for more than a month, millions will die – mostly in the cities and among the elites. For the most part, city dwellers and elites are as helpless as a newborn kitten if the utilities don’t work and Uber Eats doesn’t deliver. Ordinary people will adopt a modified form of the Benedict Option by necessity – for survival. When the system fails catastrophically, people will have to form a new system in conjunction with their neighbors and friends.

One thing I was notably wrong about the last few years was my conviction that police would stand with ordinary people if governments started issuing unconstitutional, arbitrary, draconian edicts. I have been horrified to watch the New York City Police Force, after itself being terribly oppressed and abused by former Mayor DeBlasio for eight years, eagerly harass and abuse families, old folks, and even children over Covid restrictions. I guess when the real problems are scary enough, functionaries attack fake problems to pretend like they are doing something useful while cowering from the real problems and violating both their oaths and basic decency. If only it were the NYPD! But across the land, too many police have eagerly followed malicious orders against their own citizens and neighbors. I could still ultimately be right about the police standing with the citizens, but only if there is an internal reckoning by honorable officers against those who eagerly bully those citizens.

Foreign Affairs

Barring divine intervention, 2022 will be the year when the whole world goes fully into crisis under the weight of anti-God, leftist power games. When people abandon God, all that is left is the quest for power. Without meaning, power is…well…meaningless. Western European elites have hollowed out their countries. They face the twin perils of internal revolt and demographic collapse. If ISIS reconstitutes, it will be in Western Europe. The elites won’t fight it, but the common people will as they withdraw their loyalty entirely from incompetent elites.

Australia, New Zealand, and Canada are already lost: they face the binary choice of revolution or sullen tyranny.

China is on the move and will likely use this window of America’s impotent senility to move decisively against Taiwan. Yet China’s emasculation of Hong Kong in violation of its commitment may have signaled weakness and insecurity rather than strength. China’s economy is more tenuous than America’s – or even Europe’s. Gobbling Hong Kong and Taiwan may very well be a desperate attempt to capture their economic prowess without offering them the freedom in which it flowered. Nothing is so dangerous and malevolent as a tyrant wounded by his own incompetence and failure. Something peculiar and subtle is going on in China that bears watching and sober study.

Russia is the most mis-analyzed country on earth. After making a caricature of it since 2015 for purely political purposes – to get Donald Trump, we drove Russia into the arms of China. It is a tactical alliance, though, not a strategic one. If our foreign policy geniuses (subpar under Republican presidents; absolutely delusional under Democrats) would just study a map while contemplating China’s hegemonic ambitions, the answer would emerge. Russia has understood the danger of China much longer than America and the rest of the world has. To complete its hegemonic ambitions, China MUST ultimately neutralize Russia. Vladimir Putin, whatever his faults, has understood this. To withstand Chinese aggression, he desperately needs a partner. During the Obama years, it was clear that this was not possible, as Obama’s foreign policy consisted entirely of wishful thinking. The Trump years offered a potential opening, but the Democrats chose to play malicious politics rather than grasp the reality that WE need a strategic ally to withstand the growing Chinese threat – so that opportunity was lost. Biden may be a wholly owned subsidiary of China. When Putin acknowledged in October, 2019, that the Russian relationship with China was “alliance-like” he was buying time – for he knew that help was not coming from the US anytime soon. Russia is desperately trying to enhance its strength before the inevitable confrontation with China – and fondly hoping that America will come to its senses before it is too late.

Effective diplomacy consists in establishing areas of mutual national interest, creating means of mutual benefit to further those interests, and exercising the credible threat of force when interests cannot be integrated. In my lifetime; Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan and Trump conducted foreign policy primarily on the basis of mutual national interests. Otherwise, Republicans tend to try to outmaneuver everyone while Democrats try to appease unappeasable enemies while taking allies for granted. Catastrophic events will soon force us to act from national interests again – and it should begin with a major housecleaning in the foreign policy desks.

Politics

In the best of times, politics is a blend of self-interest, the struggle for power, and honest patriotism. These are not the best of times. As the elite classes have abandoned God, all that is left is self-interest and the struggle for raw power. Democrats have become predators while Republicans are timid geldings, arguing that they can better manage the governmental monstrosity Democrats have created but refusing to defend basic principles of liberty and self-government. Though I don’t like to say how truly pessimistic I am on this, there are only three active politicians I completely respect. Many talk a good game – but that is all it is. I expect this to continue until political authority has completely collapsed. We have come a lot closer to this outcome in the last year and a half than even I would have believed possible. And things are speeding up, not slowing down.

Religion

None of this depresses me, because I have been expecting it all for a very long time – and know it to be part of the process by which God will renew the world. Before the great confrontation can be fully engaged, God first purifies His people, to fit them for the battle. I have always been convinced that God intends each man and woman to make their stand – to rely on Him completely and not seek to abrogate their personal responsibility to someone else. The social dysfunction we are seeing is part of that process, forcing each of us to see that if we do not make our personal stand, this nation, under God, shall indeed perish from the earth. Many, maybe even most, Christians and faithful Jews have figured that out. But we still lack something. The best among us largely trust to their own strength and wisdom to carry out God’s will. That will not do. I think that God is going to deliver us from our manufactured religious certainties in the first half of this year. It will be painful and disorienting. The best minds are taken up with massive religious conspiracy theories to explain all that has gone wrong with the faith. They are wrong. Other top-notch people are caught up in a prophetic frenzy, imagining that they have completely divined the mind of God – who is always startling, fresh and new. They are wrong. Minor reforms are offered as panaceas that will correct all wrongs. Chopping away a branch does not kill the poisonous tree. If you would successfully navigate this period of purification I believe is upon us, you will live what I have taught from the start: Acknowledge God, Take the Next Right Step, and Be a Sign of Hope to Those Around You. This dictum combines steadfast resolve with genuine humility – acknowledging that we both don’t know much and can’t know much, but can only do the most right thing we can discern in the moment and then live it. We are going to have to get accustomed to thinking that all is lost while doing the best we can and trusting God to come through – in His time and in His way, seeking actively to find what we have missed. If God whispers to the best of us a thousand times per day, the best of us only hear 10 of those whispers. The “fiery trials” St. Peter speaks of in 1 Peter 4:12 are about to become our reality, I think. It is not for our destruction, but for our purification, that we may be true children of God as we act as the army of God to renew the faith and face of the world. Do not be dismayed, but trust that by the second half of the year you will be grateful for such intense training and deliverance from illusions that would prevent you from effectively re-evangelizing the world. When you can march forward with steadfast resolve when it looks as if all hope is lost, you are finally fit to be a soldier of God.

The Church

There are noble Bishops and noble Priests, but the hobbling of the hierarchy helps make it clear that this will be the hour of the ordinary man. War is being waged against the faith and the faithful from the heart of the Church. Do not be dismayed.

Usually, when the house is under siege, it is the father of the house who defends it. If the father of the house is disabled, it is the children of the house who defend it; not to overthrow the patriarch, but to restore him to honor and dignity.

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel.

Not that there is a different gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we (the apostles) preached to you, let him be accursed.” – Galatians 1:6-8

It is time to live this Scripture, that all righteousness may be fulfilled – and everything restored to its proper honor. Despite how much the Pope and many in the Vatican hate it, the Latin Mass isn’t going away. Despite those Bishops and Priests who hate the Gospels, they are not going away. I do not expect those Bishops and Priests who hate the Magisterial faith to start living fidelity (though I pray fervently that they do). I do expect honest Christians throughout the world to firmly commit themselves to living fidelity and, so, becoming God’s hands and feet in restoring the faith and face of the world.

 

Again, I will elaborate on these subject heads over the next week and a half. I have come to be devoted to Our Lady of America. I believe that America must lead in renewing the faith through purity and fidelity – and then help the rest of the world to recover it.  Then will come the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the renewal of the world.

Peace and prosperity are great blessings. But infirmity and affliction are God’s classroom. I fervently pray that the troubles that afflict us may soon pass away, but not a moment before we have absorbed every lesson God intends for each of. Let us all apply ourselves without nodding off while living the privilege of being in God’s classroom.

Find me on Gab at Charliej373 or at the CORAC group.

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328 thoughts on “The Shape of Things to Come”

  1. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! … Merry 12th Day of Christmas & Feast of Saint John Neumann;-)

    https://catholicsaints.info/saint-john-nepomucene-neumann/

    https://onepeterfive.com/forgotten-customs-of-epiphanytide/

    https://www.ncregister.com/blog/a-pastor-responds-to-the-responsa

    https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bp-strickland-calls-on-catholics-to-pray-for-pope-francis-following-attacks-on-latin-mass/

    These-Days, is this a bad thing?
    https://apnews.com/article/immigration-entertainment-music-religion-migration-d821c2736d759f62da47692878f6fa13

    Yeah, Bill! THEY hate US but you did not help US by your playing the Three Wise Monkeys routine during the past 20 years and being Quick on the Draw to attack victims and slow to admit there was and STILL is a massive Pervert Scandal in The Church and it has done MASSIVE DAMAGE on many fronts!
    https://www.catholicleague.org/clergy-scandal-20-years-later/

    https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250015/in-india-missionaries-of-charity-ration-food-after-government-blocks-foreign-funds

    https://www.lifenews.com/2022/01/04/joe-bidens-nominee-for-federal-appeals-court-called-pro-life-organizations-hate-groups/

    I’m betting there are more “obstacles” than two. Purple State Democrat Senators Up-In 22 do NOT want to Vote for anything that might Blow-Up in their faces come eclection time! Plus below Headlines tell US much:
    Biden’s Disapproval Rating at All-Time High: CNBC Poll & Rep. Brenda Lawrence becomes 25th Democrat to not seek re-election & Jan. 6 anniversary poll: Share of Trump voters who believe Biden ‘won fair and square’ falls to 9% amid declining trust in U.S. democracy
    https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2022/01/04/chuck-schumer-plan-to-obliterate-the-filibuster-faces-two-big-obstacles-n2601362?

    https://patriotpost.us/digests/85329-mid-day-digest-2022-01-05

    https://www.americanthinker.com/
    https://spectator.org/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Hello everybody! I ordered the Mucosolvan that somebody here had talked about, my apologies, I can’t remember who that was, but it helped them greatly when they were sick. I had to order the tablets, as I couldn’t find the syrup available. The tablets arrived today, but everything is written in a foreign language as far as dosage is concerned. These are 30 mg tablets. Could somebody tell me what the dosage would be if/when my husband or I get sick with covid? Thank you greatly for any help you can provide! God Bless You!

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Yes, Diane, it was Pawel. He translated the instructions for me. I’ve put them on my website here:

      (A) Stuff I Like for A

      Note that the active ingredient is Ambroxol Hydrochloride, so I list it there in case I come across a different product using it. You will also find a link to the syrup, which is sold by a Polish pharmacy in NYC. Their website at least is in English, so you can buy it there.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Steve, I tried to order the Mucoslavan from the NYC site but they don’t have a delivery option for out of state (or maybe it’s just my state?). 😢

        I’m going to have to do some research for my area. But thank you for putting this info out there! I was really excited to hear Pawel tell his story about how incredibly it worked for him.

        Like

        1. Jewel, recently I gave Mucosolvan to my badly coughing vaccinated colleague at work, he said he could feel relief on day 1 and stopped coughing within few days.

          Like

          1. That’s great to hear, Pawel. How advanced was his case, a few days old? or was he in Phase 2 after Day 8 or so?

            Also, I haven’t tried to order the Mucosolvan liquid from Zdrowe. I would have thought that Mucosolvan was an over the counter drug that could be sold out of state. Jewel says she couldn’t get them to send it to her out of state. Would you mind contacting Zdrowe and finding out if Jewel just had an unfortunate mix-up or if Zdrowe only sells to New Yorkers? If they stick only to NYers, I need to note that on my web site. Thank you. 🙂

            If you don’t want to do it, perhaps your lovely and intelligent wife would do it for us and you can report her results back to us. :-))

            Like

        2. Jewel, Pawel told me elsewhere that you have to call them. Their website is an afterthought. They will sell across state lines but only if you call them.

          Like

  3. Hey all!!

    If anyone is thinking of making the move to Florida, get here quick. Housing inventory is crazy low, they are trying to build houses fast, but with a materials shortage that isn’t as fast as the market demands and houses and rents are skyrocketing.

    I made the move from NJ to FL in a move that’s been nothing short of a miracle, and I honestly felt like it was the nick of time.

    Prayers for all of of you.

    Liked by 8 people

      1. I passed my Progression exam, applied for RN school in FL, passed my NCLEX for my LPN on Nov 6, finally found a place to rent Nov 27th, got down here Dec 15th and started school on the 3rd. And finding that rental and all that ensued was a God nail biter. But I am so, so grateful we are here. I wake up every morning thanking God we are here. And there is no shortage of nursing jobs for me, either.

        So thank you! God is good.

        Liked by 6 people

        2. Welcome to Florida Briana, the great melting pot!
          County boys in the north, retired snowbirds in the central area and little Cuba in the south!
          The topography is variable too with hilly areas in the panhandle and central ridge with coastal plains on the two coasts with cypress swamps in between. Once you get towards the Keys it looks like the Caribbean! It’s a big state and it can take many years to see it all.
          Have fun!

          Liked by 7 people

        3. So good to hear that God has sent you to a better State, Briana. My wife and I lived in the NYC area for 10 years. Then God told us that we were going to move to Kansas! We’ve been here for almost 40 years now. Sometimes it isn’t until you leave a stress-filled location that you start to realize how tense and uptight the day-to-day environment was.

          He has a new purpose for you in Florida!

          “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
          https://biblehub.com/nkjv/ephesians/2.htm

          Liked by 3 people

        5. Wonderful on all counts!
          I have to renew my RN lic tomorrow. I worked really hard to get it, so I keep it, even though I don’t officially use it.

          Liked by 2 people

          1. Same here, LL, but with my teaching credential. I haven’t taught elementary or adult ed in a number of years, but hate to let it lapse. Maybe now’s the time to let go 🙂

            Liked by 2 people

    2. Congratulations! My parents and brother are in Homosassa, which is North of Tampa on the Gulf Coast.

      We are enjoying life in West Tennessee since leaving South Jersey last winter.

      Liked by 4 people

      2. Hey WW,
        Not sure if your family is into such things but I will be playing with my band Friday between 6 and 10 pm at Crumps Landing in Homossassa.
        We are called Gypsy Sparrow.

        Like

          1. That’s super nice of you to mention. I’ll pass it onto them. Hope you have a great night.

            Like

      1. Really happy for you, too Brianna! I had to re-read your post to make sure I read it right. I think I may have missed a lot of posts because it seems like you were just pondering a move. God is good! Enjoy the warmer weather!

        Wishing you all the best in your new home state!

        Becky-TN

        Like

  5. Message from Dr. Malone to parents:

    On a personal note, I wish to speak to you as a parent, grandparent, physician and scientist. I stand by this statement with a career dedicated to vaccine research and development. I’m vaccinated for COVID and I’m generally pro-vaccination. I have devoted my entire career to developing safe and effective ways to prevent and treat infectious diseases.

    You can find video of this statement as well as a subsequent town hall discussion with parents, physicians, and medical caregivers at this website

    Before you inject your child – a decision that is irreversible – I wanted to let you know the scientific facts about this genetic vaccine, which is based on the mRNA vaccine technology I created:

    There are three issues parents need to understand:

    The first is that a viral gene will be injected into your children’s cells. This gene forces your child’s body to make toxic spike proteins. These proteins often cause permanent damage in children’s critical organs, including

    · Their brain and nervous system

    · Their heart and blood vessels, including blood clots

    · Their reproductive system, and

    · This vaccine can trigger fundamental changes to their immune system

    The most alarming point about this is that once these damages have occurred, they are irreparable

    · You can’t fix the lesions within their brain

    · You can’t repair heart tissue scarring

    · You can’t repair a genetically reset immune system, and

    · This vaccine can cause reproductive damage that could affect future generations of your family

    The second thing you need to know about is the fact that this novel technology has not been adequately tested.

    · We need at least 5 years of testing/research before we can really understand the risks

    · Harms and risks from new medicines often become revealed many years later

    Ask yourself if you want your own child to be part of the most radical medical experiment in human history

    One final point: the reason they’re giving you to vaccinate your child is a lie.

    Your children represent no danger to their parents or grandparents.

    It’s actually the opposite. Their immunity, after getting COVID, is critical to save your family if not the world from this disease.

    In summary: there is no benefit for your children or your family to be vaccinating your children against the small risks of the virus, given the known health risks of the vaccine that as a parent, you and your children may have to live with for the rest of their lives.

    The risk/benefit analysis isn’t even close.

    As a parent and grandparent, my recommendation to you is to resist and fight to protect your children.

    Liked by 8 people

  6. Well, I am not sure about the tablets, but what I found online for 30mg tablets is: 3 tablets/24hours or if very sick 2 x 2 tablets/24 hours.

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Jesus, our ultimate teacher on what to contemplate while suffering.

    Book of Heaven by Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta

    November 9, 1902, Vol.4

    While I was longing for my adorable Jesus,
    He came in the appearance He had when His enemies were slapping Him,
    covering His face with spit, and blindfolding Him.

    With admirable patience He suffered everything;

    even more, it seemed He would not even look at them,so much was He

    intent in His interior on looking at the fruit which those sufferings would produce.

    I admired everything with amazement, and Jesus told me:

    “My daughter, in my operating and suffering I never looked outside, but always inside;

    and whatever it might be, in seeing its fruit, I would not just suffer it,

    but I would suffer everything with yearning and avidity.

    On the other hand, completely opposite, man,

    in operating good, does not look inside the work, and

    not seeing its fruit, he becomes easily bored, everything bothers him,

    and many times he neglects doing good.

    If he suffers, he easily loses his patience; and if he does evil,

    not looking inside that evil, he does it with ease.”

    Then He added: “Creatures do not want to convince themselves that

    life must be accompanied by various circumstances,
    now of sufferings, now of consolation.

    Yet, even plants and flowers give them an example of this by remaining

    submitted to winds, snows, hail and heat.”

    Liked by 2 people

  8. Hi everyone! Hey I happened on this short meditation the other morning on relavant radio. It’s on super early but you can listen to their podcasts on demand too in their app! I highly recommend listening to the true story at the end about Josemaría Escrivá! He got a locution I think could help us all at this time too!

    Audio from Relevant Radio: 05-01-2022 You will see greater things than these – 10 Minutes with Jesus https://www.spreaker.com/user/youpray/05-01-2022-you-will-see-greater-things-t

    Liked by 2 people

  9. Good Morning All! I got this email from Gary Roe and it was too good not to share. God bless us, Everyone!
    ===================
    I hope the first few days of 2022 have treated you well. If you would like to read this brief article on my website, you can do so here.

    First of all, forgive me. I’m behind. Here it is, January 6, and I haven’t wished you a Happy New Year yet.

    I have a good excuse, however. COVID visited our family for Christmas, and some of us are still feeling the effects of it.

    For me, the biggest challenges are the fatigue and the brain fog.

    Fatigue and brain fog don’t go well with writing, speaking, and grief coaching. Prayers would be appreciated!

    As grieving people, we know all about fatigue and brain fog, don’t we? Ugh…

    Second, allow me to officially greet you in 2022.

    Having said that, I must admit that “Happy New Year” has never resonated well with me.

    “Happy” just doesn’t seem to to fit.

    Peaceful. Blessed. Healing. Hopeful. I like those words better.

    Overcoming. I like that word the best.

    So much of life is about overcoming.

    So much of life is about living with grief, moving through our grief, and using our grief as fuel for good.

    So much of life is about facing obstacles and difficulties and finding new strength and courage in the midst of them.

    So much of life seems to be about learning to live above and beyond all that happens to us and around us.

    I find myself thinking of Psalm 3:5-6. Listen to this:

    “I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.”

    In this Psalm, King David finds himself betrayed by his own son, surrounded by enemies, and fleeing for his life.

    Sometimes, it can seem like everything is against us. We can feel hemmed in. Stuck. Trapped. Frightened. Paralyzed.

    We tend to stare at what’s right in front of us. We can get lost in the “what seems to be” and all the “what ifs.”

    King David’s heart had been well trained over the years. He knew how to handle grief, hardship, failure, difficulty, opposition, betrayal, and potential disaster.

    I can almost see David breathing deeply, closing his eyes for a moment, and reminding himself of what he knew to be true.

    “I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.”

    What do you hear in King David’s words? Is there anything there that can be an encouragement to you today?

    Here’s to an Overcoming 2022. One moment, one step at a time.

    Until next time,
    Gary

    P.S. If there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know. I look forward to serving and supporting you in 2022. I’m glad we’re in this together.

    Gary Roe – Amazon Bestselling Author, Speaker, Grief Specialist & Coach
    Website: https://www.garyroe.com/

    Liked by 1 person

  10. JESUS = GOOD NEWS! … Merry Three Kings Day 😉


    https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250029/how-to-bless-your-home-on-the-feast-of-epiphany-2022

    https://www.catholicleague.org/justifying-racism/

    Does the Remnant Church have a WebSite yet!!??
    https://www.ncregister.com/news/loyola-marymount-university-s-catholic-identity-crisis
    https://spiritdailyblog.com/commentary/mass-atrocities-2
    https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/bishops-veto-conscientious-objection-to-jabs

    https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2021/09/09/realclearinvestigations_jan_6-blm_comparison_database_791370.html

    https://thefederalist.com/2022/01/05/pelosi-owns-the-j6-commission-and-thats-why-it-failed/

    THEY think this is a Grand Idea!
    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/01/05/cnn-medical-guest-says-penalize-unvaccinated-americans-deny-them-affordable-health-insurance/

    https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/death-truth

    Tyrants have always used the Criminal Class to pursue THEIR Goal of absolute power and submission of the citizenry. THEY then promise, in the interests of “Public Safety”, to fix the problems THEY created by more onerous laws and regulations ….. Sound familiar!!??
    https://www.foxnews.com/us/legally-armed-citizen-thwarts-california-smash-and-grab-attempted-robbery
    https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/01/coddling_criminals_is_an_assault_on_america.html
    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/manhattans-new-soros-funded-da-lays-foundation-next-crime-wave-will-no-longer-seek-prison

    There was a scandal in my State 20 years ago over “Parents” teaching their kids to “Act Crazy” in order to get on the SS Gravy Train! I’m sure the Democrats and THEIR Non-Producer Class have “perfected” THEIR looting of US!
    Let US Face-It! Democrats Want & Need an Ignorant, Angry & Dependent Voter Base to survive ;-(
    https://www.theburningplatform.com/2022/01/05/chaos-a-d/

    https://www.floppingaces.net/2022/01/04/free-yourselves-dump-twitter-and-facebook-here-are-the-alternatives/

    American Traitors: Academics Working for China
    https://reader.epoch.cloud/?publink=0a62e3eee_13482ed

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Crew dog posted a Zerohedge link. Open it and read it.
    Looks like our phone carriers are in the censoring business now too.
    Freedom of speech takes another death blow.

    Liked by 2 people

  15. Beckita, Charlie…I’ve been meditating on this one sentence for days now. Charlie has hinted at this before but as hard as I try (and I guess I should ask Jesus to help me understand it) I can’t figure out what this might look like.., can anyone here give me a clue??? I have a feeling it’s going to be an important lesson for us all to learn going forward. Thank you very much! 🙏

    “I think that God is going to deliver us from our manufactured religious certainties in the first half of this year.” CJ

    Liked by 1 person

    1. We humans are ever in error about our understandings about all kinds things, Linda. (E.g., SteveBC gave me a wonderful education in his comment concerning the human Endocannabinoid System and how CBD oil is helping people with all manner of trying health conditions. My bias was that marijuana is bad news. Period. Now, I’m enlightened to see the good, even as it’s also abused in some settings for some reasons.)

      Well, this ability for humans to err in full understanding can also affect the spiritual realm. If we’re sincere, like Saul who really did believe he was doing the right thing by trying to eliminate the spread of Christianity, then, if we’re corrected, (and oh my goodness how we humans can get testy and full of ourselves when we’re actually being corrected by God via another person’s words) we – just as Paul was – are open to correction. Paul’s persecution of Christians was a “manufactured religious certainty” born of his understanding about religion and his biases. In humility, he received the falling “to the ground” with the words from Jesus (“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”) with the ensuing blindness and wondered at what and why all this was happening.

      Actually, I have discovered that in making Charlie’s most recently composed prayer for us a daily morning practice, new emphasis often rises from this. For this comment, we can say that St. Paul lived this beautifully: “When I err, Lord, show me Your mercy by firmly correcting me and filling me with resolve to get back up and go forward in Your service.” And it’s the very attitude we all need to foster as a habit of our minds and will. No need to obsess about the manufactured religious certainties we may well have. Rather, sincerely ask Jesus to reveal them to us and keep focusing on HIM, our first Love.

      Liked by 1 person

        1. Thanks for your kindness, Jewel. I’m just now listening to Charlie and Joe’s latest podcast on CORAC. It dovetails beautifully into this consideration of “manufactured religious certainties.” The podcast is on the front page at the site: https://corac.co/

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      2. Thank you Beckita! That really made a lot of sense to me! I’ll most probably print this out because I feel it’s really important to grasp. Thanks also for the tip on Charlie’s new prayer to adopt every morning. Lord knows we all need all the help we can get in these times!🥰🙏😘😇🐿

        Liked by 1 person

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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.