QOTD: The Wall

Quote of the Day:

"Anybody who votes against the Wall should have to live in a doorless house and welcome anybody and everybody who wanders in and claims squatter rights."

                                         ~ W. Lewis Amselem, "The Diplomad", at his blog.








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Our President Donald John Trump QOTD : Space Exploration

 "[S]pace exploration is not only essential to our character as a nation, but also our economy and our great nation’s security.  ...

"The human soul yearns for discovery.  By unlocking the mysteries of the universe, we unlock truths within ourselves.  That’s true.  Our journey into space will not only make us stronger and more prosperous, but will unite us behind grand ambitions and bring us all closer together.  ...

"... It is America’s destiny to be at the forefront of humanity’s eternal quest for knowledge and to be the leader amongst nations on our adventure into the great unknown. ..."


~ from Our President Donald John Trump's remarks on The National Space Council, June 30, 2017

Sign of the Times: Voice Of The Deplorables

This billboard was paid for by a businessman in Boerne, Texas! It reads "ABC News: I grew up with you. We are through. The Russians didn't elect Donald Trump. I did. Kyle Courtney "

At Accuracy In Media, Don Irvine reports:

 "[Kyle] Courtney released the following statement to News4 in San Antonio:
“ABC News was the only channel I watched as a child growing up in Texas but I think they have lost touch with America and forgotten the working man. They don’t represent our voice anymore. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign was funded by the Clinton Foundation in close coordination with the media, and now we’re seeing them try to fix what they couldn’t fix during the election. They are doing everything they can, night after night, to create narratives and sway people’s direction to impeach Donald Trump. Our democracy is at stake when a major political party and the media are in bed together. I’m not asking anyone to boycott the Democratic party. I’m not in the brainwashing business, but the liberal media is.” "

Thank you, and God bless you, Mr. Courtney. Many millions of us share your thinking -and also proudly voted FOR Donald John Trump without apology or equivocation.




*Photo Credit: Wellstar Groundwater Technologies, Mr Courtney's company

Hold On. Stand Firm. Keep The Faith.

We didn't imagine the danger. It was - and still is - very real. But we are not helpless. That is where Carl Sagan was wrong.

Pragmatic Americans saw our nation slipping into darkness, slavery, and superstition, and took a stand for our God and our Country.

We all took peaceful action in a Hail Mary vote for a new "Cyrus". By the Grace of God, thanks to President Trump and ALL the DEPLORABLES, we finally have a chance to overcome the terrors that Sagan foresaw.

Now, remember what we are escaping from. Keep the faith. Stand firm.

All shall be well.

President Trump and The Deplorables: "Hope, and a Future"

President Donald John Trump is doing the Lord's work in bringing "Hope, and a Future" to ordinary Americans, and he laid out that vision last night in his first speech to the joint Houses of Congress.

President Trump laid out a concrete vision and showed us how to reach for it. By tagging America's 250th birthday - and by not calling it the "Semi-quincentennial - President Trump just gave a future to the descendants of our nation's founding people.

For a decade or more, struggling Americans have recited Jeremiah 29:11 and made it our by-word. We have written it on the walls of Food Banks, have spoken it over children's ministries, have memorized it and repeated it while trying to pay the bills:

 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

And our Father God heard the prayers of the ordinary people across the great, vast expanse of our nation, and sent us a new Cyrus to point the way back home. All the Deplorables whose life expectancy has been dropping, have reasons to live again.

President Trump told us we can speak again about our hopes for our children, and for ourselves, and our families, and communities - and assured us he will clear the path so that we can work with our own hands to bring our own dreams to life. Here are excerpts from his speech:

"Each American generation passes the torch of truth, liberty and justice –- in an unbroken chain all the way down to the present. ...

"The rebellion started as a quiet protest, spoken by families of all colors and creeds -– families who just wanted a fair shot for their children, and a fair hearing for their concerns.....

".. I am not going to let America and its great companies and workers, be taken advantage of anymore. ..

"The time has come for a new program of national rebuilding. ..  ... This effort will be guided by two core principles:  Buy American, and Hire American. ...

"Everything that is broken in our country can be fixed.  Every problem can be solved.  And every hurting family can find healing, and hope.

"Our citizens deserve this, and so much more –- so why not join forces to finally get it done?  

"Every American child should be able to grow up in a safe community, to attend a great school, and to have access to a high-paying job.

"My job is not to represent the world.  My job is to represent the United States of America.

"We want peace, wherever peace can be found.  America is friends today with former enemies.  Some of our closest allies, decades ago, fought on the opposite side of these World Wars.  This history should give us all faith in the possibilities for a better world.

"Hopefully, the 250th year for America will see a world that is more peaceful, more just and more free.

"On our 100th anniversary, in 1876, citizens from across our Nation came to Philadelphia to celebrate America’s centennial.  At that celebration, the country’s builders and artists and inventors showed off their creations. Alexander Graham Bell displayed his telephone for the first time. Remington unveiled the first typewriter.  An early attempt was made at electric light. Thomas Edison showed an automatic telegraph and an electric pen. 

"Imagine the wonders our country could know in America’s 250th year.

"Think of the marvels we can achieve if we simply set free the dreams of our people. Cures to illnesses that have always plagued us are not too much to hope. American footprints on distant worlds are not too big a dream. Millions lifted from welfare to work is not too much to expect. And streets where mothers are safe from fear — schools where children learn in peace — and jobs where Americans prosper and grow — are not too much to ask. ....

"We are one people, with one destiny.

"We all bleed the same blood.

"We all salute the same flag.

"And we are all made by the same God.

"And when we fulfill this vision; when we celebrate our 250 years of glorious freedom, we will look back on tonight as when this new chapter of American Greatness began.

"The time for small thinking is over.  The time for trivial fights is behind us.

"We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts.

"The bravery to express the hopes that stir our souls.

"And the confidence to turn those hopes and dreams to action. ....

"Believe in yourselves.

"Believe in your future.

"And believe, once more, in America.

"Thank you, God bless you, and God Bless these United States."

 ~   ~     ~  

Thank you Father God for sending President Trump to lead us, and to give us a new vision. Americans, we have a new and blessed chance!  Isaiah 51:1  :

 "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
    and who seek the Lord:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
    and to the quarry from which you were hewn;" 

Thank You and God Bless All The Deplorables!

Via Waka Waka Waka, a traditional poem in honor of our new President that reflects his Scottish heritage. Notes from the author:

"§ Domhnall, the Scottish form of the name Donald, is pronounced like “TONE-all”
§ Torquil was the royal progenitor of the MacLeods of Lewis, the outer hebridean island and birthplace of President Trump’s immigrant mother, Mary Anne MacLeod. "

"Come out for the Domhnall, ye brave men and proud,The scion of Torquil and best of MacLeod!With purpose and strength he came down from his towerTo snatch from a tyrant his ill-gotten power.Now the cry has gone up with a cheer from the crowd:“Come out for the Domhnall, the best of MacLeod!”

"When freedom is threatened by slavery’s chainsAnd voices are silenced as misery reigns,We’ll come out for a leader whose courage is trueWhose virtues are solid and long overdue.For, he’ll never forget us, we men of the crowdWho elected the Domhnall, the best of MacLeod! ...."

Be sure to go read the whole poem  --- OR LISTEN to the poem read in a Scots accent here:  http://classicalpoets.org/inaugural-poem-for-donald-j-trump/

2016 Was A Very Good Year, and IronBear Predicts "That 2017 Is Gonna Be Great!"

Iron Bear, over at Daily Pundit, has cataloged a few of the many blessings we saw in 2016 as a nation, in a list of nearly a hundred.  A few of my favorites:

1. Donald J. Trump won the 2016 Presidential Election with 306 Electoral College votes, becoming the 45th President of the United States of America.....
2. Hillary Rodham Clinton will never be President of the United States.

15. Trump’s Election proved that Polls can’t be trusted, and Pollsters no longer matter.

36. Historic vote for Brexit stuns Europe, dominates front pages.

50. The private company SpaceX successfully landed a rocket vertically on April 8 upon a floating autonomous drone ship.

60. Politico reports that Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill “are loath to say anything remotely critical” of President-elect Donald Trump or his agenda for fear of the coverage such actions will receive from Breitbart News and the possible reaction from voters. In other news, Voters celebrate unprecedented announcement that Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill are finally becoming aware that they have constituents to appease.

65. “Turning Texas Blue” turns out to be a Democrat pipe dream. Trump turns Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Florida Red instead.

69. Despite the best efforts of Global Warming enthusiasts, polar bears are thriving and stubbornly refusing to go extinct.

93. After fourteen girls and women were captured by Boko Haram, a massive raid in multiple villages resulted in over 800 hostages being rescued by the Nigerian Army.  ... no self indulgent celebrity Twitter selfies were included among the armaments used in the rescue.


Plus don't miss the comments~

The Alt-Righteous and the Waiting Time: A Christian Advent in the Year of Elections

This year in particular, we are in a curious holding pattern while we wait for President Trump's Inauguration. The Globalist Left is telling us daily about their plans to undo the legal election, trying to undermine our confidence, reacting like the abusers they are.   It is ESSENTIAL that we stand firm and be unyielding in our FAITH that God's purpose is unfolding toward His ends, whatever we may think we see or hear. In other words, don't let doubt enter in.  President Trump WON.  And as this great meme from The Last Refuge reminds us, Donald Trump stood up when the Lord God called. Can we do less than to stand firm?

 The entire force of all the media, Dems, & GOP that hated Trump before the election, now hate him and us even more, and are pulling out all stops to try to cause doubt and fear and to undermine our confidence in everyone on our side. They attempt to isolate each of us.

Remember: everything they say is a LIE. In their minds the election is not over - just like Gore's election was never over. Remember that and laugh at them every time they pedal their duplicitous mantra of fear and loathing.

President Trump WON. YOU won. God told us "Fear Not! The Lord Himself will fight for you. All you have to do is stand!" God did not raise up a new Cyrus to free his people to rebuild our land, in order to abandon us now.   Now, our work begins to accomplish the tasks God gives us.

Those tasks involve physical work, political work, social work, and spiritual work. During the "waiting time" that is Advent, we've  spiritual work to do to continue restoring our faith and the Christian faith in America.

Many of us fasted before and up to the election. Fasting, usually understood as going without food for a period of time or of forgoing particular foods for a period of time, is an old discipline that has been neglected in the modern Christian world. Not everyone is called to it, and a wise Christian woman once told me that we need God's help to fast, so not to worry if I weren't able to.  Here's a good article with the basics of fasting to get started (not endorsing the website, just this article). And here is an outline of guidelines for an Orthodox Advent fast.  From the latter, the Antiochan Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, comes also this advice:

• *Fasting in itself is not a means of pleasing God. Fasting is not a punishment for our sins. Nor is fasting a means of suffering and pain to be undertaken as some kind of atonement. Christ already redeemed us on His Cross. Salvation is a gift from God that is not bought by our hunger or thirst.

• *We fast to be delivered from carnal passions so that God’s gift of Salvation may bear fruit in us.

• *We fast and turn our eyes toward God in His Holy Church. Fasting and prayer go together.

• *Fasting is not irrelevant. Fasting is not obsolete, and it is not something for someone else. Fasting is from God, for us, right here and right now.

For me, at 21 days it was the longest fast I have ever undertaken, and I was able to do it without telling anyone but Paul.  I allowed myself to drink anything I wanted, including milk and broth, and I had one small meal every second or third day (that is what enabled me to avoid telling others about my fast. I scheduled meals within gatherings) .  While not as rigid as some may have done. it helped me remain focused on the value of my quiet relationship with God in effecting His work.  For the three days leading up to the election, I did not eat, finally enjoying a meal only after the polls had closed on the West Coast. I have not yet come to see whether or how I should fast for Advent - and for the preservation of President Donald Trump's election and full inauguration.

The themes of King Cyrus continue to crop up. Today, a passage on the particular kind of fasting that our Father God approves of, starts by reminding us we as individuals must look after our own, and ends with a strong statement about rebuilding the ruins and restoring the walls. It also adds a pointed reminded about keeping the Sabbath - the day of rest every week:

6 “The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. 7 Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.

8 “Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. 9 When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond.

“If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; 10 if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. 11 And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry.

12 Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.”

The Reward for Keeping the Sabbath:

13 The Lord says, “If you treat the Sabbath as sacred and do not pursue your own interests on that day; if you value my holy day and honor it by not traveling, working, or talking idly on that day, 14 then you will find the joy that comes from serving me. I will make you honored all over the world, and you will enjoy the land I gave to your ancestor, Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

                                                                                         Isaiah 58: 6-14 (Good News Version)

This does NOT mean we are supposed to "be nice". Nice does not equal Good.  We remove oppression when we speak the truth, even when it is not politically correct. We free the oppressed when we stand up against persecuting people for speaking out against Progressive and Globalist distortion. The forced "migration" is unjust to all concerned, criminal governments pushing people out of their homes and sending them into indentured servitude. We help the homeless, needy, and poor in our own communities, not by allowing Open Borders to push people from other lands out of their original homes to fulfill evil Elitist agendas of increasing "migrants" and "remittances" and "majority minority voters". We remove oppression when we build and maintain good boundaries and strong borders. When we allow people to earn a living in their own land, trading with their own neighbors.

Our pastor suggested before the election: What if the prayer and supplication of our little cowboy church really could affect the outcome of the election and could make a difference for all eternity?  What if my private actions and worship really do make a singular difference?

Whether or not we fast for Advent, or perhaps give something up, it can only help our cause to refocus our minds on taking a good look at ourselves and listen for the words God is speaking to us as direction for the coming months.  A new course of study, a simple daily meditation, some new discipline to focus our minds and our will toward whatever unknown we will be called to very soon.

As expectant families do, we pray for the safety and easy birth of our new government led by President Trump. We pray for the washing of that government, scrubbing it clean of corruption and guile, restoring to all positions mighty men and women of honor who will conduct their affairs in Godly ways.

We also pray for guidance and focus for our own roles in rebuilding our ruined cities, in reconstructing our walls, in looking after our own families and the *individuals* we see right in front of us, in our own towns in our own states, instead of continuing to follow the globalists orders to ignore our American family's pleas and look over their familiar heads toward more exotic or interesting strangers over the far horizon.  There are many who are called to serve those in foreign lands, and we pray for bold new proclamation of the Living Gospel to be the central purpose of their work, not some watered down globalist project that forbids the mention of Jesus' Name in the doing.

The work of Christians in this time is to be done, as it was of old, with Jesus Christ paramount. For as CS Lewis noted, " Jesus Christ did not say, ‘Go into all the world and tell the world that it is quite right.’ The Gospel is something completely different. In fact, it is directly opposed to the world."

Instead, the only true Commandment and single imperative that Jesus Christ gave us after his resurrection is to preach the Gospel to every creature :

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."  Matthew 28:19

King Cyrus / Donald Trump Prophecies Before Election Day: What Has Already Come To Pass, & Big New Dreams From A Surprising Place

At a tense and frightening midpoint in this election, I needed some encouragement, and God didn't fail me. Perhaps this will help someone else too.

I've said before I believe Donald John Trump to be a "type" of Cyrus, anointed by God for a specific job at this time in history. Whether he becomes President, I do not know... however I have a strong feeling that his work will have the same strength of accomplishment either way, because that strength comes "‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ saith the Lord of hosts." (Zechariah 4:6)  

First, let's look at one Cyrus/Trump prophecy that has already partly come true to an amazing degree: that of Pastor Jeremiah Johnson, from July 2015 (I learned of this one after receiving my own in Oct/Nov 2015).  As stated, it is centered on the time before the election, the campaign itself, the period we are now in:

"I was in a time of prayer several weeks ago when God began to speak to me concerning the destiny of Donald Trump in America. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “Trump shall become My trumpet to the American people, for he possesses qualities that are even hard to find in My people these days. Trump does not fear man nor will he allow deception and lies to go unnoticed. I am going to use him to expose darkness and perversion in America like never before, but you must understand that he is like a bull in a china closet. Many will want to throw him away because he will disturb their sense of peace and tranquility, but you must listen through the bantering to discover the truth that I will speak through him. I will use the wealth that I have given him to expose and launch investigations searching for the truth. Just as I raised up Cyrus to fulfill My purposes and plans, so have I raised up Trump to fulfill my purposes and plans prior to the 2016 election. You must listen to the trumpet very closely for he will sound the alarm and many will be blessed because of his compassion and mercy. Though many see the outward pride and arrogance, I have given him the tender heart of a father that wants to lend a helping hand to the poor and the needy, to the foreigner and the stranger.”

Pastor Johnson resumes: "As the body of Christ, we must keep our ears and eyes open as we continue to move toward the 2016 elections in the United States. I believe that God is not only going to use the prayers of the saints to bring about His plans and purposes, but He is even going to use those who do not know Him. What a great comfort and source of encouragement we have in the wisdom of God in this hour."

We have seen much of this come true, to degrees none of us would have imagined two years ago. All of these things have given us the hard truth, and we are wiser for knowing where betrayal has taken hold:

 So-called "Conservative" or "Christian" bloggers, websites, magazines, writers, analysts, preachers, and others have shown themselves to be Pharisees and False Prophets, ignoring the 9th Commandment and spreading False Witness against us and Mr Trump, ridiculing and maligning us and the candidate for whom record millions voted. Our government, our media, our political parties and elected officials, our VA, our IRS, our Justice Department, even some branches of law enforcement from DHS to some local police departments, have all been perverted by significant numbers of people/department heads within those groups and agencies against American ideals, against the American citizens, against God, and toward the wicked schemes of those individuals and others seeking power and dominion.

Donald Trump's candidacy has set in motion the exposure of ethical, criminal and spiritual corruption in all those places. We are chilled by the extent and kinds of wickedness drawn out into the light - it is truly a swamp, a cesspool - and we await impending news about what else is still being uncovered. 

We have also been blessed to see genuine heroes in the people who braved mobs to go to his rallies, in those who've been fired or abandoned by friends, in agents of the FBI, the NYPD,  ICE and Border Patrol, whistleblowers, Wikileaks and friends, and we've made new friends and allies among bloggers, writers, commenters, elected officials, pastors, and other influencers who have steadfastly stood beside Mr Trump and shared his mission, without making excuses... full stop.  

We have also seen other elements of Isaiah's original verses apply again, especially in Mr Trump's success despite the predictions of the experts. God has made fools of the pollsters:

"I am Yahweh...who destroys the omens of the false prophets and makes fools of diviners; who confounds the wise and makes their knowledge foolishness; who confirms the message of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers;"  Isaiah 44:24-28

This has been a painful and tragic time for all who support Mr Trump, to see that we have been trusting in people, agencies, institutions, traditions, that have become sham. When this is all over, we will take time to grieve.

For now, let us look ahead, as the the best part of these prophesies have not yet come to pass - and they are good indeed.

Fom Pastor Johnson's prophecy: "... many will be blessed because of his compassion and mercy. Though many see the outward pride and arrogance, I have given him the tender heart of a father that wants to lend a helping hand to the poor and the needy, to the foreigner and the stranger."

This tells us that Mr Trump's leadership will ultimately be remembered, just like the original Cyrus, as a compassionate and honorable administration in which families are strengthened, lives are stabilized, and "the hearts of the fathers are turned to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers" (Malachi 4:6)

My own understanding of those post-election purposes have been vague, and I didn't push for details. But in the past two days, the Lord has sent two elements across my path, elements that give me great comfort, and again I feel compelled to share.

First is just a tidbit to reassure that the immediate tasks may not be as formidable or lengthy as our opponents want us to believe, so do not allow anything ever to discourage you. Hillary Clinton has used violence to try to tempt Donald Trump's supporters, to no avail. Stand firm and patient. The original Cyrus conquered the capital city of Babylon in a single night (following a seige), without damage or bloodshed. I think American tradition will hold firm, and the "new Cyrus" will enter the "Washingtonian Babylon" in a peaceful transition as well.  Just as all of us together have watched and helped Mr Trump patiently overcome the combined opposition of every corrupt power in the country - and do so in one single election cycle -  by simple persistence and determination, so too can the rest of the work be done quickly,with persistence. As Mr Trump said:

"All we have to do is stop believing in our failed politicians and start believing in each other and in our country. 

"There is no challenge too great, no dream outside of our reach.

"Don't let anyone tell you it can't be done -- the future lies with the dreamers, not the cynics and the critics." 

The next one, a news report, has a very unusual connection that caught me off guard. What it points to is a kind of renewal that fits with Isaiah's original prophesy and the historical record of King Cyrus, in which the LORD declared that He has empowered Cyrus not only to free His people and rebuild the temple, but so that the whole world will know the Lord our God. (Isaiah 45).

Remember, when reading, that Iran was named Persia until very recently. This was the heart of King Cyrus's empire.  Breitbart's Adelle Nazarian writes:

"Tens of thousands of Iranians, from various parts of the nation, gathered at the site of the tomb of King Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae Friday morning on the anniversary of his birthday to protest the clerical regime’s policies. According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), protesters chanted, “Iran is our country, Cyrus is our father” and “clerical rule is synonymous with only tyranny, only war.” The protesters also reportedly chanted, “freedom of thought cannot take place with beards,” a reference to the theocratic leaders currently in power.

"Many Iranians consider King Cyrus the father of international human rights, citing the discovery of the Cyrus Cylinder around 559 B.C. — the first known charter of human rights. In 1971, the Shah of Iran’s twin sister, the late Princess Ashraf Pahlavi, presented the United Nations with a replica of the Cyrus Cylinder, which is kept at the U.N.’s New York headquarters and is promoted as “an ancient declaration of human rights.”

"Pooya Dayanim, President of the Iranian Jewish Public Affairs Committee (IJPAC), told Breitbart News that the rally was an indication that “the generation that was born after the revolution of 1979 feels as if their parents made a mistake and destroyed their hope and future.” Dayanim added, 

“They consider themselves a burnt generation, just like the generation in America that has been living in their parents’ garages and basements and are either unemployed or underemployed.”

"Dayanim said that ... “getting in touch with their rich Iranian heritage from the pre-Islamic era is one of the only sources of pride they have. What happened today is a sign of them embracing Iran when it was a strong and powerful and respected State, versus the government that they have now which has turned Iran into a pariah and has destroyed their hopes, dreams, aspirations and future.”

This story points to advances made by now-Christian Russia's influence against Islamic theocracy. It portends well toward Mr Trump's foreign policy plans within that region. 

And essentially, it points ahead into a future of considerable brightness, with  hope for genuine liberty coming out of oppression once again. Not through meddlesome outsiders like Hillary Clinton making war, but through God's action in the world raising up peoples and new generations. 

So whatever happens on Tuesday, take heart.

We can be confident that God is moving within these events, "helping him win his battles" and breaking open gates for this new Cyrus.  In addition, other men of good will have been awakened by the alarm, and God's power comes to them as well. 

God's plans will not be thwarted if we few align our will freely to His. What is His will? God stated it clearly in Isaiah 45 (also read Chapters 43, 44 and 46 while you are there). 

Jesus said: "These things I've told you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world. " (John 16:33) 

Want a "Godly Leader"? Remember King Cyrus, and Vote For Donald Trump

Want a "Godly leader"? Remember King Cyrus, who GOD anointed to rebuild the temple and free God's people, even though Cyrus did not know God. Cyrus was a BUILDER.

Mr Trump is a builder who does not need the "pay" of the office. Mr Trump is a "type" of Cyrus: a man called by our Father God "for such a time as this", when American citizens are made exiles in our own country.

God said: "I will stir up Cyrus and help him win his battles. I will make all his roads straight. He will rebuild Jerusalem. My people have been taken away from their country. But he will set them free. I will not pay him to do it. He will not receive a reward for it,” says the Lord who rules over all. " Isaiah 45:13

Mr Trump is even getting the opposition that the original Cyrus got!

" Then the [adversaries to rebuilding] discouraged the people of Judah, and made them afraid to build, and they bribed officials to frustrate their plan throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia. ... they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem." Ezra 4: 4-6

So no matter what False Witness (violation of the 9th Commandment) you hear, remember Isaiah 44, and take heart!

“This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: "I am the Lord, the Maker of all things....
who foils the signs of false prophets [political analysts] and makes fools of diviners [polling companies],
who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense,
who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, ....
who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’            Isaiah 44:24-26, 28

Here is a list of the dozens of Bible references to King Cyrus.  Just as Israel needed a leader to authorize them to rebuild their own country, so do we today. And just as our Creator God gave them that leader, so we today have the opportunity to elect a "type" of Cyrus: Mr Donald J Trump, whose proven leadership will enable us to make the repairs to our nation, our infrastructure, our systems, and our right to self determination that America needs.

Donald Trump, Winged Horses, and The Folly Of Trying To Make Everyone "Nice"

C.S. Lewis, in "Mere Christianity", has something to say to Christians about judging people by their perceived public "niceness". Those who support Mr Donald Trump for President understand this very well.  We are eager to let our winged horse grow his wings and bring America to great new heights.

    ".....we must not suppose that even if we succeeded in making everyone nice we should have saved their souls. A world of nice people, content in their own niceness, looking no further, turned away from God, would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable world—and might even be more difficult to save.

"For mere improvement is not redemption, though redemption always improves people even here and now and will, in the end, improve them to a degree we cannot yet imagine. God became man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man. It is not like teaching a horse to jump better and better but like turning a horse into a winged creature. Of course, once it has got its wings, it will soar over fences which could never have been jumped and thus beat the natural horse at its own game. 

"But there may be a period, while the wings are just beginning to grow, when it cannot do so: and at that stage the lumps on the shoulders—no one could tell by looking at them that they are going to be wings—may even give it an awkward appearance."

                                                           ~  C. S. Lewis, from "Mere Christianity", presented in Bible Gateway's "C. S. Daily" email newsletter

The Orlando Terrorist Attack, Self Defense, And A Sobering Reality Check

For your own sakes, people, either walk armed or else refuse to go places that do not allow ordinary people to defend themselves. Gay or straight, black or white, Christian or Jew, children or adults, we have all suffered from the murders of people trapped in those despicable "Gun Free Zones".

The tragedies have become numbing. It was only by the grace of God that Anti-American Anti-Trump rioters in San Jose did not kill some innocent citizen under the very eyes of the police, who watched unmoving as many were traumatized. Last week, nine American soldiers drowned in one of the flash floods that every year kill more people than any other weather event. This weekend, scores of people were gunned down in yet another act of war against our civilization. May our Father God bring comfort to the those whose loved ones were killed, and healing to those who were injured.

After San Jose, we looked for ways to protect oneself against mobs. In the tragic deaths of strong people against rushing water, we saw the need for more urgent flood safety education. And now, looking once again at a group of defenseless people shot down without mercy, we see that self-reliance and self-defense and self-preservation are the only means by which we can assure our own safety and that of our neighbors.

Because nothing any government official or agency or law or employee does is going to save our lives from people bent on killing us. We MUST take charge of our own safety and demand the mealy-mouthed elite stop hiding behind their PAID ARMED GUARDS, stop using us as their shields, and stop gambling with our lives when they won't take an unprotected step with their own.

No one can vote away my right to defend myself - or yours. The ancient, indigenous American culture of gun use and carry - not just for adults or "non-convicted" - that was a part of life in these United States from 1492 until the 1980s, has been eroded by people who HIRE THEIR GUNS while trying to eliminate ours.

Paul and I made a decision several months ago that we will not go into buildings that do not allow the public to bring their guns. Places we can't avoid, such as the doctor's office and Courthouse, we will respectfully make known our opinion. Otherwise, we have choices (such as shopping at Kroger and not at HEB), and we make them.

While we always have to be aware and willing to protect and defend ourselves and our neighbors, there is an additional element when the danger comes from foreign elements - whether or not the "actor" is a US citizen or not. The word for terrorists who happen to hold US citizenship is: Traitors. Traitors are citizens who commit acts on behalf of foreign elements.

Terrorists are people who commit acts on behalf of foreign interests: they are, by definition, "enemies foreign and domestic", and it is the job of our governments to protect us from them. In fact, that is the PRIMARY (and some say ONLY) job of government: to protect citizens and our lands from damage or injury or incursion by foreign interests.

When it comes to terrorists and traitors, Stefan Molyneux has a reality check, and a history lesson for people who really care about saving lives of Americans who believe in liberty. It's long, but you don't want to miss the last part either, because we have hard choices to make. He says it all far better than I can:

Daily Pundit: "If You Can Vote For Trump This Week, Go Vote For Trump This Week"

Bill Quick reminds everyone in places with primaries or caucuses how important your vote STILL IS:

"For those of you who would actually like to stop Crooked Hillary’s headlong attempt to win the White House by armed robbery and corruption, and who would like to see a President who intends to end and reverse a significant part of the damage the Obama administration has done, you really have only one choice, and that choice is now Donald Trump.  

"We need to see as many votes for him this coming Tuesday as possible.  Let’s break all the records.  Let there be no more doubt in anybody’s mind who will be the GOP nominee and our next President."

Bill points out that in politics, momentum counts, and that is something we can still affect as individuals with our votes. This means you California, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Go vote for Mr Trump!

Where Does The Trump Way Lead?

Bill Quick, over at Daily Pundit, has started a fascinating discussion about Donald Trump's ultimate goals as President, and how he might approach them.

"...I have to believe Trump was entirely aware of all of this before he announced his candidacy, and his efforts since have taken all that knowledge into account, and guided his strategy – which is far broader than merely running for President – every step of the way.

"But where does the Trump way lead? ...

"....What happens under the two terms of President Trump will be the rest of the story.  That’s the part where the rubber hits the road as far as Making America Great Again.  That’s the part where he breaks the power of the oligarchy, after destroying the ruling party tools they created to express that power in the political arena."

The musing about how he might do that is on-going in the comments - go over and see. Join in with your own thoughts.

Flint Michigan, and the Realities of Water Supplies: DIY Solutions Texans Have Used For Decades

I was glad to see the indictments come down against the local officials who hid problems with Flint Michigan's water quality.  Just as East Orange, New Jersey, faced up to dereliction of duty by employees and local politicians in its water management, so must Flint,

There are health issues that now must be addressed, caused by the unknowns in the past. The website "FlintWaterStudy.org" has good information on what is known so far, and what is being done. They also have factual info about how residents themselves can improve water quality in their homes - in some instances by simply using more water:

"The very low water use rates in some Flint homes, hinders recovery of the system due to the improved corrosion control. Less water use means that the orthophosphate and chlorine added to help improve the water quality and reduce lead and bacteria, are not flowing through the homes as much as is desired. Regular water use is needed to help clean out loose lead deposits and control biofilms within the pipes.  Moreover, occasionally drawing water at a high rate from a tap with unrestricted flow such as a roman bath spout, hose bib or mud sink, will help to achieve velocities inside pipes that are needed to scour deposits that contain lead and iron rust."

It was the city government's responsibility to notify the residents about the acidic water, but at this point, the people - the residents and citizens - of Flint Michigan are now solely responsible for the safety of their future drinking water. No one else. Whatever or whoever caused it, now the people know about it and they need to come together to fix it, just as they would take action to repair their car or their roof or their church.

Waiting on government will just make them feel more helpless.

But they also need to know they are not alone with these problems. Despite the fact that the media pretends this is some new crisis, in reality people all over America have been solving this kind of water problem for themselves, as individuals and as communities, for decades.

When I was growing up in Oklahoma, we knew never to drink water from the hot water tap, and to let the water run for a minute before filling a jug or pot. That advice has been around for as long as indoor plumbing. The folks in Flint (and elsewhere) must not have been taught that, but now they know these measures are essential, just as they were 60 years ago.  People living in other communities need to take note, and apply these safety precautions as well.

I raised my children in West Texas, where we have been buying our drinking/cooking water in gallon jugs or refilling milk jugs at "Water Stores" (seriously) or via under-sink Reverse Osmosis Filtering machines, since the 1970s, due to the high level of salts and minerals in local water supplies. It is the normal way of life for most people in the western half of Texas.

In old houses today, it is easy to run new flexible lines to faucets because the new lines can remain above ground, they don't have to be buried. Neighborhoods can get together and pool their resources and labor to do this work.

When it comes to the original problem that Flint faced, the need for a pipeline to a new city water supply, there is a precedent for that too.

Olney Texas has twice faced the need for new water pipelines that they could not afford.. so they took responsibility and laid those lines themselves.

It was supposed to cost a million dollars and take a year. It took the townspeople 25 hours and cost $350.

ALL the citizens turned out and labored for free, under direction, to solve their problem. Here are the stories, from 1978, and again in 1984. There's no hype, this is what really happened:
  http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20071429,00.html

"A firm of consulting engineers told Mayor Alan Myers Jr. of Olney, Texas that the town's rapidly diminishing water supply would evaporate altogether within 120 days unless a highly unlikely deluge of rains came. In the best of times Olney, a community of some 5,000 in the arid cactus-and-mesquite country west of Dallas, gets no more than 24 inches of rain a year, and for the past four years of drought less than half that amount has fallen. The shortage was compounded by a heat wave that parched Texas with searing temperatures of over 100° every day for 35 days. "It scared me to death," said Mayor Myers. "It looked like we didn't have much farther to go." 

The solution—to pipe in water from lakes out of the drought zone—would cost a million dollars (the entire town budget), the engineers said, and take a year. "The town would have died before we could finish," says Myers, "even if we could afford it." He and Acting City Manager Jack Northrup set out to find an alternate plan. If a pipeline could somehow be built from Olney's cracked and drying Lake Cooper to Lake Kickapoo, part of the Wichita Falls reservoir system 14 miles away, the crisis might be averted. 

The Wichita Falls city council agreed to sell a million gallons a day, but the problem remained of finding pipe and laying it down fast. A friend of the mayor's remembered "invasion pipe," which Army engineers had installed aboveground in combat zones during World War II. "He said there might be some in storage somewhere, so I started calling around to see." 

Meanwhile word of the daring project filtered through the churches, Rotary and Lions clubs and Rodge's, the town's only cafe. "Jack Northrup told me the people were saying they could lay the pipe themselves if I could get it," says Myers. Within a few days he located a supply of 1940 invasion pipe in Texas state warehouses. 

Olney rose instantly to the occasion in the spirit of the town motto: "Lead, follow—or get out of the way." On July 14 some 230 unlikely pipeliners—merchants, lawyers, executives, ranchers, Mayor Myers and the one-armed Northrup—put signs on their homes, offices and shops: "Closed. Gone for water."   Click through to read the rest...

Then, six years later, they had to extend the pipeline (click through to read the newspaper scan:  https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19840703&id=-otiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sHcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2230,210509&hl=en 

Oh and the latest drought brought the problem back, so this time they are taking a new approach, they are going to reuse their treated sewer water: http://www.newschannel6now.com/story/29173726/olney-takes-final-step-before-water-reuse-construction-phase

Never feel helpless against the problems you face. God created us to be problem solvers for ourselves. Take a new look at whatever challenges your family, your home, your community, and talk to others. Fnd out what YOU can do. We CAN help ourselves and our neighbors, and will have better results and happier lives because of it.

5/11/2016:  Thanks to Bill Quick over at Daily Pundit for the link! 

"The Trump Family That I Know" - A Black Female Trump Executive Speaks Out

Rogation Days: "Justice in the Preservation of the Boundaries"

"Rogation Days" were a church tradition in Europe that involved the whole community walking the boundaries of their village lands, led by their Priest and asking the blessing of God on it all.

Maybe if we had kept walking the boundaries and teaching children the landmarks, we would not be in such danger from the new iconoclasts today, who seem determined to tear down every landmark of civilization. From the article "Rogation and Ascension"  on Full Homely Divinity:

"The reminder of boundaries had another important impact on communal life. In a poem by the 20th century American Robert Frost, the poet's neighbor asserts that "good fences make good neighbors." Boundaries are often very important in relationships. As members of parishes beat the bounds, they would often encounter obstructions and violations of boundaries. The annual beating of the bounds provided an opportunity to resolve boundary issues. It also led to the tradition of seeking reconciliation in personal relationships during Rogationtide. The sharing of a specially brewed ale, called Ganging Beer, and a mysterious pastry, called Rammalation Biscuits, at the end of the walk was a good way of sealing the reconciliation.

"George Herbert gave the following good reasons to beat the bounds: 1) a blessing of God for the fruits of the field; 2) Justice in the preservation of the bounds; 3) Charity, in living, walking and neighbourly accompanying one another, with reconciling of differences at that time, if they be any; 4) Mercy, in relieving the poor by a liberal distribution of largess which at that time is or ought be made."  [in The Country Parson, Chapter 35]

A Problem with Talking Point Gossip about Donald Trump

I love to read a variety of sources, opinions, and topics. As you look down my sidebar, this becomes obvious. We all have to be a bit skeptical when we read, but I look for sincere independent thinking and legitimate research that uses (or at least acknowledges/links to) original sources, as opposed to the kind of intellectual gossip columns that deal in cloning opinion of elitist "Influencers".  So I prefer The Drudge Report and Sharyl Attkisson and Christopher Taylor and Doctor Mabuse over some others that might seem ubiquitous elsewhere.

Sadly, my Sidebar is changing. I've kept rational writers like those named above who do their own independent research before forming opinions. But... I've removed those writers (including the very well known) who allow "thought leaders" to build their opinions for them: what others think instead of original sources.  I think most of them don't realize they are being manipulated.  Unfortunately, it calls into question everything else they write about.

I'd rather send people to bloggers who think for themselves because independent thought is the most honest kind. And independent thinkers are less likely to fall prey to manipulation whether through peer pressure or media bias.

It is American to support different candidates. It is cool be passionate about it. I can even understand a passionate dislike of one candidate. I've got those I feel that way about - after doing my own independent research on them.

I've given historical and factual reasons for my support of Mr Donald Trump. With lots and lots of links to full uncut texts at independent sources untainted by the present election or geo-political atmosphere.

I'm cool if someone has a legitimate reason for opposing Donald Trump. If someone has read his actual policy positions in full and still thinks he is wrong. If someone has watched his recent interviews on Face the Nation etc, has read the lengthy interviews with him over the past 30 years, the serious news articles about him over the past 30 years, the best-selling books he has written, the speeches he has given at places like CPAC and the Scottish Parliament, and still thinks a business approach is wrong for America, well, we can disagree on that opinion but it at least is a fair one that was legitimately developed.

If someone supports one of his opponents and thus opposes him because they see him as "the opposition"...   Heck, if someone admits they are a lock-step Establishmentarianist and WON'T support Mr Trump because they don't want an outsider.. even that is cool.

But that isn't what is happening. Instead, so many of those who lash out against Mr Trump do so by quoting the talking points and gotcha words they have been given, insulting not only the man but also those of us who are serious thinking people who have SELECTED Donald Trump out of a broad field.  They don't argue the merits of another candidate. Instead, they call names, use derisive appellations, and poke fun at him and those who are voting for him.

Mr Donald Trump actually has more broad-based support than any other candidate has had throughout this election cycle. And obviously, he has a LOT of that broad-based support across all of the artificial dividing lines the Left (and apparently the NRO-Defined Conservative Right) have created to separate us. The voters have proven that.

So the persistence of quoted talking points tells me these "Never Trump" folks (their own self-assigned appellation!) did not do their own research into either Mr Trump, his candidacy, or his supporters' reasons for choosing him.

If they didn't do their own independent research about Mr Donald Trump before acquiring the opinion they choose to dispense to the public, that says they also may not do their own independent research about other serious matters.

And that is a serious problem to me. Because if they will choose to believe gossip and ignore remarkable facts about a matter with which I am familiar, how likely are they to do so in other matters where I might have otherwise trusted their information?

I think most of them don't realize they are being manipulated.

Unfortunately, for me, it calls into question everything else they write about.

Thank You Nevada For Choosing To Make America Great Again

Thank You South Carolina For Choosing To Make America Great Again

With Mr Trump's willingness to enforce the laws Congress has already passed, and his leadership to back us up, WE AMERICANS can begin rebuilding  the country we all love, with our own hands, our own money, our own ideas, our own dreams, and our own determination.