By Danelle Carvell
I took a Spring break from blogging, which I'm still enjoying, but something is weighing on my heart that I feel the need to share. Both my husband and I were feeling a bit defeated and discouraged today with all the things going on in the world. He has challenges at work and is watching people fall apart as they face so many of life's problems. I'm frustrated by the constant battle for peace in a world of people so consumed by worldly pleasures and material gain.
I get tired of the doom and gloom I see each day on the news. I get tired of feeling like I'm losing the people I love to the things of this world. I get tired of the constant battle to live by faith not by sight. I get tired of trying to do and say the right thing when others do and say what is right in their own eyes. I get tired of fighting against the current and sometimes I wonder what good it's doing. And then sometimes I just get tired of being tired.
Whenever I'm feeling down, I can always count on something coming along to lift my spirits that very same day. God does that for me. When I went to the mailbox this afternoon and saw the monthly letter from Charles Stanley, I knew there was something in there that would address what I was feeling. I smiled as I read his letter, which comes to our home free each month. The letter was about how God sets us free from the problems we face.
"How often do you and I get caught up in an attitude of defeat? We are overwhelmed by our circumstances because we are focused on our limited comprehension of them instead of the Father's awesome purposes. Yet if we could see past our imperfect understanding to our extraordinary Redeemer, we would be filled with joy. Our lives would be radically transformed," said Stanley.
All the bad news we see around us are things that must come to pass. They are things that God knows about and is in control of. Staying informed is part of our responsibility, but we don't have to let bad news bring us down because God always succeeds in carrying out his plans. "Regardless of what you face or how your situation currently appears, the Lord is greater," said Stanley. "He has conquered the grave and can overcome any problem you encounter. So continue walking in the center of his will. He is certain to keep all of His promises to you."
At times I have to take a deep breath, clear my head and remind myself that nothing can separate me from God and any adversity I experience here on Earth is temporary because Jesus has given us eternal life. It's difficult not to become weary and disheartened in a world that seems to be falling apart at the seams. More and more I'm hearing of people facing difficult, heart-breaking situations. I wonder how much worse can things get. And then God sends a miracle. A letter in my mailbox reminds me that if I keep seeking God, He will deliver me from every fear, every frustration, every doubt, every challenge.
God is always there. He knows my every thought. And if I draw close to Him, He will comfort me and deliver me from painful circumstances. God's timing is amazing. The timing of that letter and the subject of it was amazing. It's exactly what I needed to hear. Who doesn't want that kind of comfort? Who doesn't yearn for the amazing love and comfort of God?
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
SO POWERFUL YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE IT
Do you find yourself unable to concentrate or accomplish much in the midst of all the turmoil we're seeing in the world around us? Do you find yourself depressed or unable to get out of bed as quickly as you once did? I believe these are normal feelings considering the events that are unfolding before us. The Bible warns us about these days and it warns us that men's hearts would fail them for fear of what is coming upon the earth.
Fortunately, there is a way to overcome the fear. It's another word that starts with "f"--Faith. Now is the time to cling to your faith and grow closer to the Lord. It's not time to panic or rush to worldly answers for your security. The article below tells a story about a man who lost his faith and panicked in the midst of a crisis. The result was a disaster. Please read the article below if you feel your faith is wavering. Faith is so powerful. You don't want to lose it.
Fortunately, there is a way to overcome the fear. It's another word that starts with "f"--Faith. Now is the time to cling to your faith and grow closer to the Lord. It's not time to panic or rush to worldly answers for your security. The article below tells a story about a man who lost his faith and panicked in the midst of a crisis. The result was a disaster. Please read the article below if you feel your faith is wavering. Faith is so powerful. You don't want to lose it.
ENDURING FAITH
| Click on the link below and scroll down to "The Most Important Issue of This Hour" |
IT WOULDN'T HURT TO BE PREPARED
The below commentary is from John McTernan's Insights. A link to his blog is located at the right side of my page under World Events and Prophecy. It wouldn't hurt for us to be prepared in case such a disaster occurs here in the states. A supply of food and water, a way to cook and keep warm without electricity, water purifying tablets or colloidal silver (water purification) are just some of the things to have on hand in case of emergency. For more on this click "be prepared" under the labels category at the right side of my page and read Gotta Keep Living, But Gotta Be Prepared.
Special Attention: Japan Earthquake
Matthew 24:7
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Commentary
Like most people, I have been following the earthquake that hit Japan. I have received many emails from people tying the earthquake to Japan's position against Israel and the promotion of a Palestinian state. I am going to post this information for your reading. I would like to thank everyone who emailed me about this as I did not see it at first.
What happened to Japan has me very upset. The vast majority of the Japanese people reject the Bible. The gospel has taken root in Korea and China but not in Japan. The Bible warns not to touch Israel, but Japan has no fear of the Bible whatsoever. It is like telling someone an electric wire is hot and that person does not believe you and touches it. I have a strong feeling that Japan is not going to recover from this. The Japanese economy and society is coming down. Japan is being crushed by debt and this could send the country into a tailspin.
There is more destruction coming to the nations as the vast majority of the world does not believe the Bible. God does not want to do this, but the nations are leaving Him with no choice but judgment
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
I believe what happened to Japan is in some fashion going to happen to America and very soon. The homosexual marriage agenda or bullying Israel will trigger the judgment on America. God has so clearly warned America, which I have documented in my books and on this blog for 25 years.
I watched the Japanese people without food and clean water. The food supplies have run out. I have issued many alerts on this blog to store food and supplies as the Lord leads you. I am once again bringing this to your attention. Please have food and supplies on hand to get you and others through times like what is now happening in Japan. A huge event is coming to America. Please be prepared as you seek the LORD about what to do.
When I watched the tsunamis hitting the West Coast, I felt they were warnings of what is coming. If the Japanese reactors blow, it could send a radioactive plume across the Pacific Ocean to America. The entire world is now falling under the LORD'S judgment. We can see it from Japan to Egypt. Be prepared physically while at the same time keep your eyes on the Lord Jesus! This world is fast running out of time.
May the Holy God of Israel bless and protect you.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
A SMART IDEA
The below article is from The Activist Post.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
3 Key Preparation Components for Any Emergency
The recent earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan is a horrible tragedy. It also is a reminder that while not every disaster can be averted completely, those who find themselves on the outer areas of the epicenter will most likely not be able to rely upon authorities for survival. Ten percent of homes in Japan are now without power, water supplies have been cut, and many rescue roads have been all but eliminated.
There are many levels of self-sufficiency and preparation that we have discussed in other articles, including long-range plans such as how to simplify and survive by growing an organic garden, raising chickens, as well as learning how to generally be a producer not a consumer. However, the recent events in Japan are a stark reminder that disaster preparation is paramount. Survivors in Japan are now lining up by the thousands at grocery stores and gas stations attempting to hoard necessary rations. Certainly they would have benefited from basic preparation prior to the disaster.
Given the tragedy of recent events, preparation for the worst is always a smart idea. Here are the three essential components of disaster prep which will give you the necessities to survive any situation:
1. Grab and Go Food Kits: Properly made kits are packed in air-tight nitrogen packed mylar pouches. These kits will last up to 25 years with no rotation necessary. These meals are easy to prepare, cost effective at around $2 per serving, and designed for a backpack. They should be at the top of your list of ready-made survival tools.
2. Long-term Emergency Supplies: Finding a reputable company that offers freeze-dried food in durable containers is a must. Standard packages hold up to 240 meals -- a 1 month supply of 2 servings per day for 4 adults, or 2 adults and 4 children. This also equates to a 4 month supply of 2 servings per day for 1 adult. Start with what you can afford and commit to working your way toward a full survival package of 12 months' supply for 4 adults, or 2 adults and four children.
3. Water Storage and Purification: The packages above rely on a sound water source and enough of it to prepare your freeze-dried or dehydrated food source. You should have a variety of storage containers and water purification systems that will both allow you to be self-sufficient if you need to stay where you are, or enable you to take your water needs and ability to purify in your travels.
There are of course many more facets that should be taken into account in order to best prepare for when disaster strikes, but the above three should form the core of protection for you and your family.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
MARCH 12 POST FURTHER EXPLAINED
Here's a further explanation of the Luke 21:11 scripture posted above the Temple Mount article and video titled, Great Signs From Heaven. There's also a link to some fearful sights that were captured when the tsunami hit Japan.
(Mar 12) ...And great earthquakes (mega) shall be in diverse places (various, throughout as maybe the" ring of fire"), and famines, and pestilences (which can be a result of mega quakes as in Japan and civil unrest as in the Middle East ); and fearful sights (terrifying, people trying to flee a frightening thing: terrorism, tsunamis, tornado's, oppression ) and great signs shall be from heaven (a wonder, an indication, especially supernatural and maybe as the recent glowing light over the Temple Mount in Israel ). http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646
(Mar 12) ...And great earthquakes (mega) shall be in diverse places (various, throughout as maybe the" ring of fire"), and famines, and pestilences (which can be a result of mega quakes as in Japan and civil unrest as in the Middle East ); and fearful sights (terrifying, people trying to flee a frightening thing: terrorism, tsunamis, tornado's, oppression ) and great signs shall be from heaven (a wonder, an indication, especially supernatural and maybe as the recent glowing light over the Temple Mount in Israel ). http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646
LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
http://robertapm28.blogspot.com/
You'll love this blog. The travel photos are delightful and the recipes sound so good you'll want to cook and bake right now. Check out the blogs she follows and you'll discover more fabulous bloggy treasures.
You'll love this blog. The travel photos are delightful and the recipes sound so good you'll want to cook and bake right now. Check out the blogs she follows and you'll discover more fabulous bloggy treasures.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN
But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified; for these things must first come to pass; but the end (does not follow immediately)...Nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences, and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. Luke 21:9-11
In the early morning of January 28, 2011, a mysterious event was captured in Jerusalem by a number of video devices. It happened where some consider to be the absolute center of the globe: the Temple Mount. Two young Israeli men sent their video to Earthfiles.com, which describes the content of the video as follows:
"24 seconds into the video, a white aerial light descends quickly toward the horizon on the Dome of the Rock area in the Old City...a circle of translucent light zooms toward the white aerial object...immediately the original white object zips straight up at terrific speed. Camera pans up to four red lights pulsating on and off in a large shifting pattern from triangle to diamond."
Two thousand years ago, anyone who witnessed the above event would immediately report having seen an angel over the Temple.
According to an article in Prophecy In The News magazine, "Such aerial activities were universally seen as visions of something supernatural, perhaps divine...The historian Flavius Josephus reported that at the time of the Roman siege of the Temple, a number of supernatural events were seen over the Temple Mount."
"...so great a light shone around the altar and the holy house, that it appeared to be bright as day-time...for half an hour...This light...was interpreted by the sacred scribes as to portend those events that followed immediately upon it." [Wars of the Jews, VI., v.3]
What immediately followed was the Roman destruction of the Temple.
"Why would an angel swoop down over the Temple Mount, hover just above it, flash a brilliant light, then rocket upward to meet four other similar angels which had been hovering there?" asks Gary Stearman in his article, "An Angel Over the Temple Mount."
If you believe the Bible, fiery chariots are angelic activity. UFOs are not aliens from outer space. "Biblically speaking, chariots of fire, angels, demons and the activities of the Lord in the heavens describe every unidentified appearance of lights and spheres and discs in the modern era," says Stearman. "The manifestations of mysterious lights and ships in the sky are perfectly explained as the comings and goings of celestial beings, involved in their ancient battles in the heavens."
What was that angel doing there on the 28th of January? Is this another example of the great signs from heaven that Jesus speaks about in the book of Luke? Signs that will precede the rapture of the church? Watch the video below and decide for yourself. If the video is not found directly below this, click on Biblical Truth under the labels category at the bottom right side of this blog.
In the early morning of January 28, 2011, a mysterious event was captured in Jerusalem by a number of video devices. It happened where some consider to be the absolute center of the globe: the Temple Mount. Two young Israeli men sent their video to Earthfiles.com, which describes the content of the video as follows:
"24 seconds into the video, a white aerial light descends quickly toward the horizon on the Dome of the Rock area in the Old City...a circle of translucent light zooms toward the white aerial object...immediately the original white object zips straight up at terrific speed. Camera pans up to four red lights pulsating on and off in a large shifting pattern from triangle to diamond."
Two thousand years ago, anyone who witnessed the above event would immediately report having seen an angel over the Temple.
According to an article in Prophecy In The News magazine, "Such aerial activities were universally seen as visions of something supernatural, perhaps divine...The historian Flavius Josephus reported that at the time of the Roman siege of the Temple, a number of supernatural events were seen over the Temple Mount."
"...so great a light shone around the altar and the holy house, that it appeared to be bright as day-time...for half an hour...This light...was interpreted by the sacred scribes as to portend those events that followed immediately upon it." [Wars of the Jews, VI., v.3]
What immediately followed was the Roman destruction of the Temple.
"Why would an angel swoop down over the Temple Mount, hover just above it, flash a brilliant light, then rocket upward to meet four other similar angels which had been hovering there?" asks Gary Stearman in his article, "An Angel Over the Temple Mount."
If you believe the Bible, fiery chariots are angelic activity. UFOs are not aliens from outer space. "Biblically speaking, chariots of fire, angels, demons and the activities of the Lord in the heavens describe every unidentified appearance of lights and spheres and discs in the modern era," says Stearman. "The manifestations of mysterious lights and ships in the sky are perfectly explained as the comings and goings of celestial beings, involved in their ancient battles in the heavens."
What was that angel doing there on the 28th of January? Is this another example of the great signs from heaven that Jesus speaks about in the book of Luke? Signs that will precede the rapture of the church? Watch the video below and decide for yourself. If the video is not found directly below this, click on Biblical Truth under the labels category at the bottom right side of this blog.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Something Big Is About To Happen
Something Big Is About To Happen
By Carl Worline
The entire world is on edge because everyone senses that something big is about to happen. Christians know that either the Rapture of the Church or the battle described in Psalm 83 is about to occur...The Earth longs to be free of the curse it has suffered under ever since the original sin of Adam and Eve. Jesus told us in Matthew 24:7-8 that His return would be preceded by upheavals in nature which He likened to the birth pangs of a woman about to give birth, increasing in intensity and frequency as the moment of the arrival of the child draws ever closer.
Has the frequency and intensity of earthquakes been increasing during the past decade? Absolutely. Has the frequency and intensity of violent and extreme weather been increasing? Yes. What about volcanic eruptions? Famines? Floods? Droughts? Not only is the answer to all of these questions definitely yes, but the increase in the frequency and intensity of all of these upheavals has been terrifyingly dramatic.
(Not to mention the mysterious deaths of countless fish, birds, and animals--Danelle)
Around this time last year I was totally convinced that all necessary prophecy regarding the Rapture of the Church had been fulfilled and that it would occur at any moment. At the same time I was a bit concerned that the final sequence of events leading to the Second Coming of our Lord was not quite ready to begin. After all, while Turkey and Israel were not exactly best friends forever, they were, nevertheless, still buddies.
Ezekiel 38 tells us that Turkey and Israel are bitter enemies when the shooting starts in the Battle of Gog and Magog. Egypt and Israel were also on relatively friendly terms a year ago, so how was the conflict described in Psalm 83 going to take place? Besides, Israel did not have a great national treasure so why would Gog from the land of Magog invade Israel to capture spoil and seize plunder (Ezekiel 38:12)? That was before enormous reserves of natural gas and oil were discovered beneath the nation of Israel.
And finally, about a year ago the Middle East was surprisingly peaceful considering all of the howling and the barking at the moon about war. Threats flowed like water but in the end each nation seemed to prefer peace to the shedding of their own blood. Where was the spark that would ignite the entire Middle East? If nobody was willing to commit an overt act that would start a war then only spontaneous combustion could trigger the detonation, and that did not seem to be very likely.
That was a year ago. It is amazing how much the situation has changed.
To get a better look at where we are along then timeline of the last days we need to take a look at the impending food crisis we are facing. Today 1 out of every 6 people on this planet goes to sleep each night without getting enough to eat and 34,000 people die each day from famine related causes. This is horrifying enough, but things are about to get a lot worse.
China is the top producer of wheat in the world. The droughts and dust storms in 2010 have been the worst southwestern China has seen in a century. India is the second largest producer of wheat in the world and is suffering through a record heat wave and water crisis that has badly decimated their crops. Russia is the third largest wheat producer in the world and accounts for 10 percent of total world output. Last year massive wildfires stretched across 7 regions in Russia when temperatures reached their highest level since they started keeping records 130 years ago.
France is the fourth largest producer of wheat in the world and just recently lowered their wheat crop forecasts due to cold weather and drought. Canada is the fifth largest wheat producer in the world and has suffered reduced grain production due to severe drought in their western provinces. The Ukraine is the sixth largest producer of wheat and the top producer of barley in the world. They have suffered from the same fires and drought that Russia has endured to the point they have suspended all of the grain exports for 2011.
Australia is the seventh largest producer of wheat in the world. Flooding has covered an area in Australia equal in size to that of France and Germany combined, with water 30 feet deep in some places, destroying crops. Pakistan is the eighth largest producer in the world. In 2010 floods in Pakistan covered 17 million acres of their most fertile crop land and did not subside in time for farmers to meet the deadline for planting new seeds for the fall harvest. In addition, historic floods and droughts have destroyed crops in the major grain producing areas of South America.
During the winter of 2010-2011 snow fell in 49 of our 50 states here in the US where massive numbers of crops were wiped out. While this was taking place South Korea destroyed millions of farm animals infected with hoof-and-mouth disease. Honeybees and bumble bees continue to die off across North America further reducing food production due to lack of adequate pollination. These are just some of the disasters that have recently occurred which will cause increased famines throughout the world starting right now.
If major worldwide food shortages are a very real possibility this spring then it could very well mean that the third horseman of the apocalypse is, even now, placing the saddle on the black horse and is preparing to ride. If the book of Revelation is chronological, as I believe that it is, then the rider of the white horse (the anti-Christ) and the rider of the red horse, who brings war and destruction, are saddled up and preparing to ride out as well. No wonder the entire world is on edge.
I find it difficult to describe, but it seems like there is a strong electric charge in the air that is causing anxiety around our planet. Uprisings are springing up in every corner of the world. People are spontaneously taking to the streets in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Bahrain, Algeria, Jordan, the Palestinian Territories, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Nigeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Sudan, Ivory Coast, Albania, Pakistan, Syria, Belgrade, Serbia, Croatia, and China. Western mainstream media has attempted to explain these spontaneous uprisings as a longing for freedom and democracy by the oppressed nations of the world, but this reasoning seems a bit hollow and empty. Something far more complex, and I believe supernatural, is taking place and it is incredibly powerful.
The intangible fear of impending calamity has pushed the levels of violence all over the Earth to an all time high. Never in the history of the world has both the crying for peace and the screaming for war been so deafening. Gold is at an all time high because people no longer have any faith in the dollar. People are stockpiling food and they are buying guns out of fear for the future rather than fear of crime. For many months ammunition manufacturers have had a difficult time keeping up with demand. Something really big and really bad is about to happen and people all over the world can feel it coming.
The world economy is far too deeply in debt to recover and is teetering on the brink of collapse. The world banking system is a house of cards that is being artificially propped up by its own bankrupt members. A collapse is long overdue and when it does finally come the result will be cataclysmic. On that day somebody will be standing in the wings who will pick up all of the broken pieces and will put them back together in a single worldwide system that everybody will be required to belong to in order to conduct even the simplest of transactions. Financial irresponsibility will be a thing of the past because each transaction, no matter how large or small, will be tracked in real time by one central system. Identity theft will no longer exist. Everyone will access the system using biometric identification in (or on) their own body.
In the past atheists didn’t believe and didn’t care. Now they all seem to be rabidly obsessed on a mission to eliminate every trace of Christianity and Judaism, yet nobody seems to feel compelled to stamp out any other religion. Religious persecution has increased in frequency and intensity to the point where Christians are fleeing for their lives from the entire Middle East, as well as other parts of the world.
Over the past few decades the Moslem world seemed to be relatively content to live and let live as long as Christians did not disparage Allah or Mohammad. Now it seems there is an ever increasing determination to kill every Christian and eliminate all traces of our history and even all traces of our very existence. The Islamic community at times almost appears to be frightened of us Christians and of what is about to happen in the world.
When Paul told us that in the last days immorality would increase and that men would become lovers of men, he was not exaggerating. In the past immorality increased in a subtle, almost coy manner, like a cancer silently spreading through the body of its host. However, in recent years the intensity of immorality has multiplied itself many times over and with a shocking viciousness. Homosexuals, lesbians, and transsexuals are so proud of their sin that they march in the streets demanding to be recognized as a special, privileged class... The Bible tells us that in the last days good will be called evil and that evil will be called good.
Is it just me, or has filthiness become the accepted norm in far too many places where just a short time ago it was not only considered vulgar, but also unacceptable as well? Even more disturbingly, has the viciousness of which these perversions are being forced upon us increased dramatically? I believe they have and I sense that something really big is about to happen because of it.
All of the signs that we are in the last days and that the Second Coming of our Lord is near are not only here, but many of these signs have intensified immensely. In every direction we look we see the writing on the walls. So, what should we do about it? Stockpiling gold, food, and .44 magnum jacketed hollow point ammunition is not the answer.
The first thing we should do – the most important thing we should do - is to be absolutely certain that our reservation has been make to be in heaven with our Lord and Savior for all eternity. This requires an admission that we are sinners, a faith in our Lord that He is the only path to God and that He is the one and only Savior of the World, and a request in which we must go to Jesus in prayer and ask Him to be our Savior.
Nobody can ever get to heaven by being a good person and there are no good deeds that will get us there either. Missing out on such a wonderful gift would be incredibly tragic, especially when such a beautiful gift is free. Time is rapidly running out. At the instant of death our eternal fate is sealed. Our time here on this Earth is precious, but it is a gift. There is no guarantee that we will still possess life here on this Earth a moment from now.
The second thing we should do is to use the time that we have remaining to make sure those around us will be going to heaven as well. Far too many people believe they will be saved because they consider themselves to be a good person and/or because they go to church on Sunday. Spending eternity in hell for this mistaken belief is so horribly tragic that it is beyond description.
And finally, I believe that we desperately need to tell people that heaven is a real place that actually exists, and that hell is also a real place that actually exists. Salvation is a free gift and the opportunity to choose our fate ends at the moment of death.
In the latter portion of 1999 the world was gripped with a paranoid fear that the computers of the world would somehow cause worldwide disasters when the calendar rolled over to the year 2000. We called it the Y2K event. Everyone felt a sickening dread that these disasters would be of Biblical proportions. Nothing happened. Now the intangible fear has returned and it is far stronger than it was before. What will be the final outcome this time around?
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
WHAT WOMEN LONG FOR
By Danelle Carvell
What do women want? What do they dream of? Women can be a mystery not only to men but to themselves as well. Women wonder why they have the longings they have, and they feel guilty for having them.
I'm reading a great book that's helping me to understand my own heart. In Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul, I'm learning that "every woman in her heart of hearts longs for three things: to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, and to unveil beauty." Writing about all three of these longings would require words that could fill a book. So if you want the complete picture of a woman's heart, I suggest you read Captivating. My blog today will focus on the first of a woman's longings, to be romanced.
In Captivating, Author Stasi Eldredge opens her heart and shares the deep longings she had as a little girl. One of her favorite games growing up was "kidnapped and rescued." In that game she was the beauty abducted by the bad guys, then fought for and rescued by a hero. "I simply loved feeling wanted and fought for," says Eldredge. "This desire is set deep in the heart of every little girl--and every woman. Yet most of us are ashamed of it."
This is why little girls and women love books and movies that portray a handsome prince coming to rescue his beloved. As little girls we love Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Cinderella. As women we love romance novels and movies like Titanic and Pretty Woman. "A little girl longs for romance, to be seen and desired, to be sought after and fought for," says Eldredge... "Most of our addictions as women flare up when we feel that we are not loved or sought after."
Women want to be romanced. And when that is missing from their lives they will reach for romance novels, food, alcohol, shopping, or whatever addiction fits their lifestyle. A woman needs to fill the emptiness that's present when she's not anyone's priority, she's not loved, not wanted, not sought after and pursued.
Did you get married just to raise kids and pay bills? Why do so many couples fall into the routine of simply being parents and breadwinners? Yes, parenting is important and we need money to survive, but there's something else a marriage needs to survive: a little romance.
If I had ten dollars for every time I heard a woman say, "There's just no connection between us," I could buy a new car. Husbands and wives forget that they were lovers before they got married and became parents. They need to get out and have some fun, plan time together, laugh again, talk and reconnect.
Women become addicted to romance novels and soap operas because it's the only romance they get. When a wife misses the affection, the flowers, the passion, and that look in his eyes, she'll find it on TV, in a book, or at the movies. These fantasy romances become a substitute for the love she's longing for.
Why is passion and romance so hard to keep alive after a few years of marriage? I think it's because we don't give it priority or effort. Men stop trying to please their wives. The pursuit is over. "She's mine and now I can relax," he thinks. But what he should be thinking is, "She's mine and now I have to keep her interested."
Women deserve to be dated. The happiest wives have husbands who never stop dating them, never stop pursuing them. Women need to feel wanted and appreciated. They need physical affection and verbal compliments. But some men just don't get it. They don't even try to fulfill a woman's needs. Yet men continue to expect their own needs to be met.
So many wives will tell their girlfriends how unhappy they are and how lonely they feel, but they won't tell their husbands. And it's sad because with a little effort any marriage can be reborn. The spark that brought you together can reignite.
But men aren't the only ones who can start a fire. Women need to speak up and tell their husbands what they want. Men can't read minds. Most of them need encouragement to be romantic. They also need a woman to be loveable. Constant nagging won't bring you affection. Criticism kills romance. Sometimes, the most heartless man can be softened by the honest, soft-spoken request of a kind woman. If he refuses to listen, then he needs a wake-up call. He needs to be reminded what life would be like without her. Then maybe he'd appreciate what he has.
But don't worry guys, pleasing a woman isn't something that's going to break you or exhaust you. A compliment is romantic. A hug is romantic. A single rose is more romantic to me than a dozen. Unless you've married a material girl, you don't need money to express your love. All you need is the desire to please her. So be creative. Thoughtful surprises are romantic too. And you know what the most romantic thing is that women crave? A good conversation. Talk to her about her dreams, what places she wants to see, what she wishes she could do. Do you even know what she longs for?
A woman's heart doesn't stay filled. That's the mystery of women. The part that men can't figure out is why we need constant assurance that we're loved and appreciated. To that question I would ask, "Why do men have constant needs?" Why do they constantly need to be fed? Men's and women's needs are different, but they're always constant.
Hearing so many wives express a sense of loneliness in marriage tells me it's time for couples to make more of an effort in the romance department. Every fire goes out eventually if you don't do the work to keep it going.
What do women want? What do they dream of? Women can be a mystery not only to men but to themselves as well. Women wonder why they have the longings they have, and they feel guilty for having them.
I'm reading a great book that's helping me to understand my own heart. In Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul, I'm learning that "every woman in her heart of hearts longs for three things: to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, and to unveil beauty." Writing about all three of these longings would require words that could fill a book. So if you want the complete picture of a woman's heart, I suggest you read Captivating. My blog today will focus on the first of a woman's longings, to be romanced.
In Captivating, Author Stasi Eldredge opens her heart and shares the deep longings she had as a little girl. One of her favorite games growing up was "kidnapped and rescued." In that game she was the beauty abducted by the bad guys, then fought for and rescued by a hero. "I simply loved feeling wanted and fought for," says Eldredge. "This desire is set deep in the heart of every little girl--and every woman. Yet most of us are ashamed of it."
This is why little girls and women love books and movies that portray a handsome prince coming to rescue his beloved. As little girls we love Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Cinderella. As women we love romance novels and movies like Titanic and Pretty Woman. "A little girl longs for romance, to be seen and desired, to be sought after and fought for," says Eldredge... "Most of our addictions as women flare up when we feel that we are not loved or sought after."
Women want to be romanced. And when that is missing from their lives they will reach for romance novels, food, alcohol, shopping, or whatever addiction fits their lifestyle. A woman needs to fill the emptiness that's present when she's not anyone's priority, she's not loved, not wanted, not sought after and pursued.
Did you get married just to raise kids and pay bills? Why do so many couples fall into the routine of simply being parents and breadwinners? Yes, parenting is important and we need money to survive, but there's something else a marriage needs to survive: a little romance.
If I had ten dollars for every time I heard a woman say, "There's just no connection between us," I could buy a new car. Husbands and wives forget that they were lovers before they got married and became parents. They need to get out and have some fun, plan time together, laugh again, talk and reconnect.
Women become addicted to romance novels and soap operas because it's the only romance they get. When a wife misses the affection, the flowers, the passion, and that look in his eyes, she'll find it on TV, in a book, or at the movies. These fantasy romances become a substitute for the love she's longing for.
Why is passion and romance so hard to keep alive after a few years of marriage? I think it's because we don't give it priority or effort. Men stop trying to please their wives. The pursuit is over. "She's mine and now I can relax," he thinks. But what he should be thinking is, "She's mine and now I have to keep her interested."
Women deserve to be dated. The happiest wives have husbands who never stop dating them, never stop pursuing them. Women need to feel wanted and appreciated. They need physical affection and verbal compliments. But some men just don't get it. They don't even try to fulfill a woman's needs. Yet men continue to expect their own needs to be met.
So many wives will tell their girlfriends how unhappy they are and how lonely they feel, but they won't tell their husbands. And it's sad because with a little effort any marriage can be reborn. The spark that brought you together can reignite.
But men aren't the only ones who can start a fire. Women need to speak up and tell their husbands what they want. Men can't read minds. Most of them need encouragement to be romantic. They also need a woman to be loveable. Constant nagging won't bring you affection. Criticism kills romance. Sometimes, the most heartless man can be softened by the honest, soft-spoken request of a kind woman. If he refuses to listen, then he needs a wake-up call. He needs to be reminded what life would be like without her. Then maybe he'd appreciate what he has.
But don't worry guys, pleasing a woman isn't something that's going to break you or exhaust you. A compliment is romantic. A hug is romantic. A single rose is more romantic to me than a dozen. Unless you've married a material girl, you don't need money to express your love. All you need is the desire to please her. So be creative. Thoughtful surprises are romantic too. And you know what the most romantic thing is that women crave? A good conversation. Talk to her about her dreams, what places she wants to see, what she wishes she could do. Do you even know what she longs for?
A woman's heart doesn't stay filled. That's the mystery of women. The part that men can't figure out is why we need constant assurance that we're loved and appreciated. To that question I would ask, "Why do men have constant needs?" Why do they constantly need to be fed? Men's and women's needs are different, but they're always constant.
Hearing so many wives express a sense of loneliness in marriage tells me it's time for couples to make more of an effort in the romance department. Every fire goes out eventually if you don't do the work to keep it going.
Monday, March 7, 2011
A MOTHER'S LEGACY
By Danelle Carvell
Mothers must prepare their daughters for life and marriage because no one else will. What school offers classes on that subject? In the seventies, I learned how to sew a pillow and bake a crumb cake in home economics class, but I learned nothing about choosing a husband, being a good wife, or maintaining a marriage. Yet these were the skills I needed most to learn. I can live without crumb cake.
Mothers must prepare their daughters for life and marriage because no one else will. What school offers classes on that subject? In the seventies, I learned how to sew a pillow and bake a crumb cake in home economics class, but I learned nothing about choosing a husband, being a good wife, or maintaining a marriage. Yet these were the skills I needed most to learn. I can live without crumb cake.
A woman might spend an entire year planning her wedding but invest no time preparing for marriage. Today, couples get married without planning a simple budget. How will their money be spent? Will they have a joint checking account or keep separate accounts? How much will they put toward savings and retirement? And what about credit cards? Will they use them freely or set a spending limit? Money is possibly the number one topic couples argue about.
Another topic of conflict is housework. How will they divide household chores? Who will cook, clean, and shop for groceries? These tasks are no longer a woman's work since women work outside the home. Yet some men still consider household chores a wife's duty. Imagine her surprise when he refuses to help at home. Imagine the arguments.
Then when the couple become parents, more issues pop up to argue about. How will they discipline their children? Will the wife go back to work after baby or be a stay-at-home mom? What time should children be in bed? Should they fall asleep in front of the TV or should TV time be limited? One by one, questions like these surface in every marriage and they turn into arguments that drive couples apart. What should have been discussed before the wedding becomes a series of verbal battles that can turn the most loving couple into silent enemies.
I hope my daughter won't make the same mistakes I did. I hope she'll have a plan for raising her children, a plan that she'll discuss with her partner before the wedding. I hope she'll know how her future husband feels about housework before she marries him. I want her to know how all the household chores will be divided before the wedding.
When my daughter walks down the aisle I want her to be confident that her marriage will hold few surprises. I hope they'll decide beforehand how their finances will be handled. Almost everything that could turn into an argument will have been discussed beforehand. That's my wedding wish for her.
No mother wants her daughter to suffer, not physically, not emotionally. But when your daughter makes bad choices, she will suffer. Therefore, mothers must share with their daughters all that they've learned about men, marriage, and raising children so they're prepared and they don't have to struggle through it all.
Every mother can guide her daughter away from life’s heartaches. Looking back on the choices I’ve made, I see the good that can come from my suffering. My daughter can learn from my mistakes. I walked ahead of her and now I must turn around and share what I learned. I must warn her about the paths that lead to pain and make her understand the power she has to bring misery or joy to her life just by the decisions she makes.
Life is about choices. People say that all the time. My choices have led me where I am today. They’ve molded me into the person I am. I like where I am and who I am, but I’ve made decisions that brought me great heartache. Yes, I would change some of my decisions if possible. And the things I would change are the things I want my daughter to know. She can use my lessons as a guide when she ventures out into this great big world full of so many choices.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
A SITUATION WE SHOULD BE WATCHING
"When He (Jesus) broke the third seal, I heard the third beast say, "Come and see." I looked, and behold, a black horse ( third horseman of the apocalypse) and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the center of four beasts saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, (a full day's pay) and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine... And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword and with hunger, and with death,and with the beasts of the earth." - Revelation 6:5-8
"And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, (the antichrist) or the number of his name." - Revelation 13:16-17
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"The World is being set-up for GOD'S last days prophecy as described in HIS book (The Holy Bible) of Revelation chap 6: 1 - 17 (The Four Horsemen) and chap 13: (The coming beast and his apparent one world financial system using a mark in order to buy or sell merchandise) . One would think the "whole" world financial system would need to collapse first, in order for all nations to be desperate enough to willingly accept a world leader and a one-world financial system." --Jim Carvell
It is not just the United States that is headed for an economic collapse. The truth is that the entire world is heading for a massive economic meltdown and the people of earth need to be warned about the coming economic disaster that is going to sweep the globe. The current world financial system is based on debt, and there are alarming signs that the gigantic global debt bubble is getting ready to burst. In addition, global prices for the key resources that the major economies of the planet depend on are rising very rapidly. Despite all of our advanced technology, the truth is that human civilization simply cannot function without oil and food. But now the price of oil and the price of food are both increasing dramatically.
So how is the current global economy supposed to keep functioning properly if it soon costs much more to ship products between continents? How are the billions of people that are just barely surviving today supposed to feed themselves if the price of food goes up another 30 or 40 percent? For decades, most of the major economies around the globe have been able to take for granted that massive amounts of cheap oil and massive amounts of cheap food will always be there. So what happens when that paradigm changes?
At last check, the price of U.S. crude was over 104 dollars a barrel and the price of Brent crude was over 115 dollars a barrel. Many analysts fear that if the crisis in Libya escalates or if the chaos in the Middle East spreads that we could see the all-time record of 147 dollars a barrel broken by the end of the year. That would be absolutely disastrous for the global economy.
But it isn't just the chaos in the Middle East that is driving oil prices. The truth is that oil prices have been moving upwards for months. The recent revolutions in the Middle East have only accelerated the trend.
Let's just hope that the "day of rage" being called for in Saudi Arabia later this month does not turn into a full-blown revolution like we have seen in other Middle Eastern countries. The Saudis keep a pretty tight grip on their people, but at this point anything is possible. A true revolution in Saudi Arabia would send oil prices into unprecedented territory very quickly.
But even without all of the trouble in the Middle East the world was already heading for an oil crunch. The global demand for oil is rising at a very vigorous pace. For example, last year Chinese demand for oil increased by almost 1 million barrels per day. That is absolutely staggering. The Chinese are now buying more new cars every year than Americans are, and so Chinese demand for oil is only going to continue to increase.
Much could be done to increase the global supply of oil, but so far our politicians and the major oil company executives are sitting on their hands. They seem to like the increasing oil prices.
So for now it looks like oil prices will continue to rise and this is going to result in much higher prices at the gas pump. Already, ABC News is reporting that regular unleaded gasoline is going for $5.29 a gallon at one gas station in Orlando, Florida.
The U.S. economy in particular is vulnerable to rising oil prices because our entire economic system is designed around cheap gasoline. If the price of gas goes up to 5 or 6 dollars a gallon and it stays there it is going to have a catastrophic effect on the U.S. economy. Just remember what happened back in 2008. The price of oil hit an all-time high of $147 a barrel and then a few months later the entire financial system had a major meltdown. Well, as the price of oil rises it is going to create a whole lot of imbalances in the global financial system once again.
This is definitely a situation that we should all be watching.
But it is not just the price of oil that could cause a global economic disaster.
The global price of food could potentially be even more concerning. As you read this, there are about 3 billion people around the globe that live on the equivalent of 2 dollars a day or less. Those people cannot afford for food prices to go up much. But global food prices are rising. According to the United Nations, the global price of food has risen for 8 consecutive months. Last month, the global price of food set a brand new all-time record high. Many are starting to fear that we could actually be in the early stages of a major global food crisis.
The price of just about every major agricultural commodity has been absolutely soaring during the past year....
*The price of corn has doubled over the last six months.
*The price of wheat has more than doubled over the past year.
*The price of soybeans is up about 50% since last June.
*The price of cotton has more than doubled over the past year.
*The commodity price of orange juice has doubled since 2009.
*The price of sugar is the highest it has been in 30 years.
Unfortunately, the production of food in most countries around the world is very highly dependent on oil, so as oil goes up in price this is going to make the food crisis even worse. Hold on to your hats folks.
Also, as I have written about previously, the world is facing some very serious problems when it comes to water. Due to the greed of the global elite, there is not nearly enough fresh water to go around. The following are some very disturbing facts about the global water situation....
*Worldwide demand for fresh water tripled during the last century, and is now doubling every 21 years.
*According to USAID, one-third of all humans will face severe or chronic water shortages by the year 2025.
*Of the 60 million people added to the world’s cities every year, the vast majority of them live in impoverished slums and shanty-towns with no sanitation facilities whatsoever.
*It is estimated that 75 percent of India's surface water is now contaminated by human and agricultural waste.
*Not only that, but according to a UN study on sanitation, far more people in India have access to a mobile phone than to a toilet.
*In northern China, the water table is dropping one meter per year due to overpumping.
These days, one of the trendy things to do is to call water "the oil of the 21st century", but unfortunately that is not a completely inaccurate statement. Fresh, clean water is something that we all need, but right now world supplies are getting tight.
Our politicians and the global elite could be doing something about this if they really wanted to, but right now they seem perfectly fine with what is happening.
On top of everything else, the sovereign debt crisis is worse than it has ever been before.
All of the major global central banks have been feverishly printing money in an attempt to "paper over" this crisis, but it is not going to work.
Most Americans don't realize it, but right now the continent of Europe is a financial basket case. Greece and Ireland would have imploded already if they had not been bailed out, and now Portugal is on the verge of collapse. The interest rate on Portugal's 10-year notes has now been above 7% for about 3 weeks, and most analysts believe that it is only a matter of time before they are forced to accept a bailout.
Sadly, if the entire global economy experiences a slowdown because of rising oil prices, we could see half a dozen European nations default on their debts if they are not bailed out.
For now the Germans seem fine with bailing out the weak sisters that are all around them, but that isn't going to last forever.
A day or reckoning is coming for Europe, and when it arrives the reverberations are going to be felt all across the face of the earth. The euro is on very shaky ground already, and whether or not it can survive the coming crisis is an open question.
Of course there are some very serious concerns about Asia as well. The national debt of Japan is now well over 200% of GDP and nobody seems to have a solution for their problems. Up to this point, Japan has been able to borrow massive amounts of money at extremely low interest rates from their own people, but that isn't going to last forever either.
As I have written about so many times before, the biggest debt problem of all is the United States. Barack Obama is projecting that the federal budget deficit for this fiscal year will be a new all-time record 1.65 trillion dollars. It is expected that the total U.S. national debt will surpass the 15 trillion dollar mark by the end of the fiscal year.
Shouldn't we have some sort of celebration when that happens?
15 trillion dollars is quite an achievement.
Most Americans cannot even conceive of a debt that large. If the federal government began right at this moment to repay the U.S. national debt at a rate of one dollar per second, it would take over 440,000 years to pay off the national debt.
But the United States is not alone. The truth is that wherever you look, there is a sea of red ink covering the planet. The current global financial system is entirely based on debt. If the total amount of debt does not continually expand, the system will crash. If somehow a way was found to keep this system going perpetually (which is impossible), the size of global debt would keep on increasing infinitely.
Now the World Economic Forum says that we need to grow the total amount of debt by another 100 trillion dollars over the next ten years to "support" the anticipated amount of "economic growth" around the world that they expect to see.
The entire global financial system is a gigantic Ponzi scheme. It is designed to keep everyone enslaved to perpetual debt. If at some point the debt spiral gets interrupted in some significant way, we are going to witness an economic disaster that is going to make what happened in 2008 look like a Sunday picnic.
The more research that one does on the current global economic situation, the more clear it becomes that we are absolutely doomed.
So people of earth you had better get ready.
An economic disaster is coming.
"And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, (the antichrist) or the number of his name." - Revelation 13:16-17
.
"The World is being set-up for GOD'S last days prophecy as described in HIS book (The Holy Bible) of Revelation chap 6: 1 - 17 (The Four Horsemen) and chap 13: (The coming beast and his apparent one world financial system using a mark in order to buy or sell merchandise) . One would think the "whole" world financial system would need to collapse first, in order for all nations to be desperate enough to willingly accept a world leader and a one-world financial system." --Jim Carvell
People Of Earth: Prepare For Economic Disaster
from The Economic Collapse blog
It is not just the United States that is headed for an economic collapse. The truth is that the entire world is heading for a massive economic meltdown and the people of earth need to be warned about the coming economic disaster that is going to sweep the globe. The current world financial system is based on debt, and there are alarming signs that the gigantic global debt bubble is getting ready to burst. In addition, global prices for the key resources that the major economies of the planet depend on are rising very rapidly. Despite all of our advanced technology, the truth is that human civilization simply cannot function without oil and food. But now the price of oil and the price of food are both increasing dramatically. So how is the current global economy supposed to keep functioning properly if it soon costs much more to ship products between continents? How are the billions of people that are just barely surviving today supposed to feed themselves if the price of food goes up another 30 or 40 percent? For decades, most of the major economies around the globe have been able to take for granted that massive amounts of cheap oil and massive amounts of cheap food will always be there. So what happens when that paradigm changes?
At last check, the price of U.S. crude was over 104 dollars a barrel and the price of Brent crude was over 115 dollars a barrel. Many analysts fear that if the crisis in Libya escalates or if the chaos in the Middle East spreads that we could see the all-time record of 147 dollars a barrel broken by the end of the year. That would be absolutely disastrous for the global economy.
But it isn't just the chaos in the Middle East that is driving oil prices. The truth is that oil prices have been moving upwards for months. The recent revolutions in the Middle East have only accelerated the trend.
Let's just hope that the "day of rage" being called for in Saudi Arabia later this month does not turn into a full-blown revolution like we have seen in other Middle Eastern countries. The Saudis keep a pretty tight grip on their people, but at this point anything is possible. A true revolution in Saudi Arabia would send oil prices into unprecedented territory very quickly.
But even without all of the trouble in the Middle East the world was already heading for an oil crunch. The global demand for oil is rising at a very vigorous pace. For example, last year Chinese demand for oil increased by almost 1 million barrels per day. That is absolutely staggering. The Chinese are now buying more new cars every year than Americans are, and so Chinese demand for oil is only going to continue to increase.
Much could be done to increase the global supply of oil, but so far our politicians and the major oil company executives are sitting on their hands. They seem to like the increasing oil prices.
So for now it looks like oil prices will continue to rise and this is going to result in much higher prices at the gas pump. Already, ABC News is reporting that regular unleaded gasoline is going for $5.29 a gallon at one gas station in Orlando, Florida.
The U.S. economy in particular is vulnerable to rising oil prices because our entire economic system is designed around cheap gasoline. If the price of gas goes up to 5 or 6 dollars a gallon and it stays there it is going to have a catastrophic effect on the U.S. economy. Just remember what happened back in 2008. The price of oil hit an all-time high of $147 a barrel and then a few months later the entire financial system had a major meltdown. Well, as the price of oil rises it is going to create a whole lot of imbalances in the global financial system once again.
This is definitely a situation that we should all be watching.
But it is not just the price of oil that could cause a global economic disaster.
The global price of food could potentially be even more concerning. As you read this, there are about 3 billion people around the globe that live on the equivalent of 2 dollars a day or less. Those people cannot afford for food prices to go up much. But global food prices are rising. According to the United Nations, the global price of food has risen for 8 consecutive months. Last month, the global price of food set a brand new all-time record high. Many are starting to fear that we could actually be in the early stages of a major global food crisis.
The price of just about every major agricultural commodity has been absolutely soaring during the past year....
*The price of corn has doubled over the last six months.
*The price of wheat has more than doubled over the past year.
*The price of soybeans is up about 50% since last June.
*The price of cotton has more than doubled over the past year.
*The commodity price of orange juice has doubled since 2009.
*The price of sugar is the highest it has been in 30 years.
Unfortunately, the production of food in most countries around the world is very highly dependent on oil, so as oil goes up in price this is going to make the food crisis even worse. Hold on to your hats folks.
Also, as I have written about previously, the world is facing some very serious problems when it comes to water. Due to the greed of the global elite, there is not nearly enough fresh water to go around. The following are some very disturbing facts about the global water situation....
*Worldwide demand for fresh water tripled during the last century, and is now doubling every 21 years.
*According to USAID, one-third of all humans will face severe or chronic water shortages by the year 2025.
*Of the 60 million people added to the world’s cities every year, the vast majority of them live in impoverished slums and shanty-towns with no sanitation facilities whatsoever.
*It is estimated that 75 percent of India's surface water is now contaminated by human and agricultural waste.
*Not only that, but according to a UN study on sanitation, far more people in India have access to a mobile phone than to a toilet.
*In northern China, the water table is dropping one meter per year due to overpumping.
These days, one of the trendy things to do is to call water "the oil of the 21st century", but unfortunately that is not a completely inaccurate statement. Fresh, clean water is something that we all need, but right now world supplies are getting tight.
Our politicians and the global elite could be doing something about this if they really wanted to, but right now they seem perfectly fine with what is happening.
On top of everything else, the sovereign debt crisis is worse than it has ever been before.
All of the major global central banks have been feverishly printing money in an attempt to "paper over" this crisis, but it is not going to work.
Most Americans don't realize it, but right now the continent of Europe is a financial basket case. Greece and Ireland would have imploded already if they had not been bailed out, and now Portugal is on the verge of collapse. The interest rate on Portugal's 10-year notes has now been above 7% for about 3 weeks, and most analysts believe that it is only a matter of time before they are forced to accept a bailout.
Sadly, if the entire global economy experiences a slowdown because of rising oil prices, we could see half a dozen European nations default on their debts if they are not bailed out.
For now the Germans seem fine with bailing out the weak sisters that are all around them, but that isn't going to last forever.
A day or reckoning is coming for Europe, and when it arrives the reverberations are going to be felt all across the face of the earth. The euro is on very shaky ground already, and whether or not it can survive the coming crisis is an open question.
Of course there are some very serious concerns about Asia as well. The national debt of Japan is now well over 200% of GDP and nobody seems to have a solution for their problems. Up to this point, Japan has been able to borrow massive amounts of money at extremely low interest rates from their own people, but that isn't going to last forever either.
As I have written about so many times before, the biggest debt problem of all is the United States. Barack Obama is projecting that the federal budget deficit for this fiscal year will be a new all-time record 1.65 trillion dollars. It is expected that the total U.S. national debt will surpass the 15 trillion dollar mark by the end of the fiscal year.
Shouldn't we have some sort of celebration when that happens?
15 trillion dollars is quite an achievement.
Most Americans cannot even conceive of a debt that large. If the federal government began right at this moment to repay the U.S. national debt at a rate of one dollar per second, it would take over 440,000 years to pay off the national debt.
But the United States is not alone. The truth is that wherever you look, there is a sea of red ink covering the planet. The current global financial system is entirely based on debt. If the total amount of debt does not continually expand, the system will crash. If somehow a way was found to keep this system going perpetually (which is impossible), the size of global debt would keep on increasing infinitely.
Now the World Economic Forum says that we need to grow the total amount of debt by another 100 trillion dollars over the next ten years to "support" the anticipated amount of "economic growth" around the world that they expect to see.
The entire global financial system is a gigantic Ponzi scheme. It is designed to keep everyone enslaved to perpetual debt. If at some point the debt spiral gets interrupted in some significant way, we are going to witness an economic disaster that is going to make what happened in 2008 look like a Sunday picnic.
The more research that one does on the current global economic situation, the more clear it becomes that we are absolutely doomed.
So people of earth you had better get ready.
An economic disaster is coming.
Friday, March 4, 2011
FILLING THE WORLD WITH STARS
By Danelle Carvell
Of all the jobs I've had, nothing compares to the role of mother. And considering that motherhood is a job that comes with no training, I think I've done okay. There were some rough spots. There were days when I didn't feel like a good mom because I was running low on patience. I have memories of stressful moments that I wish I would have handled better. Every parent has those moments.
But when my son gives me a card that says, "I'm glad you cared enough to bring me up the way you did," and when my daughter spends hours making me a mother's day gift, then I'm reminded that I am a good mom because my children know they're loved. I've made mistakes as a mother, but I never failed to show love to my children. I was always there, helping and encouraging.
Motherhood is a woman's greatest role. Not everyone would agree with that statement. Feminists who write books that bash stay-at-home moms would likely say that a career is what women need. But ask any mother who has a successful career what gives her the greatest satisfaction. Her answer won't be in her briefcase. It's the child she longs for or the baby she holds in her arms.
In over twenty years as a mom, I've learned a lot about motherhood. I've learned that children want two things more than anything: time and attention. Many mothers today are too distracted by work and other responsibilities to give their children what they crave most. They don't listen to their kids, so they don't know what's going on in their hearts and minds.
God expects mothers to be involved in their children's lives through communication and listening. He expects a mother to turn off the vacum cleaner, put away the work she brought home, and talk to her children then listen to the response. A good mother guides her child's heart. She doesn't sit back and let the world be her child's teacher.
I've also learned the importance of a hug. "Neglecting to meaningfully touch your children starves them of genuine acceptance so much that it can drive them into the arms of someone who is all too willing to touch them." Those wise words are from the book, The Blessing. That book is like a parent's bible. It also tells parents they have the power to build up or tear down their children by the words they speak. Loving words of acceptance and encouragement make a child feel valued. And picturing a special future for your children gives them a positive direction to strive for. It fills them with hope and brings out the best in them.
Motherhood is a woman's greatest role because no other job prepares a person for life. No other job builds a child's character and personality. Children are a reflection of their parent's values. They can't help but become what they are taught.
A mother is a teacher, a nurturer and an encourager. And when her job is done, she won't get a retirement party or a pension. She'll get a child who has become an adult. There will be one more bright light in the world because of a mother who cared. Mothers fill the world with stars. What role is more important than that?
Of all the jobs I've had, nothing compares to the role of mother. And considering that motherhood is a job that comes with no training, I think I've done okay. There were some rough spots. There were days when I didn't feel like a good mom because I was running low on patience. I have memories of stressful moments that I wish I would have handled better. Every parent has those moments.
But when my son gives me a card that says, "I'm glad you cared enough to bring me up the way you did," and when my daughter spends hours making me a mother's day gift, then I'm reminded that I am a good mom because my children know they're loved. I've made mistakes as a mother, but I never failed to show love to my children. I was always there, helping and encouraging.
Motherhood is a woman's greatest role. Not everyone would agree with that statement. Feminists who write books that bash stay-at-home moms would likely say that a career is what women need. But ask any mother who has a successful career what gives her the greatest satisfaction. Her answer won't be in her briefcase. It's the child she longs for or the baby she holds in her arms.
In over twenty years as a mom, I've learned a lot about motherhood. I've learned that children want two things more than anything: time and attention. Many mothers today are too distracted by work and other responsibilities to give their children what they crave most. They don't listen to their kids, so they don't know what's going on in their hearts and minds.
God expects mothers to be involved in their children's lives through communication and listening. He expects a mother to turn off the vacum cleaner, put away the work she brought home, and talk to her children then listen to the response. A good mother guides her child's heart. She doesn't sit back and let the world be her child's teacher.
I've also learned the importance of a hug. "Neglecting to meaningfully touch your children starves them of genuine acceptance so much that it can drive them into the arms of someone who is all too willing to touch them." Those wise words are from the book, The Blessing. That book is like a parent's bible. It also tells parents they have the power to build up or tear down their children by the words they speak. Loving words of acceptance and encouragement make a child feel valued. And picturing a special future for your children gives them a positive direction to strive for. It fills them with hope and brings out the best in them.
Motherhood is a woman's greatest role because no other job prepares a person for life. No other job builds a child's character and personality. Children are a reflection of their parent's values. They can't help but become what they are taught.
A mother is a teacher, a nurturer and an encourager. And when her job is done, she won't get a retirement party or a pension. She'll get a child who has become an adult. There will be one more bright light in the world because of a mother who cared. Mothers fill the world with stars. What role is more important than that?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
CHERISH TODAY'S TREASURES
By Danelle Carvell
Anything that reminds me of my childhood is a treasure in my home. My latest find is a coin bank I got on a trip to Walt Disney World, Florida in the seventies. It's an orange bird with an orange for a head. I think I remember the orange bird cartoon character in orange juice commercials in the seventies. When I saw the familiar coin bank last Saturday at Roller Mills Antiques in Lewisburg, I knew I couldn't leave without it. It reminds me of the road trip my family took to Florida in the seventies.
Imagine four kids in the back of a van traveling from Pennsylvania to Florida. Now that's a memory maker. We wore out an eight-track of John Denver on that trip. That's why I posted my favorite of his songs yesterday. I guess that trip was on my mind since finding my orange bird bank. By the time we got to Florida I knew the words to every song on that eight-track...Calypso, Grandma's Feather Bed, Thank God I'm A Country Boy, Rocky Mountain High. On the way home we belted out the words to Take Me Home Country Roads.
I love the way music, toys, games, and other things we had as kids bring back all those great memories. I guess that's one reason people love antiques. Antiques are memories. They're reminders of a different era when life seemed richer and less rushed. Whenever I see a dish my mom or grandma used or a set of salt and pepper shakers like the ones back home, I want them displayed in my home. My absolute most exciting antique find was an exact replica of my grandma's cookie jar. I found that at Roller Mills in Lewisburg also and I felt such joy when it caught my eye on the shelf just before leaving the place. I snatched that cookie jar so quick and held it close like a baby.
Our childhood memories should be treasured, but even more, we should treasure today. Treasure the people who are in our lives now. Treasure the life we live at this moment in time. I appreciate the past, but I don't long for it. The important stuff is now. Today's treasures are the greatest gifts...my daughter's smile, my son's laughter, my husband's humor and his comforting hugs. These are the real treasures in my life... the things I must make an even greater effort to cherish.
Anything that reminds me of my childhood is a treasure in my home. My latest find is a coin bank I got on a trip to Walt Disney World, Florida in the seventies. It's an orange bird with an orange for a head. I think I remember the orange bird cartoon character in orange juice commercials in the seventies. When I saw the familiar coin bank last Saturday at Roller Mills Antiques in Lewisburg, I knew I couldn't leave without it. It reminds me of the road trip my family took to Florida in the seventies.
Imagine four kids in the back of a van traveling from Pennsylvania to Florida. Now that's a memory maker. We wore out an eight-track of John Denver on that trip. That's why I posted my favorite of his songs yesterday. I guess that trip was on my mind since finding my orange bird bank. By the time we got to Florida I knew the words to every song on that eight-track...Calypso, Grandma's Feather Bed, Thank God I'm A Country Boy, Rocky Mountain High. On the way home we belted out the words to Take Me Home Country Roads.
I love the way music, toys, games, and other things we had as kids bring back all those great memories. I guess that's one reason people love antiques. Antiques are memories. They're reminders of a different era when life seemed richer and less rushed. Whenever I see a dish my mom or grandma used or a set of salt and pepper shakers like the ones back home, I want them displayed in my home. My absolute most exciting antique find was an exact replica of my grandma's cookie jar. I found that at Roller Mills in Lewisburg also and I felt such joy when it caught my eye on the shelf just before leaving the place. I snatched that cookie jar so quick and held it close like a baby.
Our childhood memories should be treasured, but even more, we should treasure today. Treasure the people who are in our lives now. Treasure the life we live at this moment in time. I appreciate the past, but I don't long for it. The important stuff is now. Today's treasures are the greatest gifts...my daughter's smile, my son's laughter, my husband's humor and his comforting hugs. These are the real treasures in my life... the things I must make an even greater effort to cherish.
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