Opossums kill ticks

I didn't know this, did you?

Ticks do transmit Lyme disease, and Lyme affects around 300,000 Americans a year. An opossum, normally viewed as nothing more than a filthy nuisance – stealing garbage, garden surplus and chicken eggs – kills over 5000 ticks on any given week. This super exterminator also kills venomous snakes and small rodents and cleans up carrion from our yards and fields. Perhaps allowing opossums to also steal some chicken eggs and garden veggies is a fair trade for decreasing tick-borne diseases like Lyme and all of the other benefits they offer.
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/2106782/opossums-the-unsung-heroes-against-lyme-disease-and-other-tick-borne-diseases/#V7bZgYuECF89EEDD.99

"Letter From Lou Engle About Azusa Now" by Lou Engle, Pasadena, CA

     I have read they are expecting up to 120,000 people to come to Azuza Now at the Los Angeles Coliseum on April 9th.  I would love to go!  But since I can't, I will be praying for those who are going for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all who will take it back to their communities to begin the greatest revival in the history of our country.  

"Letter From Lou Engle About Azusa Now"by Lou Engle, Pasadena, CA

Dear brothers and sisters,

I write to the Body of Christ around the world, all who are connecting with the Azusa Now gathering at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on April 9th. I have rarely seen such a stirring of expectancy as I am seeing now. It's really not about a stadium event. Instead, everywhere, men and women are laying hold of the Kingdom in such a way that Azusa Now may be a collective flashpoint. The great intercessor Frank Bartleman wrote of such a time just before revival broke out at Azusa in 1906. 

Listen to his words, written just a few months before the outpouring began:

"The current of revival is sweeping by our door. Will we cast ourselves on its mighty bosom and ride to glorious victory? A year of life at this time, with its wonderful possibilities for God, is worth a hundred years of ordinary life. 'Pentecost' is knocking at our doors. The revival for our country is no longer a question. Slowly but surely the tide has been rising until in the very near future we believe for a deluge of salvation that will sweep all before it. Wales will not long stand alone in this glorious triumph for our Christ... The clouds are gathering rapidly, big with a mighty rain, whose precipitation lingers but a little. Heroes will arise from the dust of obscure and despised circumstances, whose names will be emblazoned on Heaven's eternal page of fame. The Spirit is brooding over our land again as at creation's dawn, and the fiat of God goes forth. "Let there be light." Brother, sister, if we all believed God can, you realize what would happen? Many of us here are living for nothing else. A volume of believing prayer is ascending to the throne night and day. Los Angeles, Southern California, and the whole continent shall surely find itself ere long in the throes of a mighty revival, by the Spirit and power of God."

In his wonderful book, The Fasting Prayer, Franklin Hall wrote:

"Yes, the second Pentecost on Azusa in 1906 came about just like the first Pentecost. This latter rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit started with a ten day fast and prayer season in much the same manner as it did upon the 120 that 'continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.' A few people came to Los Angeles in 1906 and started a 10-day fast and prayer season and the Holy Spirit fell... Mother Craton states, 'The first thing that was done before the power ever fell on Azusa was a united ten-day season of fasting and prayer. If there was ever any sectarianism, fasting broke it down... I believe another Azusa could be here today if God's people would get to travailing in much prayer and fasting."

With such Bible and Church history roaring behind us, should we not take encouragement to inject our generation into that same Hall of Faith, where those who have gone before now urge to enter?

With their beckoning resting on our hearts and ears, we are calling a 10-Day season of united prayer and fasting as God leads for a global outpouring of the Holy Spirit, March 30 to April 8, leading up to Azusa Now on April 9, the 110th anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival. William Seymour, the catalyst of that great revival, prophesied in 1913 that in roughly 100 years another revival far eclipsing Azusa would come. The fulfillment of Seymour's word is overdue... or right on schedule. Let us therefore "pray for the rain in the time of the latter rain." Who knows? Maybe like those who were baptized in the Spirit in the original Acts 2 upper room, we will say, "This is that which was spoken by William Seymour the prophet!"

Sincerely,

Lou Engle
Co-Founder of TheCall, Inc.
Founder, Bound 4 Life 
Email: response@thecall.com
Website: www.AzusaNow2016.com

Dr. Mercola: Artificial Sweeteners Cause Cancer

      If you are one of those people who have switched to Splenda after reading the dangers of Aspartame you might want to read this article:  Artificial Sweeteners Cause Cancer.  I am posting the first part of the article.  To continue reading go to the link above.

By Dr. Mercola

If you've added the artificial sweetener sucralose (brand name Splenda) to your diet because you think it's a healthy alternative to sugar, you're being dangerously misled. Research from the Ramazzini Institute has linked the popular sugar alternative to cancer, specifically leukemia. 

The findings were first presented at a London cancer conference in 2012 and prompted The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) to downgrade Splenda from its "safe" category to one of "caution."

Now that the study has been published in a peer-reviewed journal, CSPI has again downgraded Splenda, this time from "caution" to "avoid.". . .

Graham Cooke: All of Life is Spiritual

     Are you familiar with Graham Cooke?  I love the way he sees things.  In this article, he helps us to re-focus on the fact that God is in everything--not just church, or Christians.  Read it and see what you think.  If you would like to read more from Graham, or know more about him, check out his website brilliantperspectives.com.

All of Life is Spiritual.

By Graham Cooke

There is no sacred and secular, there is only life in the Spirit. Everything we do and say is within the same realm. In order to better acknowledge this holy union, we concentrate on being alive to God more than dead to ourselves. We focus on being led by the Spirit more than trying to avoid certain situations.

And there is a beautiful consequence.

That is, when we focus on God, we no longer find ourselves in displeasing circumstances. We begin to grasp the idea that God created life to be enjoyed, and that he is moving through everything. We begin to notice how he is always touching lives, whether they belong to Him or not. We suddenly notice the footprint of His Kingdom in all sorts of odd places. We start to smell the fragrance of His Presence in both the most common and uncommon of situations. He is truly everywhere.

Remember this, because when we say that some things are sacred and others are not, we are cutting down the territory that God loves to move in.

The truth is His creativity is unfettered. You will find Him in the same marketplace as the heathen, the atheist, and the agnostic. He will put His own music into their world and his own images onto their movie screens. He will use all people, as well as His own.

We share an important secret.

He is the King of love and an absorbing inspiration to everyone, everywhere. Please don’t assign Him a territory to suit your religious beliefs.1 Instead, learn the joy of seeing His footprints everywhere. Detect the fragrance of His Presence even on the most surprising of people. It will make your day, and it will make Him smile.

It’s a holy and important secret, and we share it with Him.

P.S. What’s one person or situation that you need a more brilliant perspective on today? How can we find God’s footprints in it’s midst?

Broccoli Casserole

     I tried a new side dish recipe yesterday for Easter dinner.  We really liked it so thought I would add it to the Recipe #1 page.  I wanted to use the fresh broccoli I had in the refrigerator but when I cut it up there wasn't seven cups so I added a package of frozen vegetables that contained broccoli, cauliflower and yellow & orange carrots.  I may do that next time, too, because the color made the casserole prettier.   Here it is if you would like to try it:

Broccoli Casserole

5 T. butter

1 onion, chopped

1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

7 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed (about 20 ounces) thoroughly patted dry with paper towels

1/2 cup crushed buttery crackers (about 12 crackers)

      Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.

      Melt 3 T. butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute onion, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes.

      Stir together soup, cheese, mayonnaise, eggs, garlic salt, seasoned salt, pepper, and lemon juice in a large bowl.  Fold in broccoli and onion.  Spread in prepared dish.  Sprinkle crushed crackers over top and dot with remaining 2 T. butter.  (I omitted these last 2 T. butter.)

      Bake uncovered, until heated through and browned on top, about 45 minutes.

Have A Blessed Easter!

Glenn Clark on Living Prayer

       I have been re-reading and studying literature from wise men who have influenced me in the past.  Glenn Clark was the founder of Camp Farthest Out which he began in 1930.  As you may know from previous posts, our family attended CFO for many years and learned and experienced much in the camps.  I have always been fascinated with the writings of Glenn Clark because he was so far ahead of his time.  Here are some excerpts from an article entitled "Living Prayer" by Glenn Clark:

       A living prayer is, in short, "the soul's sincere desire, unuttered or expressed."..
       A prayer that springs from the sincere wish of one who is taking into consideration the welfare of others as well as of himself, and the answering of which will redound to the glory of God and the spreading of the Kingdom is truly a soul's sincere desire.
    But the final test of whether a prayer is a soul's sincere desire is whether it is accompanied by a soul's sincere trust in the Father to whom it is addressed.  The word desire points in the direction of the thing prayed for; the word trust points toward the One prayed to.  When the trust balances the desire there is power in the prayer; it then possesses a celestial dynamic symmetry that is irresistible.  But how do we know for sure that we really trust?  The real test of trust is the capacity to let go.  When one can put his desire utterly in the hands of God and go off and leave it with him, that prayer has become--as far as our human capacity permits--a perfect prayer.
   But powerful as an individual prayer may be, still more powerful is a group prayer.  Here the essential requirement is that there shall be no resentments, irritations, doubts, or conflicts of any kind among the group.  Knowing the frailty of human nature, Jesus did not say, "The larger the number of folks that come together the more powerful the prayer will be."  He said, rather, "Wherever two or three agree together asking anything in my name it shall be done."  ...
  ...Humility, love, and trust are the essential ingredients for all-powerful group prayer.

In the article Glenn gives an example of a sunken submarine that was raised from the depths of the ocean by pontoons as an example to be followed in prayer:

    Four pontoons loaded with sand or other heavy ballast were sunk beside the submerged ship.  Chains connecting these pontoons were passed beneath the ship.  Then the ballast was released from the pontoons and air pumped into them from a battleship riding on the waves above.  The air pressure raised the sunken vessel.
      He says, "The first essential step is for those who pray to become so weighted down with compassion and concern for those in need that they descend to the plane of suffering with them.  Then extending their sympathy (chains) and "agreeing" together in their soul's sincere desire to lift them from this place of suffering, they "let go" their ballast, dropping all their concern, their fear, their doubt, and thus, lightened of self, they "let God" let in himself.  As the air is pumped into the pontoons "from above," so the surrendered soul, when it lets go of self, lets God send in the Holy Spirit from above.
     As the sunken ship is raised effortlessly by the surrendered pontoons filled with air, so the sunken world may be lifted if enough persons can let go and let the Holy Spirit take complete control of the affairs of men.

The Eagle Has Landed by Bill Yount

   This is a good word for those of us in the older generation.  God is not going to retire us, he is going to re-fire us.

"The Eagle Has Landed!"by Bill Yount, Hagerstown, MD

I received this word in 2004 and the Lord  just reminded me of it recently as I awoke with the words resounding in my ears : "The Eagle Has Landed!" This word has returned with great momentum and urgency as though its fullness of time has come. Let this word empower you in this season. God has so much more for us at any age. Psalm 68:28 says, "Thy God hath commanded thy strength." God is commanding His strength into you. One translation says, "Your God has decided you will be strong!" Remember, "Too Old" is not in the Bible.

Warning: The content of the following message contains very strong language that may not be suitable to those 62 years or older. As a result, this word must be rated "R." Those nearing the age of "retirement" must proceed reading at own risk. Godly discretion is strongly advised.

I see a Divine Interruption coming to the state of Florida and regions of the world that have become famous for retirement. I saw God, like an Eagle, coming to this state. I saw this Eagle circling around Orlando, Florida. I heard the Father saying to the angels, "We are going to Disney World!" I saw the Eagle landing first upon Disney World.

I sensed the Father saying, "I am stirring up a creative, childlike faith and anointing that was similar to Walt Disney's anointing as a child. I am going to impart this anointing into the lives of older people to dream again, to invent, and to create things that have not yet been seen or heard of...'witty inventions.'"

Creative Anointing is Going to Push Back the Age Barrier

When Walt Disney was a child in grade school, his teacher asked the class to draw a picture of a flower garden. After handing in their assignments, the teacher walked back to Walt Disney's desk and said to him, "Walt, flowers don't have faces." Walt Disney responded, "Mine do!"

I sense that kind of creative anointing is beginning to come upon older men and women that is going to cause them to live longer with a childlike excitement that they have never known. This creative anointing is going to push back the age barrier of sickness, disease, and infirmities, extending life to a hundred and twenty years for many in the near future.

"'Re-Firing' for the 'Retiring'"

I saw God, like an Eagle, landing upon retirement centers and upon older people who have come to these places thinking they are retiring. But God says, "There's a 're-firing' coming upon the 're-tiring.' This Divine Interruption and nest stirring is coming upon these chosen ones, for they have great wisdom in their ages, and with their years comes understanding. I have need of them!" The fire of God is beginning to fall upon retirement centers, and their strength shall be renewed "as an eagle."

"Rocking" chairs were turning into "rocket" chairs! Even as John Glenn in his seventies was launched again into outer space, older people in this state will be launched into the Harvest. Expect God to stir and shake as many are lifted off of their launching pads, beginning in Florida, and then beyond. I sense the Father saying, "There are some rides in the Spirit coming that you haven't been on yet."

"Fathers Live!"

I saw the initials for the state of Florida, "FL," lighting up and standing for 'Fathers Live!' – a heavenly proclamation calling forth the older men, the fathers, who have come to this state to settle down. God says, "This is not your place of rest! I am calling you to live and not die. With long life I will satisfy you and show you My salvation! I am extending to you a strong call to mentor the younger men and children in this fatherless generation. These young children and men will keep you young as you impart My wisdom and understanding into them."

I believe the Lord has chosen Florida to activate this word and to launch this proclamation internationally.

"The Eagle has landed..."

Bill Yount
Blowing the Shofar Ministry
Email: theshofarhasblown@juno.com
Website: www.billyount.com

The Amazing True Story of Akiane Kramarik

Akiane is wonderfully inspiring.  This is an earlier video of her and her work.  Below is a more recent video of her at 18 years old.

Akiane on The Katie Couric Show

This video shows a grown-up Akiane.

Dakuwaqa's Garden - Underwater footage from Fiji & Tonga

This is a beautiful underwater photography video!

"Angel of Awakening in the United States of America" by Lana Vawser

This is a very encouraging word that was posted on The Elijah List today from Lana Vawser.

"Angel of Awakening in the United States of America"

Lana Vawser, Brisbane, Australia

On Wednesday morning, I had a vision where I saw a huge angel: He stood so tall and so wide, and I saw him leave the throne room of Heaven on the Lord's command and head toward the earth. I saw this angel come toward the nation of the United States of America. As I watched, I saw it land with one of its feet on the west coast and the other foot on the east coast.

When it landed, between the span of his legs and his wings, the entire nation of the United States was covered. Instantly, I felt the atmosphere get thick and heavy in the most glorious way; the presence of God was so tangible.

And again, instantly, the atmosphere around me was full of a "commissioning" from the Lord for this angel to act upon that which the Lord had sent him to do. I then heard these words that boomed with such authority it would have crumbled mountains: "Angel of Awakening, act and awaken." (Photo by Marybeth Stafford "Fear Not" via elijahshopper.com)

Act: anything done, being done, or to be done; deed; performance: a heroic act; a formal decision (www.dictionary.com).

Awaken: to waken (www.dictionary.com).

Suddenly the angel began to flap his wings, and I could see that it was flapping its wings in unison with the heartbeat of God. As he did, I heard the Lord speak, "Winds of awakening. Winds of awakening. Winds of awakening." Everywhere I looked there were whirlwinds being created all across the nation. These winds of awakening were bringing a great shaking all across the nation. These winds were shaking things up, and bringing a shifting and sifting.

As I looked closely at these whirlwinds, I saw them coming from the four corners of the nation, and they were all heading in one direction. It was as if these whirlwinds were alive and knew exactly where they were headed and what they were to do. They were on assignment. 

These whirlwinds of awakening were headed toward the churches, toward the people of God. One thing that stood out to me was that these whirlwinds were coming from different directions and they were flowing in unison and in one accord.

I was then filled with the sense, as this angel of awakening landed in the United States, that the awakening which the Lord is ushering in will be a greater move of His Spirit to bring unity within His Bride and in the nation.

It's Time for the Dividing Walls to Come Down

As these whirlwinds of the Spirit of God began to move through churches and the nation, I heard the Lord speak again: "It's time for dividing walls to come down. It's time for the dividing walls to come down." (Photo via Pixabay)

I saw these whirlwinds moving from heart to heart of God's people, church to church, movement to movement, home church to home church, prayer group to prayer group, and these whirlwinds would land at the "doors" of these hearts and places. They did not enter in, they just stood there swirling, when suddenly in the midst of the whirlwinds, I saw Jesus, beautiful Jesus. He was standing in the midst of the whirlwinds, and His arms were outstretched and eyes full of invitation. I then realized that there was an invitation being released from the heart of Jesus to "welcome and align" with the winds of His awakening, whatever shaking and shifting they may bring.

The beautiful thing about these whirlwinds of awakening was they were coming from His heart, they were of Him and full of such love, and they were coming to bring His people and the nation further into encounters with His love. I watched all across the nation as God's people embraced these whirlwinds of awakening because they saw Him in them and knew they were being sent from His heart. 

As the people of God said, "Yes," to these whirlwinds, I saw a tidal wave begin to build. It was building and building and building, and it was gaining pressure on the east coast of the United States. As I was watching it gain more and more pressure, the atmosphere around me was then filled with this sense that it was "waiting" for something.

"I Have Seen Him! I Have Seen Him!"

As the people of God were embracing the awakening winds of His Spirit, they were being awakened to new levels of intimacy with Jesus. At this point, suddenly, I was taken back into a dream I had where I saw the Bride of Christ standing on the edge of a cliff; with her back to the cliff and with arms outstretched, she fell backward off the cliff into the loving hands of a gloriously good Father. In the dream I was surrounded with this beautiful, deep invitation from the heart of God to His people to lay down agendas, lay down offenses, lay down control, lay down questions, lay down fear, and just fall into the arms of a good Father, even when you cannot "see" what's before you.

There is a new level of invitation in the heart of God to free-fall in trust into deeper levels of glorious intimacy with Him. As they fell back into the loving arms of a good Father, a new level of rest, they were going deeper in surrender to Jesus; I saw them then rising up, standing up as burning Bride! A burning Bride! a burning Bride! The Bride was on fire! Burning, burning, burning, burning with the fire of God's love. Burning like she had never burned before. Her eyes were full of fire, and her eyes spoke the words, "I have seen Him, I have seen Him, I have seen Him!" (Photo by Jennifer Page "His Flame" via elijahshopper.com)

Everywhere she went, the sparks of the impartation of His love were being spread – onto streets, into coffee shops, into malls, into schools, into governments, into cities – releasingimpartation and the manifestation of encounters with the heart of God and the fire of His love, which was bringing cleansing, purging, purifying, restoration, recompense, healing, and freedom everywhere (people and cities) the fire was released.

As the people of God were having deep encounters with the heart of God and the fire of His love like they had never had before, I saw them reaching out to each other all across the Body of Christ. Hands of repentance being extended, hands of forgiveness being extended, hands of love being extended, awakened hands that God's heart is for His children to work together, extended. 

Walls that divided, walls that divided God's people for so long, broken through and melted away. Religion, offense, and political offenses were being broken in significant ways. I saw a huge spirit of offense, that has had its hands locked over the nation of America for so long, beginning to lose its grip. It was screaming in agony and pain as it was losing its hold to love.

Awaken America, Beautiful One!

Where the very fingerprints and hold this huge spirit of offense had, I saw angelic hosts being released to stand in that very place, and they were singing, "Peace to the borders. He brings PEACE to the borders" (see Psalm 147:14). They stood on the borders of the nation and sung, "Awaken America, beautiful one! Awaken America, beautiful one."

The words then surrounded me from His heart: "The winds of awakening releasing deeper radical encounters with the fire of My love being released in My Bride in the United States of America is birthing and ushering in the greatest revival of unity that has ever been seen before, but My winds of awakening must be embraced. My winds of awakening must be embraced. The greatest revival of unity and love is upon you. Unity! Unity! Unity!"

Awakening of Unity!

I then noticed that every time the Lord spoke the word "unity," I saw the heart of the nation of the United States of America light up and the words written across its heart "one nation under God." I then realized that the Lord was highlighting that the unity of Believers in the United States of America was affecting the heart. So, likewise, the disunity of Believers in the United States of America was affecting the heart. The unity of Believers in this nation was key to bringing life and awakening destiny back into the heart of the United States. (Photo via Flickr)

The interesting thing was, as I watched this "reaching out" and letting go of offenses on many levels (personal, political, and theological were happening), I saw chains attached to many in the Body of Christ specifically keeping them from their destiny that were suddenly breaking and a catapulting was taking place and releasing them into their God-given destiny that was orchestrated from the beginning of time.

As this "reaching out of unity" was happening across the Body of Christ in America, I was taken back to the tidal wave on the east coast, and it was gaining more and more pressure and acceleration, when suddenly it burst forth. This tidal wave spread right across the nation, from the east coast to the west coast, and covered the entire nation.

"Be Washed and Awakened"

I heard the Lord speak again, "Be washed and awakened in My love. Be washed and awakened in My love." The Lord was bringing a deep cleansing, a deep purifying, a deep alignment, a deep awakening across the entire nation of the United States as His people moved forward in unity. Unity was a key to seeing a great move of God across the nation.

As I watched the tidal wave of His love being released across the nation, I saw Hosea 3:5 flowing in the waters:

"Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days." 

The sense surrounded me that the greatest move of God, the greatest awakening, was right before this nation, despite the darkness already surrounding it or to come in the nation of the United States. The Lord was about to make His goodness known louder and brighter than ever, and this was a strategic moment that the people of God needed to decide once and for all whether they were going to take their place, or continue to go "to and fro."

I was then taken back to the heart of the nation, and I heard it crying again like I did in a previous encounter I had, and I realized it was crying out for the sons and daughters to rise up in unity and in love across the nation, because as that happened, it was bringing life back to the heart, and bringing a healing to the land. (Photo via Pixabay)

Outstretch Your Hands and Heal the Land

Where there was an embracing of the winds of awakening and an outstretching of "hands for unity," I heard the words, "Outstretch your hands and heal the land."

I then had this sense that the Lord was wanting to heal the land in two ways:

1. Intercession, repentance, blessing of the land ("If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14).

2. The "stretching out of hands" to other brothers and sisters in Christ, no more offense, and to pioneer and work together in love.

The key to #2 was embracing the winds of awakening being released right now. The people of God would move deeper into John 15:1-11:

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 

If anyone does not abide in Me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

And from that place of awakening in intimacy with Him happening right across the nation, John 15:12 was going to manifest in greater ways:

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another."

Ancient Gates, Wells, and Doorways

Ancient gates, wells, and doorways that have been locked because of a spirit of offense that has come into the Body of Christ in the nation of the United States for generations were beginning to be swung open, redug, and broken open by the awakening of love that was happening amongst them and repentance taking place on an individual and corporate level across the nation. As these ancient gates, wells, and doorways were being unlocked, a healing move of God was released through the Church and into the nation in ways that had never been seen before. (Photo by Robert Bartow "Open the Gates" via elijahshopper.com)

A Kathryn Kuhlman type anointing was being released across the Body of Christ and into the nation. A huge revival amongst God's people and into the nation birthed from intimacy with Him, signs and wonders exploding all around, bringing transformation to the nation.

I then heard words booming from His heart:

"United States of America, the one I love, the one marked by love and for love, you are Mine!"

America, you are a nation that is about to be marked by the love of God in ways you have never imagined as the people of God embrace all that He is doing. United States of America, your destiny is to know His love and be a great representation of His love to other nations. You will represent His love to other nations as the Body of Christ rises up in alignment with all He is saying and doing amongst you.

A great awakening is upon the nation of the United States of America, and it is going to come through the people of God, as they say "yes" to Him.

Shocked Back to Life by the Love and Goodness of God

As these winds of awakening are being embraced by the people of God in this beautiful nation, I saw lightning bolt strikes being sent into the heart of the nation. The heart of the nation being shocked back to life by the love and goodness of God! God loves the United States! God is not done with the United States of America! (Photo via Pixabay)

Church of America, a great awakening is upon you! The greatest awakening! The awakening of the fire of His love and goodness all across the nation. It's time to take your place! Do whatever business you have to do with God and with others, get in your rightful place, for you have a part to play: You are a key in what God wants to do in this nation. 

Not only are these whirlwinds of awakening going to awaken you to an intimacy with Him you have never known before, the fire of His love, but they will activate and awaken your destiny in whole new ways. It's time for the United States to be set on fire by the fire of His love and goodness. Don't be discouraged by the darkness; fire burns bright in darkness.

This is your time! It is time!

Lana Vawser
Email: lanavawser@gmail.com
Website: www.lanavawser.com

NEWS coverage in USA on Super Brain Yoga

My sister introduced me to this interesting concept through this video.  As we were discussing in our family--what could it hurt?  If nothing else you will have strong your thighs.

Jonah Goldberg on Bill Bennett's support of Donald Trump

      I am also an admirer of Jonah Goldberg, who is not an admirer of Donald Trump.  He believes what is happening with Trump's popularity resembles The Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  I have excerpted from the column his absolute confoundment of how Bill Bennett can speak words of praise for Donald Trump.  See his entire column entitled,  "In a Slow-Motion Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Media Figures Embrace Trump One By One."

 "...And that brings me to my friend Bill Bennett. I’ve known, admired, and defended Bill for years. He’s a mensch and a fighter of noble causes.

 I am a frequent listener to Bill’s radio show, mostly when perambulating my canines. Bill is not entirely pro-Trump, but he’s certainly anti-anti-Trump. Bill says concerns about Trump amount to “Trumpophobia.” Last week, he asked rhetorically, “Is it because he’s crude?” And then Bill Bennett rhapsodized about how he’s so worldly that a little profanity doesn’t bother him. Again, we’re talking about Bill-fudging-Bennett (that was a fantastic example of tmesis by the way). That’s not the Bill Bennett I know. 

Then there’s this from last week’s Washington Post: 

“I’m used to being the moral scold, but Trump is winning fair and square, so why should the nomination be grabbed from him?” asked Bennett, now a conservative radio host. “We’ve been trying to get white working-class people into the party for a long time. Now they’re here in huge numbers because of Trump and we’re going to alienate them? I don’t get it. Too many people are on their high horse.” 

Again: I love Bill. But I don’t know anyone who knows the view from the saddle more than Bill. 

Here’s an abbreviated list of his books: 
The Book of Virtues 
The Devaluing of America: Fight for Our Culture and Our Faith 
The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals 
The Broken Hearth: Reversing the Collapse of the American Family I
ndex of Cultural Indicators: Facts and Figures on the State of American Society 
The Children’s Book of Heroes; The Children’s Book of Faith 
The Book of Man: Readings on the Path to Manhood 
Why We Fight: Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism 

And here’s just a few things that I would have thought the author of these books would find disqualifying for a president of the United States and de facto standard-bearer of conservatism. 

• Trump said it doesn’t matter what the media writes about you “as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass.” 
•  Trump boasted that his ordeal of avoiding the clap while sleeping around so much amounted to his own “personal Vietnam.” 
• He said that John McCain’s ordeal avoiding dying at the hands of his torturers wasn’t heroic. 
• As for everyone else’s Vietnam, Trump got out of that by claiming to have a medical condition that instantly healed when hostilities ended. 
• He bragged — in print! — about bedding married women and has admitted to cheating on at least two of his wives. 
• He boasted that he “whines until I win.” 
• He’s condemned Charles Krauthammer, George Will, and many other friends of Bill’s (including yours truly) with far, far more vitriol than he condemns Vladimir Putin, the butchers of Tiananmen, and David Duke. 
• The man is so lacking in moral clarity that he dismissed Vladimir Putin’s murdering of journalists by saying, “I think our country does plenty of killing also.” 
• This is a man who expresses a passionate desire to change the First Amendment so he can punish journalists who don’t kowtow to him. 
• This is a man who praised the mass murder at Tiananmen and criticized Gorbachev for not being as tough-minded. 
• This is a man who says he “reads the Bible more than anybody” but can’t — after months of opportunities — speak intelligently about it for 30 seconds. 
• This is a man who, by any objective measure, lies nearly as much as Bill Clinton but with a tenth of the skill. 
• He lacks the patriotic seriousness to do minimal homework, even when his ignorance has been pointed out time and again. (Bill’s colleague Hugh Hewitt asked Trump about the nuclear triad in August. Several months later, when the question came up again Trump was, if anything, more ignorant.) 
• This is a man whose business dealings have been shot through with shady practices, mob ties, and fraudulent claims (also known as “lies”). 
• This is a man with a totally thumbless grasp of what the Constitution is about or what conservatism is (“Conservatism means,” according to Trump, “to conserve our money”). 
• This is a man who boasted for months that he will torture our enemies and indiscriminately murder their children as a matter of policy. This is a man who says that the last Republican president deliberately lied us into war and plays coy about whether 9/11 was an inside job. 

Now, Bill has criticized some of these things, he just doesn’t think they add up to anything that justifies trying to keep this guy from taking over the GOP or the country. And, bear in mind, I haven’t even talked about Trump’s “policies.” 

To Bill’s credit, he had me on the show on Monday to argue with him about it all. We did. My heart wasn’t entirely in it because I hate being at odds with Bill. I think that’s one reason why I didn’t do as well as I could have. Another reason: I couldn’t believe what Bennett was saying. (Here’s the full audio.) Remember the aforementioned Reagan fallacy? "

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/432708/donald-trump-media-supporters-principles-conservatism?utm_source=newsletters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=KC103+3_14_16

Mychal Massie - What Made America Great

    Mychal Massie had an excellent column today entitled "What Made America Great".  Below is an excerpt from the column.  You can read it in its entirety here.  He also gives solutions on how to get us back on track.

..."In 1835, French sociologist and political theorist, Alix de Tocqueville, wrote “Democracy in America.” It was the culmination of his thoughts after touring the United States in 1831 with his friend, Gustave de Beaumont. They traveled here to analyze the prison system, but consequently, de Tocqueville, the son of two parents that were imprisoned during France’s Reign of Terror, became passionate about our successfully emerging Democratic Republic. It should be noted that during this period of time, America was not counted among the world’s super powers. Never-the-less, de Tocqueville saw a greatness in America that transcended the traditional definition of greatness based on economic prosperity and/or military might. 

The credibility of de Tocqueville writings lies in his fulfilled predictions and warnings about factors that would contribute to the demise of America. In “Political Consequences of the Social State of the Anglo-Americans,” he wrote: “…one also finds in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to want to bring the strong down to their level, and which reduces men to preferring equality in servitude to inequality in freedom.” He also warned about the tyranny of the majority and the threat of a Congress that might someday discover that it can bribe the public with the public’s money. In harmony with the philosophy of our Founders, de Tocqueville expressed that “Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith,” and he further wrote: “Society is endangered not by the great profligacy of a few, but by the laxity of the morals amongst all.” But perhaps his most noteworthy quotes is:

I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her
ample rivers – and it was not there; in her fertile fields and boundless forests – and it was
not there; in her rich mines and her vast world commerce – and it was not there; in her
democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until
I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness
did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is
good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.

Rev. Charles Finney of the Second Great Awakening made a similar statement from a more negative perspective. He said:

If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it.
If the public press lacks moral discernment, the pulpit is responsible for it.
If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it.
If the world loses its interest in Christianity, the pulpit is responsible for it.
If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it.
If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it. 

The decline we are now experiencing in the areas Finney mentioned above are stunning. Both men recognized the role America’s churches played in securing liberty and in establishing America’s greatness. And both men would understand how the silenced voice of the church today has contributed to the demise of this nation..."

What I See Happening In a Trump Presidency, by Bill Bennett

      I just now found this on a website and thought it was important to post.  I totally agree with Mr. Bennett's analysis of why Donald Trump is hated by the establishment.  His brashness and courage to say those things we have all wanted to say is so refreshing.
      Nevertheless, it was very much of a struggle for me to decide who to vote for today in the IL primary.   I prayed for days and heard nothing.  This morning I felt peace about voting my conscience.  It seemed contrary to all that I believe in to vote for Donald Trump who has lived an immoral life, had several affairs, impregnated one of his girlfriends while married to a previous wife.  He has filed bankruptcy 4 times which cheats many creditors.  I have always believed integrity and character matters.  Trump also offers no solutions for problems--only states "I'll fix it, and you'll love it," forgetting that he won't be a king, but will be accountable to Congress and the Supreme Court.  
     After Ben Carson dropped out I pretty much lost interest in the other candidates.  Even though I have been very disappointed in Cruz saying Trump caused the riots against him I ended up voting for Cruz today because he seemed the lesser of the evils.  He is a Constitutionalist.  He stood against ethanol subsidies which he knew wouldn't be popular in Iowa, so hopefully that indicates he has a backbone. He is the husband of one wife.  And he was raised in a Pentecostal Church so surely knows the Scriptures.   Hopefully, Holy Spirit will bring them to his remembrance if he becomes President.
    I must say that I nearly changed my vote for Trump because others blamed him for the riots surrounding his meetings even though I had said I would never vote for him.  Why wasn't Cruz   strong enough to call it for what it was instead of taking a cheap shot at the forerunner?
     It was almost a tipping point for Trump but as I weighed the evidence, Cruz got my vote even though he has never been my favorite candidate.  I will continue to pray that the right person wins the Presidency.

I have always admired Bill Bennett, though, so here is his take on the Trump phenomena.

Bill Bennett's credentials, in case you are unfamiliar with him:

-PHD - Secretary of Education under Ronald Reagan
-Cultural studies at the distinguished and renown Heritage Foundation

William J. Bennett, Host of Bill Bennett's Morning in America Show, is one of America's most important, influential, and respected voices on cultural, political, and education issues. He has one of the strongest Christian world views of any writer in modern times.

What I See Happening In a Trump Presidency  By Bill Bennett

"They will kill him before they let him be president. It could be a Republican or a Democrat that instigates the shutting up of Trump.

Don’t be surprised if Trump has an accident. Some people are getting very nervous: Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett, Eric Holder, Hillary Clinton and Jon Corzine, to name just a few.

It's about the unholy dynamics between big government, big business, and big media. They all benefit by the billions of dollars from this partnership, and it's in all of their interests to protect one another. It's one for all and all for one. It’s a heck of a filthy relationship that makes everyone filthy rich, everyone except the American people. We get ripped off. We’re the patsies. But for once, the powerful socialist cabal and the corrupt crony capitalists are scared. The over-the-top reaction to Trump by politicians of both parties, the media, and the biggest corporations of America has been so swift and insanely angry that it suggests they are all threatened and frightened.

Donald Trump can self-fund. No matter how much they say to the contrary, the media, business, and political elite understand that Trump is no joke. He could actually win and upset their nice cozy apple cart.

It's no coincidence that everyone has gotten together to destroy The Donald. It's because most of the other politicians are part of the a good old boys club. They talk big, but they won’t change a thing. They are all beholden to big-money donors. They are all owned by lobbyists, unions, lawyers, gigantic environmental organizations, and multinational corporations – like Big Pharmacy or Big Oil. Or they are owned lock, stock, and barrel by foreigners like George Soros owns Obama or foreign governments own Hillary and their Clinton Foundation donations.

These run-of-the-mill establishment politicians are all puppets owned by big money. But there's one man who isn't beholden to anyone. There's one man who doesn't need foreigners, or foreign governments, or George Soros, or the United Auto Workers, or the teacher's union, or the Service Employees International Union, or the Bar Association to fund his campaign.

Billionaire tycoon and maverick Donald Trump doesn’t need anyone’s help. That means he doesn’t care what the media says. He doesn’t care what the corporate elites think. That makes him very dangerous to the entrenched interests. That makes Trump a huge threat to those people. Trump can ruin everything for the bribed politicians and their spoiled slave masters.

Don’t you ever wonder why the GOP has never tried to impeach Obama? Don’t you wonder why John Boehner and Mitch McConnell talk a big game, but never actually try to stop Obama? Don’t you wonder why Congress holds the purse strings, yet has never tried to de-fund Obamacare or Obama’s clearly illegal executive action on amnesty for illegal aliens? Bizarre, right? It defies logic, right?

First, I'd guess many key Republicans are being bribed. Secondly, I believe many key Republicans are being blackmailed. Whether they are having affairs, or secretly gay, or stealing taxpayer money, the National Security Agency knows everything.

Ask former House Speaker Dennis Hastert about that. The government even knew he was withdrawing large sums of his own money from his own bank account. The NSA, the SEC, the IRS, and all the other three-letter government agencies are watching every Republican political leader. They surveil everything. Thirdly, many Republicans are petrified of being called racists, so they are scared to ever criticize Obama or call out his crimes, let alone demand his impeachment. Fourth , why rock the boat? After defeat or retirement, if you’re a good old boy, you’ve got a $5 million-per-year lobbying job waiting. The big-money interests have the system gamed. Win or lose, they win.

But Trump doesn’t play by any of these rules. Trump breaks up this nice, cozy relationship between big government, big media, and big business. All the rules are out the window if Trump wins the Presidency. The other politicians will protect Obama and his aides but not Trump. Remember: Trump is the guy who publicly questioned Obama's birth certificate. He questioned Obama's college records and how a mediocre student got into an Ivy League university. Now, he's doing something no Republican has the chutzpah to do. He's questioning our relationship with Mexico; he's questioning why the border is wide open; he's questioning why no wall has been built across the border; he's questioning if allowing millions of illegal aliens into America is in our best interests; he's questioning why so many illegal aliens commit violent crimes, yet are not deported; and he's questioning why our trade deals with Mexico, Russia and China are so bad.

Trump has the audacity to ask out loud why American workers always get the short end of the stick. Good question! I'm certain Trump will question what happened to the almost billion dollars given in a rigged no-bid contract to college friends of Michelle Obama at foreign companies to build the defective Obamacare website. By the way, that tab is now up to $5 billion. Trump will ask if Obamacare's architects can be charged with fraud for selling it by lying. Trump will investigate Obama's widespread IRS conspiracy, not to mention Obama's college records. Trump will prosecute Clinton and Obama for fraud committed to cover up Benghazi before the election. How about the fraud committed by employees of the Labor Department when they made up dramatic job numbers in the last jobs report before the 2012 election?

Obama, the multinational corporations and the media need to stop Trump. They recognize this could get out of control. If left unchecked, telling the raw truth and asking questions everyone else is afraid to ask, Trump could wake a sleeping giant. Trump's election would be a nightmare. Obama has committed many crimes. No one else but Trump would dare to prosecute. He will not hesitate. Once Trump gets in and gets a look at the cooked books and Obama's records, the game is over. The goose is cooked. Holder could wind up in prison. Jarrett could wind up in prison. Obama bundler Corzine could wind up in prison for losing $1.5 billion of customer money. Clinton could wind up in jail for deleting 32,000 emails or for accepting bribes from foreign governments while Secretary of State, or for misplacing $6 billion as the head of the State Department, or for lying about Benghazi. The entire upper level management of the IRS could wind up in prison.

Obamacare will be de-funded and dismantled. Obama himself could wind up ruined, his legacy in tatters. Trump will investigate. Trump will prosecute. Trump will go after everyone involved. That’s why the dogs of hell have been unleashed on Donald Trump.

Yes, it's become open season on Donald Trump. The left and the right are determined to attack his policies, harm his businesses, and, if possible, even keep him out of the coming debates. But they can't silence him. And they sure can't intimidate him. The more they try, the more the public will realize that he's the one telling the truth

Patriot Post Letter excerpt

From today's Patriot Post email newsletter:

Hans von Spakovsky: "In news that should shock and anger Americans, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that not only has she discussed internally the possibility of pursuing civil actions against so-called 'climate change deniers,' but she has 'referred it to the FBI to consider whether or not it meets the criteria for which we could take action.' ... The absurdity of this would be laughable if it were not so serious and so dangerous. The very idea that the FBI, the most powerful law enforcement agency in the United States, has had a referral from the attorney general of the United State to investigate whether those who disagree with the climate change theory meet the legal 'criteria for which' the Justice Department 'could take action' is evocative of Franz Kafka's chilling novel, 'The Trial.' As I have noted before, this is also reminiscent of the old Soviet Union, where Joseph Stalin persecuted those whom he thought had the 'wrong' scientific views on everything from linguistics to physics. Both Lynch and Whitehouse might want to read Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's book, 'In the First Circle,' in which he outlined the Soviet government's suppression of dissenting scientists and engineers. Or perhaps General Lynch should review the Inquisition's persecution of Galileo Galilei for disagreeing with the consensus of his time and advocating the Copernican theory of the universe. Level-headed, objective prosecutors should not be interested in investigating or prosecuting anyone over a scientific theory that is the subject of great debate."

Sun Exposure

     If you are one of those who won't go outside without sunscreen because you have read of the harmful effects of the sun on your skin, you might want to check out this article by Dr. Mercola.

"How Dermatologists Fuel Chronic Disease Rates With Their Flawed Sun Exposure Guidelines"

Can Our Colleges Be Saved by Victor David Hanson

      Mr. Hanson makes some very good points and has excellent suggestions on what to do about it in this article.

THE RIGHT OPINION

Can Our Colleges Be Saved?

Victor Davis Hanson · Mar. 10, 2016

   

The public is steadily losing confidence in undergraduate education, given that we hear constantly about how poorly educated are today’s graduates and how few well-paying jobs await them.

The cost of college is a national scandal. Collective student loan debt in America is about $1.2 trillion. Campus political correctness is now daily news.

How could higher education be held accountable and thereby be reformed?

Just as expensive new roofs are not supposed to leak, $100,000 educations should not leave students unprepared for the real world upon graduation. Rain and snow calibrate the effectiveness of a roofer’s work, but how does society know whether students' expensive investments in their professors and courses have led to any quantifiable knowledge?

SAT and ACT examinations originated in the 1920s and 1960s, respectively, as meritocratic ways to allow applicants from less prestigious high schools and from minority groups to be assessed on their aptitude for college — without the old-boy, establishment prejudices of class, gender and race. Would such blind exams also work in reverse as national college exit tests? Could bachelor’s degrees be predicated on certifying that graduates possess a minimum level of common knowledge?

Lawyers with degrees can only practice after passing bar exams. Doctors cannot practice medicine upon the completion of M.D. degrees unless they are board certified. Why can’t undergraduate degrees likewise be certified? One can certainly imagine the ensuring hysteria.

What would happen if some students from less prestigious state schools graduated from college with higher exit-test scores than the majority of Harvard and Yale graduates? What if students still did not test any higher in analytics and vocabulary after thousands of dollars and several years of lectures and classroom hours?

Would schools then cut back on “studies” courses, the number of administrators or lavish recreational facilities to help ensure that students first and foremost mastered a classical body of common knowledge? Would administrators be forced to acknowledge that their campuses had price-gouged students but imparted to them little in return?

Public corporations open their books to shareholders. Shouldn’t publicly supported colleges and tax-exempt private universities do the same for taxpayers and tuition-paying students? Shouldn’t the public know how much of their contributions are allotted for particular academic departments, sports programs and study centers?

Take out a car or home loan, and there are pages of federal regulations protecting the borrower. Why not give students the same truth-in-advertising protections with the liabilities they will incur?

Schools should inform all enrollees in advance of the prorated costs for a four-, five- or six-year education, including warnings about compounded interest on their debt.

Each school should publicize the percentage of its students who found employment in their particular area of studies — and after how long, and at what salary. Majoring in media studies is fine, but teenagers entering college should be warned that such jobs have become far more scarce than jobs in engineering or accounting.

The average pay associated with a particular major should be posted. Surely an 18-year-old student should have as much information about borrowing for an education as she does about going into far less debt for a car loan.

Shouldn’t campus diversity also be defined far more broadly?

Campuses need not just different races, ethnicities and religions to enrich their intellectual landscapes, but exposure to a wide variety of political and social views as well.

The country is divided 50/50 on most hot-button issues, not 95/5 as it is so often on campus. Life after college is about hearing and tolerating views one doesn’t agree with — not about shouting down dissenting viewpoints in adolescent fashion, or demanding to feel always reaffirmed rather than occasionally uncomfortable.

Why make campuses exempt from realities commonly found elsewhere?

Tech graduates will enter the workplace without guarantees of lifetime tenure at Google. There will be no “safe spaces” for supervisors at GM or Ford where others of a different race cannot enter. Employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs or NASA cannot expect their complaints and accusations to proceed by suspending the due process and free-speech rights of the accused.

No boss at Citibank will issue trigger warnings before ordering subordinates to work harder. Do not tell your supervisor at Comcast that his advice to pick up the pace was a microaggression. Try shouting down or otherwise disrupting a presenter of a new smart-phone product line whom you do not like and see what happens.

Saving the campus from itself is not about doing much that is new or different.

Instead, the challenge is simply forcing colleges that have gone rogue to grow up and to return to the rules and regulations that everyone else follows — and which they should have long ago abided by as well.

© 2016 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.

You can read this article online at The Patriot Post and view comments here.