A friend sent to to me and I want to pass it along:

In the 13th century, a Portugese woman who’d been demonically oppressed resolved to do the unthinkable by taking her own life by drowning herself in the Tagus River. On her way to the river, she passed a shrine erected in honor of the great orator and miracle-worker, St. Anthony of Padua.

She stopped to pray, one last time. As she prayed, she saw St. Anthony standing before her, saying, “‘Arise woman, and take this paper, which will free you from the molestations of the Evil One.” Then he gave her a parchment inscribed with what is now known as the “Brief (i.e., “Letter”) of St. Anthony,” 1 and she was now free from demonic oppression and the desire to do away with herself.

News of this miracle spread, even to the King who asked the woman for the Brief. He placed it with the Crown Jewels of Portugal, which was fine for the King, but bad for the woman. After the Brief was no longer with her, she began to weaken and lapse, so the King made a copy for her that restored her to her healed state. Other copies of the Brief were spread to help the faithful fight the Evil One and remind them that Christ has conquered.

The Brief consists of a depiction of a Cross, and words which, forming a rhyme in the Latin, hearken back to Apocalypse 5:5, “And one of the ancients said to me: Weep not: behold the lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof.”

The words of St. Anthony’s Brief are: Ecce Crucem Domini, Fugite, partes adversae, Vicit Leo de Tribu Juda, Radix David, alleluia. English version: Behold the Cross of the Lord! Flee ye adversaries! The Lion of the Tribe of Juda, The Root of David has conquered, alleluia!

The exorcizing proclamation is carried on the person or placed in homes. It is also used in more specific situations, such as that encountered by the French seamen who found their ship tossed by an angry sea during a storm off Brittany’s coast in 1708.

One of the men wrote the words of St. Anthony’s Brief, and threw it into the sea with a prayer to the Saint. Immediately, the seas calmed and the sailors were saved. The words of this Brief are good ones to use when feeling tempted by evil, oppressed by demons, and in general spiritual warfare.

As an aside, part of these words from the Apocalypse are also inscribed at the top of the obelisk that sits in St. Peter’s Square. The obelisk had been in Rome since A.D. 37, set up in what is believed by many to have been the site of the divisional wall (spina) of Caligula’s Circus, where Nero’s massacre of Christians took place in A.D. 67. Pope Sixtus V moved the obelisk to its present position in a move that …celebrated the triumph of the Faith of Christ, St Peter and the apostles over pagan superstition.

The proximity of the obelisk to the old basilica had always been resented as something of a provocation, almost as a slight to the Christian religion. It had stood there like a false idol, as it were vaingloriously, on what was believed to be the center of the accursed circus where the early Christians and St Peter had been put to death. Its sides, then as now, were graven with dedications to Augustus and Tiberius. On its summit was a bronze sphere believed to contain the ashes of Julius Caesar.

When taken down, the sphere proved to be solid. Nevertheless, Sixtus had a bronze cross put in its place (in 1740, after repairs, a piece of the True Cross was inserted in one of the arms). Solemnly the pope had the heathen spirit of the obelisk exorcised. ‘Impio cultu dicatum’ he carved upon the base as a reminder of what the needle once represented, and ‘Ecce Crux Domini fugite partes adverase’ in proud defiance of Luther and the reformed Churches. 2

Footnotes:

1 Other accounts say that she fell asleep, dreamed of St. Anthony, and awakened to find the Brief. I don’t know which is accurate.

2 “Saint Peter’s”, by James Lees-Milne, 1967

P.S. Did you Know? The word “lived,” as in the past, is “devil” reversed.

P.S.S. The paradox: Fear is real in the mind. Spiritual warfare (of powers and principalities) is what we face on Earth. Yet God is one. All is one. “Where there is love, fear cannot exist… He that is still afraid has not perfect love … Love your neighbor as your self.”

“Fear not,” is the most repeated exhortation in the Bible.

This was reported on July 9, 2010 by Adrianne Appel of Inter Press Service Report:

“Boston – Times are tough for workers in the U.S. where a recession has a stranglehold on much of the economy, but life is perfectly rosy for those at the top.

The riches of the wealthiest North Americans grew by double digits in 2009, primarily from interest their money earned when it was invested in the stock market and elsewhere, according to a report by the Boston Consulting Group.

Millionaires in the U.S. and Canada saw their wealth increase 15 percent in 2009, to a total of 4.6 trillion dollars, the report found.

Worldwide, 11 million – or less than 1 percent of all households – were millionaires in 2009. They owned about 38 percent of the world’s wealth or 111 trillion dollars, up from about 36 percent in 2008, according to Boston Consulting Group.

About 4.7 million millionaires live in the U.S., four percent of the population and more than anywhere else in the world. Japan, China, Britain and Germany followed the U.S. in the number of millionaires.

Their fortune is a stark contrast to the lives of more than 15 million people in the U.S. who are unemployed and searching for work, and the eight million more who are just getting by with a part-time job, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than two million more people were working prior to the recession but have now dropped out of the labour force.

Apart from the newly unemployed, about 39 million people in the U.S. are chronically poor and do not have enough food to eat, according to the U.S. Census and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“The nation’s jobs crisis is so catastrophic that, unless Congress acts on the scale of the New Deal, millions of Americans will experience extremely long periods of unemployment for many years ahead,” Lawrence Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute, told a panel of the Committee on Ways and Means recently.

Not so for millionaires and the uber-rich.

The uber-rich, those with more than 30 million dollars, are on the rebound. They spent more money in 2009 on fancy cars, yachts and jets compared to 2008, according to a study by Merrill Lynch-Capgemini. They bought fine art, expensive jewelry, gems and antiques, items that are likely to increase in value over time, so they can sell them later and make more money.

The recession isn’t hitting those at the top as it has workers. In fact, many wealthy people benefited from the stock market’s ups and downs, said Mike Lapham, director of the Responsible Wealth Project at United for a Fair Economy, an NGO in Boston.

“Folks at the top have a cushion, a disposable income to fall back on. Maybe their portfolios took a hit but they didn’t lose their jobs and their homes. If they had losses, they can deduct them from their taxes,” Lapham told IPS.

“Some people bet successfully on the financial system going under,” he said. “The stock market went from 10,000 to 6,000 and back to 11,000. That’s a big jump for people with significant portfolios.”

“The people at bottom who’ve lost work, it’ll be years before they get back to where they were before the crash,” Lapham said.

The U.S. average national unemployment rate is 9.7 percent. Only those who are actively looking for work are included in this statistic. Among Black Americans, the rate is 15.5 percent and Latinos, 12.4 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Congressional Budget Office predicts that unemployment will remain almost unchanged in 2011, about 9.5 percent.

Many families have been surviving on small, weekly unemployment checks provided for 26 weeks by their state government, and an additional 73 weeks by the federal government. The first group of unemployed to run through both benefits hit that point Jul. 1, and today about a million people are receiving no assistance at all. About nine million more are still receiving unemployment payments.

Congress is considering extending federal assistance for another 20 weeks. The House approved the legislation, but the Senate did not. Congress left town for its holiday break until mid-July without passing the legislation.

In the Senate the issue fell almost precisely along party lines, with all but one Democrat for extending the benefit, and all but two Republicans against it, saying the 34- billion-dollar cost was not worth adding to the federal deficit.

Without the vote of Democratic Senator Ben Nelson, of Nebraska, the bill was one vote short of the 60 needed for passage.

“I think we’re going to see a new wave of heartache here in Rhode Island,” with the end of the federal assistance, Kate Brewster, executive director of the Poverty Institute, a Rhode Island NGO, told IPS.

The small, northeastern U.S. state, a former manufacturing centre whose jobs moved offshore, has struggled with higher unemployment and low-wage jobs for years. Most recently, it was hard hit by the foreclosure crisis and the downturn in the construction industry.

The ongoing unemployment and low jobs creation nationwide is helping to fuel the millions of foreclosures sweeping across the nation, according to a report by the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies.

The nation’s anemic jobs creation, high foreclosures and weak consumer spending has convinced Mishel and many economists that the U.S. is in for an extended downturn. Just 83,000 jobs were created in June, instead of the 150,000 needed for robust employment, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

“The United States is undergoing the worst economic downturn in 70 years, and the damage and suffering it is causing will last many years beyond the official end of the recession,” Mishel said.

Rhode Island’s future is uncertain.

“We’ve consistently had one of the highest rates of unemployment in the country,” Brewster said. Today, in the midst of the recession, more people are showing up at soup kitchens for free meals and dialing in to a toll-free, crisis phone service for families in dire circumstances, she said.

“They’ve had an enormous influx of calls in the past 18 to 21 months,” she said. Fewer services are available to help them.

“Within last five years the state cut back work support programmes like child care assistance and funded health insurance,” Brewster said. “The cruel irony is that when families really need help, less is available.”

Earth, Milky Way Galaxy – The International Center for Reiki Training has announced the next  World Peace Card Meditations Day – for  Wednesday, July 14, 2010, at 7:30.m. (based on local time in your time zone)

A New Era

The organizers write: “You are invited to take part in the next World Peace Card Meditations. Please mark your calendar and forward this email to all your friends.

Because so many of you forwarded this email to your friends, there have been almost 180,000 downloads of the World Peace Cards. This is a tremendous increase in the number of people using the cards. So far, the total number of World Peace Card sets downloaded, received from our free offer and from our magazine has been nearly 195,000.  We  hope you have been using your peace cards as their use brings blessings to the world as well as to you.”

Wave of peace energy getting stronger and stronger

The  World Peace Card group meditation has been chosen because of the special effect it produces. As people meditate in each successive time zone the energy builds like a wave which gets stronger and stronger as it circles the planet. Because of the higher dimensional nature of consciousness, the energy of peace will be transmitted for a full 24 hours and continue long after this.

Reports from those who took part in the previous meditations indicate many had powerful spiritual experiences. As they united with those taking part in the meditation a feeling of peace developed within that stayed with each for a long time. Some saw beautiful golden light surrounding the planet and others felt that a web of fear was dissipating and being replaced with trust in others and for our future.

All those who have received the cards are being asked to meditate on world peace at this time. By taking part in this group meditation, you’ll be joining thousands of people who will be using the cards to bring peace to the world. By joining together, the affect we have will be greatly multiplied. This powerful experience and will help shift the vibration of our wonderful planet into a higher state of consciousness. As you use the cards to meditate on world peace, you will be a beacon through which peace will spread around the planet which will have a positive uplifting effect on all people.

Please set aside this time to meditate with the cards. The suggested meditation period is 15 minutes, but of course you can meditate longer if you’d like to. The technique I’d like you to use is based on allowing yourself to be a beacon of peace.

World Peace Grids

The World Peace Cards hold the vibration of the World Peace Grids which have been placed at spiritually significant locations and are relay stations for higher consciousness. By simply opening to their energy, you’ll become a channel for their love and peace which will flow through you to all the people on Earth. To do this, hold the cards in your hands or place them in front of you. Then simply meditate on peace.

Trust is replacing fear

We are entering a new era. Our entire planet including all the people and living things are moving into a place where it will be much easier to solve our problems and to create peace, prosperity and happiness for everyone. The World Peace Card meditation will quicken this process, making it easier for people to experience this new quality of higher consciousness and will provide great benefit for all people. Since this benefit will be flowing through you out to everyone on the planet, you’ll be blessed by this experience as well.

To download World Peace Cards

Technical Notes: This is a larger file and it may take several minutes for it to open, so please be patient. When printing the cards from this file, print page 2 first, then place this page in your printer and print the image of the peace grids on the back.

Personal Note:  Trusting God – One can train him/herself to refrain from dwelling in fear. Once being conscious of  its onslaught, one can replace fear with trust just as soon as possible. This is discipline in action – and oftentimes quite challenging.

Gulf of Mexico – For centuries, dolphins and human beings have enjoyed a fruitful interaction; two of the most intelligent creatures still left on Earth do indeed share a unique bond.

The pictures and statistics about how many of our dolphin friends are succumbing to BP’s continuing assault against all that’s living in the Gulf is growing more dire. The situation is be getting worse, not better.

We encourage all of our dolphin friends to keep on swimming. Go further South this year, pass the Gulf of Mexico. Save yourselves.

“We’re going to lose a lot of them,” said Dr. Denise Herzing, research director for the Wild Dolphin Research Project in Jupiter, Florida. “It is unconscionable and it is criminal. It is akin to a nuclear power plant explosion underwater.”

As of the end of June 2010, there were about 51 confirmed reports of marine mammal strandings: one sperm whale, 3 spinner and 47 bottlenose dolphins collected in the Gulf — dead or alive — since the Deepwater Horizon spill on April 20, 2010.

A Palm Beach (FL) news source reports:

“While dolphins are among the smartest animals on the planet, researchers do not know if their intelligence will protect them from the oil.

“I think they are smart enough to realize they are in bad water and they need to get out,” said Beth Smart, founder of the Dolphin and Marine Medical Research Foundation in West Palm Beach.

Dolphins travel in “pods” and stick together, and take care of each other – a great “buddy system” reminder for all living animals in the coming days.

If one dolphin get sick, other dolphins often hold him at the surface to breathe.  Perhaps, the biggest threat to dolphins and other larger fish may come from them eating smaller fish that have been contaminated.

So please, keep swimming.

Louisiana, USA – Clean up crews across the Gulf of Mexico are working at night now that it’s so hot … and still the oil is flowing.  Each barrel of oil emptied into the Gulf, demonstrates over and over again the immense corporate greed that has been building for years. Now, we’re seeing the manifestation of this greed right in front of our eyes. For all the world to witness.

A number of Gulf residents I’ve spoken with are just trying to keep busy. “I just try not to think about it,” they say. “I haven’t even walked over on the beach … but I hear there is oil there. No smell yet.” Often, it’s just too much to consider the devastation to the beautiful beaches – and the loss of marine life, jobs and property values. Likewise, many citizens across the United States feel helpless as they watch this unbelievable, sad spectacle.

There is one thing that we can all do – anytime, anywhere – to help. State senators in Louisiana have declared today as a day for citizens to ask for God’s help in dealing with the oil disaster.

“Thus far efforts made by mortals to try to solve the crisis have been to no avail,” state Sen. Robert Adley said in a statement released after last week’s unanimous vote for the day of prayer. “It is clearly time for a miracle for us.”

The legislative resolution named today as a Statewide Day of Prayer in Louisiana and are calling on people of all religions throughout the Gulf Coast – and the world – “to pray for an end to this environmental emergency, sparing us all from the destruction of both culture and livelihood.”

Let’s pray today … and continue praying.

*****

Prayer: Dear Lord, shine your light on this situation for what it is, and help bring enlightenment to those who seek solutions to halting the gushing oil and the destruction of your Creation. Help all on Earth to seek you and your Kingdom first – instead of monetary gain. You indeed are our Hope.

U.S.A .- For all you survivalists out there (is that all of us?), here’s a very thorough list I found of the first 100 items that are mostly likely to “disappear” if some type of emergency happens in the United States. Many citizens of other countries across the world have been operating like this for years. We  are perhaps the slow and the “fat” ones. Regardless, it’s good to be prepared to take care of your family, and your clan (tribe) – the people close by in your “inner circle.”

And, it’s good to make alliances and trading arrangements with others you trust.

This list was placed under the heading of “Survivalism and Gardening,” and definitely points out that basics – like clean water, water containers, firewood, non-electric lighting devices, lots of matches, toilet paper, garbage bags, food staples, baby supplies – will be in high demand.

It was posted by Greg on May 31, 2010 on this web site.

Consider collecting these items now:

1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy…target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 – 12 months to become dried, for home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce,
stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
10. Rice – Beans – Wheat
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY – note – food grade if for drinking.
14. Mini Heater head (Propane) (Without this item, propane won’t heat a room.)
15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric)
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous
without this item)24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk – Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman’s Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes…buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. {“Strike Anywhere” preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go
first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in
Wintertime.)
45. Work Boots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, “No. 76 Dietz” Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings,
experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting – if with wheels)
49. Men’s Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles…Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soy Sauce, vinegar, bullion’s/gravy/soup base
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. “Survival-in-a-Can”
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress’s
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens

Some First-Hand Observations/ General Tips

1. Stockpiling helps. but you never no how long trouble will last, so
locate near renewable food sources.

2. Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden.

3. After awhile, even gold can lose its luster. But there is no luxury in war quite like toilet paper. Its surplus value is greater than gold’s.

4. If you had to go without one utility, lose electricity – it’s the easiest to do without (unless you’re in a very nice climate with no need for heat.)

5. Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without
heating. One of the best things to stockpile is canned gravy – it makes
a lot of the dry unappetizing things you find to eat in war somewhat
edible. Only needs enough heat to “warm”, not to cook. It’s cheap too,
especially if you buy it in bulk.

6. Bring some books – escapist ones like romance or mysteries become more valuable as the war continues. Sure, it’s great to have a lot of survival guides, but you’ll figure most of that out on your own anyway – trust me, you’ll have a lot of time on your hands.

7. The feeling that you’re human can fade pretty fast. I can’t tell you how many people I knew who would have traded a much needed meal for just a little bit of toothpaste, rouge, soap or cologne. Not much point in fighting if you have to lose your humanity. These things are morale-builders like nothing else.

8. Slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches!

Chapter One – Slippery Slope – Return of the Forgotten One (Sci Fi)

For years now, thousands of people had been coming into the country illegally from Zoor’s neighboring border, Bartonia.  The Government had laws against it, but they had not been enforcing them. Now, the situation was dire, and the provinces closest to the border were beginning to take things into their own hands.

If the Newcomers wanted to come into Zoor so badly, then it is only right that their movements should be tracked. So some thought. The Newcomers should be issued an electronic surveillance bracelet. They should be counted. They should be controlled. Their access to education and health care should be decided upon by the Government. It was a slippery slope.

Usually, the people of Zoor would have thought that barbaric, but in the tough times that had hit the planet over the last 50 years – basically non-stop war and greed – many people in Zoor saw jobs being taken by the Newcomers, and services their tax dollars were paying for being given free to these “border-crashers.”

The Government already had practice in this regard. Already, the Government had begun issuing the surveillance bracelets (“tags”) to prisoners of war, and to war contractors and to soldiers. Over 10 million people in Zoor had been catalogued and “tagged” – and now for Zoor citizens to go into or out of their own country, required being tagged, as well. It was a slippery slope.

These tags contained everything needed for one to operate in modern Zoor. All of this was done, of course, to keep the people of Zoor safe from terrorists. Though small, the bracelet contained birth and family information, tax and employment records, financial records, law enforcement records, health records, an iris scan, 12 rolled fingerprints, numerous pictures of his/her face, and any  identifying marks, and the most critical element – the unique DNA of that individual. The bracelets were different colors, though no one knew for certain if the colors meant something or not.

Through a newer technology, called RFID, an area could be scanned and a list of all of the people tagged in that area could come up on a computer screen (showing their whereabouts and their identifying data.) You know, like items are managed and monitored in large retail stores. It was a slippery slope.

Many people across Zoor had become sick – some from known causes, others from hidden causes. Mining was everywhere. Each province seemed to be mining for their own survival, regardless of the health and environmental fall out.

Costs were soaring. Money was devalued. Many people  did not have basic care. Many could not find natural foods, only synthetic nano-foods, and clean water was scarce. Part of the food supply – the seafood – had been wiped out by massive oil spills. Not a good situation.

So, the Government had come to the rescue and developed a brand new Plan to take care of the populace: From the time each baby was born in Zoor until the time they died, the Government would furnish their health care and food. What a deal. And, of course, a surveillance bracelet would be required to “participate”. It was a slippery slope.

Zoor was buzzing… Who would monitor all of the bracelets? And, would the leaders of Zoor and those who monitored the populace also be tagged? Those were unspoken questions as many were sometimes afraid to speak out. Perhaps, eventually, computers could monitor some of the bracelets – to save money, of course.

*****

In the midst of it all, there sat Noelte, 29, a young mother.  She had a dilemma. She had lived near the River near a chemical plant for years and knew she had developed another tumor in her leg; she could feel it, the knot protruding from her thin, tanned shin. But, she had already had three removed. The pain was bad. She tried to move through it, rather than dwell on it. But, the possible repercussions from getting an appointment to see a medic could be even more daunting.

Noelte had heard that on the fourth tumor, you would be labeled “incurable” and a “marker” would go on your bracelet. She wasn’t sure what the marker was, or what it meant. It just didn’t sound good. Noelte looked down at her little girl, Rombley, resting on the bed and smiled. Now, there was a beautiful girl! Vibrant eyes, full of hope. After all, why not? Rombley had seen God a lot more recently than Noelte had, and still had visions of flying at night… visions of hope.

To be continued…

USA, Earth – One of my favorite web sites is Gimundo because the news they publish is purposely uplifting. I am on their email mailing list and the information I receive is well worth it.

Take for example, the headline story for today. It’s about Doc Compton, a Texas businessman, and an action he takes that keeps generosity flowing. It’s simple, and oh so powerful!.

Place a single dollar bill in an envelope and pass it along to a stranger, asking them to “pay it forward.”

A  little note inside reads something like this: “If you need it, keep it. Otherwise, simply pass it on to someone else who could use the money – and, if you’re able to, add a dollar of your own to the envelope.”

Once again, this is one person making a big difference – where they are, with what they have. All of us can do this.

This is “viral communication” at its best.

When interviewed by The Dallas Morning News, the Doc remarked:  “It’s not about the money; it’s not about whose hands the money ultimately lands in. It’s about the hands along the way that get to experience the gift of giving.”

Compton came up with the idea when he gave $10 to a couple who couldn’t afford to buy their lunch.

No Strings Attached

I have heard people say “whatever goes around,comes around” and “if I give to others, then that will come back to me.” While there is nothing wrong with giving in this manner, perhaps taking it to the next level sounds like: “I will give, regardless of whether anything ever comes back to me or not.. Just because it’s kind and decent and right.”  Unconditional giving.

You know, after a number of years of working at a soup kitchen and serving the homeless, and seeing what they gave back to the servers, I had the “opportunity” of being on the other end of the giving this past Spring when I went to a soup kitchen for food when I was between paychecks.

I found out that there is no difference in the “side” of the soup table you are on. One gives food, the other receives food. And, we each give the opportunity to be a servant to each other.

I have witnessed, too, when a group of homeless folks who regularly attend a soup kitchen will get together and pray for, and get a card for one of the “servers” who is sick. Now…who is it that’s giving there?

In closing, Gimundo reports that Compton himself  had lost his job as an investment banker, and that Christmas an acquaintance came to his house with a car full of presents for his children, and a gift for him – $2,500. Then and there, “Compton vowed to pay that kindness on to others.”

So, buy some envelopes at the Dollar Store, make up a little note, and pass on those dollar bills! Then, get ready to change lives more than you ever know, including your own!

To read the whole Gimundo story and check out the site for yourself, click here.

Here are some inspirations to ponder and consider adopting:

Hoping against hope is for winners.

To be and not to be is the question; duality is not the answer.

You alone determine if you’ll become all that the world needs of you.

You are not alone. Hold on to that because it’s true whether you believe it or not.

Be aware every second and you’ll be one of the first to know the Truth.

You’re an inner space traveler: Everything’s changing except that still point that you operate from within.

Tired? Stressed? Get up. Stand up for your life, and keep moving forward.

You are onederful. Never forget it.

See your glory in every person you meet, and you’ll soon recognize yourself for who you really are. Powerful.

Understanding another is getting over your self.

To make another laugh is the mark of a gentle god.

Set yourself free from the prison of your making; you are the key to your happiness.

True well being has nothing to do with doing.

The world need your unique contribution; conform, and you’ll forget how to create.

Peace is in the making; be a part of the move afoot.

The eyes that look deep within your heart bring forth great news of a world at peace.

Shower others with the flowers of a your smile. It will grow on you.

One is never a fool who envisions good for all.

With Enthusiasm!

A Science Fiction Tale:

Prelude: The Return of the Forgotten One

In an instant, in one space/time snapshot, a wonder-full story began and then spun out across time and space – toward the past and toward the future.  Many snapshots later (or earlier, if you prefer) a crucial time in history arose – when time and space literally seem to converge on each other, at first not sure if they will make love or war. The Figure 8 had transversed its course and both ends were meeting in that middle land once more.

It was shaky going. Just as soon as one felt like he/she knew what was real anymore, it changed again. And, that was okay, even though it often felt the opposite. “It’s all good” would be the modern saying for the hope that comes from just giving all one has each day, and praying for the best outcome of all concerned. After all, we see and move forward by faith, not sight.

It was a time of great upheaval, of suffering. But, oh, a time for hope, as well. The people had been living on the planet for ages. So long, in fact, that memories of entire generations of people on the planet – and their children – had been forgotten….or erased.

Details about their Source, their purpose, and their true identity and nature and life fuel seem to have evaporated.  Some people sought to remember these threads, others to forget…while perhaps the majority, these days, simply had forgotten that there was anything to remember or forget. They were numb, raw, overexposed to images and information and stimuli. They were used to being afraid.

Sometimes, this “forgetting” was due to catastrophic events on the planet – threats from underneath, from the surface, and above.  And, some times, the threats seemed to come from the ethers, invisible threats. Who knows if these type exist apart from the minds of the inhabitants – apart from the echoes they can hear across the land – or not?

Both threats and opportunities had come too from others “worlds” – from people unknown to the planet’s inhabitants. Aliens. For, if the people would know that others existed beyond their planet, they could, if  in dire trouble, call on these “others” to help. Across time, and across space,  and across dimensions. Nothing was impossible.

Such is the time of our telling. This time, human DNA had triumphed. Humans had rose to the top of the food chain and maintained their position – above dogs, and cats, and reptiles, on down to amoebas. The humans were multiplying rapidly, using up their resources and minerals and organs, experiencing dis-ease, further imprisoning each other, polluting the planet, and beginning to fight for food and water. One place or another on the planet was at war, constantly.

For, you know, the ancient story goes that once the First War began, it never has ended, whether above or below, or in that gray bridge between. The planet’s people were bidding time against catastrophe – in one form or another. On their own, in their own minds,  they had succeeded in making great technological advances.  In fact, so superior were their advances that they had done what they had not intended; they had created ways to eliminate themselves, to wipe out their entire race.

Greed, too, had swept the planet – to the extent that some would eliminate others just as easily as they strip a $20 bill from their money roll to pay a black-suited valet. The Little People – who knew no better,  would be better off with the educated and powerful in control, anyway, right?

So, what The Little People were told, and how they were molded was very important. And, it was most important that the strings that tweaked them would be so subtle and so cunning that the People would not even know that they were being herded for profit – and had been for years. It would be better still if what they were told actually looked like it was a way to help them in their suffering.

There were governments. Some had celebrated their people; some had eventually slaughtered their people. None had lasted very long, for varied reasons. But, without question, nearly all the people kept falling farther away from one important truth: that peace was their legacy.

There were temples and churches. Some on the planet believed in good and evil. Some believed that all is One.  And still others believed in nothing (or is it, no-thing?) For, it  is often true that if  a situation or experience is a paradox, the more real it actually is. That’s as reliable of a barometer for discernment as any other.

There were sprites and elementals, and there were the clouds, and the shadows. There was the Sun, and the moon, and the stars, and all sorts of space debris surrounding the planet. There was activity going on in space beyond ones wildest imagination, sometimes obscured.

And, then… There were the leaders, strong leaders, who had led the people to new heights at each new juncture along the planet’s own journey… and some men and women, who had caught the planet in addictive downward spirals, with each recovery a bit harder than the last. Pull and tug. Pull and tug. Pull and tug.

Legend has it that strong leaders need to be peacemakers – speaking and negotiating with anyone, looking for commonalities first – to get the ball moving. Strong  leaders have been around the block, and above all, have sought and discovered truth from his/her own experience and mistakes – rather than just through the images and limitations presented to them. As Martin Luther once said, they “sin boldly”. To these men and women, richness is in relationship and depth and wisdom and nature, not necessarily blood line or “authority”.

Never forget, we still are writing history and herstory one blink, one experience, one tear, one kiss at a time.

Rest assured, Love will prevail.

*****

Check back on the site later for Chapter One of  “The Return of the Forgotten Ones” – coming soon.

(Note: The photo is of an Analemma – a trace of the annual movement of the Sun on the sky – is well known among experts of sun-dials and old Earth’s globes as a diagram of change of seasons and an equation of time.)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – By doing a Google search on “hungry children in America,” you think you’d find many pictures. But, that’s not the case. The problem of hungry children in the United States is a real one and it’s only exacerbated by the fact that not much is reported on the issue by mainstream media – in the United states or elsewhere.

The fact is 17 percent of all children in the United States – almost one in four – struggle with hunger daily.

These children live in families lacking the resources to put nutritious meals on the table, and they suffer the health consequences: impaired growth, development and performance at school, more illness and hospitalizations, and greater susceptibility to obesity than other kids.

Great American Dine Out Week is September 19 – 25

Share Our Strength is the organizer of The Great American Dine Out, now in its third year. This event rallies chain, franchise and independent restaurants to raise funds to help end childhood hunger in America – by participating in a national week-long dine out. This year’s Great American Dine Out is September 19 -25, 2010.

“Our mission is to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. It begins with an eagerness to give back to our local communities,” says Ray Blanchette, CEO, Ignite Restaurant Group and Chairman of the Great American Dine Out Board of Directors.

“Partnering with Share Our Strength in the Great American Dine Out is a critical step in aligning the restaurant industry as a whole to give back in a strategic way. Participating in the Great American Dine Out will inspire everyone in an organization, from the office staff to the managers and hourly team members.

I urge every restaurant to sign up today to support the Great American Dine Out. It will take everyone in our industry to ensure that no child grows up hungry.”

Since 2007, thousands of restaurants have participated in the Great American Dine Out, rallying their employees, vendors and customers to raise more than $1.2 million to help end childhood hunger.

The Eastern Illinois Foodbank, for example, used a grant it received from funds raised through the Great American Dine Out to help support a number of food programs that help children.

The Signs of Hunger

One Saturday morning, an 8-year-old was spotted biting into a raw, unwashed potato he’d ripped from a sack his mom had just received from the food bank’s Foodmobile, a mobile food pantry that serves needy areas. “Don’t worry,” he said, “it doesn’t taste bad.” The boy’s school principal, a Foodmobile volunteer, wasn’t surprised: his teachers had told her he had been showing signs of hunger for months.

In 2009, more than 3,500 restaurants across the United States raised nearly $800,000 to support No Kid Hungry, the Share Our Strength national campaign to end childhood hunger in America by 2015.

Calling All Restaurant Owners to Join in the Effort

Registration for the 2010 Great American Dine Out is open to all restaurants across the country. Once registered, restaurants can take advantage of the Great American Dine Out Online Resource Center, that’s full of downloadable in-store marketing materials, templates for publicity tools, and instructions for ordering pre-printed promotional materials.

To register, contact Jessie Sherrer at (202) 478-6505, or register on the web.

The 2010 Great American Dine Out is sponsored by Sysco, Ecolab, American Express, USA Today, Food Network, and The National Restaurant Association.

By the Numbers: Food Insecurity in the U.S.

Food insecurity exists in 14.6% of all U.S. households:

- 42.2% of all households at or below the poverty line
- 37.2% of all single-mom households
- Families struggling with hunger experience three or more symptoms of food insecurity during seven months of the year, on average.
- Symptoms of food insecurity include running out of food without money to buy more, cutting portion sizes or skipping meals, and not feeding children in the family because there isn’t money for food.
- For about one-fourth of families struggling with hunger, symptoms are frequent or chronic.

Food insecure families (17.1 million households) struggle with hunger:

- 83.6% live in major metropolitan areas
- 67.7% live above the poverty line
- 52.1 % are white
- 48.7% (8.3 million) have kids under 18

Food insecurity affects nearly 17 million children in America:

- 34% more now than in 2009
- 48.7% live in married-couple families
- 41.9% live in single-mom families
- 41.2% live at or below the poverty line
- 40.3% live in the South
- 35.5% live in cities outside of major metro areas

More about Share Our Strength

Share Our Strength is a national organization that works hard to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry. They weave together a net of community groups, activists and food programs to catch children facing hunger and surround them with nutritious food where they live, learn and play.

Share Our Strength is headerquartered in Washington D.C.. They work with the culinary industry to create engaging, pioneering programs like Taste of the Nation, Great American Bake Sale, A Tasteful Pursuit, Great American Dine Out, and Operation Frontline.

From the Earth -

Consider this — “Take one world: A globeful of people, most of whom are victims; A handful of people passionately committed to justice; A God overseeing and supervising without usurping total control; An exemplary human life, in which the globeful of people and the handful of people and the overseeing God are united, so that the particular human life is uniquely transparent to the divine; A healthy respect for the past and a healthy skepticism about institutions that have an unhealthy respect for the past; Human hearts in which anger and love are two sides of the same coin; A willingness to risk judgments that might be wrong; And an ultimate optimism combined with a provisional pessimism. Mix well, and see what happens!”

Peace Poster proceeds benefit needy in Haiti

A poster which carries those words was inspired by one of the 20th Century’s most encouraging and prolific prophets for peace and social justice: Robert McAfee Brown (1920-2001). Based on Brown’s ecumenical recipe for peace, a company called Reach And Teach commissioned Khalil Bendib to create graphics for the poster and Innosanto Nagara to create the stylized text.

Robert McAfee Brown was a theologian, prolific writer, and worked for the causes of peace and social justice. In the later years of his life, he found his spiritual home at First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto.

The team at Reach And Teach remarked: “We have been blessed to know and work with Robert McAfee Brown and we continue to work for peace and social justice with Brown’s wife, Sydney. We decided to honor Bob’s memory with the creation of this poster. During 2010, all sales of this poster will benefit the people of Haiti, who continue to suffer after a horrible earthquake.”

The “Take One World” poster is 24 inches by 13 inches and is printed on recycled paper using soy inks by a worker-owned cooperative. It costs $5 and can be bought here.

Reach and Teach: An educational company with a worthy mission

Reach And Teach is a peace and social justice learning company “dedicated to transforming the world through teachable moments.”  Its co-founders, two high-tech standouts, Craig Wiesner and Derrick Kikuchi, launched Reach And Teach in 2004 as a subsidiary of their award-winning educational consulting company, WKMN Training, LLC.

The road to launching Reach And Teach weaved through Silicon Valley, Mexico, El Salvador, Israel/Palestine, New York and Afghanistan. While running their multimedia education consulting company, Craig and Derrick became increasingly involved in peacemaking and social justice issues.

Transforming the world through teachable moments

Reach And Teach creates and distributes books, games, puzzles, toys, curriculum, posters, music, DVDs, and other products “that help to transform the world through teachable moments.”

The founders describe the company as a ” treasure hunter,” searching the planet for that special something that mainstream bookstores won’t promote. They write: “Whether the products come from a non-profit or a small publisher, we see our job as making sure that great content can be found under one virtual roof.  We’re dedicated to helping parents, teachers, grandparents, community organizers, youth leaders, and all people, from infants to raging grannies, to know that they can make a difference in the world and to provide them with the tools to do so.”

More about Derrick Kikuchi

Co-founder Derrick Kikuchi is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara (BSEE/CS) and Stanford University (MSEE). As one of Hewlett-Packard’s first firmware and software engineers, Derrick spent nearly two decades at HP, including HP Labs. Intrigued by emerging distance learning technologies in 1991,

Derrick founded the HP Media Applications Learning Lab (MALL), helping the company move away from purely classroom education (Same Time, Same Place) to an Anytime, Anyplace paradigm. Derrick co-founded WK Multimedia Network Training in 1994, developing the first interactive e-Learning CD-ROM for 3Com Corporation. Derrick designed additional e-Learning for Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM.

Derrick has been deeply involved in peace and social justice issues through his work as a Presbyterian Elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto. He has been on the board of directors for Northern California Presbyterian Homes and the Council of Churches Santa Clara County. He was an editor for Open Hands, an ecumenical quarterly journal on LGBT inclusion in communities of faith. He has traveled to El Salvador, Mexico, and Afghanistan on peacemaking and solidarity delegations and often lectures on theology, church history, economic justice, and peacemaking.

More about Craig Wiesner

Co-founder Craig Wiesner is a graduate of the University of San Francisco with a degree in Organizational Behavior and Adult Learning. Craig also spent several semesters at San Jose State University in the (K-12 instructional media) Masters program.

Craig spent eight years in the United States Air Force, developing and delivering foreign language education. Craig received a Joint Services Achievement Medal after his team redesigned a 47-week Korean course, resulting in a sharp rise in student retention and significant improvements in end-of-course language skills tests. Craig applied his expertise in education to the emerging computer networking industry, leading education departments for two Silicon Valley pioneers, Vitalink Communications and SynOptics (Nortel Networks).

Craig was a co-founder of WK Multimedia Network Training, developing classroom and e-Learning courses for clients including industry leaders 3Com, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, Lucent, Nortel Networks, and Packeteer.

Craig has been deeply involved in social and economic justice issues and the peace movement for the last 10 years. He is a member of the steering committee for Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice, a Bay Area interfaith peace organization.

Craig is a frequent contributor to the KQED radio perspective series and a prolific writer whose opinion writing has appeared in Tikkun Daily, CommonDreams.org, the Christian Science Monintor, and the letters sections of Newsweek, the NY Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose Mercury News.

*****

Learn more about social justice on the Reach and Teach web site, which also carries a poster depicting a simple picture of  Jesus and the words: “How can you worship a homeless man on Sunday, and ignore one on Monday?” (see photo to right).

Will Sarah Palin run independently? I certainly hope so. It will be a step forward for the people. I hope others follow suit, as well.

Notice that I did not say “Will she run as an Independent?” Right now, without significant reform, each of our two parties are so invested in their issues, positions, and livelihood that they will not back down from what they believe. And, then the media play them off of each other. In the end, it’s the people that are harmed. The Federal government puts the pressure on states, the states put it on local governments, and then they put it on the people. In the end, what are the people left with? More taxes.

The way I see it – By running as an ‘Independent,” we’ll only set up another “party machine.” Instead, let’s just have qualified people come forth – and through the power of their words – and a little help perhaps from the Internet – let’s judge their stuff. Do they speak the truth? Are they sincere, whether they are perfect or not? What ideas do they have to help America heal itself – from greed? The world is watching. They have their own issues (many similar to ours.)

Hope is in the air. It’s just not reported as much. Let’s set our hearts on hope – and the future – and good – rather than so much despair and killing and war. Let’s score one for the regular man and woman. And, let’s help each other. There is much that money cannot buy – the essential life elements that make living beautiful – faith, family, truth, freedom, and unity – and love.

As more people get involved – that means you – the people themselves will be the reformers that look into what’s really going on – and demand their rights and livelihood.

We change at the tipping point.  We get so many people moving in a positive direction – standing up for the freedom of each person – that the negative, controlling actions cease to have power anymore. We each can be a catalyst.

A  spiritual change is upon us! Be part of it – you are anyway, whether you take an active role or not. Just take one step at a time, observe, become more awake every day. And pray.

In any living organism, whether it’s a person, a family, or  a government, all change happens inside first. Let’s look to get our own houses in order, and help others do the same. With intention, let us make real progress toward what matters – safeguarding the intrinsic value of each human being. Now is the time for change. Onward!