“God stands in the assembly of gods; and in the midst of them will judge gods.”
(Psalm 82:1)
Assembly of gods

***

***

BREITBART

Poland to Vote on EU Membership, Christian Heritage in Proposed Constitution Referendum

By Virginia Hale

June 13, 2018

Questions on EU membership, support for the traditional family, and Europe’s “more than 1,000-year-old Christian heritage” have been included in referendum plans put forward by Poland’s conservative president.

President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday put forward 15 questions that citizens should be asked in a referendum planned for later this year, which will be the first vote of its kind for Poland since it joined the bloc.

Both domestic and international matters are covered in the issues Duda proposed Poles be consulted on in the wide-ranging referendum, which is set to give people a voice on whether to update the nation’s post-Communism 1997 constitution.

Presented by the president after a meeting with his advisory forum, the National Development Council, one question is on whether the nation’s constitution should be guaranteed primacy over European and international law and if it should anchor Poland’s EU membership.

Citizens would be asked whether they believe that Europe’s “more than 1,000-year-old Christian heritage” should be highlighted in the constitution, “as an important source of our traditions, culture and national identity”.

Set to be held almost 30 years since Poland was liberated from Communism, it could also ask whether to strengthen the elected president’s authority with regards to foreign policy and the armed forces, along with whether NATO membership should be guaranteed in the constitution.

Other proposed questions include asking whether voters back “strengthening of the position of the family, including the protection of fatherhood rights alongside motherhood rights”; if the constitution should enshrine family aid and the right to “special medical aid” for pregnant women, children, disabled people, and the elderly; and whether it should allow greater use of referendums.

Emphasising that the list may be subject to change, the president said that there will be a consultation period in which the questions are finalised and then submitted to the Senate in a formal request for a referendum.

Since the patriotic, conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party was elected to power in 2015, the government’s opposition to mass migration directives from the EU has seen relations between Warsaw and Brussels deteriorate.

The proposed constitution comes amid rising Church attendance in the central European country, which in recent years saw the nation’s parliament voting to phase out Sunday shopping to give families more time together, and the government declaring Jesus Christ the King of Poland.

Polling data reported by Breitbart London last month found PiS enjoying a huge lead, while support for the Europhile Civic Platform (PO) party — which was booted from power after agreeing to allow the EU to distribute third world migrants in Poland — had collapsed to just 14 per cent.

BREITBART

Erdogan Predicts ‘War Between the Cross and Crescent’ over Austria Mosque Closures

By Simon Kent

June 10, 2018
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attacked Austria’s impending closure of mosques and consequent expulsion of Turkish-funded imams, saying the move is anti-Islamic while promising a response.

“These measures taken by the Austrian prime minister are, I fear, leading the world towards a war between the cross and the crescent,” Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul covered by AFP.

Austria’s populist government made the announcement on Friday morning at a press conference as part of the governing coalition’s campaign against radical Islamic ideology and the influence of countries like Turkey in the Austrian Islamic community, Kronen Zeitung reports.

Media reports that between 40 and 60 imams, including their families, could be expelled in total. The imams all stand accused of receiving funding from abroad. Official investigations have been launched in 11 cases. Two of the imams had already been denied extensions to their residency permits.

Among the mosques facing closure is the Mosque of the Grey Wolves on Antonsplatz, in the working-class Vienna district of Favoriten, where the Gallipoli reenactment took place.

The other six mosques are in Vienna, Upper Austria and Carinthia, in all of which hardline salafist teachings are said to be widespread.

Mr. Erdogan, speaking Saturday, said: “They say they’re going to kick our religious men out of Austria. Do you think we will not react if you do such a thing?”

“That means we’re going to have to do something,” he added without elaborating.

Around 360,000 people of Turkish origin live in Austria, including 117,000 Turkish nationals.

Relations between Ankara and Vienna have been strained since a failed coup against Erdogan in 2016 which was followed by a wave of arrests. Mr. Erdogan’s speech precedes presidential and legislative elections on June 24 in which he faces stiff opposition.

During last year’s Turkish referendum on expanding the president’s powers, tensions ran high between Vienna and Ankara after Austria said it would not allow campaign-related events.

The new policy comes after a number of scandals involving mosques in Austria, including one in which Islamists were plotting to overthrow the government to replace it with an Islamic caliphate. The ATIB association came under fire last week when a Turkish mosque posted images of young children swearing oaths to the Turkish state.

CT

Entertaining More Than Angels

Showing hospitality to strangers is an important biblical value. What about showing hospitality to God?

JOHN LEE JUNE 5, 2018

Image: Lawrence OP / Flickr

The theme of theoxeny, the showing of hospitality to a god or gods—usually in disguise—is not a common one in Christian theological discourse. I’ve never come across this word in any commentary or theological book (perhaps an indictment on my shallow reading), not even in a footnote. The first time I came across this word was when I was working in Homeric scholarship.

Greek and Roman Examples of Theoxeny

In the Odyssey of Homer, the concept of theoxeny emerges clearly in book 16. Here Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, finally comes in contact with his father but he does not recognize him because he has been disguised as an old beggar. When Athena removes Odysseus’ disguise, returning his appearance to his heroic self, Telemachus grows afraid, not because of the sudden transformation itself (as we would expect) but because he is afraid that he did not show proper hospitality to a god in disguise. In his worldview, the gods are wont to test people’s characters by whether they show proper hospitality, or xenia. So, Telemachus fears that he did not pass the test; he did not lead this “old beggar” into his palace to entertain him.

Another example emerges in Odysseus’ subsequent interaction with the suitors. On one occasion, a more sober-minded suitor pauses to second guess the wicked action of the ringleader, Antinoös, saying that he did something egregious by striking a stranger because he might have struck a god. Of course, Antinoös reveals his hubris by dismissing this idea. A few lines later, Telemachus says: “Antinoös, beyond the rest, is like black death.”

If we theologize the Odyssey in broad strokes with some imagination, then Odysseus’ homecoming can be seen as a literary theoxeny. Odysseus is a stand-in for a god. After all, he is disguised as a beggar and observes, tests, and judges wickedness. Odysseus makes this point clear in book 22 when he says the fate of the gods punished these suitors on account of their lack of xenia. At the least, Odysseus sees himself as an instrument of divine judgment. From this perspective, the whole of the Odyssey is an extended story of theoxeny, a point that would not have been missed in the ancient world where the line between men and gods was permeable.

Moving from the Greek world to the Roman world, the idea of theoxeny is still alive and well. The most well-known Roman story which illustrates this is undeniably the myth of Philemon and Baucis, which is the centerpiece of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Jupiter and Mercury come, disguised as peasants, looking for a place to stay at night. A thousand homes reject them, but when they come to a small cottage, the poor couple who lives there, Philemon and Baucis, receive the gods and show great generosity. They give out of their poverty and are even about to kill their only goose to feed their guests.

At this point, Jupiter tells them not to do such a thing. Instead, he bids them to flee because destruction will come upon the town for their exceeding wickedness. Jupiter is true to his word, and a flood destroys the town, but the humble cottage of Philemon and Baucis is turned into a temple. Moreover, Jupiter allows them to die together in their old age as they wish. He even transforms them into an intertwining pair of trees, one a linden tree and the other an oak, to symbolize their lasting love for each other and their hospitality toward the gods.

The moral of these stories is simple: the gods test the character of people through hospitality. As Homer states: “For the gods do take on all sorts of transformations, appearing as strangers from elsewhere … to see which men keep the laws, and which are violent.” It is no wonder that the Romans, who considered themselves the most religious people on earth, even had a religious rite called the lectisternium, which literally means “to spread a couch.” In this rite, the Romans prepared a table with food for the gods; more specifically, it was a rite of hospitality to restore peace with the gods. The Greeks and Romans believed that it was possible, important, and necessary to entertain complete strangers because they could be gods in disguise.

Theoxeny in the Bible

Given this motif in ancient Greco-Roman literature, it should not be surprising to find examples of theoxeny in the Bible. The thread of showing hospitality to God or angelic beings who represent God is stitched into Scripture as well. The flood narrative is the first example. While Genesis 6 does not explicitly say that God walked on the earth to examine the hearts of people, he did see, regret, and judge (Gen. 6:5–7). Moreover, he extensively communicated with Noah; after all, he gave building instructions for the ark. This is certainly speculative, but it is notable that all the flood narratives in Greek and Roman literature have the lack of xenia as the cause of the flood.

We are on firmer ground when we come to Abraham’s three visitors in Genesis 18. Genesis 18:1 makes it explicit that the three men are divine visitors because the text states that “the Lord (YHWH) appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre.” However, Abraham did not know that this stranger was YHWH because he addresses the lead figure with the appellation adonai, an honorific title. Only later did Abraham realize that this figure was YHWH (Gen. 18:13–14).

Abraham’s virtuous character, therefore, is on display in his alacrity to show hospitality to these strangers. He bids them to wash their feet and rest under the tree. He then quickly makes preparations, offering his own food and shelter to his guests. He has Sarah knead dough and make cakes, and he has a servant pick a choice calf and prepare it while he gets milk and puts it before the strangers (Gen. 18:6–8). He honors them at his own expense. Unbeknownst to Abraham and Sarah, they have just engaged in theoxeny.

What makes Abraham’s hospitality more significant is the contrast with the following story of Sodom and Gomorrah. These cities were inhospitable in the worst possible way; the juxtaposition of stories makes this point as stark as possible. According to Genesis 18:20, the cry against these cities is so great that the mysterious visitors have to see the evil for themselves. When they arrive, only one man shows hospitality, Lot. At night the men of the city—young and old—come to Lot’s house and demand that the visitors come out; they want to rape Lot’s visitors.

The sin of omission would have been bad enough (neglecting strangers), but in this narrative the wickedness is so brazen that they want to violate these strangers in the most violent way. They make Odysseus’ suitors look like cheeky school boys at best, mere amateurs of iniquity. The wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah is evident in their perverse disregard for showing hospitality to their guests.

Moving to Exodus, the bread of presence may be seen as an example of theoxeny, showing similarity to the rite of lectisternium among the Romans. In Moses’ elaborate instructions for the tabernacle, there is a lavishly appointed table, on which the bread of Presence should be placed (Ex. 25:23–30; Lev. 24:1–9).

While neither Exodus nor Leviticus explains the significance of this bread, it is reasonable to conclude that this bread shows the nearness of God and the hospitality that the Israelites can and should show to God by replacing this bread weekly. Even if God does not consume the food (Aaron and his sons actually partake of it), it was a gesture of dining in the presence of God.

Likewise, the sacrifices may be seen from this perspective as well. To be sure, the sacrifices are pregnant with theological meaning that far exceeds any theology of xenia, but good hospitality is certainly present: The people should only give their best to God. Malachi makes this point when he indicts the priests for offering blind, diseased, and lame sacrifices. He simply says: “Try offering them to your governor!” (Mal. 1:8). Governors would not look kindly on that type of giving. Why would God?

In the New Testament, the concept of theoxeny reaches a highpoint; God becomes man and walks among his creation. Every hint of theoxeny finds its fulfillment in the incarnation. John’s prologue says it best when it says: “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:11). That there was no room for Jesus in the inn at his birth shows humanity’s failing, and it will continue.

At a dinner party in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus makes this very point: “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet” (Luke 7:44–46).

As the story of the gospels unfolds, Christ is the long-awaited Messiah, who preached the good news, healed the sick, drove out demons, showed compassion, grace, and mercy. He was God in the flesh, but he was met with skepticism and rejection; he was mistreated and ultimately killed. He received no hospitality; anti-theoxeny. The power brokers of society got together and crucified him for a confluence of selfish reasons. All humanity, therefore, stands condemned.

Putting It All Together

The Christian hope, of course, is that none of this human sinfulness took God by surprise. God knew that humanity has been bent toward selfishness and sin since the fall of Adam and Eve. He also knew that Christ would be crucified.

Herein lies amazing grace. The triune God made a covenant to bless his people knowing perfectly well that blessings could only come from the work of a crucified messiah. God contemplated what it would take to bless humanity, and he did it. Moreover, if we take the words of John 14 to heart, then Jesus has gone ahead of us through his death and resurrection to prepare a place for his people in his father’s house (John 14:1–4). While we were inhospitable, like Sodom and Gomorrah, he showed us hospitality. Divine xenia, completely undeserved, for his people. Now through the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, humanity can show the hospitality that it was created to give.

If we take one more step, through the lens of theoxeny, we are living within an eschatological application of the parable of the wicked tenants (Matt. 21:33–46 and Mark. 12:1–12). According to this parable, a man has planted a vineyard and rented it out to tenants. When the time of harvest came, the owner sent his servant to collect some of the fruits. But the tenants seized the servant and beat him and did the same when other servants came. They repeated this mistreatment many times over and either beat or killed all the servants.

The landowner finally sent his son. He reasoned that they would surely listen to him, but the shameless tenants saw this as an opportunity to possess the land once and for all. They reasoned if they kill the son, the land will be theirs. The parable ends with a pregnant question: “What then will the owner of the vineyard do?” (Mark 12:9) What indeed!

If we are living within the framework of this parable, then this is a warning. Be faithful now and show hospitality now. This is wisdom in all of these stories, whether they emerge from the ancient Near East, Greece, Rome, or Scripture. Abraham went out of his way to bless the three strangers, and Philemon and Baucis, though poor, gave their best to Jupiter and Mercury, even willing to slaughter their only goose.

The call to faithfulness, particularly in hospitality, presses against us and is the irresistible conclusion of these stories and the grace of Christ. Furthermore, it is one of the best ways to live. As we habituate our hearts to this generosity of giving, we shall edify the church (3 John 8), some will entertain angels (Heb. 13:2), and all will be ready for the end of the age (Matt. 25:1–13).

Moreover, if we take Jesus’ words seriously, then by serving the least of these brethren, we actually serve him (Matt. 25:45). The great encouragement is that we are all capable of showing generosity not only because Christ took the punishment of our inhospitality on himself on the cross but also because he continues to demonstrate hospitality toward us. When we come to the table of bread and wine in churches all across the world, we are partakers of an eschatological meal of his enduring and sacrificial hospitality; a broken body and shed blood still speaks volumes.

We are moving into a season when great hospitality and generosity are needed more than ever. I pray that God will use these means of grace to open eyes and turn hearts to the fount of all generosity and hospitality, namely, himself. Through hospitality, we can begin to change the world.

John Lee is the head of the Upper School at The Geneva School of Manhattan, a Christian classical school. His most recent book is Paradoxes of Leadership (Elevate, 2017).

THE CHRISTIAN JOURNAL

George Soros Called Out For Working to De-Christianize The West by Member of EU Parliament

Updated: June 11, 2018

The infamous George Soros was recently blamed for his attempts to De-Christianize Europe. A British member of the European Parliament stated that Soros is attempting to “break down the fundamental values” of Western Countries.

Previously, George Soros, the Billionaire ‘Philanthropist,’ has been called out for taking part in the ‘biggest level of international political collusion in history,’ and has faced a lawsuit for allegedly partaking in racketeering and attempting to ‘puppeteer governments.’ Now, Soros is being accused by Nigel Farage of attempting to undermine the Christian values of Western Countries.

Nigel Farage, a British politician, broadcaster, and political analyst who was the leader of the UK Independence Party from 2006 to 2009 and again from 2010 to 2016, has accused the billionaire and his Open Society Foundation of attempting to break down Western Countries.

Farage said; “George Soros’ Open Society Foundation, which he poured billions of dollars into, I mean this is the biggest political campaigning organization in the world. He wants to break down the fundamental values of our society.”

Adding credence to the accusation by Farage are accusations by the Prime Minister of Hungary that accuse George Soros and Open Society Foundation of attempting to fund opposition groups. In addition, according to Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, the Society is fleeing from transparency.

The Prime Minister continued; “They don’t want the public to know exactly what they are engaged in and in what way and thanks to what financing they are supporting immigration.”

In addition to the previous accusations, Howie Rubin, George Soros’ former fund manager has been accused of running a human trafficking enterprise alleges a lawsuit by three women. Secondly, according to the lawsuit, a former Brooklyn prosecutor aided the portfolio manager by drafting up non-disclosure agreements.

The lawsuit claims that Soros’ former fund manager, Howie Rubin, repeatedly raped and beat the women involved. Accounts taken from the suit allege that Rubin stated to one of the three women involved: “I’m going to rape you like I rape my daughter,” and that he allegedly tied up and viciously abused the women — even punching one in the head, civil lawyer John Balestriere filed the suit.

Adding even more credence to the statements by the British member of the European Parliament, are Soros’ own words. Previously, the billionaire has also said that he wants to create a ‘New World Order’ and replace the Washington-based financial order with China.

INDEPENDENT

United Nations condemns Israel for 'excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force' against Palestinians

America's UN ambassador Nikki Haley condemned the resolution as 'morally bankrupt' for omitting mention of Hamas

Jeremy B White San Francisco

The United Nations has overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning Israel’s use of “use of any excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Scores have died and thousands have been injured as Israeli troops have responded with live fire to protesters near a border fence, who have in some cases in some cases carrying burning tires and floating explosives on kites.

By a vote of 120 to 8, the United Nations approved a resolution decrying the “use of live ammunition against civilian protesters, including children, as well as medical personnel and journalists” and underscoring its “grave concern at the loss of innocent lives”.

The measure also called for the creation of a mechanism to ensure the “protection of the Palestinian civilian population” and urged Israel to lift its economic blockade on an area ruled by the militant group Hamas.

In the face of persistent international criticism, the United States and Israel have accused detractors of ignoring Hamas’s role in inciting violence by firing rockets into Israel and encouraging demonstrators to rush the border.

After the UN voted down an American-authored amendment faulting Hamas, the final resolution made no mention of the designated terrorist group. It did deplore “the firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip against Israeli civilian areas”.

In a statement after the vote, America’s ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley released a statement criticising the UN for arriving at “the morally bankrupt judgment that the recent Gaza violence is all Israel’s fault”.

“It is no wonder that no one takes the UN seriously as a force for Middle East peace”, Ms Haley said, adding that “peace will only be achieved when realities are recognised, including Israel’s legitimate security interests, and the need to end Hamas’ terrorism”.

The office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Ms Haley for a “strong statement today exposing the hypocrisy of the UN’s bias against Israel.

The contours of the debate, with Israel and America aligned in opposition to a majority of the international community, were familiar.

Donald Trump’s controversial decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US embassy generated an international outcry and was blasted in a separate UN resolution.

***

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

Head of Satmar Hasidic sect castigates followers for admiring Israel, IDF

Anti-Zionist rabbi laments 'tremendous and terrible spiritual decline' among his followers, says there can be 'no compromise' on ultra-Orthodox enlistment

By TOI STAFF9 June 2018, 8:46 pm

Satmar Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum gives a speech to thousands of his followers at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York, on June 3, 2018. (Screen capture: YouTube)

The head of the Satmar Hassidic sect has accused his followers of increasingly admiring Israel for its military and political accomplishments, imploring them to maintain the Hasidic group’s hardline anti-Zionism.

Addressing thousands of Satmar members at Long Island’s Nassau Coliseum, Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum lamented what he called a “tremendous and terrible spiritual decline” among his followers.

“According to the rumors I heard, [people] are excitedly talking about the news of [the Israelis’] accomplishments, how smart they are, how they succeed politically and militarily, and about their heads of government,” Teitelbaum told the crowd in an address in Yiddish on Sunday, according to a Hebrew translation from the Kann public broadcaster.

“We must yell gevalt, gevalt! To where have we come?” he declared. “We have no part in Zionism. We have no part in their wars. We have no part in the State of Israel.”

The Satmar, one of the largest Hasidic groups in the world, is staunchly anti-Zionist and does not recognize the State of Israel, maintaining a Jewish state should not exist until the Messiah appears.

“We’ll continue to fight God’s war against Zionism and all its aspects,” Teitelbaum said.

The Satmar rabbi also spoke out against draft legislation regarding military service for ultra-Orthodox seminary students in Israel.

“We declare there can be no compromise,” he said. “We won’t agree to any compromise regarding the [military] draft law for yeshiva students.”

Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum lights a bonfire marking the Jewish holiday of Lag Baomer, Sunday, May 18, 2014 in the Hasidic Village of Kiryas Joel in upstate New York. Local organizers say it is the largest such celebration in the United States. (AP Photo/Tom Bushey)

Teitelbaum’s remarks came as the coalition is haggling over legislation addressing mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox seminary students.

Earlier this week, the head of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party gave an “unequivocal” ultimatum that his faction will bolt the government if legislation is not passed in the next seven weeks exempting members of his community from mandatory military service.

Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman’s threat, not his first of this nature, comes ahead of a September deadline set by the High Court of Justice for the Knesset to re-legislate a previous exemption that the court disqualified on the grounds that it violated principles of equality.

In September 2017, the High Court of Justice struck down a law exempting ultra-Orthodox men engaged in religious study from military service, saying it undermined the principle of equality before the law. However, the court suspended its decision for a year to allow for a new arrangement to be put in place, giving the government the option to pass a new law.

After a similar ultimatum was made by UTJ during the Knesset’s winter session, coalition partners reached a last-minute deal to cooperate on the contentious issue in order to reach an agreement before the deadline. But a compromise agreement still remains elusive, with Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman vowing that his staunchly secular Yisrael Beytenu party would not fold in the face of demands made by their ultra-Orthodox coalition partners.

While the issue of ultra-Orthodox enlistment has long been a contentious one in Israel — revolving around a decades-old debate as to whether young ultra-Orthodox men studying in yeshivas, or seminaries, should be called up for compulsory military service like the rest of Israel’s Jewish population — months of sporadic street protests have recently been organized by the so-called Jerusalem Faction, which refuses to have any connection with the military.

Although ultra-Orthodox Israelis are exempted from enlistment, they are required to report to enlistment offices in order to sign a deferral of service, which Jerusalem Faction rabbinic leaders order their students not to do. The protests, usually focused in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and Beit Shemesh, have led to violent clashes with police.Ultra-Orthodox seminary students have been largely exempt from Israel’s military draft since then-defense minister David Ben-Gurion exempted 400 students from service in 1949 on the grounds that “their studies are their craft.”

***

WND

AMERICAN JEWS, ISRAELIS NOT IN SYNCH

Poll shows deep divisions on major issues – especially Trump

June 10, 2018

A public-opinion survey by the American Jewish Committee shows American Jews and Israelis way out of synch with each other on the major issues of the day – especially the policies of President Trump.

Israelis love Trump. American Jews, not so much.

The survey showed 77 percent of Israelis approved of the president’s handling of U.S.-Israel relations, while only 34 percent of American Jews did. Fifty-seven percent of U.S. Jews disapproved, while only 10 percent of Israelis did.

When Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocated the American Embassy there, 85 percent of Israelis approved, while only 46 percent of American Jews did.

The poll surveyed 1,000 Israelis and Americans and had a margin of error of 3.1 and 3.9 percent, respectively.
The survey was released ahead of the opening of the AJC Global Forum in Jerusalem, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address later Sunday.

Netanyahu has forged a close bond with Trump, and their policies toward the Palestinian Arabs have strong support in Israel and among its Republican backers in the U.S. But most American Jews are Democrats who are highly critical of Trump and Netanyahu. Experts have been warning for years that the two communities are drifting in opposite directions politically, undermining the kinship between the two groups, which make up the vast majority of Jews in the world.

The poll showed 59 percent of Americans favoring the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel but only 44 percent of Israelis supporting the idea.

On one of the most contentious issues, regarding a mixed-gender prayer area next to Jerusalem’s Western Wall, 73 percent of American Jews express support, compared to just 42 percent of Israelis.

***

Transhumanism and Terraforming Are Making the Planet Uninhabitable

DAVE HODGES The Common Sense Show

TEPCO plans to dump all available radiation in the Pacific Ocean. This could be an extinction level event.

Terraforming is a phrase that is often used by NASA to desribe the effects of producing massive amounts of CO2 designed to make an atmosphere, like Mars, more like the atmosphere on earth. Therefore, terraforming simply refers to transforming the environment for a specific political or military purpose. And that is precisely what is going on with our planet today.

Charlie Sheen and the Movie, The Arrival

In the 1997 movie, The Arrival, NASA scientist, Zane Zaminsky. played by actor, Charlie Sheen,routinely swept the night skies skies for signs of extraterrestrial electromagnetic transmissions.

Frustrated by the lack of results, Zaminsky decides to try a novel approach as he sets the large radio antenna to 107 on the FM dial and promptly picks up a big spike from the star labeled, Wolf 336.

Zaminky takes the transmission to Phil Gordian, his superior at NASA. Gordian is not impressed, but Gordian is really an alien and disturbed by Zaminsky’s discovery. In fact, he immediately informs Zaminsky that due to budget cut-backs he has been terminated.

After Zaminsky leaves NASA, Gordian destroys the tape. Shortly after, some men show up at the radio telescope and confiscate all the files and a typical sci-fi thriller is set into motion.

The fix is in as Zaminsky’s co-worker dies in a house fire. Zaminsky decides to investigate as he equips his house with a phased array using several home satellite dishes. His efforts prove fruitful as he receives yet another transmission. Zaminsky is able to determine that the the interlaced signal emanates with a regular FM signal from Mexico.

Zaminsky becomes a one man investigative team and travels to the radio station only to find it burned to the ground as well. As Zaminsky searches for the radio dish that sent the second signal, he comes upon another scientist who is investigating a rapid global warming effect localized in central Mexico. At the time, she is being accosted by some security guards from a nearby power plant. Eventually, a power plant official lets them both go. Later that evening the scientist is murdered to coverup what is going on. Zaminsky sneaks into the power plant. Inside, he finds an immense underground “green-house gas” generator that is terraforming the planet.

Zaminsky discovers that the alien presence as gained more than a foothold and the aliens,already on the planet, have created twenty such plants in third-world countries to change the atmosphere of the Earth and make it suitable for colonization in only ten years. Zaminsky confronts Gordian with this information. He assumes that Gordian is an alien and manages to get Gordian on video tape admitting to the plan. After a final climactic scene at the radio telescope, Zaminsky does manage to transmit the tape to a weather satellite that is constantly recorded by fifty television stations, thereby spreading the word about the aliens. The aliens goal is destroy the planet for human habitation and make it suitable for their “arrival.

Now, this article is not about aliens but it is about the possiblity that someone, for some reason, is terraforming the planet.

Fukushima s the Ultimate Terraforming Event

America’s most prominent scientist, Dr. Michio Kaku, has come out and boldly stated that Fukushima is an extintion level event.

We all know that the Fukushima disaster has created complete dead zones in the Pacific. What TEPCO is planning to do is nothing short of an extinction level event. Even the mainstream media is picking up on this.

From Newsweek:

Toxic waste produced by one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters will be dumped into the sea, according to the head of the Japanese company tasked with cleaning up the radioactive mess, despite protests from local fishermen.

Takashi Kawamura, chairman of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), told foreign media that nearly 777,000 tons of water tainted with tritium, a byproduct of the nuclear process that is notoriously difficult to filter out of water, will be dumped into the Pacific Ocean as part of a multibillion-dollar recovery effort following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. That year, an earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, killing more than 15,000 people and leading to a series of meltdowns at the TEPCO-owned Fukushima No. 1, or Daiichi, nuclear power plant, causing it to spew radiation that has plagued the region ever since.

While much progress has been made to clean the area, the company has yet to deal with the water that was used to cool the plant’s damaged reactors, causing it to become tainted with tritium.”

So, TEPCO’s solution is to endanger the entire planet? Why is this being done? The ocean, as Kaku pointed out is dying. Nearly one-third of the ocean cannot produce food. Marine life is presently going through the greatest holocaust on the planet. Why? Because when the food supply is largely eradicated from the planet, then the “fun” begins from a globalist perspective! Mankind will largely be starved to death and the planet will go through a massive human depopulation

Oceans cover nearly 75% of the earth’s surface. However, because ocean water is salty, most animals and plants living on land cannot drink it. 16% of world animal protein consumption by humans comes from fish. But the problem is much greater that the 16% figure! As Fukushima’s radiation becomes embeded in the weather patterns and ultimately in the transportation cycle, the planet’s food supply is being posioned on every continent.

If one thinks that the entire problem is limited to Fukushima, the massive amount of corexit that is still being sprayed in the Gulf of Mexico, has had the same impact on weather and crops. This is something that I have covered several times on this site.

We have not even mentioned the impact of chemtrails which has reduced the sunlight reaching the earth by nearly 20%. This greatly reduces crop yield.

We are living out the movie, The Arrival. But in our case, the aliens, so to speak come from the New World Order and they are presently meeting at the Bilderberg Conference.

As mankind is being transformed through Transhumanism, our planet is undergoing the same. We are now witnessing Transhumanism on steroids and we are on pace to become the last generation of humans, as know the species, to inhabit the planet. The planet is being transformed into being uninhabitable except for the transhumanists.

***

RT

‘There’s a special place in hell’ for Trudeau for backstabbing Trump, White House trade adviser says

June 11, 2018

Hell painting in Saint-Nicolas de VŽroce church © Fred de Noyelle / GODONG / Global Look Press

It's open season on Justin Trudeau in the Trump administration, with the White House trade council chief launching an attack on the Canadian PM, saying there is a "special place in hell" for anyone who double-crosses his boss.

Director of the White House National Trade Council Peter Navarro preached against the Canadian Prime Minister during an interview with Fox News Sunday when asked whether US President Donald Trump’s very personal attack on Trudeau was warranted, given that Canada is the second biggest trading partner of the US.

Navarro, who was introduced as the “architect” behind Trump’s plan to slap Canada, Mexico and the EU with tariffs on steel and aluminum, did not hold back his fury, turning the heat up even higher.

"There's a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door," Navarro said, echoing the words of Trump’s chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow.

Kudlow faced a massive backlash on social media earlier on Sunday after he accused Trudeau of “stabbing the US in the back”with his promise to retaliate against US tariffs at the final presser.

Navarro, who said his words reflect the general sentiment on Air Force One, where Trump launched his Twitter rant against Trudeau, argued that the Canadian PM acted in “bad faith” with his“stunt press conference.”

“That's what weak, dishonest Justin Trudeau did,” he said, lashing out at the Canadian PM with exactly the same words Trump used on Saturday evening when he abruptly withdrew his approval for a joint statement of the G7 country leaders while he was already on his way to Singapore.

While Trump’s Twitter outburst has drawn stark criticism from other G7 members, including France and Germany, Trudeau was hailed by European Council President Donald Tusk, who tweeted there should be “a special place in heaven” for the Canadian for his impeccable host skills.

Navarro argued that it’s not Trump who showed bad attitude during the summit, arriving late and leaving early, but Trudeau who is responsible for the diplomatic disaster.

"All Justin Trudeau had to do was take the win. President Trump did the courtesy to Justin Trudeau to travel up to Quebec for that summit. He had other things, bigger things on his plate in Singapore,” Navarro said.

In order to please his Canadian counterpart, Trump was ready to go to such great lengths as to “sign that socialist communique,”Navarro noted, referring to the joint statement that called for “free, fair and mutually beneficial trade.”

But instead, as soon as Trump’s plane departed for Singapore, Trudeau “stabbed our President in the back,” Navarro said. “That will not stand,” he stressed.

Navarro called the threat of a tit-for-tat response “nothing short of an attack on our political system,” accusing Canada of raising “its high protectionist barriers even higher.”

In his final press conference, Trudeau announced that he had to “move forward with retaliatory measures, applying equivalent tariffs to the ones Americans have unjustly applied to us.”

***

AMMC

RT

Trouble for Trudeau? Canadian liberals brace for impact of populist Doug Ford win

June 9, 2018

Progressive Conservative (PC) leader Doug Ford attends victory rally in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on June 7, 2018. © Carlo Allegri / Reuters

Doug Ford, the brother of the infamous Rob Ford, has emerged as a winner in the recent regional parliamentary elections in Canada. The victory of the ‘Trump-like’ politician can be a warning sign for the Canadian Liberals.

Doug Ford, the head of the Canadian Progressive Conservatives, has become a premier-designate in the country's most populous province of Ontario, which has almost one-third of Canada’s 36 million population.

On Thursday, his party took 76 of 124 seats in the provincial legislature following what was described as a sweeping victory at the regional elections, where it received 41 percent of the vote.

The elections ended the 15-year rule of the Liberal Party in the province. The Liberals managed to receive just seven seats in the legislature following the vote.

Ford, who has never taken up any political posts at the regional level and only served as a Toronto city councilor for four years, is described as someone who has little political experience. He also embraced a number of seemingly populist slogans, which range from slashing income taxes and reducing the price of gasoline to boosting spending on healthcare and transport.

“Tonight, we have sent a clear message to the world. Ontario is open for business,” Ford told a victory rally in Toronto on Thursday. “We will reduce your taxes, reduce your gas prices and keep more money in your pocket,” he added.

However, he is probably best known as the brother of the controversial late Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Robert Ford achieved global notoriety while in office after video footage emerged that apparently showed him smoking crack cocaine in 2013. He then admitted to using the drug but resisted attempts to have him removed from his post, prompting the Toronto City Council to strip him of his powers.

Doug Ford was also plagued by some drug-related allegations back in 2013 when the Canadian Globe and Mail reported that he allegedly sold hashish for several years in the 1980s – something that the politician vehemently denied. Still, he arguably never reached the same level of notoriety as his brother.

Instead, his rampant criticism of “radical downtown Toronto elites”and his frequent attacks on the media have led to him being compared to Trump. However, unlike Trump, Ford apparently did not employ anti-immigrant rhetoric, as he won the elections by gaining support from the immigrant communities in particular.

Still, Ford might prove to be a problem for Canadian Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The politician has already vowed to fight the prime minister’s national plan to impose a tax on carbon emissions to meet the landmark Paris commitment on climate change.

He particularly made the abolition of the cap-and-trade program in Ontario one of his election promises. The politician also once said on a Canadian TV show that Trudeau “is totally incompetent to be prime minister.”

At the same time, Ford also pledged to support Trudeau in his trade war with Trump. "I'm very sincere when I say that. United we stand as a country,” he said, commenting on the issue. Trudeau, meanwhile, already congratulated Ford on his election, adding that he “looks forward to working together to create jobs and opportunity.”

Other Canadian politicians did not seem to be so pleased with Ford’s electoral success. “Getting rid of the Liberals is good, but replacing them with a party that will weaken … public services, privatize and weaken the state, [will] not worry about the environment - that’s worse,” Jean-Francois Lisee, the head of the Quebec’s Parti Quebecois, said, as cited by local media.

With the defeat of the Liberals in Ontario, Trudeau lost valuable allies in Canada’s most populous province. Meanwhile, the sweeping victory of the right-wing populists might yet prove to be a sign of Canadians’ fatigue with the Liberals, just a year and a half ahead of the national parliamentary elections.

WND

TRUMP, KIM AGREE TO 'COMPLETE DENUCLEARIZATION'

North Korean dictator in 'science fiction fantasy' with U.S. president

June 12, 2018

President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walk together to their one-on-one bilateral meeting, June 12, 2018, at the Capella Hotel in Singapore. (Official White House Photo by Stephanie Chasez)

Culminating a historic summit described by Kim Jong Un as something out of a “science fiction movie,” the North Korean dictator sat down at a ceremonial table in Singapore Tuesday and signed a document along with President Trump stating the rogue communist state would work toward “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

“People thought this could never take place,” Trump told reporters after the signing. “It’s now taking place. It’s a very great day.”

As Kim prepared to sign the document, he declared the “world will see a major change.”

“I would like to express my gratitude to Trump to make this meeting happen,” he said, according to a translator.

The two leaders began the day with a one-on-one meeting then expanded the participants, with the U.S. team adding Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chief of Staff John Kelly and National Security Advisor John Bolton.

At the press conference prior to his departure, Trump told reporters he will put on hold joint military exercises, “the war games,” between the United States and South Korea.

The agreement provides “security guarantees” to Pyongyang, he said, without offering more details. On Monday, Pompeo, who made two secret visits to Pyongyang this year, was asked whether any security guarantees might include withdrawing U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula, but he declined to answer.

At the news conference Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. sanctions, which along with the threat of military action helped bring Kim to the table after more than two decades of failed diplomacy, “will come off when we are sure the nukes are no longer a factor.”

The agreement includes returning the remains of U.S. prisoners of war and those missing in action during the Korean War.

Asked what surprised him most during their meetings, Trump said Kim has a “great personality” and is “very smart. Good combination.”

He also said Kim is “a very talented man” and “loves his country very much.”

Asked if he would reverse his previous criticism of Kim’s regime, Trump said, “I believe it’s a rough situation over there,” adding, “It’s rough in a lot of places, by the way, not just there.”

A reporter noted that Trump, in his State of the Union address in January, said Kim’s regime “has more brutally oppressed its people than any regime on Earth,” calling the dictator a “depraved character.”

“Do you still believe that is the case having sat down with Kim Jong Un?”

Trump replied that the two leaders discussed human rights abuses at a “pretty good length.”

At an earlier media availability, he did not reply to a reporter who asked if they discussed Otto Warmbier, the American student sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor in 2016 for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster. Warmbier was sent home in a coma in June 2017 and died soon after.

But at the news conference, Trump said he believed Warmbier’s death brought a new global focus to the regime that ultimately helped bring about the summit, saying, “Otto did not die in vain.”

Newly released satellite images show that North Korea’s prison camp system may be expanding, CNN reported. The United Nations estimates up to 120,000 men, women and children are imprisoned in the gulags, which Pyongyang officially denies exist. Human rights groups, however, have documented their ongoing operation through the satellite imagery and survivor testimony.

The science fiction movie remark came as the two leaders walked on the colonnade of their meeting place, the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island.

Kim, according to a translator, told Trump, “Many people in the world will think of this as a (inaudible) form of fantasy … from a science fiction movie.”

Trump said his meeting with Kim included presentation of a Hollywood-produced, four-minute video that showed Kim as a leader at a crossroads and urged him to choose a more economically and technologically open future that included condo and hotel developments in his country, the Daily Mail of London reported.

“I said, ‘Instead of doing that you could have the best hotels in the world right there.’ Think of it from a real estate perspective,” Trump said.

The agreement signed Tuesday reads in full:

The United States and the DPRK commit to establish new US-DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.

The United States and DPRK will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

Reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, the DPRK commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The United States and the DPRK commit to recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.

‘He wants to get it done’

In an interview with the Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity after the summit, Trump said he believes Kim will work toward dismantling his country’s nuclear program “virtually immediately.”

“I just think that we are now we are going to start the process of denuclearization of North Korea, and I believe that he’s going back and will start it virtually immediately – and he’s already indicated that and you look at what he’s done,” Trump said.

They discussed the remarkable turnaround from the tensions of last summer when Trump responded to Kim’s missile and nuclear weapon testing with the threat of “fire and fury,” and dubbed the dictator “Little Rocket Man.”

RT

Saudi-led coalition launches attack on Yemen’s ‘humanitarian lifeline’ of Hodeidah

June 13, 2018

The Saudi-led coalition and forces loyal to the former president Hadi have launched an assault on Yemen’s main port city of Hodeidah, one of the remaining humanitarian lifelines in the war-torn country, local news outlets report.

The operation to retake the vital port city from the Houthis was launched on Wednesday morning, after the rebels rejected an ultimatum and refused to surrender the city by the end of Tuesday, a deadline set by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Al Arabiya reports.

//

Large-scale ground operations, supported by the air and naval forces of the Saudi-led coalition, began to move in on the city from numerous directions, a military source told the publication. The government of exiled president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, partially based in Aden, issued a statement, claiming that the military operation was the last-ditch effort to “restore legitimacy to the entire national territory after exhausting all peaceful and political means to remove the Houthi militia from the port of Hodeidah.”

"Liberation of the port of Hodeidah is a milestone in our struggle," the statement reads. "Liberation of the port is the beginning of the fall of the Houthi militias. It will secure navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and cut off the hands of Iran."

Human Rights

WND

DRAG QUEENS REPLACING ROAD RUNNER, YOSEMITE SAM

'Days of innocent Saturday morning cartoons officially over'

June 15, 2018

Yogi Bear, the Road Runner, Yosemite Sam? Apparently just not cutting it for cartoons these days.

Set to debut June 28 is an animated show about “toddler drag queens” called “Drag Tots!” features voicing from “famous drag queens,” including RuPaul. Then there’s the Netflix cartoon “Super Drags.”

The new programming has advocates for children aghast.

“More than ever, parents need to be on top of what their children may be watching, because the days of innocent Saturday morning cartoons is officially over,” said Movieguide, noting, “Honestly, it’s been over for a while.”

The two new shows “are pushing cross-dressing lifestyles on children,” Movieguide said, calling “Drag Tots!” a “disturbing cartoon.”

Drag Babies

Netflix says about “Super Drags”: “By night, they tighten up their corsets and transform into the baddest SUPER DRAGS in town, ready to combat shade and rescue the world’s glitter from the evil villains. Get ready, because the SUPER DRAGS are going deeper than you think.”

Movieguide said that what “should now be clear for parents is that you can’t trust a network’s children programming simply because they deem it ‘children’s programming.'”

“The filmmakers will insert whatever messaging they desire, and many parents won’t notice.”

The organization pointed out that many parents leave the channel Disney XD on for their children as a matter of routine. But it was that channel that “drew controversy last year for featuring a boy princess in an episode of ‘Star vs. The Forces of Evil.'”

Parents need to be vigilant, the report said.

“Whether it be Drag Queen reading sessions at schools, characters of classic literature being made lesbians, or your local city holding a LGBT Pride event, Christians should be ready to pass on biblical values and teachings to their children regarding these issues.”

WND reported when drag queen story times were held in various libraries.

Last year, the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library in Long Beach, California, a public facility, presented to children in its young readers program a huge array of diversity and “inclusion” programs, including a visit by a drag queen named Xochi Mochi.

Mochi’s visit took place during the “Drag Queen Story Hour,” a collaboration between the Long Beach Public Library, the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach, the Genders and Sexualities Alliance Network and the LGBTQ nonprofit Imperial Court of Long Beach, according to the Long Beach Public Library’s calendar.

Jon Miltimore at the Intellectual Takeout reported the St. Paul Public Library in Minnesota held “Drag Story Hours.”

For children and adults.

MEDIA RELEASE: Saint Paul Public Library will host Drag Story Hour for families in celebration of Pride. We will live stream the June 11 event on Facebook – https://t.co/9wO4FEZacs

— St Paul Library (@stpaullibrary) June 4, 2018

Chad Kampe, who organizes “queer-friendly events” in Minnesota, explained: “Drag pushes people to break boundaries and explore creativity. At a very young age, we are taught to embrace our differences. Drag not only provides an opportunity to embrace who we are, it allows for us to broadcast and share who we are with the world.”

The library says it will livestream its three scheduled events, this month and next. The events will feature story-reading, songs and two activists who will “strut their stuff for an over-the-top story hour.”

Library officials explained, according to Takeout, that it’s part of an initiative that was launched last year to oppose President Trump.

The program, “We Belong Together,” targets Trump’s restrictions on people entering the United States from known terror-fomenting countries.

***

RT

White South African farmers trained by Israeli special forces to fight off violent attacks

June 11, 2018

A female Israeli soldier from the Haraam artillery battalion takes part in a training session in Krav Maga, an Israeli self-defence technique © Nir Elias / Reuters

With rising violence, being a farmer in South Africa has become a dangerous job. Some are hiring former Israeli special forces experts to teach them self-defense.

There were 74 farm murders and 638 attacks primarily on white farmers in 2016-17, according to minority rights group AfriForum. "Current murder tendencies indicate that we will lose more people on farms than in the past three years,"AfriForum's Ian Cameron recently wrote.

The situation has forced white farmers to begin preparing themselves to survive a possible assault. Some of them turned to Idan Abolnik, a former member of the Israeli special forces, who trains them in hand-to-hand combat and weapons handling, Sky News reported.

The self-defense system is called Krav Maga, which was developed for the Israel Defense Forces. Abolnik has brought it to South Africa. "It's open to everyone and anyone who wants a specially designed system for farmers. We train them to deal with a variety of different attacks," Abolnik told South Africa’s News24 TV channel.

"We teach them hand-to-hand combat, bush warfare, semi-bush warfare, urban warfare and how to collect information." The program costs about R20 000 per person (about $1,500) for an intensive two-week course.

White farmers, despite being a minority in South Africa, own 72 percent of the country’s farms. The new South African government recently announced a plan to redistribute land to the black population. Critics have warned South Africa may repeat the disastrous experiment by the Zimbabwean government in 1999-2000. The measure plunged the country into famine.

(For those of you who have ever lived in London or the UK to see police being chased down the street by demonstrators is almost unbelievable. Ed)

Chaos in London

Zero Hedge

Watch As Chaos Erupts At Tommy Robinson Protest; Police Chased Down Street As 1000s Rage

By Tyler Durden

June 10, 2018

World Cup Russia

2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

Nigeria up the World Cup fashion stakes with flashy travel outfits

11 Jun, 2018 17:00

Nigeria have upped the stakes in the World Cup fashion battle, heading for Russia in stunning white travel suits set off with a football design and wing-like pattern with a nod to the team’s Super Eagles nickname.

The Nigerian players unleashed their sartorial splendor on social media as they prepared to fly to Russia on Monday.

Players including captain John Obi Mikel were proudly snapped in their traditional knee-length garb with green trim, complete with matching hats and slip-on shoes.

The former Chelsea player captioned his pic: “Russia here we come.”

Nigeria had already wowed the world with their new Nike kits ahead of the World Cup, with sales exceeding 3 million.
They’ve now taken football fashion to another level off the pitch – in a move which divided opinion on social media.

Some thought the team’s fashion focus might distract them from the fact that they were heading to Russia to play football rather than just model…

Twitter user Chucho Maine played on the similarities to the ceremonial attire of superhero the Black Panther, punning “Wakanda sh*t is this?” - in reference to the Marvel character's homeland.

The travel suit choice went down much better with others, however, with one user saying that even if the team did fall short in Russia, at least they would go down in style.

Other social media users linked the stylish suits to the team’s on-pitch attire.

Recent days have seen a flurry of arrivals to Russia ahead of the World Cup kick-off on June 14 – and many have showcased previously unseen sartorial skills.

Iceland had a cool blue-jacket number that some saw as Viking vogue, although others took it as a footballing fashion flop.

Panama are perhaps the team to have given the Nigerians the best run for their money fashion-wise so far, donning stylish headgear when they flew in last week.

Nigeria are expected to land in Southern Russia later on Monday, and face a World Cup group containing Argentina, Croatia and Iceland. They open their campaign aginst the Croatians on Saturday in Kaliningrad.

***

Farnam Street Principles

Shane Parrish, Farnam Street, June 10, 2018

P>All that we write about, think about, and strive to achieve is inspired by one or more of the following principles. Here are the Farnam Street Five.

1. Direction Over Speed. If you’re pointed in the wrong direction, it doesn’t matter how fast you’re traveling. Inversely, if you’re locked on to your desired destination, all progress is positive, no matter how slow you’re going. You’ll reach your goal eventually.

Imagine sitting on a commuter train and your stop is near the end of the line. If you were certain that you were on the right track, you wouldn’t get off simply because the train stopped from time to time. You know that stops are part of the journey. You can learn a lot from them, and eventually the train will start moving again. Yet when it comes to the goals that are most important to us in life, we tend to jump tracks the second we stop perceiving forward momentum. We’re choosing the illusion of progress over what really matters.

Take a little time now to study the map. And once you’ve charted a route that will get you where you want to be, stay the course. You won’t move forward all the time, but if you trust the process, you’ll look back and be astonished at how far you’ve come.

2. Live Deliberately. How many of us settle into habits and simply live the same year over and over again, waiting for some future event to occur before we start living? While we wait for that raise or career opportunity or ideal relationship, we tend to forget that life is happening now.

When Thoreau penned the words “I go to the woods to live deliberately,” he didn’t seek to extol the virtues of off-grid living, though that may have been a by-product of his experiment. He wanted to create space to cultivate a life and mind of purpose–outside the influence and dictates of others. His fear, one that many of us share, was that when he came to the end of his life, he would “discover that [he] had not lived.”

Living deliberately is about awareness and purposeful action. If we take the necessary steps to craft each day deliberately, when our final day arrives we’ll be able to look back at a life brimming with joy, fulfillment and satisfaction.

• Set time aside today to pursue your dreams.

• Start today to learn the things you’d like to know

• Reach out today to repair that strained relationship.

• Today, jettison the dead weight that’s holding you down.

3. Thoughtful Opinions Held Loosely. How do you respond when you’re faced with facts that contradict a sometimes long-held and cherished belief?

Do you update your knowledge database with the new facts, or do you flail about and try to rationalize or refute the new facts so as not to upset the status quo?

As much as we’d love to consider ourselves open-minded and ever eager to learn, our human nature is to disregard information that could cause us any cognitive dissonance. It requires substantial effort to be firm enough in our convictions that we can be bold in our actions, yet humble enough to leave room to be wrong.

None of us have a perfect understanding of the world we live in. As our understanding increases, we must be willing to adapt and change if we are to learn and grow to position ourselves to lead the life we want to live.

When we resist that growth, or feel threatened by new information, we intentionally or unintentionally filter out evidence that may clash with our current opinions, thus keeping us safe in our ignorance. We sacrifice being correct for being “right.”

That, for personal and professional development, is the kiss of death.

4. Principles Outlive Tactics. In American football, thousands of plays have been invented over the years, some with more success than others. Good coaches will be able to create plays based on their teams’ strengths and their opponents’ weaknesses. Their plays are based on principles that they fully understand. Play-stealers, on the other hand, spots tactics that have been effective, and plug them directly into their programs.

In a game, both the coach and the play-stealer will call successful and unsuccessful plays. Here’s the difference: only the coach can determine why a play was successful or unsuccessful. Only the coach will be able to figure out how to adjust it. The coach, unlike the play-stealer, understands what the play was designed to accomplish and where it went wrong, and can easily course-correct.

The play-stealer has no idea what’s going on. He doesn’t understand the difference between something that didn’t work and something that played into the other team’s strengths.

Tactics provide the “what” and the “how.” And just like in football, sometimes that can be enough to get a result. But if you want results no matter how the landscape changes, you must also understand the “why.” By understanding the principles that shape your reality, your “why” will more accurately guide your thoughts and actions.

5. Own Your Actions. Owning our actions can be incredibly difficult to do. We aren’t programmed to expose our egos or make ourselves vulnerable when we make mistakes or do something stupid. But one of the most powerful ways to make giant leaps forward in our lives is to not only accept that we’ll screw up, but to actively seek out correction when we do.

When we refuse to accept ownership of our mistakes, we’ve warped the feedback loop we rely on to make better decisions in the future. If we are the common denominators in all the problems that vex us, but we fail to understand that, nothing will ever change.

Steven Covey says that proactive people “do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior.” When we take ownership of our decisions, our lives are no longer left up to chance. We can grab the steering wheel and go anywhere we’d like.

Then the question is, “Where would you like to go?”

***

(The following video has been removed from the Internet several times. The number of views does not reflect the true numbers. You can draw your own conclusions. Ed)

Scientists Prove Earth Is Not A Globe

Click to View PDF online
or Right-click to Download PDF.

Pillars Of Heaven

***

Until next week...keep on believing.
Almondtree Productions

“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, [then] do we with patience wait for [it.”
(Romans 8:24-25)