Great Quotes!

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." Thomas Jefferson

“For strength and character…on good days, pray hard – on bad days, pray harder!” author unknown

“If you have a pulse you have a purpose.” Author, Rick Mathes 
                                                                                            
"He who saves a single life, saves the world entire." Inscribed in the ring given to Schindler by Jew Survivors [Jews he helped save].

THE Questions for Believers . . .

“You seem to believe that the only virtue in the world is “to be nice.” Do you think anyone, in the history of the world, has ever or will ever be thrown in jail or persecuted for being nice?”

  Questions posed by Father John Hollowell

Work or Entitlement?

This is a great example of how entitlement mentalities tend to work . . . or, as in the little parable, do NOT work!

Tiger and the FoxFrom Tale of the Reed Pipe By Massud Farzan

A fox who lived in the deep forest of long ago had lost its front legs. No one knew how: perhaps escaping from a trap. A man who lived on the edge of the forest , seeing the fox from time to time, wondered how in the world it managed to get its food. One day when the fox was not far from him he had to hide himself quickly because a tiger was approaching. The tiger had fresh game in its claws. Lying down on the ground, it ate its fill, leaving the rest for the fox.

Again the next day the great Provider of this world sent provisions to the fox by this same tiger. The man began to think: "If this fox is taken care of in this mysterious way, its food sent by some unseen Higher Power, why don't I just rest in a corner and have my daily meal provided for me?"

Because he had a lot of faith, he let the days pass, waiting for food. Nothing happened. He just went on losing weight and strength until he was nearly a skeleton. Close to losing consciousness, he heard a Voice which said: "O you, who have mistaken the way, see now the Truth! You should have followed the example of that tiger instead of imitating the disabled fox."

Can you resist?

 Our cat, Marcella, get a tiny tin of canned cat food every three days as a treat. When we were putting away groceries, yesterday, she saw the stack of little cans and immediately knew what they were and that she wanted one as in right NOW! It wasn't her day to indulge but how can anyone turn down a face like this? Besides, I was afraid she break a took trying to open one on her own.

Sour Cream Apple Cake

I was looking for a recipe to use up some sour cream left over from Thanksgiving. I finally found one but . . . my husband can't eat nuts and the recipe needed the pecans to work well. It called for using a Bundt pan and mine is ancient and always sticks. I did like the basic cake part of the recipe so improvised! Since it turned out good, I'm sharing it with you! I was the first to make it  and you can now be the second one to enjoy it warm from the oven! The first sour cream cake recipe I posted was good but I might like this one even better.

Sour Cream Apple Cake
1 cup butter (NOT margarine!), softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup full-fat sour cream

Filling
2 large apples, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon brandy
Zest and juice of one lemon

Crumb Topping
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup solid shortening

Prepare the apples and set aside for now. Blend together the ingredients for the Crumb topping. It should be crumbly. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Vegetable oil spray an approximately 13x9-inch baking pan or two smaller ones. You could also do this recipe as cupcakes, too.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Beat in the extracts. Add the dry ingredients and the sour cream and blend well without over beating.  Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan(s). Top with the apple mixture. Sprinkle the crumb topping over that. Depending on the size pan(s) you used, bake for approximately 45-60 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. If wet batter sticks to it, give it a few more minutes.

The cake tastes good hot with a scoop of ice cream or at room temperature with a generous serving a freshly whipped cream.

You can add 1/4 cup of ground nuts to the topping mixture, if you wish.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

Christmas is closer than we even realize so it is time to start thinking about special desserts and baked gifts to give to family and friends. I usually make up cookie plates but might try this recipe for giving, too.

Sour Cream Pound Cake
1 1/2 cups butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
8 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon either freshly-grated lemon or orange zest or a combination
4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup full-fat sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using vegetable oil spray and then dust the inside of the bundt pan with flour. You can also use the mini-bundt pans or loaf pans, too.

In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar, beating until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add the extracts and zest. Blend in the flour and sour cream. Batter should be smooth but don't over mix. Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake for 45-60 minutes depending on the size pan(s) you used. Cake should spring back when lightly touched and be golden brown. Cool for a few minutes before inverting on a wire rack to completely cool.

Lots of ways to make this cake to your own specifications and creativity.

Add 1/2 cup of mini-chocolate chips to the batter just before pouring into the prepared pan(s).

Add 1/2 cup of finely chopped nuts.

Grind up some fruit cake fruit for a colorful look and richer taste.

Dust with just powdered sugar to serve.

Ice with your favorite icing.

Melt either semisweet or milk chocolate chips and spread that as a 'frosting' on the cake.

Don't forget colorful Christmas sprinkles!

Your vote in 2012 could have cost you your privacy . . .

Just saw this posted on Conservative Daily and had to share it. It might open a few eyes to the results of their recent vote but it may be too late to stop these events from transpiring. Remember when you could hardly get your own medical information from the doctor? It may soon be possible for any government agency to access the private aspects of your life. And to think that we will be the last to know when and if we are the victims of hackers (other than the government's agents!), is surely a great loss to the freedoms we should be enjoying under the way the Constitution and Bill of Rights was written. It is sad to think that those of us who did not renew the current administration precisely because of these problems, will soon become collatral damage!

Conservative Daily | Your daily dose of sanity. (subscribe and keep informed!)www.conservative-daily.com/

YOUR INTERNET FOOTPRINTS BECOMEING GOVERNMENT PROPERTY

Americans are rapidly approaching a point where the government believes we don’t deserve individual rights. In April, the Department of Justice argued that warrantless tracking of our cell phone data and location information was permissible because they said citizens do not enjoy a "reasonable expectation of privacy" with regard to this information.

Now they are coming for our emails and our entire digital footprint. The vote is planned for this week!

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy introduced H.R. 2471 last year in order to PROTECT our online privacy. But, federal agencies and law enforcement groups didn’t like the legislation and pressured Leahy into changing the language.

Now, the bill has been rewritten and amendments added that run completely opposite of the bill’s original intent…all because a politician caved to special interests and abandoned his post as a defender of our Constitution and civil liberties.

Highlights of this new, freedom-killing legislation:

Law enforcement doesn’t need to obtain a search warrant from a judge listing "probable cause" before they dig through your emails—only a subpoena is required.

22 federal agencies will have warrant less access to your online accounts if they declare the situation an "emergency."

Correspondence stored on systems not offered "to the public"—such as university networks, for example—can be accessed by feds and law enforcement if they so desire.

The feds can take up to an entire year (360 days) to notify citizens that their personal account information has been intercepted; and service providers have to notify law enforcement first, before they tell their customers their info has been hacked.

Fax Congress Now!

This is chilling. Don’t let your first reaction to news like this be, "well I’m not doing anything wrong so this doesn’t apply to me."

Your emails, Twitter messages, Facebook posts, Google documents and everything else you do online is about to become the property of the United States government. Agencies like the Federal Reserve, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Maritime Commission, the Postal Regulatory Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Mine Enforcement Safety and Health Review Commission will all have a right to access your private correspondence.

Who knows what they will do with it. Perhaps they will see personal communications about medical issues, which they now have a vested interest in since they have taken over healthcare. Or maybe they’ll see comments against the current administration, and conveniently order an audit of your finances—as many Tea Party organizations saw happen last year.

As the famous and sober quote by Martin-Niemöller goes, "First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the socialists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me."

Politicians seem to have forgotten our Constitution and our system of checks and balances.

Leahy previously said, "I’m not going to say that any administration, Republican or Democratic, gets a pass. We have to respect our privacy rights, our civil liberties." And then, he deleted all our rights after special interest groups put pressure on him.

And last year Senator Chuck Grassley suggested that requiring search warrants for emails would result in "increased burdens on the court system."

The United Nations is threatening an international Internet fee. Congress and President Obama are mulling cyber security orders that will harm consumers and stifle business. Law enforcement agencies across the country are pushing for more control without oversight, such as the ability to monitor your whereabouts via license plate trackers.

Benjamin Franklin said, "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

We can stop this from happening. The backlash against Leahy’s about-face was swift and strong. Petitions are circulating, and groups such as the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are holding him to account. We need to add our voices to the fight and let Congress know this is not okay!

If they open the door to accessing your digital communications, the government may as well have the ability to enter our homes, our cars, our businesses and our wallets and be allowed to go through our personal lives at any time of their choosing, without due process, without probable cause, and without reproach.

Don’t let this happen to the United States of America.

Sincerely,

Tony Adkins

Conservative-Daily

Perfect explanation of complete and finished . . .

No dictionary has been able to adequately explain the difference between COMPLETE and FINISHED. However, in a recent linguistic conference held in London, England, and attended by some of the best linguists in the world: Samsundar Balgobin, a Guyanese, was the clear winner.

His final challenge was this: Some say there is no difference between COMPLETE and FINISHED. Please explain the difference between COMPLETE and FINISHED in a way that is easy to understand.

Here is his astute answer:

"When you marry the right woman, you are COMPLETE. But, when you marry the wrong woman, you are FINISHED. And when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are COMPLETELY FINISHED!"

His answer was received with a standing ovation lasting over 5 minutes.

Advent Cookies

A fun way to look forward to Christmas is to have a cookie baking day with the children! What better way to do this than to have cut out cookies but only use star cookie cutters as we look for and wait for the Star of Bethlehem to make it's appearance. This is a very simple recipe. When the cookies are baked and cooled, decorate them with sugar the color of Advent (purples) with a few cookies with golden sugar to show what is to come. It's a great way to give the children some time in the kitchen with you and help with the excited anticipation of the holiday with a hands-on project and the Christmas story, too!

Advent Sugar Cookies
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 357 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper or use vegetable oil spray. Mix together the dry ingredient and set aside. In a mixing bowl, whip together the butter and sugar until fluffy and blended. Add the egg and extracts. Stir in the flour mixture. The dough should be manageable. If not, add bits of flour as necessary.

Roll half the dough out on a lightly-floured board, about 1/4 inch thick. You can go thicker if you are working with little ones to avoid breakage. Using your star cookie cutter, cut them out as close as possible to avoid too much re-rolling of the dough. Place about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for approximately 8-12 minutes depending on how thick you cut the cookies. Let rest a few minutes on the baking sheet once they exit the oven. Remove to a rack to complete cooling.

Basic White Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon corn syrup
Enough milk to form a spreadable icing
Gold and purple sugar or decorations.

To avoid excessive clean up, tape sheets of waxed paper down on the table for the decorating. When you are done, just carefully roll up the waxed paper and you should have an easier clean up.

First Sunday in Advent . . .

Jeremiah 33:14-16
33:14 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

33:15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

33:16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."

The year continues it's mad spiral towards it's end. We are into the last few weeks of 2012 already. All our New Year's resolutions either happened or are now long forgotten. Sometimes, it seems like the year consists of Christmas/New Year's/Christmas, etc. with everyone in between getting lost in the busy shuffle of life.

I find it sad that Christmas items went on the store shelves before Thanksgiving turkeys were in the store. It takes away from the anticipation as we drag out the preparation of the holiday with early-bird sales.

When I was growing up, the week after Thanksgiving gave way to the beginning thoughts of Christmas. I would thrill at every little aspect of the holiday that would slowly come into play. We never put gifts under the tree because the Christmas tree didn't go up until a few days before Christmas. We had the gift of anticipation! I would go to Midnight Mass with my mother and when we came home, the house had changed! We were still hearing Christmas Carols in our head while we witnessed the coming of the Christ Child as gifts were now under the tree. I never knew how my mother accomplished this but no matter how close I kept to her side, the presents and lit tree always happened.

An undecided bird . . .

 Since the cold weather hasn't really arrived in California, this little bird seemed to be considering his options: stay and enjoy the weather or take off for warmer climes in case really cold weather finds it's way here.

We have the most uninterested dogs when it comes to the various birds that visit our yard. I've seen them both sitting on the patio and watching the birds frolic in their water bowl and help themselves to dog food. The dogs don't wiggle an ear or bat an eye over this, bat an eye.

obama aka Christ on the Cross - I think not!

The so called tolerance of our country is certainly one-sided and if the tolerance is offering a chance to disrespect Christians, then so much the better. Public displays of the Nativity scene are banned in many places, making obscene fun of the Catholic clergy and Pope is just 'innocent' fun, and art is a 'freedom of speech' act and should be honored and revered. This is just the latest in this war on Faith.
http://conservativebyte.com/2012/11/painting-depicts-obama-as-crucified-christ/

How this artist gets any respect for using his talent to disrespect our Lord and Savior is beyond me. It often reminds me of the story of the King's New Clothes and I'm just waiting for a public voice of reason to ask what the point is of dipping a crucifix in urine and getting a place in an art gallery or depicting the very, very pro-abort president as a Christ on the cross.

Thanksgiving is over . . . on to Christmas Baking!

The last of the Thanksgiving leftovers created dinner last night. The refrigerator is back to it's normal, roomy state so it is time to start organizing Christmas baking. No one seems to mind the gift of a plate of homemade cookies! My husband has a thee-day weekend coming up and he will be my helper in keeping up with the dishes, chopping nuts and fruits, and keeping track of the timer. He may even be called up for a mad rush to the store for something I may forget to include on my list. I was blessed to find an outlet for Hazelnuts so will be able to make cookies that I've been anxious to try except for the lack of this particular nut. I found them on a health/vitamin site which was having a sale so got an extraordinary discount on what is usually an expensive item.

I'll post recipes and pictures as they happen in the coming days of baking. I have a few tried and true recipes that show up on every Christmas cookie plate but always sneak in a few new and adventurous ones. So far, no complaints on that!

They may be over 18, but . . .

 We had seven young people at the Thanksgiving dinner table and they were all 18 or older. The child in them was still evident when I glanced over and saw the addition my daughter had made to her brother's dinner plate. Be assured they were plastic toys but they looked all too realistic! I guess there is a lot of 'child' in me, too, as I ran for the camera and am now sharing this with the world!

An Afternoon of Cats!

 Over the years, I've accumulated several lengths of fabric with cat pictures. The initial idea for their use didn't pan out so I was happy to come up with a need for the fabric and happily spent an afternoon putting thought into practice!

We recently had someone adopt two of the stray cats that were camping on our front step. They offered just a week before we would have had to either take them to the shelter or have them put down - neither was a happy solution for these beautiful animals. Well, a gentlemen contacted me and even though he has six cats of his own, said he would give a home to the two, beautiful strays. Given he and his sisters love of cats, what better way to thank them then personalized Christmas stockings with nothing but cats on them.

Preparation and Execution!

 It is always interesting to think back on one's party efforts and this time, I remember to take a picture! The first shows the table set and ready for company and the next one shows it in action!

As you can see, we had a happy Thanksgiving and are grateful for the gifts of friendship and food. We also pray that the coming year will show improvements in our country and world, provide us with politicians of moral values and character,  and respect for all people, born and unborn.

Everyone Needs a Friend!

Marcella, the cat, gets lonely at times. She was raised with two siblings and enjoyed the wrestling and snuggling with them. We had an old stuffed toy on a shelf and, one day, Marcella dragged it down. The best thing about the toy? It will purr, 'breathe, and meow if you pat it. Marcella quickly learned how to do this and now they are fast friends. We actually purchased the toy for my older daughter one Christmas as a joke and her one remark was, "What is the use of that?" Now we know! :-)

The Cat, the Guardian Angel, and the Fish!

 It's better than television! Whenever we wonder where the cat had gotten to, we can usually locate her watching her favorite program on the fish tank. Not sure if the angel is watching over the cat or the fish.

The funny thing is the fish actually comes to see the cat when he notices he has a visitor. When the cat gets tired of crouching by the fish tank, she hops over on my daughter's bed and observes from there until she falls asleep. A picture is worth a thousand words from a mother. My daughter took one look and said, "Time to clean the fish tank, again, and dust!

United Nations and how they don't help . . .

I just read that the United Nations seems to view contraception a 'universal human right' and that it should be funded by taxpayers money. To me, a human right is not a tangible that can be bought and paid for and given to everyone at the expense of everyone. Contraception is a choice and if one chooses this avenue to avoid the responsibility of children, then it is something they should be liable for and the costs should come from their own resources. Many, many people do not believe in the early stages of abortion that occur to women on the pill. They aren't preventing other women from using their own form of conscience and using the pill or some other form of contraception but ask that it won't be charged to their income via taxes.  Contraception is against the precepts of the Catholic Church and practicing Catholics will not use artificial means with which to  either prevent conception or terminate it at any stage.

Now, the United Nations wants to burden everyone with the cost of killing the unborn regardless of morality and beliefs. You have to wonder why one mind set of the population is allowed to dictate the conscience of another? Catholics who practice their Faith will tell you why they don't want to make use of the modern methods of disposing of babies but no one is preventing anyone from making their own decision . . . unless, of course, you are against contraception but forced to help pay for it. Universal humans rights certainly have a very limited perspective.

It is hard to be totally surprised about this latest potential infringement into our personal lives. The Catholic Church already has at least 30 lawsuits pending against the White House over the insurance mandates that go against our freedom of religion. If our children attend public schools, many of them have been exposed to teachings that don't follow our moral code. The problems against people of Faith keep growing . . .

During the recent election, not much was said from the pulpit about voting Catholic . . . so 50% of the Catholics in America, obviously with similar dioceses, voted for the incumbent. Our bishop was strongly behind over turning the death penalty even though it is line with the Church when necessary. The abortion issue was a preliminary sideline. With the United Nation's latest idea, it will be interesting to see how the various bishops handle the situation . . . if at all. Makes you wonder, at times, if they are more afraid of the liberals than they are of God. Let us pray . . .

Thanksgiving Wish!

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!
We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
-Adrianus Valerius
-Theodore Baker (translator)


Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/10-great-thanksgiving-prayers/#ixzz2CySxv53Z

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Happy Thanksgiving Day! I hope all that celebrate this holiday have a wonderful day with family and friends. We have six guests coming for dinner. Although we couldn't make it to Mass, this morning, my son is over there serving Mass for Father. I guess that sometimes you have to do your praying from the kitchen in the spirit or hospitality! That, and the fact the Mass is an hour later and we have to have things cooked and ready by noon!

The table is set, pots are awaiting further instructions on the stove and the turkey is in the roaster on the counter. Side dishes are warming in the oven and it only remains for me to cook potatoes and mash them. I think I'm up to the task!

Thanksgiving Preparations . . . and, so it begins . . .

 Thanksgiving dinner isn't difficult but it takes planning and prep work. My cooking tasks began yesterday. I baked bread for the stuffing, got the cranberries reduced to the appropriate sauce, turkey bones simmered down to broth and corn bread mixed, baked, and cubed for sausage stuffing. I don't put the stuffing inside the turkey as is popular with many people. My own mother preferred it that way but I like to bake it in pans and make two types.

Today, the pies will be created along with mixing together the stuffing ingredients, and, time permitting, baking a cheese cake. I enjoy cooking but with the family growing up and taking off on their own (my oldest son and daughter won't be here for the holiday!), I don't get to exercise my 'talents' as much as I'd like. I have six guests joining us for dinner tomorrow so I'm in my cooking/baking mode and in my element!

How is Jesus viewing our acts as citizens?

Below find Fr. Jeffrey's homily that was given last weekend (November 10/11) at SEAS. The homily is inspirational! A parish priest in Louisiana isn't afraid to tell the truth!

Here it is:

I want to begin today by thanking those of you who went out on Tuesday and voted for the sacredness of human life. Just as the widow’s deed in our 1^st reading will never be forgotten as long as the Scriptures are read, be assured that no righteous deed that we ever undertake will be forgotten by Almighty God.

This past Wednesday, the day after the election, I received a message on my phone at the parish office, from a gentleman who didn’t identify himself by name but who said he was a parishioner. And in this message, this gentleman ranted for several minutes about Tuesday’s election results. And here were the first words out of his mouth, “You lost Father; you lost!” Well, the first thing I want to say about Tuesday night’s election results is that I didn’t lose. On Tuesday night our entire country lost!

Now, having said that, I know that there are several of you who have just decided to tune me out, or you’re now burning up with anger at me because of what I just said and you can’t wait to give me a piece of your mind. But let me say two things in this regard. Number one, I am a priest of Jesus Christ, not because of any merit of my own, not because I’m any better than anyone else. God probably chose me because I am nothing and He wants to make something out of me. But I have been anointed and consecrated by God to preach His truth. And so, you can tune me out, but be warned, you do so at your eternal peril.

Second, if you’re angry because you read into my words that this homily is going to be about one elected official that you probably voted for, you’re wrong. What I have to say today goes far beyond just one elected official. What I have to say is about the over all trend that was put on display in Tuesday’s election results.

Did you know, for instance, that on Tuesday several states voted by popular majority to legalize the recreational use of marijuana? Did you know that a plan to legalize physician assisted suicide was barely rejected in Massachusetts? Did you now that for the first time in our country’s history several states, by popular vote, chose to legalize gay marriage? Did you know that two of these states are run by “Catholic” governors who actively encouraged their constituents to vote in favor of same sex unions? Did you know that in Florida, a ban on tax payers funding of abortion was rejected by the people? Add to all of this the fact that some who were elected in Tuesday’s elections are pathological liars, people who have been exposed in their lies numerous times. Apparently, a majority of Americans now condone lying, or perhaps worse, for them the lie has become the truth, evil has become good. Now can you begin to see the trend?

In the days after the elections all the talking heads in the media have been trying to explain how this all happened. But not one person in the mainstream media has gotten it right. You see, these election results are not about one party’s marketing advantage over another. Ultimately, they’re not about the appeal of one person over another, nor are they about one party being more up-to-date while the other is behind times. What we saw on Tuesday night IS about the moral decline of our nation.

Tuesday’s voting results are a mere confirmation of a choice that a majority in this country made, some as far back as 50 years ago, to reject God and to embrace evil in one form or another! And who’s to blame for this choice? Well, ultimately, each individual is responsible for his or her choices. Those who chose to vote with evil are to blame for their own choices, and they’ll have to answer to God for the way they voted. But the reality is I don’t think any of us can take ourselves completely off the hook on this one. Why? Because one of the worst contributing factors to the moral decline of our country has been the lukewarmness that has plagued the Catholic Church for years all the way from the Bishops down to the people in the pews. Pope St. Pius X once said that “All evil in the world is due to lukewarm Catholics.” Think about that for a second, “All evil in the world is due to lukewarm Catholics.”

Well, I have to be honest with you. I’ve seen this lukewarmness in every church parish at which I’ve served. But you know where else I see this lukewarmness? I see it when I look in the mirror; I see it in myself. And if we’re honest with ourselves I think all of us would see one or more area of lukewarmness in our own spiritual lives.

My brothers and sisters, each one of us has a moral obligation to do all that we can to try to reverse the moral decline of our nation. And the first place that we have to begin is within ourselves. We have to begin by responding to that vocation which is common to all of us, what the Church calls the universal call to holiness, the call from Jesus to each one of us to become a saint!

In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul says, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” How many of us, each day, tremble as we strive for holiness?! How many of us live with a lively fear of hell, a place that is real and a place where souls go for all eternity?! Or have we instead accepted mediocrity in our spiritual lives? “Oh, I’m too busy to pray Lord; I just don’t have the time… I’m too tired to pray; I’ll get to it tomorrow... Oh, I don’t like that teaching of the Church, I am not going to do that, who do they think they are coming up with this stuff... Well, I think I’ve done enough for God; what more do I have to do for Him…”

In one of His parables Jesus poses an important question that we would all do well to ask ourselves. “Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?” Well, what cost is Jesus talking about? He’s not giving construction advice to builders and contractors. The context of that Gospel is the cost of discipleship, what it costs to be a saint, ultimately what it costs us get to Heaven. But all too often we act as if that cost is cheap! “Well, I go to Mass on most Sundays. I’m a good person; I haven’t murdered anybody. Of course I’m going to Heaven!”

Jesus dealt with this kind of cheap discipleship in the Gospels when He said, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” On the day of judgment many will say to Jesus, “Well, didn’t we go to Mass fairly often on Sundays and didn’t we put some money in the collection basket? Didn’t we accept at least some of the Church’s teachings? Besides, as I said before, I’m a good person; I didn’t murder anybody.” Then Jesus will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me you evildoers!”

My brothers and sisters, in ordinary times lukewarmness in our approach to salvation is deadly. But we are not entering into ordinary times. We are not moving forward into ordinary times. There is a great battle brewing; in fact this battle is already upon us, a battle in our country between good and evil and I can feel this battle in the very marrow in my bones. If we are not striving for holiness with every fiber of our being we will not have what it takes to pay the cost of discipleship, we will not have what it takes to get to Heaven! As Jesus says near the end of Matthew’s Gospel, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now and never will be. And if those days had not been shortened, no one would be saved…no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.”

It’s clear from the trends that we see in Tuesday’s election results that people of faith in this country are going to be attacked relentlessly over and over again by one wave of evil after another. And so we must be sure that we have included these attacks in our calculations. A lukewarm faith will never survive the attacks of an army of evil that is Legion. We must become saints! And do not wait for tomorrow to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for tomorrow may be too late. Today let us resolve to root out all sin from our lives! Today let us resolve to remove all evil from our hearts! Today let us double our efforts at prayers! Today let us pray that Mary, the Mother of God, our Mother, will once again crush the head of Satan, and intercede for us the grace of perseverance!

Today, let us resolve to take up our cross and be a disciple of Jesus Christ! Christ, who in the words of the Servant of God Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, “will restore within us moral indignation, Who will make us hate evil with a passionate intensity, and love goodness to a point where we can drink death like water!”

The final message that I received from that gentleman’s call on Wednesday was that I need to stop preaching the way I do. I need to stop telling people how they ought to live their lives, what teachings of the Church they need to follow. “If he wants to support gay marriage I just need to shut up and give him a choice.” Well, sir in answer to your request I give you a choice: You can either come here to this Catholic Church and listen to the Word of God and to the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church or you can leave and go somewhere else!

Five Major Conflicts Facing Catholics

5 Major Conflicts Facing Catholics

 

 

Msgr. Charles Pope

Msgr. Charles Pope, Archdiocese of Washington: My remarks will be brief, since this is not a political blog, and I am not a political prognosticator. The American people and process have spoken. But a few remarks based on the election results, things I think of as undeniable facts for the Church, though you are free to offer any rebuttals.
1. The strained relationship between the Catholic Church in the Democratic party will continue and the strain will likely grow. The reasons for this are that the Democratic Party is increasingly aligning itself with positions that are in direct conflict with Catholic teaching. More of this in the following points.
2. Largely unrestricted abortion will continue unabated, as will funding for organizations such as Planned Parenthood, the chief provider of abortion in this country. Possible Supreme Court nominations will also feature pro-choice jurists. Likewise many Circuit and other Federal District Court judges will continue to be appointed who favor largely unrestricted abortion.
3. The homosexual agenda will continue to grow and receive increasing legal recognition and protection. This includes not only gay “marriage” but also, other issues in the Gay agenda such as adoption, and the general insistence that the Gay lifestyle be promoted in schools and other public settings. This will require Church opposition and generally embroil us in many public disputes. This may have continued even with a Romney win, but there will be fewer political hurdles for such agendas and the pace will be quicker.
4. The HHS mandate moves forward, untouched. Our religious liberty is in greater jeopardy. We’ll have to meet the administration in court. And while the legal basis for our grievance seems strong, recent experience in the courts has demonstrated that nothing is certain. Civil disobedience may be in our future.
5. Extreme debt seems likely to pile up. Well this may not be a specific issue the Catholic Church has spoken to, it remains a fact that we spend money we do not have, and this has moral implications. Little change in a very divided Congress, means there will be likely little progress in arresting a runaway debt. This will become an increasing moral problem that the Church will likely have to address at some level. This too draws us into the morass of debates about spending priorities etc. and may divide us as a Church between fiscal conservatives and those who emphasize the Social Doctrine.
Thus, the next years ahead, will likely draw the Church into increasing conflict with the political scene in general, and the Democratic Party specifically.
And while it is not the instinct to the Church to be drawn into one side of the political debate, moral issues are increasingly demanding from us an unambiguous stance, one which draws us into increasing conflict with the Democratic Party on issues which we consider non-negotiable. At the same time, issues that we may share with the Democratic Party, are less doctrinal or certain for us. We face difficult days ahead, and difficult decisions about strategy and how to engage a party in power that is increasingly at odds with our most central tenants.
The Central question for us is, How will the Church be able to articulate her positions, increasingly at odds with the platform of the Democratic party and be able to resist the (unfair) charge that we are merely the Republican Party at prayer. There are difficult days ahead for the Church.
Let us pray for great courage and prudence.

Baby or not. And, you have a question?

Oodles of Noodles . . .

 It was almost brisk, today, as far as California standards are about Winter. That made me thing of making chicken soup and what would chicken soup be without noodles. I have found, however, that the best chicken soup with the properly, slightly thickened broth comes from simmering homemade noodles directly in the soup. It is amazing how many people you can feed with one chicken, a handful or so of flour, and a couple of eggs.

Heart of a Mouse?

Heart Of A MouseFrom Heart of the Enlightened By Anthony De Mello

A mouse was in constant distress because of its fear of the cat. A magician took pity on it and turned it into a cat. But then it became afraid of the dog.

So the magician turned it into a dog. Then it began to fear the panther, so the magician turned it into a panther. Whereupon it was full of fear for the hunter.

At this point, the magician gave up. He turned it into a mouse again saying, "Nothing I do for you is going to be of any help because you have the heart of a mouse."

Wow! It's like big-screen television!

 The cat's favorite time of the day is harass the dogs from behind the safety of the glass sliding door.

The mind of a dog . . .

 Since we do like our dogs, we save all the softest, warmest old sheets and blankets with which to line their dog houses. We go to bed at night happy in the thought that they are warm and comfortable, each in their own dog house. The next morning, we wake up to miserable, shivering dogs who thought it would be a good idea to pull out all their blankets, even though it might be raining, and then huddle together on them like a couple of mistreated dogs!

We found some really comfy blankets for very cheap and they seemed pretty indestructible. As they were going for a couple of dollars on clearance, we purchased four of them but decided to NOT put them all out at one. We gave the dogs a good dinner, patted them on their fuzzy, little, brainless heads, and showed them the new and improved blanket program for their dog houses. They happily scamper in, turned around a few times, and settled down. Five minutes later, we checked on them and the new blanket was now four or five smaller blankets and they were together in the same dog house looking very unhappy about the loss of their cozy nest. We went to bed!

Something to Contemplate . . .

“Obedience is the test of our love of God. His laws are God’s way of enabling us to prove our love for Him; there is no obedience where there is no love, there is much obedience where there is much love.” ~Fr. John Hardon

The latest creations . . .

 Received an order for a tote bag so decided to stock up either for sale or Christmas gifts. It took me two and a half afternoons to assembly-line these bags into existence. I can never figure out if it is easier to do them in an assembly line fashion or sew them completely, one by one. No matter which way I do it, I always feel I should have done it the other way. The good part, however, is they are done!

Peace on earth . . .

Crumble Topped Apples

Although I always make pumpkin and pecan pies for Thanksgiving, I give myself a break and take the easy way out on the third dessert. With a Crumble Topped Apples dessert, you get the taste of baked apples and cinnamon without having to fuss with a crust. It is also a good vehicle for getting lots of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream into your diet, too!

Crumble Topped Apples
Six to eight green, tart apples
Juice and zest of one lemon
3/4 cup granulated sugar, combined with one tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Peel, core and slice six to eight apples depending on size of your family. Mix apple slices in a bowl with the zest and juice of one lemon. Add 3/4 to one cup granulated sugar, the tablespoon of flour and the cinnamon. Taste and see if it is sweet enough for you. Arrange in greased baking pan that will comfortably accommodate the apples. You will want to leave room for the topping.

Topping:One stick butter or margarine
One cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
One heaping teaspoon cinnamon
One cup chopped nuts

For the topping, crumble together one stick of butter or margarine, one cup-all-purpose flour, ½ cup brown sugar, one teaspoon vanilla extract, one heaping teaspoon cinnamon and one cup chopped nuts. The mixture should be coarse but ingredients well-distributed. Arrange over the top of the apples and bake for approximately 35 minutes or until golden and bubbly. All ingredients can be doubled to make a larger amount for a big family. Serve hot, warm or cold. Can stand by itself but whipped cream or vanilla ice cream will make it special.

The Day After Thanksgiving . . .

Although Thanksgiving hasn't appeared, yet, if you observe meatless Fridays, you will need something tasty for dinner that day to keep your mind off the tempting leftovers from the holiday feast the day before. This is an easy recipe and all you need to do once it is in the oven is steam some vegetables or prepare a fresh salad.

Easy Oil Pie Pastry
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold milk
½ cup vegetable oil

Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a small well in the middle and pour in milk and oil. Stir lightly with a fork until well-mixed. If the pastry is too wet, add minute amounts of flour. If it is a dry day, you may have to add dabs of milk and oil. You can chill the dough at this point for later or go ahead and line a pie pan. This recipe makes one double crust or two single pie crusts.

As long as you already have ideas of pastry crusts in mind, think about an elegant main course that uses few ingredients but collects rave notices from hungry families.

Cheese-Onion Quiche
One unbaked, pie crust
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
One cup grated cheddar cheese
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 ½ tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons dried mustard
One can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line pie pan with pastry. Saute onions in butter until tender and slightly golden. Spread over pastry. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Mix together eggs, flour, and mustard. Stir in undiluted cream of mushroom soup and milk. Pour over onions and cheese. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. Let stand ten minutes before serving.

Although I used cheddar for the above recipe, don't let that limit you! Swiss cheese is good and Monterey Jack cheese goes well with the addition of some chilies of choice

Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Ice Cream

Although we do have an ice cream maker, by the time we purchase enough ice and salt to run it, it costs almost more than it is worth to make ice cream at home. However, homemade ice cream tastes so good . . . probably because it tends to strain the budget which makes the unattainable more desirable! I did find a basic method for making ice cream that didn't require an ice cream machine and froze to the perfect texture to scoop into cones.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Ice Cream
16 ounces fat-free cream cheese
2 14-ounce cans of sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup hazelnut spread like Nutella
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces toasted and skinned hazelnut, roughly chopped

Combine everything except the nuts in a mixing bowl and beat to combine and cream. Stir in the hazelnuts, pour (it will be runny!) into a sealable container and freeze from 4-6 hours.

*You can use full-fat cream cheese, too. I just like to cut back where I can in our diets.

**To toast and skin the hazelnuts, spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. The nuts burn easily so keep tabs on them. When they are hot through and starting to brown a bit, place the nuts in a fine-meshed strainer and stir them around with a wooden spoon. The grating against the strainer mesh will dislodge a lot of the skin and it will fall through. The nuts don't have to be completely skinned. Just remove what comes off easily. You can also place the toasted hazelnuts on a rough dish towel and rub the skins off that way, too.

More crocheting than blogging . . .

 Less blogging happens during the pre-holiday season as I try and get a multitude of homemade gifts completed. The lastest was a birthday gift for a November birthday girl! I love using color because I like color and the stripes sort of keep me going as it shows the progress more clearly. I've crocheted all cream-colored blankets and it seems like they aren't going anywhere at all as I'm lost in a sea of the same neutral color! Just started another birthday blanket and, yes, it deals with stripes only in a different pattern and format.

America's future as a result of November 6, 2012 . . .

The re-elected president is doing his best to bypass the checks and balance system we have in our government and, after viewing some of these regulations, for very good reasons. All this including rescinding religious freedom and obamacare, too.  http://lastresistance.com/498/why-bother-with-congress-when-you-make-66-regulations-a-day/

Baby Food Warning!

Hope in Prayer - Canticle of Zechariah

“Blessed be the Lord,

The God of Israel;
He has come to His people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,

Born of the house of His servant David.
Through His holy prophets He promised of old
That He would save us from our enemies,
From the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

And to remember His holy Covenant.
This was the oath He swore to our father Abraham:
To set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship Him without fear,
Holy and righteous in His sight
All the days of our life.

You, My child shall be called

The prophet of the Most High,
For you will go before the Lord to prepare His way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation
By the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our Lord

The dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness
And the shadow of death,
And to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

~Canticle of Zechariah, Luke 1:68-79

Turkey Trials . . .

 Several years after we got married, my husband got interested in cooking the turkey on Thanksgiving. Over the years, he spends time researching and trying to find better ways to fix the perfect turkey. This year, he discovered a way to brine it without having to soak the poor bird in a vat of salt water. When he came across a sale for small turkeys, he was up for the challenge. As you can see, the results were quite satisfactory. Uh, we have tried three turkey recipes over the last month . . . and the week after this is Thanksgiving! Actually, it is very inexpensive meat this time of the year and provides meat for a variety of leftover ideas as well as a carcass for simmering down into broth.

Mind Boggling . . . What has it cost our future?

Fourth Commandment . . . More than one thought!

Something that really annoys me are the drivers who run red lights, swerve, or cut you off on the freeway . . . and not necessarily because they mean to but because they are busy talking on their cell phones. In our state, it is against the law yet most of the cars you see on the roads have someone driving and happily chatting on the cell phone and often to the detriment of their driving skills. It seemed to me that it was a matter that is covered in the Fourth Commandment but people said it only applies to obeying parents because that is what it says. By now, you know that I seldom stop short of finding out the real deal and pulled up the guidelines from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Since all Christians Faiths are supposed to abide by the Ten Commandments, seems it applies to everyone. And, right there is states what I've always thought that deliberating breaking laws is a sin against the Fourth Commandment. Jesus did say something to the effect that we should give to God what is God's and to Caesar what is Caesar's. Whether it be obedience to laws or paying our taxes, we are also spiritually liable if we don't obey. My soap box lecture of the day and here is the excerpt!

FOURTH COMMANDMENT
HONOR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER . . . AND!

For All: contempt for the laws of State and country as well as of the Church; disobedience to lawful authority; breaking of civil laws.
 

Unthinkable means . . .

http://www.lifesitenews.com/blog/what-the-unthinkable-means

The Second Coming . . . already? :-(

http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/11936

Finding out the real deal from Mychal Massie

With Thanksgiving just around the corner and blacks drunk with the delight of Obama being reelected, I believe my syndicated article from November 29, 2005 was apropos for this week’s “From My Vault.” Mychal Massie
****************
Mention that between 1882 and 1968, 3,446 blacks were lynched in the United States and the loud sucking noise you hear would be Jesse Jackson, Kweise Mfume, Barack Obama, D-Ill., and the Congressional Black Caucus taking a collective deep breath in preparation for their long-winded diatribe against America, in general, and conservatives, specifically.
The black victim class loves to display themselves dressed in vestiges of sorrow with lamentations of bitterness and resentment while cursing America. You will not however, hear nor see these same immiseration profiteers say one word about the 1,452 black unborn children who are murdered daily by abortionists.

They bemoan slavery, curse conservatives, blame the president, insist upon reparations and claim that tax cuts help only rich white Americans to the detriment of blacks; but as Rev. Clenard Childress Jr., director of the Life Education and Research Network points out: “With one-third of all abortions performed on black women, the abortion industry has received over $4 billion [as a gift] from the black community.” To which I add, self-extermination being only the quid pro quo.
The CBC, accepting the challenge of how to give new meaning to the liliripes of the jester’s hat they insist on wearing, blamed the president for Hurricane Katrina. Louis Farrakhan seeking to trump them charged the levees had been blown up to kill blacks.

However, they are noticeable only in their silence per even the most heinous acts of abortion savagery. Blackgenocide.org lists the following from late civil-rights leader Erma Clardy Craven: “Several years ago, when 17,000 aborted babies were found in a dumpster outside a pathology laboratory in Los Angeles, California, some 12-15,000 were observed to be black.” Does anyone recall Farrakhan and the CBC in front of the cameras attacking the abortion industry? Of course not.
The issue of abortion provides the clearest, most unambiguous statement of who the true house slaves are. Does anyone question the outcome if groups like CBC and NAACP condemned abortion and what it is doing to Americans? Would liberals make them pay the price that black conservatives pay?
Bill Bennett was excoriated for what was, at worst, a poor analogy, but there was a deafening silence when NARAL said “Legal abortion will result in a reduction in welfare roles.” (Loose-leaf booklet titled “Organizing for Action.” Prepared by Vicki Z. Kaplan for the National Abortion Rights Action League, 250 West 57th Street, New York, N.Y. 10019 – 51 pages, no date. See especially the chapter written by Emily C. Moore, Ph.D., titled “The Major Issues and the Argumentation in the Abortion Debate,” pages 33 to 43.)

Between weeks 20 and 30, an unborn child has more pain receptors per square inch than at any other time, before or after birth, with only a very thin layer of skin for protection. Mechanisms that inhibit or moderate the experience of pain do not begin to develop until weeks 30-32. Any pain the unborn child experiences before these mechanisms form is likely worse than the pain an older child or adult experiences (Expert report of Dr. Kanwaljeet S. Anand, Northern District of the U.S. District Court in California, Jan. 15, 2004. Dr. Anand is a board-certified pediatrician who specializes in the care of critically ill newborns and children, and has conducted over 20 years of intensive research and study on the development of pain and stress in human newborn infants and fetuses).

Planned Parenthood, perhaps the most prolific abortion-genocide machine, would have the public believe that impaling a woman with what amounts to a shop vac that rips apart a tiny unborn child is painless. They want the public to believe that having an unborn baby burned to death from salt solution is painless. Tell that to the woman experiencing cramps as her unborn child kicks and rolls violently as it is slowly burned to death in the solution.

Planned Parenthood, NARAL, Barack Obama, D-Ill., and liberal courts would have us believe there are justifiable circumstances to rip apart an unborn, full-term child part way outside its mother’s womb and then have what amounts to a small pick axe driven through the back of his skull killing him.

These groups – and either knowingly or unknowingly those who support abortion – seem to view women and children as less than animals. But even the Humane Society has filed suit arguing that methods used for slaughtering poultry are cruel. (Humane Society Sues Over Poultry Slaughter; Libby Quaid, Associated Press food and farm writer, Nov. 21, 2005)

The bottom line is abortion is murder – it isn’t nice, harmless or painless. While the murdered unborn can’t speak, the living survivors of perforated uteruses or punctured insides can attest to the pain.
An unborn baby is only a fetus to an abortionist. I have never heard a pregnant woman say, “My fetus just kicked me” or “Look honey, the fetus is moving.” In those instances it’s a baby. It is non-human to its killer.

I find it interesting how closely that mentality mirrors that of others in history who were predisposed to destroying those they deemed unfit in their role as the supreme.

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From the Canada Free Press . . .

Here lies the United States of America
Born: July 4, 1776
Died: November 6, 2012

The Will of the People Has Spoken and America Died The End of an Empire

by Dr. Ileana Johnson Paugh - Wednesday, November 7, 2012 Our Constitutional Republic died a peaceful death on November 6, 2012. Having reached the point of no return in a comatose state after years of progressive and illegal immigration assaults, the fabric of conservative society is now completely unraveled and Uncle Sam’s America is no more. The United States of America is now relegated to the dust bin of history as a “has been” empire. The Shining City on the Hill, the hope of so many millions since July 4, 1776, no longer exists. What rises from the ashes is a country that few of us will recognize, like, or learn to accept submissively. After 236 years of existence, a new country emerges today, run by secular progressives who rejected our Constitution, what we stand for, and who we are as a nation. The Supreme Court will be forever altered after its last conservative members will be replaced by the liberal academics who call themselves “progressives.” The rule of law will be implemented by Executive Orders, making Congress irrelevant. The communist motto “Forward” that resonated with so many ignorant Americans will plunge us into many years of darkness from which we will never be able to recover. We have proven our Founding Fathers right, they did give us a Constitutional Republic and we were unable to maintain it. The forces of the failed communist fundamental transformation that were driven underground in many places around the world, resurfaced with a vengeance in the United States and have now taken over. How long we will still have freedom of speech, movement, assembly, and control of our private property remains to be seen. Faith and churches will be driven underground; allowing secularism to prosper and take deep roots among the progressives whose God is Mother Earth. The welfare dependent Americans, unions, and illegal aliens have chosen for the rest of us the dark path of serfdom to big government and to socialist utopia. Who would have guessed that the very people who were complaining that the government is not extricating them from disaster or giving them the help they needed in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, would vote for the very politicians who turned their backs on needy Americans after the lights went dark when the political photo opportunities ended? Who would have guessed that Americans were as ignorant and irresponsible as to choose fiscal destruction over fiscal sanity for their children and grandchildren, secularism and communism over faith, dependence over personal responsibility and self-reliance? Americans have been protesting for the last four years the dismal state of the economy and the direction of our country, the corruption of our politicians, and the loss of personal and economic freedom. Rallies in support of conservatism overwhelmed venues for Mitt Romney while rallies for our bumbling President became scarcer and scarcer. Yet, miraculously, at the ballot box, our President won all over the country. We lost seats in the Senate. Americans chose liars and cheats to be their Senators and Representatives, rejecting those who protected the Constitution. The candidate from Massachusetts who claimed direct American Indian lineage to Pocahontas is now a Senator, having defeated Scott Brown. Representative Allen West lost his seat by a narrow margin to the infamous Wasserman Schultz from Florida . Americans chose high unemployment, reduction of our military, communist indoctrination of their children, and loss of personal freedoms unlike we have never seen before in this country. I am saddened by the loss of millions and millions of American soldiers who have died to preserve freedom yet we lost it on November 6, 2012. Those buried in cemeteries around the world and at Arlington must be rolling in their graves today. We shamelessly allowed their sacrifice of blood and treasure to go in vain. We have no honor because we let down all the soldiers who fought in recent times and returned home limbless with lives shattered from physical and mental wounds of war. I mourn today the loss of my adopted country. I have fought hard over the last four years to prevent its overt and accelerated destruction but the darker forces stronger than many of us have overcome concerted efforts by millions of Americans to maintain the Republic. Mediocrity, sloth, godlessness, dependence, cowardice, using the law selectively or ignoring it, and hopeless corruption will define the new country. Only God can save us now with his mercy and grace.