The Edge [of all] Journeys

Here’s Part 2… ok, no blabbering commentary – just the visuals this time:

Before we left San Diego I snuck in a helicopter ride (actually the same morning we had to check out of the campground by noon) to shoot video for stock. Hopefully the adventure will more than pay for itself (it better 🙂 ).

Beautiful San Diego was our home for a month. Among other things, we made it to the southwest corner of CA and walked up to the border with Mexico on the beach, we played in the tidal pools at La Jolla and saw the seals and sea lions, we went to a vineyard / winery about an hour north and enjoyed tasting the wines, we played in the ocean in January and February at several different beaches, we enjoyed having a Trader Joe’s close by again, we had cook-outs with dear friends parked right behind us, we made new friends at the campground who routinely gave us fresh tangelos from their family’s tree, we went for an hour (1-way) ride on the 3-level Coastal Train along the coast up to Ocean City, CA had lunch way out at a restaurant on a massive pier and rode back during sunset, we went for walks around Mission Bay where the campground was, and many other adventures besides – all the while enjoying summer in winter.

This is our parking spot about 30 minutes south of Fresno, CA with a beautiful view to the Sierras. We’re staying on the farm of friends of friends and are so blessed to be able to make new friendships and have another taste of community in a place previously foreign to us.

We had an adventurous trip north that included lots of heavy pulling through mountains and an episode of overheating that forced us to pull over. We even lost our pyro gauge and I wasn’t sure if we were going to be able to continue at one point. But we all prayed about it and I realized there really was no option but to throw our trust completely on YHWH and keep going. As soon as the family finished praying, and I came to resolve in my heart and spirit (I was outside under the hood), the pyro gauge came back to life and we pressed on without any other setbacks.

And then there was Bakersfield! Wow. Enough words cannot be found to describe the Bakersfield miracle. We set out from San Diego with directions in hand and campground recommendations from our tangelo friends who travel between their home in Washington state and San Diego every year for the seasons. Our original plan was to head up along the coast and end up in LA and maybe Malibu to connect with friends of friends there. That door closed for a variety of reasons which ended up pushing us through a more easterly route. YHWH confirmed it was the right direction for us as we pulled into a campground in Bakersfield, CA that had been recommended by our tangelo friends. It was around 7:30pm and the office was closed, but I had called ahead and our site number (112) was waiting for us on the door. We pulled into our site after several attempts (it was quite slanted on one side and leveling a camper is everything), the kids exploded out of the truck crying shrieks of banshee freedom, and I began to set up. Enter stage right: very familiar looking gentlemen. Queue the line: “Hey, didn’t we meet you guys in New Mexico?” Turns our we had not only arrived at the same campground, but had been assigned a site immediately next to dear friends we had made at a campground in New Mexico a month and a half earlier. They travel full-time too and homeschool their 5 boys who instant friends with our kids, and we only overlapped in NM for 1 night. They went northwest to Arizona and we went west to California. We weren’t event going to stay in San Diego for a month but were supposed to go to LA and instead ended up in Bakersfield. They were only supposed to be in Bakersfield for a few days (weeks before we arrived), but ended up stuck there for weeks to work out insurance, plates, and a new van after theirs was crushed by a semi (thankfully no one was hurt). And here we wind up weeks later, without staying in touch, parked next to each other at the same campground. I would call it a freak coincidental act of fate except that I have seen YHWH do things like this throughout my entire life.

Bennah and Reayah made it into their blog post about the amazing encounter, and I wish I had pictures of the whole crowd playing in Bakersfield to post here! Here’s Patsy’s post (scroll down to the entry “It’s All About Perspective”):
http://www.kirace.com/index.php?page=blog&bid=1
And here’s Marty’s post about the accident:
http://www.kidologytogo.com/2011/02/a-grateful-heart-is-a-thankful-heart/

Kidology is the children’s pastor ministry they are involved with during their travels. Amazing! All honor to YHWH!

Another highlight from Bakersfield was the not-quite-lukewarm-hot-tube-date. Renee and I had Bennah and Reayah watch the kids after bed time and managed a quick dip in the hot tub. We had Sky in the car seat and rocked him to sleep beside the water. The only thing was the water… it wasn’t even as hot as I’d make my own bath water. I ended up having to jump into the freezing pool and back just to get it to feel “hot” – even if only for a few seconds. But the night was beautiful and it was nice to have a moment of quality hangout time with my wife. That’s probably the first time Renee has ever shivered in a hot tub. Not kidding.

And here we are planting potatoes on the farm where we’re staying! Fun fun fun!

This was going to be a 10-photo post, but I ended up having to write a lot more than I had originally planned… the hour drags on… and I’ll have to make this part 1. More to come!

We’ve been in California for 3 weeks now and have been staying just north of San Diego. Many beautiful rocky and sandy beaches, tall palm trees and clear blue skies. It’s a bit bizarre being somewhere so warm while hearing about our friends and family getting hit by winter storms. We’re praying they all stay warm and safe.

The campground here is completed paved which makes it an ideal place for riding bikes and scooters. Up until a few days ago, Joy was the only one without wheels. She now has Jaiden’s scooter. Jaiden inherited Zach’s. Zach now has a shiny new silver and red one that is, of course, the new favorite of everyone. Zach is gracious at times and shares it with his siblings, but makes sure he gets the first turn on it when he gets up in the morning.

Today was a great day. We spent the afternoon with some wonderful old friends who are visiting California. We explored our favorite neighborhood near our campground. We played in ocean tide pools and watched sea lions. At the end of the day we spotted the new moon at sunset. It was a beautiful way to enter into Sabbath.

Tide pool are small pools of ocean water left in the rocks and crevices when the tide is low. In these pools are hundreds of living things, hanging out, waiting to be swept out to sea again. Hermit crabs, anemones, star fish, barnacles and so many more bizarre and interesting creatures. Today was our second time at the pools. On our first visit, Bennah had said: “this is better than the zoo!”.  Tonight, Andrew overheard Bennah:

“This was the best day ever. Right Reayah?”
“Yeah'” Reayah replied.

I’m so glad our kids are fulfilled by adventures like these that don’t really cost anything. Exploring the Creator’s creation is one of our favorite things to do together as a family and it’s the most rewarding. And it’s almost always free. There are many things here in San Diego that offer too much excitement for one day for way too much money for a family of eight. It is very rewarding for me as a parent to see our children not just content, but fulfilled. Not just entertained, but quenched.

We’ve been near Deming, New Mexico for the last couple nights – paused for Sabbath – and tomorrow we continue westward towards California. Yesterday we took a drive around the area to explore the local parks. Such a fascinating place with the dry, arid landscape mostly flat but the occasional massive rock formations leaping into the sky and the interesting pueblo construction in most of the dwellings.

We drove up into a national park called spring canyon and arriving around 3pm were a little miffed that yet again the gate would be closing – this time at 4pm. We paid our $5 entry fee anyway and set out to see what kind of adventure we could cram into an hour. Bennah, Reayah and I managed to scramble several hundred feet up rocks and scree and cactus to an incredible view while Renee and the little ones tried to fly kites.

I still haven’t gotten the report on how that went because as we were slipping and sliding back down as safely and yet quickly as possible I became aware of two things. First:  in pushing to get to the top I had underestimated the time we’d need to get back down and we weren’t going to make it by 4pm. Second: there was another vehicle still there too and I had heard the echo of someone yelling earlier. It hadn’t sounded distressed, but it had ben from far away and I began to wonder.

Enough of the way back down to trust my two oldest in making it the rest of the way on their own I cut across the rocks and angled down to intercept the driver of the other vehicle who had slowly started up the canyon trail below.

It was 4pm. His friend from Texas had not returned and he wasnt in the kind of shape to go up in the canyon to look for him. I coordinated with Renee, got his phone number, and headed up the trail as fast as I could.

Some running, some walking, some climbing and scrambling later – probably a mile or so – I had been praying and thinking about 127 Days and periodically calling out “hello!?” – oh and there was no kidding this little skunk just a couple feet away that I didn’t notice until I was passing it and was thrilled I didn’t get spayed – finally comes this response from above me to one of my calls: “praise the Lord?” To which I responded: “praise the LORD! Are you ok?”

Turns out the gentleman was just enjoying creation without a care in the world and no idea that the gate was supposed to have been closed 40 minutes ago. He appologized for the trouble but I told him it was no trouble at all – I was glad he was alright.

He had been way out there even high up, and said he’d had a vision in a whirlwind. I asked him to describe it. He said:

“There are so many trees fallen down… People that need someone to lift them up and replant them… And there are so many with thorns in them…”

There are many many stories by way of which I ought to bring this record up to date. And I hope to, but this day stands alone. And I will not (yet) even attempt to add paltry detail in words, for they would distract you from what the pictures have to say:

Sky – Old Norse: Cloud
Aysh – Hebrew: Fire
Yachalel – Hebrew: to wait on, hope, trust in Elohim / YHWH

He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night.
– Ps 105:39

See, the eye of יהוה is on those fearing Him, On those waiting [hoping, trusting] for His kindness…
– Ps 33:18

As for me, I look to יהוה, I wait [hope, trust] for the Elohim of my deliverance, my Elohim does hear me.
– Mic 7:7

Born on Sep 28, 2010 during Sukkot (the Feast of Booths / Tabernacles) and through extraordinary circumstances, our precious little Punkin #6 has given us a challenge in the naming. There were so many weighty things that his name needed to carry, but it also needed to have the light-hearted nature of the excitement, adventure, and blessing that he is.

Baby Sky.

Sky Aysh Yachalel.

We wanted his name to both carry the character of his birth experience as well as the identity of what YHWH is showing us through the timing. There was also a sense of completeness and new beginnings as he is the 8th member of the family. The biggest themes that emerged for us through all of this were:

• Trusting YHWH: The adventure of Sky’s birth was filled with unexpected plot twists, difficult decisions, and Father’s unfailing provision in even the smallest details. It tested and stretched us in many ways, but especially in trusting Him.
• Waiting on YHWH: It is counterintuitive for the 6th pregnancy, but Renee’s labor was longer (by far) than any of the others. 38 hours. There were moments when we thought things might not be normal with this delivery and Father answered our prayers with wise counsel from others and options that we hadn’t thought of.
• Sukkot: There are so many themes in this one word alone that resulted in many possible name sources – covering, refuge, protection, tabernacle, dwelling, canopy, chupah (wedding canopy), etc. I had been thinking in fairly concrete terms, trying to make an overt connection between the Festival birth and naming, but nothing sounded right. Then I remembered how YHWH Himself became a Sukkah for His Children in the wilderness and promised to do so again – as a Cloud and Fire.

Humorous Prelude

This seemed insignificant at the time, but actually became a factor in Sky’s name. A few weeks ago we were having family cuddles in our bed and talking about possible names with the kids (keep in mind that we didn’t know Punkin #6 was a boy until he was born). They were all pitching in their suggestions and Jaiden said with serious conviction, “We should call him ‘Hot Fire Super.'” Before I realized how serious he was I started laughing uncontrollably until Jaiden began to cry. Imagine trying to explain to your 3 year old that you weren’t laughing at his idea, just at how he expressed it. That was a tough one. He was 100% convinced that ‘Hot Fire Super’ would be a perfectly valid name for his little brother. I guess it really isn’t all that strange after all, and in the end, ‘Fire’ became part of his name.

The Story

On Monday, Sep 19th, we had our first visit with the midwife who delivered our neice a few months ago. Back in May she told Renee’s sister that she’d love to help us if we were going to be in Winnipeg around Renee’s due date. We were blown away by her offer. Even though it was informal, and we didn’t even get to talk to her until we were already here, after praying about it in Pennsylvania we felt total peace about working our way to Winnipeg. We were also prepared to have this baby ourselves somewhere on the road if that was what would unfold.

On Friday, Sep 24th, some out-of-town friends and family joined us here at the campground as Sukkot started.

On Saturday, Sep 25th, we had a whole additional crowd of friends / spiritual family out here for Shabbat and fellowship. They stayed late and went back to their homes in the city that night.

On Sunday, Sep 26th, around 11pm labor started. We were really excited because we figured there was a really good chance of having this baby before our out-of-town family / friends had to leave for home late the next day. The plan was to do the whole thing here in our trailer at the campground with the help of our midwife. We called her around 2am just to let her know that early labor had started.

However, by the afternoon on Monday, Sep 27th, labor was still fairly slow and it became obvious that nothing was going to happen before they all had to leave. By 10pm things had picked up a bit and the testing began. We got in touch with our midwife and she had landed in an impossible situation. She was in the middle of another delivery and couldn’t make it out. She thought she could make other arrangements for us, but we’d have to go into the city. The alternative would be to stay here with the expectation that we would be having this baby on our own without the assistance of a midwife, and that initially felt scary in some ways and relieving in other ways. After praying about it with Renee and her mom we were determined to do this YHWH’s way even if it meant trusting Him completely in new areas and depths.

Then we had an idea. Kind of a long shot, and were were hesitant to pursue it, but felt like we should try. We met a sweet woman who came out with our friends on Saturday. Sitting around the campfire that night she mentioned that she had been a midwife before. She hadn’t practiced in a while, but we thought maybe she’d be willing to come over just to offer advice and experience in an informal capacity. I called my dear brother up here through whom we met her and asked what he thought. He said he’d call her and check. A few minutes later he called back and said she was super excited that we’d ask and she was gathering her things and would be on her way. We were so blessed by her reaction and willingness to come over and help.

We fully expected to have the baby some time that night, but Monday night turned into Tuesday morning. We had a wonderful time together that night – Renee, her mom, this dear new midwife friend who we had just met a couple nights before, and myself – but labor was not progressing as fast as we thought it should and by 5am we were all exhausted. We decided to rest and regain some strength, and one by one we started to snooze. Joy woke up around 6am and was curious to know what was going on. So I held her for a while and fell asleep with her in my arms. Our friend didn’t want to leave, but she had to get her 2 children off to school and we encouraged her to go, expecting to be in touch and return when things picked up again.

After a couple hours of sleep the contractions intensified and Renee started bleeding with each one. It wasn’t a lot, but it hadn’t been like that with any of our other birth experiences either. Our original midwife called to check in after she had a couple hours of sleep herself and we gave her the update. She was a little concerned (as were we) about the bleeding.

One of the complications in the whole arrangement that hadn’t been obvious at the beginning was that we were too far out of the city for insurance to cover our midwife. She couldn’t come out at all, like we were originally planning. But she graciously offered for us to come over to her home and she would check Renee and, if need be, we could have the baby there. She lived just inside the city and not too far from us, which was a total provision and much better than where we’d have had to go the night before.

We really did not want to leave our kids – the whole point was to do this as a family and include them, and that was hard – but the most important thing was to use the resources Father was making available to us to insure everything was ok. Our midwife was even able to arrange an immediate ultrasound for us. The primary concern was that maybe the position of the placenta and/or cord was obstructing normal labor progression and causing the bleeding. We were ready to pay out of our own pocket for the ultrasound, but the doctor didn’t charge us. Isn’t YHWH amazing!

And of course during this whole time so many people were praying for us as well.

The ultrasound showed that everything was perfect. It was only a matter of time after all (with maybe a little help from assisted water breaking). I figured the next difficult decision would be between going back to the trailer without our midwife or leaving the kids out and having the baby at her house (though I knew Renee’s mom was taking great care of them). But even that was solved nicely when our midwife offered and suggested that I go pick them up and bring them back.

We fully expected to have our midwife break Renee’s water to speed things up when I got back with the kids, but by the time I returned in about an hour, she was having constant contractions and hard labor. 45 minutes later her water broke on its own an I was catching my new son. I finally got to catch one!

Zach was so excited. He didn’t leave Renee’s side for a long time once she and Sky were settled in the bed. The different reactions were interesting. Bennah and Reayah have seen this all before and they were content to check things out and move on to other things, but the younger ones were fascinated.

YHWH provided – even down to the car seat. We had shopped around and even had one lined up through a site like craigslist, but they never got back to us about when/where to pick it up. Father had one waiting for us though. Our midwife had been given a few car seats recently around the time of her own granddaughter’s birth and was happy to get one of them out of her basement.

Overall, throughout the entire process, there were so many moments characterized by having to trust and wait on YHWH – Yachalel. And during it all – despite the uncertainties – we felt covered, protected, encompassed by His Presence as a refuge, canopy, chupah, sukkah – the cloud and fire – Sky Aysh.

He is the most precious little thing.  He will be a constant reminder to us – and hopefully others too – especially as we continue into a future that is dark and  uncertain, that YHWH is our refuge and our strength; our cloud by day and fire by night as we learn to trust Him completely and obey His leading.

Baby Sky.

We’ve been traveling through Canada on our longest stretch I think ever, so far. We had a wonderful week in PEI. We explored the famous lighthouses, played in the red sand, drove around the country side, met new friends and met up with old friends. On that day with our old friends, we spent an afternoon at the beach catching crabs followed by probably the best lunch of fish and chips I’ve ever tasted. Our campground in PEI was wonderful. There was a pool, a big playground and rocky beach right by our campsite. After a week exploring PEI,  I was looking forward to our drive west to Winnipeg. We left on a tuesday morning and traveled until friday afternoon when we stopped in Ontario for a brief rest over Sabbath. Traveling all day long, every day with nights spent at Walmarts and welcome centers was surprisingly easier than I anticipated. The kids were great. There were of course, challenging moments. Like giving the kids baby wipe baths in the morning (since our water tank was empty), making quick and easy breakfasts, and finding creative ways to let the kids run out their energy. Some mornings it was letting them run back and forth in a small area of grass in a Walmart parking lot or having them do lots of jumping jacks at a rest stop before hopping back in their seats. It was an adventure, but I stayed sane, knowing that in a few days we’d be at a campground with electricity, running water and outdoor space for playing again. Andrew and I have been trying to work while on the road. One morning, we spent a couple of hours at a McDonalds in Quebec. While the kids ate breakfast and played happily at the outdoor playground, Andrew was able to check emails and have a business meeting. While in Quebec, I spoke a little french. I don’t speak it that often so I’m pretty rusty but I’m always excited when the opportunity arises. Ordering 8 meatless egg and cheese McMuffins and black coffee in french was fun.  I happily pointed out french signs to the kids and tried to interpret the ones I could. I encouraged Bennah and Reayah to use some of their limited vocabulary they had learned but they were not very confidant. I guess that means we just have to practice more .

We drove through some really lovely areas of Quebec with rolling green hills and found a quiet beach to stop at. Andrew took the kids swimming while I made dinner then we spent the night in the empty beach parking lot.

I was a but sad when we left Quebec and entered into the land of the english speaking again. It had been a little like visiting a foreign country.

Soon we will be in familiar Manitoba, visiting with family and having a baby!

In my previous post… was it only last night ??? wow… Anyway, I shifted gears a bit dramatically away from the travel-journaling side of things mid-post and conveyed a weighty gut feeling that our world (of supermarket-convenience-entertainment-excess-mostly-stable-western-1st-world-normalcy) could be colliding with its curtain-call destiny as early as this fall.

Rightly so, an astute reader and dear friend asked me why I think so. After all… fall is only a few weeks away. YIKES.

One of the things I love about the lifestyle that YHWH has placed us in for this season of our lives is that we live in our own little bubble in many respects – especially when it comes to news. We’re not surrounded by the normal daily inputs that would otherwise keep us informed with or without our own research. Sure, news is always a few keystrokes away, but I’m not bombarded with the latest popular news media fad and that is a blessing.

But I don’t think we’re all that unique in this respect – regardless of our fairly unique lifestyle. For the most part, and actually because of the popular news media’s attempt to bombard (and entertain) I think the vast majority of America is in its own bubble that is quite a bit different than reality. Sure, there are alternate news sources out there, but I don’t mean Fox News. Nothing wrong with Fox News. Well, other than the fact that it’s merely the opposing side of the Dialectic whose ultimate goal is identical to the side it claims to be opposing. But that’s an entirely different topic, into which it would also be easy to digress via the whole democrat / republican facade.

But really, my point with this meandering background that doesn’t seem to be getting any closer to answering the question I purportedly have set out to answer is that: some of my feelings on Normal (yes, let’s make Normal a character, and his) lack of longevity – perhaps even expiring this fall – are based on several poignant moments when I’ve surfaced out of my bubble recently to consult Reality in other parts of the world. These are really the kind of things that we must do intentionally, because there is a very deliberate attempt to entertain us into total disinterest beyond casual curiosity and program us into passivity.

2 years ago, in my self-centered view of the way Scriptural prophecy might play out in these End Times (which I still believe, as I have for years, are upon us) I had a powerful subconscious assumption that things probably wouldn’t really get all that bad in America until after the “Great Tribulation” – or last 3.5 years of man’s rule on the earth – had begun. The obvious trigger sign from the Book of Daniel is the emergence of the anti-messiah and his desecration of the temple mount in Israel. Although I have always wanted to be prepared for whatever – whenever – I guess I sort of figured that we had at least enough time to wait and watch for that to happen first, and once it did we’d figure out what to do next. So, it came as a minor shock to the presuppositional system (yes, made up word there) to ponder – what if America’s demise came well before that?

The prophets foretell of an End Times destruction of Babylon and the Daughter of Babylon. You can find all kinds of articles on the internet debating the application and identities of these entities. What stands out as conclusive in my mind is the description in Revelation 17-18 which layers the understanding of Babylon as a city that also represents a nation. There are many characteristics described in these 2 chapters that fit America, but the most significant factors that do not seem to apply to any other nation or city in the world are:
1) the city having sovereignty over the kings of the earth
2) the city that is a hub of the earth’s merchandise where some 27 unique commodities are bought and sold on a daily basis

The only place in the world that meets those 2 key criteria (and the other characteristics) is New York City as the home of the UN (#1) and the home of the New York Stock Exchange (#2) and by extension… America.

Scripture is clear that YHWH will not do anything without first revealing it to His servants the prophets. I do not believe this is limited to Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc… YHWH still speaks loud and clear to His people and still has prophets on the earth as at all other times throughout history. If you Google something like [prophecy america destruction] you will find what many prophets have been saying independently and in agreement about America’s destiny over the last few decades even back to the ’50s or earlier. Use your discernment. I personally tend to give more weight to the words given before 9/11 since everything since then is so heavily influenced by the events that have followed. However, every word consistent with Scripture is worth considering.

Ok, so that’s a lot to make you wade through before getting to my own personal thoughts regarding this fall, 2010. But it’s all context, and it all adds weight to my reasons below.

Indicators that fall 2010 might bring substantial changes to Normal:

• IF one of the correct layers of interpretation for Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy regarding Israel is a 70-year pattern like  many teachers I respect are teaching, THEN this year marks the 63rd year (since modern Israel was declared to be a nation in 1948 also fulfilling prophecy) and the transition to the LAST 7 year period.
• Connected with that potential time-table are the prophecies of war surrounding Israel (Zech, Ez, etc.)
• Google [war israel 2010] and skim through the current situation brewing in Israel and the Middle East.
• Every time America has participated in historical, landmark moments in Israel’s recent history that run contrary to the Almighty’s ultimate purpose and intentions for His land as clearly laid out in Scripture, events which could be interpreted as judgment on America’s soil have occurred in swift response. The trend has been documented in many places like this one. The pattern continues, and Obama could very well be the one arrogant enough to finally push it all through.
• Another possibility would be America abandoning Israel to her enemies. America already funds Israel’s terrorist enemies. Well, officially, America funds Israel and her neighbors with “humanitarian” aid. It’s just that Israel actually uses that funding for humanitarian purposes whereas the corrupt governments of Israel’s “neighbors” use America’s aid to buy more weapons to attach Israel. It never gets to the Palestinians or the other people in need, and America knows this full well but keeps writing the checks.
• Of course, America’s economy collapsing (for real this time) would also be a convenient excuse as to why she couldn’t come to one of her “closest allies” – Israel – if she gets into a war in the region.
• Speaking of economic indicators… I am honestly a little surprised that everything still seems like it’s afloat. Food is still on the shelves in stores. People can still afford restaurants. Sure, there are hard-hit towns and even regions, and a lot of unemployment. But we’ve been all over the country in the last year and most places still feel Normal. What is propping it all up? How tenuous is it?

It’s hard to appreciate that answer without understanding some quick basics. If you’ve never been exposed to some of these ideas before, they can be a little daunting and seem far fetched, but you don’t need an economics degree to appreciate truth and reality and I can recommend many incredible resources if you want to do more digging on your own. A primer… the facts:

• The fraud that poses as our entire economy works exactly like the game of monopoly. What did you do when the bank ran out of money? Well, the bank can’t run out of money (it’s in the rules!). So, you grab a marker and whip up a few more bills to keep the game going! This is literally what the Federal Reserve does.
• But then the Fed loans that money to the government via the money supply. How do they get paid back (PLUS interest?). What do you think your taxes are for? Have you every thought about government budgets? Have you ever wondered where all the money comes from to pay for over $500 billion now in the war on terror, and everything else, and then just assumed our tax dollars take care of it? But where did the money come from that we earned that was then withheld to pay taxes? Where did that money come from? Well… the companies we work for of course!  But where did they get the money from? Well, by selling a bunch of products or services right? But then where did the purchasers get the money from? We could chase this tail for a while couldn’t we?
• The only way (modern) money exists is that it is loaned into existence. Ponder that. Money is debt. Can you pay debt back with debt? If you owe your friend $5 for the burger he spotted you for the other day and hand him a Lincoln… you have just handed him a note that says “the government owes the Fed $5.”
• The only reason the system “works” is because so far almost everyone still willingly exchanges debt for tangible things of value.
• Because only the principle debt is printed as money – and not the interest owed – it CAN NEVER BE REPAID. It would be like your farmer friend giving you 5 oranges and you agreeing to pay him back 7 oranges for his kindness. But in order to pay him back 7 oranges you have to borrow 7 more oranges after you ate the other 5. And he will only give you those next 7 if you agree to pay him back 10. Do you see the picture?
• Oh, and by the way the Fed is a privately owned cartel and has nothing to do with the government except that the government is beholden to it. So, yes, the owners of the Fed are growing quite wealthy through  the “oranges” they are lending everyone. But the real kicker is that the “oranges” are complete fictitious.
• And now the Fed is going to buy U.S. Debt???? Does this make any sense whatsoever? http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/08/10/us_federal_reserve – the same debt it created – it is now going to buy it back and then … what … we’ll owe the same amount + interests to them twice over? It is just insane the tactics that are being used to keep the golden goose on life-support. What is more insane is that the golden goose is allowing itself to be kept on life support when she never sees a single one of her own eggs.
• It’s only a matter of time, and any variable on the international scene could upset the fabricated equilibrium quite easily.

Culminating into some sort of conclusion:

• Both Biblical and modern day prophets have foreseen America’s destruction.
• America has many enemies that are already in position and more than willing to help facilitate those visions: from China to Russia to muslim terrorists.
• America’s government (a reflection of her people) seem keen on accelerating her downfall through pride (which comes before a fall), foolish policies, defiance of the Almighty through legislated immorality, murder of the unborn, riotous living, drug-sorceries (Pharmakeia), unholy liaisons between the FDA and Monsanto and the effort to play god for profit through GMOs and other genetic experiments denying the basic human right of access to uncontaminated, non-toxic food (whole other topic that deserves an entire post, but check out http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/Home/index.cfm ) so on and so forth.
• America’s stance towards Israel alone has the potential to trigger greater judgment than she’s already seen for mistakes in that area.
• Everything is reaching a boiling point in Israel: I have first-hand knowledge that the IDF has been visiting homes in the north advising residents to flee to the south past Jerusalem because war is coming and her enemies in Lebanon and Syria now have rockets that can reach at least to Jerusalem.
• Several people I know personally and trust completely have had dreams or visions in the last few weeks indicating that things have been set in motion which cannot be stopped and will play out sooner rather than later. The timing has not been specific in these words – perhaps there is another year (?) – but the tone feels imminent to me. These people have no awareness of what they each have shared with me independently.

MY MAIN POINT is not to say that all hell is going to break loose in October 2010. It very well could be another year or two or three (though I highly doubt it). My main point is to shake the the cobwebs off my own mind, spirit, and heart and in so doing hopefully help you do likewise.

Do not fear.

All the mind-programing wizards in entertainment, the news media, government, corporate America (say advertising), the medical-drug complex, and education are busy massaging American’s into a state of pre-fear conditioning. The end game is control. But they lose all control when we through faith stand fast in acknowledging that only our Creator is truly in control.

Enter Luke 12. Probably one of the best chapters in all of Scripture to bathe your mind in daily. Psalm 91 as well. BUT. These are promises to those who have a relationship with the King of the universe. They cannot be used as religious talismans in a name-it-and-claim-it fashion by those who have no genuine, humble, reverent respect of YHWH and His nature.

Learn to hear His voice daily in your most seemingly mundane decisions. His sheep know His voice.

Practice daily obedience. Do what you know to be right.

If you know His voice and practice obedience then when timing is critical for your own survival you will hear His instructions clearly and respond immediately.

Moses spent 40 years in that process of learning to Hear and Obey – in Hebrew “Shema and Shamar” – which is actually a beautiful play on words and amazing word picture all to itself. “Shamar” means to guard or keep – as in guarding / keeping His Word / His instruction / His commandments. But it derives this meaning partly from a related word “shamiyr” which means “thorn” because in the wilderness a shepherd would construct a hedge of thorns around his sheep to protect and guard them from predators.

As we learn to HEAR and GUARD TO DO what our Shepherd asks of us, He will HEAR our petitions for deliverance and GUARD us as His precious flock… This October, next October and every October after that regardless of what is happening in the world around us. And actually, with the timing of the Fall Feasts this year – Trumpets is on Sep 11th so things could explode even well before October.

• http://www.michaelrood.tv/blogs/1-sixth-new-moon
• http://laydownlife.net/index_files/updates.htm
  • Especially #22 “Dream”
  • If you want to dig deeper also #21 (especially pgs 5 and 6 but read it all)