Why bother?

For awhile now I've been reading Chuck Baldwin's, "News with views."  When I saw his topic this morning, I thought, "Why bother trying to say it any better than this?"  Here it is, then, in it's entirety. 

Have a great day in the Lord!

Dawn

THE MAN WHO SHOULD BE PRESIDENT

By Chuck Baldwin
April 12, 2012NewsWithViews.com

Today, I am going to do something that I have never done: I am going to devote virtually my entire column to posting another man’s words. That man is the man who should be President of the United States: Congressman Ron Paul of Texas. The following is a written transcript of a speech Dr. Paul gave on the floor of the US House of Representatives back in 2007. Had Congressman Paul been elected President in 2008, the country would be four years into the greatest economic, political, and, yes, spiritual recovery in the history of America. As it is, the US is on the brink of totalitarianism and economic ruin. And you can mark it down, four years from now it won’t matter to a tinker’s dam whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney was elected President this November. Neither man has the remotest understanding of America’s real problems nor the courage and backbone to do anything about it if they did understand.

Read the following. This is a man who understands the Constitution. This is a man who understands sound economic principles. This is a man who understands liberty and freedom. This is a man who has the guts to tell the truth. This is a man who has put his life and career on the line for the principles of liberty for more than two decades. This is a man who has returned every dollar that he has been paid as a US congressman to the taxpayers. This is the man who should be President of the United States.

[Ron Paul’s speech begins here] For some, patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. For others, it means dissent against a government's abuse of the people's rights.

I have never met a politician in Washington or any American, for that matter, who chose to be called unpatriotic. Nor have I met anyone who did not believe he wholeheartedly supported our troops, wherever they may be.

What I have heard all too frequently from various individuals are sharp accusations that, because their political opponents disagree with them on the need for foreign military entanglements, they were unpatriotic, un-American evildoers deserving contempt.

The original American patriots were those individuals brave enough to resist with force the oppressive power of King George. I accept the definition of patriotism as that effort to resist oppressive state power.

The true patriot is motivated by a sense of responsibility and out of self-interest for himself, his family, and the future of his country to resist government abuse of power. He rejects the notion that patriotism means obedience to the state. Resistance need not be violent, but the civil disobedience that might be required involves confrontation with the state and invites possible imprisonment.

Peaceful, nonviolent revolutions against tyranny have been every bit as successful as those involving military confrontation. Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., achieved great political successes by practicing nonviolence, and yet they suffered physically at the hands of the state. But whether the resistance against government tyrants is nonviolent or physically violent, the effort to overthrow state oppression qualifies as true patriotism.

True patriotism today has gotten a bad name, at least from the government and the press. Those who now challenge the unconstitutional methods of imposing an income tax on us, or force us to use a monetary system designed to serve the rich at the expense of the poor are routinely condemned. These American patriots are sadly looked down upon by many. They are never praised as champions of liberty as Gandhi and Martin Luther King have been.

Liberals, who withhold their taxes as a protest against war, are vilified as well, especially by conservatives. Unquestioned loyalty to the state is especially demanded in times of war. Lack of support for a war policy is said to be unpatriotic. Arguments against a particular policy that endorses a war, once it is started, are always said to be endangering the troops in the field. This, they blatantly claim, is unpatriotic, and all dissent must stop. Yet, it is dissent from government policies that defines the true patriot and champion of liberty.

It is conveniently ignored that the only authentic way to best support the troops is to keep them out of dangerous undeclared no-win wars that are politically inspired. Sending troops off to war for reasons that are not truly related to national security and, for that matter, may even damage our security, is hardly a way to patriotically support the troops.

Who are the true patriots, those who conform or those who protest against wars without purpose? How can it be said that blind support for a war, no matter how misdirected the policy, is the duty of a patriot?

Randolph Bourne said that, "War is the health of the state.'' With war, he argued, the state thrives. Those who believe in the powerful state see war as an opportunity. Those who mistrust the people and the market for solving problems have no trouble promoting a "war psychology'' to justify the expansive role of the state. This includes the role the Federal Government plays in our lives, as well as in our economic transactions.

Certainly, the neoconservative belief that we have a moral obligation to spread American values worldwide through force justifies the conditions of war in order to rally support at home for the heavy hand of government. It is through this policy, it should surprise no one, that our liberties are undermined. The economy becomes overextended, and our involvement worldwide becomes prohibited. Out of fear of being labeled unpatriotic, most of the citizens become compliant and accept the argument that some loss of liberty is required to fight the war in order to remain safe.

This is a bad trade-off, in my estimation, especially when done in the name of patriotism. Loyalty to the state and to autocratic leaders is substituted for true patriotism; that is, a willingness to challenge the state and defend the country, the people and the culture. The more difficult the times, the stronger the admonition comes that the leaders be not criticized.

Because the crisis atmosphere of war supports the growth of the state, any problem invites an answer by declaring war, even on social and economic issues. This elicits patriotism in support of various government solutions, while enhancing the power of the state. Faith in government coercion and a lack of understanding of how free societies operate encourages big-government liberals and big-government conservatives to manufacture a war psychology to demand political loyalty for domestic policy just as is required in foreign affairs.

The long-term cost in dollars spent and liberties lost is neglected as immediate needs are emphasized. It is for this reason that we have multiple perpetual wars going on simultaneously. Thus, the war on drugs, the war against gun ownership, the war against poverty, the war against illiteracy, the war against terrorism, as well as our foreign military entanglements are endless.

All this effort promotes the growth of statism at the expense of liberty. A government designed for a free society should do the opposite, prevent the growth of statism and preserve liberty.

Once a war of any sort is declared, the message is sent out not to object or you will be declared unpatriotic. Yet, we must not forget that the true patriot is the one who protests in spite of the consequences. Condemnation or ostracism or even imprisonment may result.

Nonviolent protesters of the Tax Code are frequently imprisoned, whether they are protesting the code's unconstitutionality or the war that the tax revenues are funding. Resisters to the military draft or even to Selective Service registration are threatened and imprisoned for challenging this
threat to liberty.

Statism depends on the idea that the government owns us and citizens must obey. Confiscating the fruits of our labor through the income tax is crucial to the health of the state. The draft, or even the mere existence of the Selective Service, emphasizes that we will march off to war at the state's pleasure.

A free society rejects all notions of involuntary servitude, whether by draft or the confiscation of the fruits of our labor through the personal income tax. A more sophisticated and less well-known technique for enhancing the state is the manipulation and transfer of wealth through the fiat monetary system operated by the secretive Federal Reserve.

Protesters against this unconstitutional system of paper money are considered unpatriotic criminals and at times are imprisoned for their beliefs. The fact that, according to the Constitution, only gold and silver are legal tender and paper money outlawed matters little. The principle of patriotism is turned on its head. Whether it's with regard to the defense of welfare spending at home, confiscatory income tax, or an immoral monetary system or support for a war fought under false pretense without a legal declaration, the defenders of liberty and the Constitution are portrayed as unpatriotic, while those who support these programs are seen as the patriots.

If there is a war going on, supporting the state's effort to win the war is expected at all costs, no dissent. The real problem is that those who love the state too often advocate policies that lead to military action. At home, they are quite willing to produce a crisis atmosphere and claim a war is needed to solve the problem. Under these conditions, the people are more willing to bear the burden of paying for the war and to carelessly sacrifice liberties, which they are told is necessary.

The last 6 years have been quite beneficial to the health of the state, which comes at the expense of personal liberty. Every enhanced unconstitutional power of the state can only be achieved at the expense of individual liberty. Even though in every war in which we have been engaged civil liberties have suffered, some have been restored after the war ended, but never completely. That has resulted in a steady erosion of our liberties over the past 200 years. Our government was originally designed to protect our liberties, but it has now, instead, become the usurper of those liberties.

We currently live in the most difficult of times for guarding against an expanding central government with a steady erosion of our freedoms. We are continually being reminded that 9/11 has changed everything.

Unfortunately, the policy that needed most to be changed, that is, our policy of foreign interventionism, has only been expanded. There is no pretense any longer that a policy of humility in foreign affairs, without being the world's policemen and engaging in nation building, is worthy of consideration.

We now live in a post-9/11 America where our government is going to make us safe no matter what it takes. We are expected to grin and bear it and adjust to every loss of our liberties in the name of patriotism and security.

Though the majority of Americans initially welcomed the declared effort to
make us safe, and we are willing to sacrifice for the cause, more and more
Americans are now becoming concerned about civil liberties being needlessly
and dangerously sacrificed.

The problem is that the Iraq war continues to drag on, and a real danger of it spreading exists. There is no evidence that a truce will soon be signed in Iraq or in the war on terror or the war on drugs. Victory is not even definable. If Congress is incapable of declaring an official war, it is impossible to know when it will end. We have been fully forewarned that the world conflict in which we are now engaged will last a long, long time.

The war mentality and the pervasive fear of an unidentified enemy allows for a steady erosion of our liberties, and, with this, our respect for self-reliance and confidence is lost. Just think of the self-sacrifice and the humiliation we go through at the airport screening process on a routine basis. Though there is no scientific evidence of any likelihood of liquids and gels being mixed on an airplane to make a bomb, billions of dollars are wasted throwing away toothpaste and hair spray, and searching old women in wheelchairs.

Our enemies say boo, and we jump, we panic, and then we punish ourselves. We are worse than a child being afraid of the dark. But in a way, the fear of indefinable terrorism is based on our inability to admit the truth about why there is a desire by a small number of angry radical Islamists to kill Americans. It is certainly not because they are jealous of our wealth and freedoms.

We fail to realize that the extremists, willing to sacrifice their own lives to kill their enemies, do so out of a sense of weakness and desperation over real and perceived attacks on their way of life, their religion, their country, and their natural resources. Without the conventional diplomatic or military means to retaliate against these attacks, and an unwillingness of their own government to address the issue, they resort to the desperation tactic of suicide terrorism. Their anger toward their own governments, which they believe are coconspirators with the American Government, is equal to or greater than that directed toward us.

These errors in judgment in understanding the motive of the enemy and the constant fear that is generated have brought us to this crisis where our civil liberties and privacy are being steadily eroded in the name of preserving national security.

We may be the economic and the military giant of the world, but the effort to stop this war on our liberties here at home in the name of patriotism is being lost.

The erosion of our personal liberties started long before 9/11, but 9/11 accelerated the process. There are many things that motivate those who pursue this course, both well-intentioned and malevolent, but it would not happen if the people remained vigilant, understood the importance of individual rights, and were unpersuaded that a need for security justifies the sacrifice for liberty, even if it is just now and then.

The true patriot challenges the state when the state embarks on enhancing its power at the expense of the individual. Without a better understanding and a greater determination to rein in the state, the rights of Americans that resulted from the revolutionary break from the British and the writing of the Constitution will disappear.

The record since September 11th is dismal. Respect for liberty has rapidly deteriorated. Many of the new laws passed after 9/11 had, in fact, been proposed long before that attack. The political atmosphere after that attack simply made it more possible to pass such legislation. The fear generated by 9/11 became an opportunity for those seeking to promote the power of the state domestically, just as it served to falsely justify the long-planned invasion of Iraq.

The war mentality was generated by the Iraq war in combination with the constant drumbeat of fear at home. Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, who is now likely residing in Pakistan, our supposed ally, are ignored, as our troops fight and die in Iraq and are made easier targets for the terrorists in their backyard. While our leaders constantly use the mess we created to further justify the erosion of our constitutional rights here at home, we forget about our own borders and support the inexorable move toward global government, hardly a good plan for America.

The accelerated attacks on liberty started quickly after 9/11. Within weeks, the PATRIOT Act was overwhelmingly passed by Congress. Though the final version was unavailable up to a few hours before the vote, no Member had sufficient time to study it. Political fear of not doing something, even something harmful, drove the Members of Congress to not question the contents, and just voted for it. A little less freedom for a little more perceived safety was considered a fair trade-off, and the majority of Americans applauded.

The PATRIOT Act, though, severely eroded the system of checks and balances by giving the government the power to spy on law-abiding citizens without judicial supervision. The several provisions that undermine the liberties of all Americans include sneak-and-peek searches, a broadened and more vague definition of domestic terrorism, allowing the FBI access to library and bookstore records without search warrants or probable cause, easier FBI initiation of wiretaps and searches, as well as roving wiretaps, easier access to information on American citizens' use of the Internet, and easier access to e-mail and financial records of all American citizens.

The attack on privacy has not relented over the past 6 years. The Military Commissions Act is a particularly egregious piece of legislation and, if not repealed, will change America for the worse as the powers unconstitutionally granted to the executive branch are used and abused. This act grants
excessive authority to use secretive military commissions outside of places where active hostilities are going on. The Military Commissions Act permits torture, arbitrary detention of American citizens as unlawful enemy combatants at the full discretion of the President and without the right of habeas corpus, and warrantless searches by the NSA. It also gives to the President the power to imprison individuals based on secret testimony.

Since 9/11, Presidential signing statements designating portions of legislation that the President does not intend to follow, though not legal under the Constitution, have enormously multiplied. Unconstitutional Executive Orders are numerous and mischievous and need to be curtailed.

Extraordinary rendition to secret prisons around the world have been widely engaged in, though obviously extralegal.

A growing concern in the post-9/11 environment is the Federal Government's list of potential terrorists based on secret evidence. Mistakes are made, and sometimes it is virtually impossible to get one's name removed even though the accused is totally innocent of any wrongdoing.

A national ID card is now in the process of being implemented. It is called the REAL ID card, and it is tied to our Social Security numbers and our State driver's license. If REAL ID is not stopped, it will become a national driver's license ID for all Americans. We will be required to carry our papers.

Some of the least-noticed and least-discussed changes in the law were the changes made to the Insurrection Act of 1807 and to posse comitatus by the Defense Authorization Act of 2007. These changes pose a threat to the survival of our Republic by giving the President the power to declare martial law for as little reason as to restore public order. The 1807 act severely restricted the President in his use of the military within the United States borders, and the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 strengthened these restrictions with strict oversight by Congress. The new law allows the President to circumvent the restrictions of both laws. The Insurrection Act has now become the "Enforcement of the Laws to Restore Public Order Act.'' This is hardly a title that suggests that the authors cared about or understood the nature of a constitutional Republic.

Now, martial law can be declared not just for insurrection, but also for natural disasters, public health reasons, terrorist attacks or incidents, or for the vague reason called "other conditions.'' The President can call up the National Guard without congressional approval or the Governors' approval, and even send these State Guard troops into other States.

The American Republic is in remnant status. The stage is set for our country eventually devolving into a military dictatorship, and few seem to care. These precedent-setting changes in the law are extremely dangerous and will change American jurisprudence forever if not revised. The beneficial results of our revolt against the King's abuses are about to be eliminated, and few Members of Congress and few Americans are aware of the seriousness of the situation. Complacency and fear drive our legislation without any serious objection by our elected leaders. Sadly, though, those few who do object to this self-evident trend away from personal liberty and empire-building overseas are portrayed as unpatriotic and uncaring.

Though welfare and socialism always fails, opponents of them are said to lack compassion. Though opposition to totally unnecessary war should be the only moral position, the rhetoric is twisted to claim that patriots who oppose the war are not supporting the troops. The cliché "Support the Troops'' is incessantly used as a substitute for the unacceptable notion of supporting the policy, no matter how flawed it may be.

Unsound policy can never help the troops. Keeping the troops out of harm's way and out of wars unrelated to our national security is the only real way of protecting the troops. With this understanding, just who can claim the title of "patriot''?

Before the war in the Middle East spreads and becomes a world conflict for which we will be held responsible, or the liberties of all Americans become so suppressed we can no longer resist, much has to be done. Time is short, but our course of action should be clear. Resistance to illegal and unconstitutional usurpation of our rights is required. Each of us must choose which course of action we should take: education, conventional political action, or even peaceful civil disobedience to bring about necessary changes.

But let it not be said that we did nothing. Let not those who love the power of the welfare/warfare state label the dissenters of authoritarianism as unpatriotic or uncaring. Patriotism is more closely linked to dissent than it is to conformity and a blind desire for safety and security. Understanding the magnificent rewards of a free society makes us unbashful in its promotion, fully realizing that maximum wealth is created and the greatest chance for peace comes from a society respectful of individual liberty. [Ron Paul’s speech ends here]

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There it is. The speech Dr. Paul gave in 2007 seems even more relevant today than it did then. Don’t you think?

You want to elect a real American statesman? You want to elect a man who would preserve liberty and freedom in America? You want to elect a man who would resist the devilish New World Order? You want to elect a man who would reestablish sound economic principles? If so, you will vote to elect Ron Paul as President of the United States. (And, no, no one has paid me a penny to post his speech or make this endorsement.)

Forget all the smoke and mirrors and the dog and pony shows that you see and hear from the other Presidential candidates. The issues that Dr. Paul addressed in this speech are the issues that are going to determine our country’s future. Again, this is the man who should be President of the United States.

• If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link.

© 2012 Chuck Baldwin - All Rights Reserved

More time

YAY!  Andrew just got a phone call from our district chair stating that the meeting is postponed due to the blizzard that's coming in.  They even closed the local school after lunch today.

  The meeting has been rescheduled for March 10th at 2:00 so we have more time.  THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR PRAYERS--THIS IS GOOD NEWS.  WHAT WONDERFUL PATRIOTS YOU ARE!!!!!

  Grateful,

  Dawn

Pray for patriots

What is a Patriot?  Websters says, "A patriot is one who loves his or her country and supports it's authority and interests."

  I am wondering if the reason I had to look up the definition of the word, "Patriot" is because there is so little to support in the current authority figures who are running our country.  I know that there ARE good men runinng for office but the press isn't telling you about them because they happen to LIKE the state of affairs that our country is in.  DO YOU?

  Tonight our family is going to TRY to become delegates to the GOP convention at the end of March.  It seems interesting to me that the North Dakota GOP sent out an email to me yesterday telling me that Mitt Romney is going to be in Fargo sometime soon.  Why didn't they send me an email telling me that Dr. Ron Paul was going to be in Bismarck last week?  HMMMMMMMMMM

Please pray for us tonight.  The weatherman is threatening a blizzard but does HE make the weather?  I just spent time in prayer with the one who DOES control the weather and HE wants me to be a delegate for Ron Paul AND for Paul Sorum. 

  It was great talking to old friends yesterday who said that they'll be there tonight to vote for me and my family.  I got to thinking that God IS doing great things constantly.  Now, would I have called these old friends if it weren't for the crisis in our country?  God IS using the current state of affairs in the good old USA to unite old friends as we rise to the challange of saving our republic from all of it's enemies.  How cool is that?

  ARISE all patriots in District 28.  Will you conquer your fears and meet me in Wishek tonight?  If you're willing to join the battle, but need a ride, just drop me a note here and one of us Bornemanns will be over to pick you up.  Did you know that the Boston Tea Party was held for a tax which is next to nothing compaired to the taxes that WE pay?  How long will you remain silent and watch our country fall apart??????

  Dawn

Erling the Bold--Chapter 20

I believe I have mentioned that, since I am drinking the Master Cleanse lemonade at supper times now, I have time to read to the family. The book we are currently reading is called Erling the Bold. I would like to encourage all of those who feel the threat of lost freedoms hanging over our heads, to read this book. I am getting more and more inspired to speak out with each chapter.

The king of Norway has taken it upon himself to remove the freedoms of the people. He offered important positions to the rich whereby he fattened his armies considerably. Of course the poor people became, instead of independent farmers, slaves of the king. Our hero, Erling, has aroused the people of his area to resist becoming slaves of the king--even if it means their death!!!

In tonight's chapter, both armies lined up for battle and we'll have to wait until supper tomorrow night to learn the fate of the freedom-loving people of Norway. I'll let you know how it turns out but perhaps I can sway you to check out the book for yourself? I probably wouldn't recommend reading it to small children, though, as it is "Brutally honest" about wartime.

And the answer is--TO SIGN!

Well, I actually did decide to sign the lease papers last week when we were up in Bismarck for the American Family Association's Tea Party. These are the pictures of that day--one from the tea party and some of me signing the lease. However there arose a few technical problems which made me doubt the decision to sign--until yesterday. I'll explain that in a minute.

This is a picture that struck me as interesting at the Tea Party. Another one that I won't quickly forget was held up by a young man. It said, "God Bless America," except that the word BLESS was scratched out and the word, "Forgive" put in it's place. WOW. I would encourage you to read more about our time at the Tea Party on Cora's blog post called, "Taxes are patriotic?" Her blog is listed in my favorites and it's called, "Maiden in the house of God."

Here are some pictures of the building that houses the North Dakota BodyTalk Center. I like the building very much and the office is lovely, so what's the problem? Well, it's like this. When you have 5 people planning to share the same space, there's bound to be a few problems. Even with BodyTalkers, who continually work on their emotional issues, people have different views on things. For example, my friend took some extra pillows down to the center to use with her clients. Now this didn't mean that these were the pillows that would stay there permanently, but it's how she got started. Well, another one of the practitioners pointed out that we probably would be better off using foam pillows, instead of feather ones, because of potential allergic reactions to feather pillows. That is indeed a very good point, but how do you tell someone that they should have thought of that themselves--and we are talking about people that we love?

I think that my biggest problem in fitting into this group is going to be that I'm the only farmer. I hate to say it but city people and farm people do not exactly see eye-to-eye on all things. :) One person may term, "Working my butt off" as spending 2 extra hours a day (after the 8 hour work day) on a project. Around here, when we work 6 days straight of 16 hours each, we say that we've been "Working our butts off." Also, I did notice yesterday that my van was the dirtiest one in the parking lot! Now I know that our roads have been one sloppy mud mess for weeks. Why, we're grateful when our roads aren't covered with water (that's a switch from the dessert that we've been living in). However, when you're parked in a parking lot with 100 other cars that all pretty much look as though they've been through a car wash sometime in the past 24 hours, you notice the difference. Especially when you're sitting out in the van eating your packed lunch instead of hitting the fast food restaurants. Truthfully, I have no desire to spend time getting used to Bismarck--I can't stand all of the people piled together; all of the noise; and all of the splashing of money around. However, God has called me to spend one day a week in that urban jungle. I'm just going to have to learn to swallow hard, I guess, and focus on my purpose in being there.

So why am I making this change in my life?

I went up to work at the North Dakota BodyTalk Center yesterday. I saw clients most of the day and one last night. It was the most uplifting day that I've had (other than the BodyTalk clinic day) in a long time. I did this on 6 hours of sleep the night before (I used to need 10 hours just to drag through the day). I left Bismarck, after getting a few groceries, at 9:00 PM; drove the hour home singing/humming most of the way; and was in my spot for family prayer just like always at 10:30. Oh yes, I should also say that I drug a bunch of stuff in and out of the center too--and picked up Andrew's Senior pictures and got some things for the farm. How in the world did I ever get the energy to do all of that?

Here's the picture of another reason that I decided to say, "Yes." This is a picture of my adopted sis, Ellen, and me. Like she says it, "We just resonate with each other." :) Many common problems in life and a deep love for the Lord and family AND BodyTalk, has brought us together. Wait until you get a sesssion from her? :) What I love the most about Ellen is her soft, comforting voice. Thank you God for bringing me this sister to love!!!

Well, there's nothing like being happy with the work that you're doing. What makes me happy is helping people. The helping that I like the very best is pointing them to the Lord's plan for a happy life--which includes good health. I TRULY LOVE DOING BODYTALK SESSIONS ON PEOPLE!!!!!

OK, I'll admit that after the meeting with the Center ladies yesterday, I was a bit weary at the thought of another session plus the drive home. However, when Cindy got on the table and we started relating to each other, the healing that the Lord had for her through that session brought me closer to this friend of a decade. She shared her struggles with me and I with her and we cried together. It was so cleansing and so healing and so invigorating that I forgot all about being tired. She helped me carry my stuff out to the car and we embraced as stronger women and stronger friends than ever before. WOW--what a session it was and I know that her life is better because of it. She doesn't feel so helpless in her current struggle and can see several options for making it more bearable. WOW. To think that God allows me the privilege of making that kind of difference in someone's life is so humbling as I know that He leads every session. HE IS SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD TO ME!!!

So yes, after a long delay, here is the picture of me signing the one year lease to the building located at 1102 South Washington in Bismarck, ND. We're in Suite #311 with the daffodills on the beautful cherry wood coffee table in the reception area. I encourage everyone to come and visit us and meet my wonderful BodyTalk friends. Maybe you may even want to try a session. :)

I'm sure that there will be difficulties in this new business relationship as there are in all of life. However, the rewards of being able to help people find their way back to God are so fantastic as to even be eternal. One client said yesterday, "It's as though the more sessions I have, the more I realize that God accepts me just as I am." PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Please keep our center in your prayers in the days ahead as we make plans for a grand opening sometime this summer--when everything in there is "Perfect."

Protect ourselves

Dear friends,
I just read this on a blog and thought I would post it for your consideration. The young man who is hosting this event at his farm near Leeds, Christopher Scigliano, is a friend of our family. Almost everyone is aware of the troubles in our land these days, but nobody is sure of what to do about them. Well, these people at:www.appleseedinfo.org have a plan to educate and train us to prepare for an uncertain future. Please read my further comments at the bottom.

Learn to be A Marksman at an Appleseed Shoot! An Appleseed Shoot is a nationally renowned homeschool-friendly event for families and others who want to learn to shoot expertly and rediscover their Revolutionary War heritage. Time: 8:30am Saturday, May 30 through 4:00 pm Sunday the 31st.Location: Chris Scigliano's farm (6530 57th Ave NE, Leeds, ND, 58346), 4.5 miles north of Highway 2 on 57th Avenue (57th Ave is one mile east of Leeds). There will be signs from Hwy 2. Contact information: Chris Scigliano's cell at 701-771-2534 or christopherscigliano@hotmail.com. Cost: Free to women, those under age 21, and military. Adults cost $70 for the two days or $45 for one day.
The Appleseed Program is designed to take you from being a simple rifle owner to being a true rifleman. All throughout American history, the rifleman has been defined as a marksman capable of hitting a man-sized target from 500 yards away — no ifs, ands or buts. This 500-yard range is traditionally known as "the rifleman's quarter-mile." A rifleman can hit just about any target he can see. This skill was particulary evident in the birth of our country, and made the difference in winning the Revolutionary War. You'll hear the story that every American should hear; about how your forebears took up arms, on the first day of the American Revolution, and did things no other people in the world have ever done. You'll learn things you don't learn in school about that day. About where the Revolution really started — it didn't start in Lexington, nor did it start in Concord. According to Sam Adams, it was over before it started. Be there to hear The Story; because to hear it is to remember what they did that day, and to remember is to honor them for doing it. For more information about the Appleseed program; to register for the event; or to find out what to bring and how to prepare, please check out www.appleseedinfo.org.

I read once about Sweden outlawing guns. Within a year there was utter chaos as the criminals all had their guns while the law-abiding citizens were defenseless. THIS MUST NOT HAPPEN HERE! It's only in being prepared in ALL ways, including spiritually, that we can hope to defend ourselves against the threat of the United Nations taking over our country and taking away our freedoms.
Please prayerfully read this information and send it to whomever the Lord leads you to share it with. I think that Andrew will probably be allowed to go but the rest of us will be needed here at home. Let's all prayerfully consider our preparations for the future.
Concerned,
Dawn