Do Not Let Him 'Steal, Kill and Destroy'

    The purpose of my blog post today is two-fold ... First, from the perspective of the world's view, to simply comment on my initial thoughts about what happened in California on Wednesday.  Secondly, as always, I can't help but view events such as this from my Biblical worldview, and I am seeing how it is effecting our American men.

     Like you, I am reeling from the terrorist shooting in San Bernardino.  While politicians, Federal law enforcement, and the media tiptoe around the motive behind the killing spree, I believe the American people are less hesitant to see the connections between what happened on that day and radical Islam.
     Perhaps our Western mindset and our over-reliance on political correctness wishes to see workplace violence instead of admitting that a radical, fundamentalist ideology is alive and growing in the midst of our heartland.  But are we really expected to deny the aspect of premeditation in the presence of body armor, pipe bombs, and a home that was an alleged IED factory set to be detonated by remote-control cars?  And what about the trips to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the recent past?  It will be interesting to see if the authorities release the internet history of the suspects and be willing to be transparent in connecting the dots.  (Even now, the media is leaking that they searched ISIS propaganda websites).
     Then there is the quote from the father of the prime suspect (Syed Farook) who said he hadn't seen his son in some time:  “He was very religious. He would go to work, come back, go to pray, come back. He’s Muslim.”  I found it interesting to read an article by Walid Shoebat, a former jihadist who converted to Christianity.  He said it is difficult for the Western mind to read "the signs" of a terrorist; something that he is all too familiar with.  Therefore, he is not surprised that American officials and law enforcement are hesitant to label San Bernardino as the site of a terrorist attack.
     But he also states that it will be difficult for our security services and law enforcement to thwart Lone Wolf attacks like what was executed on Wednesday.  "[This] will soon be realized in the West... ISIS now is heavily promoting this [Lone Wolf] agenda on social media.  A lone wolf is not only a very ordinary person living in the community as a member, they also behave like them in that they do not have any unusual activity or act suspicious. They are encouraged to cover up any sign of religious affiliation and are encouraged not to pray or become a member in a mosque, or keep a low-profile in the mosque. They do not belong to any form of criminal or neurotic gang. They are away from the eyes of observers as being a member of a terrorist organization. These [people]are perfect for ISIS."  Shoebat goes on to say that U.S. terrorism task forces have moved from drug busting into terror busting, and now must think like a Muslim terrorist and know Islam inside and out.... something that is very difficult for our Western minds to fathom.
     So, there you have the physical world's perspective.  But what about the spiritual component?  As I consider the men of faith in my life, I see the struggle they wage with how they are to react to this tragedy on our home turf.  I can only imagine how this affects young men like my nephew, who until now, have been able to immerse themselves in their college careers, with little or no need to make them concerned about a public and active shooter.  This event is different than the various school shootings he would be aware of, in that these perpetrators are other than a mentally ill person who reacts to some psychological trigger.  These shooters will most likely make the younger generation conscious that there are people who have deliberate evil intentions to steal their peace, kill innocent victims, and destroy how we Americans live our lives. That "age of innocence" has been marred, and the trusting faith that America is immune to such terrorist acts will now be tested.
     I have also seen good friends struggle with how our God expects them to respond if and when they are faced with such an attack.  I can see them agonizing over a scenario in which their wife or child is a potential victim and if it's OK with God if they kill in defense of their family.  That is a long-going and controversial debate among Christians.  I asked my husband, whose first and middle name literally means "Peace-Loving Warrior" (PLW) how he views that debate and exactly what his name means to him; how does he see his obedience to God in light of that contradictory name?
     Here is what he told me ... an oft-quoted line from the Bible is John 10:10:   The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].   He says we need to read that in the context of the entire Tenth Chapter of the Book of John, which is known as The Parable of the Good Shepherd.  Jesus is telling us that He is the Good Shepherd; the provider and the protector of the sheep who know His voice and recognize His call.  Jesus reveals that He is the Door that leads to eternal life and anyone who enters through Him will be saved [and will live forever], and will go in and out [freely], and find pasture (spiritual security).
     But interestingly enough, Jesus also references "the thief who comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy."  In the parable of the Good Shepherd, that thief is represented by a wolf.  So, as PLW explained how he views his name, and how he thinks God expects men to obey, he said, "All of society are sheep; and as men, we are either the sheepdog, or we're the wolf.  As the sheepdog, we are expected to protect those sheep who are helpless.  But God expects us to not become so reactionary that we cross the line and become the wolf."
     PLW's sentiment is very similar to that expressed by Dave Grossman, a former psychology professor at West Point, and a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army, who wrote a fascinating book titled On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society.  Grossman has this to say about the sheep/sheepdog/wolf dynamic:  “Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident. Then there are the wolves, who feed on the sheep without mercy.  The moment you forget or pretend this is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial. Then there are sheepdogs. Sheepdogs live to protect the flock and confront the wolf. The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep.”
     So, PLW is simply saying, that as a Christian man, he has to walk that fine line between fulfilling his duty as a sheepdog, without disobeying God's command to never become the wolf.  As for his name ... Peace-Loving Warrior ... he feels he has two options:  God's first option is for him to be peaceful, but if that doesn't work, and the wolf is hell-bent on stealing, killing and destroying, then he will go into Warrior mode.  He admits that the peace part of him is harder, and he can only accomplish that through his relationship with Jesus.  But PLW is quick to assert that he does not believe Jesus was a pacifist, and he won't be, either.  He also points out that the Warrior side of himself does not prohibit him from praying for those lone wolves and their salvation; but if they come to kill him or his family, they can expect to be resisted.  He says that it is hard to find that line;  where to be passive --- until it's time not to be.  He just has to rely on the Holy Spirit to tell him where that line is.
     But as it pertains to the shooting in San Bernardino on Wednesday, my husband says his biggest fear is that, as a nation, we are being conditioned and desensitized; that we are becoming accustomed to a shooting every few days or weeks, so that (as the Bible says), "because of the increase of wickedness, the hearts of men grow cold" (Matthew 24:12).  Remember that Jesus makes this statement in response to a question from the Disciples about when He would return and what would be the signs of the end of the Age.
     So, are we seeing a fulfillment of End-Times prophecy that men's hearts will grow cold because of the proliferation of evil on the earth?  Are the Lone Wolves of the Jihadist movement demonstrating
the Enemy's desire to steal, kill, and destroy?  And how will the men of Christ respond?  There is no doubt that those who killed on Wednesday were hell-bent on harvesting death and destruction, no matter what the "official" cause turns out to be.  But I would also like to point out that no amount of gun control laws would have stopped that carnage.  California has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.  But more importantly, those murderers are hell-bound because they were spiritually destitute, and did not know my God.
     Today my thoughts are with those families who lost loved ones, and my prayers are for the strength and endurance and courage of the American people to repent of our sins and turn to the One who can protect us and help us to repel this evil.  Do not let our hearts be troubled; neither let them grow cold.

Psalm 97:10    "You who love the LORD, hate evil; He protects the souls of His godly ones (believers), He rescues them from the hand of the wicked."


 
   

Conspiracy or Coincidence?

     Oh, what a tangled web we weave

When first we practice to deceive!

     This prose from Sir Walter Scott instantly came to mind when I came across a most interesting connect-the-dot analysis.  While scouring some of the more "fringe" websites for information that would benefit my readers, I found Michael Kaplan, of Forward Observer Magazine, who wrote that sometimes "the most ominous secrets are those hidden in “plain view”."
     Remember when I told you last month about The Grid Attack You Never Knew Happened?  If you will remember, my post pointed out that there was an attack carried out by a group of people on a power station in California last spring, yet we heard practically nothing about it at the time.  In fact, officials at Pacific Gas & Electric Company tried to write it off as "vandalism".
     But Jon Wellinghoff, who was chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission at the time of the attack, was not satisfied.  He resigned his post and undertook his own investigation.  Shortly thereafter he disclosed to the Wall Street Journal that it was a well-coordinated attack by unknown enemies of the United States.  (Read that post to see why he thinks so.) This has caused great concern among those who fear our grid system is extremely vulnerable.
     But now, thanks to the gutsy report by Michael Kaplan, I can reveal that this stealthy event has even more ramifications.  Are you aware that the attack on that power station in California happened only one day after the Boston Marathon Bombing?  That's right!  The bombing in Boston occurred on April 15, 2013, and the power grid attack slipped in under the radar just one day later.  So, what do you think?  Is it conspiracy --- or coincidence?

     What are the chances that it is coincidence when, as Mr. Kaplan points out: "While 9,000 law enforcement officers swarmed the city of Boston looking for two Russians from Dagestan, a commando team of terrorist snipers were attacking the US Power Grid in California. "  Do you think they just simultaneously occurred with no discernible connection?  Or are the puppet-masters keeping us focused on their right hand, while the left is maneuvering into position for a sneak attack?  And if they are connected, then can we believe anything we've been told (which is minimal) about the reasons behind the Boston Bombing?
     I have to take seriously the remarks by Jon Wellinghoff, when he told the Wall Street Journal, that the attack on the power grid in California was “the most significant incident of domestic terrorism involving the grid that has ever occurred.”   That statement would explain the under-reporting by the Media of the execution of Grid-Ex II.  What is that, you ask?
     As Kaplan points out, Government and utility industry officials are so concerned about a potential attack on our grid system that they staged a massive emergency drill mid-November 2013 (Grid-Ex II), in which they practiced responding to a simulated failure of large parts of the electrical system across North America.  It seems they can at least conceive of a nightmare scenario in which terrorists or an enemy country stages a combination of cyber-attacks and physical attacks that destroy, or render inoperable, crucial power facilities and take down large sections of the grid.  One has to wonder if this drill would have materialized had Wellinghoff not "gone off the reservation" with his own investigation and then took his story to the WSJ.  Would Government and Utility officials have continued to be complacent and accepting of the "vandalism" excuse?
     We hear an awful lot about "cyber-attacks against our infrastructure."  But as Mr. Wellinghoff points out, it takes a lot of sophistication to shut down an entire grid while sitting at your laptop in some Eastern bloc country.  But the incident in California proved that a handful of individuals with AK-47s were able to strike quickly and effectively to shut down power.  If they were able to take down multiple transformers across different grids, we would easily be without power for six months or more.  Just think what that would do to hospitals, emergency units and law enforcement!
     So that brings me back to my initial hypothesis ... was the Boston Bombing intended to be a smokescreen to cover the actions in California?  Was it just random luck that Wellinghoff wasn't willing to accept the softball "vandalism" pretense?  Would we have even known of this test run against our grid if he hadn't persisted in his investigation?  And if the two events are connected --- who is running the show?  
     I think that is what scares me the most.  Because if they are connected, then we are dealing with a highly secret and sinister force that is willing to sacrifice the lives of innocent victims and force a false scenario upon an exploitable public.  And as the Apostle Paul warned us, we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies per se, but individuals who have been compromised by the mighty, dark powers of this world.
     We would do well to acknowledge this warning.  Throughout the Bible, the prophets of old were shown that these powers existed.  Why would we think that don't exist today?  In fact, Isaiah points out in Chapter 24, verse 15:  Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark and who says, "Who sees us?  Who knows us?"  You turn things upside down.
     If things aren't upside down now, I don't know what is!  I just want you to keep your eyes and ears open; question everything!  Accept these tidbits of clues we are given as reasons to better prepare yourself physically and spiritually.  Discern for yourselves the significance of an event, or events.  If something doesn't meet the smell test, then in all likelihood, it's not the truth.
     But you can know this for a fact:  while forces may plot in darkness, and deceive us, they do not escape the attention of our God.  They can turn our world upside down, but they do not have control over our lives unless we surrender to them.  God is our Protector, our Provider, and our Comforter.  He  rules and reigns over the darkness and He is aware of everything!  There are no secrets in His kingdom and Evil will not win!

Jeremiah 16:17    "For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes."
     

Sisters In Arms!

     A couple of days ago, PLW and I entertained three women from a major metropolitan city in our great state of Texas.  We had invited them to come spend a day with us and learn how to properly defend themselves with a handgun.  I think it is safe to say they were all skeptical; albeit perhaps on different levels; but each of them had concerns about at least one of the following:  1) handguns appear to be dangerous  2)  I can't see myself ever employing one to defend myself, and 3)  I'm not real sure what I could possibly learn here today that will be of benefit to me.
     I know what they were thinking, because I have been in their shoes.  But I have come a long way in opening my mind and in pursuing my training.  I am now so passionate about empowering women to take responsibility for their own safety; and together, PLW and I want to share the information and experience that we've gained.

     So, let's just say that these three beautiful, intelligent women arrived with trepidation, and left emancipated from their fears, and eager to claim their Second Amendment rights.  We couldn't have asked for a better outcome!  So what were the factors and circumstances that changed their minds?
     First of all, I have to say that PLW approaches the training of women with respect.  He knows that this is a foreign experience for them, and he admires that they are stepping outside their comfort zone.  But he also wants them to know that firearms are nothing to be afraid of, and are a tool they can use to keep themselves and their families safe.  In fact, the first thing he accomplishes is assuring them that their pistols can be safely handled without harming themselves or anyone else on the range.  Once these women realized that they were in charge of their weapon (instead of the other way around), they knew that they were in control of the safety issue.  You could see them begin to relax and the fear disappear.
     So while PLW stressed the mechanics of operating their firearm (proper grip, finger off the trigger until they were ready to aim and fire, how to safely load and unload the pistol, to be aware of muzzling yourself or others, etc), I began to talk to them about real-life scenarios; the ways, "whys", and importance of women being able to defend themselves with a handgun.
     I wanted them to relate this training to their real worlds.  The news coverage of mall shootings, carjackings, and home invasions seems to increase by the day.  How would they be able to defend themselves, or their small children, if accosted in a parking lot?  What if a gunman or a suspicious looking character confronts them in the mall?  How are you going to keep yourself or your children safe?  What if someone notices your nice car, your expensive jewelry, or your fancy purse at the local Starbucks and decides to follow you home?  Could you defend yourself?  What if you and your husband are watching TV late one night and someone is cruising your upscale neighborhood and decides to break down your front door?  Do you have a plan for defending your family?
     I think the fact of realizing that a handgun gives them a form of personal self-defense, combined with their ability to effectively and safely handle the firearm turned a switch on.  They suddenly saw the value in owning their own firearm.  Once they realized that they and their children were vulnerable in today's society, and that neither their husbands nor police would likely be available to save them from every dangerous situation, they were able to take ownership of their own safety and permit themselves to see the benefits, the confidence they gained, and yes, the fun of training.
     By the end of our session, they were safely conducting drills that simulated multiple attackers, hostage situations, and how to move about your home while safely handling your firearm.  In a matter of hours, these women were successfully managing their pistols, getting their hits, and asking knowledgable questions about gun safety in particular situations.  They were getting it!  We all have a fundamental right to protect ourselves, and a firearm is just one of the tools in our belt.  These women now know that they can effectively, safely, and confidently employ a pistol in self-defense.  (Of course,  they realize that further training -- and consistent training -- is necessary, but they have come to realize the importance of owning a firearm for self-defense).
     Needless to say, I am not only very proud of them, but completely thrilled to see women realize that they can overcome their biases and fears, and take personal responsibility for the safety of themselves and their children.  And perhaps one of the most satisfying by-products of the day?  They can now go home and educate the husbands who lack the proper training that they now possess.  Take it from me ... the couple that trains together is a couple who has gone a long way towards being able to defend themselves and their family from the darkness that is coming upon the earth.

Psalm 144:1    "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;" 

Revisited: Our County Sheriffs and the Constitution

     It is not my practice to repeat the subject of a previous post, but there is an issue that is becoming more relevant by the day, and what I wrote nearly a year ago bears restating.  In a post titled What One Man Can Do, I introduced you to Sheriff Richard Mack, who, in 1993, filed a landmark lawsuit against President Bill Clinton and the U.S. Government over their intrusion on States Rights.  You can read the history of that lawsuit in my previous post.  (By the way, the suit went all the way to the Supreme Court, and Sheriff Mack won!)

     In that post, Sheriff Mack laid out the Constitutional duties of our County Sheriffs.  If you haven't read it, please do.  You need to be aware that your County Sheriff is the last line of defense against a tyrannical and over-reaching Federal Government.  And if you have read it; read it again ... and pass it on to someone who needs this information. It is incumbent upon each of us to know the Tenth Amendment and the specified limits on government entities:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States, respectively, or to the people.

     In short, if powers are not specifically delegated to the Federal Government, or the Constitution doesn't specifically prohibit them [powers] to State governments, then those powers belong to the States  or to the people .... not the Federal Government!  
     When I wrote the post last May, there was a growing sense that gun control was on the horizon. And Sheriff Mack was criss-crossing the country, educating the populace of their rights.  Now, nearly a year later, we've blown right past that issue, and there is talk of gun bans, universal background checks, and even gun registration.  That is why this topic needs to be revisited!
     Within the last year, Sheriff Mack has formed an organization called Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA).  Their mission is to equip sheriffs, peace officers and public officials with the necessary information and public support to carry out their duties in accordance with their Oaths of Office.  As of this writing, 312 Sheriffs have publicly proclaimed their stance.  They will support the oath they took to defend the Constitution, and to defend the Bill of Rights as it pertains to their citizens.  Let's hope that the number grows.

     But Sheriff Mack is not alone, thank God!  Last week, four brave Sheriffs took to the public airwaves and appeared on The Blaze, Glenn Beck's TV network.  The Sheriffs represented the states of Oregon, Wisconsin and Missouri.  All spoke boldly about their duty to defend the Constitution and the rights of the citizens to bear arms.  They were passionate and firm in their resolve.  They all stated that they felt the Constitution was under attack and the Government was overstepping its bounds.  All announced their intentions to safeguard the rights of the citizens of their counties and to defend and protect the Constitution.  They also realize that pressure may be brought to bear against them in the near future, but all felt it was time to take a stand.  Sheriff Tim Mueller of Linn County, Oregon said, "If not us, then who?"
     Sheriff David Clarke, of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin has received criticism for his controversial ad in which he urges citizens of his county to get training and be prepared to protect themselves.  He sees the value in "partnering" with his constituents to keep their communities safe.  In the end, Sheriff Clarke says it's "about Liberty".
     And at the end of the roundtable discussion, host Beck seemed to sum up the sheriffs' collective conscience:  “You have a right to own the firearms of your choice,” Beck said. “That right shall not be infringed. It’s not about hunting, it’s not about target practice, it’s not even about rape or home defense. It is about an armed public being necessary to keep people free. An unarmed public is a tyrant’s playground.”  
     These brave Sheriffs, along with the growing number of their fellow law enforcement officers are carrying on the legacy that Sheriff Richard Mack initiated back in 1993.  It IS an issue of States Rights!  As Sheriff Mack has pointed out, "The Constitution gives the federal government the authority to police exactly four areas: treason, piracy, treaty violations and counterfeiting."  Anything beyond that is within the jurisdiction of local and state authorities.
     The bottom line is this:  The Sheriff is the chief law enforcement authority in most counties, and he is elected by the ultimate power source, We The People. These lawmen know their duty and to whom they owe allegiance.  That have read the Constitution, and nowhere in it do they find authorization for the federalization of law enforcement.  In fact, they might argue, the Constitutional system gives the local police higher authority than any federal agent when it comes to enforcing the laws in their counties.
     So get to know your County Sheriff.  Find out where he stands on these issues and how he will respond if called upon to violate your Constitutional rights.  You have a right to know if you will be protected.  Sheriff Clarke is correct.  It is a partnership, and together we can stand for Liberty.

Proverbs 29:2     "When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan."

A Tale Of Two Fathers

     This past week, I'm sure you heard the news stories about the fathers who were confronted with someone breaking into their homes, and threatening their families.  Both fathers took action to protect their children; both stories ended in dramatically different fashions.
     In Miami, Florida, 36-year-old Maurice Harris fought with two heavily-armed men after they broke into his home and held he and his wife at gunpoint.  It was when one of them approached the bedroom of his sleeping 11-year-old daughter that this brave man decided to make his move.  He allegedly charged the suspect; they fought; then he was shot and killed.

     The outcome was different 6oo miles to the north, in Prince Edward, Virginia.  When three men busted down the door to a modest rural home, they were met with gunfire, as the homeowner and father protected his two-year-old son.  Two of the suspected armed robbers were killed, while the third managed to escape.  The father and his child were unharmed.
     Both instances make the hair on the back of my neck stand up.  I think this is every homeowner's worst nightmare.  You are awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of someone breaking down your door, and in a matter of seconds, your family is in danger.  If the criminals are armed, you are at their mercy.  How do you expect to protect your family?
     Those who, like the Police Chief of Emeryville, California, think that "a gun is not a defensive weapon", should take a few moments and think about the consequences of the above-related stories.  The father who legally owned a firearm was able to defend his family.  The father who tried to fight armed criminals without the aid of a gun lost his life.  Which makes more sense?
     And let's not forget the Georgia mother of a few weeks ago who successfully defended herself and her two children from an armed criminal who stalked them in their own home to an upstairs attic.  Does anyone really think that the outcome would have been the same if she had not had a weapon?
     To say that a gun has no value as a method of defending yourself is like saying an automobile is nothing but a killing machine because of the number of traffic fatalities.  All inanimate objects can be used for good or evil, depending on the motives of the operator.  But to assume that guns are only an "offensive" weapon, meant to intimidate people and to be used for a show of power seems clearly one-sided; spoken from the Police Chief's perspective.  Yes, a gun in the hand of a police officer can be offensive when trying to curb crime.  But I bet if you asked a cop who saved his own life, or that of a fellow officer by firing back at armed criminals, he would say he was "defending" himself.
     The whole gun debate has become so politically driven, that we've seemed to have lost all common sense when it comes to the issue.  Having vilified the weapon, instead of the person using the weapon, our society is ready to condemn this effective tool for self-defense.  So just how would "they" suggest we protect ourselves in this increasingly violent culture?

     Are we to assume that the hundreds of gun laws on the books are going to convince all the bad guys to just lay down their weapons?  We know they're not going to register them or turn them in, since many of them were gained illegally.  Do you really think they are suddenly going to be willing to do the "moral and just" thing?  And if the anti-gun proponents are willing to let those guns stay in circulation, while expecting law-abiding citizens to turn theirs in, then how do they propose we stay safe and defend ourselves?
     Perhaps the Police Chief of Emeryville should have a sit-down with Milwaukee County Police Chief David Clarke, who recently stated in a radio ad, "With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option... You could beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, or you can fight back."  Clarke then urged listeners to take a firearm safety course and handle a firearm "so you can defend yourself until we get there."
     The police chief doesn't buy into the politically correct mantra of the anti-gun supporters. "You have a duty to protect yourself and your family."  He ended his radio ad with, "We're partners now. Can I count on you?"
     Now here is a law enforcement officer who deals in reality!  We are at the mercy of violent criminals.  What reasonable person wants to abdicate the safety of themselves or their family to another person?  Do you really want to rely on 911 and the response time of law enforcement?
     The decision to own a firearm and get responsible training is very personal.  It is unfortunate that our society has deteriorated to the point that it needs to be considered for personal protection.  But to deny that fact is to live in delusion.  It must also be stated that owning a firearm for personal defense is not a license for citizens to take the place of law enforcement; but it is a viable tool to protect yourself and your family until law enforcement arrives.  Those can be valuable seconds.  And in the lives of these two fathers, it meant the difference between deliverance and devastation.

Luke 11:21    "When the strong man, fully armed, [from his courtyard] guards his own dwelling, his belongings are undisturbed [his property is at peace and is secure]."
 

Who Is The Enemy?

     I was extremely saddened, and then angry, this weekend at the news that the kidnapped workers at the Algerian gas plant were massacred.  According to our government's official statement, "The blame for this tragedy rests with the terrorists who carried it out."  Hmmm, are you sure about that?  Because over the last few weeks, you've laid the blame for domestic violence on the weapons that were involved.  Are you sure you don't want a global ban on the grenades, rocket launchers, suicide belts, and missiles that were among the al-Queda terrorists' arsenal?  Oh, yeah, and what about fire?  They burned the plant and workers were killed by that means, as well.
     And if the blame for that tragedy rests with the terrorists, then why doesn't the blame lie with Adam Lanza, James Holmes, and Jared Lee Loughner?  Why is it being transferred to the millions of law-abiding citizens who deplore this kind of violence, and want to be able to protect themselves and their families from it?
     It's hard to ignore that our foreign policy includes assisting the very groups and nations associated with these kinds of atrocities with jets and tanks, paid for by American taxpayers; and yet they don't want to help us protect our families and nation from the possibility of these kinds of attacks.  Because make no mistake about it; these groups will not limit their terrorism to the far-off Saharan desert.  It is their major goal to bring it to our shores and our communities.

     So our government wants to gain "a fuller understanding of what took place so that we can work together to prevent tragedies like this in the future."  What's to understand?  They made it pretty darn clear!  According to a NY Times article, one Algerian who managed to escape told France 24 television that the kidnappers said, “We’ve come in the name of Islam, to teach the Americans what Islam is.” The haggard-looking man, interviewed at the airport in Algiers, said the kidnappers then immediately executed five hostages.  Now what's so hard to understand about that message?
     It doesn't take much research to know that the never-changing goals of Islamist terrorists include killing large numbers of Westerners and disrupting states they have put on their enemies list.  Want to guess who is at the top of that list?  And lest anyone think we can negotiate with these terrorists by meeting demands such as they made with the Algerian authorities of releasing al-Queda prisoners from overcrowded jail cells, this latest attack was carried out by a special commando unit, known as "Those Who Sign in Blood."  They are all martyr wannabes.  There can be no discussion, debate or dialogue.  They will not stop until they have reached their goal of annihilation of the West, and that my friends, is us.
     So excuse me if I'm a little concerned that our government has no problem loaning money to Muslim Brotherhood-supported Egypt or selling arms to questionable "freedom fighters"in Syria through the back door of Libya.  Why should I see a contradiction between those policies and the current gun control efforts of late?   I found it quite interesting, and telling, that Debka.com views our government's response to the Mali and Algerian situations as further evidence of a foreign policy of "isolationism."  To me, it appears to be more of a strategy of acquiescence; accepting the actions without protest.  But, as an American, I cannot deny the chilling statement on this Israeli website:  Whereas the US homeland may not be in immediate peril from the Mali and Algerian episodes, it is important to remember the far-reaching interconnectivity of al Qaeda’s operations. Seven years ago, the suicidal jihads who on July 7, blew up London trains and a bus, used explosives provided by the same Al Qaeda cells of Sahel Desert which are now threatening Mali and which struck the Algerian gas field.  No US official can guarantee that such explosives from the same source won’t be used in 2013 against American targets in Europe or be smuggled into the American homeland by al Qaeda cells in Europe.
     So tell me again ..... why would any intelligent American (or government official, for that matter) think it is a good idea to give up our weapons for self-defense?  Once again, the Devil seems to be selling his agenda to those who are willing to be deceived.  But I have a message for them .... "Those Who Sign in Blood"  are no match for "We, Who Are Covered in The Blood of Jesus."  No explanation needed!

Psalm 60:11-12     "Give us help against the enemy because human assistance is worthless. With God we will display great strength.  He will trample our enemies."

A New Year & A New Slant On Gun Control

     I could not end the year and begin the New Year without recognizing the shattering effect that the violent acts in Aurora, Newtown, and now Rochester, NY, had on our American soul.  The nation mourned as innocent lives were lost to the actions of mentally unstable men who chose to use a gun to murder defenseless victims.

     As we expected, there followed a national (and governmental) debate over gun control.  We've heard all the arguments, both pro and con.  And now it seems that in just a couple of days, Senator Feinstein is set to introduce what amounts to the most iron-fisted and oppressive limitations we have ever seen on our Second Amendment rights.  

     Taxes, registration of gun ownership, and all-out bans on many firearms appear to be just the beginning of the government's campaign against gun-owners.  I don't have to tell you that this means each legal gun owner has some decisions to make.  In that vein, I want to share an email that I received from an anonymous reader.  I think it brings a unique point of view to the discussion.  Here is the email in its entirety:

Dear Belle,

     I thought you might like to hear a different angle on the current gun control debate.  As was expected after the recent string of gun-related deaths, the public rushes out to buy every gun and box of ammo they can find.  The shelves are literally empty!  Frankly, I am growing weary of the paradigm battle that starts with every ammo sell-off.  

     I also know that the media will never look at these "active shooter" events for what they really are.  They like the sport of stoking the fires of the moronic 51% of the country that can't think in a critical capacity.  Conspiracy theories orbit around this new brand of "crazy", and I'm inclined to jump on board any number of the crazy trains, but the truth is, at this late stage, it doesn't really matter.

     The current administration is pushing the outcome.  The 51% who have no skin in the economic game or the Fiscal Cliff, don't really care about your gun rights.  As long as they continue to get more free stuff, then let the Second Amendment disappear.  Then you have patriots like the NRA, who are standing relatively silent and dumbfounded, offering no solutions to this outright attack on our rights.  Consequently, we have seen the fear-buying start, and the sell-off cycle repeats itself.

     When retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods and Cheaper Than Dirt folded and removed their inventory from shelves, the response from Gun Culture 1.0 was swift.  This portion of the citizenry who has grown up around guns made their opinion known: "You'll get no more of my business."  But Gun Culture 2.0 is where the real influence lies.  These are new people to "the gun game"; a high percentage of them being women who recognize the importance of being able to defend themselves.  Both of these groups need to pull together and yield nothing to this latest gun grab.  

     Americans need to understand what is at the heart of this Feinstein Bill:  High capacity rifle magazine bans lead to high capacity pistol magazine bans.  Assault Rifle bans lead to every other gun you own being banned.  Even Michael Bane (the head of the Outdoor Channel's gun show line-up, and  most listened to gun podcast) had to endure a waiting period of sorts.  His weekly podcast, which normally airs on Wednesday was pushed back to Friday, so corporate brains could pick the appropriate footsteps in the minefield of public opinion.  No doubt his intentions are good, but he needs to realize that whatever Gun Culture 1.0 was in the past, it won't cut it in this new dynamic.

     2013 is going to be a brawl that our currently intact Second Amendment rights might not survive.  These latest shooting episodes have rocked the world of preppers, shooters, and anyone who is a self-thinker.  And thus, the fear-buying has begun, because I surmise that the writing on the wall just got a whole lot clearer.  The truth is, we can't deny these are pivotal events, and whistling past the grave-yard isn't going to work this time.  

     The NRA fired a weak salvo, that in my mind, hit nothing.  We better get some leadership, and fast, on this issue.  I see the beginnings of a hemorrhage that the NRA is moving too slowly to address.  I can't help but think that if the money we, as a collective, threw into P-mags just these past couple of weeks had been channeled towards a real message, with real leadership, then Mr. O would have to put a cork in Biden, Feinstein and the Moron 51 crowd.  Here's a thought:  Let's say Feinstein gets her $200 tax and registration on every gun you own.  All those who lay low will become instant felons.  There goes the voting rights of the cornerstone of the country.  Can you see that Obama and the Progressive Left are playing 20 moves ahead, and the patriot with his M-4 is no factor at all?

     So we better realize that we have some decisions to make.  Are you willing to risk a felony to maintain your Second Amendment rights?  Because if you are, you better wake up to the fact that a felony will take away your license or your credentials; and if you need a license to conduct your business, well, there goes your livelihood.  Attaching a felony to even 5% of the gun crowd will devastate the Conservative Right.  You can bet that there will be someone at that voting place making sure, that as a felon, you don't get to cast your vote.  

     Could you decide between becoming a felon and keeping your unregistered M-4?  Stop and run the logical argument in your head; look at where the Supreme Court numbers will be in the next four years.  Will the possibility of a felony on all gun owners change their ability to put food on the table, make a living, change our lifestyles?  You damn right it will!  The gun crowd needs to put this possibility into their hard drive and let it compute.  

     I'm beginning to feel as though we are at Bracken's first chapter in the yellow book.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's time to get off your butts and start entertaining some very ugly possibilities.     (Check out www.enemiesforeignanddomestic.com).  Yes, I will agree that it's time to buy more food, ammo, P-mag-30s, and a Belgian Malaois named Spike.  But all that won't preserve our rights.  The time to stand is now.  If not now, when?

Signed, 

Old School

     This email really hit home for me, and made me see the Big Picture.  There's been a plan to rid this country of the Second Amendment for quite awhile, and we are seeing it play out before our very eyes. We have been complacent, thinking that the anti-gun lobbies were not strong enough to defeat over two hundred years of tradition and the overwhelming number of lawful gun owners.  But threaten our livelihoods, our voting rights, and the fear of a criminal record, and how many citizens would be willing to throw in the towel?  Old School is right.  Each of us have some decisions to make.  And those decisions could profoundly change who we are as a free citizenry and the future of our republic.   Where will you draw the line?

Jeremiah 6:16     "This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’"

     

     

  

What Must God Be Thinking?

     As I perused the headlines of the day, I have to admit it looked bleak and I fought back a sense of approaching doom.  It's Christmastime and I'll be darned if the celebration of the birth of my Lord and the Savior of the World will be disparaged by the profound immorality and wickedness of mankind!
     At this most holy time of year, what must God be thinking?  Do we seem to be getting closer to reconciling with Him, or further away?  Is my narrow/current perception of the state of mankind accurate, or are we just repeating the sins of historic man?  In today's world, does the birth of the Messiah still have meaning?
     During these last weeks and months, it's as if the total depravity of man has amped up the playing field, sensing that it is on a winning streak and going for broke.  Just consider the headlines: Belgium Considers Euthansia for Minors & Alzheimer's Sufferers; and France Opens the Door to Medically-Assisted Suicide.  And you know that many of our legislators and elitists think that what's good for Europe is good for us.  I suppose, in all their "we-know-what's-best-for-society" brilliance, they think they are qualified to make these life and death decisions.  Let me get this straight .... God has created each and every one of us in His image, and He knows every hair on our heads.  I happen to believe that He knew me at my conception and knows how my life will play out; that includes the state of my health and the exact way I will pass from this world.  For any doctor or governmental agency or "system" to presume that they can overrule God's determination of any person's life is pure arrogance and rebellion against God's authority.  He must be grieving at our ever-evolving readiness to devalue life.

     There is also the ongoing debate over gun control in this country.  Just as the Federal Government seems to think they can legislate a collective solution to our healthcare system and our poor economy by redistributing wealth, they will now attempt to legislate a collective solution to the insanity of individuals who use a firearm to vent their anger.  It is my belief that "stopping the violence" is just a code phrase to appease the masses.  The real intention behind their moves are to control a free society.  Being largely Godless themselves, they cannot conceive that America was a Divine experiment; whereby God, for a short time in His plan of world history, gave His creation more liberty and freedom than man has ever known.  It was theirs as long as they could defend it against the inevitable hunger for power and dominance that man's sinful nature craves.  He gave this exemplary nation and its citizens the desire for independence and self-determination, along with the ability to defend themselves against tyranny.
     And now, not desiring to let "any crisis go to waste", the actions of one sick individual will be exploited to take away the one right of individuals that can guarantee their freedom.  Those of us who believe in the Second Amendment and our right to bear arms, are being demonized as out-of-step and an aberration to the culture.  Indeed, we have been designated as the bloodthirsty "gun culture".  We have been depicted as backwoods rednecks, "clinging to our guns and religion", responsible for the recent rash of gun violence against innocent, law-abiding citizens.
     I would refer you to a blogpost by Daniel Greenfield, in which he disputes this generalization:  Your average school shooter is unhappy and angry, irreligious, incapable of fitting into a community and filled with rage that he exercises through violent fantasies. His culture isn’t gun culture. It’s loner culture. Video games do not cause him to kill, but they are how he entertains himself until he can get a taste of the real thing.
     Adam Lanza, Dylan Kleibold, Eric Harris, Seung-Hui Cho, James Holmes, One L. Goh and Jared Loughner had as much in common with what the Michael Moore Fan Club thinks of as "gun culture" as Michael Moore does with the working class. Whatever gun culture they had was not the American Scots-Irish culture of the hunter, the rancher and the militia member, but the urban posse of emasculated men of no worth that brandishes weapons as a way to get respect.
     So what must God be thinking when He has shown us throughout history what has happened to societies who gave up the right to defend themselves?  Haven't we learned anything from Nazi Germany?  A weapon-less society is no longer able to protect themselves from the "bad guys", whether they be those who are intent on mass murder and obtain their guns unlawfully, or a despotic leader who wants unlimited authority.  I confess to being disappointed in the so-called "pro-gun" politicians, as well as the retail and online stores who have buckled to this knee-jerk reaction and obvious pressure to appear "humane."  This I know: more laws on the books won't stop the crimes.  The laws we have now didn't stop them.  Evil will always find a way.
     Just as it found its way over 2,000 years ago, when another "Massacre of the Innocents" was conducted by a tyrannical ruler who feared the influence of a baby born in a manger.  He, too, slaughtered the young of a village to assuage his depraved soul.  And he didn't need a gun to do it.
     In conclusion, I think you will agree with me that if you read the headlines, or listen to the news reports, the world seems to be degenerating into a spiral of decay and destruction.  But I venture that it is no more dark than it was when God, Himself, entered His creation.  The reason He came then is the same reason we have hope today.  As Max Lucado prayed so powerfully after last week's shooting, ""Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won't you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger. This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us." Amen.

Jeremiah 9:23-24     "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight."

Book Review: Joe Nobody's "The Home-Schooled Shootist"

     Many of you will be familiar with Joe Nobody, but just in case you're unacquainted with this Everyman, he expresses all those thoughts and "politically incorrect" questions you have about Big Brother.  He also has a collection of informative and "How To" books that should be in every preppers library.  Joe has asked me to review his book, The Home Schooled Shootist: Training to Fight With a Carbine.  This latest book is an instruction guide for intermediate to advanced shooters, and since I don't feel adequately qualified to give my opinion on such a subject, I thought I would invite my very first guest writer to offer his insight on the book.  
     I have asked my husband, Peace-Loving Warrior, (who is incidentally, quite a shooter, himself) to give an honest review from an experienced shooter.  Here is PLW's critique:

     Before giving you my unbiased opinion on this book, I feel I should give you some credentials, and tell you why Belle felt I was qualified to give you my assessment.
     I just wrapped up a 3-day Advanced Carbine Course with Travis Haley, formally the front man for Magpul Industries, the premiere firearms designer.  He now runs his own gig, called Haley Strategic Partners.  I spent three mentally and physically challenging days learning how to manipulate my carbine under every stress situation imaginable.
     Along with the other handgun and carbine training classes I've taken, I think I'm a pretty good judge as to whether an instruction guide is legitimate and useful for the reader.  So in keeping with an outlaw theme, I'm going to present my opinion as The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.

     The Good.  There is a lot to like about Joe's book.  The reader can tell that Joe has poured out his fountain of knowledge and experience in a sincere effort to get those who are awake up to speed on their skills and training.  Joe starts off this guide with a powerful statement, which if taken to heart, may be the most important mission statement in the entire book:  "This book is about dominating in a gunfight."  
     Joe gets to the point and tells the truth.  His book is really about setting a baseline from which untrained shooters can assess where they are on a scale of skill levels.  This is done through a series of various drills.  After all, how can you improve, if you don't know where your baseline is?
     This book is very comprehensive and informative.  To go into detail about all the drills would be exhaustive, but they are all helpful and instructive.  So let's just talk about generalities, OK?  If you purchase this book, here's what you will learn on your way to becoming a formidable gunfighter:
1.    The OODA Loop - if this is new lingo to you, purchase this book!
2.    Natural Point of Aim
3.    Weak and Strong Hand Shooting
4.    Mag reloads and "immediate action drills" (Joe teaches some fantastic drills in Chapter 3.  If you don't know how to run your gun, then get this book!
5.    Equipment Checklist
6.    Stance - Grip - Sight Picture and Trigger
7.    Zeroing and Dry Firing
8.    Barriers & Corners
9.    Ballistics of the 5.56
10.  Reloading the 5.56

     This is just a taste of what you will learn.  Will it make you a better gunfighter?  Well, my friend, that's up to you.  Will you be willing to find the time to train, and improve, and commit his drills and actions to muscle memory?  If the answer is "yes", then get this book.  In all honesty, this isn't a book to read and leave stored in your hard drive.  To really learn from it, this book will take effort and training on your part.

The Bad.   I've read other reviews of this book, and they see it as a replacement for real training.  But I strongly disagree.  This opinion doesn't reflect on Joe or his book, but when a gunfight starts, you will only be as good as your training.  If that training is not committed to muscle memory, and you are stuck in your adversary's OODA loop; then you, my friend, are in trouble.  So get some qualified, professional training, and add Joe's drills to your routines and range sessions.  This book is a great addendum to your training regimen.

The Ugly.  OK, this may be unimportant to most people, but I'm not wild about the cover of this book.  As a prepper, I can appreciate Joe's target audience.  But this book is a legitimate guide and cross-over book --- both preppers and shooters have much to gain from Joe's base of knowledge.  For me, the cartoonish aspect of the cover minimizes the important information within.  But, hey, maybe it's just me.
     So, all in all, I give Joe five stars on content, and three on the cover art.  To sum it up .... Get this book!

Proverbs 15:31-32       "If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise.  If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. "

My Concealed Carry Problem Is Solved!

     Whether you are a woman, like me, who has been struggling to find the perfect method of carrying a concealed weapon, or you are the husband who is looking for a way to encourage his wife to carry concealed, I think I have found the best solution to date.  It's the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield.  This 9mm pistol has received lots of glowing reviews from men, but I want to tell you ---  woman-to-woman --- how it meets my needs.
     In the past I've shared my journey of gun ownership and training.  I started with the Springfield XD 9mm as my first range pistol.  I graduated to the Glock 19 and then to the Baby Glock, hoping that this compact gun would allow me to carry concealed.  These handguns would work if I wanted to use a concealed carry purse.  But I had decided that this option would not be my primary choice for different reasons:  1) I didn't like the idea that my defensive weapon was not on my person.  I have trained with my handgun in a range holster and liked the feel of it in that position.   2) I didn't want to have to worry about someone taking my purse away from me during a struggle, or  3) stealing the purse while I was distracted.  But the Glock 26 was still too big and I could not effectively find a way to hide the fact that I was carrying.

     Then I heard about the Shield, did my research and saw all the photos that compared its width to all the compact guns on the market.  It looked like it just might be the answer to my problem.  Then I held one in my hand and the difference was phenomenal!  I know it wasn't, but it feels like it was made for a woman's hand.  The width measures less than an inch and it weighs in at 19 ounces, making it considerably lighter than any other option.
     I made up my mind that this was the handgun I wanted.  Then came the wait.  It has become one of the most popular handguns in the country and the waiting list at gun stores is getting longer by the day. After pre-paying and being promised that it would probably be 3-4 weeks before I received my purchase, you can imagine my frustration when that time frame turned into 2 1/2 months.  I then lucked into a family-owned store that was able to get me the firearm in less than a week.  So if you decide to go this route, be prepared to be more patient than I was.  I had increased the level of my training, and it was time to get down to business and find the right carry gun.  That happened with the Shield.
     Then came the ultimate tests:  training with the gun and actually carrying it.  The Shield passed the first test with great results.  I put close to 150 rounds through the chamber that first day and had only one jam, probably due to my limp-wristing it as I grew accustomed to the recoil.  I was most impressed with the trigger pull, which felt the same as my Glock 26, which I love.  The Shield has a good, short reset; very distinctive -- you can feel it and hear it, making "catching the link" easy.  The recoil was less than I expected, only slightly more than my Baby Glock, and it won't take long to adjust to.  I found that the slide lock is further back than you would think, so you ladies will need to work on acquiring the skill to overcome the tight spring.  But it is definitely within your grasp.  I really liked the magazine release. It drops fast and smooth.  The single stack mags are available in both 7 and 8 round capacities, and I recommend stocking up on as many as you can find.   Get ready to put your name on a waiting list for them, too.

      The real test came when I wore it concealed.  For me and my body type, I found that it is most comfortable to carry appendix-style in an inside-the-waistband Comp-Tac holster.  I wore it all day, both while driving in the car and running errands.  While it felt a little foreign at first, it literally took just minutes for me to feel comfortable with it in place.  I was sure that everyone I came in contact with knew I was carrying, and thought everyone could see the imprint of the handgun.  But my husband assured me that no one would think I was carrying and therefore wouldn't be looking for it and could not see it.  I was conscious of my responsibility and privilege as a concealed-carry holder, and thrilled that I could safely and comfortably protect myself.  Granted, this method of carrying will not work with my entire wardrobe, but I now know that I can dress around it and there is an option for me.
     I know that when you carry small guns you give up something --- either firepower, round capacity, or accuracy --- but I have to say that the Shield minimizes all these shortcomings.  It truly fills the gap between the "pocket gun" and all their problems, and compact guns like the Glock 26.  And with the Shield, you get a striker-fired gun with a good trigger reset that costs half the price of comparable "slim" models like the Kahr PM 9.   The only thing that I want on this gun and that I can't get is after-market night sights, made specifically for this gun.  But I've waited this long to come this close to my perfect carry gun, so I can wait a little longer.   After all, I need to work on that whole "patience is a virtue" area of my life.

Psalm 33:20      "We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield."
   

Thankful For A Narrower Focus

     Earlier this week I was invited to a political luncheon in which a noted state leader from Americans For Prosperity was scheduled to speak.  AFP is an organization of grassroots leaders who champion limited government and free markets on the local, state, and federal levels.   Their hope is that as everyday citizens become more educated about our government's economic policies, they will become advocates in the public policy process, and effect the change that we need.  Short and sweet .... they uphold prosperity and freedom.
     I had been eagerly anticipating this particular speaker, because I was impressed with the work she was doing as our State Director for AFP.  So I drove the 40 minutes to the luncheon, only to find out that she had been hospitalized the evening before.  They couldn't find a replacement speaker on such short notice, so some of the local political candidates in attendance agreed to stand up and give a short speech about their campaigns.
     "Oh, great,"  I thought.  "This is going to be boring and a big waste of my time.  I have blog posts to write."  Well, I have to say that my opinion couldn't have been further from the truth.  One of the men that stood up was my County Sheriff.  I knew his name, but hadn't ever heard him speak, and couldn't tell you one reason why I, or anyone else, should vote for him.  At the end of the luncheon, I no longer had that problem.
     The minute he stood up, you could feel the steely-eyed determination and the strength of his character.  He spoke plainly and without hesitation about the problems our border state is facing.  He boldly proclaimed that until changes are made in Washington D.C., and we use every method possible (border fence, technology, drones, etc.) to plug our porous perimeter, we will never stop the drug cartels and their murderous and growing threat to our homeland.

     Citing the death of another Border Patrol Agent this week, he angrily stated, "I have no use for the Feds; the ATF and the FBI are no help to us.  They change suits every week and just get in our way. You change Washington --- close our borders --- and the County Sheriffs can get this problem handled."  I don't think I have felt more confidence in one of my elected officials since I began voting so many years ago.  For perhaps the first time, I felt like here is someone who recognizes he works for me and my fellow citizens, and actually wants to fulfill his office requirements!
     Because we live in a rural area, with a small number of Sheriff's Deputies on duty, this man is also a strong advocate for my Second Amendment rights.  He knows that he and his men are spread thin, and it is incumbent upon every citizen to be prepared to legally defend themselves.  He approves and encourages Concealed Carry Licenses and firearms training classes.
     If you will recall one of my earlier posts, titled What One Man Can Do, you will remember that Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack successfully sued President Clinton and the Federal Government over their intrusion on State's Rights.  He cited "Dual Sovereignty" of both the Federal Government and individual States, and cautioned that we should not elect officials who refuse to act on behalf of the best interests of the state's citizens.  He further advised that whenever the Federal Government oversteps its Constitutional reach, our local elected officials should interpose on our behalf --- that means stand in the gap between us and a tyrannical authority.
     I believe we have such a man in our County Sheriff.  He didn't soft-sell the dangers of the drug cartels, or attempt to give us a false sense of security.  He told us the truth.  He told us what needs to happen for him to do his job well; what we need to do to help make our community safer.  Changing Washington D.C. is nearly impossible, but the Sheriff laid our task squarely before us.  Most importantly, I feel confident that this man has our back.  He may not have been the featured speaker I was looking for, but he delivered the same goals as the absent spokeswoman .... prosperity and freedom.
   
Ezekiel 22:29-31         "The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice. I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.  So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord."

The Importance Of Training ... In Everything!

     This past weekend I attended a two-day Handgun Training Course.  As the holder of a Concealed Handgun License, I take my responsibility seriously.  Just because I have the license in my wallet, it doesn't mean I am qualified to defend myself, or that I will react properly and safely in any given scenario.  It's all about Practice and Preparation.
     The same could be said about everything I am doing to get ready for a changing world.  Just as our handgun class reviewed all the basics of safe gun handling, and then moved into new skills that tested my stamina, my resolve and my mindset; so must I apply this same attitude to any new situation or crisis I may find myself in.

Train with a simulator to make
gun-handling safe & automatic

     For instance, I was forced to think how I would have reacted in the recent Batman theatre shooting in Colorado.  I was taught that each of us needs to formulate our own mindset on how we would respond to a home invasion, a mass shooting at the mall, a sudden attack in a parking garage.  I realized that I need to think through all these events and know how I want to respond before I am forced to make a sudden decision.  If I have to think about it then, it is too late, and my decision-making process will cost me precious time --- and quite possibly, my life.  I need to prepare my response and then practice the skills to attain the desired response.  The most important elements of this approach are that the response needs to be automatic, and the skill be flawless.
     It made me realize that I should use every situation I find myself in as an opportunity to review what my plan of defense would be.  The next time you go to the grocery store, church, sporting event, or even if you are home at night watching TV; make a point of knowing where your exits are, what you could use for a barricade, how you would defend yourself if confronted with an armed assault.  Do you have any weapons available, or are they stored in the trunk of your car, or locked in the safe ---- useless to you in your time of need.  And if it's dark, can you load and unload your weapon by feel?  If you're shot in your strong arm, can you transition to your weak arm and continue defending yourself?  If the attack comes at you swiftly and by surprise, can you draw your weapon quick enough to save your life?  The only way you can answer "Yes" to any of these scenarios is if you have practiced, practiced, practiced.

     This same mindset can be used to think how you would react if you suddenly found yourself without power or water.  Do you ever go through the steps in your mind of how you would feed your family?  Keep warm in the winter?  Supply water for drinking, washing and gardening?  Do you know how to light a fire?  Do you know how to hunt for your food?  I could name a hundred different day-to-day events that we take for granted in our spoiled modern lives.  But if you haven't at least thought about these situations, let alone know how you would respond and have the skills to adapt, then I would highly recommend that you acquire the knowledge and then practice cooking your food over a fire, planting and harvesting a garden, collecting rain water for survival.  Because, the time to actually call upon a survival mindset and employ these useful skills is not at the moment you are first faced with a crisis.  It will be too late, then.  You must automatically shift into survival mode without losing a beat; no whining, no feeling sorry for yourself.  With training and practice, the process of altering your lifestyle will be smooth and orderly.
     One other thing I learned this last weekend, is that the time to get yourself physically fit for an altered future is now.  We spent a rigorous 12-hour day on Saturday in nearly 100 degree weather.  Fighting dehydration and exhaustion along with acquiring new gun training skills took both a mental and physical toll.  That made Day Two even harder for me.  My stamina was fine, but the constant up/down and kneeling punished my knees pretty good.  So I learned another valuable lesson.
     I've got to be ready for any and all physical aspects of a new future.  It will be too late to train and get in good shape when I'm faced with a much more labor-intensive way of life.  I'd rather suffer through the aches and pains now in the comfort of a nice warm bath, with access to both a heating pad and an icepack -- both of which will not be available in a grid-down situation.
     And lastly, I will train my heart and my mind to study and know the Scriptures.  This is a skill that will sustain me throughout anything Evil can throw at us.  And it, too, must be practiced until it becomes automatic; until we can recall the particular message that our Lord spoke to us for just such a time.  It is the one skill that will never fail us, yet it is the easiest to ignore.
     I know that it's so easy to put off what we don't want to do.  None of us really want to contemplate what our minds and our souls are telling us is likely to happen.  Adapting our easy, laid-back culture to accommodate training and alternative lifestyles is costly and time-consuming.  But take it from me, as tired and sore and mentally drained as I was at the end of my weekend, I can't wait to take the class again.  The training I participated in strengthened my resolve to be prepared.  I want to be confident and ready to adapt to any life-threatening situation that comes my way.  And I know I can't accomplish that mindset by sitting on the couch and procrastinating.  I can't wish the world away and I won't be swept along with the tide of chaos and fear.  I will just keep practicing, one skill at a time.  If nothing else, I can be of help to others in their time of need, and all this training can only help me sleep better at night. That is a gift in itself.

Hebrews 12:11       "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

Book Review: Brushfire Plague

     I take it as an extreme compliment when I am asked to review a book.  And being a writer myself, I approach each book with a critical eye.  I know the discipline it takes to finish a novel (having done so myself) and the heart and passion that each author puts into their work.
     So it is my pleasure to recommend Brushfire Plague by R.P. Ruggiero.  Frankly, this book is a refreshing departure from the spate of "survivalist" books on the market.  Don't get me wrong, I applaud and encourage all the new novelists who have taken up the cause of Liberty and the protection of American values.  We need all the books we can get to spread the word among our uninformed countrymen.  Authors such as James Rawles, Matthew Bracken and William Forstchen have set the bar high.  Through their exceptional books we have explored what will happen to our country in the event of a breakdown of our republican-style government, foreign troops on U.S. soil, and the devastation of an EMP attack.  With Brushfire Plague, we examine what would happen when a deadly virus sweeps the land.

     The book is written in a very engaging style, drawing us into the relationship between our hero Cooper Adams and his young son, Jake.  A devastating plague has swept the globe and Cooper swings into action, determined to save his family, his neighborhood and his country.   The plot is conceivable, and the characters are credible.  Mr. Ruggiero captures both the flaws and perfection of our human nature.  Just imagine a plague sweeping the globe and how it would quickly reveal the best and the worst of society.  While reading the story, I could easily see how this scenario would play out in my own community and among my connections.

     You will recognize those who become the natural leaders, and those whose egos must be stroked to maintain harmony.  You will identify the skills that will be necessary and those who are capable of implementing them.  There will be "takers" and there will be "givers".  The interplay between characters is natural and logical; neither false nor forced.  In short, it is a well-written story.

     But it is more than that.  I believe it is a plausible situation.  The whole time I was reading it, I couldn't help thinking, "This is going to happen."  So I am especially appreciative of the preparations and instruction that the author so deftly works into his plot.  Hidden in the midst of the gripping story of survival amid fast-spreading illness, societal decay, and violence are many suggestions for how to prepare and protect your family and your neighborhood.  If you have friends and family that need a wake-up call, this book will open their eyes.

     It's all there --- how to organize your neighbors; how to defend against looters and organized gangs; how to combat a government who exploits the situation; and how to just survive day-to-day.  If you are a dedicated survivalist, you know all the steps to take.  But this book presents a well-reasoned timeline with which you can compare your plans.

     And we even get a look at how the Bill Gates/Eugenisist movement might instigate their plan to de-populate the world.  Believe it or not, it is in their plans and what better way than to develop a virus?  Brushfire Plague examines how, and if, the world could recover from such a diabolical plot. 

     The book is available through Amazon or PrepperPress.   It was a thoroughly enjoyable read, although I must admit, as a writer, that the occasional typo, or words left out, make me flinch.  But in this new genre of "survival" and "prepper" books, it is a foible that I can overlook.  These books are providing a valuable service to those who are willing to take advantage of what they have to offer.  And what better way to take our medicine than in an absorbing, riveting story?  I can't wait for the sequel!

P.S.  The book is available both in Paperback and on Nook at Barnes & Noble.  Get it anyway you can!

Psalm 107:2       "Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe ...."