The Rape of Portugal!

By Dennis Edwards:

I have been watching the situation in Ukraine with much sadness. Is the uprising taking place really a spontaneous reaction of the people? Or is this crisis being provoked by International financial interests trying to pull Ukraine into the Western hemisphere’s influence or divide it into two pieces? There is no simple answer. But I will share my experience in Portugal to propose what could really be happening.

When Portugal, Greece and Spain joined the European Union financial aid poured into those countries. In the time before 2004 much money came in as financial help toward the building of roads and stadiums. Portugal and Spain had won the bid for the Euro football games while Greece would provide the summer Olympics. So in order to build the stadiums and roads and infrastructure to support those stadiums loans were granted. Everything was great and dandy. Jobs were abundant. Foreigners poured into the country from Eastern Europe, especially Ukraine and Romania, and from Brazil. I am specifically talking about my experience in Portugal, but Spain and Greece have parallel stories. At the same time, new shopping malls were built and Portugal at one time had the newest and biggest shopping mall in all of Europe, the Columbus Shopping Mall in Lisbon.

At the same time, European agreements with China allowed the Chinese merchants to also enter the country with many tax benefits. It was a great time of financial bubble. Portugal and Greece also went to the final of the European Cup. A great euphoria and optimism existed both in sports arena and in the psychology of the people. The government encouraged business to invest in new technologies to stay competitive. Banks were loaning money with easy access to credit and encouraging people to take more. Many thought the new financial explosion would last forever. They unwisely borrowed expecting all things to continue as they were.

Meanwhile corrupt politicians were pocketing money. The Chinese imports started affecting the local clothing and pottery industries. When the bubble burst the small industrial base had already been eroded. The pottery industry collapsed and almost completely disappeared. The clothing industry collapsed, also. The new shopping malls with the international names imported clothing from China, Morocco, Turkey, Pakistan, India, and Thailand. Many Portuguese companies went bust as Portuguese lost their family fortunes. The new free motorways made access to the larger commercial center easy and assured them of clients. While the traditional local business dribbled to a trickle.

The European quotas on milk and fish further squeezed the traditional Portuguese economy. Farmers were paid to stop raising so much dairy or fined if they exceeded their quotas. Fishermen were encouraged to retire early to bring down the Portuguese fishing catch beneath the new European quotas. The traditional Portuguese economy was being decimated. The new supermarkets aided by the free motorways led to the movement of money away from the local small business toward the big internationals whose products were from either outside of Portugal or outside of Europe completely.

During this time, the socialists were in power and busy spending. They pushed through two amendments on abortion that failed to gain the necessary votes. The third amendment did not get enough votes to be counted as a legal reflection of the will of the people as fewer than 50% of the population participated. Therefore they used a new method. The Congress which was strongly socialist passed a law approving abortion. When this law went to the Conservative President for his signature, most believed he would veto it. However, just the week before the Polish Prime Minister, a friend of the Portuguese President, had been killed in a mysterious plane crash. The Portuguese President’s wife confessed they were afraid for their lives and so her husband did not veto the abortion bill as expected. How strange that the members of the Polish government died in one stroke. The Polish Prime Minister was against the European agenda of abortion and gay rights being strongly Catholic. His Central Banking president had kept Poland debt free. The Health Minister had refused to buy the Gripe A vaccine which kept the government from being in debt to the pharmaceutical industry. These important anti-European agenda ministers were all gone in one smooth stroke of “bad-luck.” What a coincidence?

In the meantime, here in Portugal, the financial bubble was building. The Socialist government offered free computers to the children of poor families to help to become computer literate. At the same time, mobile phones and internet and cable and disk multi-channel television were opening up the culture to new influences. Before this flood gate was opened the traditional Portuguese television was strongly Portuguese. Then came the new SIC TV program which promoted gay personalities and humor. But now the door has been opened and the traditional Portuguese culture is under heavy attack and slowly being corrupted and eliminated.

Some time ago the strongly socialist congress passed a bill in favor of gay marriage. Again the President did not veto it as he said a veto would only be overturned by Congress.  Last week, the Congress passed a bill to allow gay marriages to adopt children. The bill went to the President to sign into law. The President did not veto it, but sent it on to the Constitutional Court to see if it was constitutional. The Constitutional Court voted that the bill was unconstitutional. The socialists and communists protested that the Court was standing in the way of democracy and the will of the people. The war goes on. The Antichrist forces in Europe are slowly and surely destroying the strongly Catholic and Christian beliefs of the people of Southern European. Poland and Ukraine could be their next objective. Ireland and Iceland may have already been their targets. Romania and others are also in their sights.

That’s how I see it from Portugal. The new wealth that the Portuguese experienced enabled them to buy the machines that were needed to slowly erode their faith away and embrace the European Union’s agenda of abortion and gay marriage. The Bible says the love of money is the route of all evil. Portuguese lusted after those things that money could buy which they thought would bring them happiness. They have more things but have compromised their values. The international bankers burst the financial bubble and left Portugal with debts to pay. In order to pay them they have had to sell off their state owned businesses. They have had to make those free motorways pay roads. Their children cannot find jobs in Portugal as the factories have closed and the youth have had to move abroad. The traditional family unit has been destroyed. Internet and computer games dominate the lives of youth. Traditional Catholic morality no longer exists. And no one stands up against the wake of destruction.

Will similar methods be used in Poland and Ukraine to bring them in line with the New World Order agenda? It only remains to be seen. Jesus said, “The meek shall inherit the earth.” But the meek and poor countries are being offered the riches of this life and many are falling for it. The Portuguese are poor once again. Eighty percent of the people do not have money to survive for a whole year. Thirty percent are living day by day. Sixty percent of the people receive minimum salary or less per month. The financial bubble helped put into the homes of the Portuguese people these new gadgets that the internationalists are using to erode away the faith of adult and youth alike. The debt to be paid to the Central Bankers will take many years of economizing. Pensions have been cut. Age of retirement has been raised to sixty-six years. The workday has been extended to eight and a half hours a day. The European Union promised the Portuguese everything, but it indeed has been the rape of Portugal, as well as, Spain and Greece and Ireland. Will your country be next?

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Woman Defies Doctors Who Told Her to Abort Unborn Baby

By Leonardo Blair, Christian Post, February 19, 2014

A 30-year-old British woman who was told by doctors to abort her unborn baby while she was pregnant because it would die, defied their expert advice and gave birth to a healthy baby boy she is now calling a “miracle.”

According to Mail Online, from the moment first-time mother Rachel Collins discovered she was pregnant she began keeping a diary.

“I decided to keep a diary from the minute I found out I was pregnant, to show our baby how much we wanted him,” she said.

During the pregnancy, however, doctors diagnosed Collins with oligohydramnios which meant that the baby would have too little amniotic fluid to survive the pregnancy.

“The doctor didn’t mince his words, he said: ‘This baby will die, the best thing you can do is terminate it,’” recalled Collins.

Collins details her experience in her inspirational diary she calls “Alfie: born to fight, ready to battle—our miracle baby boy.”

In it, she reveals how she and her partner, Tyler O’Driscoll, were shocked when her 20-week scan showed that baby Alfie only had a 10 percent chance to live.

Even if he lived, according to doctors, Alfie was likely to be born without kidneys and no lung function.

The couple, however, refused to give up hope and carried on with the pregnancy.

“I could feel my baby was alive, he was moving, how could I get rid of him? There was no way I was terminating my baby, I thought if he’s not meant to be, I will miscarry—but I knew I had to try,” said Collins.

But it wasn’t an easy decision. Just a few weeks before she became pregnant with Alfie, Collins suffered an ectopic pregnancy.

Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham took her on as a patient and helped her through the pregnancy.

“They told me it was going to be tough, that he might have a squashed face or a club foot, but they said they would give him a chance,” said Collins.

“It was hard; I was at hospital more often than I was at home, but I just had to keep going,” she explained.

And the determined mother did it.

Baby Alfie was born prematurely at 30 weeks last October.

“He came out screaming—he defied them all,” said Collins. “He is a little miracle. He is now 6lb 14oz and has no health problems.

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The Most Valuable Word In The Economy Of Human Interaction

My first “real” job was sitting across from people convicted of DUIs. After a series of questions, I would write recommendations for judges who would sentence them.

I now work with executives and entrepreneurs to determine where they are heading, I make introductions, organize teams, and facilitate conversations for a living.

Even though these groups of people are vastly different, the questions and the methods are very similar.

In all of this, there is one word that I have found to be the most valuable in the economy of human interaction: Hello.

This word has allowed me to build meaningful connections with people around the world. Whether in Dubai or Denver, I’ve wielded this greeting to disarm, acknowledge, and invite. “Hello” has enabled me to confidently visit multiple countries and several major cities in a span of months.

I’ve said “Hello” to thwart a potential attacker. I was walking on an empty street when a man tried to get me into his car. My response was filled with so much poise and purpose, he sped away.

I’ve said “Hello” to a man being held in jail before trial. The fact I recognized him as a human being and not as an “offender” established instant rapport for the duration of our interview.

I’ve said “Hello” to a friend’s father who was feverish with typhoid. It was our first meeting; he couldn’t speak English, I couldn’t speak Nepali, but the respect and reverence our initial interaction contained set the tone for a beautiful relationship. He would come to call me his daughter.

Today I said “Hello” to a complete stranger in the grocery store. She was evidently frazzled, and her eyes were filled with exhaustion. But our brief interaction had a visibly positive effect on her.

“I believe every single person deserves to be acknowledged, however small or simple the greeting.”—Howard White, VP for Nike’s Jordan Brand

From the company’s founder to the employee serving lunch, White makes it a point to care. He is a former professional athlete, founded a youth motivational program, wrote a book, and serves as VP for Nike’s Jordan Brand, but you won’t hear him say he’s “too busy.”

White recognizes that when we separate ourselves from others, we limit our own potential and that of those around us. When you say “Hello,” you extend yourself. It’s an offering, a giving.

In a world of frenetic behavior and evident signs of pain and struggle, “Hello” paves the way towards connection. Yes, it can be a cursory pleasantry, but it can also be an entryway into something much more.

Whether you like it or not, judgments are made about you before you say hello. In as little as one tenth of a second, a stranger can make assumptions on your competence, aggressiveness and likeability. From the way you’ll behave during an argument to how you present yourself in a meeting—all sorts of opinions are being formed. With a single photograph, viewers were able to make fairly accurate assumptions of complete strangers. Your “Hello” can confirm or deny their predictions.

Whether meeting a new client or assessing a potential partner, your first moments have the power to direct your relationship. The manner in which you engage and approach can dictate how the rest of the experience is going to unfold. If you enter a situation meek and afraid, that’s the response you’re going to get in return. But if you enter with confidence and step towards a person or new experience, it’s going to come back to you with equal force.

Think carefully how you say “Hello.” Put some effort into your greeting and see where it takes you.

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How iTunes Radio is bad for your soul

Jonathan Merritt, Religion News Service, Feb 18, 2014 Apple’s answer to Pandora hasn’t produced a spike in music sales like some predicted. According to a new report by Music Forecasting, iTunes Radio listeners use the service for a “lean back” listening experience and don’t want anything—even purchasing a song—to interrupt it. Having recently relocated to New York City—the earbud capital of the world—I’ve learned to “lean back” with regularity. Walking to the coffee shop where I write. To and from the subway. Even standing in my kitchen making a sandwich. Apple’s curated tunes have become a ubiquitous presence in my life, helping me block out the world by flooding my head with something more melodic and presumably more gratifying than noises I might otherwise encounter. That’s why I’ve come to believe that iTunes Radio is actually bad for our souls. Dutch sonographer Floris Van Manen argues that noise is a drug that modern society is feverishly addicted to. It stimulates, distracts, whisks us away to another place and time. From commercials to street sounds to 24-hour news channels blaring in every airport and doctor’s office waiting room, we’re almost never without it. When we open the app, select a genre, and push play, we’re able to take the reins and dictate the sounds we’re subjected to. One overlooked spiritual consequence of our noise addiction is a failure to hear spontaneous sounds. By tightly controlling and curating what we hear, we may block out everything else and muffle the God-messages sewn throughout the fabric of the world. As I shuffle through the city bobbing my head to the latest hits, I rarely notice the sounds of chirping birds or cooing pigeons as I pass a park. But I’m also avoiding the feathery reminders that I serve a detail-oriented God. If God notices when a single fowl falls, how much more does that God watch over me? The autumn leaves fall and rustle as the wind whips, but I’m unaware of their presence. I’ve got Local Natives blaring in my head, stiff-arming a spiritual lesson about divine rhythms: God uses death to bring life. When I’m forced to release a self-centered aspiration or unhealthy habit, it hurts. Maybe the pain would be mitigated by receiving the spontaneous sounds swirling around me. This works in the opposite direction as well, chasing away the undesirable sounds. Thanks to Apple’s Top 50 playlist, I don’t have to hear the cries of that woman at the table next to me who needs someone to stop and listen. I’m not subjected to the barrage of homeless people asking for money or food. If I don’t hear their pleas, I don’t feel guilty for not helping. Goodbye, inconvenience. With the push of a button, I’m able to live a day free from conviction and obligation. But perhaps the most significant spiritual side effect of our noise addiction is the growing fear of silence. According to a recent study of nearly 600 young people conducted over six years, the constant exposure to “intentional sound” has created “a mass of people who fear silence.” No one needs to tell us this is true. We feel it in our fingers, as they tap a desk frantically. Or our vocal cords, humming to fill the air with something of our own making. When silence floods a room, it brings with it an eerie discomfort. So we drive it away by self-medicating with noise. In my forthcoming book, “Jesus is Better Than You Imagined,” I decided to explore the value of spiritual silence. So I trekked to a Benedictine monastery in the New Mexican desert and took a 60-hour vow of silence. Reflecting on the event, I wrote these words, Inhabitants of the modern world often fear silence and solitude. Having bathed in chaos, these spaces become a kind of wilderness or uncharted frontier. We run from soundlessness because it makes us most uncomfortable….[But] for the Christian, silence is more than an effort to retreat from noise. It is an opportunity to lean into God. To sense His presence in life, to notice the contours of His intervention, to express our reliance on Him. Jesus knew importance of intentional quiet when discerning God’s voice, and we have a record of Him seeking it out more than half a dozen times. Isaiah prophesied, “In repentance and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and trust.” After Paul was converted, he went to Arabia for a quiet retreat of his own. Christian history reveals that generations of Jesus-followers have practiced silence often. How many of us take time regularly to flee the noisiness of life? To embrace the discomfort of silence? To listen for the voice of the Holy? Thomas Merton once remarked, “Just remaining quietly in the presence of God, listening to Him, being attentive to Him, requires a lot of courage and know-how.” It’s a strange thought that silence requires courage; that we’d have to muster guts to enter the absence of noise; that offering a temporary “no” to the clatters and clamors of life requires the same emotion needed to jump out of a plane. Listening to music can also be spiritually uplifting, so I won’t be throwing my earbuds away anytime soon. I won’t be deleting my iTunes account. And I don’t want to institute another rule Christians have to live by. (Lord knows we have created enough of those already.) But I think Merton is right. I think Jesus and Isaiah and Paul were onto something. Learning to embrace silence or even the spontaneous sounds of life is as difficult as rowing upstream. But it is worth it, and we should try it more often.

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Six Aging Myths We Need to Stop Believing

By Deepak Chopra, M.D., Grandparents.com, February 13, 2014

You’ve probably heard a thousand times that as you age, your body and mind begin to “go”—you can no longer move the way you used to and your health deteriorates. But those “facts” couldn’t be further from the truth. Aging doesn’t have to mean decline, in fact, just the opposite. Below are six myths and why each is not true.

Myth No. 1: Your genes predetermine how healthy you are. Why it’s not true: Although the gene sequence you were born with is fixed, gene expression depends on how you live your life. Simply put, we are beginning to learn that your thoughts, emotions, levels of stress, sleep, exercise, breathing, and mind-body coordination can affect your gene expression.

This means that you can turn on or dial up the good genes and turn off or dial down the bad genes. The idea that we can influence our genes is the new science of epigenetics. What we may find with epigenetics is that we each have much more control over the cellular biology of aging.

Myth No. 2: Getting older means feeling older. Why it’s not true: We each have a chronological age and a biological age. Your chronological age is the age on your birth certificate and answers the question, “How many times have you, in this body, revolved around the sun?”

Your biological age basically reflects how well your body is functioning. Biological age is based on everything from your blood pressure and body fat, to your bone density and cholesterol levels. It is determined by several factors and does not have to match your chronological age.

How you perceive the process of aging, your expectations and beliefs; how you experience time and how energetic you feel actually determine the biology of aging. Think about it this way: A 50-year-old who takes good care of herself can have the biology of a 35-year-old. Alternatively, a 50-year-old who has let himself go may have the biology of someone many years older. You can be much younger biologically than what your birth certificate says.

Myth No. 3: Your body gets frail as you age. Why it’s not true: Your body doesn’t have to get frail when you get older. You can increase both the strength and mass of your muscles and even improve bone density through exercises and weight-training. Within six weeks of beginning to exercise, studies show, there’s a 100 to 200 percent increase in strength in men aged 60 to 70. And walking for 30 minutes, five days a week, can add more than seven years to your life, according to a recent Harvard University study.

Myth No. 4: Your brain is destined to deteriorate over time. Why it’s not true: If you think you lose brain cells as you get older, and those cells are gone forever, think again. Research shows that some areas of the brain involved with memory and learning continue to produce new nerve cells every day. So while you do lose brain cells every day, you also are constantly replacing brain cells.

The best thing you can do to build new brain cells is to keep your brain active with new activities and learning. And one of the best things you can do for your brain later in life, research shows, is learn a new language. (Though learning anything new is good for your brain.)

One more thing about your brain: Only 3 to 4 percent of disease-related gene mutations, including mutations for Alzheimer’s disease, are genetically determined. Most disease-related gene mutations are influenced by lifestyle—including emotions, quality of sleep, diet and stress levels. You don’t have to get Alzheimer’s disease or lose mental alertness as you grow old.

Myth No. 5: Your energy decreases as you get older. Why it’s not true: Energy levels in the body don’t depend on age. They depend on your attitude and are influenced by the quality of your life. Meditation, restful sleep and exercise are the best ways to experience a joyful and energetic body.

Myth No. 6: The older you are, the more unhappy you are. Why it’s not true: Happiness has nothing to do with aging. In fact, the later years can be the best time of your life. Many studies have shown that people get happier as they age.

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