Larry Peterson's Blog, page 17
January 13, 2015
Marriage & Family~~Pre and Post Woodstock
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME
By Larry Peterson
This opening paragraph quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church; #1603: "The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws....God Himself is the author of marriage."
Last October there was quite the "kerfuffle" created by the secular press when the 2014 Synod of Bishops on the Family was taking place. In their ongoing quest to 'secularize' the Catholic Church the main stream media (print & broadcast) was reporting (speculating is the right word) that, under Pope Francis, the 'new' church would soon be embracing homosexual marriage and unmarried cohabitation. They also anointed Cardinal Walter Kasper of Germany as the Church's "true voice of reason" because, in his keynote address to the Synod, he suggested that maybe it was time for the church to allow divorced and remarried Catholics to be allowed to receive communion.
The media never seems to grasp the fact that it takes more than a "suggestion" by one cardinal to change church teaching. They rarely if ever reported that this meeting of the Synod was only the first part and it would reconvene again a year later. They always seem to 'pick & choose' the narrative that fits their constant secular agenda. Let's face it, the secular world is not interested in what the Church is, what its history and tradition is and certainly not in its dogmatic teachings. We, as a people, deserve more responsible and forthright journalism. The fact of the matter is NOTHING has changed regarding Catholic Church teaching on the subject of marriage.
Matrimony in the church is one of the seven Sacraments. Within the sacramental life it is meant for a man and a woman who love each other to join together creating a new family that ultimately continues the creation that God initially put in place. It is sacrosanct and inviolable. Furthermore, before Jesus Christ instituted this sacrament it existed under what we call Natural Law. Natural Law is given to us by God. (I also like to call it, "Common Sense". Please use the link for a Catholic explanation of marriage and natural law.)
My initial reason for starting this essay was to ask the question, "What happened to the concept of marriage being only between a man and a woman? How did that concept seemingly evaporate in only several decades after centuries of acceptance by humankind as "Natural"? In the sophisticated, secular world of 2015 I can be branded an intolerant homophobe for believing that marriage is ONLY for a man and a woman. Let me try to share the world I come from and how most Catholics were raised in the pre-Woodstock era.
Marriage was considered, foremost, an integral part of Natural Law as handed down by God. A man and a woman would meet and fall in love. After a period of time, if they so chose, they would join together as husband and wife creating a new family. It was at this point in their lives when they moved in with each other and lived together. It was a vocation, a calling, and it was not for everyone. Most folks accepted this premise without question. Most folks did choose that path in life. Most were married in a church and most intended to be together "until death do us part". Finally, most newly marrieds became parents continuing God's plan of continuing the human race. And that was the way it was.
So, what happened? I suggest it started in 1969 at Woodstock. The now "hallowed" rock & roll jamboree that signaled the end of the 60's ushered in the officially liberated era of "do your own thing". We have moved onward since then another 45 years and today, living together BEFORE getting married is almost taken for granted. A matrimonial "test drive" seems a requirement prior to the actual nuptials taking place. No fault divorce makes it very easy to dissolve marriages dismissing vows that were freely taken using the words "until death do us part". Homosexual marriage is being demanded as a choice and a right and if you disagree you are considered intolerant and a racist. God and Natural Law are being mocked. And that is the way it is. But not everywhere.
The way it was is still in vogue within the Catholic Church. And here is where I will end this essay. From January 5-9, the Confraternities of Catholic Clergy in the United States, Australia, Britain and Ireland unanimously reaffirmed their support for Church teaching on marriage and family rejecting any proposals at the 2014 Synod of Bishops that the Church alter pastoral practices and doctrine in this area.
In a statement issued at the end of a five-day conference they pledged their “unwavering fidelity to the traditional doctrines regarding marriage and the true meaning of human sexuality, as proclaimed in the word of God and set out clearly in the Church’s ordinary and universal magisterium.”
And that was the way it was and that is the way it is. Maybe they never heard of Woodstock.
copyright 2015 Larry Peterson
By Larry Peterson
This opening paragraph quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church; #1603: "The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws....God Himself is the author of marriage."
Last October there was quite the "kerfuffle" created by the secular press when the 2014 Synod of Bishops on the Family was taking place. In their ongoing quest to 'secularize' the Catholic Church the main stream media (print & broadcast) was reporting (speculating is the right word) that, under Pope Francis, the 'new' church would soon be embracing homosexual marriage and unmarried cohabitation. They also anointed Cardinal Walter Kasper of Germany as the Church's "true voice of reason" because, in his keynote address to the Synod, he suggested that maybe it was time for the church to allow divorced and remarried Catholics to be allowed to receive communion.
The media never seems to grasp the fact that it takes more than a "suggestion" by one cardinal to change church teaching. They rarely if ever reported that this meeting of the Synod was only the first part and it would reconvene again a year later. They always seem to 'pick & choose' the narrative that fits their constant secular agenda. Let's face it, the secular world is not interested in what the Church is, what its history and tradition is and certainly not in its dogmatic teachings. We, as a people, deserve more responsible and forthright journalism. The fact of the matter is NOTHING has changed regarding Catholic Church teaching on the subject of marriage.
Matrimony in the church is one of the seven Sacraments. Within the sacramental life it is meant for a man and a woman who love each other to join together creating a new family that ultimately continues the creation that God initially put in place. It is sacrosanct and inviolable. Furthermore, before Jesus Christ instituted this sacrament it existed under what we call Natural Law. Natural Law is given to us by God. (I also like to call it, "Common Sense". Please use the link for a Catholic explanation of marriage and natural law.)
My initial reason for starting this essay was to ask the question, "What happened to the concept of marriage being only between a man and a woman? How did that concept seemingly evaporate in only several decades after centuries of acceptance by humankind as "Natural"? In the sophisticated, secular world of 2015 I can be branded an intolerant homophobe for believing that marriage is ONLY for a man and a woman. Let me try to share the world I come from and how most Catholics were raised in the pre-Woodstock era.
Marriage was considered, foremost, an integral part of Natural Law as handed down by God. A man and a woman would meet and fall in love. After a period of time, if they so chose, they would join together as husband and wife creating a new family. It was at this point in their lives when they moved in with each other and lived together. It was a vocation, a calling, and it was not for everyone. Most folks accepted this premise without question. Most folks did choose that path in life. Most were married in a church and most intended to be together "until death do us part". Finally, most newly marrieds became parents continuing God's plan of continuing the human race. And that was the way it was.
So, what happened? I suggest it started in 1969 at Woodstock. The now "hallowed" rock & roll jamboree that signaled the end of the 60's ushered in the officially liberated era of "do your own thing". We have moved onward since then another 45 years and today, living together BEFORE getting married is almost taken for granted. A matrimonial "test drive" seems a requirement prior to the actual nuptials taking place. No fault divorce makes it very easy to dissolve marriages dismissing vows that were freely taken using the words "until death do us part". Homosexual marriage is being demanded as a choice and a right and if you disagree you are considered intolerant and a racist. God and Natural Law are being mocked. And that is the way it is. But not everywhere.
The way it was is still in vogue within the Catholic Church. And here is where I will end this essay. From January 5-9, the Confraternities of Catholic Clergy in the United States, Australia, Britain and Ireland unanimously reaffirmed their support for Church teaching on marriage and family rejecting any proposals at the 2014 Synod of Bishops that the Church alter pastoral practices and doctrine in this area.
In a statement issued at the end of a five-day conference they pledged their “unwavering fidelity to the traditional doctrines regarding marriage and the true meaning of human sexuality, as proclaimed in the word of God and set out clearly in the Church’s ordinary and universal magisterium.”
And that was the way it was and that is the way it is. Maybe they never heard of Woodstock.
copyright 2015 Larry Peterson
January 6, 2015
"Big Brother" is Watching Everyone. What Happened to God?
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME
By Larry Peterson
Surveillance is a lovely word. Derived from the French word, surveill, it flows harmlessly off the tongue. But what it means when it lands is anything but lovely. It means continuous observation of a place, person, group, or ongoing activity in order to gather information. And today, as we enter the highly upscale and sophisticated year of 2015, it is most likely that every single one of us has been somehow surveilled. This is, to me, scary, scary stuff. So I ask the question, why? Why in the name of all that is FREEDOM is it necessary for us all to be monitored, watched, photographed, videotaped, and even scanned? I will tell you why and It Makes Sense To Me--just look at the empty churches.
Yeah, that's right. It started when the sophisticates began their quest to eliminate God from our Judeo-Christian, uniquely American foundation. The chipping began long ago but over the past 50 years the jack-hammers and explosives have been busy busting up and blowing up the very fabric of our nation's identity which had been woven together by God's own thread.
Prior to 1960 we did not need so many rules, regulations and surveillance because the vast majority of people were --get ready, here it comes--were considered "God fearing, law abiding Americans". The US Government has kept on expanding, like a huge hot air balloon with an unlimited capacity to embrace the "hot-air" that has created so much of our lost privacy and freedom.Today many Americans have morphed into more of a "Self-serving, I am entitled, I'm not bothering you American". Whatever have we wrought? What we have wrought is Secularism.
I grew up in New York City in the South Bronx during the 1950s and early 60s. We lived in an apartment that had four rooms, one of which was a small, eat in kitchen. There were seven of us, Mom, Dad and five kids. We were no different than any one else in the neighborhood. Some families had two kids, some had ten. No big deal. No one complained or considered that they were deprived or different or poor. During the heated summer months the humidity spent the sunlight hours steaming the bricks on the buildings so as to keep the nights hotter than the days, We kept our windows and front door wide open. There was a fire-escape outside the rear bedroom window and any one could have walked right in at any time of the night. Most everyone kept their apartment doors open to grab the breeze that might waft upward through the stairwells. It was a time when people enjoyed an inner peace.
Things began to change and before you knew it it was 1969 and front doors and windows were suddenly shut. Attendance at church became less and less. People, mostly younger folks, were demanding more "rights" inhibiting the rights of others in the process. The War in Vietnam was raging and more and more deadbolts were being installed. Vatican II changes were implemented and the Catholic Church experienced an upheaval by secularists who decided to interpret the changes to fit their personal beliefs. The 80s led to the 90s and more sophisticated, personal alarm systems were developed for homes and cars. The computer age captured us all and by the 21st century we are all subjects to these incredible machines. They are the "ones" controlling and monitoring our personal lives, including our safety.
During October of 2014, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia gave a lecture entitled "Strangers in a Strange land". He pointed out that in 1950 Quebec, Canada had a 90% attendance by Catholics at Sunday Mass. In 2014 it as at 6%. There are young "Catholics" in Quebec who, if asked "What time is Mass?", reply, "What is that?" In the United States attendance in 1960 on average was about 75%. Today it hovers at about 20% and half of those folks do not believe in the "Real Presence", a fundamental doctrine of the catholic faith. Almost 50% of people who call them- selves Christian do not believe in the Resurrection of the body, another basic tenet of Christianity.
Fifty years ago most folks had a fundamental respect for each other. Since the age of secularism that seems to have waned severely. There is a sense of self-gratification that has grabbed hold of many. Women wanted equality with men. They now stand on subways and buses and do not have the door held open for them. Not all men are like that but it is not like it was.
As God was slowly diminished "Big brother" slowly expanded his presence. Today he watches us like a "hawk" with cameras and recorders virtually everywhere imaginable. That is because we, the people, cannot be trusted. Drones for everyone will become the vogue especially private detectives, lawyers, and government agencies. Our back yards are no longer our private domain. Every aspect of out lives is now being scrutinized. It seems we have traded God and His commandments for a Government that has power over your entire being. I liked it better when we kept the doors open.
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other" ----John Adams; 2nd President of the United States
Copyright2015 Larry Peterson
By Larry Peterson
Surveillance is a lovely word. Derived from the French word, surveill, it flows harmlessly off the tongue. But what it means when it lands is anything but lovely. It means continuous observation of a place, person, group, or ongoing activity in order to gather information. And today, as we enter the highly upscale and sophisticated year of 2015, it is most likely that every single one of us has been somehow surveilled. This is, to me, scary, scary stuff. So I ask the question, why? Why in the name of all that is FREEDOM is it necessary for us all to be monitored, watched, photographed, videotaped, and even scanned? I will tell you why and It Makes Sense To Me--just look at the empty churches.
Yeah, that's right. It started when the sophisticates began their quest to eliminate God from our Judeo-Christian, uniquely American foundation. The chipping began long ago but over the past 50 years the jack-hammers and explosives have been busy busting up and blowing up the very fabric of our nation's identity which had been woven together by God's own thread.
Prior to 1960 we did not need so many rules, regulations and surveillance because the vast majority of people were --get ready, here it comes--were considered "God fearing, law abiding Americans". The US Government has kept on expanding, like a huge hot air balloon with an unlimited capacity to embrace the "hot-air" that has created so much of our lost privacy and freedom.Today many Americans have morphed into more of a "Self-serving, I am entitled, I'm not bothering you American". Whatever have we wrought? What we have wrought is Secularism.
I grew up in New York City in the South Bronx during the 1950s and early 60s. We lived in an apartment that had four rooms, one of which was a small, eat in kitchen. There were seven of us, Mom, Dad and five kids. We were no different than any one else in the neighborhood. Some families had two kids, some had ten. No big deal. No one complained or considered that they were deprived or different or poor. During the heated summer months the humidity spent the sunlight hours steaming the bricks on the buildings so as to keep the nights hotter than the days, We kept our windows and front door wide open. There was a fire-escape outside the rear bedroom window and any one could have walked right in at any time of the night. Most everyone kept their apartment doors open to grab the breeze that might waft upward through the stairwells. It was a time when people enjoyed an inner peace.
Things began to change and before you knew it it was 1969 and front doors and windows were suddenly shut. Attendance at church became less and less. People, mostly younger folks, were demanding more "rights" inhibiting the rights of others in the process. The War in Vietnam was raging and more and more deadbolts were being installed. Vatican II changes were implemented and the Catholic Church experienced an upheaval by secularists who decided to interpret the changes to fit their personal beliefs. The 80s led to the 90s and more sophisticated, personal alarm systems were developed for homes and cars. The computer age captured us all and by the 21st century we are all subjects to these incredible machines. They are the "ones" controlling and monitoring our personal lives, including our safety.
During October of 2014, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia gave a lecture entitled "Strangers in a Strange land". He pointed out that in 1950 Quebec, Canada had a 90% attendance by Catholics at Sunday Mass. In 2014 it as at 6%. There are young "Catholics" in Quebec who, if asked "What time is Mass?", reply, "What is that?" In the United States attendance in 1960 on average was about 75%. Today it hovers at about 20% and half of those folks do not believe in the "Real Presence", a fundamental doctrine of the catholic faith. Almost 50% of people who call them- selves Christian do not believe in the Resurrection of the body, another basic tenet of Christianity.
Fifty years ago most folks had a fundamental respect for each other. Since the age of secularism that seems to have waned severely. There is a sense of self-gratification that has grabbed hold of many. Women wanted equality with men. They now stand on subways and buses and do not have the door held open for them. Not all men are like that but it is not like it was.
As God was slowly diminished "Big brother" slowly expanded his presence. Today he watches us like a "hawk" with cameras and recorders virtually everywhere imaginable. That is because we, the people, cannot be trusted. Drones for everyone will become the vogue especially private detectives, lawyers, and government agencies. Our back yards are no longer our private domain. Every aspect of out lives is now being scrutinized. It seems we have traded God and His commandments for a Government that has power over your entire being. I liked it better when we kept the doors open.
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other" ----John Adams; 2nd President of the United States
Copyright2015 Larry Peterson
December 31, 2014
THE PICTURE: From 2014; The Angelic Face of "Little Christy"
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME
by Larry Peterson
If there is one thing that is etched into my mind when I think back about the year of 2014 it is THE PICTURE. I am not trying to be graphic or shocking or anything like that. I am just trying to show how an innocent child can be brutally murdered on camera because she was born Christian, killed for propaganda purposes, and the outcry from the world is barely audible. I do not understand.
Look at THE PICTURE below. You should feel sickened by it. It should repulse you. It should even give you nightmares. First the evil agents of Satan murdered her mom. (Make no mistake, this is the work of Satan and his followers.) Then they murdered this innocent, frightened child. I never knew her real name. I named her
About 40 miles south of Indianapolis, Indiana is the city of Columbus, population about 45 thousand. Recently, three churches were vandalized on the same night. The common words sprayed on the walls were "INFIDELS" and KORAN 3:151. This verse states, "We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve for what they have associated with Allah (reference to Christian Trinity) of which he had not sent down any authority. And their refuge will be fire, and wretched is the residence of the wrongdoers."
Australia, Canada, Europe, and now the United States. The Evil has spread. We had all better be vigilant and pray. It is time for all Americans to join together to confront what has stepped across our very thresholds of peace, our churches. Look at THE PICTURE. Those who took it are ruled by "hate" and have NO boundaries.
Remembering 2014--Killing Christians; Including Baby Christy 
by Larry Peterson
If there is one thing that is etched into my mind when I think back about the year of 2014 it is THE PICTURE. I am not trying to be graphic or shocking or anything like that. I am just trying to show how an innocent child can be brutally murdered on camera because she was born Christian, killed for propaganda purposes, and the outcry from the world is barely audible. I do not understand.
Look at THE PICTURE below. You should feel sickened by it. It should repulse you. It should even give you nightmares. First the evil agents of Satan murdered her mom. (Make no mistake, this is the work of Satan and his followers.) Then they murdered this innocent, frightened child. I never knew her real name. I named her
About 40 miles south of Indianapolis, Indiana is the city of Columbus, population about 45 thousand. Recently, three churches were vandalized on the same night. The common words sprayed on the walls were "INFIDELS" and KORAN 3:151. This verse states, "We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve for what they have associated with Allah (reference to Christian Trinity) of which he had not sent down any authority. And their refuge will be fire, and wretched is the residence of the wrongdoers."
Australia, Canada, Europe, and now the United States. The Evil has spread. We had all better be vigilant and pray. It is time for all Americans to join together to confront what has stepped across our very thresholds of peace, our churches. Look at THE PICTURE. Those who took it are ruled by "hate" and have NO boundaries.
Remembering 2014--Killing Christians; Including Baby Christy December 30, 2014
Christianity Under Attack: Religious Freedom Protects It. Without it Many Die. May God Bless and Preserve America's Freedoms
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME
by Larry Peterson
Countless articles, essays, blogs and so forth will be in print as we welcome in the New year of 2015. I'm not going to reminisce or wallow in what might have been or what should be. I just want to mention a family to you. Maybe you have heard of them, maybe not. Their names were Magdy Tawfiq, his wife, Sahar Rizk and their daughters, Catherine, 13 and two younger girls aged 10 and aged 9. Unlike Americans, these people did not have the Constitution of the United States of America in force to protect them. No, they were Coptic Christians (which is Catholic too) and they lived in Libya. They were our Christian brothers and sisters in faith. They loved Jesus Christ and the message of Love and Hope and Salvation that He brought to all mankind. They believed as we do. Unlike us they are dead. They were brutally murdered because of their love and respect for the Son of God, Jesus.
Sahar and Magdy; July 20, 2000Magdy and Sahar were married on July 20, 2000 and moved to Libya in 2001. Magdy worked at a Diabetes clinic in Sirte for two years and then he began working with Sahar at the Jarf Health Center. People reported that Doctor Magdy treated all the people there regardless of having money or not and was beloved by everyone. They loved God, each other and tried their best to treat all people equally.
At 4:00 am on Tuesday, December 23, Doctor Magdy woke to knocking on the door of his building. He assumed it was a patient with an emergency needing immediate attention. When he opened the door he was greeted by armed masked men. They attacked him, handcuffed him and placed him in a chair. The family, living in fear after many threats from Ansar Al-Sharia, had become the target of cowardly, masked, gunmen who were taking their orders from the realm of evil.
The hooded demons went to the bedroom and shot Sahar dead. Then they took Doctor Magdy outside and shot him through the head and chest leaving his crumpled body handcuffed in a heap. Catherine's 13-year old body was found outside of town. The two youngest girls were forced to watch the murders. They were left alive to tell the story and are now living with relatives. It is all so hard to even imagine what these kind, decent, innocent people have to endure prior to their actual deaths. The fear, the anxiety, the hopelessness must be beyond anything we here in America can ever fathom.
We live in America. They lived in Libya. We share the same faith, the only difference being we are here and they are there. Therefore, based on location, we live and they die. And how much do we hear about these atrocities and the virtual elimination of Christianity throughout the Middle East and other parts of the world? We hear hardly anything. You and I can get up on a Sunday morning and head off to our churches and none of us is concerned about our safety. Not one of us worries about being murdered for believing in Jesus.
Yet, in other parts of the world on the very same day we are going contentedly off to Church, our Christian brothers and sisters, including children and babies, are being brutalized, raped, beheaded, burned, shot and hanged for believing exactly what we believe. Look at the wedding photo of Magdy and Sahar. The picture might have been taken in Milwaukee, or New York or maybe Atlanta or Dallas. If that had been the case then they would still be alive and this story would not have to be written, But the truth is evil is running rampant throughout the world and its primary target is Christianity.
ALL Americans should embrace with all their might the freedoms our Founding Fathers handed down to us, especially Freedom of Religion. Yet there are those who portray this freedom and Christianity as an affront to them. They do not like religion because it stands its ground against the forces of secularism. These Americans want to purge religion from the public square. They will even go to court to have a cross removed from somewhere they have decided should not have it. Those that do this are just selfish and self consumed for not respecting so many of their fellow citizens and for refusing to accept the fact that they are chipping away at the very freedoms that give them the right to protest in the first place.
They might want to consider that the Islamist radicals want them dead too. If you are an American they hate you whether or not you are a Catholic, a Jew, or an atheist. They hate anyone who is an American. I wish they would look at the wedding photo of Magdy and Sahar. They did not have the freedom we have. They have been slaughtered.
As we embark on the journey that is the year, 2015, I would like to remember people such as Father Frans Van der Lugt, murdered by ISIS in March because he was a Catholic priest. He was 76 years old. Pray for Asia Bibi, a mother of five, in prison in Pakistan for five years and waiting to be hanged. Her crime--"blasphemy". She is Catholic and defended Jesus. Then there is Salem Matti Kourk who was hiding out in Mosul and went to find some food. He was captured by ISIS , beaten, murdered and his body left in front of the Church of the Virgin Mary, which ISIS had also destroyed. Of course we cannot forget the thousands of men, women and children kidnapped, murdered and mutilated throughout the year of 2014 by the evil ones who hate Christianity. Genocide against Christians is real.
I end this with a link to the story I wrote about "Little Christy". If ever there was a picture that could show the face of evil in this world this blog has it. Let us celebrate our freedoms as Americans and fight to the bitter end to protect them. The alternative is beyond imagination.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015 May God's Blessings be upon you
by Larry Peterson
Countless articles, essays, blogs and so forth will be in print as we welcome in the New year of 2015. I'm not going to reminisce or wallow in what might have been or what should be. I just want to mention a family to you. Maybe you have heard of them, maybe not. Their names were Magdy Tawfiq, his wife, Sahar Rizk and their daughters, Catherine, 13 and two younger girls aged 10 and aged 9. Unlike Americans, these people did not have the Constitution of the United States of America in force to protect them. No, they were Coptic Christians (which is Catholic too) and they lived in Libya. They were our Christian brothers and sisters in faith. They loved Jesus Christ and the message of Love and Hope and Salvation that He brought to all mankind. They believed as we do. Unlike us they are dead. They were brutally murdered because of their love and respect for the Son of God, Jesus.
Sahar and Magdy; July 20, 2000Magdy and Sahar were married on July 20, 2000 and moved to Libya in 2001. Magdy worked at a Diabetes clinic in Sirte for two years and then he began working with Sahar at the Jarf Health Center. People reported that Doctor Magdy treated all the people there regardless of having money or not and was beloved by everyone. They loved God, each other and tried their best to treat all people equally.At 4:00 am on Tuesday, December 23, Doctor Magdy woke to knocking on the door of his building. He assumed it was a patient with an emergency needing immediate attention. When he opened the door he was greeted by armed masked men. They attacked him, handcuffed him and placed him in a chair. The family, living in fear after many threats from Ansar Al-Sharia, had become the target of cowardly, masked, gunmen who were taking their orders from the realm of evil.
The hooded demons went to the bedroom and shot Sahar dead. Then they took Doctor Magdy outside and shot him through the head and chest leaving his crumpled body handcuffed in a heap. Catherine's 13-year old body was found outside of town. The two youngest girls were forced to watch the murders. They were left alive to tell the story and are now living with relatives. It is all so hard to even imagine what these kind, decent, innocent people have to endure prior to their actual deaths. The fear, the anxiety, the hopelessness must be beyond anything we here in America can ever fathom.
We live in America. They lived in Libya. We share the same faith, the only difference being we are here and they are there. Therefore, based on location, we live and they die. And how much do we hear about these atrocities and the virtual elimination of Christianity throughout the Middle East and other parts of the world? We hear hardly anything. You and I can get up on a Sunday morning and head off to our churches and none of us is concerned about our safety. Not one of us worries about being murdered for believing in Jesus.
Yet, in other parts of the world on the very same day we are going contentedly off to Church, our Christian brothers and sisters, including children and babies, are being brutalized, raped, beheaded, burned, shot and hanged for believing exactly what we believe. Look at the wedding photo of Magdy and Sahar. The picture might have been taken in Milwaukee, or New York or maybe Atlanta or Dallas. If that had been the case then they would still be alive and this story would not have to be written, But the truth is evil is running rampant throughout the world and its primary target is Christianity.
ALL Americans should embrace with all their might the freedoms our Founding Fathers handed down to us, especially Freedom of Religion. Yet there are those who portray this freedom and Christianity as an affront to them. They do not like religion because it stands its ground against the forces of secularism. These Americans want to purge religion from the public square. They will even go to court to have a cross removed from somewhere they have decided should not have it. Those that do this are just selfish and self consumed for not respecting so many of their fellow citizens and for refusing to accept the fact that they are chipping away at the very freedoms that give them the right to protest in the first place.
They might want to consider that the Islamist radicals want them dead too. If you are an American they hate you whether or not you are a Catholic, a Jew, or an atheist. They hate anyone who is an American. I wish they would look at the wedding photo of Magdy and Sahar. They did not have the freedom we have. They have been slaughtered.
As we embark on the journey that is the year, 2015, I would like to remember people such as Father Frans Van der Lugt, murdered by ISIS in March because he was a Catholic priest. He was 76 years old. Pray for Asia Bibi, a mother of five, in prison in Pakistan for five years and waiting to be hanged. Her crime--"blasphemy". She is Catholic and defended Jesus. Then there is Salem Matti Kourk who was hiding out in Mosul and went to find some food. He was captured by ISIS , beaten, murdered and his body left in front of the Church of the Virgin Mary, which ISIS had also destroyed. Of course we cannot forget the thousands of men, women and children kidnapped, murdered and mutilated throughout the year of 2014 by the evil ones who hate Christianity. Genocide against Christians is real.
I end this with a link to the story I wrote about "Little Christy". If ever there was a picture that could show the face of evil in this world this blog has it. Let us celebrate our freedoms as Americans and fight to the bitter end to protect them. The alternative is beyond imagination.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015 May God's Blessings be upon you
December 26, 2014
When Thinking Family Consider That Two Teenagers Set The Standard for Us All
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME
by Larry Peterson
From the Book Of Sirach Ch 3: 2-4
For the Lord sets a father in honor over his children; A mother's authority he confirms over her sons.Those who honor their father atone for sins;They store up riches who revere their mother.
N.B: In this essay the use of the word PRIDE refers to Negative Pride
The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family on the Sunday following Christmas. If you are among the millions of folks who never pay an iota of attention to this family, maybe you should. Why? Because this is the family that "set the bar" for all families. Comprised of two teenagers, Mary and Joseph and their boy, Jesus, their unconditional love for God and each other cannot be surpassed. The birth of Jesus is the greatest act of humility imaginable.
This was God, the Creator of all that there is, becoming like one of His creations. He could have come in a majestic way, surrounded by armies and servants and glitter and pomp. He chose to come in the simplest way of all, among the animals in a cave. As He began His earthly life His body was wrapped in cloth and then placed on straw. Why would He do this?
He did this because he loved us unconditionally and wanted us to learn that Pride, the greatest of the deadly sins and the root cause of all the evil in the world, must be kicked to the curb at all costs. Pride was the reason He came to us. From the first sins of Adam and Eve to the very present, Pride is the villain. Pride is why He had to redeem and save us. Incredibly, he became as HUMBLE as humanly possible to teach us that humility is what conquers Pride. Amazingly, He chose teenagers to set the example for everyone from that very night onward. They showed us that the love between a man and a woman will always conquer negative pride if tempered with Humility. For marriage is about loving and sharing and giving of oneself to another--totally. Humility is the virtue that effects that giving.
We know so little about the lives of Joseph and Mary, yet they are an integral part of the Salvation story. Mary's acceptance of a pregnancy that might have resulted in her being stoned to death as an adulteress, was another act of monumental humility. Joseph, a good man and a faithful Jew true to the law, accepted a woman who was pregnant as his wife, another act of extreme humility. The Holy Family was the complete and perfect embodiment of Humility. It remains so to this very day .
Isn't God amazing in the way He does things? This is the story of our Salvation and the rebirth of Hope. This Salvation became available to all people for all time and its success was entrusted to a couple of have-not teens whose humility and love of God enabled them to conquer the seemingly impossible. They married against incredible odds and traveled to Bethlehem while Mary was full term, a three to five day journey on the back of a donkey. Joseph walked guiding the donkey. Mary gave birth in a cave surrounded by smelly animals and filth and then they managed to escape the soldiers of King Herod who were trying to kill their newborn Son. Oh yeah, lest we forget, they also made it to Egypt, about three hundred miles away. We know the rest of the story.
If you take a moment to ponder all that happened and how it happened and why it happened, it will leave you breathless. And then we remember it was all done for all of us. There was nothing done for themselves, not one thing. We need to get back to "Family" and the Holy Family is the model to build on. We must never forget that within that family it was the husband and father who protected his wife and Son from the evils of the world. The Son humbled Himself and gave his life for us all. And the Mom, the most humble of all women ever, crushes the head of the evil serpent with her heel. In so doing she is protecting all of her "children" (which includes you and I) for all eternity. Humility conquers pride. Just look to the Holy Family.
by Larry Peterson
From the Book Of Sirach Ch 3: 2-4
For the Lord sets a father in honor over his children; A mother's authority he confirms over her sons.Those who honor their father atone for sins;They store up riches who revere their mother.
N.B: In this essay the use of the word PRIDE refers to Negative Pride
The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family on the Sunday following Christmas. If you are among the millions of folks who never pay an iota of attention to this family, maybe you should. Why? Because this is the family that "set the bar" for all families. Comprised of two teenagers, Mary and Joseph and their boy, Jesus, their unconditional love for God and each other cannot be surpassed. The birth of Jesus is the greatest act of humility imaginable.
This was God, the Creator of all that there is, becoming like one of His creations. He could have come in a majestic way, surrounded by armies and servants and glitter and pomp. He chose to come in the simplest way of all, among the animals in a cave. As He began His earthly life His body was wrapped in cloth and then placed on straw. Why would He do this?
He did this because he loved us unconditionally and wanted us to learn that Pride, the greatest of the deadly sins and the root cause of all the evil in the world, must be kicked to the curb at all costs. Pride was the reason He came to us. From the first sins of Adam and Eve to the very present, Pride is the villain. Pride is why He had to redeem and save us. Incredibly, he became as HUMBLE as humanly possible to teach us that humility is what conquers Pride. Amazingly, He chose teenagers to set the example for everyone from that very night onward. They showed us that the love between a man and a woman will always conquer negative pride if tempered with Humility. For marriage is about loving and sharing and giving of oneself to another--totally. Humility is the virtue that effects that giving.
We know so little about the lives of Joseph and Mary, yet they are an integral part of the Salvation story. Mary's acceptance of a pregnancy that might have resulted in her being stoned to death as an adulteress, was another act of monumental humility. Joseph, a good man and a faithful Jew true to the law, accepted a woman who was pregnant as his wife, another act of extreme humility. The Holy Family was the complete and perfect embodiment of Humility. It remains so to this very day .
Isn't God amazing in the way He does things? This is the story of our Salvation and the rebirth of Hope. This Salvation became available to all people for all time and its success was entrusted to a couple of have-not teens whose humility and love of God enabled them to conquer the seemingly impossible. They married against incredible odds and traveled to Bethlehem while Mary was full term, a three to five day journey on the back of a donkey. Joseph walked guiding the donkey. Mary gave birth in a cave surrounded by smelly animals and filth and then they managed to escape the soldiers of King Herod who were trying to kill their newborn Son. Oh yeah, lest we forget, they also made it to Egypt, about three hundred miles away. We know the rest of the story.
If you take a moment to ponder all that happened and how it happened and why it happened, it will leave you breathless. And then we remember it was all done for all of us. There was nothing done for themselves, not one thing. We need to get back to "Family" and the Holy Family is the model to build on. We must never forget that within that family it was the husband and father who protected his wife and Son from the evils of the world. The Son humbled Himself and gave his life for us all. And the Mom, the most humble of all women ever, crushes the head of the evil serpent with her heel. In so doing she is protecting all of her "children" (which includes you and I) for all eternity. Humility conquers pride. Just look to the Holy Family.
Thinking Family? Two Teenagers Set The Standard for Us All
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME
by Larry Peterson
From the Book Of Sirach Ch 3: 2-4
For the Lord sets a father in honor over his children; A mother's authority he confirms over her sons.Those who honor their father atone for sins;They store up riches who revere their mother.
N.B: In this essay the use of the word PRIDE refers to Negative Pride
The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family on the Sunday following Christmas. If you are among the millions of folks who never pay an iota of attention to this family, maybe you should. Why? Because this is the family that "set the bar" for all families. Comprised of two teenagers, Mary and Joseph and their boy, Jesus, their unconditional love for God and each other cannot be surpassed. The birth of Jesus is the greatest act of humility imaginable.
This was God, the Creator of all that there is, becoming like one of His creations. He could have come in a majestic way, surrounded by armies and servants and glitter and pomp. He chose to come in the simplest way of all, among the animals in a cave. As He began His earthly life His body was wrapped in cloth and then placed on straw. Why would He do this?
He did this because he loved us unconditionally and wanted us to learn that Pride, the greatest of the deadly sins and the root cause of all the evil in the world, must be kicked to the curb at all costs. Pride was the reason He came to us. From the first sins of Adam and Eve to the very present, Pride is the villain. Pride is why He had to redeem and save us. Incredibly, he became as HUMBLE as humanly possible to teach us that humility is what conquers Pride. Amazingly, He chose teenagers to set the example for everyone from that very night onward. They showed us that the love between a man and a woman will always conquer negative pride if tempered with Humility. For marriage is about loving and sharing and giving of oneself to another--totally. Humility is the virtue that effects that giving.
We know so little about the lives of Joseph and Mary, yet they are an integral part of the Salvation story. Mary's acceptance of a pregnancy that might have resulted in her being stoned to death as an adulteress, was another act of monumental humility. Joseph, a good man and a faithful Jew true to the law, accepted a woman who was pregnant as his wife, another act of extreme humility. The Holy Family was the complete and perfect embodiment of Humility. It remains so to this very day .
Isn't God amazing in the way He does things? This is the story of our Salvation and the rebirth of Hope. This Salvation became available to all people for all time and its success was entrusted to a couple of have-not teens whose humility and love of God enabled them to conquer the seemingly impossible. They married against incredible odds and traveled to Bethlehem while Mary was full term, a three to five day journey on the back of a donkey. Joseph walked guiding the donkey. Mary gave birth in a cave surrounded by smelly animals and filth and then they managed to escape the soldiers of King Herod who were trying to kill their newborn Son. Oh yeah, lest we forget, they also made it to Egypt, about three hundred miles away. We know the rest of the story.
If you take a moment to ponder all that happened and how it happened and why it happened, it will leave you breathless. And then we remember it was all done for all of us. There was nothing done for themselves, not one thing. We need to get back to "Family" and the Holy Family is the model to build on. We must never forget that within that family it was the husband and father who protected his wife and Son from the evils of the world. The Son humbled Himself and gave his life for us all. And the Mom, the most humble of all women ever, crushes the head of the evil serpent with her heel. In so doing she is protecting all of her "children" (which includes you and I) for all eternity. Humility conquers pride. Just look to the Holy Family.
by Larry Peterson
From the Book Of Sirach Ch 3: 2-4
For the Lord sets a father in honor over his children; A mother's authority he confirms over her sons.Those who honor their father atone for sins;They store up riches who revere their mother.
N.B: In this essay the use of the word PRIDE refers to Negative Pride
The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family on the Sunday following Christmas. If you are among the millions of folks who never pay an iota of attention to this family, maybe you should. Why? Because this is the family that "set the bar" for all families. Comprised of two teenagers, Mary and Joseph and their boy, Jesus, their unconditional love for God and each other cannot be surpassed. The birth of Jesus is the greatest act of humility imaginable.
This was God, the Creator of all that there is, becoming like one of His creations. He could have come in a majestic way, surrounded by armies and servants and glitter and pomp. He chose to come in the simplest way of all, among the animals in a cave. As He began His earthly life His body was wrapped in cloth and then placed on straw. Why would He do this?
He did this because he loved us unconditionally and wanted us to learn that Pride, the greatest of the deadly sins and the root cause of all the evil in the world, must be kicked to the curb at all costs. Pride was the reason He came to us. From the first sins of Adam and Eve to the very present, Pride is the villain. Pride is why He had to redeem and save us. Incredibly, he became as HUMBLE as humanly possible to teach us that humility is what conquers Pride. Amazingly, He chose teenagers to set the example for everyone from that very night onward. They showed us that the love between a man and a woman will always conquer negative pride if tempered with Humility. For marriage is about loving and sharing and giving of oneself to another--totally. Humility is the virtue that effects that giving.
We know so little about the lives of Joseph and Mary, yet they are an integral part of the Salvation story. Mary's acceptance of a pregnancy that might have resulted in her being stoned to death as an adulteress, was another act of monumental humility. Joseph, a good man and a faithful Jew true to the law, accepted a woman who was pregnant as his wife, another act of extreme humility. The Holy Family was the complete and perfect embodiment of Humility. It remains so to this very day .
Isn't God amazing in the way He does things? This is the story of our Salvation and the rebirth of Hope. This Salvation became available to all people for all time and its success was entrusted to a couple of have-not teens whose humility and love of God enabled them to conquer the seemingly impossible. They married against incredible odds and traveled to Bethlehem while Mary was full term, a three to five day journey on the back of a donkey. Joseph walked guiding the donkey. Mary gave birth in a cave surrounded by smelly animals and filth and then they managed to escape the soldiers of King Herod who were trying to kill their newborn Son. Oh yeah, lest we forget, they also made it to Egypt, about three hundred miles away. We know the rest of the story.
If you take a moment to ponder all that happened and how it happened and why it happened, it will leave you breathless. And then we remember it was all done for all of us. There was nothing done for themselves, not one thing. We need to get back to "Family" and the Holy Family is the model to build on. We must never forget that within that family it was the husband and father who protected his wife and Son from the evils of the world. The Son humbled Himself and gave his life for us all. And the Mom, the most humble of all women ever, crushes the head of the evil serpent with her heel. In so doing she is protecting all of her "children" (which includes you and I) for all eternity. Humility conquers pride. Just look to the Holy Family.
December 23, 2014
MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME
By Larry Peterson
Adoration of the Shepherds, Charles Le Brun
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, PEACEFUL, and CONTENTED CHRISTMAS
GOD BLESS YOU ALL
Larry Peterson
copyright Larry Peterson 2014
By Larry Peterson
Adoration of the Shepherds, Charles Le BrunWISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, PEACEFUL, and CONTENTED CHRISTMAS
GOD BLESS YOU ALL
Larry Peterson
copyright Larry Peterson 2014
December 19, 2014
"Peace on Earth" Humility is the Key and the Christ Child is the Answer
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME
by Larry Peterson
Peace on earth? Where is it? Is it in Syria? How about Pakistan? It is not in Sudan or Iraq. It is definitely not hanging out in Afghanistan or Iran. Pakistan?—God help us. How about Russia and Ukraine and Ferguson, Missouri? What does "Peace on Earth" mean? Well my friends, it means exactly what it says: PEACE on EARTH. However, has there ever been Peace on Earth? From the beginning of the human race until today, I think not. We might ask, “and why not?”
The answer is actually simple and straightforward. True Peace on Earth can only come about by the destruction of the great demon, Pride. Yes, Pride destroys Peace. It also destroys love between people, within families, among friends and co-workers. How often does Pride bring forth its seedy companions of wrath and envy? Pride prompts murder and mayhem and wars. It has done so from time immemorial. It is probably the most destructive force on the planet and we all have it within us. How can so many of our species conquer this malignant force while others succumb to its devilish grasp? The answer is some people have what is called Humility.
How do we find our Humility? How can we kick the power of Pride to the curb? The answer came to us in the form of a newborn baby on Christmas and we celebrate that day in one week. Humility exploded on Christmas Day. God Himself, the Creator of all that we have, including free-will, came to us and lived with us. Hey folks, this act was HUMILITY SUPREME. All we have to do is look into a pile of straw at a newborn baby. Therein lies our answer to finding Humility.
This story is so amazing that our simple common sense will tell us it was never fabricated or made up. The most creative writers who ever lived could not have conjured up such a preposterous tale. Imagine, a King being born in a smelly, dirty, animal stall to a simple teenage girl whose husband was a struggling carpenter with no money. Then the couple have to take the baby King and run for their lives because the reigning king, Herod, feared the baby might grow up and overthrow him. His Pride seizes him so he sends his soldiers to kill the baby King. They kill hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent children in their heinous bloodletting yet never find the child they were looking for to begin with.
As preposterous as this story may seem, more than two thousand years later more than two billion people still believe it. For over two millenium this belief has continued to transform the world. Millions upon millions of us will celebrate this miraculous birth a week from now. How can that be?
It is due to that great intangible we call FAITH. You can't see it, you can't touch it and you cannot smell it. However, if you open yourself up to it, it can grab you in a life-long embrace that might take your breath away. Faith in God and all He has done is the greatest of all the gifts we will ever receive. It spawns kindness, and temperance and patience. And Faith breeds Humility. Humility will lead to love, true love of others, not ourselves. This is fact.
Peace without love is an illusion. It cannot exist. It can never come from our own agenda. That is because the deadly toxin, Pride, is inside us and Satan prowls the world dripping his venom into our hearts using Pride as the gateway “drug”. Many of us reject his “empty promises”. Many do not and their egos are commandeered so easily that they sometimes explode with hatred.
This hatred is quite visible throughout the world today. Christianity is actually on the verge of being wiped out of the Middle East as Christians are being killed and tortured every day simply because they believe in this baby and who He grew up to be. The Good News is we have been given the antidote. It is Humility.
Our greatest of all gifts, FAITH, allows us to believe that God, the Creator of all that is, shared Himself with us through His Son. To accomplish this He humbled Himself in the most profound act of selflessness that was and will ever be. This was God become man for us. He came as a helpless, innocent newborn, barely able to grasp the finger of his Mom. He allowed himself to be born surrounded by the squalor and filth of a stable. Poor shepherds from the hillside were His first visitors. Humility lay in a pile of straw and looked up into the beautiful face of His weary Mom.
A few small pot fires provided enough light for the man of the family, Joseph, to see the two people that he had to care for and protect. No bells were ringing, no trumpets were blaring and no cymbals were smashing. The deafening quiet made this the greatest of Silent Nights. Thirty-three years later, booming thunder would echo His death and three days after that brilliant sunshine would announce our redemption. It is the most beautiful of all truths.
FAITH is a gift that many people have seen fit to grab onto. They have responded to God's graces and listened. They have grabbed the 'brass ring'. There are many more who cannot escape the all-consuming Pride that keeps telling them they are so much smarter than all those 'believers'.
How sad this is because this Pride is Satan’s portal that will allow him to take them on a road that leads to complete misery dominated by an all-consuming hatred of anything that is Good. If only they would reach out and allow that little hand to squeeze their finger, just for a moment. It will not hurt one bit and they might find out that respecting and honoring Humility can do a person wonders. It could even lead to Peace on Earth.
During this Christmas Season let us all consider asking for an extra dose of Humility and then pray for Peace on Earth and that Good Will be in ALL people, everywhere. Copyright Larry Peterson 2014
by Larry Peterson
Peace on earth? Where is it? Is it in Syria? How about Pakistan? It is not in Sudan or Iraq. It is definitely not hanging out in Afghanistan or Iran. Pakistan?—God help us. How about Russia and Ukraine and Ferguson, Missouri? What does "Peace on Earth" mean? Well my friends, it means exactly what it says: PEACE on EARTH. However, has there ever been Peace on Earth? From the beginning of the human race until today, I think not. We might ask, “and why not?”
The answer is actually simple and straightforward. True Peace on Earth can only come about by the destruction of the great demon, Pride. Yes, Pride destroys Peace. It also destroys love between people, within families, among friends and co-workers. How often does Pride bring forth its seedy companions of wrath and envy? Pride prompts murder and mayhem and wars. It has done so from time immemorial. It is probably the most destructive force on the planet and we all have it within us. How can so many of our species conquer this malignant force while others succumb to its devilish grasp? The answer is some people have what is called Humility.
How do we find our Humility? How can we kick the power of Pride to the curb? The answer came to us in the form of a newborn baby on Christmas and we celebrate that day in one week. Humility exploded on Christmas Day. God Himself, the Creator of all that we have, including free-will, came to us and lived with us. Hey folks, this act was HUMILITY SUPREME. All we have to do is look into a pile of straw at a newborn baby. Therein lies our answer to finding Humility.
This story is so amazing that our simple common sense will tell us it was never fabricated or made up. The most creative writers who ever lived could not have conjured up such a preposterous tale. Imagine, a King being born in a smelly, dirty, animal stall to a simple teenage girl whose husband was a struggling carpenter with no money. Then the couple have to take the baby King and run for their lives because the reigning king, Herod, feared the baby might grow up and overthrow him. His Pride seizes him so he sends his soldiers to kill the baby King. They kill hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent children in their heinous bloodletting yet never find the child they were looking for to begin with.
As preposterous as this story may seem, more than two thousand years later more than two billion people still believe it. For over two millenium this belief has continued to transform the world. Millions upon millions of us will celebrate this miraculous birth a week from now. How can that be?
It is due to that great intangible we call FAITH. You can't see it, you can't touch it and you cannot smell it. However, if you open yourself up to it, it can grab you in a life-long embrace that might take your breath away. Faith in God and all He has done is the greatest of all the gifts we will ever receive. It spawns kindness, and temperance and patience. And Faith breeds Humility. Humility will lead to love, true love of others, not ourselves. This is fact.
Peace without love is an illusion. It cannot exist. It can never come from our own agenda. That is because the deadly toxin, Pride, is inside us and Satan prowls the world dripping his venom into our hearts using Pride as the gateway “drug”. Many of us reject his “empty promises”. Many do not and their egos are commandeered so easily that they sometimes explode with hatred.
This hatred is quite visible throughout the world today. Christianity is actually on the verge of being wiped out of the Middle East as Christians are being killed and tortured every day simply because they believe in this baby and who He grew up to be. The Good News is we have been given the antidote. It is Humility.
Our greatest of all gifts, FAITH, allows us to believe that God, the Creator of all that is, shared Himself with us through His Son. To accomplish this He humbled Himself in the most profound act of selflessness that was and will ever be. This was God become man for us. He came as a helpless, innocent newborn, barely able to grasp the finger of his Mom. He allowed himself to be born surrounded by the squalor and filth of a stable. Poor shepherds from the hillside were His first visitors. Humility lay in a pile of straw and looked up into the beautiful face of His weary Mom.
A few small pot fires provided enough light for the man of the family, Joseph, to see the two people that he had to care for and protect. No bells were ringing, no trumpets were blaring and no cymbals were smashing. The deafening quiet made this the greatest of Silent Nights. Thirty-three years later, booming thunder would echo His death and three days after that brilliant sunshine would announce our redemption. It is the most beautiful of all truths.
FAITH is a gift that many people have seen fit to grab onto. They have responded to God's graces and listened. They have grabbed the 'brass ring'. There are many more who cannot escape the all-consuming Pride that keeps telling them they are so much smarter than all those 'believers'.
How sad this is because this Pride is Satan’s portal that will allow him to take them on a road that leads to complete misery dominated by an all-consuming hatred of anything that is Good. If only they would reach out and allow that little hand to squeeze their finger, just for a moment. It will not hurt one bit and they might find out that respecting and honoring Humility can do a person wonders. It could even lead to Peace on Earth.
During this Christmas Season let us all consider asking for an extra dose of Humility and then pray for Peace on Earth and that Good Will be in ALL people, everywhere. Copyright Larry Peterson 2014
December 16, 2014
If You Do Not Believe in Christmas Miracles Maybe You Should Reconsider
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME
by Larry Peterson
I believe, without reservation, that the Christmas season is a time for miracles. I have, over the years, experienced more than one. This was my first. You can decide for yourself if it qualifies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was August of 1960 and our mom had just celebrated her fortieth birthday. I was the oldest of the five kids and what I remember about her birthday was that she kept saying that her back hurt and that she did not feel good. I honestly do not remember the next few weeks. I had just turned 16 and had other things on my mind, mostly Babs McNulty who lived around the corner and who, for some reason or another, was occupying my thoughts most of the time.
All I remember about Mom from that time was that she began going to the hospital and staying there for four or five days at a time. I guess it was near the end of September, school had recently started and for the first time she was not at home. Dad told us, “She has the ‘grippe’ real bad and they need to keep an eye on her for a few days.” Okay, what did we know. Back then it seemed that everyone got the ‘grippe’ (today we call it the flu). But Mom’s was “real bad” so we accepted that.
We were kids. My brothers were ten, six and “going on two”. I had no idea how they were doing with their mommy being absent but that was because Grandma was in charge and, to me, everything was almost normal. Plus, it seemed like every four or five days mom would be home again.
Personally, I was a bit upset that she never looked quite right. She was thinner, had this pasty complexion and black and blue marks covered her arms from her hands up to her shoulders. My sister, Carolyn, 13, told me it was from her being stuck with needles for IVs in the hospital. She was in eighth grade and, since she wanted to be a nurse, I figured she was speaking with some authority on the subject. The thing of it was you could tell she did not believe her own explanation.
Dad, well, he said nothing that helped. It was always the same thing, Don’t worry, it’s just the ‘grippe’, a real bad grippe”. But he was noticeably more quiet than usual and was always getting home much later because he would go to the hospital every afternoon. When Mom was home she always tried to act like everything was “normal”. Unfortunately, she was a lousy actress and could not hide her strange bruises or the fact that she was sleeping so much. As for Grandma, she was quite happy to accept the “real bad grippe” story. Today I understand that is what is called Denial and Grandma was really good at it.
Mom was home for Thanksgiving but most of the work was handled by Grandma. I do not remember much about that Thanksgiving Day or when Mom went back into the hospital but I do know it was a few days or maybe even a week before December 18. That was the day Dad, Grandma, Carolyn and myself, headed downtown to Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan for a simple Sunday visit. That visit turned out to be anything but simple.
Dad had left our little brothers with our family friends, "Uncle" John and "Aunt" Adeline, who lived downstairs. We arrived at the hospital around 1:30. I remember the time because it seemed to take forever to get there. Anyway, I believe Mom was on the third floor and when we got to the room a swarm of doctors and nurses were inside scurrying about. Mom was on the bed, head to one side and her eyes were closed. She was not moving. Carolyn and I stared at our mother as an ominous fear grabbed hold of us. Grandma placed her hand over her mouth and started to cry. One of the doctors pulled my dad to the side and quietly talked to him. I watched him shake his head ever so slightly and then he turned to me. and said (and this is almost a direct quote from that day), “Please, take your sister and Grandma to the chapel and say a rosary together. She needs all the prayers she can get right now.”
Grandma gasped and I do remember putting my arm around her shoulder and saying, “C’mon Grandma, let’s do like dad asked.” (I was trying to be grown up). I knew that the small, interdenominational chapel was down on the second floor. When the elevator door opened we moved aside as a priest stepped out and headed down the hallway toward mom’s room. Grandma had tears running down her face but was stoic and got onto the elevator without saying a word. Carolyn and I followed and we went down to the chapel.
I have no idea how long we were there but we did pray two rosaries together. At some point in time a nurse came in and asked us to please come back to mom’s room. We were a bit shocked because the nurse was smiling and definitely not somber. Grandma asked the nurse, “How is my Lily? How is my Lily?” Can I see her?”
“Please ma’am, just go back upstairs. You can see her. She is anxious to see you.” Grandma, on her worn out arthritic knees actually tried to run to get back to her daughter. I hurried after her as she had just, for the moment, shredded 30 years of age.
When we walked into the room we were confronted with a sight to behold. Mom was sitting up in the bed, smiling. Dad was next to her leaning against the bed with his arm around her shoulder. He was sporting a grin that went from ear to ear and tears were streaming down his face. Standing on the other side of the bed was the priest we had seen leaving the elevator. He was just standing with his hands clasped together and a look on his face I cannot describe. I did not know it but for me this was to be a moment etched in time and I can still see that ‘moment’ as clear as I did then.
Our mom, who we were sure was dead or almost dead, extended her arms and said, “Well, don’t I get a hug from you two? Come on, get over here.”
Carolyn ran over, buried her head in her mom's chest and began hugging away. I sheepishly walked over. Dad stayed right where he was and then Grandma had her turn. She had mom’s face between her hands and was saying over and over, “Oh mein Gott, Oh mein Gott”, (Oh my God in German).
Inexplicably, Mom was better, ALL better. Her arms were clear, her face had color, and her eyes were bright and cheerful. There were several doctors outside the room in deep conversation with each other. They were baffled and had no explanation for her sudden recovery. We learned that Mom had Leukemia and, in 1960, your chances with that disease were virtually non-existent. Dad had asked us to go to the chapel and pray because the doctors had told him she had only a very short time to live and he wanted to spare us having to watching her die. It did not happen. My father and the priest believed they had witnessed a miracle. Grandma, Carolyn and I had seen the results of that miracle. Mom came home the next afternoon.
Christmas fell on Sunday in 1960 so it was still a week away. All the heretofore stifled Christmas “spirit” suddenly exploded in the Peterson house. By Tuesday a tree had been bought and was up and decorated. Mom was the tinsel expert and she, with Carolyn as her pupil, finished the tree off by meticulously hanging the shiny aluminum strands one at a time. Mom and Grandma baked cookies and cakes and pies and there was singing as they did their work and neighbors stopped by all week long with Christmas cheer and greetings. It turned out that the Christmas of 1960 was probably the best Christmas any of us had ever had. Monsignor Martin even mentioned Mom at midnight Mass and how she and her family were given the great gift of her recovery during Christmas.
Danny’s birthday was January 12 and he was about to turn eleven. Johnny’s birthday was January 17 and he was going to be two. Mom continued to remain healthy and strong and both boys had great birthdays. The discoloration on Mom’s arms began to make its reappearance around a week after Johnny’s birthday. Mom tried to hide it but she could not.
She began to get weaker and weaker and by the beginning of February she was back in the hospital. On February 18, 1961, exactly two months after our family's Christmas miracle, Mom passed away. We had all been granted one more Christmas with her. Plus, God was with us that Christmas also, no doubt about it.
copyright Larry Peterson 2014,All Rights reserved
by Larry Peterson
I believe, without reservation, that the Christmas season is a time for miracles. I have, over the years, experienced more than one. This was my first. You can decide for yourself if it qualifies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was August of 1960 and our mom had just celebrated her fortieth birthday. I was the oldest of the five kids and what I remember about her birthday was that she kept saying that her back hurt and that she did not feel good. I honestly do not remember the next few weeks. I had just turned 16 and had other things on my mind, mostly Babs McNulty who lived around the corner and who, for some reason or another, was occupying my thoughts most of the time.
All I remember about Mom from that time was that she began going to the hospital and staying there for four or five days at a time. I guess it was near the end of September, school had recently started and for the first time she was not at home. Dad told us, “She has the ‘grippe’ real bad and they need to keep an eye on her for a few days.” Okay, what did we know. Back then it seemed that everyone got the ‘grippe’ (today we call it the flu). But Mom’s was “real bad” so we accepted that.
We were kids. My brothers were ten, six and “going on two”. I had no idea how they were doing with their mommy being absent but that was because Grandma was in charge and, to me, everything was almost normal. Plus, it seemed like every four or five days mom would be home again.
Personally, I was a bit upset that she never looked quite right. She was thinner, had this pasty complexion and black and blue marks covered her arms from her hands up to her shoulders. My sister, Carolyn, 13, told me it was from her being stuck with needles for IVs in the hospital. She was in eighth grade and, since she wanted to be a nurse, I figured she was speaking with some authority on the subject. The thing of it was you could tell she did not believe her own explanation.
Dad, well, he said nothing that helped. It was always the same thing, Don’t worry, it’s just the ‘grippe’, a real bad grippe”. But he was noticeably more quiet than usual and was always getting home much later because he would go to the hospital every afternoon. When Mom was home she always tried to act like everything was “normal”. Unfortunately, she was a lousy actress and could not hide her strange bruises or the fact that she was sleeping so much. As for Grandma, she was quite happy to accept the “real bad grippe” story. Today I understand that is what is called Denial and Grandma was really good at it.
Mom was home for Thanksgiving but most of the work was handled by Grandma. I do not remember much about that Thanksgiving Day or when Mom went back into the hospital but I do know it was a few days or maybe even a week before December 18. That was the day Dad, Grandma, Carolyn and myself, headed downtown to Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan for a simple Sunday visit. That visit turned out to be anything but simple.
Dad had left our little brothers with our family friends, "Uncle" John and "Aunt" Adeline, who lived downstairs. We arrived at the hospital around 1:30. I remember the time because it seemed to take forever to get there. Anyway, I believe Mom was on the third floor and when we got to the room a swarm of doctors and nurses were inside scurrying about. Mom was on the bed, head to one side and her eyes were closed. She was not moving. Carolyn and I stared at our mother as an ominous fear grabbed hold of us. Grandma placed her hand over her mouth and started to cry. One of the doctors pulled my dad to the side and quietly talked to him. I watched him shake his head ever so slightly and then he turned to me. and said (and this is almost a direct quote from that day), “Please, take your sister and Grandma to the chapel and say a rosary together. She needs all the prayers she can get right now.”
Grandma gasped and I do remember putting my arm around her shoulder and saying, “C’mon Grandma, let’s do like dad asked.” (I was trying to be grown up). I knew that the small, interdenominational chapel was down on the second floor. When the elevator door opened we moved aside as a priest stepped out and headed down the hallway toward mom’s room. Grandma had tears running down her face but was stoic and got onto the elevator without saying a word. Carolyn and I followed and we went down to the chapel.
I have no idea how long we were there but we did pray two rosaries together. At some point in time a nurse came in and asked us to please come back to mom’s room. We were a bit shocked because the nurse was smiling and definitely not somber. Grandma asked the nurse, “How is my Lily? How is my Lily?” Can I see her?”
“Please ma’am, just go back upstairs. You can see her. She is anxious to see you.” Grandma, on her worn out arthritic knees actually tried to run to get back to her daughter. I hurried after her as she had just, for the moment, shredded 30 years of age.
When we walked into the room we were confronted with a sight to behold. Mom was sitting up in the bed, smiling. Dad was next to her leaning against the bed with his arm around her shoulder. He was sporting a grin that went from ear to ear and tears were streaming down his face. Standing on the other side of the bed was the priest we had seen leaving the elevator. He was just standing with his hands clasped together and a look on his face I cannot describe. I did not know it but for me this was to be a moment etched in time and I can still see that ‘moment’ as clear as I did then.
Our mom, who we were sure was dead or almost dead, extended her arms and said, “Well, don’t I get a hug from you two? Come on, get over here.”
Carolyn ran over, buried her head in her mom's chest and began hugging away. I sheepishly walked over. Dad stayed right where he was and then Grandma had her turn. She had mom’s face between her hands and was saying over and over, “Oh mein Gott, Oh mein Gott”, (Oh my God in German).
Inexplicably, Mom was better, ALL better. Her arms were clear, her face had color, and her eyes were bright and cheerful. There were several doctors outside the room in deep conversation with each other. They were baffled and had no explanation for her sudden recovery. We learned that Mom had Leukemia and, in 1960, your chances with that disease were virtually non-existent. Dad had asked us to go to the chapel and pray because the doctors had told him she had only a very short time to live and he wanted to spare us having to watching her die. It did not happen. My father and the priest believed they had witnessed a miracle. Grandma, Carolyn and I had seen the results of that miracle. Mom came home the next afternoon.
Christmas fell on Sunday in 1960 so it was still a week away. All the heretofore stifled Christmas “spirit” suddenly exploded in the Peterson house. By Tuesday a tree had been bought and was up and decorated. Mom was the tinsel expert and she, with Carolyn as her pupil, finished the tree off by meticulously hanging the shiny aluminum strands one at a time. Mom and Grandma baked cookies and cakes and pies and there was singing as they did their work and neighbors stopped by all week long with Christmas cheer and greetings. It turned out that the Christmas of 1960 was probably the best Christmas any of us had ever had. Monsignor Martin even mentioned Mom at midnight Mass and how she and her family were given the great gift of her recovery during Christmas.
Danny’s birthday was January 12 and he was about to turn eleven. Johnny’s birthday was January 17 and he was going to be two. Mom continued to remain healthy and strong and both boys had great birthdays. The discoloration on Mom’s arms began to make its reappearance around a week after Johnny’s birthday. Mom tried to hide it but she could not.
She began to get weaker and weaker and by the beginning of February she was back in the hospital. On February 18, 1961, exactly two months after our family's Christmas miracle, Mom passed away. We had all been granted one more Christmas with her. Plus, God was with us that Christmas also, no doubt about it.
copyright Larry Peterson 2014,All Rights reserved
December 11, 2014
Celebrating Our First Alzheimer's Christmas Together; Laughter Allowed
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME
by Larry Peterson
I guess the first time I realized that something was really wrong was about a year and a half ago. I have a bedroom I turned into an office and I was sitting at the keyboard clicking away. I sensed someone behind me and turned to see my wife, Marty, standing there. She had a strange look on her face. I remember the moment because fear was etched across her face. "Hey," I said. "What's the matter?"
Then I noticed she was trembling. I stood up and went over to her and put my hands on her shoulders. She stammered and sort of whispered, "I don't know. I think I need your help."
"Okay, what is it?"
Marty turned and headed down the hall past the living room and into the kitchen. I followed and noticed that she had her "cookie" stuff out. As she had done so many times in the past, she was about to make the best, old fashioned, home-made, chocolate-chip cookies I have ever had. Like a child, I said, "Oh, awesome, you're making cookies. So, how can I help?"
"She sighed and shook her head, She began to cry and, looking at me, said, " What is all this? I don't know what it is for?"
The woman who had made thousands upon thousands of these cookies over the years had no memory of previously doing what she had done so many times before. She had placed the needed supplies on the counter and went to use the bathroom. When she returned a few minutes later what had been virtually second nature to her had been erased from her mind. It was all gone. She had come back to me for help because she KNEW something was terribly wrong inside her head and this time the sudden, specific memory loss was scaring the hell out of her. She sobbed, "What is happening to me?"
She had been sick with Lymphoma since 2011. She had endured numerous cycles of chemotherapy to fight the disease. Anesthesia required because of surgery in August (needed to repair a broken ankle) and an attack of A-Fib (Atrial Fibrillation) in September exacerbated the cognitive dysfunction. She was officially diagnosed as having Alzheimer's Disease *on September 28. And now we are approaching our first Christmas together with Alzheimer's as our unwanted Christmas guest. Guess what---it is OK. He will not ruin our Christmas. He is welcome to join us. That is because we have started to laugh again, more and more. And we are laughing at the insanity of living in Alzheimerville. And trust me, it can get quite wacky.
I have always had a bit of a "flip attitude". It probably has helped me get through some tough times. So when Marty goes to the cardiologist and goes to sign in and cannot remember her name she looks at me for help. I smile and say, "Who cares Lucy, they know who you are. Just put down Lucille Ball." She starts to laugh and I laugh and I write her name down for her. Not an issue.
The past ten years of her life seem to have literally vanished from her brain. She does not remember us getting married. (We were both widowed and married eight years ago. She has no clue.) So she asks me if we are really married. I show her our marriage license and pictures from our wedding. She is shocked. "I can't believe it, " she says. We really ARE married." Now, every night I say to her, "Okay, we can sleep together tonight. Its not a sin." She always laughs at that.
There are so many little, extraordinary things that happen every day. Being asked the same question over and over can become unnerving. I have turned it around where I start by giving her the answer. For example, she asks me ten times a day, "How do you feel today?" After a few times I answer, "Today I feel like seeing you and that makes my day shiny." It is a ridiculous answer but she likes it and I like it too.
I cannot count the things that have been moved to the strangest places. I have found the Parmesan cheese in the towel closet, unwashed clothes in the dryer. She makes coffee and tells me it is the worst coffee she ever had and I should let her make it. She has hair curlers that keep vanishing. I have found them in the garage, in the refrigerator and under the kitchen sink. We had been searching for them and when I found them in the refrigerator I said loudly, "Here they are."
She was standing nearby and turned to see me lifting the bag from next to the milk. I quickly asked, "Can I use these for curly fries?" I began to laugh and she shook her head and smiled. I gave her a hug opened the freezer door and tossed the curlers in. "They are not frozen enough," I said. She began to laugh and so did I and, although shrouded in a dark moment, we laughed our way into the brightness of a new moment.
Marty has been captured and imprisoned by the most insidious of diseases. It is like a computer virus slowly deleting what is in memory. So far the last ten years are gone. That cursor is still clicking, delete, delete, delete.. The day will come when she will not even know who I am. I will do my best to keep her laughing and smiling as long as I can and as long as she understands why we laugh.
As for me, I must admit, this entire situation has been wearing me down. There is a lot to do as a caregiver. I traveled a similar road with my first wife, Loretta, who died 12 years ago from cancer. She was sick a longtime but she never lost brain function. That is a very difficult thing to deal with 24/7. But you do what you have to do. If a man and a woman love each other that is the way it should be, HAPPY to be there for each other, "no matter what". We both took vows before God and man to that effect and, for me, they remain in full force until death.
Our biggest friend in all of this is our Catholic faith. It is there for us through the Holy Mass, through Our Lord Jesus, through Our Blessed Mother and through the examples and intercessions of so many great saints and reinforced every day by prayers from our family and friends. In fact, I did attend Mass this morning and I had a bit of an 'epiphany'. I was feeling a bit sorry for myself when I realized I had been given a Christmas gift from God Himself. (If you think I am crazy, I don't care).
This gift is my ill wife afflicted with a disease that is unstoppable and incurable. She is foremost, God's child, and now she needs someone to take care of her just as she did years ago when she was a child. We met at church and were married in church. An unlikely couple, I know that God brought us together. Maybe this is why. Because during the Christmas season of 2014 I realized that besides a wife, HE has given me one of HIS children to care for. I will do my best to make Him proud. I will also do my best to keep us laughing. It is all GOOD.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
________________________________________________________________________
* In case you do not know this, Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia are NOT the same thing. Alzheimer's is the number one cause of Dementia but there are over 150 different causes. copyright Larry Peterson 2014
by Larry Peterson
I guess the first time I realized that something was really wrong was about a year and a half ago. I have a bedroom I turned into an office and I was sitting at the keyboard clicking away. I sensed someone behind me and turned to see my wife, Marty, standing there. She had a strange look on her face. I remember the moment because fear was etched across her face. "Hey," I said. "What's the matter?"
Then I noticed she was trembling. I stood up and went over to her and put my hands on her shoulders. She stammered and sort of whispered, "I don't know. I think I need your help."
"Okay, what is it?"
Marty turned and headed down the hall past the living room and into the kitchen. I followed and noticed that she had her "cookie" stuff out. As she had done so many times in the past, she was about to make the best, old fashioned, home-made, chocolate-chip cookies I have ever had. Like a child, I said, "Oh, awesome, you're making cookies. So, how can I help?"
"She sighed and shook her head, She began to cry and, looking at me, said, " What is all this? I don't know what it is for?"
The woman who had made thousands upon thousands of these cookies over the years had no memory of previously doing what she had done so many times before. She had placed the needed supplies on the counter and went to use the bathroom. When she returned a few minutes later what had been virtually second nature to her had been erased from her mind. It was all gone. She had come back to me for help because she KNEW something was terribly wrong inside her head and this time the sudden, specific memory loss was scaring the hell out of her. She sobbed, "What is happening to me?"
She had been sick with Lymphoma since 2011. She had endured numerous cycles of chemotherapy to fight the disease. Anesthesia required because of surgery in August (needed to repair a broken ankle) and an attack of A-Fib (Atrial Fibrillation) in September exacerbated the cognitive dysfunction. She was officially diagnosed as having Alzheimer's Disease *on September 28. And now we are approaching our first Christmas together with Alzheimer's as our unwanted Christmas guest. Guess what---it is OK. He will not ruin our Christmas. He is welcome to join us. That is because we have started to laugh again, more and more. And we are laughing at the insanity of living in Alzheimerville. And trust me, it can get quite wacky.
I have always had a bit of a "flip attitude". It probably has helped me get through some tough times. So when Marty goes to the cardiologist and goes to sign in and cannot remember her name she looks at me for help. I smile and say, "Who cares Lucy, they know who you are. Just put down Lucille Ball." She starts to laugh and I laugh and I write her name down for her. Not an issue.
The past ten years of her life seem to have literally vanished from her brain. She does not remember us getting married. (We were both widowed and married eight years ago. She has no clue.) So she asks me if we are really married. I show her our marriage license and pictures from our wedding. She is shocked. "I can't believe it, " she says. We really ARE married." Now, every night I say to her, "Okay, we can sleep together tonight. Its not a sin." She always laughs at that.
There are so many little, extraordinary things that happen every day. Being asked the same question over and over can become unnerving. I have turned it around where I start by giving her the answer. For example, she asks me ten times a day, "How do you feel today?" After a few times I answer, "Today I feel like seeing you and that makes my day shiny." It is a ridiculous answer but she likes it and I like it too.
I cannot count the things that have been moved to the strangest places. I have found the Parmesan cheese in the towel closet, unwashed clothes in the dryer. She makes coffee and tells me it is the worst coffee she ever had and I should let her make it. She has hair curlers that keep vanishing. I have found them in the garage, in the refrigerator and under the kitchen sink. We had been searching for them and when I found them in the refrigerator I said loudly, "Here they are."
She was standing nearby and turned to see me lifting the bag from next to the milk. I quickly asked, "Can I use these for curly fries?" I began to laugh and she shook her head and smiled. I gave her a hug opened the freezer door and tossed the curlers in. "They are not frozen enough," I said. She began to laugh and so did I and, although shrouded in a dark moment, we laughed our way into the brightness of a new moment.
Marty has been captured and imprisoned by the most insidious of diseases. It is like a computer virus slowly deleting what is in memory. So far the last ten years are gone. That cursor is still clicking, delete, delete, delete.. The day will come when she will not even know who I am. I will do my best to keep her laughing and smiling as long as I can and as long as she understands why we laugh.
As for me, I must admit, this entire situation has been wearing me down. There is a lot to do as a caregiver. I traveled a similar road with my first wife, Loretta, who died 12 years ago from cancer. She was sick a longtime but she never lost brain function. That is a very difficult thing to deal with 24/7. But you do what you have to do. If a man and a woman love each other that is the way it should be, HAPPY to be there for each other, "no matter what". We both took vows before God and man to that effect and, for me, they remain in full force until death.
Our biggest friend in all of this is our Catholic faith. It is there for us through the Holy Mass, through Our Lord Jesus, through Our Blessed Mother and through the examples and intercessions of so many great saints and reinforced every day by prayers from our family and friends. In fact, I did attend Mass this morning and I had a bit of an 'epiphany'. I was feeling a bit sorry for myself when I realized I had been given a Christmas gift from God Himself. (If you think I am crazy, I don't care).
This gift is my ill wife afflicted with a disease that is unstoppable and incurable. She is foremost, God's child, and now she needs someone to take care of her just as she did years ago when she was a child. We met at church and were married in church. An unlikely couple, I know that God brought us together. Maybe this is why. Because during the Christmas season of 2014 I realized that besides a wife, HE has given me one of HIS children to care for. I will do my best to make Him proud. I will also do my best to keep us laughing. It is all GOOD.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
________________________________________________________________________
* In case you do not know this, Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia are NOT the same thing. Alzheimer's is the number one cause of Dementia but there are over 150 different causes. copyright Larry Peterson 2014
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