How to Handle an Hysterical Woman/Nation

Under an avalanche of reports, both accurate and cunningly spun, from Washington, and around the world, my bride has become increasingly distressed. Since she is an intelligent woman, she realizes that her passing temporary physical problems are in a large part a result of reaction to the current government or to be more accurate, the new president. Since we are heavily invested in communication in our marriage we tend to discuss things openly and honestly.

We are also highly sensitive to the feelings of the other and that characteristic prompted her to ask, “How can you remain so apparently calm and unruffled in the face of this horrible mess in D.C.?” I gave her no immediate response because I didn’t have one that wasn’t either non-serious or not well thought.

I have ruminated upon the issue since in an effort to give her an accurate response. Upon thoughtful reflection I think that I have come to the proper conclusion.

I believe that it is man’s basic nature to react to danger. It’s the old “fight or flight” theory. It is a normal response which is a gift from God for our own protection. It is not in our basic nature to be seriously threatened and not mount some manner of defense which in some cases is manifest in an offense posture. We see it in nature and the animals around us constantly. Our cats somehow manage to inflate the position of their fur to double their appearance and then expose their teeth with a threatening hiss. Their physical prowess has not been increased but the perception of their strength has increased in the mind of their tormentor. We fully realize with dogs and cats occupying the same floor space in our home that the dogs merely want something to chase. Once the cat makes the offensive move, the dogs are content to lie down, take a nap, or look for excitement elsewhere.

Both exercise this part of the kabuki on a regular basis without harm. Humans however, are not blessed with this capacity to rid their memories so quickly of the perceived dangers in life. Both, however, need a physical outlet for their angst.

I do not have a fur covering which is able to ward off predators. But, I do have an outlet to blow off my excess irritations—I write. That is my protection from what I consider the predatory nature of our current government. When I become overcome with an issue which I believe requires a response I sit down at the keyboard and express my opinion and publish it for all—that would be you four regular readers—to see. This then becomes a physical expression and the matter is no longer bottled up inside to tear my guts apart. So long as there is a shred of Constitution left, I have the freedom to express my innermost thoughts and observations. Those of you who read it also have the right to either continue or dismiss me as a “right wing kook” who treasures his Bible, his guns and his liberty to excess. I egotistically conclude that once the problem has been identified it is then turned over to me and to God for a solution.

I might note here that I have had considerable success by turning my life over to God for the final resolution. Once I found that He was the answer, I stopped fretting over the questions. Since I am learning to understand salvation, it becomes increasingly more difficult to scare me with the threat of death or disaster. I have read in a reliable source that both are on the horizon so I shall not be surprised when either occurs. This fact alone allows me to view our world as an observer or better said a sojourner. Since I am convinced that this earth is just a way point on a journey I don’t fully understand, I can deal with it much the same as I would a visit to a cathedral in Europe or one to the Grand Canyon. Since there is little I can do to change either one, I try to leave the sites litter free, undamaged, and with a memory of the further evidence of the genius of my Father in Heaven.

What do we do today to improve our physical well-being amidst this onslaught of bad news emanating from our capital? You don’t have to have a website to make your voice heard and your opposition realized. I have tirelessly offered some solutions which may well bring a better dimension to your life.

Make yourself heard. In John 1:24, he (John) says; “I am one crying in the wilderness….” He recognized that at that time his was a lone voice. You are not alone. You have exactly the same support system that John had. Given the current size of the population who adhere to the principals offered by Jesus Christ we see the result of his “crying.” From that humble beginning came the formation of a remarkable body of believers. You have the right—no, the duty—as a citizen to communicate with your leaders, your family, your friends and complete strangers if you wish. Unburden yourself from the shackles of the unstated opposition to current policies. You will find it a cathartic to express yourself.

You must increase your knowledge. Every recognized discipline, be it medicine, law, commerce, trade skills or what have you has some sort of a program of ongoing training to further buttress the formal education received before licensing. As a consequence our society is constantly improved by upgrades and further knowledge unavailable during formal schooling. During this process it is wise to check and double check your resources for accuracy and authenticity. Even the best make mistakes but we need to be constantly alert to spin and outright deception. If you haven’t already, get a copy of the Constitution (it’s in the World Almanac every year) get it, read it, and apply it to the things going on around you. It has served us well for over 220 years and can do so for the future.

If you are physically able, leave your home and engage others in your beliefs. I recently urged you to attend a Tea Party on April 15. This could well be a defining moment in the history of the republic. We are a government “of the people” so this particular protest is highly dependent upon the presence of the people to lend credence to the effort. Just after the election I found that my barber had voted for “the one.” A normally sensible man had slipped through my net and not been engaged by me to encourage him otherwise. I vowed upon learning this that I would increase my contacts to carry what I consider a righteous message.

Do not be ashamed of your beliefs, be they spiritual or political. If indeed, you love your neighbor, share with him that which you love. The days when we can comfortably avoid “sensitive” subjects are long gone. Your example is probably a guide to others in the formation of their lives as well. How can they emulate your good works and thoughts if they are “hidden under a bushel?”

I truly believe that following this advice will have a highly predictable result. It will require that we “get out of ourselves” and share with others. Be proud of your country and do not believe for a moment that we are the cause of the world’s problems. We are, in fact, often the solution. For your continued good health—and Jan’s—it will be required of every citizen that he participate. This prescription will be for improving your physical condition and the nation as well.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Testimony 6

Here continues the sharing of the testimonies of Hartley which he has experienced over his lengthy lifetime. We are grateful for his contribution of these highly personal experiences.

“Sunday, March 29, 2009

In view of the unrest and posturing of the Nations in this last month and the expressed determination of our new government, I set aside the testimony I had prepared and will submit the following for your consideration.

While getting ready for bed one evening, 1977 era, I was suddenly taken to a room which looked like a hollowed out pearl. The walls were luminous, and round. There were no corners. Out of the floor a pedestal stood upon which was a bolt of gold cloth. I asked ‘what is this?’ I immediately was back on the side of my bed.

Several weeks later I attended a weekend retreat at Camp Donovan. I was going through a personal crisis at that time and when I attended a prayer meeting I chose to sit at the very back—the service being held under a large tent canopy—choosing not to participate. It seemed there was room for several hundred people, but there were only thirty or forty clustered up near the front.

Suddenly I was pulled back a great distance. I could see under the canopy and at the same time the whole world was before me as if it were in a great fish bowl. I could see every nation. When I looked at one area I suddenly could see close up, people in that area, working, moving about, doing their labors.

I looked back under the canopy and there was a different group of people there, every seat was filled and people were standing outside looking in. An Elder stood up and began speaking but the words were hidden from me, I was given to understand those words were being heard by every soul on the whole earth at the same time.

As I scanned the nations, focusing in different places, I saw the words were enraging those people of all nations. Great fury was building up, and the countenances of those people showed great and vicious hatred.

The Elder spoke again and four young men came to the front. Following them came an Elder carrying the roll of gold cloth. They draped it over those four young men, probably in their teens, cutting holes for their heads to go through. There was a talk given by the Elder in charge, and as he spoke the young men were given and dressed in armor until they looked like Roman Soldiers. The armor was both of white gold and yellow gold. They were sent out some distance, one to the North, one to the South, one East and one West.

As those young men assumed their positions, men of all nations came boiling over the coasts of America, and from the North, the South, the East and West. Isaiah mentioned they came as the waves of the ocean. So many in number the first thought that came to me was ‘there is no possible way to have a supply line capable of sustaining this many soldiers.’

They literally covered the whole land. Rank upon rank, line upon line, they began to move toward the Center of America. As I looked to the West and North West they were packed so close one could not see between the ranks.

As they approached that single teenager in the West, they thought to walk right over him. They passed a great distance past him then suddenly, as if considering him for the first time, they swung around and started back toward him. It seemed their singular purpose at that moment was to vent their hate and destroy that young man.

As they approached that young man dressed in Roman Armor, a great beam of light came out of the heavens and splayed up and down on the armor, blinding the invaders and filling their hatred to the point that if they felt any movement around them they would strike out, killing what ever moved.

The vision ended at that point.

Some of the above seemed symbolic but mostly real enough that it fully engaged a total spectrum of my emotions.

NOTE: A granddaughter, two-and-a-half years old, has taken on the responsibility to bring me to the dinner table when ever the meal is ready, and when she is present. Last week she came over where I was sitting, grabbed my hand and led me to the table, a few feet from the end of the table she let go of my hand and ran ahead and pulled my chair out for me.

Saturday, pulling me toward the table she noticed that my hands were not perfectly dry, she changed direction and took me to the kitchen sink and a towel. When she was satisfied with my hands she said, ‘Come on, big boy,’ which caused quite a ripple of laughter to all that heard, and some very tender feelings to blossom.

After the nations have reached their Zenith of determination; civil unrest is in every nation; after Russia has built their six new submarines with cruise missiles; Iran launched her rockets, previously stating their intentions to kill Americans. After North Korea’s posturing and threats; China increased her military presence in the world; friction over the north pole; after the World leaders have exercised their wisdom and their scientific achievements and fulfilled their strangest dreams, can they, will they, duplicate such a tender loving moment, or even a smile, on any soul as that two-and-a-half year old girl?

With the sum total of all they represent, all the nations, in all their combined power, after using that power, will they make one experience in anyone’s life, in the whole world, better than that little girl was able to do?

The rich, the wise, and the learned are insane.

God Bless!

Hartley Stanbridge”

You may, as usual, feel free to share this testimony in any manner without specific permission. All we request is that they be offered unedited and with an appropriate link.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

What Is It?

It has a birth date of 8-4-77. No, it is not the date of my son and his bride’s anniversary; they were married 8-4-84.

It has an employee count of 16,000 plus over a 100,000 contractual personnel. I was tempted to write “workers” instead of “employees.”

It has an annual budget of $24,200,000,000.00. This does not include the government pension drawn by those persons who retired after 20-25 years.

It is a branch of the United States government.

It is called the Department of Energy. Believe it or not, it had an established purpose at its inception. Do you remember what the reason was for starting this new governmental department? Come on now. You know that State exists to manage international relations. You know that the Department of the Treasury is all about money. You are more than well acquainted with the Defense Department’s role in maintaining the armed forces.

This department, signed into existence by then president James Earl Carter, was created to “reduce our dependence on foreign oil.” With those 116,000 employees and a total outlay approaching a trillion dollars what exactly has been the reward for our investment? I’ll help you with this—next to nothing.

Thanks to the barriers raised by this department, we do not have sufficient nuclear plants generating energy. They have saddled domestic oil producers with regulatory mandates which have nearly crippled the industry. They have suckered into almost every cockamamie scheme offered by the enviro-nuts for highly subsidized wind and solar power scams (Sorry Boone Pickens; I don’t buy it.) which are not sustainable. They have attacked domestic coal from every possible angle. They are actively engaged in the prohibition of access to rich sources of crude on our sea shores. Somehow, they imagine that this is consistent with their mission statement to “reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

Their entire posture is geared to do just the opposite. If they had the scientific know how, they would probably be working on a plan to cool down the geo-thermal energy which is available in the bowels of the earth. I certainly don’t hear of any grandiose plans to exploit this invaluable resource.

We have a relative who is retired from this department, who I have queried about some of the responsibilities he had while actively employed there. He condescendingly informed me that most of his work was “hush-hush”—classified information which he couldn’t share. I can certainly appreciate why he was reluctant to talk about it. Most people who are part of an out and out scam are reluctant to share details of how it works.

It is just one more example of a bureaucracy gone mad with “make work” to hamstring a vital segment of our economy. I have come to the conclusion that there are an alarming number of people who absolutely despise this nation. The disappointment comes with the realization that they are my fellow citizens. They are not Mexican drug warlords, radical Islamic terrorists, or fascistic jealous euro-centrics who fear the power of the dollar and the American military: they are an enemy within. Some arrived at this point with false information spread in our colleges and universities. Some have other unidentified beefs with a system which somehow let them down. Other couldn’t keep up in the chaos of a free market society. Whatever their personal take on life in the land of the free, they abhor it and want to tear it down. God help us.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Monday Morning Rant 86

Sunday was a full day. There was a gathering of some very special friends among the Saints in Independence and it was also sacrament Sunday. Since I was reluctant to forgo either experience, I drove to Miami, OK for the services there and was treated to a fine message delivered by “Jappy” Robison. I left just before noon and 2:45 found me at The Groves just across the street from the “San.” (Ed. This has little meaning to those not associated with the church so please be patient.)

It is difficult to describe the joy you experience from the renewal of associations of a long term nature with people who have gone to great effort to be there for the gathering. One expects it from any meeting of Saints but is really special when they have all come such long distances. We shared an impromptu service, offered testimonies, prayed, read some appropriate scriptures, and later we got “caught up” on personal issues.

Later we went to Ryan’s for dinner together and more of the same. We held no agenda other than an absolute love of Jesus Christ. It was a refreshing experience. 11:00 pm found your host back on our rocky ridge in the Ozarks thanking God for a safe return. After close to 500 miles and three meetings, I had no problem getting to sleep.

Justice?

In the exact middle of the twentieth century, I accepted my first real job. I went to work for the Department of Justice (FBI) in Washington, D.C... Like all new employees, I got to meet the boss, J. Edgar Hoover, and was advised to dismiss the rumors I might have heard about lazy employees having a feather-bed life in the seat of government. This proved to be true. I rapidly became familiar with “bureau” policy about production quotas, integrity both on site and personally, and the necessity for extreme security.

I later moved to the Army Security Agency and after about five years of government service decided that I might be happier in the civilian world. This did not prevent me from following closely the activities of my former employers. The intervening 59 years have provided much to be proud of in retrospect and also some very shameful moments. Up until recently, the slaughter of civilians at Waco in concert with the BATF has marked the lowest point in my estimation of the bureau. A new event has come to my attention which in its full implications may have an even greater impact.

Under the new attorney general, Eric Holder, we find the suit which was filed against Ted Stevens, the former Alaska Senator, has been dropped. That issue which was pursued with such vigor is now not fit to be continued because of the malfeasance of certain Justice Department attorneys. The judge tossed the case when he found they had a corrupt witness and they had further withheld certain evidence from the defense.

The critical issue here is the timing. Senator Stevens, whose skirts are definitely not clean, was replaced in a special election by a Democrat challenger. This then tipped the balance of power in the Senate to attempt to create the veto proof and filibuster proof numbers so necessary to further the advancing socialist agenda of the current administration. Once that became a fait accompli suddenly the whole matter was effectively tossed in the dumpster. The mission was never to pursue the wrongdoing of the former senator but rather to assure the election of replacement solon. Stevens guilty verdict came just days before the election and obviously served as the final straw for the state’s electorate. Without that verdict, it is highly likely that the people of Alaska would have returned him to the senate.

This administration places much too high a priority on control of what should be a near sacred process. We see the nefarious activities of ACORN, the attempt to put the census count under the direction of the White House, and now this clumsy attempt to pack the senate. We were chartered as a “government of the PEOPLE” and that is apparently a little understood concept by the people in charge. As our voting rights and our subsequent mandates are diluted by attacks on the electoral process we are not on a slippery slope but engaged in an outright plunge over the cliff to the abyss of our national destruction.

And finally

Having the feeders on the new deck so clearly visible out my office window has cast a whole new light on bird observation. I had previously thought that the goldfinch left the colder climates for a friendlier southern venue. Not so! They were here all winter and thus enabled me to watch their changing color this spring. In the winter the male and the female are almost the same colors; rather dull except for the distinctive black and white on the tail and the wings. Now that spring is here, the males are assuming the rich golden yellow on their bodies which presents a sharp contrast to their wings, and the females are lightening as well.

In the process I am reminded that God designed them that way for a purpose. In the duller colors of winter they are far less visible to predators. With the new cover provided by leafing trees they are free to resume their brilliance and probably more easily attract a suitable mate. I never cease to be amazed at this wonderful world which He has provided.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

An Ideal Diet

Who among us has not taken a glance in the mirror after a bath and reluctantly decided to lose a few pounds? Every magazine we see in the super-market check out line offers the latest “miracle” cure for excessive weight. Oprah drives us nuts with her latest program which obviously has no permanent effect. Perhaps even your family doctor (Ed: is there still such a creature?) has suggested you might want to reduce your weight.

As you have come to expect from Zion Beckons, we have finally isolated the ideal diet for our readers. Since this was shamelessly stolen from a prominent online scientific journal we cannot claim originality. The piece needs to be read very carefully since many of you may not be familiar with true scientific procedure and terminology. After thoughtful consideration I truly believe that you will see the wisdom of the program:

“As we all know, it takes 1 calorie to heat 1 gram of water 1 degree centigrade. Translated into meaningful terms, this means that if you eat a very cold dessert (generally consisting of water in large part), the natural processes which raise the consumed dessert to body temperature during the digestive cycle literally sucks the calories out of the only available source, your body fat.

For example, a dessert served and eaten at near 0 degrees C (32.2 deg. F) will in a short time be raised to the normal body temperature of 37 degrees C (98.6 deg. F). For each gram of dessert eaten, that process takes approximately 37 calories as stated above. The average dessert portion is 6 oz, or 168 grams. Therefore, by operation of thermodynamic law, 6,216 calories (1 cal./gm/deg. x 37 deg. x 168 gms) are extracted from body fat as the dessert's temperature is normalized.

Allowing for the 1,200 latent calories in the dessert, the net calorie loss is approximately 5,000 calories.

Obviously, the more cold dessert you eat, the better off you are and the faster you will lose weight, if that is your goal.

This process works equally well when drinking very cold beer in frosted glasses. Each ounce of beer contains 16 latent calories, but extracts 1,036 calories (6,216 cal. per 6 oz. portion) in the temperature normalizing process. Thus the net calorie loss per ounce of beer is 1,020 calories. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to calculate that 12,240 calories (12 oz. x 1,020 cal./oz.) are extracted from the body in the process of drinking a can of beer.

Frozen desserts, e.g., ice cream, are even more beneficial, since it takes 83 cal./gm to melt them (i.e., raise them to 0 deg. C) and an additional 37 cal./gm to further raise them to body temperature. The results here are really remarkable, and it beats running hands down.

Unfortunately, for those who eat pizza as an excuse to drink beer, pizza (loaded with latent calories and served above body temperature) induces an opposite effect. But, thankfully, as the astute reader should have already reasoned, the obvious solution is to drink a lot of beer with pizza and follow up immediately with large bowls of ice cream.

We could all be thin if we were to adhere religiously to a pizza, beer, and ice cream diet.

Happy eating!

In case you wonder, the food Calory (written with a capital C) is a kcal, a thousand physical calories (with a lower case c). In the EU it is now mandatory to use joules on the food packages, but most of the time the value in Calories is also added. Maybe it sells more ice cream. - Joachim.”

Obviously, your host would avoid the beer but would substitute some other iced beverage but otherwise leave the program to work its miracle. There is no need to thank me for supplying this cure-all for excess weight; just invite me to participate.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

It’s Up To Us !!!

If you are waiting for the cavalry to ride over the hill and save us from the current threat in the White House you are a gone goslin’. You are the cavalry! You are the only one who can save this great nation; its traditions and values are in your hands.

Generally, the media despises you and everything you stand for. The Republicans, what few there are left in Washington, have been emasculated and rendered helpless by an electorate who swoon over every utterance from “the one.” Many of your fellow citizens are so enthralled with the concept that they put their racial attitudes behind them and elected a black (?) man to lead, are deaf and blind to the realities of his programs. Under the threat of losing a vital tax benefit, our churches are fearfully mute and limit their protests to subtleties. About the only ones left who appreciate the dangers, both now and in the future, are those who are familiar with the terrors of despotism.

So, who is left to fight this battle? You! You and millions of otherwise uninvolved people will be required to mount a protest of sufficient strength that it can not be ignored. You must emulate those brave patriots at Lexington and Concord and mount a defiant posture to demonstrate your displeasure with the actions of financial cowardice so apparent in the nation’s capitol. Unlike those heroes, you will not be leaving crop planting and livestock tending to grab your musket from over the mantle to physically engage the enemy. You will not plant a kiss on the cheek of your bride in departure to a struggle from which you may not return. But, your duty is clear and equally important..

April 15, 2009 can be just as significant in our children’s memory as April 18, 1775. Let it be the day when you joined tens of millions of liberty loving fellow citizens in cities in every state in public squares and in front of state capitols to stand with them in protest. Let it be a protest to recognize the insane rape of our treasury to enhance the political needs of a false prophet. Let it be a protest of governmental involvement in the private industries and institutions of the republic. Make a protest of allowing international bodies to be instrumental in the governance of our people. Let it be a celebration of individualism and not social control.

Many will plead they don’t know what they can do or where they can go to participate. You now have absolutely no excuse. For an overview and a complete listing, state by state, of the upcoming events you may hopefully feel compelled to join, click on Tax Day Tea Party. Your nearest event may be scheduled in a state other than yours so here is the Google Map which shows each location. On the map, double click on the bubble and a box will drop down with details. With this information you have absolutely no excuse to not know where, when, and the importance of each of these efforts.

Constitutionally, we live in a nation governed by laws and its people. If this protest is well attended in each location, locally elected representatives will have to pay heed and be directed by the message only you can deliver. We need be convincing, sincere, adamant, and well behaved, but firm. The offering of the protest needs to be uncompromising. Quit!

The numbers will be extremely important so your presence is required if it is to be a success. Please join us at a location near you and reclaim the liberty your forefathers fought and died for..

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Testimony 5

This is the continuing offering of one man’s testimonies experienced over a fifty year span. Read, enjoy, be inspired or at the least, be interested.

“While reading Isaiah one afternoon I was surprised as the passage I was reading suddenly slipped apart leaving a blank spot on the page. Some words fell in the blank spot saying “in the last days there would be smoke trails across the skies.” As I read those words the Holy Spirit engulfed me in power, and I did not feel disposed to go on with my reading. (Ed.: What passage?)

As I basked in the Holy Spirit, it suddenly came to my mind the same passage of Isaiah was in the Book of Mormon, and I wondered what it would say in that book. I found the passage in the BOM and it too parted as in the Bible. The same words fell into the blank spot. “In the last days there would be smoke trails across the sky.” Then to my surprise the sentences parted again and some more words fell into the new blank spot.
It now read “in the last days there would be smoke trails across the sky, and there would be tall columns of smoke rising high into the sky with fervent heat so intense beneath, it would melt the elements out of the rocks.”

I suppose I was marveling more at the experience than at the message. The next day I thought to go on with my reading and start where I had left off the day before. And the very same thing happened, one line in the Bible, two in the BOM, accompanied by the same Holy Spirit in great power.

Even on the third day I received the same experience in power. On the fourth day I had some errands to do, I left myself a lot of time between errands so found myself with twenty minutes to wait between appointments. I thought to lay myself across the front seat of my car and rest for the moment.

As I looked I through the windshield I saw con trails covering the whole sky, possibly fifty or more. I began to think if I were alive in the days of Isaiah, and was told to report what I was seeing, not having the vocabulary of today, I would have reported that which I was looking at as smoke trails.

The Holy Spirit immediately bore witness confirming the thought. (Ed.: How?)

So it is, “in the last days there would be smoke trails across the sky, and there would be tall columns of smoke rising high into the sky with fervent heat so intense it would melt the elements right out of the rocks. You will remember this testimony, every time you see a con/smoke trail across the sky, every time you see on TV, rockets, jets, and bombs exploding. I later learned the military was having maneuvers over Kansas City that day.
When carnally minded men brush off the thought these are truly the last days, I have to think if they only knew.

None of us was offered more than three score and ten. Is it the end of our days or the end of this dispensation of time? Which comes first hardly matters if we are prepared.”

You may anticipate another testimony next Thursday. Questions may be submitted and comments may be directed to Hartley at one70maxim@aol.com for his consideration.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

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