Just What Is "When Swing Was King?"

A missionary friend of mine (for this post, I’ll call him “Cyrus”) once asked me in a letter, “Would you tell me more about the ministry of When Swing Was King?  I have no idea what that is.  Does it have anything to do with dancing?  I was converted out of the dancing world, and would like to know what this is and how you use it for the Kingdom.  What do your presentations consist of?  Perhaps it is just the name that confuses me."

Here’s my reply:

Dear Cyrus,

Well, first of all, you intrigue me with the comment, “I was converted out of the dancing world.” That evokes quite a visual, my friend. ☺ However, that’s for another time. In the meantime, I’ll try and answer your questions. 

When Swing Was King is now our primary (and extremely popular) ministry to nursing home and assisted living residents. But let me first give you a little background. Throughout our 40 years of pro-life activism through Vital Signs Ministries, we have had various outreaches to seniors. For about 20 years, that meant monthly team visits to Mercy Care Center here in Omaha. We visited, played games, brought kittens and puppies for the residents to pet, brought kids to sing and dance, engaged in various kinds of crafts, dressed up in costumes, made treats to share, did sing-alongs – you name it. Furthermore, we encouraged an adopt-a-grandparent program to help individual families develop ongoing friendships with the residents. All of these were effective ways of entertaining and befriending and the staff of Mercy Care loved us because we were popular with the residents and because we were faithful. Indeed, ours was the only group to visit every month. As a result, the staff members didn’t interfere with such “spinoff” activities as singing gospel songs, engaging in religious-themed conversations, or praying with residents. 

But then Mercy Care Center closed, ostensibly due to an asbestos problem. So we took our activities to another nursing home. After a few years there, however, our ministry dwindled. First of all, the facility began putting some pretty serious restrictions on our activities and so the numbers of our visitation team sharply decreased. But also, Claire and I found we were spending a lot more hours in a more personal “mercy ministry;” namely, caring for my Mom. 

And then came When Swing Was King.

It still amazes us to remember that this outreach, new volumes of which are now being presented in several nursing homes and assisted living facilities every month, began in July 2010 as a one-time event. We were planning a party Mom and some of her friends at Life Care Center, the nursing home where she was living after her frontal lobe dementia required skilled nursing care. But out of that single party idea evolved an outreach with more profound impact than anything we could have dreamed.

But, before I speak about its impact, let me describe to you exactly what When Swing Was King became in those first few months after its debut. Each of the monthly programs has 4 key elements. 1) Every volume has 12 songs. These are the original songs played by the original artists from the stars of the big band era. Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, Chick Webb, Lawrence Welk, Count Basie, and Artie Shaw are regularly featured as are such popular singers as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Helen Forrest, Vaughn Monroe, and the Mills Brothers. These songs (as well as show tunes and other chart-topping records) are those for which the seniors in our audiences feel great familiarity and affection. 

2) While those songs play, there are 240-265 photographs projected from a Power Point onto a big screen. They are photos that generally fit the era: fashions, couples in love, cars, kids, city and farm, military and the home front, popular ads, families, school days, household appliances – you get the idea. 3) A personal commentary that includes DJ-style introductions to the songs along with occasional tidbits about the times, the musicians and songs, and the pictures. That commentary not only provides context and added interest, it is often a source of humor and fun. And finally 4) Personal visits before and after the presentation itself. Thus are the ways When Swing Was King opens doors to sincere and ongoing friendships with residents (and staff) of the senior living facilities. 

Now let me be clear, Cyrus, When Swing Was King is primarily an entertainment program. Except for the Christmas show (which is distinctly, joyously Christian), the outreach is designed to overcome boredom and lethargy, lift the spirit from depression and self-pity, stimulate memory, and encourage social interaction. And, I’m pleased to say, that When Swing Was King has scored remarkably high in all those areas. Therefore, by giving the residents a multi-dimensional, well-crafted, and deeply appreciated entertainment program, we end up also creating a winsome witness for the Christian faith. And, as you might guess, that has led to many things: conversations about religious subjects, prayers, hospital visits, me being asked by staff to pray for residents in need, me being asked by family to conduct funerals for residents whose friendship we had formed through When Swing Was King, and more.

Indeed, Cyrus, When Swing Was King is beloved not only because seniors are hearing the music of their youth – although that’s no small thing in itself – but because it provides them with a lovely trip down memory lane through the photos, the commentary, and the conversations the show inspires. And did I mention that much of the trust and affection that When Swing Was King has won from residents and staff is because we present quality shows every month? And that each show is actually new and unique? And that each show is completely free?

As you might guess, the virus and the resultant lockdowns wreaked havoc on our When Swing Was King schedule. Before then we were doing shows at 12 facilities every month. And though we did none at all for nearly 18 months, we tried to keep relationships alive by providing a 9-page activity packet to each facility every week. And now, thank the Lord, we are climbing back into a more substantial schedule. Currently, we are back to 8 shows a month with our hopes and prayers lifted to do still more soon.

I guess that’s more than you need to know but I thought I’d give you a detailed view of When Swing Was King to best answer your question. But I have two more suggestions for you, Cyrus. One is come see a When Swing Was King show yourself sometime. I think you’d find it enlightening and heartwarming. And second, read a few of the testimonies below to see a little more about how others have responded. And thanks so much for your interest in this element of Vital Signs Ministries.

Denny

“From the first song you played till the last, my legs and feet wouldn’t keep still. And on some of those songs, other parts were moving that hadn’t moved in quite awhile! What great music and such memories!” (Resident)

“When Swing Was King is a much enjoyed special event in our facility. Our residents look forward to this time of musical reminiscence…The quality of this presentation is awesome. I am so grateful to Denny and Claire for enhancing our activity calendar. I appreciate their kindness in sharing their time and talent.” (Activities director)

“That brought back so many memories, both sad and happy. I’m going to be thinking about this the whole afternoon. Thank you so much for coming. It was the best program we’ve ever had here.” (Resident)

“This reminded me so well of the good old days. Why, I hadn’t heard Vaughn Monroe or the Andrews Sisters for I can’t remember when. Thank you. This was really grand.” (Resident)

“Our residents love When Swing was King. They await the program all morning and enjoy reminiscing about it after it is through. It’s like a window to the past and can get all of them reminiscing about those times. The pictures and the music are wonderful! We look forward to When Swing was King every month! Thanks, Claire and Denny!” (Activities director)

“Where did you find all of those pictures? And the music! If I could have danced, I sure would have! This was delightful. Please come back again and again.” (Resident)

A Few Days in Florida

On last night’s flights home from Florida, I wrote the April LifeSharer letter and, though a part of that letter concerned Carol Coppi’s memorial service in Destin last Friday, I thought I’d share a brief report of our whole trip here.

After spending 4 glorious days of reunion with Quint down in Florida, Carol suffered a second severe stroke and died just hours later. Quint asked me to come down and conduct Carol’s homecoming celebration and, of course, I was honored to say yes.  But with Destin being a popular spring break site and with Biden’s policies driving fuel alarming high, the best flight Claire could obtain was long, expensive, and convoluted one that included flying via New York City and Charlotte. Oh my. We got to the Omaha airport at 6 AM and arrived in Destin just before 7 PM. 

Quint’s son Steve and daughter-in-law Renee had arranged very nice accommodations at a condo near Miramar Beach for 4 nights for members of the family. We were also graciously invited to stay there as well. That first night we were able to spend only a short time with Quint, but we caught up more substantially with a Friday morning breakfast at Quint's favorite, Waffle House. Claire and I then took a break by visiting the beach, having prayers together, and me wading into the Gulf.  Friday afternoon was the funeral ceremony which included a remarkable photo collage, my brief eulogy and sermon, very moving tributes from members of the family, and a lovely supper at which more heartwarming memories of Carol were shared.

Saturday morning we awoke to quite a thunderstorm yet still made it out for another breakfast with Quint, this time at The Blake, the beautiful assisted living facility which is now his home.  We also toured the place, talked with several of his neighbors, and even shot a little pool.  We then took Quint back to Steve’s house for a rest. Claire and I had a picnic on the beach where we enjoyed watching the waves, parasailers, and even a few dolphins.

Saturday's big family event, however, came later on Saturday with Steve’s friend
Doug creating an elaborate and delicious “shrimp boil.”  Potatoes, cobs of corn, Brussels sprouts, celery, sausage, and big shrimp boiled up with heavy Cajun spices in a big pot over a fire and eventually spread out on butcher paper to be consumed with one’s hands.  It was a great time. Claire and I sat with Quint and Denise, a good friend of the family, and we talked a lot of memories and a lot about heaven's rewards.

I had found a Panera nearby and so a 6 Sunday morning I was there having coffee and doing Vital Signs work. Claire slept in a little later before getting to her journal, laundry, and ironing.  We then had breakfast together at a First Watch restaurant before dressing down and enjoying an hour of a brisk prayer walk along the beach.  Later on Claire and I took Quint out to dinner at a fantastic Irish pub-style restaurant (McGuire's) which includes in its decor $2.2 million in dollar bills which customers sign and staple onto the walls, booths, just about anywhere.  What a sweet, memorable, and delicious evening.

And finally Monday came round.  I started early again at Panera while Claire packed our things. By 8 we were over at Quint’s new place to help 3 of his family members get his apartment ready to live in.  We invested about 3 hours in that project before taking off to bring Quint over. We had lunch there at The Blake with him and Ruth (another resident) as the family finished preparing the apartment. And with that task accomplished and a little more conversation, we said our goodbyes and headed for the airport. We thank all of you who prayed for us, for God’s truths to be shared at Carol’s memorial service, and for Quint and his family. If you would like Quint's new contact information, please let us know.

"Under the Rug" News Stories

Yet another batch of great "news you can use" that is being grossly distorted (if spoken of at all) by the establishment press.

* "The Sheer Madness of Today’s Left" (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

* "ABC, CBS, NBC ignore Hunter Biden scandals, haven’t mentioned his name in 259 days" (Brian Flood, Fox News)

* "House GOP pushes Wray for transparency on FBI misconduct in probing politicians, religious groups, journalists" (Fred Lucas, Fox News)

* "Gavin Newsom Signs Law to Make Abortions Free in California" (Penny Starr, Breitbart)

* "Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers Targets Big Tech’s Censorship of Free Speech" (Virginia Allen, Daily Signal)

* "What Lia Thomas Means: The sudden prominence of transgenderism in the West owes in large part to compassion becoming unmoored from reason—and to ethics being reduced to compassion." (Leor Sapir, City Journal)

* "Biden’s Regulatory Blitz a Massive Tax, Especially Harming Seniors and Low-Income Americans" (Diane Katz, Daily Signal)

News They'd Prefer You NOT See

In Vital Signs Blog's ongoing series of compilations of journalism from the alternative press, here are a few more stories that CNN, ABC, the New York Times, CBS, Oprah Winfrey, The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, the Associated Press, NBC, Jimmy Kimmel, Ellen, and all the rest of the establishment media hope you never see.

* "Border Crisis Is About to Get a Lot Worse" (Jarrett Stepman, Daily Signal)

* "America is dismantling the pillars of its own empire: America is failing the region and siding with Iran while dismantling the last 70 years of regional order." (Mohammed Alyahya, Jerusalem Post)

* "Biden got 255,000 ‘excess’ votes in fraud-tainted swing states in 2020, study finds." (Stephen Dinan, Washington Times)

* "Georgia parent reading sexual content from library at school board meeting is cut off: 'Inappropriate' -- Don’t you find the irony in that?" (Emma Colton, Fox News)

* "Race-Obsessed Leftists Don’t Want To Talk About The Abortion Rate Of Black Babies" (Austin Stone & T.W. Shannon, Federalist)

* "CDC: Due to a 'Coding Error,' We Massively Over-Counted COVID Deaths Among Children" (Guy Benson, Town Hall)

Church, Cookies, Conversation: What's Not to Like?

Yesterday afternoon’s Vital Signs Ministries church service at Aksarben Village Senior Living was another wonderful occasion of the Lord’s blessing and it provided us with yet more reasons to thank Him for adding this outreach to our work. Yesterday’s service followed the pattern we have established over the last 13 months:

* Welcome, announcements, opening prayer

* Music (via YouTube video clip) -- “Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed” by The Leffring Sisters

* Music -- “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” by the Getty Family and Joni Eareckson Tada

* The sermon (always brief, 12-15 minutes). Yesterday’s message was “Ponder and Practice These Things” dealing with Philippians 4:8 & 9.  That closed out our look at highlights of Philippians from the last several weeks.

* Music – “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” by the Living Stones Quartet out of Kerala, India.

* Closing prayer by Claire.

* And then comes a delightful feature of our Sunday afternoon church services; namely, our distribution of coffee, lemonade, and cookies which accompany a half hour or more of personal visiting together.

Now, we were kinda’ stretched yesterday as we had 18 people in our congregation and only 3 of us to pass out the treats and “work the room” to talk to everyone. And that leads me to make this request . We could really use help in bolstering our visitation team for this important ministry. What's it involve? Just being there to befriend and talk to the Aksarben residents before and after the "formal" service. That would mean being there from 2 or 2:15 until 3:30. Believe me, your presence would be a tremendous help and I’m pretty sure you would find it an inspirational, enjoyable time.  If you’re interested, please give us a call.

Grace Is the Message in the Voice of God (Psalm 19)

Psalm 19 is one of the most well-known and well-loved psalms because of the poetic declaration which introduces it. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.” (Psalm 19:1-3, NKJV) However, as lovely and profound as the opening verses are, they are but an introduction to two other sections of the psalm which emphasize the proper response to nature’s glorious revelations of God’s power, beauty, wisdom, and goodness.

To be sure, the first response to the order and beauty of nature should be praise and thanksgiving to the God Who made it and Who reveals truths about Himself through it.  We are to humbly worship the Lord Whose voice is communicated so universally, so constantly, and so majestically.  But the second section of the psalm teaches something even more important; namely, that we should recognize that God has extended and clarified His revelation by means of the written Word.  Indeed, it is in the law given through Moses and the prophets (and eventually through the divinely inspired writers of the New Testament) that the Lord reveals much, much more of Himself, His purposes, and the requirements He lays down for men and women to obey.

It is in verse 7 that the psalmist begins this second section. “The law of the law is perfect, restoring the soul.” David goes on in the next verses to describe God’s law as sure, right, pure, clean, enduring, true, righteous, desirable, and everlasting.  And those who appreciate and carefully follow God’s laws, David explains in these verses, will be made wise, will rejoice, will be enlightened, will be protected, and will receive great rewards.

So is it a good thing to appreciate the power of God in the thunderstorm and earthquake, to rejoice at the beauty of God in the sunrise and the waterfall, to be amazed to the point of worship at the intricacy and orderliness of the stars and seas and squirrels?  Of course.  God desires just such responses as these to His voice as expressed in His creation.  Yet more relevant, more important still are our responses of awe, thanksgiving, and loyalty to the moral law of God that is expressed directly and perfectly in His Word.

This thought is then expanded in the third and concluding section of Psalm 19 as David addresses the ongoing sanctification of His people; that is, our day-to-day gratitude for and obedience to the spiritual sharpening His written Word provides.

David begins this third section with the provocative question of verse 12: “Who can discern his errors?”  The possessive used (“his”) applies to man, not to God, as the Hebrew word translated here as “error” is used elsewhere to describe going astray, wandering, misleading, engaging in sin and folly. David is thus asking (of himself as well as others), “Who can fully understand one’s moral failure? Who can figure out why men act against their own self-interest by rebelling against God? Who can comprehend the huge distance between God’s holiness and man’s shallow and self-centered choices?”

In the next verses, David underscores the deliberate nature of sin. For instance, the Hebrew adjective which describes sins in verse 13, translated in most versions as  “presumptuous,” describes an insolent, defiant attitude towards God. We do not merely stumble into sin – we often look, evaluate, and then jump headlong into it.  This willful disobedience must be contritely admitted to God before we can move towards forgiveness and a fresh start. And that’s just where King David, long acquainted with God’s tender mercies towards the penitent, goes next. “Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins. Let them not rule over me. Then I will be blameless and I shall be acquitted of great transgression.”

David lifts up his prayer to a gracious God.  For though he has known God’s voice in creation and he has known God’s voice even more particularly pronounced in His law (including its warning against sin), yet he has turned aside from God.  He has failed to consistently heed those warnings. He has sinned, even defiantly so. David takes responsibility as he calls sin and transgression by their right names.  Yet, even at this, all is not lost!  For God’s holiness can be satisfied through the mercies He offers to honest, humble worshippers. And it is on the basis of God’s grace (demonstrated in the symbolic sacrifices of the Temple but eventually to be fulfilled in the complete atonement provided by the death of the Messiah to pay our penalty) that David confidently appeals for acquittal of sin and restoration of fellowship with God.

The suggestion that there is no or little grace expressed in the Old Testament is a silly idea and Psalm 19 is but one example of hundreds that show the real story.  In fact, Psalm 19 emphasizes God’s grace being provided in several ways. First, David praises the awesome power of God’s revelation in nature. That God thus reveals himself is a grand expression of His grace to mankind. Second, there is what’s often termed as “common grace” that God’s creation provides for all men. By His orderly creation, all mankind lives on a planet that makes sense, that allows for family and food production and navigation and thousands upon thousands of other blessings. That too is grace. Third, Psalm 19 acknowledges God’s grace in the revelation of His character, will, and wisdom through the written law.  In particular, David is grateful that God’s law is liberating and enlightening and empowering.  That’s sanctifying grace. Fourth, God’s Word extols His grace that provides salvation to man…and even eternal rewards for their faithfulness to walk according to His Word.

As I said at the beginning, Psalm 19 certainly deserves to be appreciated for the moving testimony about God’s created order with which it opens.  But there’s much more truth to embrace there. Indeed, Psalm 19 is a glorious song about the profound voice of God – a voice which continually expresses God’s amazing grace to mankind. Through creation…through the Word…through the existential power of the Holy Spirit -- God lovingly uses all three to express His character, His offer of atonement for sin, and His provision for strength to walk closely beside Him towards the life to come.

More Buried Treasure

In other words, here are more of the latest stories the establishment media hope you'll never learn about.

* "Biden’s Banana Republic: The tragic case of Matthew Perna, and its terrible implications." (Robert Spencer, FrontPage Mag)

* "Maria Bartiromo’s Sources Are Right: The Biden Administration Is Actively Partnering With Putin On Climate And Iran" (Emily Jashinsky, Federalist)

* "Looming food shortages is the next ‘slow-moving disaster’ to hit world" (Glenn H. Reynolds, New York Post)

* "Biden’s budget bill funnels millions in pork to vulnerable Democrats" (Haris Alic, Washington Times)

* "Biden’s Real Problem Isn’t His Russian Oil Policy, But His American One" (Daniel J. Flynn, American Spectator)

* "Social-Justice Lingerie: Victoria’s Secret ditches physical beauty for left-wing activism." (Christopher F. Rufo, City Journal)

Taking a Closer Look at Today's News

Here, from the alternative media, are a few excellent articles about the affairs of the day -- stories the establishment media does NOT want you to know. Check 'em out.

* "It's time to stop viewing Disney as a family-friendly company" (Andrea Widburg, American Thinker)

* "American education’s new dark age: Colleges have abandoned real learning for wokeism" (William Deresiewicz, UnHerd)

* "Biden’s Handlers Are Preparing to Eject Him (and Kamala)" (Roger Kimball, American Greatness)

* "Women’s Rights vs Transgender Power Politics" (Cory Franklin, John Kass News)

* "Benjamin Weinthal on Germany's Increasing Support of the Iranian Regime" (Marilyn Stern, Middle East Forum)

* "Joe Biden’s Iran plan is a total disaster" (Michael Goodwin, New York Post)

The March Newsletter from Vital Signs Ministries!

The March letter from Vital Signs Ministries was one full of “news and reviews” which included several photographs too. It's a pretty exciting letter, we believe, as it illustrates just how multi-faceted is our work.

You'll find that letter (and more photos) at this link.

P.S. You'll also find there the story behind the fuzzy bunnies shown here!

“Rejoice in the Lord Always." (Really?)

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again, I will say rejoice.”  (Philippians 4:4)

Really, Paul? With the world falling apart, with my finances taking a dive, with my family in disarray, with my physical health deteriorating, and now with raccoons making their home in the attic, you’re telling me to rejoice? And to rejoice always? And to rub it in further, you say it yet a second time? 

Well, that’s exactly what the apostle Paul is saying in this verse.  And remember, he knows that obedience to this exhortation is do-able. After all, Paul is writing this letter, remember, while in a Roman prison.  And remember too that Paul’s past experiences with trials and sufferings is intense and of longstanding. He has endured ongoing persecution, beatings, stoning, shipwreck, poverty, homelessness, slander, hunger and thirst, betrayal, fatigue, worry, disappointment, and the ongoing agony from his “thorn in the flesh.”  

The apostle is not guilty of naiveté here.  He isn’t urging his Philippian brethren to just “put the best face on” the trials and temptations of life. Nor is he pointing to an ethereal ideal that cannot be practically applied. No, Paul is telling them that rejoicing is truly possible -- even in the toughest of circumstances -- when it occurs in the correct context; namely, “in the Lord.”

For rejoicing “in the Lord” does not mean you can begin rejoicing only when the world stops spinning in sin or when your health improves or when the raccoons relocate to your neighbor’s house. You see, Paul’s exhortation is always in force because that little phrase that is connected to it (“in the Lord”) involves several earth-shaking realities. Among the most important? The infinite and all-powerful God Who created the universe is also a personal and compassionate God who offers you an intimate relationship with Himself. Indeed, that all-wise and ever-present Sovereign “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.”

God has graciously adopted into His family any and every person who, by childlike faith, has believed that promise. For, in doing so, the sinner is not only forgiven, the very righteousness of Christ is imparted into him and he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the Christian can walk in the fellowship of the Triune God, experiencing God’s power to overcome even the fiercest of trials. We have a Helper. We have an Intercessor. We have a Defender. We have an Advocate. We have the practical help of God’s Word. We have the stimulation, encouragement, and assistance of the Church. And we have a citizenship in heaven, that forever paradise where we will live in a new and glorified body in the midst of a new and a redeemed creation. And our eternal fellowship will include God Himself, His angels, and the whole family of saints from throughout all of history. Wow.

All of these things (and more) create the context and foundation of that three-word condition, “in the Lord.” All of these things thus provide the motivation, the power, and the triumphant purpose of the command: “Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again, I will say rejoice.”  

Oh Lord Jesus, help me to see and fully embrace the divine truths behind the crucial command of Philippians 4:4. Give me faith to keep moving forward in my faith, even in the midst of my present sufferings, rejoicing in the many, glorious effects of my relationship with the almighty God. Help me to keep a divine perspective on my fleeting life as compared to the eternal life to come in which I will dwell with You in the New Jerusalem forevermore. And in so seeing these realities by faith, help me to rejoice always in the Lord. Amen.

The Nursing Home Business: It Shouldn’t Be Mere Business for Christians

The nursing home in your neighborhood is, of course, a business. It is concerned with making money (even if the primary source of that money is from government) and it can only stay in business if it “earns” more than it spends in staff, building maintenance, equipment, supplies, and promotion. However, every senior care business deals uniquely with morality for, besides the issue of profit, it is supposed to provide critical services to many of the most fragile souls in our population.

And may we never grow callous to the fact that the aged, infirm, and severely injured in the human family require not only a lot of help, they also deserve that help to be marked by generosity, kindness, respect, and efficiency. Indeed, they deserve much more from the care facility business (and from all of us too) than they usually get.

Nursing home residents deal with a variety of traumatic problems: pain, fear, disorientation, an infuriating loss of mobility, boredom, frustration, loneliness, depression, a humbling dependence on others, confusion, and a loss of self-esteem that can be as debilitating as any physical burden. And most nursing home residents suffer several of these terribly difficult challenges all at once. 

Are these businesses doing well financially? Certainly so. And more are built every month. However, plainly stated, many of the nursing homes and other senior care businesses are, not serving seniors well. The primary problem? The care facilities are woefully understaffed and ill equipped. The employees there (even when they genuinely care) are undertrained and way underpaid. How terribly common is it then that they are absolutely overwhelmed by the needs of the hurting people in their care. Even with their best efforts, they cannot give quality care to the persons who so desperately need it. And thus the extremely high “burnout” and turnover rates. 

Is the lack of quality, sensitive care to be blamed on the facility staff? No. The responsibility goes to owners and managers and, in some cases, even shareholders. For while it is certainly the case that, along with the peaches on the staff of our nation’s nursing homes, there are also a lot of bad apples. But the foundational fault comes from the top where company profits are more desired than providing quality care. And until senior care businesses are held accountable for the vast differences between what they promise in their brochures and the actual services they provide, the tragedy of the elderly and infirm going without the best of care will continue to get worse.

This will remain the case in the nursing home business until the culture as a whole rediscovers a sincere respect for the sanctity of life. For only a spiritual ethic that values every person (no matter their age, abilities, status, size, color or creed, physical or mental health) as created in the image of God and is therefore of inestimable value and deserving of our most attentive, compassionate, and skilled care can create a culture that is truly humane. Mere sentiment is not enough; what is needed is action of the most committed and consistent kind. 

Sadly, the Church has played an ignoble part in this deterioration of a respect for life. Modern Christians do not honor our parents and grandparents as we should. We have let our insistence on material things, leisure, entertainment, and other freedoms from “the ties that bind” contribute to the breakdown of extended family. We have also let these things determine our priorities in lifestyle, in career choices, in where we spend our money and time. Nothing is left over to invest in caring for the most needy among us.

Consider these questions. Why did the Church abandon its historic stewardship of hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, adoption agencies, and homes for unwed mothers to the government and government-dependent businesses? It’s a sad legacy. In terms of more organic change, why aren’t Christians in the West producing more nurses, more medical technicians, and other persons willing to take on the challenge of the caring professions? Why in our homes, churches, and Christian schools do we fail to extol the noble professions of caregivers, thus encouraging the generation to come to embrace them as a way to love God, to serve one’s neighbor, and to shine as winsome lights of the gospel in the darkened world around us? After all, the holy Scriptures teach compassion and mercy and sacrifice for others as primary virtues. The Lord Jesus demonstrated over and again the beauty of caring for others (in both their physical and spiritual needs) and He commands us to fully identify with His mission. We are also specifically told that the zenith of authentic Christianity is to make the service of widows and orphans a priority of our ministry. 

More questions. Why does the Church not consider supplementing the meager salaries of caregivers in the senior care facilities so that more Christians could afford to work there? Why do we believe it so important that each of the innumerable churches in a city erect its own expensive building (the space of which is largely wasted during the week) and thus ignore the enormous opportunity to serve the sick, the aged, the unintentional poor and needy around us?  Why do we believe it so necessary that each of the innumerable churches in a city provide salaries and benefits to preachers, assistants of various sorts, and then assistants to the assistants, all the while letting the needs of the widows and orphans in our midst go unmet? 

At the very least, why aren't more of the ministers and laypersons in our churches involved in “mercy ministries” in our town’s nursing homes, hospitals, and with the homebound – ministries like worship services, Bible studies, taking prayers and communion to patients, personal visitation, entertainment, “adopt-a-grandparent” programs, volunteer assistance, and so on?

By the way, my remarks on this topic are not made lightly. Indeed, they come from my wife’s and my own intensive work with seniors: caring for our aged parents, our creation of the popular “When Swing Was King” outreach which has served 8-12 senior facilities every month for 12 years, and to four decades of various other programs of Vital Signs Ministries performed in senior care facilities. And my purpose in writing (yet again) about these matters is 1) because things are not getting better and 2) because I sincerely believe that the Church (even individual believers) could make an enormous difference in the lives of seniors if there is a humble willingness to change our attitudes and ministry strategies, engage in fervent prayers relevant to the need, and begin taking bold, new steps towards helping those who so desperately need our help.

You say that we can’t change the culture’s attitudes, institutions, and moral atrophy overnight? Of course not. We may not, despite our best efforts, change the general culture at all. But that shouldn’t stop us from trying. And it most definitely shouldn’t stop us from taking what action we can right now to help improve the lives of seniors in our immediate area. Let’s get started.

March 14 -- An Open Letter to President Biden

Dear President Biden,

Come on, man!

Get started on a critical reset of American government, business, and social ethics ASAP.

How? You can begin with these 7 steps.

1) Stop your detestable promotion of the violent evil of abortion.

2) Start protecting the national borders.

3) Turn loose American ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and hard work to solve our energy crisis. (And you can begin this campaign by turning on the pipeline! )

4) Get the U.S. military back to full strength for its mission of protecting America – not for the foolish business of politically-correct sensitivity training.

5) Cut off the counter-productive cronyism between your administration and the teachers’ unions, Big Tech and Big Pharma, the would-be tyrants of the Deep State, and the rest of the "blame America first" crowd.

 

6) Stop wasting money!

And, for goodness sake,

7) Stop printing money!

Please, Mr. President, before it's too late for America, begin governing rightly.

Denny Hartford, 

Omaha, Nebraska

In the Era of Putin's Aggression, Remember Alexander Solzhenitsyn

The injustice and cruelty of the Soviet Union’s vast organization of labor camps in the 1930’s and 1940’s are now well known. But that knowledge didn’t have to surface. Indeed, without the grace of God acting through such heroic individuals as Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the truth might well have remained buried by Communist cover-ups.

Solzhenitsyn's was the foremost voice raised against the grandiose and oppressive Soviet machine. Through rare courage and sacrificial efforts, he managed to alert the whole world to the barbaric injustices committed against countless numbers of human beings.

Solzhenitsyn’s most famous (though not often read) book is the riveting 3-volume Gulag Archipelago. In that incredible work, the former slave camp worker documents the massive catalog of outrageous lies, violence, and criminal corruption that were the “very stuff” of Soviet Communism. In the Gulag (and even in his fiction), Solzhenitsyn serves primarily as an historian. It is enough, he insisted, to simply record what happened, to give the truth an open hearing. He had a bold faith in the triumphant power of truth and he therefore believed that when people learned the real story of Soviet tyranny, they would never again allow the devil an open door to such blasphemy and brutality.

It is in this sense that Alexander Solzhenitsyn is hailed as a prophet – not as a foreteller of future events but as a “forthteller” of what had already happened. He held up the banner of truth and, simply by performing that service, he helped change the world.

Solzhenitsyn’s play The Love-Girl and the Innocent is set in a forced labor camp in Siberia in 1945 and it features one of the persecuted men listing just a few of the monstrous crimes performed by Soviet thugs that he had personally witnessed. The prisoner is beside himself with fury, feeling utterly helpless to do anything about this all-enveloping injustice. But in response, Pavel Gai, an imprisoned ex-soldier who has experienced more than his own share of horrors, answers him with chilling authority. “What can we do? Remember – that’s all.”

And that's precisely what Alexander Solzhenitsyn did.  He remembered.  In fact, it was his constant plea to God to help him remember specific events, people, and situations so that he could record the true history of the Soviet Union's crimes against humanity and God. Solzhenitsyn desired more than anything else to be a faithful historian in order to effectively honor the gulag’s victims, and perhaps more important, preserve and proclaim the truths about Communism that could set the future free.

Ronald Reagan was one of those inspired by those revelations and he acted on the knowledge that Solzhenitsyn had so bravely preserved. The camps were emptied. The Wall finally came down. Truth, just a simple presentation of the truth, can indeed destroy the darkness.

And now in our day, with Vladimir Putin’s savage return to the dark lies of totalitarianism, persecution, and terrorism with which he is trying to drown the truth of Communist Russia’s corruption, inefficiency and failure, Alexander Solzhenitsyn's example and exhortations are as valuable as ever.

Note: I am undertaking a re-read of Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago this spring and summer. Anyone interested in joining me?

A Happy Sunday, Indeed

It was another wonderful Sunday with a good deal of the morning spent at the rehab center where Carol Coppi continues to improve from her brain hemorrhage stroke 5 weeks ago. What dear, dear friends she and Quint have been to us (and many more!) over these last decades. Quint’s family has already relocated him in a beautiful place in Florida with Carol to follow suit as soon as she’s able to travel. And that might even be this week! We will miss them terribly but we applaud the family’s compassion, generosity, and effort invested in taking good care of them there.

And then we went on to our regular Sunday afternoon church service at Aksarben Village Senior Living. Our congregation today was 16. Joining us for the visitation before and after our 35-minute service were some of the “standards” of our team: Allen, Ruth, and Don. The sermons (always only 13-15 minutes long) have lately been from the Book of Philippians and today I spoke of Philippians 4: 4-5 (“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near.”) 

Our YouTube musical selections today were “All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name” (Choir and Orchestra of First Baptist Church, Dallas), “You Must Be Born Again” (The Ferguson Family out of Mount Dora, Florida) and “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” (Gracias Choir, originally from South Korea). Claire closed in prayer and we enjoyed the cookies, coffee, lemonade, and plenty of lively fellowship for another half hour or more.

It was a terrific time.

By the way, we always pass around sheets with the order of service, the song lyrics, and the sermon text to everyone and we encourage them to take them back to their rooms to use as devotionals. But we have recently stepped that outreach up by using what used to be blank spaces to print other items of interest. One week, for instance, we printed several D.L. Moody quotes. One week was a Charles Wesley poem. And today, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day coming up, was an edited version of this Vital Signs Blog post (The Real St. Patrick) was itself edited from a radio script I wrote long, long ago. Check it out. 

Your Letter Makes a Difference

Regular visitors to Vital Signs Blog know I frequently pass along action alerts designed to get you involved in grassroots advocacy. In those posts I describe what's happening, why your response is valuable, contact information, and sometimes even show you a sample letter.

Why? 1) I’m convinced that “shining” is a lot more responsible than just “whining.” It’s healthier too!

2) Letter-writers become more informed, more alert, and more eager to pass the word along in other venues too.

and 3) Letters actually work!

These are the reasons that one of Vital Signs Ministries' first activities (way back in 1983) was the beginning of letter-writing parties regularly scheduled meetings where we would spend a short time of prayer together and then, while we kept the coffee and tea hot, we wrote letters and cards.

Vital Signs carries on this tradition to this day. And we’ve stimulated individual churches and Sunday School classes to join in the fun. Why? Because letters work.

But don't just take my word for it. Give a listen to this interesting 5-minute lecture by business entrepreneur and politician Omar Ahmad. If you find it motivational -- and you will -- then print off this helpful letter-writing primer and get started making a difference.

Thinking About Psalm 2

My old friend and pro-life colleague John Malek has been thinking about Psalm 2 and it's application to today's culture. Give a listen...

Why are the leaders of the nations in an uproar devising new ways to control and rule people and lands and resources? Virus’, Socialism, wars, shutdowns, shortages, Marxism, drug trafficking, historic revisionism, Communism, tyranny, etc., They take positions and counsel together against the Lord and His people, saying lets free ourselves from their constraints. Their bible, their “truth”, their moral absolutism, their insistence on a God who made us, their sense of justice and righteousness, is all holding us back from progress. 

Let’s throw off those constraints, constraints on morality or biology or history and go our own way. We can forge a better morality that takes us into a bright new future of hope and promise and progress in improving our lives and our planet, purifying mankind and endowing them with new superpowers.

The Lord who is in Heaven, laughs and scoffs at them, thinking they know better and are morally better, but He speaks to them and terrifies them with His anger and fury and they would be wise to take heed, because He has installed His own King over the nations, Jesus (indeed the begotten Son of Father God), who sits on Mount Zion – His holy mountain. He has given Him all the nations even to the furthest ends of the earth as His inheritance to rule and reign, not the petty kings who are now plotting against the children of God. 

God has given Him the authority to break the rulers of the nations with a rod of iron and to shatter them like clay vessels, so again, they would do well to heed the warnings from God and worship Him with reverence and rejoice in Him for the temporary authority He has given them in their nations. They should pay homage to the Son of God, so that He does not become angry with them and they perish as He removes their scepter to rule. It is likely His wrath will soon be kindled, so blessed are those who take refuge in Him. 

This is my layman’s paraphrase of Psalm 2 and it is why I see God as the one who will come to rescue us from the evil that is infesting all the earth. Isaiah 60:2 – For behold darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you.

Oh, My; Did You Miss These? (Part 2)

* "COVID Vaccine Bombshells You Probably Missed" (Debra Heine, American Greatness)

* "The Clinton campaign’s plot to politically assassinate Trump" (Peter Van Buren, Spectator)

* "How Biden has empowered evil in both Russia and Iran" (Melanie Phillips, Jewish News Syndicate)

* "What We Learn From Democrats’ Failure to Pass an Extreme Abortion Bill" (Nicole Russell, Daily Signal)

* "Special Counsel Finds Mark Zuckerberg’s Election Money Violated Wisconsin Bribery Laws" (Margot Cleveland, Federalist)

* "Europe’s ‘green’ transition put it at Russia’s mercy" (Christopher Barnard, Spectator)

Oh, My; Did You Miss These?

* "While America watches the war in Ukraine, Biden finalizes a dangerous Iran deal" (Eric Mandel, The Hill)

* "One year without Rush Limbaugh – 5 lessons he left us on how to handle the left" (Diana Allocco, Fox News)

* "A Canadian Pastor Is Imprisoned for Talking to Truckers" (George Neumayr, American Spectator)

* "The media's war on Clarence and Ginni Thomas" (Mark Paoletta, Washington Examiner)

* "Rap and drill music is part of America's racial problem" (Juan Williams, Fox News)

* "Facial recognition firm Clearview AI says it will soon have 100 BILLION photos in its database to ensure 'almost everyone in the world will be identifiable' and wants to expand beyond law enforcement" (Alex Hammer, Daily Mail)

When Swing Was King "Swings" Into March

Well, the March schedule of “When Swing Was King” gets underway as we will present the program at Esprit Whispering Ridge Assisted Living and Memory Care. It will be the first of 8 shows that are on the current rota and, though that is way down from the pre-Covid days when we did 12 shows a month, we are delighted to be able to have these opportunities.

For those of you who don’t know about this outreach, let me give you a quick review. “When Swing Was King: The Sights and Sounds of the Big Band Era” is a sentimental journey back to the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, the heady days of youth for most of the residents of today’s retirement centers and nursing homes.  It is a wholesome, fun program that brings comfort, awakens memories, and lifts the spirits.  I suppose, however, that “When Swing Was King” is actually a combination of four things: 1) Some of the very best music produced during the swing era; 2) Power Point visuals recalling American life and culture in those decades; 3) Entertaining commentary to go along with the original hits and provocative photographs; and 4) A splendid opportunity for reflection, conversation, and the development of new friendships.

In addition to the nearly 200 photographs, the current show will feature these outstanding hit songs:

1) “Pennsylvania 6-5000” (Glenn Miller Orchestra)

2) “Flying Home” (Lionel Hampton Orchestra)

(Photo Theme: “Things That Fly”)

3) “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” (Harry James Orchestra with vocalist Kitty Kallen)

(Photo Theme: WW II Home Front)

4) “Blue Room” (Glen Gray & the casa Loma Orchestra)

5) “Deep Purple” (Larry Clinton Orchestra with vocalist Bea Wain)

6) “Satin Doll” (Duke Ellington Orchestra)

(Photo Theme: Hollywood Leading Ladies)

7) “Stardust” (Artie Shaw Orchestra)

8) “Till Then” (The Mills Brothers)

(Photo Theme: WW II Years)

9)”Avalon” (Benny Goodman Quartet)

10) “Cha Cha Cha d’Amour” (Dean Martin with Nelson Riddle Orchestra)

(Photo Theme: Dean Martin’s Career)

11) “Opus One” (Tommy Dorsey Orchestra)

12) “Danny Boy” (Dennis Day”

(Photo Theme: The Emerald Isle)

We always appreciate prayers that everything goes right, that the residents come in good health and spirits, that the staff is helpful, and that the Lord blesses us with opportunities to have substantial visits with our guests. And, of course, if you’d like to drop in for one of the shows, by all means do so. You’ll find the schedule on the Vital Signs Ministries website.

Friday Morning's Best

Here's a compilation to go with your coffee. It's a selection of some of the best (and most important) articles from the alternative media.

* "Arsonist Who Murdered Father of 5 Got Reduced Sentence. You're Not Going to Believe Why" (Rick Moran, PJ Media)

* "The Olympic Spirit Isn't Doing So Well in Beijing" (Dan Hart, Family Research Council)

* "How China Spies on Nations Throughout Western Hemisphere" (Mateo Haydar, Heritage Foundation)

* "Cultural Depravity on Display: The 2022 Superbowl Half-time Show" (Jeff Davidson, Flag & Cross)

* "Biden Pays Army Salaries to Iranian Ally" (Tony Badran, Tablet)

* "Chicago teenager, 16, wearing an ankle monitor carjacked a Lyft and murdered 15-year-old boy by shooting him in the head and nine times while he was on the ground - right after appearing before judge on weapons charge." (Gina Martinez, Daily Mail)

"Serious Issues Here" Yet They're Ignored by the Establishment Press

* "'These are serious ethical issues': James O'Keefe demands answers after FDA executive officer is caught on Project Veritas hidden camera admitting Biden will force an ANNUAL Covid shot that would be a 'recurring fountain of revenue' for drug firms" (Michelle Thompson & Natasha Anderson, Daily Mail)

* "Canada’s Justice Minister: Trump Supporters ‘Oughta Be Worried’ About Frozen Bank Accounts" (Paul Bois, Breitbart)

* "Finnish lawmaker being charged for expressing her religious views speaks out, calls the case 'dangerous'" (Kelsey Koberg, Fox News)

* "Why Nearly 40 Percent of Gen Z Identify as LGBTQ" (Vince Coyner, American Thinker)

* "Pentagon Report: Iraq’s Security Forces Overrun by Iranian-Backed Militants: Iraq’s security forces are overrun by Iranian-backed militants, the Pentagon disclosed for the first time publicly in a report indicating Tehran’s anti-American militias have long been cashing in on U.S. taxpayer funds." (Adam Kredo, Washington Free Beacon)

* "After-school 'Satan Club' takes new aim at archenemy: Christian clubs for kids. The Satanic Temple is fighting against Christian-focused after-school clubs — and children are in the crosshairs." (Lauren Green, Fox News)

* “A Pleasure to Burn”: We Are Closer to Bradbury’s Dystopia Than Orwell’s or Huxley’s" (David S. Wills, Quillette)

What is "Dreaming Forward?"

"I had finished my brief sermon for our Sunday afternoon church service at Aksarben Village Senior Living and the last music video had been played. That clip, by the way, was a rousing rendition of the southern gospel song, “I’ll Have a New Life” performed by Tennessee Ernie Ford, Johnny & June Cash, and the Statler Brothers. The reception to everything in the service had been wonderful, but that last song, with its promises of new bodies, new minds, and a whole new creation to live in, was especially embraced by our elderly congregation.

And then, as we do every Sunday, we passed out the coffee, lemonade, and cookies (Claire’s chocolate chip cookies were on the menu that afternoon) and began visiting. In one of those conversations, Doris and I were talking about that last song and the supernatural comfort it provided for those dealing with the traumatic trials so commonly involved in growing old. Doris, is a dear nonagenarian (FYI, that’s someone in their 90s) who loves Jesus and has a firm hope of heaven. However, she was candidly sharing with me about how hard it is, not only to have one’s body and memory fail, but to have one’s sense of purpose and significance fade away also.  She then asked me if I had any thoughts about how to face these problems.

My reply, as I remember it, centered on 3 things..."

Interested? Then please read the complete Vital Signs Ministries February letter right here.

My, My; There Are Some Genuine Reporters Still Alive

Here's a few of the most important articles from my recent surveys of the new media. Great stuff.

* "10 Most Absurd Excuses From Democrats Caught in Mask Scandals" (Andrew Stiles, Washington Free Beacon)

* "Climate Tyrants' New Tactics" (Richard Morrison, Law & Liberty)

* "Has Covid Been Good for Women?" (John Hinderaker, Power Line)

* "Biden To Set Free Would-Be 9/11 Hijacker" (Adam Kredo, Washington Free Beacon)

* "Now Is the Time for Conservatives to Combat Big Tech’s Totalitarianism" (Kara Frederick, Daily Signal)

* "The Chilling Effect of Big Tech Censorship" (Donald Kendal, Issues & Insights)

* "The Left Is Weaponizing 'Misinformation' to Silence Dissent" (Angie Speaks, Newsweek)

Praying God’s Arrows Will Fly

In recent years my intercessory prayers have included specifically “targeted” prayers against the mindless, nihilistic lawlessness which is spreading across the world – lawlessness seen not only in riots, looting, and increased homicides in our cities, but also in the rebellion of the general culture against God’s distinct and holy laws regarding sexuality, sanctity of life, respect for parents and the “ancient boundaries,” modesty, humility, just punishment for criminal acts, and the exclusivity of the gospel.

These prayers have frequently utilized a biblical metaphor that I was drawn to in our reading of Psalms and Job; namely, the arrows of God.  Let me give you a couple of examples.

“Your arrows are sharp; the peoples fall under You; Your arrows are in the heart of the King’s enemies.”  (Psalm 45:5, NASB)

“If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready.  He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts.”  (Psalm 7:12-13 NASB)

“He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, and lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.”  (Psalm 18:14 NASB)

“For the arrows of the Almighty are within me. Their poison my spirit drinks. The terrors of God are arrayed against me.”  (Job 6:4 NASB)

I have been praying, therefore, for the arrows of God’s judgment to fly into the heart of the King’s enemies, that the corrosive poison they possess would weaken and overcome the wicked purposes devised by the devil.  For those who will not repent, who will not submit to the holiness and mercy of God, I pray that His fiery shafts will fly swift and sure into their ranks, bringing about confusion, deflation, and defeat.

But I’m not praying for these things in general. I’m praying that these divine arrows fly into the heart of certain key strongholds of the enemy. In fact, here are the specific targets in my list.

* Islam and other false religions (including Communism and the various other strains of Marxism).

* The apostasy, syncretism, cowardice, and love of the world’s approval which increasingly marks the churches of our day.

* The mega-abortion corporation that is Planned Parenthood.

* The lying, manipulative media.

* The Democrat Party and its fellow travelers who have completely sold out to abortion, sexual perversion, religious intolerance, the coddling of criminals, and anti-Americanism.

* The monopolistic and irreligious powers of government educators.

* The malevolent powers of Big Tech (Google, Twitter, YouTube, Amazon, and others) which are, like the “old guard” media, going all out to suppress the truth, to persuade people to believe lies, and to mock all things godly.

* The Deep State.

A couple of things to note – If you feel uncomfortable with this kind of prayer, perhaps it is because you have paid more attention to the prayers you normally hear in church than to the prayers you find in Scripture.  I would suggest you read through Psalms (prayers for God’s judgments upon the wicked absolutely abound there) but also in the prophets, the New Testament epistles, and Revelation.

Also keep in mind that the pattern of prayer Jesus gives His disciples in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 includes an appeal for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  That means dispensing holiness and justice in Washington, D.C., Beijing, the Kremlin, Damascus, and everywhere else. (Don’t forget, however, that the faithful disciple of Christ desires God’s will be done also in one’s home, business, entertainment decisions, finances, the kids’ education, etc.) So, make no mistake. Prayers for God’s judgment upon sin and rebellion are not only always in order; they are our duty.

Finally, remember always the cautionary promise of Romans 12:19. “‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”  That’s a promise that first appears in Deuteronomy 32:35 but it is repeated in Psalm 94:1-3, here in Romans, and in Hebrews 10:30. It is obvious, then, that God wants us to appreciate that the dispensing of judgment isn’t a bad thing at all.  That is, unless we try to deal it out ourselves.  No, our hatred and anger, our cursing and complaining; any dirty tricks we might want to play on our enemies – none of that serves the cause of justice. Indeed, none of that pleases God in the least.  However, vengeance delivered from the throne of God is another thing altogether.  God’s vengeance is wonderful, holy, and eminently just. It is a comforting promise that underscores both His righteousness and His power.  And so it’s a good thing to pray for. 

Lord, let Your arrows fly into the heart of Your enemies.  Let their wicked schemes crumble and fall apart. And in the confused fight from their destruction, let many souls turn to the liberating, cleansing power of the gospel message.  Yet, even so, Lord Jesus; please come soon for Your Church.

I invite you to join Claire and me in this intercessory campaign against these (and other) demonic strongholds. 

More Must-Reads from the New Media

* "Biden offers Putin access to NATO bases: President says he will let Russians verify that there are no US Tomahawk cruise missiles in Romania or Poland to ease tensions" (Daily Mail)

* "Lockdowns only reduced COVID-19 death rate by .2%, study finds: 'Lockdowns should be rejected out of hand'" (Paul Best, Fox News)

* "The COVID Narrative is Falling Apart" (James Stansbury, American Thinker)

* "The Betrayal: Biden Handling of the Withdrawal from Afghanistan." (Paul Mirengoff, Power Line)

* "Amnesty International Wants to End the Jewish State" (Richard Kemp, Gatestone Institute)

* "The Left’s Moneybag" (Theodore Roosevelt Malloch, American Greatness)

Through the Fog (More News the Left Hopes You Never See)

* "So why did so many American mainstream media outlets IGNORE a reputable university's study that lockdowns didn't work? New York Times, Washington Post, ABC, NBC and CBS all failed to run the story because they 'have their own narrative written'" (Daily Mail)

* "Did Dismissals of Safe Outpatient Drugs Cause Needless COVID Deaths? Dissenting doctors say, “Yes.” (Clayton Fox, American Greatness)

* "Why Planned Parenthood Is Pushing Chemical Abortions" (Virginia Allen & Lauren Evans, Daily Signal)

* "Remembering the Black woman Biden blocked from the Supreme Court" (Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post)

* "Airbnb Blacklists Michelle Malkin – and Her Husband" (Alana Mastrangelo, Breitbart)

* "Suicide: Helping China in Space" (Gordon G. Chang, Gatestone Institute)

* "Why I Don't Accept the Whoopi Goldberg Apology" (Greg Crosby, Jewish World Review)

8 Major Reasons Why I Oppose Planned Parenthood

1) Planned Parenthood kills preborn babies for profit. Hundreds of thousands of babies. And by payments to surgical abortionists and sales of chemical abortifacients, Planned Parenthood is raking in millions of dollars every year. They are the largest abortion providing, abortion promoting business in the world.

2) Planned Parenthood is the most aggressive promoter of abortion rights in the U.S. and abroad. It’s influence in Congress, the United Nations, in state governments, in social service agencies, and among government educators is huge.

3) Planned Parenthood promotes (and enables) sexual promiscuity, even among very young teenagers.

4) Planned Parenthood promotes sexual perversion and does so with obscene and blasphemous materials.

5) Planned Parenthood holds firm to the racism and elitism of its eugenics founders.

6) Planned Parenthood has been caught on many occasions in criminal cover-ups of statutory rape.

7) Planned Parenthood operates many unsafe, unsanitary abortion clinics. It has had several abortionists who have killed adult women through botched abortion. It dispenses very dangerous abortifacient drugs in an unprofessional manner like over the phone and through “at home abortion kits.” It works continually against parental rights and control. It works continually against any and all limitations on abortion.

And, oh yeah…Number 8) Planned Parenthood makes about $100,000,000 every year from American taxpayers.

Let's Get a Little Light On These Subjects

* "What Does Vladimir Putin Have on Joe Biden?" (Lee Smith, Tablet)

* "Scared, Stupid, And Easily Manipulated: What COVID Has Revealed About The Nation’s Young" (Issues & Insights Editorial Board)

* "The abortion industry plans its next push: Over-the-counter abortion pills" (Carole Novielli, Live Action)

* "Germany is catering to Russia and is a pathetic excuse for a US ally" (Rich Lowry, JWR)

* "Thanks to Biden Administration's Weak Leadership, Iran-China Threat Growing" (Majid Rafizadeh, Gatestone Institute)

* "Americans Are Sick of Authoritarian Mandates" (Jeffrey H. Anderson, American Greatness)

Behind the Scenes: More News the Establishment Media Won't Report

* "The End of America? It's Not That Hard to Imagine" (Frank Miele, Real Clear Politics)

* "As Biden doubles down on his War on Energy, prices keep shooting up" (New York Post Editorial Board)

* "Have you ever prayed to be wrong?" (A Covid-related article) (Terry Paulding, American Thinker)

* "Chicago schools training says sex 'not rooted in biology,' -- tells teachers to hide gender pronouns from parents" (Sam Dorman, Fox News)

* "Cuomo health department admits New York nursing home deaths topped 12,743 - 49% HIGHER than previously reported" (Stephen M. Lepore, Daily Mail)

* "California trans child molester, 26, gets 2 years in juvenile facility thanks to progressive DA Gascon" (Audrey Conklin & Michael Ruiz, Fox News)

Oh, My! (The Latest Compilation of Must-Read Articles)

* "The border gets worse and worse" (Byron York, Washington Examiner)

* "GOP can’t complain about Biden’s migrants when they’re not stepping in" (Miranda Devine, New York Post)

* "Biden’s mask has slipped" (Freddy Gray, Spectator)

* "The COVID-19 Storyline Is the Greatest Scam in World History – The Truth Is This Is a 'Pandemic of the Vaccinated'" (Wayne Allyn Root, Town Hall)

* "Joe Biden and the Uses of Nihilism: America is battling an epidemic far worse than the Omicron plague." (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

* "Anti-Asian Discrimination at the Heart of the Progressive Education Agenda" (Wenyuan Wu, Minding the Campus)

* "The BBC Quietly Censors Its Own Archives" (Charles C. Cooke, National Review)