Mexico: Drugs, Kidnapping and Rocket-Propelled Grenades

Mexico has pretty much always been a rough-and-tumble place. In recent years, however, the security environment has deteriorated rapidly, and parts of the country have become incredibly violent. It is now common to see military weaponry such as fragmentation grenades and assault rifles used almost daily in attacks.

In fact, just last week we noted two separate strings of grenade attacks directed against police in Durango and Michoacan states. In the Michoacan incident, police in Uruapan and Lazaro Cardenas were targeted by three grenade attacks during a 12-hour period. Then on Feb. 17, a major firefight occurred just across the border from the United States in Reynosa, when Mexican authorities attempted to apprehend several armed men seen riding in a vehicle. The men fled to a nearby residence and engaged the pursuing police with gunfire, hand grenades and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). After the incident, in which five cartel gunmen were killed and several gunmen, cops, soldiers and civilians were wounded, authorities recovered a 60 mm mortar, five RPG rounds and two fragmentation grenades.


Make no mistake, considering the military weapons now being used in Mexico and the number of deaths involved, the country is in the middle of a war. In fact, there are actually three concurrent wars being waged in Mexico involving the Mexican drug cartels. The first is the battle being waged among the various Mexican drug cartels seeking control over lucrative smuggling corridors, called plazas. One such battleground is Ciudad Juarez, which provides access to the Interstate 10, Interstate 20 and Interstate 25 corridors inside the United States. The second battle is being fought between the various cartels and the Mexican government forces who are seeking to interrupt smuggling operations, curb violence and bring the cartel members to justice.

Then there is a third war being waged in Mexico, though because of its nature it is a bit more subdued. It does not get the same degree of international media attention generated by the running gun battles and grenade and RPG attacks. However, it is no less real, and in many ways it is more dangerous to innocent civilians (as well as foreign tourists and business travelers) than the pitched battles between the cartels and the Mexican government. This third war is the war being waged on the Mexican population by criminals who may or may not be involved with the cartels. Unlike the other battles, where cartel members or government forces are the primary targets and civilians are only killed as collateral damage, on this battlefront, civilians are squarely in the crosshairs.


There are many different shapes and sizes of criminal gangs in Mexico. While many of them are in some way related to the drug cartels, others have various types of connections to law enforcement — indeed, some criminal groups are composed of active and retired cops. These various types of criminal gangs target civilians in a number of ways, including, robbery, burglary, carjacking, extortion, fraud and counterfeiting. But of all the crimes committed by these gangs, perhaps the one that creates the most widespread psychological and emotional damage is kidnapping, which also is one of the most under reported crimes. There is no accurate figure for the number of kidnappings that occur in Mexico each year. All of the data regarding kidnapping is based on partial crime statistics and anecdotal accounts and, in the end, can produce only best-guess estimates. Despite this lack of hard data, however, there is little doubt — based even on the low end of these estimates — that Mexico has become the kidnapping capital of the world. The number 2 place in the world for kidnappings is Phoenix, AZ!!!


Most of this activity is within just a few miles on BOTH sides of the Mexican border with U.S. The major interstate corridors serve as trafficking routes for drugs, and slaves and weapons. These are well organized, well funded and professionally trained ops that overpower any police force and rival most armies. If these are not contained at the border, this activity has and will continue to spill over further and further into the U.S.

The question is why. Why are we being overrun and besieged by people from other countries who have no regard for the laws of this country and come here illegally? The answer is in the "blessings and cursings" chapter of your bible. God layed out what would happen to His people if we chose to obey Him and also what would happen if we chose to disobey Him. See Deuteronomy chapter 28 for the answer!



Refs. http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20090218_mexico_third_war
The #2 city in world for kidnapping is...Phoenix, AZ!
U.S. State Department issued a travel alert against going to Mexico
Arizona Rancher Who Stopped Illegal Immigrants at Border Now Fighting $32 Million Lawsuit

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Deut 28:15 (KJV) But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
Deut 28:43 (KJV) The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.
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Obama approves aerospace system for Syria

President Barack Obama has authorized a Saudi project to supply aerospace systems to Syria, in what was seen as the suspension of U.S. sanctions.

Government sources said Obama directed the Commerce Department to approve the export of U.S. components for Syria's fleet of Boeing 747 aircraft. The sources said a Saudi defense company would supply and install the components in the aging Syrian dual-use aircraft.

The Commerce Department has not confirmed the approval. Boeing, however, acknowledged that Commerce approved an export license for Syria on Feb. 2.

The sources said the approval by Commerce marked a departure from nearly five years of sanctions by the outgoing Bush administration. Under the Syrian Accountability Act, Syria was to be denied all but food and humanitarian supplies from the United States. Bush aides said Syria had used passenger jets to ferry weapons from Iran to Hizbullah in Lebanon.

How can we continue to hand the keys to our destruction over to our enemies and survive? We give them our technology in the name of jobs and corporate profit and shake our heads in disbelief when they in turn use it against us or our allies. We have got to wake up to the fact that this world is not of the illusion we ascribe to in our heads during our most altruistic moments. There are many out there that do not like us and the decadent ways we have come to embrace.

Our God has given us every advantage and we continue to turn away from Him. Well, He has already told us what that leads to and we had better start listening.

Ref. http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2009/ss_syria0140_02_17.asp

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Lev 26:18-20 (KJV) And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. (19) And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: (20) And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.
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China Asks the Trillion-Dollar Question

“We hate you guys.” This was the message Luo Ping, director general at the China Banking Regulatory Commission, gave the United States. “Once you start issuing $1 trillion, $2 trillion … we know the dollar is going to depreciate, so we hate you guys, but there is nothing much we can do.”

“Except for U.S. treasuries, what can you hold?” asked Luo. “Gold? You don’t hold Japanese government bonds or UK bonds. U.S. treasuries are the safe haven. For everyone, including China, it is the only option.”

Yu Yongding, a former adviser to the Chinese central bank, said that China should seek guarantees that its $682 billion holdings of U.S. government debt would not be eroded away by “reckless policies.”

He Zhicheng, an economist at Agricultural Bank of China, the nation’s third-largest lender by assets, stated that such a guarantee would be “one of the prerequisites for more purchases.”

The U.S. has voted to spend trillions of dollars, and the Chinese are the only ones really asking that trillion-dollar question: Where will all that money come from?

Foreigners buy around $200 billion of U.S. debt each year. In 2008, this accounted for just under half of the total $459 billion deficit. The minimum deficit forecast for 2009 is $1.35 trillion.

Somehow the U.S. is going to have to attract a lot more cash if it wants to continue having what it can’t pay for. This will probably mean raising the yield on treasury bonds—giving more interest to people who buy the bonds. This is what China is afraid of. If the U.S. raises bond yields, then all the bonds already on the market will be less desirable, and therefore worth less. The Telegraph estimates that a 5 percent increase on bond yields could lose China $119 billion. That’s why the Chinese “hate” the U.S.

Recklessly borrowing and spending cash means countries will become more and more reluctant to fund America’s debt addiction. Already China is getting fed up. Soon it may stop buying bonds completely. And when that happens, it is all over for America.

Refs. http://www.thetrumpet.com/index.php?q=5950.4322.0.0

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/breakingviewscom/4611408/China-is-right-to-have-doubts-about-who-will-buy-all-Americas-debt.html

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Deu 28:44 (KJV) He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
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Would you be my Lupercalian?

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery and contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. At that time it was the custom in Rome in the month of February to celebrate the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II, Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their lovers or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270.

According to folklore, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial, others claim that the Catholic Church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' the pagan celebrations of the Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. Luperci, Lupercalia, and Lupercal all relate to the Latin for 'wolf' lupus, as do various Latin words connected with brothels. The Latin for she-wolf was slang for prostitute. The legends say that Romulus and Remus were nursed by a she-wolf in the Lupercal. Servius, a 4th century pagan commentator on Vergil, says that it was in the Lupercal that Mars ravished and impregnated the twins' mother.

The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.

Sacrifice, which was a part of Roman ritual, had been prohibited since 341, but the Lupercalia survived beyond this date. The pastors of the early Catholic Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feast. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.

Generally, the end of the Lupercalia festival is attributed to Pope Gelasius (494-496). It may have been another late fifth century pope, Felix III. The ritual had become important to the civic life of Rome and was believed to help prevent pestilence, but as the pope charged, it was no longer being performed in the proper manner. Instead of the noble families running around naked, riffraff was running around clothed. The pope also mentioned that it was more a fertility festival than a purification rite and there was pestilence even when the ritual was performed. The pope's lengthy document seems to have put an end to the celebration of Lupercalia in Rome, but in Constantinople the festival continued to the tenth century. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed.

Lupercalia is one of the most ancient of the Roman holidays (listed on ancient calendars from even before the time Julius Caesar reformed the calendar) and is familiar to us today for two main reasons. It is associated with Valentine's Day and it is the setting for Caesar's refusal of the crown that was made immortal by Shakespeare, in his Julius Caesar.The Lupercalia may be the longest lasting of the Roman pagan festivals.

Lupercalia started out as a fun event with spectators serving occasionally as willing participants. Naked bodies were unusually exposed to view. There was a fertility component. There was food from the sacrificial animal. Everything centered around the place where the Vestal Virgin was raped by the god Mars in order to conceive the founder of Rome, Romulus. It's this blend of pagan worship, fertility and erotic elements, as well as the date, that ties Lupercalia to Valentine's Day.

We continue as a nation to pray for God's blessings while practicing pagan rituals and celebrations. We think God doesn't hear us. Did it ever occur to us that maybe it's not that He doesn't hear us but that He won't hear us?

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2Tim 3:1-7 (KJV) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (6) For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, (7) Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
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Refs. http://www.pictureframes.co.uk/pages/saint_valentine.htm
http://www.history.com/content/valentine/history-of-valentine-s-day
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/socialcustomsdailylife/a/010908Lupercal.htm

Iran Launches First Satellite

Iran launched its first satellite on Tuesday, February 2, 2009. Experts around the world fear that Iran can now launch missiles into southern Europe and is well on the way to creating its own Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (icbms).

Naturally, Europe and the U.S. are worried. Envoys from six major powers met in Frankfurt, Germany, on Wednesday (2/09) to discuss the issue. The group consisted of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council—Britain, America, France, Russia, China—and Germany.

For more info read here - http://www.thetrumpet.com/?q=5925.4293.0.0

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Dan 11:40 (KJV) And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
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ObamaNation of Desolation

Barack Hussein Obama is now the president-elect. An historic event has taken place. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “dream” has taken on a reality. It has been an emotional, almost spiritual, experience with Obama supporters crying with joy. Some have even elevated Obama’s rise to the Presidency as comparable to the coming of the Messiah. They believe that change is coming and it will be good.

Those who did not vote for Obama view the results like the title of this article: The “abomination of desolation.” They believe that Obama is a secret Muslim, a socialist, a friend of terrorists, and an advocate for every extreme liberal agenda possible. They believe that change is coming and it will be bad.

Regardless of your opinion of the election and of President-elect Obama, this is not the “abomination of desolation.” Yes, it is probable that an Obama administration will turn this country away from traditional values. The path may include conservative points of view being assaulted by radical elements in the most public ways. Culturally and economically the United States is crumbling as never before.

But, we are believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We believe that we are part of God’s plan to bring in His government and future “messianic age.” We also believe, as the Messiah said, there would be false messiahs and many would be misled. So, why should we be surprised by what is happening?

I believe we are the last generation. We will see the end of the ages. This is not caused by Barack Obama being elected president. His election, however, is consistent with the “beginning of sorrows” spoken of prior to the abomination of desolation and the Great Tribulation.

Looking forward then, what can we expect in the next four years? Change is coming.

For the rest of the story read here - http://www.lionlamb.net/v3/YavohHeisComing/2008/12#obamanationofdesolation

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Mat 24:15-21 (KJV) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (16) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: (17) Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: (18) Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. (19) And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! (20) But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: (21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Dan 11:31 (KJV) And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
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Cheney Warns of New Attacks

Former Vice President Dick Cheney warned that there is a “high probability” that terrorists will attempt a catastrophic nuclear or biological attack in coming years, and said he fears the Obama administration’s policies will make it more likely the attempt will succeed.
In an interview Tuesday with Politico, Cheney unyieldingly defended the Bush administration’s support for the Guantanamo Bay prison and coercive interrogation of terrorism suspects.

By: John F. Harris and Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei - PoliticoPublished: 02-04-09 http://www.politico.com/

Read more here - http://www.texasinsider.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6051

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Leviticus 26:14-16 (KJV) 14 But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; 15 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: 16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

Punxsutawney Pagan?!

Many of Americans will be celebrating Groundhog's Day on February 2nd right on schedule as they do each year hoping for relief from the wintry weather that has them trapped indoors. How many would still do so if they realized that Wiccans delight in their acceptance of this pagan holiday?

The Groundhog Day came into being in North America during the late 1800s. Thanks to the combined effort of Clymer H. Freas, a newspaper editor, and W. Smith, an American Congressman and newspaper publisher. They organized and popularized a yearly festival in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the State was populated predominantly by German settlers. The festival featured a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil which used to foretell how long the winter would last. This very popular event is still being held and is called Groundhog Day.

There has been a concerted effort in popularizing and commercializing the Groundhog Day across the United States. Chuck Wood is The Committee for the commercialization of Groundhog Day's official mascot. The movie "Groundhog Day," has played a key role in popularizing the schedule of Events in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on and around February 2. Apart from Pennsylvania, fascinating Groundhog Day events are also held in other states, especially, Nebraska, Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio, Arkansas, and California.

In its earliest incarnation, Groundhog Day was Imbolc, a pagan celebration associated with fertility and weather divination. The word, Imbolc is Gaelic, the language of the Celts. Imbolc is traditionally a time of weather prognostication, and the old tradition of watching to see if serpents or badgers came from their winter dens. In Irish, Imbolc (pronounced im'olk) from the Old Irish, meaning "in the belly", referring to the pregnancy of ewes, and is also a Celtic term for spring. Another name is Oimelc, meaning "ewe's milk". Some Celts and Neopagans shorten the name to Brigid, referring to the Celtic goddess of healing, poetry and smithcraft, to whom the day is sacred. There is a strong association between Imbolc and Brigid, a Celtic fertility goddess. The holiday is a festival of the hearth and home, and a celebration of the lengthening days and the early signs of spring. Rituals often involve hearthfires, special foods, divination or simply watching for omens (whether performed in all seriousness or as children's games), a great deal of candles, and perhaps an outdoor bonfire if the weather permits.

Wiccans celebrate a variation of Imbolc as one of four "fire festivals", which make up half of the eight holidays (or "sabbats"), of the wheel of the year. Imbolc is defined as a cross-quarter day, midway between the winter solstice (Yule) and the spring equinox (Ostara). The precise astrological midpoint in the Northern hemisphere is when the sun reaches fifteen degrees of Aquarius. In the Southern hemisphere, if celebrated as the beginning of Spring, the date is the midpoint of Leo. Among Dianic Wiccans, Imbolc (also known as "Candlemas") is the traditional time for initiations.

One folk tradition that continues in both Christian and Pagan homes on St. Brigid's Day (or Imbolc) is that of the Brigid's Bed. The girls and young, unmarried women of the household or village create a corn dolly to represent Brigid, called the Brideog ("little Brigid" or "young Brigid"), adorning it with ribbons and baubles like shells or stones. They make a bed for the Brideog to lie in. On St. Brigid's Eve (January 31), the girls and young women gather together in one house to stay up all night with the Brideog, and are later visited by all the young men of the community who must ask permission to enter the home, and then treat them and the corn dolly with respect.

Brigid is said to walk the earth on Imbolc eve. Before going to bed, each member of the household may leave a piece of clothing or strip of cloth outside for Brigid to bless. The head of the household will smother (or "smoor") the fire and rake the ashes smooth. In the morning, they look for some kind of mark on the ashes, a sign that Brigid has passed that way in the night or morning. The clothes or strips of cloth are brought inside, and believed to now have powers of healing and protection.

On the following day, the girls carry the Brideog through the village or neighborhood, from house to house, where this representation of the Saint/goddess is welcomed with great honor. Adult women — those who are married or who run a household — stay home to welcome the Brigid procession, perhaps with an offering of coins or a snack. Since Brigid represents the light half of the year, and the power that will bring people from the dark season of winter into spring, her presence is very important at this time of year.

When the pagan holidays were transformed into Catholic equivalents, two new holidays emerged from Imbolc. One, Saint Brigid's Day (a.k.a. Saint Bridget's Day), was celebrated on February 1. Saint Brigid's Day honored an Irish saint, named after the Celtic goddess, who was a contemporary of Saint Patrick's.

But how did a groundhog become the symbol for a holiday that was marked by a candle procession? Well, the Romans, for instance, had celebrated a rough equivalent to our Groundhog Day in early February -- only a hedgehog was in charge of the weather divination, not a groundhog. And such beliefs survived the Christianization of Europe (going "underground," if you will), attaching themselves to Candlemas Day as folklore. European settlers in North America kept the pagan tradition alive, but substituted the native groundhog for the European hedgehog. Clearly, Imbolc and the older traditions have won out: today in North America, almost everyone in the general public has heard of "Groundhog Day," while mention of "Candlemas Day" would generally draw expressions of puzzlement!

Most people have now distanced themselves from fertility rites, purification rituals and weather divination. Nonetheless, on some level, don't we still intuitively associate fertility and purification with spring?

We are a nation that was founded on religious freedom. But we began tolerating other religions to the point of not only accepting them but now embracing them as our own. It's little wonder that the God of creation is lifting His hand of blessing from our nation. We have ceased worshipping the Creator and begun worshipping the creation. We esteem God's creatures, trees, the seasons and the earth itself much more highly than the God that created them, and us.

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Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
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Ref. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day
http://www.theholidayspot.com/groundhogday/theday.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbolc
http://landscaping.about.com/cs/pestcontrol/a/groundhog_day_4.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_of_the_Year
http://www.healinghappens.com/wheel.htm
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