DJ Pasternak, Author

On the way home from visiting friends in Maryland we were thankful to stop for late lunch at a McDonald’s. The table or actually tables next to us were taken up by a family with about ten young children including a baby, and their young parents. Mommy was sitting in the center distributing food. Daddy was going back & forth with ketchup, straws, napkins etc.

It wasn’t what you would call chaos but lively. In other words full of life. It made me think of our recent travels. A young man throwing a ball to his dog in the hallway of our motel. Dogs barking at night from somewhere in the motel. Huge dogs coming to lunch with their owners.

Seeing that family in Mickey Dee’s made me think. We hadn’t seen any children in the lovely hotels but many young couples with dogs. Nothing wrong with pets. In fact they are great and provide much happiness for people. But somehow in seeing that family, I saw hope; confidence that these parents had to bring many children into the world believing each of them would bring something the world needed. That something is love.

Even before Roe V Wade existed, there was talk that abortions would become legal in our country, I felt strongly against that happening. After the Supreme Court decision in 1973 I became active in the pro-life cause: attending the March for Life, supporting pro-life groups assisting moms, writing letters to local newspapers.

When discussing the issue with someone supporting abortion rights she said something that truly bothered my conscience. She asked, “Have you ever even offered to take a woman into your home and care for her during an unplanned pregnancy”. My answer was no.

Years later I met someone who sought to keep her baby but the father was strongly opposed and threatened her. She was seeking a safe place where he could not reach her. There was help right across the street that sheltered women from abusive situations but she seemed to think they would not help her. The people she was speaking with gave her names of a pro-life organization that took in women trying to keep their babies till term but she said because of the threat her boyfriend posed they would not take her in. Her parents would not help her.

It seemed she had no where to turn and with some trepidation I offered her my name and phone number and she took it. I felt unsure and a bit afraid by her situation, but also moved to extend an invitation for shelter. She never called me and I hope she found a way to have her baby. In a way the person who asked me that questioned, struck a nerve in my heart.

I only wish today the up-side-down politicians who say they want healthcare for the moms through abortion would really understand in their hearts in several states it is legal to abort a baby up to and including nine months and this is really not health care but brutal slaying of a child. And the child from conception is a person not part of a mother’s body.

Yet in this up-side-down world, lies seem to have covered up the truth and made it seem supporting abortion the righteous path; whereas, it is truly the path that leads to destruction as it did with the Romans, Incas etc. I will quote once more (as I have several times in the past), from Mother Teresa: We must not be surprised when we hear of murders, killings, of wars, and of hatred… If a Mother can kill her own child, what is left for us but to kill each other.

Prophetic words!

I read somewhere that not believing in God is insanity. I googled to find where and by whom it was said but failed to find the answer. It is evident that there is an ongoing effort to remove our Creator from the culture, whereas, freedom to perform satanic rituals is being defended. We are familiar with the efforts of Madalyn Murray O’Hair for her efforts, including removal of the Lord’s Prayer and Bible reading in public schools. She went on with her fight against religion for the rest of her life advocating to remove In God we trust from our currency, tax exceptions for churches, etc, etc.

Interesting one of her sons became a Baptist and wrote a book in opposition to his mother’s atheism. She truly believed there was no God and in that way Madalyn was more honest than what we are witnessing today in our leaders. So tell me now: are we not plummeted with the insane?? It does appear daunting yet we are still Americans and our founders were successful in founding a country, One nation, under God! Take heart and believe for with faith, hope and love all things are possible. That’s what my time of prayer on a recent beautiful spring day revealed to me.

O glorious morning bliss, do shield me from a world of woe. Reflection of the light that leads me forth with grace given to my wounded soul. Remain amid the dark and dreary days to strengthen, guide and give an everlasting joy. No matter should men pierce and slay the peacefulness You share. Forget me not, O Lord, and bring to bear, the totality of love beyond compare. O lead me in thy ways, O Lamb, as everlasting light shall never dim.

Take the time to get all your ducks in a row. Pray!

After 9/11/2001 most of us here in the USA realized our vulnerability. Perhaps years of peace at home contributed to a general complacency that we were removed from attack by outside forces; lulling us into a kind of la la land where all was secure and our own pursuits were focus enough. Thousands perished as we watched the TV; just three planes destroyed what we assumed was indestructible. We were actually ‘sitting ducks’.

Like the Israelites of old we turned back to our Creator and nationwide church pews were filled, our country’s flag flew in place of seasonal decorative ones with turkeys and summer flowers, etc. In my own experience I remember an abundance Old Glory wherever I went, our country parish reached near capacity, religious prayer services were broadcast from Madison Square Garden.

It seemed a country founded on faith and fortitude had returned. I often think if the terrorists had attacked soon after 911, although tragic, we may have preserved ‘a nation of the people, for the people and by the people’. All that we cherish is indeed under attack today. Our enemy dwells among us and I often feel like a ‘sitting duck’. Ironically it increased my desire to seek otherworldly help. Sitting on my deck amid the glories of springtime, I prayed and wrote a poem I’ll share with you in my next post.

Pentecost is one of my favorite Holy Days. It is called the ‘birthday of the Church’. But the origins of Pentecost dates back to Moses and the giving of Torah (the first five books of the Bible) on Mt. Sinai. It was and is now celebrated fifty days after Passover by those of the Jewish faith at the time of the early harvest in Israel (May/June). As Passover coincides with Holy Week for Christians, Pentecost comes fifty days after Passover and also after Easter. Without Pentecost we would not have the Christian Church.

In today’s Gospel reading Jesus comes walking on the Sea of Galilee and says “Do not be afraid…” to His fearful disciples. After Jesus death and even after His resurrection and appearances to them, the apostles huddled in fear in the Upper Room. At Pentecost He sent the Holy Spirit that came as tongues of fire and those cowards in the Upper Room were baptized and received the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, one of which was fortitude.

“The gift of fortitude is bestowed upon us by God through the Holy Spirit at our confirmation; the moral virtue of fortitude is ‘acquired by human effort’ according the the Catechism of the Catholic church.”

In his Summa Theologica St. Thomas Aquinas says; In strictest interpretation of its meaning, the virtue of fortitude is bravely facing the danger of death. A man capable of meeting with fortitude this greatest of dangers is not daunted by lesser perils.

We are facing constant reinforcement of fear from the onset of the covid panic: fear of people giving us the virus, fear of nuclear war from our enemies, fear of inflation, fear of going to church, fear of speaking our views on abortion, masks, vaccines, BLM, gender confusion, fear of the “dark winter’ and the great reset.

Another of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is Fear of God, Holy fear in which we see ourselves as finite beings who were graciously given the greatest gift, eternal life. We need to constantly ask ourselves: “Whom shall I fear?” The Apostles went on to spread the Gospel in spite of the danger of death and the Church exists after more than 2000 years in spite of everything.

To be continued…

Ahead of Him stood a rocky hill. Three tall wooden posts set into the ground awaited the arrival of Yeshua and the other men to be crucified that afternoon. The two criminals were already near the site of the upright beams. Yeshua was struggling at the bottom of the hill. We saw Him collapse and fall a third time. How could He possibly ascend the slope to Golgotha?

The guards had no compassion for Him. One of them pulled Him to His feet. Simon of Cyrene assumed His position under the beam. Together they came to the summit. The others were already being nailed to their crossbeams. Several Roman soldiers took hold of Yeshua and stripped Him of His garments. Wounds inflicted from the flogging and crowning of thorns left no sound spot on Him.

“They are the cruelest of all Roman soldiers, chosen for their lack of sympathy and absence of conscience,” Columba said, suddenly appearing at my side. “They find pleasure in their grim job of crucifixion and are even despised by the other soldiers.”

“I am thankful for your presence, my friend,” I said.

The sound of the hammer and groans of Yeshua did not disturb most of the Jews who watched. Nicodemus and Joseph stood by themselves away from the rest.

“See, His mother is with John. He is the only one present of the twelve Apostles,” a woman next to us said. The woman was one of those Yeshua stopped to talk with on the way to this wretched place.

His mother leaned on John and her body shook with sobbing. Again I thought of my mother. She could not have borne seeing this, although she may have stood it better than my father. There were a number of women who stayed observing Yeshua even now. They understood His mother’s pain better than any of us.

The executioners raised His body attached to the crossbeam by nails through His hands and wrists. They lifted the beam with Yeshua, securing it to the vertical piece. With His feet placed to one side, they nailed them together onto the upright beam. I felt the pain in my own limbs and my head ached.

We sat quietly for a moment before Josephus spoke.“We should probably be on our way to the Temple. I am glad for our gathering tonight. It should be a blessed, joyful Passover,” he said, taking his cloak off a hook and the lantern from a shelf.

There were many people walking from all directions, as we came near the gate of the Temple. Some of them led lambs they had purchased on the way, but most knew how strict the inspection of the animals was, and how few lambs would be found without blemish if purchased outside the courts. We knew the ways of the Temple authorities and realized there was nothing to do but buy our lamb on the premises.

After the purchase, we waited in line for our lamb to be inspected and slaughtered. Next, we stood in another line waiting for the meat to be roasted in one of the ovens on the Mount. After several hours holding the prepared meat, the signal came at sunset allowing everyone to be on their way. At last we joined the others leaving the Mount.

“Josephus, this stream of Jews carrying their lambs and holding lighted lanterns, reminds me of the procession we made toward the Temple on the Feast of Tabernacles. Passover brought freedom to our people and all our feast days remind us, the Lord was and is with us,” I said as we walked.

“And His Son is physically with us on this Passover,” Josephus said. “I’ve heard people talking, wondering if He will come to the Temple. Perhaps one of His followers is among us tonight carrying a roasted lamb for the Messiah’s Passover meal.”

One raining Sunday in October 2020 as the Black lives matter was wreaking havoc in Seattle I sat at the computer amazed at the scenes before me. It Made no sense. At some point I came upon a video of an interview with Thomas Sowell and remembered reading about him a couple of years before.

In searching the internet I found he was born in 1930 in North Carolina when the Great Depression was in its early stages. His father died before he was born and his mother died a few years later. When he was eight, he went to live with his great aunt and her adult children in Harlem, NYC. They were not well educated but he credited them saying they cared about him and he was fortunate to live with them..

He had a friend named Eddie Mapp whose family was well educated and they encouraged Eddie to mentor Thomas. He brought Tommy to the public library and taught him how to use it. Sowell said of this friendship that, “If I had not encountered him the entire rest of the story would not have been the way it was.” Eddie also informed Thomas that he could choose to enter another better junior high than the one assigned to him.

You may wonder why I kept this post as a draft for so long after writing the short opening paragraph. It was because I devoured so many of his video interviews and articles written by him, it overwhelmed me. His approach as an intellectual was unhampered by going along with the general intelligentsia; his discernment of actual facts in all he did and the ability to explain his conclusions to the general public was just too much to include in a blog.

I have decided to introduce you to this prolific writer, economist, philosopher, historian, photographer, etc and let you explore, perhaps more about Thomas Sowell than I have. You may begin with the following interview and commentary, a 57 min. video about his life and work: Thomas Sowell: Common Sense in a Senseless World and also, a Naples Times article written by Sowell: Closing One Door Opening Another for Christian Conservatives.

Note: Sowell does not claim to be a Christian (but sounds like one) and he is black in color and belongs to the Human Race. He believes the greatest path for black people is educating them well not in public schools but in private, charter. religious schools of parental choice. He is entertaining, honest, unafraid to express his own deductions, and probably a genius!

This isn’t really a book report or a book review. It is more a reminder, a personal reflection geared to keep the book I’ve just finished reading, close to my heart. This seventeenth century historical fiction novel by John Shors recounts the story of the Taj Mahal. As a memorial of a just Emporer Shah Johan for his wife Empress Mumtaz Mahal, her tomb remains a gleaming white marble eulogy of their love.

The eternal struggle between the two most powerful human emotions love and hatred are ever the theme of this story. The antagonist, the Shah’s son Arangzeb, represents extreme evil as the heroine, the shah’s eldest daughter Princess Johanara, embodies the virtues of goodness.

Brutality displayed vividly in two men is countered by the gentle strength of two other men in the story. In describing the brutality of the evil men the author holds nothing back. It is the endurance of Johanara that allows the reader to accept the vivid physical abuse as necessary to the story. It is a complicated plot. The underlying and perhaps more important theme is the Muslem and Hindu faith of the characters which exhibits the good and the evil interpretation by the characters.

Being Christian, I noted the mention of the spires of a few churches along with those of the temples and mosques in an idyllic town by the sea, where the virtuous characters in the story spent some respite from the extreme struggles they were otherwise experiencing. This first novel of John Shors is well worth reading.

Ever think you’re living in an Alice In Wonderland world with Mad Hatters and men who are made of cards? I know the story makes sense as the author knew what it meant. It isn’t really for me to use it for comparing our world today.

But is there any way to compare the insanity surrounding me every day? I suppose Presidents Day which has consolidated two great Presidents, to make room for things like the Earth Day and others, I don’t wish to remember. Now what country is it that we live in? Although it took years in the making, I feel as if I went to bed one night in the United States of America and woke up in Wonderland wondering what happened..

I wonder when and if my country will be restored. God is removed from the public schools, women can choose to abort their own children up to birth in New Jersey and even after birth in New York. We have no border, no law, no justice. Yet there exists a struggle as old as humanity itself. It is one of domination vs. freedom. It is the soul of our country and the gift of these two men. Both fought against slavery, one from a country and the other slavery of a people: Both bore the chains of domination.

A blinding is taking place today and the focus is on the slavery President Lincoln fought instead of the slavery President Washington fought. I am convinced there is no such thing as different races. It is the human race that God made as He did all things. For in the sight of our One Lord Creator we are all equally loved; yet He the Almighty cannot embrace evil or domination. We do know we are wonderfully made and have freedom to decide for good or evil, freedom or domination, life or death.

It is a wonder we still hope for our wonderful country !