Job 1/21: "And he said, �Naked I came from my mother�s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.�

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great gift. The gift of life itself that He has endowed and entrusted to us. We MUST never ever underestimate, humiliate or defile this great and valuable Godly gift of life or try at any time to neglect or end it under any given circumstances. He who gave it to us, and He is the only one who takes it when ever He decides to do so. Our own life does not belong to us, but to Almighty God who gave it to us.

When we are facing any difficulty we MUST call on Him and He will come to our rescue. Matthew 7/7. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you"

God never forgets us, we are His beloved Children. He even comes to our help without us asking or calling on Him as he did with the widow whose her only son died (Luke 07/11-17). He felt her pain, anguish, great loss and sorrow. He touched her son's coffin and brought him back to life. Psalm 34/18: "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit"

Let us take this below Biblical miracle as a marvelous example of God's unlimited and unconditional love to each and every one of us. Let us learn how much He cares even when we do not call for His help.

Luke 07/11-17: "Soon afterward Jesus went to a town named Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd. Just as he arrived at the gate of the town, a funeral procession was coming out. The dead man was the only son of a woman who was a widow, and a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart was filled with pity for her, and he said to her, Don't cry. Then he walked over and touched the coffin, and the men carrying it stopped. Jesus said, Young man! Get up, I tell you! The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They all were filled with fear and praised God. A great prophet has appeared among us! they said; God has come to save his people! This news about Jesus went out through all the country and the surrounding territory."

Let us with no hesitation depend on His mercy and love when we are facing any kind of pain or hardship, no matter what and He will be constantly beside us. He will help us in ways and means that can never even be imagined or grasped by our human mind. God is so gracious let us leave all our burden within His Holy hands, carry His cross and follow Him all the way. "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11/28)

Meanwhile Jesus shares His pains and sufferings with those whom He loves so much. Many saints prayed and begged Him to make them sick and physically crippled in a bid to share His pains and sufferings. Both Saint Rita and Saint Rafka did so and God showered them with His graces, responded to their prayers and shared with them His sufferings and pains.

God is always with us. He hears, sees, feels and knows all what we say, do, and think. He is a loving, caring and forgiving father who never ever abandons us because we are His children. Accordingly we have to keep holding on to both faith and hope when are sick and encountering pain. How true is the saying: " He who depend on God shall never be disappointed". Romans 8/8: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us".

Pain for the believers is not a punishment or a sin, but a grace and a bless. Through pains and sufferings we share with Jesus some of what He Himself went through on the cross. We share His pain and His death so we can share His resurrection.

Saint Peter in his first letter (12,13,16,19) dwells on suffering in Christianity: "My dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful test you are suffering, as though something unusual were happening to you. Rather be glad that you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may be full of joy when his glory is revealed" "So then, those who suffer because it is God's will for them, should by their good actions trust themselves completely to their Creator, who always keeps his promise".

Pains and sufferings should not make us question God's existence, mercy, love or wisdom. On the contrary they are ought to purify and cleanse us, mind, body and spirit from all doubts, hesitations and fears so we can strengthen our faith and get closer to Him. Psalm 18/2: "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold".

Saint Peter teaches us to be strong, firm and resist. Let us with joy take on his advice.1 Peter 5/9-10: "Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace,who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you".

My new Arabic editorial of today addresses the world-wide Iranian atomic threat in case the Iranian religious rulers did acquire offensive atomic capabilities.

The Israeli Prime Minister believes strongly that Iran must be attacked sooner not later and before it is too late. The USA Obama administration does not see the Iranian atomic danger eye to eye with Israel.

Israeli creditable media reports have been during the last ten days focusing on the great and wide differences between Netanyahu and Obama. The USA administration is demanding strongly that it MUST be informed in advance before any Israeli military attack against Iran while Israeli is declining from any commitment to do so.

Meanwhile High ranking military and political USA and Israeli officials have been exchanging very important visits between the two countries in a bid to reach an agreement on the ways and means needs to contain the Iranian very serious threats.

Apparently the Obama administration is so hesitant and not taking the required measures that would force the Iranian leadership to put a halt on their ongoing efforts to acquire the atomic bomb.

The editorial calls on the Arab countries and in particular the Arabian Gulf states and kingdoms to step forward and start dealing with the Iranian fatal threats more openly and more seriously because once Iran succeeds in having an atomic bomb they all will be its first target.

It also cautions the Western countries not to replicate with Iran their devastating mistakes with Hitler.

The Editorial dwells at the same time on the bizarre Lebanese status quo and stresses the sad fact that the Iranian Terrorist Hezbollah is currently in full control over the Lebanese government, all Lebanon's officials and all the Lebanese institutions including the Military forces.

Hezbollah via terrorism, bribery, corruption, money, sectarianism, embezzlement, and all sorts of intimidation has tamed all the Lebanese communities and marginalized their leadership.

In this context Lebanon's leadership prime problem lies in their shameful subservience, passiveness and detachment from faith and all that is dignity and self respect.

Almighty God endowed the Lebanese people with a piece of an earthly heaven. Instead of protecting this great heaven that is Lebanon and make it a role model country for peace, democracy, independence, human rights and freedom, Lebanon's rotten leadership destroyed it.

Why we did they commit this fatal sin? Simply because stupidly, blindly and like sheep they are a bunch of evil and corrupted clergymen, politicians and officials.

Meanwhile Countries are not the land, but the citizens. While good and patriotic citizens with their hard work and devotion can build great countries, we know very well that stupid and selfish citizens destroy great countries and wipe them from the map.

Sadly the majority of the Lebanese clergymen, officials and politicians as well many citizens are destroying our beloved Lebanon. This crime is going on because, the people are passive, not taking a stance and acting like slaves.

In conclusion Lebanon will not reclaim itself and be again a great country unless its people go back to faith and start to fear Almighty God in all that they do, say and think.

A bunch of notorious Lebanese Christian politicians met today at the Kesroun Basilica of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa Shrine in a bid to lobby for the ailing Syrian dictatorship regime and its bloody butcher Bachar Al Assad, to cover the anti Lebanese and anti-Christian stances adopted by the derailed Maronite Patriarch Bchara Al Raei, and to side with the Terrorist Hezbollah against the State of Lebanon.

These second, third and fourth class with no backbone politicians are remotely controlled by Micheal Smaha, a Lebanese Christian disreputable politician appointed by the Syrian regime to coordinate its media and political activities inside Lebanon and abroad.

Nahernet posted on its web site today the following report: "reported that a group of independent Christian figures on Sunday held a meeting at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa to �discuss the national and political affairs and the outcome of the alignments and conflicts in Lebanon, inside and outside state institutes, and in the Arab world,� state-run National News Agency reported. The conferees also discussed �the situations the Christians are going through, especially in the hotspots, and the repercussions of the sudden changes on their freedoms and existence.� The meeting with attended by head of the basilica, Father Khalil Alwan, ex-ministers Elias Saba, Joseph al-Hashem, Suleiman Trabulsi, Karim Pakradouni, Naji al-Bustani, George Qurum, Yacoub Sarraf, Elias Hanna, Jack Jokadrian, ex-MPs Elie al-Ferzli, Jebran Touq, Elias Skaff, Fares Boueiz, Marwan Abu Fadel, George Najem, Pierre Daccash, Abdullah Farhat, Salim Habib, ex-Phalange Party chief Munir al-Hajj, lawyer Rashad Salameh, ambassador Fouad al-Turk, Shadi Masaad, Charles Ghostine, Fouad Abu Nader, Joe Edde, economist Joseph Yachoui, retired Brig. Gen. Michel Karam and Claude Boueiz Kanaan. �Given what Lebanon is going through and the dangerous developments in the region, and the concerns they raise, as (recently) expressed by (Maronite) Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, especially over the fate of the Christians, we believe, as independents, that we have to shoulder the responsibility of drafting an unchained national plan for the future,� the conferees said in a statement issued after the talks. The plan in question would �tackle the main central issues away from the mentality of alignments, for the sake of a pluralistic civil state and the drafting of a new social contract,� they said. The Christian figures added that they will hold another meeting on January 20 to discuss a paper that is currently being drafted by a specialized committee"

It is worth mentioning that the majority of these politicians were either well known Syrian tools during Syria's occupation of Lebanon, or a sheer horde of opportunists and hunters for personal gains. Some of them were even active members in Christian parties and militias but sold out their loyalty to Lebanon and to he Christian communities to become well exposed trumpets and mouthpieces for the Syrian regime, the Iranian Mullahs and for its militant proxy, Hezbollah.

The estranged Christian politician Michael Aoun, Hezbollah, the Syrian regime, and President Micheal Suleiman, have been exering a great deal of effort to create such a fake and camouflaging political Christian front to act as a Christian umbrella for the derailed Maronite Patriarch Bchara Al Raei whose stances are pro Hezbollah and the Syrian regime, while at the same time anti Lebanon and completely contradicting to the historic Maronite Christen Church political convictions and stances on all levels.

During the passed thirty years the Lebanese political and national arenas have witnessed numerous such mercenary Christian, Muslim and Druze gatherings. All of them without one exception were transient, fully exposed, unproductive and could not camouflage their evil Syrian-Iranian hidden agendas. All of them crumbled quickly, and failed to became history.

In conclusion, There is no doubt that the fate of this mercenary so called Christian gathering is not going to be any different by any way or means

Political observers can easily see the similarity between the events taking place at present in Lebanon, and the serious challenges experienced by the 13 United States during the "Critical Period” span between 1781 up to 1789.

As per the U.S. History of Paul M. Roberts, the life of the new nation was aptly called critical, many people feared the United States would collapse; Congress was beset with financial problems, and was unable to maintain law and order, or to exercise any real authority. The government lost the respect of foreign nations; the states quarreled among themselves and nearly came to blows over boundary disputes.

The “Americans” managed to sort out the pending matters by calling for Constitutional Convention which was held in 1787. Present at the Convention were many of the ablest leaders, the following were important problems and their solutions: -

1- The large states favored the Virginia Plan. This called for representation in Congress to be based on population. The small states, feared of being outvoted in Congress because of their limited population, supported the New Jersey Plan. This proposed that each state have equal representation.

Solution: The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise). The problem was solved by creating Congress consisting of two houses. In the upper house, the Senate, each state was to be represented equally by two senators. In the lower house, the House of Representatives, each state was to be represented on basis of population.

2- To obtain maximum representation but minimum taxation, the Southern states proposed that (a) slaves be counted as part of the population in determining representation in the House of Representatives, and (b) slaves not to be counted for the purpose of direct taxation by the federal government. The Northern states vehemently opposed this plan.

Solution: The Three-Fifths Compromise. The problem was solved by providing that five slaves be counted as three persons for both representation and taxation.

3- The manufacturing and shipping interests of the North wanted Congress to have the power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce. The farming interests of the South feared that Congress might use this power to tax agricultural exports. The South also feared that Congress might prohibit the importation of slaves.

Solution: The Commerce Compromise. The problem was solved by granting Congress the power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce and to levy tariffs on imports. But Congress could not tax exports, nor could Congress restrict the importation of slaves for a period of 20 years.

With good will and with spirit of compromise such problems were solved nearly two centuries ago. Do our Lebanese politicians have such brains, and wills to overcome our chronic tragedy?

Khobar, K.S.A.

16/01/2012

Leadership…It is a very involved term representing many different traits and personal qualities. It is very difficult to predict good leaders due to the unending power hungriness associated with success and authority. Power can be harnessed for either bad or good, and on some level, both.

The experience was enlightening. I met many young people who had been through and achieved so much. I was humbled by other people’s experiences. I was personally inspired by the address of Brian Egan, founder of the charitable association, Aussie Helpers, who spoke to us about his past experiences and the adversity he faced that was overcome by persistence and a desire to help people. Brian started his charity after suffering from depression caused by the financial hardships farmers faced as a result of the Australian drought. He had $20 in his pocket and a vision that he could release people from the suffering he went through. The initial $20 and noble vision has since grown into a charitable association that has, to date, assisted over 3000 Australian farming families. Brian inspired and encouraged those present to not underestimate their influence. Everybody can make a difference if they will it and apply their talents and energies to a particular cause.

Leadership creates power and breeds responsibility. We were taught that in order to succeed, one must have strong faith and values, a strong sense of self and a determination to do what they believe is right.