From the outside looking in, I had the picture perfect childhood. I lived in a four-bedroom house with a dog and a fenced-in backyard. I wore department store clothes and Stride Rite kicks, and I had the latest and greatest clothes and toys. From Barbie and Cabbage Patch Dolls to a Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Gameboy, and SEGA Genesis, I had it all. I also had two loving* parents. My mother and father attended all of my productions and plays in school. They never missed a single honors luncheon and saw me get all of my attendance awards. But behind closed doors, things were different. They were different, and my mother was a nightmare. She mentally, emotionally, and verbally abused me for years.Of course, I didn't know it. Not initially. Not until the damage was already done, but that is because—like most abusers—her mistreatment began as manipulation. She loved me, coddled me, and held me close. She would say things like "Mommy loves you. Mommy needs you. You don't want Mommy to be sad, do you? Do this and I'll be happy." She made me believe I couldn't trust anyone. My childhood was full of silence, shame, and secrets. She separated me from my friends. She told me I couldn't go out or have playdates. I was never allowed to have company over, and then she began putting me down.I was bad. I was stupid. I was a "disappointment" and a "failure."Things only got worse. Sometime between my twelfth birthday and my thirteenth, the yelling began. Both I and my house shook from the noise and fear. By my fourteenth birthday, my mother's insults were laced with expletives. Sometimes she tried to hit me or hold me down, and because I was groomed from a young age, I felt helpless. I was scared, isolated, depressed, and alone. I lived in fear. I walked on eggshells in my prison, aka my home.The good news is that (eventually) I got out. When I graduated high school, I moved myself and my meager belongs 100 miles and two states away. But the damage was done. At 36, I still struggle with self-confidence. Trust is an issue, as is my reaction to criticism—actual and implied—and I have very few friends. But my abusive childhood also taught me a lot about parenting. I know what my kids need, what they want, and what they deserve, and for that I am thankful. I consider myself #blessed.Make no mistake: I know that sounds odd and twisted, and in a way it is, and yet it also makes perfect sense because my broken and neglectful childhood made me a mother who loves deeply and fully. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I give my children what they need most: my time, ear, patience, and support.My broken childhood taught me to lead by experience. I, for example, have trust issues because my trust was betrayed (and because I was told to keep others beyond my reach), so I make it a point to push my own boundaries when my children are around. I want them to see what I didn't. I want them to rely on others in a way I never could.And my broken childhood taught me what I shouldn't say. I rarely use the words "can't" or "don't." I praise my daughter on a regular basis. I focus on her achievements and not her failures or shortcomings, and when she "acts up" or makes a mistake I choose my words wisely. I seperate her feelings from her behaviors, i.e. "It is okay to be upset. I would be frustrated too. But acting out is not a healthy way of dealing with your feelings."I also tell her how I am feeling. Why? Because growing up I was told things like "stop crying" and "calm down" and these directives didn't just cause me pain and anxiety, they kept me from processing my emotions.I still struggle to say much more than "I'm fine" or "I'm okay."So while I am not happy I grew up in a distant home, a neglectful home, and an emotionally and verbally abusive home, I am happy that my daughter will not because my experience taught me what my children need and don't need. My experience taught me how I can—and why I need to—break the cycle.This article originally appeared on 9.4.20

All of a sudden, everything has changed.  Israeli troops have entered southern Lebanon, Iran has fired hundreds of missiles into the land of Israel, and it appears that all-out war has arrived.  This war doesn’t seem to have a commonly accepted name yet, and so I am just going to start calling it “the Biggest Middle East War” until somebody out there comes up with something better.  Is it just a coincidence that this war has suddenly exploded as the “Comet of the Century” is flying past our planet? I went through the details of Iran’s attack on Israel in an article that I posted earlier, and so I will not repeat all of that information here.  Since I posted that article, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly stated that Iran has “made a big mistake” and that the Iranians “will pay” for what they have done… “Iran made a big mistake tonight – and it will pay for it. The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies,” he said. That sounds rather ominous. So what should we expect? Well, one Israeli news source is reporting that the IDF intends to conduct “powerful airstrikes throughout the Middle East”… Following Iran’s missile barrage, which saw more than 180 rockets launched across Israel, the IDF vowed Tuesday night to carry out “powerful airstrikes throughout the Middle East.” The military confirmed that the Air Force remains fully operational. Additionally, Israeli and U.S. defense systems effectively intercepted many of the incoming missiles, with the IDF reporting close cooperation in detection and interception efforts. Senior Israeli officials vowed Tuesday evening that Jerusalem will not remain silent following Iran’s large-scale missile attack. A defense official promised a “severe response,” while another Israeli official warned, “What Iran has suffered so far is only a fraction of what it will face now.” Of course the IDF has already been bombing pro-Iranian targets all over the Middle East. Ultimately, I expect something even more dramatic. Could Israel strike Iran itself? That is certainly possible. Naftali Bennett is even suggesting that this is a perfect time to “destroy Iran’s nuclear program”… With emphasis added, former prime minister Naftali Bennett calls for Israel to act “now” against Iran’s nuclear program, saying the Islamic Republic “made a terrible mistake” with its major missile attack this evening. “Israel has now its greatest opportunity in 50 years, to change the face of the Middle East,” Bennett writes in an English-language post on X. “We must act *now* to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, its central energy facilities, and to fatally cripple this terrorist regime.” Such an attack would definitely trigger an unstoppable chain of events. Iran has warned that there will be a “crushing attack” if Israel responds, and the Iranians also seem to be threatening the United States… Iran’s armed forces warn against any direct military intervention in support of Israel in response to Iran’s missile attack. “In the event of direct intervention by countries supporting the regime [Israel]… their centers and interests in the region will also face a powerful attack by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the armed forces says in a statement quoted by Fars news agency. The Biden administration promised Iran that there would be “severe consequences” if the Iranians launched missiles at Israel. It is put up or shut up time for the Biden administration. As all of this has been going on, the “Comet of the Century” has been putting on a spectacular show in the heavens… Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is putting on a delightful early-morning display for those fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the spectacle before it’s lost in the glare of the rising sun. But it’s not just the early birds with good seats to the show: astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) are also enjoying the spectacle. We are being told that there will be two windows for those of us in the northern hemisphere to view this comet… Weather permitting, everyone in the Northern Hemisphere should be able to see Comet A3 in October. There are two windows to catch it, one from now through October 2 and another from October 12 to 30, according to a press release from Massey. Interestingly, the first window ends as the festival of Rosh Hashanah is beginning, and the second window starts on Yom Kippur. And it is now being projected that Yom Kippur will be the time when this comet is the closest to our planet and when it will also be the brightest… If the comet survives perihelion, it will make its way back to Earth. According to StarWalk.space, the comet will be brightest on October 12 when it makes its closest approach to our plant. During this time, Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will be located relatively high above the horizon in the evening sky. That is some “coincidence”, eh? On top of everything else, a “ring of fire” solar eclipse will occur on Wednesday… For the first time since April’s solar eclipse—during which eleven contiguous states in the U.S. were in the path of totality—some will be able to see another eclipse this coming week. This noteworthy event, called an annular eclipse, or a “ring of fire” eclipse, will be visible over parts of South America on Wednesday, Oct. 2. A partial eclipse will also be visible in parts of the world. At the time of this eclipse, the sun will already be down in Israel and the festival of Rosh Hashanah will have commenced. Amazingly, the first solar eclipse that occurred in 2024 happened on the first day of the first month on the Biblical calendar, and the second solar eclipse that will occur in 2024 will happen on the first day of the seventh month on the Biblical calendar. These two solar eclipses will be exactly six months apart on the Biblical calendar, and they both fall on very important dates. The fall festivals begin on the first day of the seventh month, and throughout the fall festivals the “Comet of the Century” will be making history in the skies above our heads. Meanwhile, here on Earth everyone is bracing for what comes next in the Middle East. I do not believe that it is a coincidence that all-out war, the “Comet of the Century”, a “ring of fire” solar eclipse and the fall festivals are all happening at the same time. As I detail in my brand new book entitled “Why”, God has been directing the course of human history for thousands of years, and He continues to do so today. What we are witnessing right now should be a major league wake up call for all of us, but for the moment most of the population still appears to be in a very deep state of sleep. Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com. About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today. The post Is It Just A Coincidence That The “Comet Of The Century” Is Flying Through The Sky As “The Biggest Middle East War” Suddenly Explodes? appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

by Michael Snyder, End Of The American Dream: The next stage of the Big Middle East War has begun.  On Monday, IDF troops crossed the border and entered southern  Lebanon.  Over and over again, Hezbollah has stated that there will be “all-out war” if this happens.  So now we will watch and see what happens in […]

by Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project: In this compelling episode of The Free Thought Project podcast, hosts Jason, Matt, and Don sit down with constitutional activist Joshua Martinez to delve into his remarkable journey of standing up for his rights against formidable odds. Josh shares his intense and often harrowing experiences with law enforcement, […]

from And We Know: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/