OBAMA SPEAKS TO RECORD 75,000 IN OREGON

PORTLAND, Ore. — Senator Barack Obama drew the largest crowd of his campaign so far on Sunday, addressing an estimated 75,000 people who had gathered here on the banks of the Willamette River.

“Wow! Wow! Wow!” were his first words as he surveyed the multitude, which included people in kayaks and small pleasure craft on the river on an unseasonably hot day in Oregon.

It is “fair to say this is the most spectacular setting for the most spectacular crowd” of his campaign, he told the audience.

For the remainder of this story, visit the New York Times.

THE TRUTH IS THE TRUTH

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

As someone who regularly speaks on faith and the power of faith, I am privy to the miraculous power of faith on a daily basis. To know what you inherently know - what is deep down within your spirit, despite the circumstances, takes incredible courage and spiritual wisdom beyond what the average person is ever willing to exercise.

There is a young woman who I'll refer to as Tina who e-mails me regularly for advice and feedback on my posts. She just came through a very spiritually traumatic experience.

Tina was on the verge of being evicted from her apartment after not paying her rent since January. She had been actively looking for work and taking small consulting work wherever she could get it. As you may have heard, we are experiencing somewhat of an economic crisis.

However, Tina's faith would not allow her to consider that. She bought into the reality of her faith that she was meant to meet her financial obligations and would not lose her apartment. Yesterday, the sheriff put a notice on her door that indicated that she had 7 days to vacate.

Money owed to her by a client she had done work for previously was due by wire transfer and still had not come by the end of business when the money was due.

Tina became emotionally sick. She whaled, cried and begged God to fix this situation and "reminded" Him that the reason she was where she was, was due to her faith and trust in the power that she was meant/called to do what she loved for a living and not be stuck in a job that was unsatisfying and unfulfilling. Tina came to the realization long ago that such an existence was contrary to the peace of God she had come to know in recent times.

While she was well aware of the severe life tests she might have to endure as most successful people do just prior to their breakthrough success, this was extremely hard.

This...this here; this notice to vacate by a sheriff was something beyond like anything she had ever experienced up until now. Where was God? She did not lose faith that all would still be alright, yet this was cutting it pretty close. Most in her few close circle of friends told her to hold on. However, a couple of well-intentioned successful male friends told her she needed to start packing because the money probably wasn't coming.

This morning, she looked into her bank account and saw that the money had arrived. She called the landlord and was able to show up with certified funds to date with an advance of next month's rent.

The lesson: The truth is the truth. It may not be the truth for someone else, but when you know what you know deep within your spirit, your resolve will be tested to see just how committed you are to that truth.

Such life lessons as the ones experienced by Tina are not for the weak. You may feel weak as you go through it, but it is only temporary. Such challenges come to make one stronger. If one deeply trusts the spirit of the one and true living God and asks for guidance through humble prayer and trust that such guidance can and will be provided, the challenges that are before us, no matter how impossible they may appear, are temporary.

Tina admitted that while grateful, she was exhausted. She indicated that she felt like she had been in an emotional train wreck. However, the beauty of this experience is that she will heal. She knows that her faith has served her well. She said that God truly has kept her for a reason, because for a time there, all evidence to the contrary said she would lose her place of dwelling and she stood in the face of adversity and said, "No, I shall keep my home."

"...I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith...Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." (Matthew 8 :10,13).

How deep is your faith?

AN OVERFLOW OF BLESSINGS

What is it to experience an overflow of blessings?

I suppose it is the exact opposite of the blockage of blessings. If one goes a long time experiencing a life of strife, challenges or any sort of uncontrollable suffering, the overflow of blessings can appear as a sudden stream of relief from the pain of having to endure circumstances seemingly out of one's control.

Today and always, I wish you an overflow of blessings - an overflow of health, wealth, love and opportunity for optimum creativity - the ultimate in the fulfillment brought on by the freedom of self-expression.

I am aware of many who are deeply challenged and experiencing certain levels of suffering. For a time, I have even been one of those people.

It can be easy to say pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again, however, this can be the hardest thing to do over and over and over and over again.

However, whenever it looks the darkest, stay encouraged, know that there is a God who wants and will allow prosperity for your good and that all things can work and do work out for those who love and trust him.

Stay encouraged. Have faith & belief and trust God to the very end.

JOHN EDWARDS ENDORSES BARACK OBAMA!

Breaking News: Former Senator John Edwards endorses Barack Obama!

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Democrat John Edwards endorsed former rival Barack Obama on Wednesday, a move designed to help solidify support for the party's likely presidential nominee even as Hillary Rodham Clinton refuses to give up her long-shot candidacy.

The surprise endorsement came a day after Clinton defeated Obama by more than 2-to-1 in the West Virginia primary, and it helped the Obama campaign steer much of the evening news coverage away from a painful subject. The West Virginia outcome highlighted Obama's challenge in winning over "Hillary Democrats" — white, working-class voters who also supported Edwards in significant numbers before he exited the race in late January.

Edwards made the carefully timed announcement at an Obama rally here, as the Illinois senator campaigned in a critical general election battleground state.

Edwards, who received a thunderous ovation when Obama introduced him to the crowd of several thousand, said, "brothers and sisters, we must come together as Democrats" to defeat McCain. "We are here tonight because the Democratic voters have made their

For the remainder of this story, visit the Associated Press.

DUGGAR FAMILY 41 - YEAR OLD MATRIARCH PREGNANT WITH 18TH CHILD

By JILL ZEMAN

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — It's a happy Mother's Day for an Arkansas woman — she's pregnant with her 18th child.

Michelle Duggar, 41, is due on New Year's Day, and the latest addition will join seven sisters and 10 brothers. There are two sets of twins.

"We've had three in January, three in December. Those two months are a busy time for us," she said, laughing.

The Duggars' oldest child, Josh, is 20, and the youngest, Jennifer, is nine months old.

The fast-growing family lives in Tontitown in northwest Arkansas in a 7,000-square-foot home. All the children — whose names start with the letter J — are home-schooled.

Duggar has been been pregnant for more than 11 years of her life, and the family is in the process of filming another series for Discovery Health.

The new show looks at life inside the Duggar home, where chores — or "jurisdictions" — are assigned to each child. One episode of the new show involves a "jurisdiction swap," where the boys do chores traditionally assigned to the girls, and vice versa, Duggar said.

"The girls swapped jurisdictions, changing tires, working in the garages, mowing the grass," she said. "The boys got to cook supper from start to finish, clean the bathrooms," among other chores.

Duggar said she's six weeks along and the pregnancy is going well. She and her husband, Jim Bob Duggar, said they'll keep having children as long as God wills it.

"The success in a family is first off, a love for God, and secondly, treating each other like you want to be treated," Jim Bob Duggar said. "Our goal is for each one of our children to be best friends, and everybody working together to serve each other makes that happen."

Story comes courtesy of the Associated Press.

IS HILLARY CLINTON CHANNELING GEORGE WALLACE?

By Joe Conason

As long as Hillary Clinton is willing to spend the money and energy needed to continue her campaign, she certainly can ignore the pundits who insist that the Democratic nominating contest is over. What she should not ignore, however, is the damage that her increasingly reckless behavior is inflicting on her reputation and that of her husband -- especially when she starts to sound like a reincarnation of the late George Wallace.

When Clinton blathered on about "totally obliterating" Iran in the event it made a nuclear strike against Israel, and then reiterated that same statement last weekend, she made what was, until then, the single most ill-considered comment of the campaign. But now USA Today has published an interview in which she explained again why she regards herself as a more viable general-election candidate than Barack Obama -- except that this time, she crossed a bright white line.

Citing an Associated Press analysis "that found how Senator Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me," she went on to say: "There's a pattern emerging here."

There is indeed a pattern emerging -- and it is a pattern that must dismay everyone who admires the Clintons and has defended them against the charge that they are exploiting racial divisions.

This post comes courtesy of Salon.com. For the remainder of this article, visit Salon.com.

OBAMA ON MCCAIN: MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT!

NEW YORK (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Thursday that Republican John McCain was "losing his bearings" for repeatedly suggesting the Islamic terrorist group Hamas preferred Obama for president.

That brought an angry response from McCain's campaign, which accused Obama of trying to make an issue of McCain's age.

Age is a touchy subject for McCain, who turns 72 in August and would be the oldest person to be sworn in as president if elected.

The two senators have focused more intently on one another in recent weeks as Obama has moved closer to becoming the Democratic nominee. Thursday's back and forth between Obama and surrogates for both candidates foreshadowed a likely argument for the fall campaign.

The sparring also comes the same week as Obama's decisive victory in North Carolina's primary, which brought renewed calls for Hillary Rodham Clinton to get out of the race and clear a path for him to claim the Democratic nomination and focus on McCain.

At the root of the dispute is McCain's decision to call attention to a Hamas adviser's apparent affinity for Obama. The adviser, Ahmed Yousef, said in a recent interview: "We like Obama and hope that he will win the election."

McCain used those comments in a fundraising appeal and has cited them in interviews.

Asked about the matter Wednesday during a taping of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," McCain said: "It's indicative of how some of our enemies view America. And I guarantee you, they're not going to endorse me."

In an interview Thursday with CNN, Obama accused McCain of trying to smear him by repeating the comments.

"This is offensive, and I think it's disappointing, because John McCain always says, 'Well, I'm not going to run that kind of politics,'" Obama said. "And then to engage in that kind of smear, I think, is unfortunate, particularly since my policy toward Hamas has been no different than his."

Message to McCain campaign: Don't start none, won't be none!

For the remainder of this story, visit the Associated Press.

LIVING IN THE NOW

Earlier in the week, I referenced my decision to just be grateful. I made a conscious decision to stop focusing on prayers of petition, but rather prayers of praise and gratitude.

For so long, I have held on to the vision of my hopes and dreams like a child attached to her security blanket. The fear of letting go of the vision just enough to allow God's perfect plan to manifest for my life was hindering more than I knew. Although I have often spoke of the value of a life without fear, I was more fearful than ever. I wasn't quite practicing what I preached.

However, I began to pray in asking God to show me how to let go - on how not to be so anxious. It can be hard when one's back is against the way and is bombarded by economic doom and gloom daily. Yet, I said if I trusted, I just needed to trust. It just seemed that all that I desired for my life seems to be just taking forever and the reality is, I recognize that I am not getting any younger.

But what is time, really? I pride myself on having a pretty youthful spirit and relaxed attitude about life. I once was very anxious, stressed, over-worked and too consumed with the thoughts others had about me. When I made the decision to let all that go, there began the journey of a life that would become glorious and exhilarating in my embracing life's uncertainty. It began my viewing life as an adventure. It was a decision to truly live my life by learning to live in the now.

Oprah has touched on this theme for years now in her quest to promote spiritual truth for the lives she touches daily. There are those who even accuse of her of leading a cult.

To those naysayers I say they just need to get over themselves. They remind me of people I use to know in the Christian church who really were afraid of no longer being able to control others to the point of promoting misery among as many people as they could. It was an ugly spirit that made one feel like true peace and happiness were sins. It is this psychological enslavement that has burdened too many for too long.

It all starts with exercising one's freedom of choice. I choose to be happy. I choose to live in the moment. I choose to live in the now. I choose to trust the God of my life who has kept me in some of the most darkest times of my life where I wasn't quite sure as to whether or not I would make it.

So, my humble charge for you today is to try living in the now. Give up worrying about money, health and especially other people. Commit to simply doing the best you can, with what you have right NOW - in this moment; not the next moment, but this moment now. Embrace your choice of feeling good about your life and who you are now. Begin to celebrate the fact that you can now experience life without giving a damn about the judgment of others. Smile, laugh and feel the release.

The real beauty is that through this simple act you engage in a monumental spiritual shift that reclaims your power as the true spirit being God has called you to be. It will frustrate people and drive them crazy. You don't have to tell anyone what you are doing or why you are changing your attitude for the better. The unenlightened will be forced to live in their own hell of frustration because they cannot figure out what has gotten into you. However, know they have the same choice as you to be happy, live well and be in the moment of their own lives. It will open you up to possibilities you never really knew existed.

Be happy. Be love. Be you. And most of all, be in the now.

Peace and Blessings.

MARIAH CAREY WEDDING PHOTOS REVEALED!

Yep, they did it! If there was any doubt Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's wedding was the real deal, they answer the question once and for all in this week's issue of PEOPLE, speaking for the first time about their surprise nuptials – and showing off exclusive photos from their April 30 ceremony.

"We really do feel we are soulmates," Carey tells PEOPLE, following their sunset ceremony at the pop star's Bahamian estate. "I never felt a love like this was in the cards for me."

Cannon adds: "She is beautiful on the outside and 10 times as beautiful on the inside."

For more on Mariah & Nick's whirlwind romance – including photos of their new tattoos, details on Nick's candy-themed proposal, and their plans for kids (!) – pick up the latest PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, May 9th.

Story comes courtesy of People Magazine.

AL SHARPTON ARRESTED!

By TOM HAYS and DAVID B. CARUSO

NEW YORK (AP) — The Rev. Al Sharpton was arrested at the Brooklyn Bridge on Wednesday as he and hundreds of demonstrators blocked traffic to protest the acquittal of three detectives in the 50-bullet shooting of an unarmed black man on his wedding day.

Sharpton, two survivors of the shooting and the slain man's fiancee were among about a dozen people arrested on disorderly conduct charges near the base of the bridge. Police led away demonstrators at several other bridges and tunnels in the city.

The protests were part of a coordinated campaign to urge federal authorities to investigate the November 2006 shooting of Sean Bell. Three officers were acquitted of state charges last month.

Sharpton, shooting survivors Trent Benefield and Joseph Guzman, and Bell's fiancee, Nicole Paultre Bell, lined up and peacefully put their hands behind their backs as police put plastic handcuffs on them. Sharpton and Bell were placed in a police vehicle.

The civil rights leader is seeking a federal civil rights probe into Bell's shooting outside a Queens nightclub. The case raised questions about police use of deadly force in minority neighborhoods.

Sharpton had promised recently to "close this city down" with civil disobedience.

Bell was black, as are his friends Benefield and Guzman; the three officers acquitted in the case are Hispanic, black and white.

U.S. attorney spokesman Robert Nardoza said the case was under review, but he declined to comment further.

This story comes courtesy of the Associated Press in which reporters Bonnie Ghosh and Ted Shaffrey contributed to this report.

OBAMA NETS THE MOST DELEGATES IN TUESDAY'S PRIMARIES

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Barack Obama climbed within 200 delegates of clinching the Democratic presidential nomination based on a split decision in Tuesday's primaries.

Obama won most of the delegates at stake in the two contests, picking up at least 97 delegates in the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, according to an analysis of election returns by The Associated Press. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won at least 86 delegates, with four still to be awarded.

Each state had two delegates outstanding. Results were delayed because both states have counties split into multiple congressional districts, and election workers were still assigning those votes to the proper districts on Wednesday.

Like other Democratic contests, North Carolina and Indiana awarded delegates proportionally, based on statewide results as well as votes in individual congressional districts.

In the overall race for the nomination, Obama led with 1,846.5 delegates, including separately chosen party and elected officials known as superdelegates. Clinton had 1,696.

That leaves Obama just 178.5 delegates shy of the 2,025 needed to secure the Democratic nomination.

There are 217 delegates at stake in the final six contests: West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota. Obama, however, won't win enough of those delegates to claim the nomination because of the proportional method used by the Democrats to award them.

That leaves the nomination in the hands of about 265 superdelegates who have yet to be claimed. Superdelegates are the party and elected officials who will automatically attend the national convention and can support whomever they choose, regardless of what happens in the primaries and caucuses.

For the remainder of this story, visit the Associated Press.

OBAMA WINS BIG WITH BIG WIN IN NORTH CAROLINA

Let me say upfront that I know that I've been M.I.A. when it has come to talking about the race for the Democratic nomination as of late. Quite frankly, I could barely stomach watching the whole Rev. Wright controversy and its potential impact on the race.

I felt like a lot of dirty politics were taking place and wasn't quite sure of the outcome.

Well, I am happy to say that after his big win in North Carolina and Hillary Clinton's meager 2-point win in Indiana, Senator Barack Obama has clearly demonstrated that his non-emotional reactionary strategy continues to serve him and his campaign well.

On one hand, I couldn't help but be upset by the apparent unfairness that seemed to take place with the media harping on the whole Rev. Wright story without talking about McCain supporter Rev. John Hagee and his controvesial remarks concerning Catholics and the reason for Hurricane Katrina's wrath on New Orleans as referenced in a recent New York Times Magazine article.

My point, in spite of every effort to hit Obama at his lowest, he still prevailed.

I prayed hard for Obama to pull this out last night. His commitment to fairness and to be true to who he is has served him well.

As a result, I have great faith that he will carry that commitment well into his administration when he gets to the White House.

Congratulations to Obama and his campaign staff. Keep the faith and start looking for that V.P. running mate.

Obama '08!

Publisher Note: I want to apologize for the miscommunication this post carried earlier that sited that a former pastor of Clinton had been convicted for child molestation. Thanks to a fellow Obama supporter who sought to get me to verify this once again, I discovered that the pastor convicted was from Clinton, New York! Wow! I was just too anxious to exhibit the unfairness of the coverage concerning Obama's former pastor. In no way do I ever intend to post anything that is untrue of mischaracterizing. My apologies indeed and thank you for your patience. For clarification of this unfortunate untrue internet rumor, visit: http://www.snopes.com/politics/clintons/pastor.asp