A Joyous Ending – RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 4th August 2013

A JOYOUS ENDING BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memorise:
For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. Proverbs 23:18

Read:
Luke 7:11-15

(Luke 7:11) And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.

(Luke 7:12) Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.

(Luke 7:13) And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

(Luke 7:14) And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

(Luke 7:15) And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

Open Heavens Message
Every part of the human body is important and is given to us for some reason. The mouth particularly is given to us to protest against any contrary condition we may be experiencing. If you fail to cry out when you should, you may be prolonging the negative situation you are in. I was out for a prayer walk one night and did not really care if anybody was around.

I had a very crucial issue to settle with God so I laid prostrate on the road. Then one fellow came to me and called Daddy. In my heart I wondered, ‘what is his business about this?’ Who is daddy when there is trouble? According to Luke 11:9-10, we are instructed to ask, seek and knock but the duration for making the request is not stated; in other words, we are to continue to ask, seek and knock until we receive our desire – till our joy is full (John 16:24). How are you asking?

Moreover another lesson from the Shunammite woman of 2 Kings 4:18-26 is that all is well that ends well. When you go through scriptures, you will see several people who encountered problems but at the end, they had a pleasant, glorious ending. How a given situation ends is more crucial. In Mark 2:1-12, we read of a man who was paralysed. He was borne by four people because his situation had made him heavier, but at last he walked home by himself. In Mark 5:1-20, we see how a notorious mad man became an evangelist. 

Similarly, in Luke 7:11-15, we read of a woman who was happily married and had a son. At some point, she lost her husband then her son, and was embarking on a journey to bury him when she encountered Jesus. At the end, her trip into lasting sorrow became a trip into permanent joy and comfort when the lord raised up her son from the dead. Are you in a particularly sorrowful situation? The Lord will step in and your end shall be glorious. Fear not, the problem you think will kill you will not kill you. The problem will be terminated so that your joy might be full. You shall end in joy.

Bible In One Year:
Psalm 94-96

Prayer Point:
Father, irrespective of what I am going through today, let my end be glorious.



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Travel Photos: Souvenirs From My Journey To God's Own State

Travel Photos: Souvenirs From My Journey To God's Own State

I traveled to the eastern part of Nigeria from Lagos recently. I went for a burial of one of my uncles. God recalled him when he went to answer natures call in the fateful morning. The burial went absolutely smoothly.
As a traveler I took a few travel pictures. I would've taken more exotic travel pictures if only my camera didn't go out of commission, so sad.

Travel Photos: Souvenirs From My Journey To God's Own State - Usekwu

The photo above is that of a modest USEKWU. Usekwu is an igbo word for kitchen. There's another modern kitchen indoors. A pot of white rice is on fire, it's almost done. You can see ITE (pot) sits on three legged EKWU or tripod stand for cooking. The fuel is firewoods. The firewood is dried OKA shrub and OWARA. I don't know what "oka" is in english, the english word for "owara" is jute palm fronds. The jute palm fronds is usually used to erect yam barn

Travel Photos: Souvenirs From My Journey To God's Own State - Ihu Ezi

 This our IHU EZI. That is compound. A coconut sits in a small roundabout in the middle. That coconut don't taste good to me but I eat it anyway lol. Beyond the red gate is a fairly large farm land but it wasnt cultivated this year. You can see the plantains, banana plants, etc.

Travel Photos: Souvenirs From My Journey To God's Own State - Usekwu with no fire

This is that usekwu where a pot of rice was on fire. Its early morning, no fire yet. It doesn't usually see fire everyday.

Travel Photos: Souvenirs From My Journey To God's Own State - Maize storage

 Maize storage. Maize hung over the cooking area, the heat from the cooking helps dry the and preserve the maize.

Travel Photos: Souvenirs From My Journey To God's Own State - Pot of bush meat

 A pot of ANU OHIA (bush meat). In this case the bush meat is NCHI (grasscutter). Its a delicacy.

Travel Photos: Souvenirs From My Journey To God's Own State - Isi Nchi

 This is the head of the ANU NCHI. This was a fully matured grasscutter. You have no idea how delicious this tastes lol.

Travel Photos: Souvenirs From My Journey To God's Own State - Youth Day

 This is Mazi Alozie and Nwada Chinwe presenting a mock news during Methodist Church's Youth Day at Trinity Methodist Church Umuegwu. It was a hilarious comic relief. Mazi Alozie is talented at doing this. He cracked everybody up lol!

Travel Photos: Souvenirs From My Journey To God's Own State - Abacha

 Now here's another delicacy. I love this dish. It's called ABACHA or popularly known as AFRICAN SALAD. The ingredients include abacha (cassava flaked a bit like pasta), potash salt, oil, garden egg, garden egg leaves, assorted fish, prawn, etc as you want to add.

Travel Photos: Souvenirs From My Journey To God's Own State - Okpa

This is called OKPA prepared from OKPA seed. I don't english word okpa sorry. But this is a delicacy. This particular one is wrapped with plantain or banana leaves which is the traditional and healthiest method. The plantain/banana makes it leaves gives it extra nice taste or flavour. It can be prepared using nylon bags too. Okpa is heavy and very filling healthy energy food.

Travel Photos: Souvenirs From My Journey To God's Own State - Coming back from the stream

 This photo is one of my oldest exotic travel photo lol. I didn't take this phot on my recent travel. The people in the photo were coming back from the stream called OTI. The have no idea they are on my blog. I have no idea who they are. There a guy who went to fetch firewood in the photo too.

Travel Photos: Souvenirs From My Journey To God's Own State

The road behind was constructed recently. It used to be very muddy during rainy season and very nastily dusty during dry/harmattan season. Everybody is happy this road was finally constructed courtesy of NDDC.


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First Church Wedding Photos Of Dotun And Taiwo Oyebanjo

First  Church Wedding Photos Of Dotun And Taiwo Oyebanjo

The Cool FM OAP, Dotun (Oladotun Ojuolape Kayode) and Taiwo Oyebanjo, the younger sister of D'banj tied the knot earlier today. I remember when this rumour swept across internet and they denied it. Well what must be must be. No denying this time lol.

These are some pictures from the church wedding. The wedding photos are really beautiful. What's up with that Dotun's smile or laugh lol. Looks uhm..... Happy married to you.

See more beautiful wedding photos below

First Church Wedding Photos Of Dotun And Taiwo Oyebanjo

First Church Wedding Photos Of Dotun And Taiwo Oyebanjo - Dotun pose with Ice Prince

First Church Wedding Photos Of Dotun And Taiwo Oyebanjo

First Church Wedding Photos Of Dotun And Taiwo Oyebanjo

First Church Wedding Photos Of Dotun And Taiwo Oyebanjo

 


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Health Benefits Comparison: Wine vs Beer

Health Benefits Comparison: Wine vs Beer

Its an established and accepted fact that consumption of wine and beer has its health benefits. In 2000, a Danish research revealed that all forms of alcohol can lower the risk of heart disease, thanks to its ability to increase HDL cholesterol and hence reduce the thickening and hardening of the arteries, red wine was shown to be the most effective in preventing heart disease. However it is yet to established and accepted which among wine and beer has the most health benefits. 

WINE BENEFITS
Wine Is Good For The Heart: Lowers Risk of Heart Disease
Red wine (and white wine, to a much lesser extent) contains tannin procyanin. This antioxidant encourages cell growth while also preventing plaque build-up in the arteries and reduces the risk of stroke and other serious heart problems. In fact, this antioxidant is believed to the be the explanation for the so called "French paradox," the fact that the French have lower rates of heart disease than people from other countries, despite diets that tend to be high in fat and cholesterol.

Red-wine tannins contain procyanidins, which protect against heart disease. Wines from Sardinia and southwest France have more procyanidins than other wines. Source: a study at Queen Mary University in London, published in Nature, 2006.

Red wine contains resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant compound. Resveratrol also protects your heart and arteries against the effects of saturated fat in your diet, so drinking one or two glasses of red wine a day can help protect your heart and prevent cardiovascular disease.

The flavonoids and sapponins in red wine also help to protect your heart against cardiovascular disease. The alcohol in red wine, when consumed in moderation, raises your levels of "good" HDL cholesterol, helps prevent the formation of blood clots and can help to protect your arteries from the damage caused by "bad" LDL cholesterol.

Lower Risk Of Cancer
Substantial evidence suggests that drinking red wine in moderation can help prevent cancer. The many antioxidants in red wine can help prevent the oxidative damage responsible for the process of aging and for many degenerative conditions like Alzheimer's, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Guercetin, one of the many antioxidants in red wine, may help prevent lung cancer. Research has shown that resveratrol, the same red wine antioxidant that helps protect your heart, can also kill cancerous cells.

Resveratrol also inhibits cancerous cells' ability to remove irradiated particles, making radiation therapy more effective against cancer. Resveratrol also attacks cancerous cells and inhibits their ability to function.

Wine Promotes Healthy Weight:
No wonder you don't ever hear of anyone complaining about having a "wine belly". In general, wine is far lower in calories than beer. The fact that one glass (about six ounces) of wine has fewer calories than an equivalent amount of beer helps wine drinkers maintain a healthy weight more easily compared to beer drinkers.

Promotes Longevity
Wine drinkers have a 34 percent lower mortality rate than beer or spirits drinkers. Source: a Finnish study of 2,468 men over a 29-year period, published in the Journals of Gerontology, 2007.

Prevents Tooth Decay
Red wine, even non-alcoholic red wine, hardens your enamel to prevent tooth decay. Hardened enamel is more resistant to Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria which lives on your teeth and is responsible for tooth decay. The polyphenols in red wine can also prevent gum disease, and even help to treat it by reducing inflammation in the gums.

Lowers Risk of Stroke
The possibility of suffering a blood clot–related stroke drops by about 50 percent in people who consume moderate amounts of alcohol. Source: a Columbia University study of 3,176 individuals over an eight-year period, published in Stroke, 2006.

Cuts Risk of Cataracts
Moderate drinkers are 32 percent less likely to get cataracts than nondrinkers; those who consume wine are 43 percent less likely to develop cataracts than those drinking mainly beer. Source: a study of 1,379 individuals in Iceland, published in Nature, 2003.

Slows Brain Decline And Improves Memory
Brain function declines at a markedly faster rate in nondrinkers than in moderate drinkers. Source: a Columbia University study of 1,416 people, published in Neuroepidemiology, 2006. Wine could preserve your memory. When researchers gave memory quizzes to women in their 70s, those who drank one drink or more every day scored much better than those who drank less or not at all. Wine helps prevent clots and reduce blood vessel inflammation, both of which have been linked to cognitive decline and heart disease, explains Tedd Goldfinger, DO, of the University of Arizona School of Medicine. Alcohol also seems to raise HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, which helps unclog your arteries.

Boost Your Body Immunity
In one British study, those who drank roughly a glass of wine a day reduced by 11% their risk of infection by Helicobacter pylori bacteria, a major cause of gastritis, ulcers, and stomach cancers. As little as half a glass may also guard against food poisoning caused by germs like salmonella when people are exposed to contaminated food, according to a Spanish study.

Build Better Bones
On average, women who drink moderately seem to have higher bone mass than abstainers. Alcohol appears to boost estrogen levels; the hormone seems to slow the body’s destruction of old bone more than it slows the production of new bone.

Prevent Blood-Sugar Trouble
Premenopausal women who drink one or two glasses of wine a day are 40 percent less likely than women who don’t drink to develop type 2 diabetes, according to a 10-year study by Harvard Medical School. While the reasons aren’t clear, wine seems to reduce insulin resistance in diabetic patients.

Health Benefits Comparison: Wine vs Beer

BEER BENEFITS
On the other hand, beer boasts of the following health benefits. Remember, though, to always drink in moderation, and be sure to get a designated driver to get home safely.

Reduces Risk of Heart Disease
All alcohol, whether it is beer, wine, or liquor, is known to help reduce heart disease. According to a 2008 article in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, moderate consumption of alcohol makes blood less sticky, and so it is less likely to clot. Alcohol can also increase good cholesterol and lower the bad, as well as lower your blood pressure. A Harvard study of 70,000 women found that those who consumed beer had a lower blood pressure than those who consumed wine or hard alcohol.

Helps the Kidneys
Alcohol gets a bad wrap for being hard on your kidneys, but beer can actually help in that department. According to the 2011 ADA Times, beer can actually reduce your risk of kidney stones. The hops not only help slow the release of calcium from the bones — too much calcium can cause kidney stones — but beer also has a high water content, which helps clear out those kidneys.

Packed with Nutrition
Beer is a surprising source of many nutrients. One 12-ounce beer has around one gram of fiber. It is also packed with B vitamins like niacin, pantothenic acid, folate, riboflavin, and vitamins B6 and B12. It is also rich in silicon, a nutrient that is said to help strengthen bones.

Reduces Risk of Diabetes
In 2011, Harvard did a study of 38,000 middle-aged men which showed that, when they upped their intake of beer to two a day, they dropped their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 25 percent. There was, however, no noted benefit from drinking more than two beers a day.

Reduces Risk of Cancer
Just putting your meat in a marinade of beer can eliminate almost 70 percent of carcinogens from the meat, a Portuguese study found. That might not transfer to drinking the beer, but who doesn’t love a good beer marinade? If you do just drink it, though, it does contain loads of helpful antioxidants that can keep you healthy.

Increases Brain Health
Researchers think that a few beers a day can also stave off Alzheimer’s and can reduce your risk of stroke. In 2005, a study was done of 11,000 older women, and those who had one beer a day had better mental function than those who didn’t. In fact, they decreased their risk of mental decline by as much as 20 percent. The Harvard School of Public Health also did a study that showed that a few beers a day might reduce the risk of stroke by thinning the blood and preventing blood clots from traveling to the brain.

In Conclusion
The keyword is moderation. When consumed in moderation, both wine and beer does offer some clear essential benefits for our health. Choosing wine over beer, or vice versa, is often a matter of personal preference. However, if you want to help your heart and give your cells a boost, a glass of wine is clearly a better choice.



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Best 5 Healthy Foods That Help Fight Sugar Cravings

Best 5 Healthy Foods That Help Fight Sugar Cravings

My sugar cravings as a kid was off the charts! I eat dozens of cubes of sugar daily let alone other foods that naturally contain sugar. That's a really unhealthy diet. Imagine growing into an adult and still crave for sugar like that, that will be disastrous to one's health.

According to NatureNews;
Sugar cravings and eating too many foods that contain sugar may cause health problems such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. If one gives in to his sugar cravings, the sugary foods that he ate will cause his blood sugar to increase quickly and then crash. The blood sugar crash then makes him crave for more sugar, so he eats more sugary foods and the cycle continues. According to Dr. Deirdre Rawlings of the Clayton College of Natural Health, one can break this unhealthy cycle by eating healthy foods that fight sugar cravings.

Dr. Rawlings recommends that people eat these best 5 healthy foods in order to combat sugar cravings effectively.

These 5 healthy foods that combat sugar cravings effectively are as follows;

Sweet corn
Sweet corn is another healthy food that can help fight sugar cravings. Sweet corn is native to Central America but it was introduced to the rest of the world by explorers from Spain. Sweet corn is different from ordinary field corn because of its mutation at the sugary locus. Sweet corn is great for fighting sugar cravings because it tastes sweet when cooked and one will feel quite full after eating an ear of it. It is also rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.

Sweet potato
Another vegetable that tastes sweet when cooked is the sweet potato. Sweet potatoes can be chopped up and then fried to make sweet potato fries. Sweet potatoes will not only satisfy sugar cravings, but also supply the body with vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin B6, and iron. The nutrients in sweet potatoes can help prevent heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes can also fight sugar cravings because they are high in serotonin. Studies suggest that low serotonin levels are among the main causes of sugar cravings. The serotonin in tomatoes functions as a neurotransmitter that tells a person's brain that his sugar cravings have been satisfied. Tomatoes are also high in chromium, a mineral that reduces food cravings, regulates cholesterol, fat and blood sugar levels.

Apple
Fruits also taste naturally sweet, making them effective in fighting sugar cravings. One of the best fruits that help fight sugar cravings is the apple. Apples taste very sweet and they are also high in fiber. Fiber makes the stomach feel full and helps satisfy sugar cravings. Also, apples are easy to carry and they don't need to be peeled or cut like other fruits. Apples also take longer to chew, so the person eating it will soon start thinking that he is no longer hungry, thus reducing his sugar cravings.

Cinnamon
The extraordinary properties of cinnamon can help fight sugar cravings. The main active ingredient of cinnamon is hydroxychalcone which helps enhance the effects of insulin and satisfies your sugar cravings. Cinnamon also prevents the blood sugar spikes that cause sugar cravings and normalizes blood sugar levels.

In conclusion
The foods in this list will not only fight sugar cravings, but also improve the body's overall health. It is a wise and healthy practice that these foods be included in one's daily diet so that one will be able to control their sugar cravings.



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Paying For Spiritual Service – RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 3rd August 2013

PAYING FOR SPIRITUAL SERVICES BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memorise:

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Matthew 10:8

Read:

1 Corinthians 2:12-13

(1 Corinthians 2:12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

(1 Corinthians 2:13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Open Heavens Message
One reason many people are failing God in ministry and in their secular jobs is because they are copying methods rather than following the Lord. Another reason is that they are following after the wrong things. If you pursue the wrong things or focus on what is not needful, it will definitely affect your results. When Naaman was leaving with all the goodies he came with, Gehazi vowed to go after him. What are you running after?

God sees the hearts of men. Naaman came to the man of God hoping to pay for his healing. The man of God was sensitive to the Spirit of God and so he refused to take a gift from him. There are some servants of God who have never refused a gift before. In fact, if something is not offered to them after God has used them to be a blessing, they take offence and begin to complain. Such people are following the path of Gehazi.

Romans 3:24 says we are justified freely by His grace. 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 and Romans 8:32 say that God has freely given us the things of the Kingdom. Did you pay for your salvation, sanctification or baptism in the Holy Spirit? Did you pay for the fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit that makes the miraculous possible in your life? Matthew 10:8 says,

“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”

Today, the greed of some ministers of the Gospel makes them to compel or cajole recipients of blessings from God's grace on their life to pay in cash or in kind. In other words, the concept of free reception and free delivery is fast becoming obsolete. Some ministers will say, 

'I laid hands on you and the cancer in your body disappeared. You know how much it costs to treat an incurable disease like cancer. If it is half of what you would have spent on treatment, go and bring it; after all, it is not easy to acquire the anointing'.

Has the anointing suddenly gone on sale? The Lord frowns seriously at this! If recipients of miracles on their own decide to show appreciation, that is fine; but it is very wrong for them to be compelled or cajoled to 'pay' for what they have received. If they pay, they may never see the need to turn their lives over to God.

Bible In One Year

2 Thessalonians 1-3

Key Point
If you sell the gift of God which should be freely given, you will be made to pay back on the day you have nothing at hand.



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Kidnapper, Ariel Castro Sentenced To Life Imprisonment Plus 1,000 Years

This is one verdict that I can say aggrieved party is really happy about unlike the Zimmerman trial outcome. An Ohio judge handed down a sentence of life in prison plus 1,000 years to Ariel Castro.

According to CNN, Castro pleaded guilty to 937 counts, including murder and kidnapping, in connection with the kidnapping and abuse of Michelle Knight, Georgina DeJesus and Amanda Berry, whom he held captive for a decade in his Cleveland home. As part of the plea deal, the death penalty was taken off the table.

"You don't deserve to be out in our community," Cuyahoga County Judge Michael Russo said after an hours-long hearing in which Castro, at times, appeared to defend his actions. "You're too dangerous."

In his oft-disjointed statement to the court, Castro referred to himself as "very emotional" and "a happy person inside."

Despite his repeated insistence that he wasn't making excuses for his conduct, Castro played the victim, saying he was addicted to porn and masturbation.

The judge appeared to be unmoved by Castro's words and matter-of-factly handed down a severe sentence that will likely make Castro a prisoner for the rest of his days.

Evidence photos from Castro's trial

Photos of Castro's victims after rescue

"Excuses don't take away the harm that's involved," Russo said. "You have extreme narcissism and it seems rather pervasive."

Russo handed down the stiffest sentence allowed as part of the deal after investigators, psychologists and one of the victims painted a horrifying picture of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of Castro, including brutal beatings and repeated rapes that resulted in pregnancies that he would terminate by punching the women in the stomach.

All three women kept diaries, with Castro's permission, that provided many of the details of their abuse.

'Eleven years in hell'
Berry and DeJesus, who did not attend the hearing, sent family members to deliver impact statements on their behalf, while Knight chose to address her abductor head-on.

Knight, who was taken first and held the longest, told Castro the death penalty "would be so much easier."

"You took 11 years of my life away," she said. "I spent 11 years in hell. Now, your hell is just beginning."

In a pre-sentencing evaluation, Dr. Frank Ochberg, a pioneer in trauma science, wrote that Knight suffered "the longest and most severely."

"It was Michelle who served as doctor, nurse, midwife and pediatrician during the birth (of Berry's child). She breathed life into that infant when she wasn't breathing," he wrote. "At other times, she interceded when Castro sought to abuse Gina, interposing herself and absorbing physical and sexual trauma. But each survivor had a will to prevail and used that will to live through the ordeal."

Castro is the father of Berry's 6-year-old girl, DNA tests have confirmed.

'Happy household'
Castro appeared to blame the victims and accused them of lying about their treatment. He went on to say that none of the women was a virgin when he abducted them, that they wanted to have sex with him and there was "harmony" in the "happy household."

Castro even claimed that no one cared enough about Knight to search for her after she disappeared.

"I'm not a monster. I'm just sick. I have an addiction, just like an alcoholic has an addiction," he said. "God as my witness, I never beat these women like they're trying to say that I did. I never tortured them."

When Castro finished, Russo dubbed him a "violent sexual predator" and thanked Knight for showing "remarkable restraint" during the hearing.

Wearing eyeglasses and an orange prison uniform, the shackled Castro characterized his crimes in a far gentler light than did the book-length indictment against him: "I'm not a violent person. I simply kept them there so they couldn't leave."

Testimony from authorities and mental health experts didn't jibe with Castro's recollection, however. Police recalled how the women were forced to play Russian roulette and how Castro would throw money at them after raping them.

Detective David Jacobs of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office testified he'd also show a gun "to the girls as a form of control."

It was all to "purely satisfy his sexual needs," Jacobs said. " 'I knew what I did was wrong.' He said that more than once."

Castro's 1,400-square-foot home was reconfigured to keep the women's whereabouts a secret, FBI agent Andrew Burke testified. The back door was outfitted with an alarm; bedspreads and curtains obscured parts of the home; and a porch swing was placed in front of the stairs leading to the rooms where Castro held the women and girl hostage.

In the room where Berry and her daughter were held, the doorknob was removed, a lock was affixed to the outside and a hole was cut through the door for ventilation because the windows had been boarded up from the inside, Burke said.

Burke also described a handwritten letter in which Castro claimed he had been sexually abused as a child and wrote, "I am a sexual predator."

'You Saved Us!'
The first police officer on the scene, Barbara Johnson, recalled for the court how she and another officer heard the pitter-patter of footsteps in a dark room where Knight and DeJesus were held.

When the captive women realized they were police, Knight "literally launched herself" onto an officer, "legs, arms, just choking him. She just kept repeating, 'You saved us! You saved us!' " Johnson said.

Multiple officers testified that Castro appeared to show no remorse for his crimes, and prosecutor Anna Faraglia said he "tormented" his victims by allowing them to watch vigils held in their honor, and he even attended some.

Castro would talk to his victims' parents as if he were distraught by their disappearances when "they were right underneath his roof," Faraglia said.

'Thank You, Victims'
In addition to Russo's guarantee that he "will never be released from incarceration during the period of his remaining natural life for any reason," Castro was also hit with a forfeiture of property and fined $100,000.

As the judge sentenced him, Castro took issue with the aggravated murder charge related to the termination of his victims' pregnancies, saying there was no evidence those incidents occurred. Russo reminded him that he had already pleaded guilty, and Castro said he did so only to save his victims further trauma.

"In your mind, there was harmony and a happy household," Russo said. "I'm not sure there's anyone else in America who would agree with you."

As the hearing came to a close, Castro turned around in the court and glanced at family members of the victims.

"Thank you, victims. Please find it in your heart to forgive me," he said.

In each case, according to court documents, Castro lured the women into his car with the promise of a ride. The women and girl were freed in May after Berry shouted for help while Castro was away. Neighbours heard her cries and came to her aid as she tried to break through a door to get out. One neighbor gave her a cell phone to call authorities.

"Help me, I am Amanda Berry," she frantically told a 911 operator. "I've been kidnapped, and I've been missing for 10 years. And I'm here. I'm free now."

In early July, Berry, DeJesus and Knight released a YouTube video thanking all those who have helped them since they were freed. Berry and DeJesus have not faced their captor and tormentor since their rescue.

"I want to thank everyone who has helped me and my family through this entire ordeal. Everyone who has been there to support us has been a blessing," Berry said in the video. "I'm getting stronger each day."



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