He Is The Word

An Independent Wants To Know

2012-01-24T12:33:00.000-08:00

I wrote this when Obama was running for President - nothing has changed...

Democrats and Republicans have always stood on the opposite side of the fence, however:

1. Why would I support amnesty for illegal immigrants? Is it fair to the people who have waited for years and paid thousands of dollars to enter our country legally?

2. Why would I want my tax dollars to pay for abortions? If it is a personal choice, shouldn’t they pay for it?

3. Why would I be against English as being the official language in the United States? This is America!

4. Why would I want retroactive Social Security to illegal immigrants who gain U.S. citizenship through amnesty?

5. Why would I want expanded welfare benefits and unlimited eligibility?

6. Why would I want a national health care insurance plan that would be orchestrated by Washington, D.C.? Who would they answer to?

7. Why would I expect bureaucrats to be able to monitor health care when Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are broke?

8. Why doesn't everyone object to our government voting on their own personal agendas, i.e., raises, health care plan, or vacations?

9. Why am I sensitive to the fact that President Obama scraped the Missile Defense Shield that would protect Poland on the anniversary of the Soviet Union invasion of Poland in 1939? A bit insensitive, isn’t it?

10. Why I am upset that there are people in this country who want to turn over information that would put our soldiers in harms way?

11. Why isn’t everyone in Congress upset over the Acorn deceit and misappropriation of tax dollars? Child Prostitute! Can it get any worse?

12. Why can’t we have a bi-partisan health care plan?

13. Why does our nation hate entrepreneurs, big business, and rich people? They sure like their cell phones, Iphones, Ipads? Who do they think made them...not rich people, but they became rich.

14. Why is our country so divided, so selfish, so against God? And why did this happen?

--Estelle P. Shrum

www.Heistheword.com

The Muslim Brotherhood – verified by Wikipedia

2012-01-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

WHY WE NEED TO WORRY...
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded by Hassan al-Banna in 1928 after the collapse of Turkey and returned to the precepts of the Qur’an. This is the official slogan of the Muslim Brotherhood:

THE MUSLIM BROTHERWOOD - WHY WE NEED TO WORRY...
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded by Hassan al-Banna in 1928 after the collapse of

Turkey

and returned to the precepts of the Qur’an. This is the official slogan of the Muslim Brotherhood:
"Allah is our objective.
The Prophet is our leader.
Qur'an is our law.
Jihad is our way.
Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.”
The most famous slogan, used worldwide, is "Islam is the solution."

The Muslim Brotherhood's goal, as stated by Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna was to reclaim Islam's manifest destiny, an empire, stretching from Spain to Indonesia. It preaches that Islam enjoins man to strive for social justice, the eradication of poverty and corruption, and political freedom to the extent allowed by the laws of Islam. The Brotherhood strongly opposes Western colonialism, and helped overthrow the pro-western monarchies in Egypt and other Muslim countries during the early 20th century.

In October 2007, the Muslim Brotherhood issued a detailed political platform. Amongst other things it called for a board of Muslim clerics to oversee the government, and limiting the office of the presidency to Muslim men. It declared that a woman was not suited to be president because the post's religious and military duties ’conflict with her nature, social and other humanitarian roles.`

Arab Nations Involved with The Muslim Brotherhood:

Bahrain - It has strongly opposed the government's accession to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on the grounds that this would give Muslim citizens the right to change religion, when in the party's view they should be "beheaded".

Syria

- Membership in the Syrian Brotherhood became a capital offence in Syria in 1980, (but the headquarters of the MB-linked Palestinian group, Hamas, is located in the Syria's capital Damascus, where it is given Syrian government support. This is seen by some as an example of the lack of international centralization or even coordination of the MB.

Jordan - The Hamas's Damascus-based leader, Khaled Meshaal, said: "Egypt's unrest will spread across the Mideast and Arabs will topple leaders allied with the United States." However, he did not specifically name Jordanian King Abdullah II. The Muslim brotherhood is rightfully or wrongfully feared by several commentators in the west; however it is not known how many seats in a democratic government the brotherhood will gain in any of the aforementioned countries.

Iran - Although Iran is a predominately Shia Muslim country and the Muslim Brotherhood is Sunni in doctrine, Olga Davidson and Mohammad Mahallati claim the Brotherhood has had influence among Shia in Iran.

Iraq

- After the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003, the Islamic Party has reemerged as one of the main advocates of the country's Sunni community. Also, in the north of Iraq there are several Islamic movements inspired by or part of the Muslim Brotherhood network.

Palestine -The Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, founded in 1987 in Gaza, is a wing of the Brotherhood, formed out of Brotherhood-affiliated charities and social institutions that had gained a strong foothold among the local population.

Saudi Arabia - The Brotherhood has been tolerated by the Saudi government, and maintains a presence in the country

Kuwait - The Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait is represented in the Kuwaiti parliament by Hadas.

Yemen

- The Muslim Brotherhood is the political arm of the Yemeni Congregation for Reform, commonly known as Islah.

Oman - The Muslim Brotherhood obtained support from the uneducated people.

Algeria - When a multi-party system was introduced in Algeria in the early 1990s, the Muslim Brotherhood formed the Movement for the Society of Peace (MSP), previously known as Hamas.

Sudan - Sudan has a long and deep history with the Muslim Brotherhood compared to many other countries. By April 1949, the first branch of the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood organization emerged. The Muslim Brotherhood/NIF's (National Islamic Front) main objective in Sudan was to Islamize the society "from above" and to institutionalize the Islamic law throughout the country where they succeeded.

Somalia - Somalia's wing of the Muslim Brotherhood is known by the name Harakat Al-Islah or "Reform Movement". Nonetheless, the Brotherhood, as mentioned earlier, has inspired many Islamist organizations in Somalia.

Tunisia

- Like their counterparts elsewhere in the Islamic world in general, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood has influenced the Tunisia's Islamists.

The United State of America - The Holy Land Foundation trial has led to the release, as evidence, of several documents on the Muslim Brotherhood. One of these documents, dated in 1991, explains that the goal of the Muslim Brotherhood in the U.S. is "settlement," defined by the brotherhood as a form of jihad aimed at destroying Western civilization from within and allowing for the victory of Islam over other religions. In another one of these documents, "Ikhwan in America", the author alleges that the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood in the US include going to camps to do weapons training (referred to as Special work by the Muslim Brotherhood), as well as engaging in counter-espionage against US government agencies such as the FBI and CIA (referred to as Securing the Group).

The United Kingdom - The Muslim Brotherhood has formally been active in the U.K since 1996 and now holds a significant but widely unknown presence within the U.K's Muslim population.

(FrontPage Magazine)
"The Muslim Brotherhood is a group that worries us not because it deals with philosophical or ideological ideas but because it defends the use of violence against civilians."

(Editor of The Al Qaeda Reade)
Muhammad himself described war as "deceit" and those Muslim Brotherhood disciples, past and present, merely duplicate the "everlasting words of Allah", as iterated in the Qur'an.

Former U.S. Middle East peace envoy Dennis Ross, who told Asharq Alawsat newspaper that the Muslim Brotherhood is a global, not a local organization, governed by a Shura Council, which rejects cessation of violence in Israel, and supports violence to achieve its political objectives elsewhere too.

The Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz has stated ‘The Muslim Brotherhood” has links to groups across the Arab world, including Jordan's main parliamentary opposition, the 'Islamic Action Front,' and the 'Palestinian resistance movement, 'Hamas." The Interior Minister's outburst against the Brotherhood came amid mounting criticism in the United States of Saudi Arabia's longstanding support for Islamist groups around the world.

The Financial Times reported financial links between 74-year-old Swiss Muslim convert, and businessman Ahmed Huber, and members of the Muslim Brotherhood, notably Youssef Nada, Ali Ghaleb Himmat. According to the U.S. government, Al Taqwa "has long acted as financial advisers to al-Qaeda." He is reported to have "confirmed" having "had contact with associates of Osama bin Laden at an Islamic conference in Beirut", whom he called "very discreet, well-educated, very intelligent people”.

Foreign Relations
The involvement of the Muslim Brotherhood in the failed assignation of former President Nasser and President Assad and numerous other officials makes it doubtful that they will support a democratic system where non-Muslim or secular voices have a chance. There are rumors that the Muslim Brotherhood wants to use the democratic system to hijack the government and to make Egypt into a Sunni version of Iran utilizing Sharia law as the main guiding principle of government. Coptic Christians have already been attacked by Muslim Brotherhood thugs so it is clear that the Muslim Brotherhood has no intent to protect Coptic Christians in Egypt.

Helmi el-Gazzar, member of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), stated that the party decided to abandon the slogan “Islam is the solution” used by the Muslim Brotherhood for decades in favor of the new slogan “Freedom is the Solution and Justice is the Application” during the next parliamentary elections.

I believe history speaks for itself.
-- Estelle P. Shrum
www.Heistheword.com

“Allah is our objective.
The Prophet is our leader.
Qur'an is our law.
Jihad is our way.
Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.”

The Muslim Brotherhood's goal, as stated by Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna was to reclaim Islam's manifest destiny, an empire, stretching from Spain to Indonesia. It preaches that Islam enjoins man to strive for social justice, the eradication of poverty and corruption, and political freedom to the extent allowed by the laws of Islam. The Brotherhood strongly opposes Western colonialism, and helped overthrow the pro-western monarchies in

Egypt

and other Muslim countries during the early 20th century.

In October 2007, the Muslim Brotherhood issued a detailed political platform. Amongst other things it called for a board of Muslim clerics to oversee the government, and limiting the office of the presidency to Muslim men. It declared that a woman was not suited to be president because the post's religious and military duties ’conflict with her nature, social and other humanitarian roles.`

Arab Nations Involved with The Muslim Brotherhood:

Bahrain

- It has strongly opposed the government's accession to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on the grounds that this would give Muslim citizens the right to change religion, when in the party's view they should be "beheaded".

Syria

Jordan - The Hamas's Damascus-based leader, Khaled Meshaal, said: "Egypt's unrest will spread across the Mideast and Arabs will topple leaders allied with the

United States

." However, he did not specifically name Jordanian King Abdullah II. The Muslim brotherhood is rightfully or wrongfully feared by several commentators in the west; however it is not known how many seats in a democratic government the brotherhood will gain in any of the aforementioned countries.

Iran - Although Iran is a predominately Shia Muslim country and the Muslim Brotherhood is Sunni in doctrine, Olga Davidson and Mohammad Mahallati claim the Brotherhood has had influence among Shia in Iran.

Iraq

- After the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003, the Islamic Party has reemerged as one of the main advocates of the country's Sunni community. Also, in the north of

Iraq

there are several Islamic movements inspired by or part of the Muslim Brotherhood network.

Palestine -The Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, founded in 1987 in Gaza, is a wing of the Brotherhood, formed out of Brotherhood-affiliated charities and social institutions that had gained a strong foothold among the local population.

Saudi Arabia

- The Brotherhood has been tolerated by the Saudi government, and maintains a presence in the country

Kuwait - The Muslim Brotherhood in

Kuwait

is represented in the Kuwaiti parliament by Hadas.

Yemen

- The Muslim Brotherhood is the political arm of the Yemeni Congregation for Reform, commonly known as Islah.

Oman

- The Muslim Brotherhood obtained support from the uneducated people.

Algeria - When a multi-party system was introduced in

Algeria

in the early 1990s, the Muslim Brotherhood formed the Movement for the Society of Peace (MSP), previously known as Hamas.

Sudan -

Sudan

has a long and deep history with the Muslim Brotherhood compared to many other countries. By April 1949, the first branch of the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood organization emerged. The Muslim Brotherhood/NIF's (National Islamic Front) main objective in

Sudan

was to Islamize the society "from above" and to institutionalize the Islamic law throughout the country where they succeeded.

Somalia -

Somalia

's wing of the Muslim Brotherhood is known by the name Harakat Al-Islah or "Reform Movement". Nonetheless, the Brotherhood, as mentioned earlier, has inspired many Islamist organizations in

Somalia

Tunisia

- Like their counterparts elsewhere in the Islamic world in general, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood has influenced the

Tunisia

's Islamists.

The United State of America - The Holy Land Foundation trial has led to the release, as evidence, of several documents on the Muslim Brotherhood. One of these documents, dated in 1991, explains that the goal of the Muslim Brotherhood in the

U.S.

is "settlement," defined by the brotherhood as a form of jihad aimed at destroying Western civilization from within and allowing for the victory of Islam over other religions. In another one of these documents, "Ikhwan in America", the author alleges that the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood in the US include going to camps to do weapons training (referred to as Special work by the Muslim Brotherhood), as well as engaging in counter-espionage against US government agencies such as the FBI and CIA (referred to as Securing the Group).

The

United Kingdom

- The Muslim Brotherhood has formally been active in the U.K since 1996 and now holds a significant but widely unknown presence within the U.K's Muslim population.

(FrontPage Magazine)

"The Muslim Brotherhood is a group that worries us not because it deals with philosophical or ideological ideas but because it defends the use of violence against civilians."

(Editor of The Al Qaeda Reade)

Muhammad himself described war as "deceit" and those Muslim Brotherhood disciples, past and present, merely duplicate the "everlasting words of Allah", as iterated in the Qur'an.

Former U.S. Middle East peace envoy Dennis Ross, who told Asharq Alawsat newspaper that the Muslim Brotherhood is a global, not a local organization, governed by a Shura Council, which rejects cessation of violence in Israel, and supports violence to achieve its political objectives elsewhere too.

The Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz has stated ‘The Muslim Brotherhood” has links to groups across the Arab world, including

Jordan

's main parliamentary opposition, the 'Islamic Action Front,' and the 'Palestinian resistance movement, 'Hamas." The Interior Minister's outburst against the Brotherhood came amid mounting criticism in the United States of Saudi Arabia's longstanding support for Islamist groups around the world.

The Financial Times reported financial links between 74-year-old Swiss Muslim convert, and businessman Ahmed Huber, and members of the Muslim Brotherhood, notably Youssef Nada, Ali Ghaleb Himmat. According to the

U.S.

government, Al Taqwa "has long acted as financial advisers to al-Qaeda." He is reported to have "confirmed" having "had contact with associates of Osama bin Laden at an Islamic conference in Beirut", whom he called "very discreet, well-educated, very intelligent people”.

Foreign Relations

The involvement of the Muslim Brotherhood in the failed assignation of former President Nasser and President Assad and numerous other officials makes it doubtful that they will support a democratic system where non-Muslim or secular voices have a chance. There are rumors that the Muslim Brotherhood wants to use the democratic system to hijack the government and to make Egypt into a Sunni version of Iran utilizing Sharia law as the main guiding principle of government. Coptic Christians have already been attacked by Muslim Brotherhood thugs so it is clear that the Muslim Brotherhood has no intent to protect Coptic Christians in Egypt.

Helmi el-Gazzar, member of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), stated that the party decided to abandon the slogan “Islam is the solution” used by the Muslim Brotherhood for decades in favor of the new slogan “Freedom is the Solution and Justice is the Application” during the next parliamentary elections

I believe history speaks for itself.

-- Estelle P. Shrum
www.Heistheword.com

This Is Not About Race or Politics...It's about Facts

2012-01-13T09:40:00.000-08:00

I wrote this four years ago and it seems it seems like nothing has changed!

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS WITHOUT RACISM OR POLITICS…

Isn’t it true that no one was called a racist when Bush was loathed and called every name under the sun?

Isn’t it true that Bush gave more money to help the people in Africa than any other President?

Isn’t it true that many white people voted for Obama and helped him to become President?

Isn’t it true that President Obama was the first person to use the race card?
Isn’t it true that racists have always been around, and not just with this
election, or this President?

Isn’t it true that President Kennedy met with much prejudice because he was Catholic?

Isn’t it true that Jimmy Carter’s politics is racist against the Jews, but he claims racism against Obama?

Isn’t it true that the American people love our country and are proud of it?

Isn’t it true that American’s give more money to charities than any other country in the world?

Isn’t it true that American people are frightened of a $23.1 trillion deficit over the next 10 years, and don’t want to leave a debt like this to their descendants?

Isn’t it a legitimate fear of the bail out money that went to the banks, insurance companies, and auto industry with so little accountability?

Isn’t it true that many people fear where this country is headed and think the changes may be for the worse?

Isn’t it true that conservatives disagree with liberals, and liberals disagree with conservatives, and it has nothing to do with race, color or creed?

Isn’t it true we are all immigrants to America? Most of our great-grandparents came from another country, with exception to the American Indian who had their land stolen from us.

Isn’t it true that separation of church and state means that government cannot dictate or forbid religion? But it doesn’t mean that government is not allowed to have faith in God?

Isn’t it true that Islamic extremists in many parts of the world tortured and chopped heads off of our U.S. soldiers and citizens? Can that compare to water boarding three killers?

Isn’t it true that President Obama announced to the world that America is NOT a Judeo/Christian nation?

Isn’t it true that President Obama ignored Nation Prayer Day? What message is he sending?

Isn’t it true that President Obama gave pause and recognized Gay and Lesbian Day? What message is he sending?

Isn’t it true that President Obama Bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia, and did not kiss the Pope’s ring? What message is he sending?

IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN AND LOVE THE LORD ASK YOURSELF THIS?

DO I HAVE HATE IN MY HEART FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA, OR ANYONE ELSE? I HOPE THE ANSWER IS NO BECAUSE IT IS A SCIENTIFIC FACT THAT TWO ELEMENTS CANNOT OCCUPY THE SAME SPACE. WE CANNOT HATE ANYONE AND LOVE CHRIST…

WHAT DOES YOUR HEART TELL YOU? PRAY FOR OUR NATION AND PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR I FEAR THE CHANGES HE IS GOING TO MAKE WILL DESTORY OUR COUNTRY.
--- Estelle P. Shrum
www.Heistheword.com

How can I say this in a Godly way?

2012-01-07T15:10:00.000-08:00

After thinking how I would approach this I have decided that there is no diplomatic way to say the things I am about to say. I do know that no one can cast the first stone, because we all sin, and fall short of the glory of God. I also believe that we are living in the end days as the Bible so clearly tells us. Of course, no one person, not even Jesus, when He walked the earth, knows the hour of His return, but the Bible tells us to watch the fig tree, and we can know when the season is near. The Bible tells us “This generation will not pass away” until all these things Jesus spoke of will come to pass. Well they are coming to pass more quickly than we realize. In the day of the internet with information so readily available, time is but a millisecond away.

When I was growing up people had the good sense not to discuss politics, religion, or sex. People had the good taste to keep their dirty laundry within the confines of their own home. No one hung out their dirty laundry. Today, the more people that are open about their bad habits, their personal feelings, or their secrets, are there for the world to witness. In my humble opinion that is why our society is so accepting of everything and anything. It actually makes one cool to air their dysfunctional lives.

Most people have a secret they we would not want known, but Christians confess it to God, and repent, because they are convicted of sin. Today our society just makes excuses for it. This is why our country will never move forward. We are living in the days of Sodom and Gomorra and there is no Noah to build us an ark.

O.K….let’s take sex, for example. Our society now accepts, open marital relationships, soft pornography, (at the moment most still frown at hard porn), people living together (we used to think of it as “shacking up”), but now it is quite acceptable. We embrace that homosexuals have all the benefits of marriage that God created for man and woman. Homosexuals have been around as long as the bible, this is not something new. Of course we never want to repeat the past and condemn anyone for their life style. Man was given free choice and a free will to do whatever our laws today allow. Christians believe sin is sin, and there is no sin that is better or worse than another. However, God is a holy God, and only one man walked the earth without sin and that was Jesus. No one, but Him, is without sin. However, as a society we accept whatever feels good and is politically correct, and that is a new standard.

Now let’s, take religion, another taboo topic. Today our society is very conscious of not offending most religions. I say most religions because it doesn’t seem that society cares about offending Christians. Between the three major religions, Jews, Christians, and Muslims, they have all suffered from persecution, but I am speaking of today, not the past. Today Christians are held in contempt. It is obvious they offend atheists, and far left liberals. Otherwise why would they fight so hard to remove God from every part of secular society by using a lame excuse as not mixing government and religion? They don’t care or understand what Thomas Jefferson wrote. It was written to defend freedom of religion, so government could never dictate religion, not the other way around. His quote will be at the end of this article.

Now, for another taboo subject…politics. This topic is more harmful and threatening than sex, and religion. It can cause you to lose more friends than disagreeing on either sex or religion. I am really amazed at how hateful people can become on their political views. The odd part is that most people know very little about politics, only what they hear on the news, and the people that are involved only listen to one side…either conservative or liberal news stations. For all practical purposes newspapers are extinct, the only good thing in them are the sales. So to be really up on political news, you must listen and read up on both sides of an issue; before you make your mind up on what you believe to be true. However, it is impossible not to mix sex, and religion with politics, because it’s our politics that dictate who we are and how our society should be ruled.

The rest of this article speaks to the 75% of the population in America who claim to be a Christian. I realize that Christians are no better or worse than anyone else, but I do have an issue that confuses me and shakes me to the core. There is no easy way to approach it…but why did 75% of the Christian population give their vote for legal abortions, especially allowing late term abortions. These babies are viable and can live outside the mother’s womb? How can anyone justify that? The Bible says there is a time to be born and a time to die, so if we make a choice to take a life we need to be sure it is justified, and only self defense is justified. Do they know that seven thousand babies are killed every year in Jacksonville, FL?

When I was a young girl I was raised Catholic and didn’t believe in abortion, but as I grew older my beliefs changed and although I still believed that I would never have an abortion, I still didn’t feel I had the right to make that choice for anyone else. I believed they would have to answer to God for what they did. Well, when I became a born again Christian, I realized that if I don’t speak out and say it is wrong, what I am actually saying is that’s it’s OK. It’s never OK to break God’s Commandments. It’s never OK to be silent when society goes against breaking the "Ten Commandments". I can tell you from experience of counseling women from all ages who had abortions that they never get over the pain and remorse of making that decision. They feel the lost of their child the rest of their lives.

Also, why do Christians in our society not care that marriage has been redefined by our society to appease the minority. Marriage was a gift from God for man and woman to be united as one. Homosexuals have been married by civil law for years, so how do Christians justify these broken commandments that God gave to the Jews and Christians?

Another issue that grieves me is that so many people seem to want a socialist society. Do they really want their freedom to choose taken away? Do they want the government to take care of them? Why is their anger targeted at only the 1% of the population who are rich? Do they not realize the 1% of rich people are the people who start up big factories and business that create their jobs? Most of these "rich" people are self-made millionaires. It would be far easier to take away their “loop-holes” than unfairly taxing them just because they’re rich? God only asks Christians to give 10% for the warehouse, so there should be plenty left over to take care of the poor and the hungry. Do these Christians give God their 10%? Do they feed the hungry, or give to the poor. Or do they want the rich to do it all? It is a fact that middle class conservatives give more money to charities than the far left liberals.

So why do we allow the minority far left wing to rule our nation? What has happened in the last ten years to divide our nation so drastically? It is more than just greed. Greed has always been around, democrats and republicans have always been around. The rich, the middle class, and the poor, have always been around. Immigration has always been around, atheists and agnostics have always been around, and extremists have always been around. So what has changed?

It is man’s heart that has changed, and he has turned his back on his creator for the last time. We are living in the end days, where sin will increase at a remarkable rate, and the book of Matthew will come to pass. History has already witnessed hundreds of prophecies come true. If you are not a Bible believer, I tell you true, it is the most remarkable, truthful, and inspiring book you will ever read. It has been with us from Genesis 1145 B.C. to Revelation early 90 A.D. It is the spirit of the living God and through his Saints He gave witness of His love for mankind.

So when you vote next year, vote your conscience, and not politics. If we want to make the right choice as Christians we have to choose God’s Word every time. Politics has no conscience. For believers, it’s God’s way or the highway. We can not vote race, color or creed. Never allow politics to override God’s principles.

CHURCH AND STATE

Ancient history

Ancient history is replete with examples of the mixing and melding of Church and state. Typically a successful ruler or king would assume various "priestly" titles, in addition to the "temporal" titles that such a position tended to confer. Some examples of this certain Church-state mixing and melding are: the execution of Socrates, whereby Socrates was sentenced to death by the Athenian state for among other things, "his disrespect for the Gods", the claim of many of the ancient Judean kings to rule with a mandate from Heaven, or the Edict of Thessalonica, whereby Christianity was officially made the state religion of the Roman Empire.

Reformation

At the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther articulated a doctrine of the two kingdoms. According to James Madison, perhaps one of the most important modern proponents of the separation of church and state, Luther's doctrine of the two kingdoms marked the beginning of the modern conception of separation of church and state.

In the 1530s Henry VIII, angered by the Catholic Church's refusal to annul his marriage with his wife Catherine of Aragon, decided to break with the Church and set himself as ruler of the new Church of England, the Anglican Church, ending the separation that had existed^[between Church and State in England. Main article: Separation of church and state in the United States

In the

United States

, the term is an offshoot of the phrase, "wall of separation between church and state," as written in Thomas Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802. The original text reads: "... I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State." Jefferson reflected his frequent speaking theme that the government is not to interfere with religion. The phrase was quoted by the United States Supreme Court first in 1878, and then in a series of cases starting in 1947. The phrase "separation of church and state" itself does not appear in the United States Constitution. The First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The Supreme Court did not consider the question of how this applied to the states until 1947; when they did, in Everson v. Board of Education, all nine justices agreed that there was a wall of separation between church and state, but a majority held that the present case (a local authority paying to transport parochial students to school), the benefits to the children outweighed the Constitutional objection.

By Estelle P. Shrum

www.Heistheword.com

Author of: He Is The Word

QUOTES BY MARK TWAIN ON GOVERNMENT

2012-01-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

The government is not best which secures mere life and property -- there is a more valuable thing -- manhood. - Mark Twain's Notebook

...nations have no command over their governments, & in fact no influence over them, except of a fleeting & rather ineffectual sort.

- Letter to Baroness von Suttner, 17 February 1898

I think it is not wise for an emperor, or a king, or a president, to come down into the boxing ring, so to speak, and lower the dignity of his office by meddling in the small affairs of private citizens.

-- Mark Twain in Eruption

The government of my country snubs honest simplicity, but fondles artistic villainy, and I think I might have developed into a very capable pickpocket if I had remained in the public service a year or two.

-- Roughing It

That's the difference between governments and individuals. Governments don't care, individuals do. -- A Tramp Abroad

...no country can be well governed unless its citizens as a body keep religiously before their minds that they are the guardians of the law and that the law officers are only the machinery for its execution, nothing more.

- The Gilded Age

The mania for giving the Government power to meddle with the private affairs of cities or citizens is likely to cause endless trouble, through the rivaly of schools and creeds that are anxious to obtain official recognition, and there is great danger that our people will lose our independence of thought and action which is the cause of much of our greatness, and sink into the helplessness of the Frenchman or German who expects his government to feed him when hungry, clothe him when naked, to prescribe when his child may be born and when he may die, and, in fine, to regulate every act of humanity from the cradle to the tomb, including the manner in which he may seek future admission to paradise. - "Official Physic"

There is a phrase which has grown so common in the world's mouth that it has come to seem to have sense and meaning--the sense and meaning implied when it is used: that is the phrase which refers to this or that or the other nation as possibly being "capable of self-government;" and the implied sense of it is, that there has been a nation somewhere, some time or other, which wasn't capable of it - wasn't as able to govern itself as some self-appointed specailists were or would be to govern it. The master minds of all nations, in all ages, have sprung, in affluent multitude, from the mass of the nation, and from the mass of the nation only--not from its privileged classes; and so, no matter what the nation's intellectual grade was, whether high or low, the bulk of its ability was in the long ranks of its nameless and its poor, and so it never saw the day that it had not the material in abundance whereby to govern itself. Which is to assert an always self-proven fact: that even the best governed and most free and most enlightened monarchy is still behind the best condition attainable by its people; and that the same is true of kindred governments of lower grades all the way down to the lowest.

- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

THEY WANT TO CHANGE AMERICA

2011-09-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

They want to change the face of American but some of those changes may be unwise.
They want to change our Constitution and that may lead to our countries demise.

They want open borders allowing more people to enter here illegally.

They want to give amnesty to those who are cheating the ones who came legally.

They want us to be like European governments who have lost all their authority.

They want Muslims to have freedom of Sharia law dictating their laws to the majority.

They want us to be like China and Sweden where it is legal to abort a child for sex selection.

They want to change the face of America to a country without values or direction.

They want us to embrace the terrorists and apologize for water boarding to save lives.

They want us to close Gitmo and allow extremists free to kill and execute with knives.

They want to change the definition of marriage when civil unions are already accepted.

They want us to be agreeable with everything they change with no dissent expected.

They want to keep their freedom of speech but the conservatives must remain quiet.

They want cable news silenced and never say a word about the radicals who riot.

They want our nation to be a socialist state nation with one party ruling the day.

They want to change America to a third world country and this may happen to our dismay.

By Estelle P. Shrum

www.Heistheword.com

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

2011-09-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

AL-QAEDA ISLAM IS VERY DANGEROUS TO ISRAEL

HISTORY OF HATRED AGAINST JEWS

175-163 B.C.               Attempt to outlaw Judaism
164- 163 B.C.              Jerusalem captured
72 A.D.                        Expelled from Palestine
1096                             12,000 Jews killed in
                                     First Crusade
1099                             Jerusalem captured,
                                     Jews killed
1215                             Forced to wear yellow circle
                                     on clothes
1290                             Expelled from England
1306                             Expelled from France
1349 -1360                   Expelled from Hungary
1421                             Expelled from Austria
1492                             Expelled from Spain
1495                             Expelled from Lithuania
1497                             Expelled from Portugal
15th century – 1772     Banned in Russia
1555                             Forced into Italian ghettos
1543                             “Concerning the Jews and
                                     Their Lies” released
1648-49                        10,000 killed in massacres in
                                     Ukraine
1925                            “Mein Kampf” published
1933                             Nazi Party comes to power in
                                     Germany
1935                             Nuremburg Laws introduced
1938                             7,500 businesses destroyed in
                                     Kristallnacht
1941                             33,000 killed in Ukraine
1941-1945                   67% European Jews are
                                    murdered

Hizbollah is known to have been involved in numerous anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli terrorist attacks and prior to September 11, 2001, was responsible for more American deaths than any other terrorist group.

Hizbaollahs terrorist attacks have included the suicide truck bombings of the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983, and the U.S. Embassy annex in Beirut in 1984, and the 1985 hijacking of TWA flight 847, during which a U.S. Navy diver was murdered.

April 20, 2011 (Address to a large crowd in the Iranian city of Sanandaj)

Qaradawi: The Jews are the most miserly of all people and the most protective of their lives, yet they devote their lives and their money to their cause. The Muslims worldwide must contribute to the regaining of Palestine. Palestine is not merely Islamic land. It is the land of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and of the holy places. (Dec 17, 2010)

AMERICA IS NO LONGER A MELTING POT!

2011-08-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

AMERICA IS NO LONGER A MELTING POT

The writing on the Statue of Liberty says:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Those poignant words are so beautiful and will always remain music to my soul.
The immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900’s were a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. They came here and worked hard and learned English. Their pride would never allow them to ask for a hand out. They were thankful to be in a land where they could practice freedom of religion. They were anxious to learn American ways.

However, there are some new immigrant's who do not hold the same ideals of those immigrants who once teemed our shores yearning to be free The new immigrants expect entitlements while remaining faithful to their mother countries. They expect America to print everything in their native language. Many refuse to learn to speak English. They fly their homeland flags in place of the American flag. They come here expecting to be taken care of. The new immigrants do not want to be part of the American dream, they want to rule over and change the American dream. Many come from countries where cheating, stealing and crime was a way of life and they bring that system to America and then spread the word to their friends and family members on how to cheat our system. America is no longer a melting pot because these new immigrants do not want to live by our code of ethics or laws. Truly, America is no longer the great melting pot we once were; we have become a dumping ground.

Case in point…Fox news reported on an story of an illegal immigrant winning $750,000 for a Georgia State Lottery ticket, but since he was illegal, he did not have a social security card, so he asked his employer (who knowingly hired him illegally) to pick up the money for him and they would split the money 50/50. I am sure you can guess what happened here! The employer kept all the money, and now the illegal immigrant is suing his employer. How can someone who is in America illegally sue anybody? I can only hope the money will go back to the state, the illegal alien will get deported, and the employer gets fined for hiring him. If we had sanity or justice in America that would happen. Unfortunately we live in a mad society. So even though the "illegal" may be exploited by the employer, the American taxpayer is exploited by the illegal through welfare, food stamps, section 8 housing, free healthcare, free education for children...etc.

Truly! What is wrong with a government willing to lavish all kinds of social benefits on illegal immigrants, but does not want to support their troops?
Why are our soldiers living on the streets and not having their health care needs met? We need to get control legal and illegal immigration. Why shouldn't we have the right to protect our borders like any other country?
My heart hurts for the choices and changes in America.

FACTS ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION:

In 2010 illegal aliens took advantage of a loophole created by Obama when he expanded tax credits in the "Stimulus Plan" which cost the Federal Government $4.2 billion.

Pew Hispanic Center puts the number of people living here illegally at 11.2 million. The Pew analysis is based on the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey through March 2010. Because the Census Bureau does not ask people about their immigration status, the estimate on illegal immigrants is derived largely by subtracting the estimated legal immigrant population from the total foreign-born population. It is a method that has been used by the government and Pew for many years and is generally accepted.

Bear Stearns used micro-economic indicators to project an alternative estimate. They examined trends in school enrollment, foreign remittances and housing permits in states with high populations of undocumented immigrants like Texas, California, and New York. Their estimate of 20 million illegal immigrants is the identification of two patterns: 1) a trend of sharply increased demand for public services in communities that have become gateways for immigration, and 2) increases in foreign remittances (money sent back to an immigrant's native country), housing permits and border-crossings.

Other Immigration officials estimate that the illegal immigrant population grows by as many as 500,000 every year.

--Estelle P. Shrum www.Heistheword.com.

Which side of the fence do you sit on?

2011-08-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

Which side of the fence do you sit on?

If you ever wondered which side of the fence you sit on, this is a great
test!

If a Republican doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one. If a Democrat
doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.
If a Republican is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat. If a Democrat is a
vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a Republican is homosexual, he quietly leads his life. If a Democrat
is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.
If a Republican is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his
situation. A Democrat wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a Republican doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Democrats demand that those they don't like be shut down.
If a Republican is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church. A Democrat
non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.

If a Republican decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping
for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A Democrat demands that the rest of us pay for his.

If a Republican reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a
good laugh.
A Democrat will delete it because he's “offended”.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

THE ARABS ARE NOT HAPPY!!!

2011-08-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

The Arabs are not happy...!!!

Posted by an anonymous person who reads newspapers every day...

The conclusion: The Arabs are not happy!!!

· They are not happy in Gaza.
· They are not happy in the West.
· They are not happy in Jerusalem.
· They are not happy in Israel.
· They are not happy in Egypt.
· They are not happy in Libya.
· They are not happy in Algeria.
· They are not happy in Tunis.
· They are not happy in Morocco.
· They are not happy in Yemen.
· They are not happy in Iraq.
· They are not happy in Afghanistan.
· They are not happy in Syria.
· They are not happy in Lebanon.
· They are not happy in Sudan.
· They are not happy in Jordan.
· They are not happy in Iran.

Where are the Arabs happy?

· They are happy in England.
· They are happy in France.
· They are happy in Italy.
· They are happy in Germany.
· They are happy in Sweden.
· They are happy in Holland.
· They are happy in Belgium.
· They are happy in Norway.
· They are happy in the U.S..
· They are happy in Australia.
· They are happy in the New Zealand.
· They are happy in Romania.
· They are happy in Hungary.

They are happy in any other country in the world that is not under a Muslim rule.

And whom do they blame?

· Not Islam.
· Not their leadership.
· Not themselves.

But the same countries in which they are happy to live. This is so true ..... Democracy is really good for them :

In a democracy they can live comfortably, enjoy the high quality of life which they did not build and work for, they don’t have to be productive and earn a living, they can be wild, pray in the street and exploit social services, bite the hand that feeds them.

And by the time the free world wakes up, it will be too late

JESUS I LOVE (Song)

2011-08-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

JESUS I LOVE YOU (song)

Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you.
It’s a blessing to walk with you.
It’s a comfort to talk to you.

Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you.
It’s a pleasure to praise you.
It’s a joy to adore you.

Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you.
It’s a privilege to worship you.
It’s humbling to know you.

Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you.
It’s a gift just to feel you.
It’s peaceful being near you.

Jesus, I love you, Jesus I love you.
It‘s my desire to be with you.
It’s my dream just to see you.

Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you.
It’s delightful to hear from you.
And I thank you for loving me too.

By Estelle P. Shrum
www.Heistheword.com

AMERICA IS FED UP!

2011-07-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

OUR AMERICAN DILEMMA!

August 2nd is the time line for America’s government to decide the bi-partisan dilemma. This fiasco is so confusing that most American’s don’t know who, or what, to believe. Our country has never been so divided. There is no tolerance between democrats and republicans because their ideology is so far apart.

President Obama has to take partial blame in the polarization of our government. He must take responsible for the division of the House, the Senate, and for all the states being so divided. The changes he adhered to when he ran for office was mainly for a minority of far left democrats with big pockets. "Move on.org was one of them and George Soros, who is an atheist, and admittedly helped the Nazis with the coffiscation of property from the Jews in 1944, who also stated he has no conscience of wrong doing. Mr. Soros does not care a hoot about America, it‘s forefather‘s, it‘s history, or it‘s future.

When President Obama was campaigning he ran on change for America, but did the American people realize that he wanted to change our entire system. He wants the rich to give to the poor, but WHO decides how much to take? What happens if the rich take their money, their businesses, and their ingenuity and bring it to a country that appreciates them? Bill O’Reilly, Donald Trump, and many other wealthy people have already stated that they don’t mind paying more taxes but they would leave America if they were unfairly taxed.

What President Obama is advocating is a moderate socialist system with government being the ruling force. America is a three party system for a reason. Socialism is not a far leap from a government ruling the people rather than the people ruling the government.

Bottom line… pray for our country.

GOD BLESS AMERICA...Estelle

Estelle P. Shrum - Author of, He Is The Word
My book: http://bit.ly/cemM8z
My website: www.heistheword.com/index.htm
My blog: http://wwwheistheword-estelle.blogspot.com/

THE CRUX OF THE CASEY ANTHONY TRIAL…

2011-07-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

As so many of you, my heart breaks for the lack of justice for little Caylee. I watched every moment possible of the trial so I could come to an unbiased opinion. I don’t take the news media as gospel… So here is what I took away from it.

The Prosecution did a good job on presenting the circumstantial evidence.

The Defense did a good job on rebutting the circumstantial evidence.

The family did a good job on confusing all the evidence presented.

The witnesses did a good job on lying, deceiving, exaggerating, embellishing, and distorting the evidence.

The Judge did a good job on slowing the entire process down. If he talked any slower everyone would have fallen asleep.

The jury did a good job on coping out with a fair verdict because the Jury did not understand what circumstantial evidence meant.

CONCLUSION:

The simple truth is that no one will ever know the truth because the lies were overwhelming. We will never get the truth from Casey, because she is incapable of it. So I must conclude that the Defense team, the joyful way they acted, must really believe that Casey did not kill her daughter, or they are the most deceitful defense team ever.

I must also believe the Prosecution was convinced of Casey’s guilt, or they would never have brought her to trial for murder. I agree with most everyone that they over-reached by asking for the death penalty.

I also believe, if Casey was a minority the death penalty would never have been put on the table. Having said that, I hate when people play the race card, but truth is truth. Sad, but prejudice remains alive and active in America. As a Christian, I do not believe in the death penalty, however, the jury could easily have found Casey guilty of murder by neglect, or even manslaughter. Instead, they chose to believe since there was no DNA or a direct connection to Casey killing Caylee they had to give her a free ticket to pass go. This was a sad day for American justice.

So what now folks...well, there is no longer justice in our new America. The people voted for change, and this is the change we are seeing. We live in a world where people make excuses for every action taken. We live in a world where everyone is afraid to speak the truth. Everyone wants to “live and let live.” There is no right or wrong, good or evil, nothing is black or white.

My heart hurts for our Country and the world over. When people can’t stand up and say this is wrong without being called a racist, or being prejudice, or a crazy conservative, or a far left loon, then we are a lost people.

Casey is already planning on writing a book…please don’t buy it. We all know the truth, just like we did in the OJ trial!

By Estelle P. Shrum
www.Heistheword.com

WHAT HAS BECOME OF AMERICA?

2011-06-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Michigan Newspaper – Editorial

Has America become the land of the special interest and home of the double standard?

Let’s see if we lie to Congress it’s a felony, and if Congress lies to us, it’s just politics; if we dislike a black person, we’re racist and if a black person dislikes whites, it’s their 1st Amendment right; the government spends millions to rehabilitate criminals and they do almost nothing for the victims; in public schools you can teach that homosexuality is OK, but you better not use the word God in the process; you can kill and unborn child, but its wrong to execute a mass murderer; we don’t burn books in America, we now rewrite them; we got rid of the communist and socialist threat by renaming them progressives; we are unable to close our border with Mexico, but have no problem protecting the 38th parallel in Korea; if you protest against President Obama’s policies you’re a terrorist, but if you burned an American flag or George Bush in effigy it was your 1st Amendment right.
You can have pornography on TV or the internet, but you better not put a nativity scene in a public park during Christmas; we have eliminated all criminals in America, they are now called sick people; we can use a human fetus for medical research, but it’s wrong to us an animal.
We take money from those who work hard for it and give it to those who don’t want to work; we all support the Constitution, but only when it supports our political ideology; we still have freedom of speech, but only if we are being politically correct; parenting has been replace with Ritalin and video games; the land of opportunity is now the land of hand outs; the similarity between Hurricane Katrina, and the gulf oil spill is that neither president did anything to help.
And how do we handle a major crisis today? The government appoints a committee to determine who’s at fault, then threatens them, passes a law, raises taxes; tells us the problem is solved so they can get back to their reelection campaign.
What has happened to the land of the free and home of the brave?

--Ken Huber
Tawas City

THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO

2011-06-28T05:24:00.000-07:00

“Skepticism has never founded empires, established principals, or changed the world's heart. The great doers in history have always been people of faith.”
--Edwin Hubbel Chapin

THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO

I grieve for them for they know not what they do.
They have taken God’s Holy Word and destroyed all that is true.

They don’t understand a battle rages between the prince of darkness and a Holy GOD who Created all there is.
They do not acknowledge that all that’s seen, all that was, or all that will ever be is HIS.

They removed prayer from schools claiming separation of church and state with a forceful voice.
Then they wanted to change the dress code for children in the name of freedom of choice.

The apocalypse of war, drugs, and freedom of sex descended upon our nation in a twinkling of an eye.
This then became the catalyst for all mankind to be open to every divination and casting sanity a wry.

When God made man and woman He said it was good and blessed that day.
God’s intention for man was to multiply and should not be misunderstand in any other way.

History has defined a new low by redefining God’s law on marriage claiming it is for the greater good of man.
This is an abomination and defiles God’s first blessing of one man one woman thus desecrating His first command.

Civil unions were acceptable under the law, but this is not the change heathens want; they want to change the definition of marriage and times to come.
Now that we have spat upon God’s Law’s we opened ourselves to every vile thing under the sun.

I grieve for they know not what they do they have made every bad thing good and every good thing bad.
Our children are no longer innocent lacking in morals, ethics and wisdom the world has truly gone mad.

By Estelle P. Shrum

PLEASE SHARE IF YOU AGREE!

Estelle P. Shrum - Author of, He Is The Word
My book: http://bit.ly/cemM8z
My website: www.heistheword.com/index.htm
My blog: http://wwwheistheword-estelle.blogspot.com/

IT'S TIME TO FIX CONGRESS...

2011-06-20T05:52:00.000-07:00

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

I'm asking each person to get this message out...

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future)participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote them a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws theyimpose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message. It is time to get this message out!

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS! So let's get it fixed!

JOSEPH THE EARTHLY FATHER OF JESUS

2011-06-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

Joseph was a descendant of Abraham and destined to be the husband of Mary.
After they became betrothed Virgin Mary was with child and Joseph was wary.

In spite of Mary’s condition Joseph took her away so she would not be stoned.
Out of love he did this for her because he knew she would be disowned.

What compassion Joseph had for Mary even though he felt dishonored and pained.
Then an angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him to wed Mary and not be ashamed.

He told him the child Mary carries will give everyone life for He is the King and Savior.
He told Joseph the child’s name will be called Jesus Immanuel and with God he has favor.

So Joseph obeyed the angel and took Mary to his home to keep her safe and be his bride.
His marriage was chaste until after the child was born beginning anew with nothing to hide.

Little is said of this faithful man who loved Mary even when he felt she did him wrong.
What a wonderful man to protect Mary and honor God while keeping his principles strong.

By Estelle P. Shrum

(Matthew 1:1-25), (Matthew 2:13-15), (Luke 2:3-5)

Estelle P. Shrum - Author of, He Is The Word
My book: http://bit.ly/cemM8z
My website: www.heistheword.com/index.htmg
My blog: http://wwwheistheword-estelle.blogspot.com/

PRESIDENT'S AND PRAYERS

2011-06-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

FACTS ON PRESIDENT’S AND PRAYER

In June 2007, Presidential candidate Barack Obama declares the USA not a Christian nation.

In 1952 President Truman established one day a year as a National Day of Prayer.

In 1988, President Reagan designated the first Thursday in May of each year as the National Day of Prayer.

2008 President Obama decided to cancel the ceremony at the White House not wanting to offend anyone.

On September 25, 2009 from 4am until 7pm, a National Day of Prayer for the Muslim religion was held on Capitol Hill, beside the White House. They were praying for the “Heart of America.” I have no idea what that means. They expected over 50,00 Muslims that day in Washington D.C.

I hope that all Christians everywhere will pray for our nation…and the world over. It seems that Christianity is no longer popular in this country or throughout the world.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Perhaps all the things going on now in this country and around the world could be solved if we would heed this scripture. Estelle P. Shrum

www.Heistheword.com
wwwheistheword-estelle.blogspot.com/

PLANNED PARENTHOOD - THE EVIL

2011-06-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

I WILL MAKE THIS EASY FOR YOU GUYS THAT DON'T LIKE TO READ LONG ARTICLES...HORROR OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD...

California – A 2004 audit found that Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties overcharged the government $5,213,645.92 for oral contraceptives. The problem was that Planned Parenthood was supposed to charge the government the cost of the pills.

New York – A 2008 federal audit of state family planning claims resulted in a finding that the state of New York had overbilled the federal government $17,151,156 by claiming procedures as “family planning” services when they were not.

New Jersey – In 2008, the federal government conducted an audit of New Jersey and published a report, Review of Outpatient Medicaid Claims Billed as Family Planning by New Jersey, which showed the state had over charged the federal government $597,496.00. Officials at these clinics often populated the family planning indicator field on Medicaid claims even though the service provided did not meet the criteria for 90-percent Federal funding.

Washington – A 2009 audit found Planned Parenthood of the Inland Northwest overcharged the government $629,142.88. The audit found Planned Parenthood was charging excessive amounts for contraceptives and distributed and charged for prescription medication without having a valid prescription.

New York City – A 2009 Medicaid audit determined that Planned Parenthood’s Margaret Sanger Center in New York City was found to have overcharged Medicaid $1,254,603.00 which included double billing—billing Medicaid for services provided to patients who were enrolled in the provider’s HMO network.

LET'S WAKE UP PEOPLE! FB CAN CHANGE THE WORLD...WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD BY OUR INTEGRITY. Estelle P. Shrum, www.Heistheword.com

CAN A GOOD MUSLIM BE A GOOD AMERICAN?

2011-06-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

I POSTED THIS IN 2009 AND STILL REMAINS TRUE...ALWAYS STAND WITH THE JEWS!

In light of the murders at Ft. Hood by a Muslim Officer (who had sworn to defend the people, our Constitution and the United States)

Can a good Muslim be a good American?

Theologically - No. Because his allegiance is to Allah, actually the moon god of Arabia.

Religiously - No. Because no other religion is accepted by Allah except Islam.
(Qur’an 2:256)

Scripturally - No. Because his allegiance is to the five pillars of Islam and the Quran (Koran).

Geographically - No. Because his allegiance is to Mecca, to which he turns in prayer five times a day.

Socially - No. Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews. (Qur’an 5:14), (Qur’an 9:29-30)

Politically - No. Because he must submit to the mullah (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and Destruction of America, the great Satan.

Domestically - No. Because he is instructed to marry four women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him.

Intellectually - No. Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt. (Qur’an 5:15)

Philosophically - No. Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.

Spiritually - No. Because when we declare "One Nation under God,” the Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in The Quran's 99 excellent names. (Qur’an 5:17)

Therefore after much deliberation the answer must be no. What is wrong with profiling?

I looked up these passages in the Qur’an/Koran and there were true. Stelle

SHORT HISTORY OF THE HATRED OF THE JEWS

2011-06-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

HISTORY OF HATRED AGAINST JEWS (Glen Beck article)

175-163 B.C. Attempt to outlaw Judaism
164- 163 B.C. Jerusalem captured
72 A.D. Expelled from Palestine
1096 12,000 Jews killed in First Crusade
1099 Jerusalem captured, Jews killed
1215 Forced to wear yellow circle on clothes
1290 Expelled from England
1306 Expelled from France
1349 – 1360 Expelled from Hungary
1421 Expelled from Austria
1492 Expelled from Spain
1495 Expelled from Lithuania
1497 Expelled from Portugal
15th century – 1772 Banned in Russia
1555 Forced into Italian ghettos
1543 “Concerning the Jews and Their Lies” released
1648-49 10,000 killed in massacres in Ukraine
1925 “Mein Kampf” published
1933 Nazi Party comes to power in Germany
1935 Nuremburg Laws introduced
1938 7,500 businesses destroyed in Kristallnacht
1941 33,000 killed in Ukraine
1941-1945 67% European Jews are murdered

WE HARE FAILING OUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS

2011-05-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

OUR COUNTRY AND CONGRESS CONTINUES TO FAIL US...

Tom Coburn...Oklahoma Senator is currently doing an investigation of continued government waste. These are the a few notes I was able to take down...but this is just the tip of the craziness that goes on and was passed with the stimulus package that was voted in the middle of the night.

$3 billion in waste for National Science Funding...Shrimp running on treadmills - can anyone even come up with a reason for that???

$16.5 billion work of congressional Pork

$18 million stimulus check to prisoners that are dead

$434 million on wasteful stimulus projects

$24 billion Medicare and Medicaid waste

Why are we paying for illegal immigrants medical bills when we are not meeting the medical, physical, or spiritual needs of the guys and gals of our military? Many of them are living on the streets. Many of them are dying waiting for the government to pay for their surgeries? Let's get our heads out of the sand and be aware of what is going on in our government. Unfortunately we are leaving a mess to our kids and grand kids, but this generation of young folks need to get busy and help themselves out of this mess. It doesn't matter if you are a Democrat or a Republican, read and research what is going on...don't listen to far left loons, or far right crazies. Be informed, be enlightened, get involved, start caring about your kids future. Start caring about God and Country...because without Him there is no 'ONE NATION UNDER GOD."
E. Shrum

Estelle P. Shrum - Author of, He Is The Word
My book: http://bit.ly/cemM8z
My website: www.heistheword.com/index.htm
My blog: http://wwwheistheword-estelle.blogspot.com/

A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN

2011-05-26T19:03:00.000-07:00

A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN

We get a glimpse of heaven every time a new babe is born. (1)
We get a glimpse of heaven when the sun breaks through the morn. (2)

We get a glimpse of heaven in the wild flowers of the valley’s and field.
We get a glimpse of heaven when a loved one is ill and suddenly is healed. (3)

We get a glimpse of heaven in the colors painted across the sky. (4)
We get a glimpse of heaven every time we watch a bird fly.

We get glimpse of heaven as our children walk down the wedding aisle.
We get a glimpse of heaven through a child’s giggle and innocent smile (5)

We get a glimpse of heaven through the billions of stars spread across the sky. (6)
We get a glimpse of heaven at night with a brightly lit moon placed on high. (7)

We get a glimpse of heaven on Christmas when we celebrate the birth of our Lord. (8)
We get a glimpse of heaven from His Word with the promise that everything will be restored.

We get a glimpse of heaven because that is all our minds can comprehend. (9)
We get a glimpse of heaven to give us eternal hope until time itself will end. (10)

We get a glimpse of heaven in the book of Matthew and what we will one day become. 11)
We get a glimpse, only a glimpse, of heaven in Revelation of what is yet to come.
12)

By Estelle P. Shrum

1.(Isa.66:7-13)
2.(Rev. 1:16)
3.(Mt. 15:28), (Mt. 20:33-34), (Mk. 8:25)
4.(Gee. 9:13)
5.(Mt. 18:3-5), (Mt. 21:15-16)
6.(Da. 12:3)
7.( 1 Co. 15:41)
8.(Isa. 9:6)
9.(Jn. 3:12)
10.(Rev. 21:1-7)
11.(Mt.22:30), (Php. 3:21)
12.(Rev. 22:1-5)

IN GOD'S PERFECT TIME - not in my book

2011-05-24T14:54:00.001-07:00

IN GOD’S PERFECT TIME

God told us that there is a time for every season. (1)
He provided His Holy Word so we can understand the reason.

He convicts men's hearts and minds through prayer.
He shows justice and mercy for all those who care. (2)

He lifts our spirit and places us where we need to be.
He answers our requests and listens to our every plea.

He is there to guide us down the narrow road.
He is our refuge and shares our heavy load. (3)

He wants to save all those who have lost their soul. (4)
He shed His blood to make us whole. (5)

He is there when we are weary and spent.
He holds us in his arms when we repent.

He is the only one that knows when time is right. (6)
He is aware of all our needs and of our plight.

He died at the appointed time on Calvary’s tree. (7)
He died taking on all our sins so we could be free.

He will save man and restore peace as this is His plan. (8)
In God’s perfect time He created man and time began. (9)

By Estelle P. Shrum

1. (Eccl. 3:1-8)
2. (Ps. 31:15)
3. (Ps. 9:9)
4. (Isa. 55:3)
5. (Luke 22:20)
6. (Acts 1:7)
7. (Mark 15:34, 37)
8. (Rev. 21:1-4)
9. (Gen. 1-2, 19)

Estelle P. Shrum - Author of, He Is The Word
My book: http://bit.ly/cemM8z
My website: www.heistheword.com/index.htm
My blog: http://wwwheistheword-estelle.blogspot.com/

REAPING THE JOYS OF THE LORD

2011-05-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

REAPING THE JOYS OF THE LORD

When you reap the joys of the Lord.
Eternal life will be your reward.

There can be joy in loving the contemptible neighbor. (1)
Allowing the Lords light to shine is worth the labor.

Jesus said they will know who you are by your behavior. (2)
What you say or do may bring lost sheep to the Savior.

The Lord says love each other and keep your spirit gentle. (3)
The people you meet through life may not be coincidental.

We are all responsible to be our brother’s keeper. (4)
Your obedience in the Lord will grow even deeper. (5)

There is joy in worship through dance and song. (6)
You can have peace and contentment all the daylong.

Reaping the joys of the Lord can be ours while we are here. (7)
Loving wil bring joy and the Bible makes that perfectly clear. (8)

By Estelle P. Shrum

1.(Mt.22:39),(Jn.15:12),(1 Jn.4:21)
2.(1 Jn.4:19-21)
3.(Gal.5:22-26)
4.(1 Jn.2:9-11)
5.(Php.2:8)
6.Ps.66:2), (Ps.149:3)
7.(Jn.15:9-11)
8.(Gal.5:13-15)

BLESSED BE THE MOTHER OF OUR LORD - MY POEM

2011-05-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

BLESSED BE THE MOTHER OF OUR LORD

Blessed was the Mother of Jesus Christ among all women ever. (1)
Blessed was she who gave birth to our Lord who lives forever. (2)

Blessed was Mary the young girl who was appointed to raise God’s Son.
Blessed was she who watched over him till His sacrifice was done. (3)

Blessed was Mary for God saw the innocence and beauty of her soul. (4)
Blessed was she because she knew one day every believer would be whole.

Blessed was Mary that she alone was chosen for such a commission. (5)
Blessed was she who witnessed the miracles of Jesus Christ’s mission. (6)

Blessed was May who guarded the child until he came of age and into His own. (7)
Blessed was she who loved Jesus from birth till death, and now He sits upon the throne. (8)

By Estelle P. Shrum

1. (Luke 1:28)
2. (Luke 1:31)
3. (John 19:27)
4. (Luke 1:45)
5. (Luke 1:46-49)
6. (John 2:1-12)
7. (Luke 2:42-52)
8. (Luke 1:32)

Estelle P. Shrum - Author of, He Is The Word
My book: http://bit.ly/cemM8z
My website: www.heistheword.com/index.htm
My blog: http://wwwheistheword-estelle.blogspot.com/

WHO WILL WIN THE 2012 PRESDIENT ELECTION?

2011-04-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

By Dr. Walter Williams

Can President Obama be defeated in 2012? No. He can't. I am going on record as saying that President Barak Obama will win a second term.

The media won't tell you this because a good election campaign means hundreds of millions (or in Obama's case billions) of dollars to them in advertising. But the truth is, there simply are no conditions under which Barak Obama can be defeated in 2012.

The quality of the Republican candidate doesn't matter. Obama gets reelected. Nine percent unemployment? No problem. Obama will win. Gas prices moving toward five dollars a gallon? He wtill wins. The economy soars or goes into the gutter. Obama wins. War in the Middle East ? He wins second term. America 's role as the leading Superpower disappears? Hurrah for Barak Obama! The U.S. government rushes toward bankruptcy, the dollar continues to sink on world markets and the price of daily goods and services soars due to inflation fueled by Obama's extraordinary deficit spending? Obama wins handily.

You are crazy Williams. Don't you understand how volatile politics can be when overall economic, government, and world conditions are declining? Sure I do.

And that's why I know Obama will win. The American people are notoriously ignorant of economics. And economics is the key to why Obama should be defeated. Even when Obama's policies lead the nation to final ruin, the majority of the American people are going to believe the bait-and-switch tactics Obama and his supporters in the media will use to explain why it isn't his fault. After all, things were much worse than understood when he took office.

Obama's reelection is really very, very simple math problem.

Consider the following:

1) Blacks will vote for Obama blindly. Period. Doesn't matter what he does. It's a race thing. He's one of us,

2) College educated women will vote for Obama. Though they will be offended by this, they swoon at his looks and oratory. It's really not more complex than that,

3) Liberals will vote for Obama. He is their great hope.

4) Democrats will vote for Obama. He is the leader of their party and his coattails will carry them to victory nationwide.

5) Hispanics will vote for Obama. He is the path to citizenship for those who are illegal and Hispanic leaders recognize the political clout they carry in the Democratic Party.

6) Union members will vote overwhelmingly for Obama. He is their key to money and power in business, state and local politics.

7) Big business will support Obama. They already have. He has almost $1 Billion dollars in his reelection purse gained largely from his connections with Big Business and is gaining more everyday. Big Business loves Obama because he gves them access to taxpayer money so long as they support his pocial and political agenda.

8) The media love him. They may attack the people who work for him, but they love him. After all, to not love him would be racist,

9) Most other minorities and special interest groups will vote for him. Oddly, the overwhelming majority of Jews and Muslims will support him because they won't vote Republican. American Indians will support him. Obviously homosexuals tend to vote Democratic. And lastly...

10) Approximately half of independents will vote for Obama. And he doesn't need anywhere near that number because he has all of the groups previously mentioned. The President will win an overwhelming victory in 2012.

-- Dr. Walter Williams

THE EMPTY TOMB - EASTER BLESSINGS!

2011-04-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

THE EMPTY TOMB

Look! The tomb is empty our Lord is not here (1)
An angel in white garments told them not to fear.

Jesus appeared and said look at my hands, See my wounded feet. (2)
He asked them for food and they gave him fish to eat

He said why do you doubt that it is really I? (3)
Was it not written that I would suffer these things and die?

He told the disciples to go and preach the Good News

To everyone and everywhere. (4)
Then Jesus was taken up to heaven in the air.

Jesus lives and sits at the Father’s right hand. (5)
He has conquered evil and has saved man.

Amen, Hallelujah

By Estelle P. Shrum
www.Heistheword.com

1. (Lk. 24:1-6)
2. (Lk. 24:36-52)
3. (Mt. 28:17)
4. (Mk. 16:15-19)
5. (Ro. 8:34)

MY BOOK - HE IS THE WORD

2011-01-30T17:09:00.000-08:00

My book, "He Is The Word", was published in 2006, by Publish America. My book was published within six months of my writing it. It is almost impossible today to get your book published without self publishing. God wanted my book published for His divine purpose. Read my compelling and personal testimony and you will see why

My ministry is to promote God's Word, the Holy Bible. It is to teach Scripture by simplistic poetry. I give testimony to women's groups, and church groups on how God spoke to me and changed my life.

Every poem is inspired by God through His Holy Word that answers Biblical questions by giving wisdom and inspiration through Scripture.

You can google my book by using my name, Estelle P. Shrum. You can find it on Chapters, Borders, B & N and throughout Europe. It can also be ordered by any B&N, or purchased at B&N at St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, Florida. It is also being offered by company's like Amazon under "used" books.

You can find more of my publications on my home page web site. (www.Heistheword.com). You will also find my blog and facebook at the bottom of the page.

REGARDING VIDEO OF PRES.OBAMA'S AUNTIE

2011-01-06T14:01:00.000-08:00

FEED THE POOR BY BEING OUT OF DEBT…

OK, SO I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT VIDEO I SENT OUT THE OTHER DAY OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S AUNTIE. AND HOW SOME PEOPLE DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE "ENTITLEMENT" FACTOR IS WRONG, AND THE IMMIGRATION SITUATION NEEDS TO BE FIXED. SO HERE IS MY SHORT ANALOGY THAT MAY HELP THESE PEOPLE GET IT.

SAY YOU HAVE A FAMILY OF FOUR.AND THE PARENTS BOTH WORK, THE KIDS GO TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL. EVERYTHING IS GREAT! THEY HAVE SOME SAVINGS IN THE BANK. THEY LIVE A LAVISH LIFE STYLE. THYE SPEND MONEY ON ALL THE THINGS THEY WANT BUT DON’T REALLY NEED, JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN. THEY DO NOT TITHE TO A CHURCH, BUT FEEL THEY ARE DOING GOOD BY ADOPTING CHILDREN. LIFE IS GOOD!

THEN THEY ADOPT TWO CHILDREN FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY THAT NEED A HOME. NOW THEY HAVE SIX MOUTHS TO FEED.

NOT LONG AFTER THEY ADOPT TWO MORE FOREIGN CHIRLDREN THAT ARE SISTER AND BROTHER, BECAUSE THEY WANT MORE CHILDREN. NOW THEY HAVE EIGHT MOUTHS TO FEED.

SO NOW MOM FINDS SHE HAS TO STAY HOME TO TAKE CARE OF THE SIX KIDS BECAUSE THEY CAN NO LONGER AFFORD CHILD CARE.

DAD LOSES HIS JOB BECAUSE OF DOWN SIZING. THEY HAVE AN OUTRAGEOUS MORTAGE BECAUSE HE ADDED HIS WIFE’S INCOME SO THEY COULD BUY A REALLY BIG HOUSE. NOW THEY CAN NO LONGER AFFORD THE MORTGAGE AND LOSE THEIR HOME.

SO WHAT HAPPENS? THEY HAVE NO HOME, NO FOOD, NO HEALTH CARE, BUT STILL EIGHT MOUTHS TO FEED.

TIMES THIS SENARIO BY THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR JOB, HAD NO SAVINGS, AND HAVE LOST THEIR HOME. SO NOW THE TAX PAYERS HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR BAD DECISIONS…

FOLKS, GOD WANTS US TO CARE FOR THE POOR, HE WANTS US TO FEED AND CLOTHE THE POOR. BUT IF WE CONTINUE DOWN THE PATH OF ENTITLEMENT EVERYONE WILL BE POOR! THEN WHO WILL FEED THEM? WHO WILL FEED YOU?

GOD SAID THE POOR WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US. HE SAID DO NOT BE IN DEBT. HE SAID, IF YOUR FRIEND IS COLD GIVE HIM YOUR COAT, BUT HE ALSO SAID BE A GOOD STEWARD AND RESPONSIBLE PERSON WITH YOUR MONEY.
.
AMERICANS CAN’T EVEN TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEMSELVES ANYMORE. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS?

FOR THIS NEW YEAR, SPEND LESS, BUY LESS, AND SAVE MORE. YOU CAN ONLY FEED THE HUNGRY WHEN YOU HAVE FOOD TO GIVE THEM.

BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS FEED THEIR SPIRIT ANYTIME, ANYPLACE. WHEN YOU KNOW GOD YOU ARE A RICH MAN.

Estelle P. Shrum - Author of, He Is The Word
My book: http://bit.ly/cemM8z
My website: www.heistheword.com/index.htm
My blog: http://wwwheistheword-estelle.blogspot.com/

WE GIVE YOU THANKS LORD - HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

2010-12-31T13:08:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

WE GIVE YOU THANKS LORD

THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE CREATED AND GIVEN TO US.

THANK YOU FOR THE SUN, THE MOON, THE STARS, ESPECIALLY JESUS.

THANK YOU FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL MARBLED EARTH, AND THE BIRDS THAT FLY.

THANK YOU FOR THE UNIVERSE THAT WE CAN ONLY MARVEL AT SO FAR BEYOND THE SKY.

THANK YOU FOR THE TREES, THE GRASS, THE FLOWERS, AND THE GIFT OF LIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR THE SEASONS, A TWENTY FOUR HOUR DAY, SO WE CAN REST AT NIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR THE SNOW, THE WIND, THE HAIL, THE FIRE AND RAIN.

THANK YOU LORD FOR THE HOPE WE HAVE IN YOUR HEAVENLY DOMAIN.

THANK YOU FOR THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF ANIMALS THAT BRING US PLEASURE.

THANK YOU FOR FRIENDS, NEAR AND FAR, AND FOR FAMILIES THAT WE TREASURE.

THANK YOU FOR THE COMFORTS OF HOME THAT WE ALL TAKE FOR GRANTED.

THANK YOU FOR HEARING OUR PRAYERS AND KEEPING OUR FAITH DEEPLY PLANTED.

THANK YOU FOR THE SMALLEST DETAIL OF LIFE WE CAN’T EVEN SEE.

THANK YOU FOR ALL CREATION, AND THANK YOU ABBA FOR CREATING ME.

By Estelle P. Shrum
www.Heistheword.com
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

2010-12-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

PSALMS 46:10

Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen; I will be exalted in the earth.

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

How can we be still and know who God is in today’s society?
People run around in circles with their own agenda and priority.

In order to pay our bills many have to work over forty hours a week.
Running a household and children to care for but rest is what we seek.

We are bombarded with news twenty-four hours a day.
Some people don’t even honor Sunday for a time to pray.

We spend too much time in our cars, fighting traffic going to and fro.
There is no quiet time; there are too many people to see and places to go.

How can we take time to stop and smell the flowers?
We are continually rushing and there are not enough hours.

We need to turn off the television and shut off the phone.
Shut off the radio, no IPod, stop the music, and just zone.

In the days of old the Jews fasted and prayed for three days.
They gave thanks and worshipped God giving Him praise.

Take time to go on a sabbatical, a retreat, or just try being still.
Be quiet and listen to the Lord so you can hear God’s will.

By Estelle P. Shrum.
WWW.Heistheword.com

2010-11-24T08:33:00.000-08:00

THANKSGIVING

Thank you Lord, you are an awesome, God who is wondrously divine.

Thank you Father for the Holy Spirit with a nature perfectly Sublime.

Thank you, King of Kings, for the mercies you show us each and every day.

Thank you ,Good Shepherd, for keeping your sheep and not letting them stray.

Thank you ,Jehovah, for your mighty powers displayed by witness of the earth.

Thank you Almighty God for the Gift of salvation through Jesus’ birth.

Thank you , glorious Prince, for giving us peace that passes all understanding.

Thank you, El Shaddai, for those times we struggle and still remain standing.

Thank you, Elohim, the highest God whose love is so amazing,and so kind.

Thank you Shammah who is always present in our hearts, word, and mind.

By Estelle P. Shrum

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify himwith thanksgiving. (Psalm 69:30)

AWESOME: ( Ex. 15:11) ,( Dt.7:21, 10:17), (Ps. 47:2; 66:5; 66:3; 89:7; 99:3; 111:9;145:6),

(Da. 9:4)

HOLY SPIRIT: (Jn. 4:24), ( Gal. 5:22-25)

KINGS OF KINGS: (1 Ti. 6:15), (Rev.19:16)

SHEPHERD: (Ps.23:1), (Isa. 40:11), ( Jer.31:10), (Eze.34:12), (1 Pe.5:4)

SALVATION: (Jn..2:9), Birth: (Mt.1:18-25)

PEACE: (Php. 4:7)

LOVE: (2 Ch.5:13), (Ps.25:6), (Ps.33:5), ( Ps.63:3), (Ro.5:8), (Jn.3:16), (1 Jn.4:19)

.

IF YOU CAN IMAGINE!

2010-11-16T10:36:00.001-08:00

IF YOU CAN IMAGINE!

If you can imagine light being brighter then the sun, then you can imagine God.

If you can imagine light encompassing the entire earth, then you can imagine God.

If you can imagine light shining throughout the universe, then you can imagine God.

If you can imagine the universe larger than we know it to be, then you can imagine God.

If you can imagine the entire world at peace, forever, then you can imagine God.

If you can imagine loving someone more than you do now, then you can imagine God.

If you can imagine being happier than you ever were before, then you can imagine God.

If you can imagine having every question answered, then you can imagine God.

By Estelle P. Shrum

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Estelle P. Shrum - Author of, He Is The Word
My book: http://bit.ly/cemM8z
My website: www.heistheword.com/index.htm
My blog: http://wwwheistheword-estelle.blogspot.com/ draft

THE HORROR OF ABORTION - read this nurse' s story

2010-11-13T20:18:00.000-08:00

You can read this nurse's story here - http://www.ldi.org

Because fetal 'tissue' is in demand and preserving it is difficult, some partial birth abortion doctors are now, over-dilating the women so they have their babies early on the second day, in the motel room. The women and their living babies are brought to the clinic and the baby is not killed until the sales representative arrives to pick him/her up. Then, the doctor quickly strangles or drowns the baby and delivers it to the messenger who sells the 'tissue' to pharmaceuticals and other companies who use 'fetal tissue'. The advantage here is to deliver very fresh 'tissue' to the companies. Thus, the abortionist can make $3000 to $5000 for the partial birth abortion and quite a bit of extra bucks on selling the baby's body for 'fetal tissue research'. This information was obtained from Michael Crutcher's new video magazine. A woman who worked as a pickup messenger for 'fetal tissue' is interviewed on this video. If you are interested in obtaining a free copy of the video, please visit http://www.ldi.org (Life Dynamics) and request the tape.

I sent this letter to President Elect Obama at Congress.org. in hopes that he would change his agenda on Partial-Birth-Abortion. I find it hard to believe that so many Christians voted for this barbaric, inhumane decision of allowing Partial-Birth-Abortion to once again be legal. There won't be counseling offered or questions asked. There is also talk of government support of this madness. I have to believe that most people do not know the procedures used, or the pain, these babies suffer. We are not talking about a fetus that is not able to live outside the mother's womb. We are talking about a viable baby that can suck their thumb and grab a hold of your finger as seen in some photos while still inside their mother's womb. After a mother is 6-8 months pregnant a baby can live and breathe on their own. A fetus can not sustain life outside the mother's womb, but that's another issue. For Christians, abortion should be wrong period. It is said that when Chinese give birth on the birth day the baby is one years old. So I have to believe, for my own sanity, that most people are not aware of this inhumane treatment. I am attaching the details of what takes place when we murder these babies. Yes, it is gruesome, but these are the facts. What are you going to do about it? That is what God will ask you on judgment day? Pro-Choice should not include the right to murder a child that can live outside the womb. Please make your voices heard. Blessing. Stelle.

2 Chronicles 7:14 'If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.'

TEACH ME THY WAYS LORD

2010-11-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Ps. 51:10
“The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.” Lam. 3:25
“The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.” Ps. 145:18

TEACH ME THY WAYS LORD

Teach me how to be more like you.
Teach me what I must do to serve you.

Teach me how to shine my light through you.
Teach me to be steadfast and fearless for you.

Teach me words of wisdom to bring souls to you.
Teach me to understand Scripture so I will know you.

Teach me new songs and praises to please you.
Teach me to love the unjust and lost for you.

Teach me to give everything I have for you.
Teach me to listen and learn about life for you.

Teach me to bear injustice and heartache for you.
Teach me to be a new creature in Christ for you.

Teach me the things seen and not seen of you.
Teach me to be a beacon in a dark world for you.

Teach me your ways Lord, and how I can show I love you.

By Estelle P. Shrum

“One of the most wonderful things about knowing God is that there's always so much more to know, so much more to discover. Just when we least expect it, He intrudes into our neat and tidy notions about who He is and how He works.”

-- Joni Eareckson Tada

2010-10-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

QUOTES BY ESTELLE:

Here is my defintion of religous and spiritual...

Religion is man trying to make up his own interpretation of the Bible, without the knowledge of the Holy Spirit. Or when man just imagines what life is all about and makes his own religion.

Spiritual is having a personal relationship with God.

By Estelle P. Shrum

If you ever asked yourself why me?
Then you must ask yourself why not me?
If not you then who, your neighbor, your friend or foe?
Should we not ask “What would I do if it were me”?
If pain is subjective, can we compare mental pain to physical pain?
Can we differentiate emotional pain from imagined pain?
Can we compare a flood to a Tsunami, or a tornado to hurricane?
Was Job’s pain more than David’s pain as he cried out in Psalms?

--Estelle P. Shrum

SOME BELIEVE IN GOOD LUCK - I BELIEVE IN GOD.

G - I believe in GOD.
O - I believe Jesus is the ONLY begotten Son of God.
O- I believe there is ONE God.
D - I believe God has three DIVINE natures, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

L - I believe in LOVE.
U - I believe God USES situations for His purpose.
C - I believe we are all Gods CHILDREN.
K - I believe that God wants us to be holy so He can KEEP us.

--Estelle P. Shrum
www.Heistheword.com

"It is time for people to put aside their political views of being a Democrat or Republican and do what is best for our entire country"

--Estelle P. Shrum

When I am asked “Where Is God.”

“God shows himself in people, some are called early in life, some are called late in life, and some never answer the call."

--Estelle P. Shrum

“Everyone deserves respect no matter how far apart your beliefs or convictions are, because we are all created by Go.”

--Estelle P. Shrum

Let's not ever be so arrogant as to mock, or ridicule the American people as our President of this great country did.

--Estelle P. Shrum

Don't ever apologize that you believe in the Constitution of the United States of America, The Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, or that you do not want a Socialist Country!

--Estelle P. Shrum

“HE LOVES, HE FORGIVES, HE LIVES! PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME AND ACCEPT HIS GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE.”

--Estelle P. Shrum

“It seems every blessing follows up with a downfall, but when I turn it around and say every downfall is followed up with a blessing, it is so much easier to deal with. It gives me strength to carry on."

--Estelle P. Shrum

‘God shows himself in people, some are called early in life, some are called late in life, and some never answer the call."

--Estelle P. Shrum

In today's world we need to pray on a daily basis. We need to make time every morning, every night, and throughout the day. We need to pray for the world's situation, starvation and salvation. We need to pray for the lost and lonely. We need to pray for the misguided, mistreated, and misunderstood. We need to pray for the weary, the weak, and for God's wisdom.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing."

-- Estelle P. Shrum

We used to have crooks in the White House, now we have thugs!

--Estelle P. Shrum

IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN AND LOVE THE LORD ASK YOURSELF THIS?

DO I HAVE HATE IN MY HEART? I HOPE THE ANSWER IS NO BECAUSE
IT IS A SCIENTIFIC FACT THAT TWO ELEMENTS CANNOT OCCUPY THE SAME SPACE. WE CANNOT HATE ANYONE AND LOVE CHRIST…

--- Estelle P. Shrum

Ask not what will I do today; ask what does God want me to do today.

--Estelle P. Shrum

Those of us in Christ need not fear the past, present, or future.

--Estelle P Shrum

The grass on the other side may be greener, but it has just as many weeds.

--Estelle P. Shrum

We all travel a different journey seeking the right road to heaven.

--Estelle P. Shrum

Adultery is like being in the midst of a fire you can only see the smoke and feel the heat, but the flames will consume you

--Estelle P. Shrum

When Scientist’s get together to talk about Creation or Evolution all they do is take up “SPACE.

-- Estelle. P. Shrum

We cannot sit back and wait for God to tell us what to do; we must take a leap of faith and He will see us through.

--Estelle P. Shrum

Jesus was never liberal when it came to abortion in today’s world he would be called a far right conservative.

 Estelle P. Shrum

The root of evil is not money it’s choices.

-- Estelle P. Shrum

As Christian’s we maintain happiness in our hearts no matter where we live, because we live for the Lord.

--Estelle P. Shrum

I was once asked what Kwanzaa was all about. I said I think African Americans need to have a holiday of their own so they can relate to their African heritage. However, what we really need is a holiday to celebrate our entire country of mutts. We should have a holiday called "Mongrel America Day"

--Estelle P. Shrum

I never understood why everyone loved the merry-go-round, and now I know why they call it the merry-go-on. Ignorance is bliss! We keep trying to get that brass ring but without Jesus it is all in vain.

--Estelle P. Shrum

Those of us in Christ know we will never be all we can be, because we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God.

--Estelle P. Shrum

A Christian died… and when she opened her eyes she saw Jesus with His arms extended. She fell to her knees and bowed her head in worship. Then she saw God sitting next to Jesus on His throne of Glory surrounded by Cherubim's and Seraphim's. She fell to the ground in prostration. She felt the hand of Abba touch the top of her head, and He said "Welcome my friend and faithful servant; you may enter the gates with thanksgiving and praise."

Matthew 25:21
Psalms 100:4

--Estelle P. Shrum (I had a dream)

The Holy Bible Tells The Story - By Estelle P. Shrum

2010-10-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Bible speaks to man from Genesis to Revelation for God’s glory.
You will never know who God really is until you read the whole story.

The Bible tells us everything we need to know about how to live our life.
It teaches us how to raise a family and how to treat your husband or wife.

The Bible has amazing stories that God took great pains for us to hear.
It instructs on money, pain, sex, death, jealousy, gossip, envy, and fear.

The Bible must be digested, studied and questioned to learn of God ways.
The sixty-six books speak of the present past future and the end of days.

The Bible was written by men over a period of 1500 years inspired by the Holy Spirit.
If you want God to speak to you just ask Jesus for complete understanding of it.

The Bible helps us to live a righteous life of hope and joy with wisdom and love.
It’s an awesome Book like no other and written for you from our creator above.

The Bible tells us about the spirit world and why we were created to the fall of man.
It allows us to renew our relationship with an omnipotent God our Father first hand.

The Holy Bible is wonderfully divine and will touch your soul.
The Holy Bible is God telling us the greatest story ever told.

By Estelle P. Shrum
www.Heistheword.com

“Forever, O Lord, “Forever, O Lord, Your word stands firm in heaven. Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth, You created.” Psalms 119:89-90“

A B C’S OF SALVATION (Say this prayer on bended knee with an open spirit)

A. Admit you have sinned: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
B. Believe in Jesus: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
C. Confess & leave your sin: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful & just to forgive us and cleanse us from all righteousness“ (1 John 1:9)

G.R.O.W. (For spiritual maturity we then need to grow)

G. Go to God in prayer daily and trust Him for every detail of your life.
R. Read God’s word daily and allow the Holy Spirit to empower you.
O. Obey God’s commandants and only do what you know pleases God.
W. Witness for Christ by the way you live your life.

LIVE WITH HOPE AND HOPE TO LIVE...MY LATEST POEM

2010-06-23T13:57:00.001-07:00

LIVE WITH HOPE and HOPE TO LIVE

Do we not see the devastation and mass confusion as we go along?
Do we not feel the sorrow of those misguided people doing wrong? (1)

Are we not aware of the madness or feel the pain of humanity’s cries? (2)
Why are we not worried or asking the right questions to hear the why’s?

Do we not realize we are living as in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah? (3)
Do we not witness everyday the terrible acts of sadness and horror?

Do we not recognize as in Noah’s day that no one gave concern? (4)
Do we not foresee we are liken to Lot’s wife who didn’t listen or learn? (5)

Have our hearts hardened that we no longer feel gracious or humble? (6)
Where is the love for our sister’s and brother’s when they stumble?

Why do we not understand that as mere mortals we are only so capable? (7)
Are we so arrogant and prideful that we can’t see we are incredibly incapable?

Do we have the power to create the majestic sunshine or the incredible clouds above?
Why won’t we admit that no matter what man accomplishes he can never create love? (8)

We must live with hope and hope to live a life worthy to our creator with glory and praise. (9)
We must hope to live a life of being grateful to a magnificent God all of our days. (10)

By Estelle P. Shrum
www.Heisthword.com

1. (Ro. 9:2)
2. (Ps. 18,6), (Ps.34:15, (Ps. 40:1), (Ps. 130:1)
3. (Ro. 1:18-32)
4. (Gen. 6:7-8), (Heb. 11:7), (1 Pe. 3:20), (2 Pe. 2:5)
5. (Gen. 19:26)
6. (Heb. 3:8)
7. (John 15:5-8)
8. (John 15:12), (Ps. 36:7), (Ps. 118:1), (Ps. 119:47)
9. (1 Cor. 10:31)
10. (Ps. 86:12)

MY RED CROSS ALABAMA TORNADO STORY

2010-05-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

RED CROSS ALABAMA TORNADOS 4/24/10 – 10:30 p.m.
MY PHOTOS WILL FOLLOW SHORTLY

MARSHALL COUNTY
DEKALB COUNTY
ETTAWAH COUNTY
JEFFERSON COUNTY

18 MILES PATH OF DUSTRUCTION WITH 155 MPH/WINDS IN THE TOWN OF ALBERTVILLE, ALABAMA

SERVED MORE THAN 25,000 MEALS, DRINKS AND SNACKS.

DISTRIBUTED 350 CLEAN UP KITS, (RAKES, SHOVELS, WORK GLOVES, GARBAGE BAGS, ETC.)

HANDED OUT 520 COMFORT KIS (SOAP, DEODORANT, COMBS, TOOTHBRUSHES, TOOTHPAST, ETC.)

In working with the Red Cross you have to have a bag packed and be ready to go on a moment’s notice. When I got the call from my Chapter in Jacksonville I was working at Volunteers In Medicine (VIM) downtown Jacksonville.

If you are called for a National Red Cross disaster you are expected to give them an immediate answer as to whether you can go or not. Since I experienced my first tornado in Ozark, Alabama, I figured it was destined for me to go. So I picked up my paper work at my Red Cross Chapter and found myself on a plane at 6:15 a.m. the next morning headed for Huntsville, AL.

My husband was based at Fort Rucker in Ozark, Alabama in 1971. He had just come back from Viet Nam. We lived in a trailer park and about mid-day the sun turned from bright sky to darkened night. We thought that was very odd, because it was like someone turned a light off. Then the eerie stillness and quiet impacted us. We were from New York, so what did we know about tornados? Suddenly the rain, hail and siren seemed to come all at once. My husband told me we needed to take cover because there was a tornado coming. I will never forget him putting my motorcycle helmet on my head and telling me we needed to get into the closet. The banging on the trailer from the hail was like the devil was knocking on our door. Tornados are like evil spirits gone array. They have no mercy and show no discrimination. We were blessed not to have been swept away with that tornado. We since lived in Oklahoma and Kansas. We used to watch the tornados from afar and some up very close. We once saw one move along the house tops and could see the debris circling around like garbage in a giant washing machine. Several times we had to sit in the basement listening to the awful wind howl and hear the trees bang into each other. For some reason, which I am very grateful for, it always missed our home.

4/30/10
I arrived at the Huntsville airport and was instructed to call a phone number when I arrived for further instructions. I felt like Jim Phelps on “Mission Impossible.” After calling the number I was then instructed to go to Avis and rent a car and go to the address I would receive from “Avis.” Da-Da-Dun-Dun! They were nice enough to give me a map. I didn’t want to take my GPS because I already had too much stuff to take with me. My husband would have been proud of me because I found the town and Head Quarters with no trouble at all. Well, to be honest, I did go the wrong way on the highway and had to turn around and go back west instead of east. Remember, I am dyslectic so I really wasn’t lost, so that doesn’t count. I knew I missed the turn off, but it did take an extra ten miles on time and gas to get back to the place I needed to turn.

After I checked in at HQ and was oriented to Red Cross responsibilities, goals, expectations, and assigned duties I was immediately sent to a local church that was set up for “Client Case Services.” It was in a Spanish community and none of the clients spoke English. We did have two case workers that spoke Spanish and translated for us, but it was a struggle from the get go.
When we got back to HQ I was still not assigned a place to sleep. There had been”Mass Shelters”, opened but no one came, so they had to be closed. In a Southern community such as the one we were in, the people are very community oriented and most of the folks had already abandoned their homes and moved in with family. I didn’t get assigned a place to rest my head until 7:30 p.m and my roommate and I didn’t get checked into the hotel until 9:30 p.m. I was one tired puppy. However, I appreciated, and thanked the Lord, that I did have a place to rest my head. So many didn’t and had lost everything. We had to report back to HQ by 7:30 a.m.

5/1/10
The next day was very confusing. I was told I was assigned to be a staff nurse for the “STAFF”, but the other staff nurse said she already had someone coming for that position. So no one seemed to know what to do with me. They were over staffed for “Client Case Work.” But the Lord put me in a much better place. They were short on help for the ERV (Emergency Response Vehicle) so I jumped at the chance to get away from the mass confusion that can happen when HQ is first set up. People were signing in from all over the neighboring counties and states. There were a lot from Florida. So I was happy to get out and mix with the people who really needed my help.

We first loaded the ERV with supplies from a huge truck that came from one of the Red Cross storage facilities. This particular one came from a Wal-Mart that just stores supplies for the Red Cross. While on the ERV I was also instructed to do nursing assessments on anyone who needed medical assistance. There were three of us, the driver, his navigator, and myself. We went to DeKalb County located in the mountains. Apparently the DAT (Disaster Assessment Team) just found out that no one from the Red Cross had known about this area. Our ERV was packed full with shovels, rakes, work gloves, clean up kits, garbage bags, water, etc).

Now you may remember that I am “accident prone”, so it won’t surprise you when I tell you that not only once, but twice, the boxes came loose and hit me in the head and back. Fortunately the boxes were the lighter ones containing the clean up kits. We had all the boxes secure, but the mountain roads and debris strewn all around made it rough riding.
Being a nurse I could assess myself and say “I’m fine let’s move on.” When I got back to the hotel I did count my black and blue marks and hoped there would be no more.

MIRACLE STORIES…NO FATALIES

• Trailer picked up and moved 50 feet off foundation. The roof was gone and the cars destroyed, No one was hurt. The family dogs were outside through the tornado and were more spooked than the kids. The Azalea bushes were beautiful and looked like they were just planted. When I remarked how beautiful they were the young boy said to me “Yeah they bloomed right after the tornado hit.”
• Elderly Grandma alone in the house. She stated she was saved by moving into a small closet in the hallway after God told her to get out of the bathroom where she first tried to hide in the tub. She later realized that the bathroom had one entire wall covered with a mirror, and another large one over the sink. The only remaining part of the house left was the hallway with the small closet where she hid.
• Another elderly Grandma home alone. Her house was totally wiped off the face of the map. Her son had told her if a tornado ever came she was to get into the tub and put a pillow over her head and hold on to the faucet. She was found buried in the rubble holding onto the faucet, but the tub was no where to be found. She was hospitalized and released in two days.
• Another lone Grandma was standing in the hallway of the house when the tornado hit. The house was picked up and moved 20 feet off its foundation. The hallway was the only part of the house left.
• Mother with two small kids was asleep on the sofa when the tornado hit. She stated there was no time to hide. A giant size Oak tree was uprooted from their front lawn and was thrown through the house. The only part of the house still intact was where the mother and children were sleeping on the sofa. She told me the kids never even woke up. The giant size Oak tree was no where to be found. The mother gave glory to God that she and her babies were saved.
• Mc Nutt Memorial Methodist Church – built in 1877. Speaking to the Pastor was heart wrenching as he told me the history of his Church. His pain was palpable. He talked about the six generations in his family that attended the Church. Across the road was a cemetery, and in the middle stood a tall flag pole with the flag at half mast. He said it was at half mast because a piece of his heart died when the church was lost. The only thing left on the foundation was the piano, and he said that it was so old it didn’t sound so good anymore. He worried that if the church was not built again the younger generation would forget all about the beloved “Old Church” and how every week-end they cooked great meals and fed anyone who walked in the door. When we arrived at the church site there were groups of boy scouts from two counties away collecting all the stones that surrounded the once small precious church. They were all confident that the church would be built again. The old door knocker that hung on the door since 1877 was lost. The Pastor said it was even older than the church. He pointed out the massive oak tree that was lying on its side, still intact, like it just fell over and died. Someone was trying to cut the branches up with a chain saw, but there was so much gravel and glass embedded in the bark that it was like cutting into cement. I saw a lot of large trees uprooted and huge holes just left where trees once were, some trees split right down the middle, some trees standing but completely bare of leaves, some trees that looked like they were a chiseled sculpture of art. The massive tree that lay on its side next to where the once loved church was, indeed, was the largest tree I had seen. It had to be more than 200 years old.
• The Sunday school teacher and his family’s home were completely destroyed too. His wife was hit in the back with a piece of the fire place. She was still in the hospital, but was in stable condition. He was in the process of saving what he could and moving in with family. He told me he was going to teach at the neighboring church until his church could be built again. He had several stray dogs that his wife had a habit of taking in. They lived outside and they were frightened and had cuts and bruises from the tornado. The Sunday school teacher was very concerned what would happen to the dogs, because he was not able to take them with him. He worried about his wife who loved all the stray dogs.
• Through it all people praised God for their lives and didn’t worry that all their belongings and mementos, and their special treasure were gone. As a nurse I know that is the way most people feel after having their lives saved. Although two or three weeks down the road when reality sinks in that they will need real comforting. This Pastor and his faithful community will be OK because they will know where to go to find the peace that passes all understanding.
• We saw many signs in the yards that displayed humor in spite of it all. “House for free, lot for sale” – “If you like this house it’s yours” And many flags still flying in the midst of destruction.

When we finished covering the mountain and giving out as many supplies as we could we emptied the remaining supplies from the ERV into a storage garage.

5/2/10
The next day I was once again in another ERV covering a different area. My ERV driver was a 78 year old woman, so don’t ever use the excuse that you can’t help. Today we were dispersing food. The “Yellow Shirts” is an organized group of Southern Baptist’s that cook for the Red Cross. The Red Cross supplies the money and they do all the cooking. They work really hard and everyone knows the Baptist’s love to eat and they are great cooks. The ERV’s were based at a recreation center that was set up for the fire fighter’s and all the volunteers. The amazing thing about these Alabama tornados were that they left the down town areas completely intact. So business went on as usual. In fact, they did quiet well with all the volunteers, electricians, construction workers, tree trimmers, and contractors. The hotels were filled.

A fire fighter told me that many of the folks were unable to cook, because they had no electricity so this recreation center was set up and received donations of food from all over the counties. He also said many did not have electricity because they had no power due to people stealing copper. Good and evil becomes so obvious when there is a tragedy.

Today was rainy, windy with darkened clouds, and threatening more storms and tornados through the day. I could only imagine!

MORE AMAZING SITES…
• Houses with bricks torn right off the OSB (Oriented Strand Board)
• Houses with roofs sitting next to the house.
• A house with no roof that apparently had a tree fall into it so it appeared as if the tree was growing up from inside the house.
• Watched a worker rest on a metal roof that once covered a house that was nowhere in site.
• Beautiful flowering bushes completely intact surrounded homes with no roofs.
• Brink homes that looked intact, with minor damage to the roofs and windows, but the inside looked like an explosion happened.
• An above ground pool was completely intact, but every tree was uprooted all around the pool leaving big round holes where they once provided shade.

5/3/10
The newspaper headlines “School Starts Again Today.” Once that happens there is hope that life will go back to normal. I was on the ERV again and we concentrated on the trailer parks with known illegals because they are afraid to ask for help. There are three to four families living inside one trailer. These trailer parks had minimal damage, but they were without electricity for a week, so we continued to bring them two meals a day and assist with giving them help with clothes, food, and money. Things are getting under control now. Many trees have been cleared from the roads. The Red Cross mission is coming to an end. We notified the people in the trailer parks that we were giving them a 24 hour notice that we would no longer be bringing them food. We had done our job and assisted them all we could. We referred them a local Spanish community church where they could get food and clothing after the Red Cross left the area. Many of them were humble and grateful but some tried to work the system as in a lot of cases.
My supervisor rode in her car behind the ERV to evaluate my performance and how I dealt with the clients and their medical issues. We were diverted from the ERV to assess a 15 month old child that was referred by a mental health nurse who had seen the family the day before. The child had fallen and had a contusion on her forehead and a laceration on her nose. The mother said she had fallen due to having no lights on because they had no electricity. The child was in no acute distress so all I could do was advise her mother to take her child to the Emergency Room. I stressed to her that even though her child had no fever, and appeared to be fine, she may not be, because hitting her head could turn into a serious problem. The child had Down ’s syndrome so I worried that her mother might not even be able to tell if she was really hurt. They, too, were illegal’s and did not speak English. I was very thankful that the nurse with me was able to translate my assessment to her. My guess is she did not take her to the ER.

My son lives in Birmingham, Alabama, about an hour away from where I was staying, in a little town called Boaz, Alabama. So he came and took me out to dinner after we finished on the ERV. What a blessing that was.

5/4/10
I was assigned to the ERV again. We notified the folks that this would be the last time the trailer parks would receive two meals from the Red Cross. The next day they would only receive lunch. Two ERV’s were eliminated yesterday and we were down to three now. Some of the trailers got back there electricity. The Red Cross had given out money, clothing, bedding, food, supplies, as well as medical and mental health assistance.

5/510
This was the last day the ERV fed the people in the trailer parks lunch. Someone asked, “What are we going to do?” All the electricity was back on so I guessed they would cook again. Since the Red Cross was winding down and reassigning and processing people to go to the Tennessee floods or home I got to see my son again.

5/6/10
We continued to follow up with clients that were not contacted or homes assessed. The order came from Corporate that the Red Cross would be closing on 5/8/10. I was sent out with a mental health nurse and two client case workers to check on an elderly woman who was referred to us by another mental health nurse from the day before. We were told she also had health issues. I was praised the Lord that the mental health nurse was with me, because this poor lady just cried her heart out. Later I told the mental health nurse if I had any more clients like her I would need a mental health nurse. She lived alone but while we were there someone from the church came by to tell her they would get someone out to remove the huge tree that was uprooted and lay in her front yard. She forgot to take her diabetic medicine, her high blood pressure medicine, and her Coumadin (blood thinner) medicine. She did have two daughters that lived in the area and she assured us they were checking in on her. It was ideal to have a mental health nurse and a medical nurse team to go out on these adventures. While I was doing my nursing, taking blood pressure, dressing a wound, and assessing her, the mental nurse was talking to her and calming her down. The client case workers were assessing the damage to her home. In a perfect world this really would work great, and in fact, it did.

5/7/10
I reported to HQ for processing to go home. However, one last detail was asked of me and that was to go to Lake Guntersville National Park to help set up a Red Cross tent for a fund raiser at a Bass tournament that was going to be held the next day. The park was beautiful and I can only hope the Red Cross got a lot of donations to help all their neighbors in need.

5/8/10
Everybody managed to find a ride back to Huntsville airport. My room mate and I were on the same plane to Atlanta. She went on to her destination from Atlanta and I was happy to be going back to my home that was safe and intact in Jacksonville, Florida.

NEWS FLASH …5/11/10 – TODAY’S NEWS REPORTED THAT THIRTY-SEVEN TORNADOS TOUCHED DOWN IN PARTS OF OKLAHOMA AND KANSAS YESTERDAY.

PLEASE SUPPORT THE RED CROSS…
FYI – If you want your donation to go to a particular disaster, or stay in your local town you must put that on your checks.

FIVE QUESTIONS TO ASK AN EVOLUTIONIST

2010-03-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

How Did Nothing Turn Into Something?
Speculation about how "something turned into something else" does not even touch the question.
How Did Life Come From Non-Life?

(By the first law of science - a scientific impossibility)
How Did Millions of Life Forms Evolve With Absolutely No Evidence of Major Change?(A few anecdotal examples of mutations do not explain the missing transitional forms in millions of generations of thousands of creatures.)

How Can A Watch Come Into Existence Without A Watchmaker?(Not to mention DNA - the biological program which is beyond the combined complexity of all the computers on earth!)

How Did Thought Come From Non-Thought?(The first thought definitely did not come from an evolutionist!)

Today's promoters of evolutionist thought have degenerated to the point denying that they even care about answering these questions. The origin of matter and the origin of life are explained in God's Word in the book of Genesis and are foundational to understanding anything about science and the temporal nature of the world we live in.

God's final destruction of all matter is foretold in 2nd Peter 3:12 and Revelation 21:1 - Yes, matter CAN be both created and destroyed but only by the creator God!

Belief that matter has always existed (and always will) is no less an act of faith than belief that God has always existed and always will exist. It is more logical to believe that an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, creator God has always existed than to believe that lifeless, blind, dumb, thoughtless matter has always existed or even that it somehow brought forth life.

You can be certain that if evolutionists could find even the feeblest theory pretending to answer these questions that they would offer it!

“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment." (Matthew 12:36)

“THE FOOL HATH SAID IN HIS HEART, THERE IS NO GOD. THEY ARE CORRUPT, THEY HAVE DONE ABOMINABLE WORKS, THERE IS NONE THAT DOETH GOOD.” (PSALM 14:1)

My Observation:
When Scientist’s talk about Creation or Evolution all they do is take up “SPACE”
-- Estelle. P. Shrum

MY THOUGHTS ON FIXING HEALTH CARE

2010-03-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO FIX HEALTH CARE:

In my limited understanding the whole health care issue is to insure the 15% of the population, (30 million) folks who can’t afford Insurance. So why don’t we just give them Insurance. Oh, I forgot we already do, and it is called Medicaid. Well then, why don’t we take care of the those folks who don’t make enough money to pay for health coverage by giving them the option to buy into a special government plan based on what they can afford to pay. We already have clinics for people like that now, and it is paid by volunteering time and money. I know I work in one. Well then why don’t’ we get the Insurance companies to eliminate pre-existing conditions with incentives. Or better yet, stop the nonsense suing and make the loser pay for their greed. That would make one think before bringing something ridiculous to our courts.
Why do we need (at last count) a 2074 page lawyer driven gobble gook double-talking Insurance plan that no one understands? Didn’t we learn anything from the first stimulus package? Maybe it’s because all the pork and bribes made behind closed doors would be understood if it were in simple English.

But, that’s just me I think we need to (K.I.S.S.) Keep It Simple Stupid, and fix only what is broken.

CHECK THIS WEB SITE OUT…
http://www.helium.com/items/496475-how-many-people-have-no-health-insurance

Estelle P. Shrum - Author of, He Is The Word
My book: http://bit.ly/cemM8z
My website: www.heistheword.com/index.htm
My blog: http://wwwheistheword-estelle.blogspot.com/

WHAT DOES THE LORD SAY ABOUT HEAVEN?

2010-03-03T07:23:00.000-08:00

WHAT DOES THE LORD SAY ABOUT HEAVEN?

The Lord said heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool. (1)
The Lord said that only the vile and the corrupt deny God and they are a fool. (2)
The Lord said these three the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost are one. (3)
The Lord said the earth bear witness of the Spirit the water and blood of the Son. (4)
The Lord said the eye has not seen what God hath prepared for those who love. (5)
The Lord said he that overcomes the world will receive the tree of life to eat of. (6)
The Lord said heaven is like a farmer sowing good seed where no thistles are found. (7)
The Lord said the Kingdom of heaven is like treasure man has discovered in the ground. (8)
The Lord said to write all these words down for they are faithful and true. (9)
The Lord said the tabernacle of God is with men and He will make all things new.
The Lord said He will wipe away every sorrow for the former things have passed away. (10)
The Lord said I am the Alpha and Omega and give the water of life for it is a new day. (11)

(Acts 7:49), (Isaiah 66:1)
(Psalm 14:1)
(1 John 5:7)
(1 John 5:8)
(1 Cor. 2:9)
(Rev. 2:7)
(Mat. 13:24-30)
(Mat. 13:44)
(Rev. 21:5)
(Rev. 21:4)
(Rev. 21:6)

By Estelle P. Shrum
www.Heistheword.com

Estelle P. Shrum - Author of, He Is The Word
My book: http://bit.ly/cemM8zMy website: www.heistheword.com/index.htm
My blog: http://wwwheistheword-estelle.blogspot.com/

WORDS OF WISDOM...

2010-02-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

Not all religions can be all wrong and not all religions can be all right, and after devoting my life to philosophical study of all religions there is only one religion that asks you to question everything about that religion. That religion is Christianity and after doing that I have come to the conclusion that it is the only true and right religion. --Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias states that a coherent worldview must be able to satisfactorily answer four questions: that of origin, meaning, morality, and destiny. He says that while every major religion makes exclusive claims about truth, the Christian faith is unique in its ability to answer all four of these questions He routinely speaks on the coherency of the Christian worldview, saying that Christianity is capable of withstanding the toughest philosophical attacks. Zacharias asserts that the apologist must argue from three levels: the theoretical to line up the logic of the argument, the arts to illustrate, and "kitchen table talk" to conclude and apply.

FORWORD FROM MY BOOK, HE IS THE WORD

2010-02-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

AUTHOR’S FOREWORD (from my book, He Is The Word)

My gift of ministry is to encourage Christians and those who are non-Christians to read the Bible. It is my prayer that my gift of simplistic poetry and Christian teaching of God’s Word will enlighten people and open their hearts to God’s truths and His plan for their lives. I pray that my personal testimony is evident of how God can bring peace into your life.

As Christians, we are all ministers and commanded to preach the Good News (Mark 16:15). Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). The Apostle Paul speaks of Christians as servants of Christ setting forth truth to every man’s conscience in the sight of God (2 Co. Chapter 4). We are warned of false prophets and deceitful workmen masquerading as apostles of Christ (2 Co. 11:13-15). “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.

” To be a good witness the Apostle Paul tells us, “Be wise, in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity; let your conversation be always full of grace seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Col. 4:5-6).

Paul also tells us, “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire, and do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil” (1 Th. 5:19-22).

In Timothy Paul writes, “All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Blessings! Estelle P. Shrum
www.Heistheword.com

When I am asked...Where is God?

2010-02-03T06:53:00.001-08:00

When I am aksed...Where is God?"
God shows himself in people, some are called early in life, some are called late in life, and some never answer the call."
--Estelle P. Shrum
www.Heistheword.com

FROM A NURSE I WORK WORK WHO IS IN HAITI

2010-02-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

This will give you a true insight of the horror these people are suffering. It is just heart breaking!

E-Mail Sent on 1/19/10
Days 1 – 4 (1/16, 16, 18, 19)
We have been in Port au Prince for 4 days and it seems like 4 months and another planet. We were some of the first here and have been working at the city hospital triaging and treating. Another nurse (Candy Thompson) and I set up the pharmacy and supply center for three organizations here at the hospital. Supplies are from so many organizations.

We are seeing hundreds every day and there are hundreds more in a tent city outside the hospitals. Many orthopedic surgeries, wound debridemen’s, burns, traumatic amputations and treatments after amputations. There is no way to save legs or arms, we have to amputate. A woman was brought in by her son who had been at home for 8 days trapped by debris. She has traumatic amputations of her left arm and leg with gangrene. Everybody gets tetanus and antibiotic. A lot of work with pain control. Thank God for the donated morphine, fentanyl and other narcotics.

But what really shines is the dignity and stoicism of the Haitians and their gratitude for whatever help is given. They stay with their injured. The hospital closes at dark (no electricity) and families attend them.

The 82nd Airborne is now here providing security. Red Cross arrived today (1/19) and will provide meals starting tonight for patients and families (we have been giving from out meager supplies, though we have a lot of water)

Tomorrow there will be centralization of all services which will be great for the most.

BTW, I met Bill Clinton yesterday on his rounds, shook his hand and told him we were expecting him to do big things here for these wonderful people and this great country. I told him I loved the Haitians and he leaned down and said in my ear “I love them too”.

This is my third visit to Haiti in this past year, but is so different. Seeing the international community and all that is being done is unbelievable.

I am safe (but sleeping on a brick patio) and have had one cold shower (don't get too close). Not sure when I will be back, but I do know we are doing great work and I have never felt so satisfied and alive in my life. I have been working with nurses, doctors and others from all over the world.

Much love to all and please pass this on as appropriate

Mary (Monna) Lesperance

Ps: Before I left at dusk, there was not much I could do, so I went to each patient and listened to their lungs and heart and told them how well they were doing. It may not have made any difference in their outcome, but it made me and (hopefully) them feel better.
End of E-mail

Day 5, 6, 7 (for me – 1/20, 21, 22) after leaving the general hospital are spent at a tent city at Carrefour - very poor section of Port au Prince. (This is the day of the 6:00 am 6.1 aftershock when everything shook, I fell down, more rocks fell at our hotel, and more buildings came down. Everyone was crying and screaming. It sounded like a roaring surf coming in)

As we were getting ready to leave the general hospital, we saw our first case of tetanus. What a horrible, horrible site. This is the beginning of the incubation period and they expect many more. I go back in and find a box of tetanus toxoid and bring with us. The drive to Carrefour is about 30 minutes and very rugged with almost no buildings left standing and none undamaged. We pass the ship Comfort in the sea – what a beautiful site.

At the Don Bosco school in Carrefour, there are more than 5,000 in tents. There is a clinic there already run by a Haitian nurse, Kiki, whose brother Clerje runs the area. Kiki and her assistants are very professional and skilled and are taking care of wounds – changing dressings, debriding and treating huge, open, gaping wounds and burns. People are screaming with pain, but don’t move and sit waiting for it to finish – and many are being done daily! Two big wounds are waiting for us, one a man with a closed femur fracture and head wound and a woman with a huge open thigh wound where we can see the tendons and bones.

The other ARNP (Margaret Bortko) and an ER MD start seeing patients while I start drawing up toxoid to give. There is a volunteer who is former Sgt Major, 18 Delta, Special Forces (SF) and he helps me as we prepare to inject all wounded patients first. Then we give to everyone else. There are no small needles for babies, so we pull up and then push into insulin syringes. All told, we do over 250 immunizations before we run out. We give antibiotics to all open wounds. Thank God for the huge amount of donated antibiotics, both oral and injectable that is available I know it is saving many lives.

Back to main hospital at dusk - we bring the woman with the open wound and broken leg. We make a splint out of cardboard and tape and use a sheet to lift her into the van. I give her a vicodan and ativan before we move her and we deliver her to the orthopedics intake. What a change at the hospital site– there are hospital tents all over and the people who were under trees and in the open are now in beds under tents and the Red Cross is providing food for patients and families and the wonderful 82nd Airborne soldiers are guarding us. Inside the change is dramatic also as more and more organizations arrive and take over our rudimentary beginnings!

Second day is only Margaret and me and Rick our ex S-F guy who is fantastic – what a fabulous man – he starts seeing patients with us. That’s when the babies start arriving – such very, very sick babies. I hold one beautiful little girl about two months old – dressed in pink and white – in my arms and thought she was going to die there. She was completely flaccid with no responses, and gasping breaths. I consulted with Margaret and we agreed she had massive infection. Thank God for Epocrates (my medical program on my phone). I mixed largest allowable doses of Ceftriaxone and Ampicillin and injected into her thighs while Margaret crushed prednisone in water and dripped it down her throat. We give her to the parents with instructions to bring her back the next day (wondering if we will ever see her again) and went on to more patients. I pray constantly, we consult frequently, and all three of us feel that we have to do whatever we can, and that whatever we do could not be more harmful than doing nothing. This day we are able to bring back our man with the closed femur fracture. His leg is grossly swollen and red despite antibiotics.

Third day in Carrefour (day 7 for me) is the worst, - children after children after children – and they are all so very, very sick. However, the three sickest from yesterday (including my baby in pink) come back and they look better. I am so thrilled, but won’t say I don’t worry about the future, but right now they are alive and doing better than yesterday. We give them second day injections and mix medications for parents to take home and continue giving.

The worst is that they never stop coming and they are all so sick. After several hours I hold one baby and just lose it. I give the baby back to his mother and excuse myself. I go over to the classroom and just cry and cry and try to get myself back together. I feel so helpless and overwhelmed. David Albers, the photojournalist, follows me and just holds me and lets me talk. What a strong, wonderful man. I finally pull myself together and ask for a few minutes to pray. I pray to God and the Blessed Virgin, asking for guidance and strength. After a minute or two more, I am able to return (& even laugh when the translator chastises me for leaving the patient so long!). I finish the rest of the day with strength, but feel badly as everyone is watching me to see if I break again!!

Today also was the day I start seeing scabies – babies and children covered with them. No way to treat as there is no way to treat their blankets, tents, or the other 5000 people. Horrible.

Also today, I saw Post Traumatic Stress victims for the first time. The only thing I could do is tell their family to keep talking to them about what happened, reassuring them that they are alive and being helped, and to pray out loud together as a family on a regular basis (Who knows, maybe prayer is the only answer, but I encouraged it for everyone and asked them to pray for me and I would pray for them)

Some of the hardest sights and sounds to date:
Bodies upon bodies and the odor and ooze in the streets from the bodies
People wailing in the street for their dead – worst at night
Giving people medication and they have no water to take it with and no food at all
The inability to treat the pain while debriding, cutting and caring for wounds and burns. The burns are awful

My biggest fears:
The future deaths to come
Pandemics
Generations of amputees in a society where if you can’t work you can’t eat

I must end here. Continue to pray for the people of Haiti. I am scheduled to come back in May (was already planned), but not sure when I will be back

WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY TRIP TO AFRICA

2010-01-23T10:51:00.000-08:00

WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY TRIP TO AFRICA

When I was a little girl I imagined myself being a missionary in Africa. I was told that when I was four years I would sing praises to Jesus and big tears would drop from my eyes. I remember that, and I also remember the altar I made to Jesus, on my nightstand, when I was six years old. I had a crucifix, a picture of Jesus and candles. I attended Catholic School from Kindergarten to the second grade. We then moved away and Catholic School became too expensive for my parents. As I grew older and realized that my life was dysfunctional due to my parents alcoholism and violent fights, I became distant from God. I didn’t believe that God cared about me very much. So I just maintained a distant relationship with Him.

When I was seven years old and saw the little children from Africa on TV with their swollen bellies and flies covering them it would make me cry. When I went to Africa and saw their dirty faces with their big smiles on them it made me happy. What a blessing to know that no matter what your lot in life is there is always something to smile about.

While I was pregnant with my daughter I gave my heart to the Lord and felt that same feeling I did when I was a small child. Many years later I got baptized. When I look back I wish I could change many of the bad choices I made, but maybe it took all those bad choices for me to be the person God has made me to be today.

The Lord has brought me through so many trial and tribulations over the years that I can’t even count them. What I do know is that life is a struggle for almost everyone. Sometimes you will run into people who have lived an effortless life. They have never experienced any tragedy in their life at all. Most of the people who I know like that, are very good people, but they don’t have a personal relationship with the Lord, and that is because they were never brought to their knees. Because of this they don’t have a heart for the Lord. I thank God for the pain in my life, because that is when I knew that God was alive, and present in my life.

On my trip to Arica I was in a tour group of sixteen people. These people were from all walks of life, and they were world travelers. When we first found our vans, after arriving from Kenya, we all selected a van and found ourselves a seat while our luggage was being loaded in the back. There were six people riding in two of the vans, and four others in the third van. We were told that whatever van we were in was going to be “our van” for the entire trip. On day two I asked God if this was a joke, because the people I was in the van with couldn’t be further from my comfort zone. My friend, Betsy, whom I have known for thirty-seven years, is an agnostic. We’ve always respected each other and that was never a problem between us. The other four were a dilemma for me. Two of the fellows were a gay couple that was married for twenty-nine years; they were far left Democrats and hated Christian conservatives. The other two people in our van were a lady traveling with her son. She had been to 84 countries, including Kenya, and was just on this trip because her son wanted to go. She was a staunch far left Democrat all her life. She was very opinionated, and moody. She did not believe the Bible was the inspired Word of God, even though she was raised in the Catholic faith, and her son used the “F” word in every other sentence. I do not believe in accidents, especially when it comes to God. So I knew I was put in that van for a reason. Betsy and I always tried to sit next to each other, but sometimes it didn’t work out that way. The other four became comrades, united in their opinions on politics, religion, conservative Christians, President Bush, Evolution, Fox News, and the Bible. I would not be drawn into their conversations, because the Lord showed me early on that I would be casting my pearls before swine. Therefore, I did not defend my beliefs because they had their minds made up a long time ago. So, I decided that I would just love them. I said grace before my meals. I praised God when it moved me, and I was kind, sweet and loving to all of them.

At the end of our trip, I was told that I was a breath of fresh air. The hateful conversations ceased and I realized it was all because I was loving and non-judgmental to them. I later came to find out that the family of the gay couple were “Born Again Christians” and disowned them. I don’t believe Jesus would want us to do that.

So this is what I learned: God loves all his children, and He will be the one to judge all of us, not me. All I can do, as a Christian, is let God’s light shine through by the way I live my life. The Bible says, “Love the sinner, hate the sin, and pray for mercy for all, for they know not what they do.” God wants us to maintain a loving spirit towards everyone – for we are all made in the image of God and deserve respect. SO ENDS MY JOURNAL.

DUBAI - HOMEWARD BOUND, Nov., 22nd - 23rd, 2009

2010-01-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

DUBAI - HOMEWARD BOUND – Nov. 22nd - 23rd, 2009

After breakfast we packed up and rearranged our luggage once again. We were off to Dubai airport bound for JFK. I couldn’t believe that almost three weeks had gone by since I left home. We said a quick good-bye to our driver and went to line up to go through customs. The airport was teeming with people. We got through customs rather quickly, but we had three hours to wait for our plane to take us home to the USA. Betsy and I took turns walking around the airport. I hate crowded places, so I just stretched my legs a couple of times. Our plane departed the terminal on time and we were off the ground before we knew it, resting comfortably in our seats. We flew back to New York on an Emirates Boeing 777 again and enjoyed the same good service. We now knew fourteen people from our tour group so the flight home was more interesting because we could get up and visit with them. The flight was an hour longer due to the jet stream, so it was a 12-½ hour flight back to JFK. I chose not to lay over in New York, as I had done on the way to Dubai, because I was anxious to get home. I wish now I had stayed in a hotel and left for Florida the next morning because my trip turned into a nightmare. I did get to visit with my nephew Tom, who works for U.S. Customs at Kennedy, so that was nice.

I was supposed to have a two-hour lay over in Atlanta before catching my flight to Jacksonville. I sat at JFK for five hours waiting for my airplane to come to the gate because it was delayed. The terminal I was in was under-going remodeling and the noise of the drills made me crazy. There was no place to get away from it. By the time I got to Atlanta I was very tired. You can imagine how I felt when I reached Atlanta, and found out my connection to Jacksonville was also delayed five hours. At that point I was beyond exhaustion. The airport was freezing and all I had was a light sweater. I was to tired to read, to tired to walk around the airport, and to tired to sleep. At one point I just cried from frustration and my body shook from being so cold. A ticket agent came over and wrapped a blanket around me. I don’t think I have ever been that tired in my life. When I finally got home to Jacksonville it was 4 a..m. November 23rd. I don’t even remember getting into bed. My husband was disappointed because he was so happy to see me, but I was so tired I wasn’t happy about anything.

I slept for ten hours. The next day I was back to myself and very happy to see my husband, my cats, and my home. I looked around at my beautiful home and my heart ached as I thought of “Slum City” and all those dirty little children with their big smiles. And so this ends my journal. God willing I will one day return to Africa as a missionary. That is something I have dreamed of since I was a small child. SO ENDS MY AFRICAN JOURNEY.

DUBAI CONTINUES, Nov. 21st, 2009

2010-01-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

DUBAI CONTINUES 21st, 2009

As I rode the Monorail back to the Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel, I tried to take in as much of the city as I possibly could. As I said before, everything in Dubai is neat, tidy, and very clean. I couldn’t help notice that many skyscrapers were at a stand still on construction. There was building after building that remained without any construction going on anywhere. It was kind of eerie seeing so many huge buildings with out any workers, moving trucks, or people. It was like they had been abandoned. In reality, I guess they have been, due to the economy. The other thing I noticed was how many sets of two identical buildings there were. I couldn’t help reflect on the World Trade Center and how they mirrored each other. I am sure it didn’t mean anything, just an architect’s design, but I couldn’t help but take it personal. Especially now since Muslims have plans to build a Mosque near Ground Zero. I heard them say on the news they bought the land very near Ground Zero to build their Mosque so Americans can get to know them as moderate Muslims that they are not terrorists. My question is how can we get to know them when we are not allowed into their Mosques. No matter how this plays out I think if moderate Muslims would speak out against the extremists, than we could really get to know them. Their silence on Jihad is very loud, indeed, and speaks volumes. My political views are independent, and these are my personal observations.

The City of Dubai is 98.7% crime free. Now that is another “Wonder of the World.” Our guide told us that the .3% is caused by illegal business misunderstandings. The city is populated by 45% Indians. There are many nationalities working there. We met people from Australia, Germany, Kenya, England, Ireland, and Asia. Many of them said they came to work there for the experience of living in Dubai. Of course, we didn’t meet anyone from Israel. The city is so quiet, so new, so pretty, and so clean, that it is almost sterile. It reminded me of the movie, The “Stepford Wives”, where everything and everyone was perfect. Dubai wants to have the biggest and best of everything and they have a good head start on it. They will soon have the biggest roller coaster in the world. It is certainly a city to marvel at, but for me it was boring. It lacked heart and soul.

In the evening we went to an “Arabian Adventure Desert Safari and Dinner.” we rode a camel, raced over the dunes, had barbeque Arabian style and watched belly dancing. This is what I came to Dubai for. I lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico, very close to “White Sands National Park.” In fact, that is where I met my friend, Betsy. So I was very excited about this part of the trip. The dunes were beautiful and we saw the most beautiful sun set. It was a big orange ball sitting on top of a large dune. We watched as it slowly slipped beyond the horizon. I got great photos of it. Riding the Dunes in a 4WD Toyota Land Cruiser was a thrill. It was like riding a roller coaster going up and down and sideways over the golden dunes. And all the while thinking this car just may turn over. It was great fun!

We then headed to the campsite where a convoy of camels awaited our arrival for a short camel ride. Naturally, I fell off and over the camel’s head when he kneeled down to allow us to get off him. It was my good fortune that there was someone to catch me before I hit my head. After pulling every muscle in my back from falling over the camel’s head we went into the Bedouin tents for a BBQ buffet. Betsy and I got a picture holding a falcon. She got a Henna (temporary tattoo) while I tried to make myself comfortable on the Majlis (low cushions). I can’t understand how they can sit on those cushions and eat their meals. I was aching all over by the time we left. From what I was told the BBQ was very good. I only ate the rice, fruit and a lot of dessert. The belly dancers were very talented at what they were doing, and they invited people to come and join them. All in all it was a great day in the desert, but I was exhausted from sitting on the ground. That little pillow did nothing to help my backache.

Tomorrow after breakfast we will be leaving Dubai and heading back to JFK. ONE MORE PAGE TO GO…

DUBAI CONTINUES, Nov. 21st, 2009

2010-01-06T05:06:00.000-08:00

OUR STAY IN DUBAI CONTINUES – November 21st, 2009

When we returned to the Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel it was six o’clock and we were hungry. We were only scheduled for breakfast, so we were on our own for lunch and dinner. It was odd not having a set schedule of where we had to be every minute of the day. Without Tony, our African guide, telling me where to be for dinner and at what time we were to eat I sort of felt like an orphan. Most of our tour group went to local restaurants for dinner but Betsy and I decided to just eat at the hotel. We didn’t pick one of the fancy restaurants that the hotel had to offer because we didn’t want to get dressed up, so we ordered pizza and ate out on the open terrace where we had our breakfast. I can’t say much about the pizza. It certainly didn’t taste like “New York” pizza, or any other pizza that I ever tasted. Maybe I am being judgmental because I am particular about my pizza but I was so in the mood for pizza dripping with olive oil, layered with pepperoni, loaded with mozzarella cheese, and smothered in garlic. After dinner we went to our room and watched TV for the first time in almost three weeks. I must admit I didn’t miss all the bad news.

The next morning we were on our own time again and could go anywhere that we chose. We decided to go with the tour group to the “Emirates Mall.” We headed for the mall on the local Monorail. Being raised in New York City, I was amazed at the cleanliness of the entire system. The terminals and cars were immaculate There was a young woman in uniform that was an “Information Specialist.” She was there just to answer questions. We started up a conversation with her and she told us she was from Kenya and was working in Dubai for a few years just for experience. She told us she was very home sick and would be going back to Kenya in six months. There was also a man wearing a suit, which I assumed was a security agent. Since he was not in a uniform, I surmised he was security because he kept walking back and forth through the cars.

Now for the “Dubai Emirates Mall”! The mall was designed by an American architecural firm, F&A Architects. It contains approximately 2,400,000 square feet. Although it features the usual amenities for a mall its biggest claim to fame is the Middle East’s first indoor Ski Slope, “Ski Dubai.” The entire mall is covered in a beautiful glass dome. If you stand in the center of the mall on the second level you can see the entire mall in every direction. We went there mainly to see “Ski Dubai” so I will tell you about that.

Ski Dubai is the largest indoor ski resort in the world. It has 5 runs that vary in difficulty, height and gradient, the longest run being 400 meters with a fall of over 60 meters. There are also slopes for beginners. There are slopes for snowboarders to practice their stunts in the Freestyle Zone. Kids and parents can have fun in the interactive Snow Park. Ski equipment and clothing are available for guests, as is snowboard equipment. They even have Snow School instructors that will instruct you on how to ski or snowboard. They also have warming rooms. It seems like they thought of everything.

We walked around the mall for a while “people watching.” We asked some local male Muslims if we could take their photo, and they didn’t mind at all. We took some photos of two men that were actually on a holiday from Saudi Arabia. They told us they come to Dubai every six weeks for rest and relaxation. Their jobs must be awfully tiring if they have to go on “holiday” every six weeks. Poor guys! We were instructed that taking a photo of a Muslim woman was absolutely forbidden, and we would go to jail if we did so. We were also told that we were not allowed to talk to them. I don’t know how we got a picture of a lady in a black Burka with her face covered. She must have walked in front of our camera when we were taking photos of the mall! MOORE TO FOLLOW…

FIRST DAY IN DUBAI CONTINUES, Nov. 20th, 2009

2010-01-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

FIRST DAY IN DUBAI CONTINUES Nov. 20th, 2009

The next stop on our agenda was to see “ATLANTIS, THE PALM.” It is located on Palm Jumeirah, covering over 113 acres and 1539 rooms and suites. The Atlantis Palm features two towers linked by an arch. There is a 42-acre water themed amusement park known as Aquaventure and the Lost Chambers, an undersea city, which are free to guests. There are so many beautiful hotels on The Palm and surrounding the entire city that it would take all day to take photos of them, although I did try!
We then went to Al-Fahidi Fort, home to the Dubai Museum. It was built in 1787 and is the oldest existing building in Dubai. It maintains a collection of historic artifacts including pieces associated with the Emirate's traditional pearl-fishing industry. In addition to artifacts from recent discoveries as old as 3000 B.C. The fort was used to guard the landward approaches to the town from the raids of neighbouring tribes. It has also served, at various times throughout history as the ruler's palace, a garrison, and a prison. The fort was renovated in 1970, and opened as the Dubai Museum on May 12th 1971 by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, then ruler of Dubai. Additional galleries were added in 1995. If you like Museums I would recommend it.
We then went to see The Burj al Arab. It is a unique hotel that is a symbol for Dubai. The Burj al Arab was designed to look like a giant Sail of a dhow, and was built on sand that rests on an artificial island 280 m (920 ft.) off shore. This is unusual as most tall buildings are founded on rock. The columns that support The Burj al Arab go 45 meters under the sea. The columns rely on friction to hold the building up. There is a screen that encloses the third side of The Burj al Arab atrium that is made of 1mm thick glass fiber fabric with a Teflon coat to stop the dirt from sticking. The screen is the largest of its type and covers an area of one and a half football fields. It is hung from the top of the building by over a kilometer of 52mm cable. It is one of the most expensive hotels in the world. The cost of staying in a suite begins at US$2,000 per night; the Royal Suite is the most expensive, starting at US$28,000 per night. Dubai is becoming a world resort location so the building had to say, holiday, fun, and sophistication. This mixed with Dubai's nautical heritage decided the shape of the building.
Our next stop was Jumeirah Beach, it is Dubai's main stretch of sand. It runs for miles along the Arabian Gulf, flanked by hotels and their private beach clubs. The Jumeirah Beach Park is one of the public areas that doesn't require a guest pass, though they do charge a nominal entry fee to enjoy its picnic spots, children's play space, and swimming area with lifeguards. For those who kite surf they head to Wollongong Beach, known locally as Kite Beach. More beaches can be found on Dubai's man-made island, the Palm Jumeirah, the fronds of which have effectively doubled the length of the coastline. I am a Florida girl, and have lived by beaches all my life, so I wasn’t too impressed with the beach. My friend Betsy just wanted to see the Red Sea and put her toe in it. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and she was unable to do that. MOORE TO FOLLOW...

FIRST DAY IN DUBAI, Nov. 20th, 2009

2010-01-04T18:14:00.000-08:00

FIRST DAY IN DUBAI – NOV. 20TH, 2009

The "Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers" was lovely. It had several restaurants. The breakfast buffet was in the main restaurant and we chose to eat outside overlooking Dubai Creek. Although it was good, it didn’t have the selection or the ambience that our African lodges had. I missed having the separate bars for juices, breads, cheese, and pastries. Oh well! I needed to lose the six pounds that I gained anyhow.

After breakfast we met our tour guide, Tony. He was nothing like our African guide, Tony. He was not the most social man I had ever met. In fact, his personality left a lot to be desired. My heart longed to see Tony, Muli, Samson, and Joseph. I will never forget those guys. We had so much fun with them.

The first place our friendly guide took us to was the "Diera Gold Souk." We crossed Dubai Creek in a dhow to get to the most happening Gold Souk (market) in Dubai. A dhow is a small boat that people sit on each side facing the water. There were many dhows on the water that day with people going back and forth to the souk. The Souks are open-air markets common in the Arabic world. It is unlikely to find any such place in Europe or the Americas. Diera Gold Souk offers a wide variety of jewelry items, emeralds, rubies, rings, bracelets, anklets and much more. Many of the modern malls in Dubai also have lots of gold jewelry. By some estimates, approximately 10 tons of gold is present at any given time in the souk. It is one of the largest retail markets for gold in the world. There were more than 700 shops, crammed with all types of jewelry, from Western to traditional Indian. It is also cheaper to buy gold at the souks than anywhere else. The taxes are less or none at all.
Located in Deir adjacent to "The Dubai Gold Souk" is the "The Spice Souk." The Spice Souk, have several narrow lanes which are lined with open and closed-roof stores. Stores in the Spice Souk sell a variety of fragrances and spices from frankincense to many herbs used in Arabic and South Asian food. In addition, several textitles, incense, rugs and artefacts are also sold in the Spice Souk A majority of the trading occurs through haggling. The quantity of trade as well as the number of stores trading spices in the Spice Souk have been significantly reduced in recent years due to the growth of larger stores and supermarkets. Our guid told us that the Iranians owned and ran the Spice Souk in Dubai. We did not spend much time there because no one in our group was interested in buying any gold.
Next we went to see the Burg Dubai, the worlds tallest building. It is 160 stories high at 2,685 feet, (800 meters). “Burg” is the Arabic word meaning tower. On January 4th the world's tallest building had its unveiling so we did not get to see the inside, but the outside and the surrounding grounds were very, very impressive.
We also visited “The Grand Mosque”, which is considered one of the largest in Dubai. It has the capacity to accommodate 1200 worshipers. Of course, we were not allowed to enter, but we were allowed to take photos of the building. The Grand Mosque is also known as Al-Jumeriah Mosque and is the most attractive mosque in Dubai. It is also the most photographed mosque. There seemed to be a Mosque on every corner!
Our guide said that Dubai had Christian churches, and Buddhist temples, but no Synagogues. I really didn’t stop to think about that. I was to busy looking for the Christian churches and Buddhist temples, but I didn’t see any of them anywhere in Dubai. My friend, Betsy asked our guide why they had no Synagogues. He seemed annoyed at the question and said “Jews are allowed into Dubai.” Then my friend made him more upset by asking, “Is it because Jews don’t want to come here or just because they are not allowed?” Seeming more annoyed he said that it was a very difficult subject to talk about, and he would not discuss it. I can’t imagine why an Israeli Jew would want to go there in the first place. But I couldn’t help wonder if American Jews were also not allowed to enter Dubai, and if they did how they would know if they were Jewish. Our guide was so annoyed with my friend’s question that I didn’t dare ask anymore. I probably wouldn’t have gone to Dubai if I knew they did not allow Jews to enter their country. It is ironic, indeed, that Dubai is such a modern city but maintains such an ancient prejudice. It is sad, indeed. MOORE TO FOLLOW...

AFRICA LEAVING NAIROBI FOR DUBAI, Nov.19th, 2009

2010-01-02T17:05:00.000-08:00

AFRICA LEAVING NAIROBI FOR DUBAI – Nov. 19th, 2009

We were scheduled to check out of The Norfolk Hotel at 10.a.m., but Tony persuaded the manager to allow us to check out at noon. That allowed us to have a leisurely breakfast out on the veranda and enjoy the sunshine at the best breakfast buffet I have ever had. It was hard knowing that all those silver covered dishes would soon be a thing of the past. We also had time to re-arrange our luggage for our next visit to Dubai.

We got to the airport at 1:15 p.m. but our plane wasn’t scheduled to leave until 4:40 p.m. It was sad saying good-bye to our driver Muli and guide, Tony. They were the first faces to greet us when we arrived at Nairobi and the last of our Africa friends to bid us farewell before we dragged ourselves into the terminal. The time passed quickly and soon we boarded the plane to Dubai. The flight gave me time to catch up on my journal and my friend, Betsy, was able go over her photos for the hundredth time. I reflected on my great African adventure that I dreamed about for so very long. I was still home sick but leaving Africa tugged at my heart.

It was a 5 ½ hour flight to Dubai. Taking into account the time difference between Kenya and Dubai, we arrived in Dubai about midnight. We flew on Emirates Airlines again, and it remains my favorite airline. The food was very good. We had menus to tell us what entrees we could select from. The wine was free, snacks and fruits were offered, and the service was great. I don’t know if there is another airline that can compare to Emirates, but I just can’t imagine there is. I have flown all over this country, and outside of it, and the only other airline I was impressed with was Alaska Airlines. I am certainly not a world traveler, but one of the ladies, Alberta, who has been to 84 countries, said she was impressed with Emirates as well. It was so quiet. I never even heard the wheels retracting after take-off, nor did I hear them extending prior to landing. I never felt cooped up, confined or claustrophobic. What worried me most about traveling was the 11 ½ hours it took to fly there and return. Emirites Airlines made it a pleasure.
Descending into Dubai we could see the “ The Palm Jumeirah” the world’s largest man-made island. From the air we saw a huge palm tree that was completely lit up with greens lights. It consistes of a trunk, a crown with 16 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island that forms an 11 kilometre long breakwater. The island is 5 kilometres by 5 kilometres and its total area is larger than 800 football fields. The crown is connected to the mainland by a 300-metre bridge and the crescent is connected to the top of the palm by a subsea tunnel. The Palm Jumeirah is one of the world’s premier resorts, and is the self-declared 'Eighth Wonder of the World'.
The Dubai airport is an internatinal airport serving the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major airport in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. The Emirates hub is the largest airline hub in the Middle East and Africa. Emirates handles 60% of all passenger traffic, and accounts for 38% of all aircraft movements at the airport. In addition to being an important passenger traffic hub, the airport is one of the busiest cargo airports in the world. Everything at the airport was new, shiny, bright and immaculate. I couldn’t find a scuff mark anywhere. It was very impressive, state of the art for sure.

We found our driver and boarded the van for our hotel. We stayed at the “Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers.” The hotel overlooked the Dubai Creek and was just a short walk from the city’s main commercial and shopping districts, and close to the Gold and Spice district. It was rated as a five star hotel and, indeed, it was. All the hotels and lodges we stayed at were just gorgeous, but in Africa I felt guilty about staying at such beautiful places when there was so much poverty surrounding us. Not here, in Dubai, however!

As we drove to our hotel we could see the beautiful hotels all lit up. It reminded me of LasVegas, but had a lot more sophistiication. I was anxious to see what our five star hotel looked like, but even more anxious to go to bed. MOORE TO FOLLOW…

AFRICA LEAVING LAKE MANYARA, Nov. 18th, 2009

2010-01-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

AFRICA LEAVING LAKE MANYARA , Nov. 18th, 2009

Shortly after breakfast we boarded our van and headed for the border town of Namanga where we would cross back into Kenya. We were told that the process would be slow. The drive back gave me time to ponder all that we saw and did. The lodge fixed box lunches to take with us, and we stopped for lunch at a little shop selling the usual African wares that all the other stores had. The only difference with this shop was that there was no pressure to buy anything. We went through the back of the store into a small area outside where there were tables and this is where we ate our boxed lunches. The outhouse was in that area too. There was a gorgeous tree with orange flowers that we feasted our eyes on while we ate. My box lunch had a grilled cheese sandwich, an apple, a banana, and a cookie, and we all had water. The van kept a supply of water everywhere we went. It is very easy to become dehydrated out in the plains of Africa. The only meat I ate while I was in Africa was bacon in the morning. I put on six pounds from eating all the pastas, rice, breads, potatoes, cheese and desserts. I tried to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables for some balance though.

It was a long drive from Lake Manyara back to Nairobi. It started to rain the morning we left Lake Manyara and we were all thrilled for the Maasai people, and the animals. I could almost hear them chanting their praises to God. This was not a short rain either. It rained lions and hyenas, a euphemism for (cats and dogs). All the roads were flooded. Since the roads are not paved they flood quickly. The ruts in the road become small rivers. We saw vehicles packed with safari passengers all over the roads. Our guide, Samuel, was an amazing driver and seemed to know which muddy road to follow to get us around all the other vehicles. We did have another flat tire though, and Samuel had to get out and fix it. This time he wanted us to stay in the van. I guess he wasn’t taking any chances with letting anyone (me) out of the vehicle. With my luck, I would have probably been washed away. I found it all very exciting to be in the wilderness with muddy roads and flooding gullies all around us. Several times we came to an abrupt halt and Samson would get out of the van to eyeball which flooded gully looked like he would have the best chance of crossing without getting stuck. Once we did get stuck, and it took him quite awhile before he managed to spin the wheels to get us free. I prayed really hard because I didn’t want to be stuck for who knows how long in the mud. He told us the trick was to gauge the depth of water and then go full speed ahead. He was a master at it. Even though I was tired and the rain was washing mud all around us I was so happy for every drop. I gave the glory to God for bringing this very dry land water. I thought of that poor lion, so thirsty, so hot, and panting horribly, and prayed that he lived long enough to drink the water.
We got back to Nairobi around 4 p.m. and we made one last stop to shop for last chance souvenirs. We were shopping at the same store we were at the first day we arrived in Nairobi. I think everyone bought something. Now that I look back I wonder where did the time go? We got to the Norfolk Hotel around 4 p.m. Our farewell dinner was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. fifteen minutes from downtown Nairobi at t the Lord Erroll Gourmet restaurant. It was first class French cuisine. Our tour group of sixteen and our Guide, Tony, all got to dine together. The table set beautifully and there were fresh white roses in silver centerpieces. We ate out on the terrace, which was surrounded by lovely flowers. It was a little chilly so they provided tall heating lamps that surrounded our table. Our dinner was served in covered silver dishes, and you know how I love silver covered entrees. When everyone was served their silver covered entrée, waiters stood behind all seventeen of us and uncovered the meals we ordered at the same time. The wine was complementary. This was the only time wine was served without a charge and Tony said the wine would be served until it was no longer wanted. They did have a champagne breakfast at one of the lodges, but I can’t remember which one it was. We all toasted Tony and thanked him for being such a wonderful guide throughout our entire trip. As I wrote in my survey to “Odyssey Unlimited,” Tony was a teacher, a friend, a father, and a brother, as well as a guide to all of us. MOORE TO FOLLOW...

AFRICA - LAST SAFARI - Nov. 17th, 2009

2009-12-31T15:55:00.000-08:00

AFRICA LAST DAY - LAST SAFARI – NOV. 17TH, 2009

Today’s safari at, Lake Manyara, was our last safari in Africa. I left on this safari with mixed emotions. I was very exhausted at this point and feeling quite sad that my trip to Africa would soon be coming to a close. I found it hard to get myself moving. My friend, Betsy reminded me that if I didn’t go I would miss out on seeing more lions.” The magic word kicked in and I remembered how I hated missing my first day on safari due to the Deet mishap. I quickly forgot how tired I was and grabbed my safari hat and said, “Right this is Africa.”

This particular safari was even dearer to me, because I knew it would be my last. Amazingly, I managed to get some of my best close up shots of baboons, giraffes, elephants, and some really pretty birds. More than 400 species of birds have been recorded. Definitely a place for bird watchers! We saw some giraffes that were so dark in coloration that they appeared to be black from a distance. It surprised me that giraffes had different amounts of pigmentation. Lake Manyara is an ideal location for elephants because of the abundance of tree and plant life. The park has Tanzania’s highest population of elephant per square km. Elephants are capable of consuming up to 400kg of food a day. We also saw more wildebeest and zebra herds congregate on the grassy plains.

So much of the lake has dried up that we were unable to get close to the water. That was because the lake was surrounded by soft marshland. However, we could see light pink and darker pink flamingoes that were spread across the entire length of the lakebed. There were literally thousands of pink hued flamingos on their perpetual migration. We saw pelicans, and storks sharing the lakebed as well. Ernest Hemingway was once quoted as saying that Lake Manyara was “the loveliest place I had seen in Africa.”

On our drive back to the lodge everyone in the van was quiet. I think we were all experiencing the “last safari blues.” Lunch helped brighten my spirits and I wish I could eat all meals from those silvered covered dishes, everyday, but I would be as big as a house if I did. I am still working at losing the six pounds I put on since I arrived in Africa. After lunch the plan was to visit a banana plantation and meet the local African workers. It was a very hot day and I was still very tired so I stayed back at the lodge. The truth is the beautiful pool with its vanishing horizon was calling to me.

My friend Betsy told me all about the things she saw at the banana plantation so I didn’t feel like I missed too much by not going. She told me was how surprised she was when she found out that the owner of the plantation was a woman. She was also surprised that her dwelling was so primitive. They walked around the plantation and spoke with some of the workers. They also toured the town and Betsy got some good photo shots of the local people and kids walking home from school.

After dinner will went to the bar and enjoyed the local Maasai as the entertained us. Some of the dances and chants of the Maasai tribe were very sexual in nature. One of the dances demonstrated (in dance) a couple being graphically intimate. Another dance was disturbing because they worked themselves into a trance and spread fire from a torch all over their arms, legs, and chests. Then to top it all off, two Maasai dancers sat down to share a bowl of fire. They actually put the fire in their mouths, down their pants, and rubbed it on top of their heads. These were no parlor tricks friends. I smelled and saw the smoke where one of the Maasai burned the hair on his head. I thought only Haitians did those crazy things. Oh my what would the missionaries who gave them all their Christian names think of that? Tomorrow we will leave this mystical place and head back to Nairobi via Arusha. It grieves me that I may never come back to this place called Africa. A place where the animals own the land, and run free, but because of man are still not safe. MORE TO FOLLOW…

AFRICA AT LAKE MANYARA -Nov. 16th, 2009

2009-12-31T08:40:00.000-08:00

AFRICA AT LAKE MANYARA – November 16th, 2009

We left the Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge right after breakfast, and were on the road at 7:30 a.m. We had only a short time to pack our stuff after breakfast before the hotel staff came to collect it. Our guide, Tony, runs a tight ship and we oblige him by being on time. I was rushing because I wanted to go into the gift shop before we boarded the van but I tripped over a cobblestone going up the steps and slid across the very rough cement. This time I was really embarrassed, and knew I would be late for the van call. A very nice man helped me up and asked if he should call my guide. I said I was fine and went into the bathroom to clean myself up. I could hear Tony giving his customary “Woo Woo” call for all to get on board because the van was leaving. I hurt more than my pride this time. I had a great big bruise on my hip, and my hands were scuffed. I was just thankful I did not break a hip, and praised God for watching out for a klutz like me. Yes, indeed, I think I am accident-prone!

The drive was packed with beautiful scenery that kept changing from flower filled mountains, to open plains, to very poor cities. We stopped for lunch and had sort of a picnic at an archeological site. The Serengeti Serena Hotel made us box lunches to go because we would not get to Lake Manyara until later in the afternoon. The town where our hotel was located was called “Mosquito Creek:” – Yikes! I hoped they gave out those packets of bug repellent, because I was all out. I didn’t feel too confident about staying in a place called “Mosquito Creek.” As it turned out Mosquito Creek was not as bad as the name conjured up. It was a busy town with paltry shops, fruits that were displayed on pieces of cloth upon the ground, children walking home from school, in their uniforms, cows being herded and goats milling about.

When we arrived at the hotel I wasn’t surprised it was another beautiful Lodge to lay our heads down. Each room had a private balcony with a panoramic view of the Great Rift Valley, below. The circular buildings were constructed in such a way that they complemented the indigenous architecture. Many of the Lodges had beautiful pools that were rimless so the water seemed to be level with the ground. At Lake Manyara the pool with its rimless boundaries overlooked the Great Rift Valley and gave the impression of a vanishing horizon. Next to the pool was a bar and a pool-viewing platform. It was a stunning view that melded the pool with the Great Rift Valley, and they were one.

The word Manyara comes from the Maa (language of the Maasai) it refers to the Euphorbia Tirucalli tree plant. The Maasai like it because it is resilient and long lasting. They use it to create pens for their cattle. The total size of Lake Manyara is 330 square kilometers. It is a relatively small park that can be traversed in a short period of time while viewing many different species of animals and birds.
The game drive was from 4-6 p.m as usual. We saw some very lazy hippos that just kept yawing which gave us a great photo op. The park is famous for its Acacia Tortilis tree-climbing lions. We saw a lot of baboons, monkeys, giraffe, impala, elephants, leopards, lions and a variety of different type of birds. There are three different types of scenery going through the park. First we went through an area of diverse vegetation with a thick forest of baobab trees. I first read about these trees that were referred to as the “upside down trees” in James Michener’s book “The Covenant.” I knew one day I would get to see them. The trunk is very thick at the top of the tree, and the branches actually resemble roots instead of branches. I read Michener’s book when I was in my twenties! I have waited a very long time to see these trees. I can’t believe we only have one more day of safari. I have had several bouts of being home sick, and now I’m already home sick for Africa. It is bitter sweet, indeed. MORE TO FOLLOW…

AFRICA - LAST DAY AT SERENGETI - Nov. 15th, 2009

2009-12-29T07:45:00.000-08:00

AFRICA - LAST DAY AT SERENGETI - Nov. 15th, 2009

Prior to leaving for today’s game drive we went to the Serengeti visitor’s center and learned more about the “Great Migration.” The zebras always lead the migration and the wildebeest follow. We were told this was because the wildebeest do not have very good eyesight so they stay behind the zebra and use them as guides. The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai word “Siringet” referring to the “endless plain.” As you stand on the southern grass plains, you experience the vastness and are able to witness one of the greatest concentrations of animals left on earth, yet the Serengeti is much more – nearly 2/3 of the park is bush or woodland. It was declared a Game Reserve in 1929. The park is also the center of the Serengeti ecosystem. It is roughly defined by the annual wildebeest migration. The ecosystem encompasses an area of 25-3000 square kilometers. It is the combination of Serengeti National Park along with Ngorongoro Conservation Area, four Game Reserves, one Game Controlled Area and Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve. These parks protect the largest single movement of wildlife on earth.

At the visitors center we saw adorable Rock Hydrax, now they are really cute! They kind of look like rabbits without ears or bunny tails. There are beautiful rocks named Kopjes (pronounced at “copy” from the Dutch meaning “little head”). The intriguing, rounded shapes of these ancient granite rocks are the result of cracking and erosion and exposure to sun, wind, and rain. They appear to sit on edge jutting straight up from the ground. They provide shelter and capture water for a wealth of wildlife and plants. Without these rocks the large animals would be unable to survive the dry season on the plains. The Moru Kopjes are outstanding for their large size and profusion of resident wildlife including lions, leopards, rhinoceros and elephants.

The Serengeti stretches almost to the shores of Lake Victoria. We were only two hours or so from Lake Victoria but it was not on our tour agenda. We tried desperately to talk our driver in to losing the other vans and head for Lake Victoria, but he wouldn’t be bribed.
The Serengeti is so overwhelming. No matter how tired I was I wanted to see more. It truly is a photographer’s paradise. On the 4-6 p.m. game drive we saw lakes with loads of hippos all squeezed together and on top of each other. The babies were in the center of the mass. This is how they protect their young and each other from the crocodiles. We saw lions, leopards, and cheetahs everywhere. We also saw several more dik-dik. They are named for the sound they make when alarmed and they look like small antelope and have an elongated snout and a soft coat that is grey or brownish above and white below. The hair on the crown of their head forms an upright tuft that sometimes partially conceals the short, ringed horns of the male. Very cute!
The “Great Migration” moves through the northern woodland plains from June-December in order to feed on the lush grass that persist in this area. Their range during this time extends north into Maasai Mara. The short rains come in November and the wildebeest move south from the northern woodlands. They move to exploit the short grass plains, where the grasses are rich in minerals so they can rear their young. In February/March one of the wildlife’s most amazing spectacles occurs. Over a 3-4 week period, the female wildebeest give birth, flooding the plains with thousands of newborn calves each day. When the rains stop, the plains dry out rapidly forcing the herds to migrate west and north once again. Their departure in May/June marks another great spectacle.
The Tsetse flies are everywhere, but I did not see any mosquitoes during the day, and only a few at night. The hotels did supply some packets of bug repellent and I make sure I put it on before I go on safari. Tomorrow we leave for Lake Manyara. MORE TO FOLLOW…

AFRICA CONTS. AT SERENGETI -Nov. 14th, 2009

2009-12-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

AFRICA WE ARRIVE AT SERENGETI – Nov. 14th, 2009

We arrived at the “Serengeti Serena Lodge”, another beautiful hotel located in the middle of the Serengeti. The animals and wildlife were a site to see. There were wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles as far as the eye could see. They covered the plains in large groups. The landscape changed into dense forest separated by open valleys. We saw lions, baboons, giraffes, leopards, hippos and Cape buffalo along the entire route to the hotel.

I must mention the Tsetse flies. As soon as we got out of the van we were attacked by huge flies, they were everywhere. They are big, they bite, and they hurt. We were assured these monster flies were no longer a threat to humans because “Sleeping Sickness” had been eradicated. I now know there are 21 different species of the Tsetse fly that live in Africa, and the World Health Organization reports there are 25,000 new cases of sleeping sickness throughout Africa every year and increasing. Oh Well!

I was still very concerned about the mosquitoes and malaria because I was unable to use the Deet spray for protection. I tried spraying it on my clothes avoiding any areas of my skin, but it still burned and made my blood pressure shoot up. I took more antihistamine to counteract the reaction.

The night before we left Ngorongoro a waiter spilled hot water on my hand. Today I slid down a roadside embankment while we were waiting for our driver, Joseph, to change our flat tire. My hand was red, but not blistered from the hot water, and the slide down the embankment only scuffed my hands and twisted my foot. My pride was hurt more because everyone thought I was a Klutz. Two hyenas watched us curiously as we all stood waiting to get back in the van. No one is allowed to get out of the van, except to fix a flat tire, so the hyenas were very interested in us since they never see people outside of a vehicle. They were kind of cute.

The hotel was set high on a tree-clad ridge with a panoramic view over the vast Serengeti. It was designed in African style architecture. Streams and ponds surrounded it. The circular dwellings and the winding paths were inspired by the architecture of a Maasai village. The pool had no rim appearing as if it were the same level as the ground. I took a photo of my friend Betsy, sitting at the back end of the pool that over looked the Serengeti and she and the Serengeti became one with a vanishing horizon. Every Serena hotel we stayed in had the very best of amenities. All the lodges we stayed at had beautiful dining rooms and bars, traditional music, culture and dance, guided walks, massage and beauty treatments, and gifts shops and boutiques. One of them even had a steam room. All the rooms had private baths, hair dryers, private balcony, and phones. It would be a pleasure just to work there!

This particular hotel had security guards with flashlights, who escorted you to your room after dark. We were told to call for an escort whenever we left our room after it got dark. There were no fences or gates and the animals can come and go as they please. After all this is there home, and the Serengeti has a lot of nocturnal animals that roam throughout the night…especially big cats!
Dinner was at 7:30 as usual and we got back to our room at 9:30 p.m. Betsy and I just never got used to the time change and if we slept for four hours we felt good. Betsy averaged two hours sleep a night. This particular night I think she was up awake all night long. I got up to go to the bathroom around 4 p.m. and when I went into the bathroom I saw her in a robe seated on the toilet seat cover reading a book. She scared the dickens out of me and I was afraid that everyone heard me scream. We laughed ourselves silly over that, and then neither one of us got anymore sleep. MORE TO FOLLOW…

MY AFRICAN TRIP CONTS. Nov.14th, 2009

2009-12-23T07:32:00.001-08:00

AFRICA AT OLDUVAI GORGE, November. 14th, 2009
We left for the Serengeti right after we finished breakfast, around at 9:30 a.m. Yeah! We got to sleep in. We visited the Olduvai Gorge, located in the Great Rift Valley, on the way to our next destination. We also took part in a game drive as we drove to Serengeti. At this point in time there were animals roaming all over the Great Plains.
The Olduvai Gorge is known as the cradle of man. It is where the famous Leakey family discovered ancient hominid fossils and fossilized footprints. We also had a lesson on the proud, colorful and fascinating Maasai people. I continually learned something new about the Maasai people. They believe they are directly descended from the northern tribe of the “Twelve Tribes of Israel.” Although, they are not sure which tribe, they continue with research to find out exactly which one. It is their belief the sandals they wear, the staff they carry, the cattle they attend to, their nomadic life style, and their type of clothing is similar that which was worn by the northern tribe of Israel, distant relatives of the “Twelve Tribes of Israel.”
There was a small museum at Olduvai with displays showing the evolution of man’s ancestors, the development and refinement of his tools, and the animals that shared this environment during the different periods. Excavations are on going and continue to produce splendid specimens of extinct hominids, animals and plants.
Some Paleontologists believe that early man flourished at Tanzania’s Olduvai Gorge in the eastern Serengeti Plains, not far from Ngorongoro Crater. In 1960, Mary Leakey discovered the 1.75 million-year fossilized remain of Homo habilis (nicknamed “The Handyman” for his tool making skills). Then in 1978 at Laetoli, 3.6 million-year-old fossil footprints of an extinct human ancestor were discovered during and expedition led by Dr. Mary Leakey. The footprints are claimed to be human in appearance and scientific and public attention was immense.
Not everyone in the scientific world believes in evolution. When I went to school we were taught “The Theory of Evolution.”(emphasis on the word Theory) Somewhere along the way that seems to have changed and it is now being taught as scientific fact. I believe there is a lot more scientific evidence, supporting creationism, contained in the Bible and the writings of the Hebrew Prophets (dating back to 1400BC), which were collected and kept in the Tabernacle and then the Temple of Israel.
Paleontology – witnesses the validity of the Genesis’ account. When we refer to paleontology we are alluding to the fossil record. If some were not so closed minded they would appreciate that the biblical account of creation and the science of paleontology are in harmony. For instance, there is a mixture of the simple and the complex (Gen. 1: 1, 2 "without form," 3-25, and earth with all the complexities, consummating in man, vss. 21, 27).
In the account of creation, life suddenly appears, fully formed (Gen. 1: 20, 21, 24, 27, 28). Paleontology also teaches the sudden introduction of mature life. There is no intimation of gradation, either in Genesis or the fossil record. Life was created mature and ready to reproduce (ibid.).
In this same vein, the record in Genesis explains why there are no transitional forms (a tadpole developing into man, i.e., all the progressive developmental stages...). The fossil record also presents evidence consistent with Genesis – no transitional forms.
Just think how the Genesis’ flood would have and did impact the fossil record (Gen. 7; 8). You would have universal fossil evidence of life forms being suddenly fossilized, often in stratum of dense mud, rock, and/or ice. Paleontology reveals fossil facts that are consistent and corresponding to the effects of the Genesis’ flood. Indeed, there is undeniable paleontological evidence of severe geological, atmospheric, and hydrological changes to the earth – just as would have been produced by such a great catastrophe as the flood described in Genesis chapters seven and eight.
Is It Time to Revise the System of Scientific Naming?
Lee R. Bergerfor National Geographic News
December 4, 2001
A team of researchers led by paleoanthropologist Meave Leakey sparked a controversy among evolutionary scientists and the press alike earlier this year when they announced the discovery of a new genus and species of ape-man. They named their find Kenyanthropus platyops, the "flat-faced man of Kenya." Ordinarily, the find itself would be enough to spark a flame of controversy in the heart of any follower of human origins research. But this find also highlighted an ongoing debate within the scientific community over the adoption of a new system for naming, ranking, and classifying organisms. The debate is not confined to ivory tower scientists. The fossil discovery was widely reported. The New York Times referred to the new genus as a hominid, National Geographic reported on the find as a hominin. National Geographic subsequently received several hundred e-mails complaining about the poor editorial work of the staff that had clearly erred by replacing a "d" with an "n." So what's in a name? The classification debate is not just a debate for the purist; it cuts to the very core of our understanding of human's place in nature and our evolutionary relationships. All hominins are hominids, but not all hominids are hominins...MORE TO FOLLOW

MY AFRICAN TRIP CONTS. Nov. 13th, 2009

2009-12-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

AFRICA AT NGORONGORO - November 13th, 2009

The Ngorongoro is called the eighth wonder of the world stretching across some 8,300 sq km. It has been declared an “International Biosphere Reserve.” Thousand of animals, reptiles, birds, and insects live in the crater. As we drove up the mountain to our hotel the dirt road was steep and became smaller and smaller. It was an exciting drive. We could view the crater most of the way up. This was the only road the Maasai did not use for their cattle. They had a road all their own to take the cattle down to the crater for water. The terrain was covered with beautiful purple flowered trees. The deep purple flowers were everywhere you looked. For the life of me I can’t remember the name of the trees that produced such beautiful flowers. It reminded me of our mountain home in the North Georgia Mountains, Blairsville, when the mountain laurel is in bloom, except these mountain flowers were huge.

Our hotel “Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge” was perched on the jagged rim of Ngorongoro Crater itself. It is camouflaged in river-stone and wreathed in morning mist. The lodge offers endless unparalleled views from its clustered boulder-built buildings that were linked by rope-lashed timber walkways that skirted the roofs of ancient Liana-hung trees. The Liana tree is a long stemmed woody vine. It is characteristic of moist, tropical deciduous forest and rainforests. The hotels interior design was ethnic Maasai with handcrafts, bright-beaded robes, and intricately designed carven artifacts made by the Maasai tribe. In the center of the lodge is a primeval log fire glowing on game-viewing hide as in a prehistoric cavern.

The hotel was just gorgeous. It sits so high up that I didn’t have to worry about mosquitoes. The beds didn’t even have nets around them. This was the first time I wasn’t concerned about not taking any malaria medication. The view from our bedroom balcony was overwhelming. We could see the entire crater, but the mist from the mountain made it hard to get really good pictures. We could hardly wait to get closer to the crater. The hotel offered the same wonderful meals with those silver-covered dishes. Yum, yum!

At 7:30 a.m. we were off in the vans for yet another exciting game drive down the Ngorongoro Crater. All I can say is, it was “Spectacular.” The Ngorongoro total conservation area is 3,200 square miles and within its area is the world’s largest volcanic caldera. It measures 20 Km across (12.4 mi.) and 600 meters (2000 ft.) from the rim of the floor. What we saw at the bottom of the crater was so awesome it is hard to put into words.

The flamingos were spread far and wide across the shallow lakebed. Their colors were light pink to a darker shade of pink. Apparently the deep-pink flamingos filter algae out of the water by vigorous suction and expulsion of water out of their beaks several times per second. They accomplish this with their bill upside down in the water.

We saw Golden Jackals, Egyptian Geese, and many different species of birds. There were too many to remember their names. The hippos lounged around in picturesque ponds. The wildlife in the crater lives year round and is healthy and active. The vegetation is green with many flowered trees.

Over the millennia a diverse ecology has developed within the protective walls of Ngorongoro, with grassland, lush forest, swamps and lakes, attracting an equally diverse population of African wildlife to this Eden. The lush grass and water are abundant throughout the year, attracting a large permanent population of herbivores, especially wildebeest and Zebra, as well as predators. The estimated population of 25,000 larger animals equates to around 250 animals per square mile.
Our afternoon safari was just as thrilling. What made it even more wonderful was it began to rain. I had to Praise God for sending the rain. I silently thanked Him and hoped it would reach Amboseli…MORE TO FOLLOW.

MY AFRICAN TRIP CONTS. Nov. 12th, 2009

2009-12-18T13:28:00.000-08:00

AFRICA TRIP CONTINUES NOVEMBER 12th, 2009

We left Amboseli at 7:30 a.m. for Tanzania. We drove for several hours until we reached Arusha for lunch. The restaurant was another lovely place with African atmosphere. We chose to eat out in the courtyard among the lush vegetation and flowers. The service was impressive and the food very good. It was not a buffet luncheon so we were all able to sit at one table and get to know the other twelve people that were not in our van.

Tony, our guide, told us what to expect when we reached the border-crossing checkpoint. He said it would take time, because the officers did not rush for anyone. He said we would have one more stop before reaching the border for a pit stop and, of course, to shop. We went through several small, very poor towns, and I was in awe waving at all the children with their big smiles. I wanted to take them all home.

When we reached the border we had to have our paper work filled out and our passports ready. The lines were not as long as I anticipated and all was going smoothly until I got up to the window and they would not accept my two fifty dollar bills. No one told us they had to be dated 2005 or newer. So I had to scramble and find someone in our group who had newer fifty-dollar bills. Of course, no one did because most of them did it by mail. Betsy and I chose to pay at the border. Finally after a panic attack, and seeing myself stuck in this horrible border town for the rest of my life, Tony came through and had two newer bills. I later found out they wouldn’t accept the older bills because of all the counterfeit money that plagues all of Africa, especially Kenya.

The border-town was really a mess. There were goats and cows walking about. There were people shoving their wares in your face. A very old Maasai woman grabbed my arm before I could jump into my van for safety. She wrapped a beaded bracelet around my wrist and said “For you a gift” I said I don’t want a gift but, I will be happy to pay you for it” and I handed her four dollars. She kept saying no “a gift, a gift.” So I said “thank you” in my naïveté. Then she asked me if I had a camera, which I was holding, and said I could take her picture if I wanted to. I thought that was kind of sweet so I did and then showed it to her. Then she said, “The gift is free, but you must pay for the picture.” The scam finally dawned on me, so I handed her five dollars, but she said “one more dollar” I gave her that, and she said, “one more dollar” I gave her another dollar. At this point all I wanted to do was get back to the van. She asked for another dollar and I said, “NO I will erase your photo” and high tailed it back to the van.
We arrived at spectacular Ngorongoro, which is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. We got to our hotel at 6:16 p.m. and dinner was served at 7:30 p.m. I went to the bar at 6:45 p.m. before dinner to watch the local Maasai band and dancers. Betsy decided to unpack and rest before dinner. We finished dinner at 9.p.m. and went to our room exhausted to wait for the 5:30 a.m. wake up call. MORE TO FOLLOW…

Africa Trip Conts - Nov. 11th, 2009 page 2

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MY ADVENTURE CONTINUES Nov. 11th, 2009

The Maasai/Masai are an inigenous African ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are educated in Kiswahei and English. Most people called it Swahili, but the language is actually Kiswalhili. The Maasai population has been variously estimated at approacing 900,000. The Census with Estimates of the Maasai populations in both countries are complicated by the remote locations of many villages, and their semi-nomadic nature.

Although the Tanzania and Kenyan governments have instituted programs to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle, the people have continued their age-old customs. Some institutions claim that the lifestyle of the Maasai should be embraced as a response to climate change because of their ability to farm in deserts and scrublands. I didn’t see any Maasai farms. They told us they only eat meat and drink cows blood mixed with cows milk. I hope they drink some water too!

The Maasai is the most known Kenyan tribe outside Kenya especially for the tourists. They also have a presence around the Ngorongoro Crater of Tanzania for over 150 years. They are the main residents of that area. Their lives revolve around herding cattle. They believe in the rain god Ngai and that all the cattle was entrusted to the Maasi people when the earth and sky split and wealth is measured in number of cattle. They are a warrior tribe and since all the cattle was given to them they think it is OK to steal cattle from other tribes.

Our game drive was at 10:30 a.m. right after we ate a bit more breakfast. Amboseli is in a severe drought.. I was apprehensive to leave the beautiful surroundings to go out to the wastelands, but this was Africa! So I prepared myself for seeing more dead animals. We saw a hippo walking alone on the barren brown plain. I imagine he was in search for water. We saw some Jackels and a lot of Baboons, and vultures. There was a lion that stopped and sat right by our van. He looked exhausted and very thirsty. It was very sad and if they allowed me I would have given him my water in my hat. I was heartsick and sorry that I went on this safari, and swore I would not go back on the 4 p.m.game drive. Most of the animals we saw were in search of water. I was having another bout with feeling home sick!

It amazed me that outside the walls of the beautiful Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge there was so much death and suffering due to a three year drought. All afternoon rain clouds hovered over this God forsaken land, but no rain came. Life here for the Maasai and the animals is very tough to say the least. I prayed for rain the moment I saw the first dead carcus. MORE TO FOLLOW…

MY AFRICAN TRIP CONTS. Nov. 11th, 2009

2009-12-16T09:17:00.001-08:00

NOVEMBER 11th, 2009 – We visit a Maasai Village

The next morning after a very early breakfast we went to visit a Maasai village. We arrived at 6:30 a.m. There were a few Maasai men to welcome us outside the village. The leader of this particular tribe’s name was Andrew. The Maasai use their Christian names just for the sake of the tourist because we would not be able to pronounce their real names. They are also very long names. Andrew instructed us what we to expect when we entered inside the village. He told us he would take us into one of their huts and explain how they were built. He said we would have to stay together and not talk to the women. Then we would go visit their school, which was quite a long walk from the village.

After his talk the whole tribe came out to greet us. There were no children with them. They welcomed us with a ceremonial dance and jumping as high as they could. They wore sandals, which they made them selves. I can’t imagine how their backs, legs and spines endure the pressure of continually jumping straight up in the air as often as they must do it.

The village was built in a circle with the huts very close in proximity. There were about fifteen huts. In the middle of the village goats were penned up with thorn bush, but some were walking around among us. They build the huts with hard sticks and support the sticks with cow dung and urine. Then mixture is spread throughout the inside and outside to cover all the wooded sticks. The entrance to the hut is very tiny and we had to bend way over to get inside. It is shaped like a sideways U to keep out the cold, heat, wind and bugs. There are tiny openings for windows around the top of the hut, and an opening in the center so smoke can escape. The small windows block out the sun to keep it cool, it also avoids flies and mosquitoes from getting inside. It is so dark it takes some time for your eyes to adjust to so little light. The really tall Maasai must have very strong backs to be able to bend over each time they have to get into their hut. My back hurt the first time I did it. Only five people at a time could go in with Andrew. Once inside it was so dark you were completely blind for a few moments. We were taken to where they slept. There were two beds made of woven branches and cushioned with dry grasses and covered with a leather cowhide. It was very hard when you sat on it. They do not use pillows of any kind, and the only blankets they use are their clothing. The beds were on each side of the hut, one for the parents, and the other for the children. In the center of the hut was a small place for a fire, a pot for cooking, a few utensils, and a bowl for washing. The ceiling in the center was higher so you could actually stand up, but not if you are tall. There was no odor from the cow dung and urine.

Later they displayed how they make fire. The people on the reality show “Survivor” need to take a lesson from the speed they can do it. All they do is use dried elephant dung and rub two sticks together and “poof” you have fire. It’s that fast! Later they use cow dung to fuel the fire.

The women do all the labor. They build the huts, which takes about seven months. They milk the cows; they fetch the water no matter how far the walk is. Twenty miles would be a short walk. They are not allowed to own land or cattle. If they never give birth to a son they are scorned and forced to beg in their old age. Many tribes still circumcise their women even though it is illegal. The one thing I could not help notice was the women never smiled, but the men looked very happy and their smiles were huge. Gee! I wonder why? Our guide Tony told us that’s the way it is “The men did the thinking and women did the working” Women in this country have come a long way baby!
For the boys, fifteen is the coming of age ritual, when they become circumcised and become Moroni warriors. They used to have to hunt and spear a lion, but since it’s illegal they are not allowed. Who can say though for there is no one to stop them? They wear mostly red clothing so the animals fear them. MORE TO FOLLOW…

Africa Trip Conts. - Nov. 10th, 2009

2009-12-14T08:02:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 10th, 2009 – LEAVING THE MARA

We left Mara Game Reserve after breakfast for the airstrip, a very tiny airstrip, to go back to Nairobi. It was sad to leave that magical, mystical land where animals and nature thrive so peacefully together

We flew back to Nairobi in a “puddle jumper” It was one of those little planes that have only ten seats. Some of the people on our tour were a little anxious about getting into those small planes, but I flew in “puddle jumpers” many times with my husband who was a pilot for Zia Airlines in New Mexico back in the 1970’s. It was a small commercial airline. Sometimes I would fly with him just because I was bored at home. I can tell you we saw some horrendous weather, so it was exciting for me. I love to fly and taking off and landing is a rush for me. I love to feel the power of the engine in full throttle. It was a great flight and I got a few good shots coming into Nairobi. We flew right over “Slum City” and that area still shocked me.

We arrived at Nairobi Airport about 11:30 a.m. and were taken to a lovely restaurant called “Canivore.” It was a Brazilian style restaurant and we ate on the open terrace among lush vegetation and beautiful flowers. The service was great. If you like crocodile, ostrich meatballs, and other game meats then that’s the place to go, but I wouldn’t touch them with a ten-foot pole. I’m not a meat lover to begin with and never eat meat outside of America. Their vegetable lasagna was very good, and their desserts were delish!

After lunch we took off in the van to take another five and one half hour drive to Serena Safari Lodge in Amboseli National Park in Kenya. It is located right under Mt. Kilimanjaro. The drive seemed very long and not even half of the drive was on paved roads. It was another “road massage” trip. When we arrived at the Park and went through the entrance we were shocked. We were bombarded with Maasai women shoving their wares into our van windows to buy something, anything! It amazed me because we were in the middle of nowhere and I wondered where they had walked from and how far. I couldn’t help them out because I spent all my Kenyan and American cash at the first pit stop. I left the rest of my money back at the Norfolk Hotel locked up with the majority of my luggage. I only had my charge card.

The two-year drought had taken its toll on everything. Trees were completely uprooted like they just fell over dead. There were many dead animals and caucuses spread throughout the park. There were very few Acacia trees, and everything else was brown. We passed a few water holes and small areas of swampland for animals to quench their thirst. It was a far cry from the Mara Game Reserve. Even the animals were sparse. They did not interact with each other and I could see their ribs. I just wanted to cry. I had another bout with feeling home sick.
When we finally reached the Serena Hotel it was like entering another Garden of Eden. The hotel was lovely and the decorations shouted “Africa.” We were greeted with hot towels to wash up, passion juice, and monkeys running all over the place. It was great! I closed my mind to the wastelands that surrounded us. MORE TO FOLLOW…

Nov. 9th Sarafi ends..Nov. 10th to follow...

2009-12-11T09:49:00.000-08:00

November 9th – 6:30 a.m. Safari…ending the 9th

The 6:30 a.m. safari was so intriguing. I really regret not bringing a video, but later my friend Betsy told me my camera did have that function on it. Being a new camera I am lucky I even knew how to take a picture. You just can’t explain the migration unless you can take a panoramic view of it. To see so many animals gather together in one place is a majestic site.

On our afternoon safari we saw a Black Rhino and more lions. Watching the animals in their natural habitat is thrilling. We watched as two lions mated. One of the ladies, Alberta, who shared our van wouldn’t watch, she said, “animals need their privacy too.” It was a wonderful to see how gentle and loving they were with each other. Later we saw another male and female lion stroll right past our van. We could reach out and touch them they were so close. Of course, we are not allowed to do that, and value our hands too much to try. The female was in front of the male and she stopped to do her “business.” The male lion just stood by patiently waiting until she was through. Then he spent quite a bit of time enjoying her scent and displayed his pleasure with a mewing and moaning type sound.

We spotted a Leopard sitting under a tree. The time we spotted the Cheetahs they were having lunch on a wildebeest. The Leopard was just sitting out in the open. He was big and beautiful to say the least. Later in the evening we had entertainment from the local Maasai. We watched them dance and chant in celebration to the cows. I have much more to tell you later about the Maasai tribe later on… MORE TO FOLLOW- NOV.10th

NOVEMBER 9TH, 2009, My African Safari conts.

2009-12-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

November 9th, 2009 – My Safari Continues…

Leaving at 6:30 a.m. allowed us to see sites that you might not see later in the morning. The animals are frisky and playful. They’re all up and about, grazing, and showing a lot more affection toward each other. It was wonderful! I got some great pictures.

This is our daily schedule:

We go to bed between 10 p.m. – 11 p.m. Betsy and I wake up at 2:30 a.m.every morning and it impossible to fall back to sleep. The sounds of the birds, and whatever else is outside our tent, are in constant conversation. We are so off our regular time schedule and our bodies are so confused we just can’t sleep for very long. I don’t even require my usual afternoon nap that I usually take at home.

We drag ourselves out of bed at 5:30 a.m. to eat breakfast @ 6:30. As I have mentioned earlier, breakfast was my favorite meal. I usually hit every one of those silver covered dishes. We are off on safari at 7:30 a.m. and don’t get back to camp somewhere around 12 or 1 p.m just in time for another great buffet lunch. Then we have some free time before we leave again at 4 p.m. and aren’t back at camp until about 5 p.m. Dinner is at 7:30 p.m. so you can see we were on a tight schedule. This is what you call a “working” vacation. Between traveling, breathing in dust, and being knocked around in the van all day we are ready for bed at nine o’clock. We average 4-5 hours sleep. Some people do well with that. I never did, but I sure am now!

After coming back from the afternoon safari I was approached by one of the security guards and he asked me if I could help him get to America. We talked a long time about the corruption of the Kenyan government. He confessed how badly he wanted to go to the USA to make himself a new life. Actually, I thought he had a great life. He was in a camp that looked like paradise and had a job. That’s so much more than most Africans have. I told him that the grass wasn’t always greener on the other side. I told him that America also had problems to with corruption, but he said nowhere could be as corrupt or poor as Nairobi. After seeing “Slum city” I could believe it. The poorest of poor in our country are wealthy compared to these people.

The people that work at all the hotels, we stayed at, work for three months at a time before they get to go home for a two-week visit. They live in a compound and I would imagine the pay is not very high. Many of these people are married so they don’t get to see their families often.
The security guard told me he had a brother in Wichita, Kansas and gave me his telephone number. He asked me to tell his brother where he was and that he wanted him to phone him. He said he needed a letter from him inviting him to America and wanted him to help him get a visa. When I arrived back home I did call his brother in Kansas. He seemed happier to hear that I just came from Kenya than he was about getting in touch with his brother. I can only hope he called and will write the letter for him…MORE TO FOLLOW

NOVEMBER 9TH, 2009, My African Safari conts.

2009-12-09T20:29:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 9th, 2009 – MY SAFARI IN AFRICA CONTINUES

We had a quick breakfast, coffee and a Danish. Time is of the essence now, as our Guide Tony wants us to see everything there is to see. We were on the road, promptly at 6:30, to drive to the Mara River. Our camp sits in the center of the migration. There are over 1.4 million Wildebeest, 200,000 Zebra and Gazelle. The animals migrate in a clockwise fashion over 1,800 miles each year in search of rain-ripened grass.

Our safari was scheduled from 6:30 – 9:30, and it was another thrilling moment in time. We saw a hyena rolling around and playing with himself in the vast plains. Our driver had a machine that matched animal sounds and he set it for the hyena. The little guy went searching for the phantom hyena. It was so funny all we do was laugh. I wish I had that on a video.

We saw a young male lion on a hunt and watched as all the other animals gave him a wide birth. I was so frightened that I would witness a kill, but the lion was annoyed that we were watching him watch them. He kept turning around looking at us as if to say “Hey you are in my space.” He continued walking and so did the heard that kept avoiding him. None of them ever moved fast. It was kind of a slow dance. Our guide told us that he believed the male lion was alone because he had been cast out of the pride. A lone male lion can’t take down a wildebeest alone. I guess the rest of the animals knew that but they still took note of him.
Later we saw two larger, older lions not to far away. They were just sitting on the side of the dirt road making moaning sounds. It was magnificent to hear and see them up close and personal. Our driver said they were calling for female lions so they would hunt for them. We were close enough to touch these guys. It astounds me how close you can get to all the animals in this reserve. Of course they have no fear of man or their vans no matter how many are gathered in one place to take photos of these grand animals. They know they will not be harmed because they are the Lords of their land. The sad part is that is also their downfall because there are still poachers that hunt to kill. The area is so vast that poaching cannot be controlled completely, but they do the best they can. If a poacher is caught it is a death sentence, but our guide told us the government of Kenya is trying to get that law rescinded. In my opinion they should definitely keep that law. It is legal to hunt in Tanzania, but you need a license and it has to be in season. This is not good, because the Serengeti is much larger so how can they stop poaching. It makes me very sad and very mad. MORE TO FOLLOW…

MY AFRICA TRIP CONTINUES NOV.8th, 2009

2009-12-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 8th, 2009 – AFRICA

My friend Betsy left at 5:30 a.m. for a hot air balloon ride over the Mara Game Reserve. I chose not to spend $450.00 since I’ve already had an adventure in a hot air balloon in Orlando. I decided I could see the same animals closer up from the ground.

The rest of us left on the game safari at 7:30 a.m. What a blessing compared to yesterday, (remember the one I missed). The game safari was spectacular. We got to see more animals than I could count. The wildebeest, Zebras, Thompson Gazelles, Elephants, Eland, Impalas, and Topi Antelope, stretched as far as the eye could see. “The great migration” was amazing to say the least. We also saw Cheetah’s, which few people, if any, get to see on a safari. The big cats hide in the trees or the brush and are very hard to find because they blend in so well with the surrounding colors of the plains. They can be right in front of you and you could miss them. Our guide pointed out one Cheetah but he blended in so well all we could see was bits and pieces of him. We waited for a long time for him to come out and show himself, but he just laid his head down and went to sleep.

The highlight of the day was when came across three lions sitting on a rock just staring at us. I was so thrilled it brought tears to my eyes and took my breath away. Then I knew I was really in Africa. The lions just mesmerized me. I felt blessed to be so up close and personal with those beautiful animals.

Tomorrow we will start out at 6:30 a.m. because we will be driving further into the game reserve. The Mara Reserve is 1,530 km Sq. We will be going to the Mara River to see more of the migration. The Mara Reserve is so vast it’s hard take it all in. We still have four more Safaris to go. Wow! I am feeling home sick, but my adrenaline is keeping me pumped up. I want this to last forever.
When we got back from Safari we were told that a Leopard attacked a grounds keeper. It seemed the Leopard wandered into our camp early in the morning and couldn’t find his way out. The grounds keeper was in his way so he just knocked him down. The grounds keeper was bruised, but not badly hurt. The Leopard felt cornered and just wanted the poor grounds keeper to get out of his way. There are no gates or fences around our game camp, after all this is their land. I can’t wait until tomorrow to see the Mara River…MORE TO FOLLOW.

AFRICA - THE FIRST SAFARI - NOV. 7th, 2009

2009-12-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

AFRICA - THE FIRST SAFARI - NOVEMBER 7th, 2009

When we finally got to Camp Sarova Mara we were all shocked. It was like a Garden of Eden in the middle of the desert. We were greeted with smiles, hot towels to wash our face and hands, and passion juice, like manna from heaven. The campsite was lovely. Our hard wood floor tent was very impressive, indeed. We had eclectic lights, shower, comfortable beds and screened windows on all sides of the tent. The windows could be completely zipped up at night to ward off any light or uninvited quests. The first night I woke up with something running by our tent. There were a lot of monkeys and Dik Dik’s about, so I didn't worry too much. From our tent porch we had a birds eye view of a hippo taking up the little bit of water the drought had to offer. Two Cape buffalo didn't stand a chance of sharing the water with him. They tried but the Hippo made it clear to stay away.

After being shown to our tents we ate a wonderful lunch in the open lodge. We had another great feast of those silver covered dishes with all kinds of food to choose from. At 4 p.m. we were scheduled to go on our first Safari. I was more than excited. My friend Betsy and I unpacked our duffle bag and got ready to go. I was very concerned about the mosquitoes because I elected not to take any malaria pills. I am allergic to just about everything I take so I just trusted that God would take care of me. I did bring 100% Deet along for some protection though. Unfortunately, as I was spraying the Deet on my arms I somehow turned the can around and not knowing which way the nozzle was pointed I somehow sprayed it into my eyes. It burned like the dickens. Blindly I found the bathroom and put my head under the running water and kept the water running over my eyes until it stopped burning. I felt my blood pressure go up immediately and feared to open my eyes. Being a nurse I knew how fast poison can be absorbed into eye tissue. My heart was pounding from the deet and I told Betsy that I needed to lay down and would not be able to go on the safari. When I didn't show up and Betsy told our guide what happened so he sent the camp medic to my tent. My blood pressure was still quite high when he finally came, but we decided it was best just to give me an antihistamine and rest. I couldn’t believe I missed the first safari and was feeling quite sorry for myself! I slept until dinnertime, but I praised God I could see. More to follow...

My Africa Trip continues - November 7th, 2009

2009-12-02T17:22:00.001-08:00

AFRICA – NOVEMBER 7TH continued…

After driving for an hour, on what I thought were, the worse roads imaginable “Muli”, our driver, told us that we would soon be leaving the nice paved roads and driving on some very uncomfortable dirt roads the rest of the way to Sarova Mara Game Camp. We really didn’t think it could get any worse, but believe me it did. Thank God for Ibuprohen!

Our first stop was at “The Great Rift Valley” it is one of the wonders of the world, stretching from the Middle East, down through Africa, reaching as far as Mozambique, and is bordered by Uganda. The staggering view, as you approach from Nairobi, Kenya is quite unbelievable. The ground suddenly disappears from under you to show the huge expanse of the great rift, stretching for thousands of miles in either direction. We did not actually descend and explore the Lakes area of the Rift in Kenya but they say it is a "not to be missed" opportunity. Maybe someday!

The people of the Rift Valley are a mesh work of different tribal identities. The Maasai people serve as Kenya's international cultural symbol. The Maasai community have the most recognizable cultural identity in and outside Kenya. The Kalenjin and the Maasai are only a couple of the communities that call Rift Valley home. Other communities live here as well. People in the province are mostly rural, although they are growing more urban. Cities and towns have sprung up over the years to contain the rural-urban migration. If the right policies are instituted, Rift Valley province can emerge as the economic and cultural mecca in Kenya. That would be a much needed change!

We saw blue monkeys sitting throughout the trees and I could have stayed there for hours just taking photos, but we were told by our guide, Tony, that we needed to shop. These shops extend their bathroom facilities so it is expected of you to buy something – once again, “anything” and a lot of it! One of the shop keepers, zoomed in on me and esscorted me into the shop and grabbed a basket. He told me his name was Peter. He was in Maasai attire. He followed me around the store and kept picking up stuff saying do you like this? I did like it, so I would say yes. I didn’t realize every time I said yes he put it in my basket. When I figured out the sales pitch I changed yes to no. It was too late though because once I got to the end of the shop he was tallying up the total of my goods. Peter was quite the salesman and gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I was happy with my purchases but it took all the Kenyan money that I exchanged for $50.00 plus $20.00 of my american dollars.
The funny part was when I was leaving the shop Peter asked me if I had a pen. He knew I did because he saw it. I wrote down the name of the Great Rift Valley in my journal while I was outside looking at the amazing view. So Peter asked me if I would give him my pen. It was a fat pen and I really like it, but to be neighborly and wanting to show how nice Americans were I gave it to him. As I was getting back in the van I saw him talking to Mark, he was one of the guys that traveled in my van. He told me later than Peter asked him for his lighter, but since Mark was a smoker he wouldn’t part with that, so Peter kept asking him for stuff. Mark finally gave him is eyes drops that he uses for dry eyes “Tears.” It was a new bottle and not opened. I wish I was there to see him explain to Peter what the drops were for. We all had a good laugh, and I learned quickly how to shop. More to follow…

My Africa Trip continues - November 7th, 2009

2009-12-01T09:37:00.001-08:00

AFRICA – NOVEMBER 7th, 2009

We left at 7:30 a.m. to go to Sarova Mara Game Camp Reserve in Maasai Mara. We were going to spend three days there and were instructed strictly to bring only one small duffel bag. So we had to do a lot of rearranging with our luggage to bring exactly what we would need for three days. For me, my pills and snacks take up most of my suitcase so I had to really work hard at stuffing everything in my small duffle bag. Our luggage would remain locked up at the Hotel Norfolk until we returned. As it was not all of the sixteen people in our group followed directions, but I did and had my small stuffed duffel bag stuffed to the max and my fanny pack securely attached to my waist. I was ready for safari!

The drive to Sarova Mara was another five and one half hour drive. It was located in Kenya’s richest game reserve. Driving to the camp was one I would never want to take again. The roads that were paved were worse that any road you can even imagine. Our guide “Muli” called it a “Road Massage.”

As soon as we left the downtown area of Kenya we came upon “Slum City.” We could see it from the airplane when we were flying in and it extended for many miles. We were told it was the largest slum city in all of Africa. This is the area where the poorest of poor live. They have no running water, no toilet facilities, and no electricity. The squalor went on for miles and these people actually have to pay $10.00 a month to live there. The poor people in this country are rich compared to these people. Kenya is one of the most corrupt governments in Arica, but I will speak more about that later.

As we continued our drive I could see the vast open areas of brown dying trees and brown mountains. I saw dead Zebras and cows laying along side the road. The drought was quite evident. This time of year is called the “short rain season” but so far it hasn’t come.

The little towns we passed through on the horrible bumpy, dusty road was very depressing and the pit stops in between to use for facilities were small mud hut buildings that were no bigger than my bedroom. They were also souvenir shops where the shopkeepers were very anxious to sell you something – anything. The bathrooms, were outhouses, and always in the back outdoor the shop. Some of them were scary looking and others were kept as clean as they could. I always had my tissues and hand sanitizer in my fanny pack wrapped around my waist with my passport and money.

The small towns where the locals shopped were just rows of mud huts and tin boxes. Of course, cows and goats were intermingled with everyone and walked wherever they wanted to amongst the crowd of shoppers. There are no paved roads so everything is dusty and garbage strewed all over the place. They have no sanitation department and don’t bother to discard of any dead animals because they are one with nature and so they leave them for the vultures. Most of the people shopping wore no shoes. Still the children would wave to you with big smiles on their faces. It was heart wrenching for me, but you could not help smile back at these children and say a silent pray for them. More To Follow…

MORE ON MY TRIP TO AFRICA

2009-11-29T16:25:00.000-08:00

AFRICA – NOVEMBER 5TH – 6th ,2009

The trip from JFK to Nairobi via “Dubai” took us 23 hours. When we finally arrived at our hotel we were more than pleasantly surprised. The 168-room Norfolk Hotel has been a center of city life since its founding in 1904. It was a Tudor-style hotel with traditional safari atmosphere surrounded in private tropical gardens a short distance from the city center. It was renovated in 2004 in honor of its centennial. The hotel had six restaurants, health club with gym, sauna, and steam room, beauty salon, and heated outdoor pool. It was quite lovely. I was ready for “Safari!”

The plan was to have a welcome dinner but we didn’t get to the hotel until it was almost 7.00 p.m and the dinner celebration was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Since we all needed time to get cleaned up it was postponed for the next evening. I was quite happy about that because I was not going to be very sociable after being up for 36 hours. So our group of 16 ate dinner respectively with whomever they chose. My girlfriend Betsy and I enjoyed our meal alone. We have been friends for thirty-seven years so we didn’t have to expend too much energy socializing.

Breakfast was at 6:30 a.m. and it was outstanding! There were silver-covered dishes with everything from bacon to oatmeal porridge. A chef was there to prepare any type of omelet’s you wanted, pancakes, waffles, a bread bar, a bakery bar, a cheese bar, a fruit bar, and a juice bar with eight different types of juice. I must find passion juice! The juices were my favorite because I would mix them. I especially like mixing the passion juice, papaya, and mango all together. We ate outside on the terrace, which is right across the street from Nairobi University. It was fun watching all the business walking by going about their business. I have always been a people watcher anyhow, so that was right up my alley.

We boarded our vans for a tour of the downtown area and taken to a few shops, one in particular that specialized in Tanzanite. I have a friend that collects stones so I asked the price one rather small stone and was told it was $900. Well my friend, is not getting a Tanzanite stone, sorry Gwen. Tanzanite is found only in one mine in Africa and the darker color of purple hue the more the stone costs. Ok moving on…

We were then taken to a local Giraffe Reserve. They only had nine Giraffes and mainly use it for educating the children of Nairobi on conservation. Giraffes are being killed for food and they are an endangered species, especially in Kenya.

Lunch was another outstanding buffet with all those silver-dishes with everything from soup to nuts. I did miss the juice bar though. After lunch we had a little down time and spent it around the pool relaxing and taking photos of the hotel.
Our welcome dinner was at 7.p.m. and we got to meet and eat with all of the 16 people in our group and our guide Tony. I will speak more about Tony later. He is a very interesting man. I will also tell you more about the group of people that I spent twenty or so days with. More to follow…

ARRIVING IN AFRICA - DAY ONE

2009-11-28T06:04:00.000-08:00

ADDENDUM - The Maasai people drink blood mixed with milk, not water. What was I thinking?

AFRICA - November 4th, 2009 – 1ST Day in Africa

Flying to Dubai from JFK took over eleven hours and that did not include the three hours we had to be at the airport prior to departure. Considering I didn’t sleep the night before from just plain anxiety I was tired before I even got to the airport. We met four of the folks that would be on our tour at the gate. There were a total of 16 people in our tour group.

I must tell you about Emirates Airlines. I used to love to fly, but since 9/11 it is a hassle to say the least. By the time you take off your shoes, your belt, your jacket, and put everything into bins you are already exhausted, and that doesn’t include the long line you had to stand on to wait to for the pleasure to get undressed and redressed. It seems I am always the one they want to do an extra check on my luggage. I love getting pulled aside and your luggage ravaged. Gee! I always thought I had an innocent face. Now getting to Emirates – WOW! The Boeing 777 is a state of the arts aircraft, absolutely outstanding. The seats in coach are comfortable and you don’t feel packed in like a sardine. Each seat has it’s own video screen with sports, movies, T.V. shows, and music to select from. The seats actually recline, not like the pretend reclining seats on our domestic flights. They give you blankets, pillows, and earphones – free – imagine that. The service was great; the flight attendants were personable and extremely courteous. They actually smile like they love their job. When the lights go down the ceiling of the aircraft lights up like stars. You can also track your flight from the cockpit on one of the many channels of your very own TV screen. Oh, and all wine and drinks are free for those who like to have a cocktail before dinner, during, or after dinner.

After landing in Dubai we boarded an A20 Airbus to Nairobi. It took another 5 ½ hours until we reached Nairobi. At this point I was so tired all I wanted was to be back home. From the air Nairobi looked very crowded, speckled with green trees. After deplaning the aircraft and looking for our luggage and guide there was mass confusion. We finally found our driver, Samuel, and he had a huge smile on his face and seemed so happy to see us… just like we were old friends.
Driving to our hotel was an adventure in itself. The fumes from the cars made me think of being a kid going through the Lincoln Tunnel in New York City before our country had catalytic converters. I thought I would suffocate before I got to the hotel. It was also rush hour and the traffic was crazy. The hotel was only eleven miles from the airport, but it took us over an hour to get there. Cows and goats were just hanging out on the sides of the road and people would just walk across the road in the middle or in between cars with no regard for life or limb, to cross the street. I have driven in Mexico, but I never feared hitting a cow or a goat. This was insane! MORE TO FOLLOW…

I AM HOME FROM AFRICA

2009-11-24T16:03:00.000-08:00

Peace is to be found in the acceptance of things we are unable to change. -- Author Unknown

November 24, 2009 - returned home on 9/23/09

To all of you…
The quote above is what I learned most from my trip to Africa. It is wonderful to be back with my family, but I left a piece of my heart in Africa. There are so many things I want to share with you. So many adventures and people I have met that impacted my life. I always knew I had a destiny with Africa. In fact, in some way, I had my doubts that I would return from that incredible place called Africa. I felt doubtful enough to write a poem to my family to read if I did not return. There were a few incidents that could have landed me in a hospital, and being in a hospital in Africa is the last place anyone would want to be.

I was in West Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and completed my journey in Dubai. I have hundreds of photos that most people only get to see on the Discovery channel. I met native tribe people who are fully aware of the 20th century and modern technology, but continue to practice the way of their ancestors. The Masai people own the land of Kenya and Tanzania. They believe they
were given all the cattle by God. Unfortunately the English did to them what the USA did to the American Indian, by trying to rule and control them. All the Masai people care about is living the life they have always lived. It sounds strange when they tell you their names because they are Christian names from being baptized by the missionaries of centuries past. However, they continue to practice their tribal culture of drinking blood mixed with water and only eating meat. No fruits, no vegetables. I visited their village and invited into one of their huts made of elephant dung. This is what they also use to make fire.

I felt the peace of being among God’s creatures in a surreal place of safety and contentment. There is a magnificent crater called Ngorongoro. It is a volcano that imploded, and down at the bottom of the crater lives the rare black Rhino and Wildebeest, Giraffes, Zebras, hippos, Eland, Thompson Gazelles, and lions. The Flamingos cover a lake as wide as the eye can see. We saw Golden Jackals, Egyptian Geese, and dozens of species of birds. In that place exists a paradise for the animals. They live in harmony in the quiet surroundings of a Garden of Eden. They are safe from poachers, safe from starvation, for they have water, unlike most of Africa. Ngorongoro is what I will remember when I need to go to a quiet place. I would love to tell you more about the history of the implosion, but you can find that on the Internet.

I will be blogging my three week journey and e-mailing everyday a part of the journal I kept. I hope you want to share in my adventures and lessons I learned. May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving. Love Stelle.

Better to love God and die unknown than to love the world and be a hero; better to be content with poverty than to die a slave to wealth; better to have taken some risks and lost than to have done nothing and succeeded at it. -- Erwin W. Lutzer

2009-10-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

WHY DO SUCH SIMPLE WORDS CAUSE SUCH CONTROVERSY?
--Estelle P. Shrum

INDEPENDENT – NOT RULED, CONTROLLED, OR SUPPORTED.
(Someone who likes to think for themselves)

REPUBLICAN – GOVERNMENT BY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.
(People who elect their officials, someone who does not govern to elect their selves)

DEMOCRACY – GOVERNMENT IN WHICH THE POWER IS VESTED IN ALLTHE PEOPLE; EQALITY OF RIGHTS.
(Power to all people, race, color, or creed)

LIBERAL – GENEROUS, NOT STRICT, TOLERANT, FAVORING REFORM – n. PERSON WHO FAVORS REFORM.
(Tolerant of all people. Someone who is willing to change things that is not right)

CONSERVATIVE – OPPOSED TO CHANGE, CAUTIOUS – n. CONSERVATIVE PERSON.
(Someone who is opposed to change and needs to think about it because they are cautious)

THIS IS AMERICA FOLKS - ALL THESE WORDS ARE WHAT WE BELIEVE IN…SO TEL ME WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? CHECK IT OUT IN THE DICTIONARY IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME...

FEAR IS THE ENEMY OF FAITH AND BONDAGE

2009-09-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline"
(2 Tim. 1:7).

Satan wants us to live in bondage to the past and even the future, but God wants us to live in the freedom of His love and power in the present. As Paul wrote, "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'" (Rom. 8:15). As Jesus told His followers, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Jesus told His disciples, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27). Doubts, fear and shame are the weapons of Satan, but Jesus stands against Satan's fury and says with authority, "Peace, be still." The peace of God shatters the weapons of Satan and sends our enemy fleeing.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF CONSERVATISM - Mike Huckabee

2009-09-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

BASSIC PRINCIPLES OF CONSERVATISM: --Mike Huckabee

Lower taxes with better higher taxes.
The purpose of government is to protect us, not provide for us. We should provide for ourselves.
The best government is self-government.
If there must be a form of civil government, it should be as limited as possible and as local as possible.
The most local government is ideal in that it is closer to those being governed and therefore more accountable to the governed.
Peace for a nation is best achieved by having a superior military capacity than those who pose a threat.
Government should facilitate and not complicate the free enterprise system.
Excessive taxation, regulation, and unmitigated litigation lead to job migration.
Government intervention and regulation should be the court of last resort and not the first option in anything.
Mothers and fathers raise better children than governments do.
Government should undergird the basic family structure and not undermine it.
The Constitution and Bill of Rights were written to limit and restrict government from interfering with the rights of its citizens, not to keep citizens from exercising their rights.
Small business is the backbone of the American economy, and we should make it easier and not harder for an aspiring entrepreneur to succeed.

ALL THESE IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN FOUNDED BY MINISTERS, CLERGYMEN, OR CHURCHES. (FYI)

Brown University 1764 – In Deo Speramus – “In God We Hope”
Columbia University – 1754 – In Lumine Tuo Videbimus Lumen – “In Thy Light We Shall See the Light”
Cornell University – 1865 – “I would found an institute where any person can find instruction in any study”
Dartmouth College – 1769 – Vox Clamantis in Deserto – “A Voice Crying Out in the Wilderness”
Harvard University – 1636 – Veritas – “Truth”
Princeton University – 1746 – Dei Sub Numine Viget – “She Flourishes Under Protection of God”
University of Pennsylvania – 1751 – Leges Sine Moribus Vanae – “Laws Without Morals Are Useless”
Yale University – 1701 – Lux et Veritas – “Light and Truth”
Cornell and Penn were founded by Benjamin Franklin.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT RACE OR POLITICS...IT'S ABOUT DOUBT

2009-09-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

Democrats and Republicans have always stood on the opposite side of the fence
ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS WITHOUT RACISM OR POLITICS…Estelle P. Shrum

1. Why would I support amnesty for illegal immigrants? Is it fair to the people who have waited for years and paid thousands of dollars to enter our country legally?
2. Why would I want my tax dollars to pay for abortions? If it is a personal choice, shouldn’t they pay for it?
3. Why would I be against English as being the official language in the United States?
4. Why would I want retroactive Social Security to illegal immigrants who gain U.S. citizenship through amnesty?
5. Why would I want expanded welfare benefits and unlimited eligibility?
6. Why would I want a national health care insurance plan that would be orchestrated by Washington, D.C.? Who would they answer to?
7. Why would I expect bureaucrats to be able to monitor health care when Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are broke?
8. Why do I not object to our government voting on their own personal agendas, i.e., raises, health care plan, or vacations?
9. Why am I not sensitive to the fact that President Obama scraped the Missile Defense Shield that would protect Poland on the anniversary of the Soviet Union invasion of Poland in 1939? A bit insensitive, isn’t it?
10. Why I am not upset that there are people in this country who want to turn over information that would put our soldiers in harms way?
11. Why isn’t everyone in Congress upset over the Acorn deceit and misappropriation of tax dollars? Child Prostitute!, can it get any worse? 12. Why can’t we have a bi-partisan health care plan?
12. Why can't we have a bi-partisan health care plan?

THE HORROR OF ABORTIONS BY A NURSE

2009-09-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Testimony of Brenda Pratt Shafer, RN - eye witness to partial birth abortions
Editor's note: The following are excerpts from Brenda Pratt Shafer's speech to NRLC '96. Shafer, an RN, participated in three partial birth abortions. Prior to that experience, she was "Pro Choice". She gave similar testimony to Congress during the Congressional investigations of the partial birth abortion.

...I worked for a nursing agency at the time and they did everything -- they staffed clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and I did the whole gamut. And they called me one day and they said, "Brenda, will you work in this abortion clinic in Dayton?" and I said, "Well what do they do?" They said, "Well they do abortions. They do D & C abortions." That's what they told me. I have never even heard of the partial birth abortion before I walked in there. So I told them I would do it. I didn't have a problem with it since I was pro-choice, and that's the way I felt about it. I was even interviewed when I got to the clinic about my views because they wanted to make sure, I guess, at that point that I wasn't a 'plant' there.

D & C Abortions
The first day I was there we did what's called D & C abortions. And it's a suction abortion of babies like six weeks and around that age. The thing that really sticks out in my mind that day, there was a 15 year old girl there having her third abortion and she laughed the whole way through. And I thought, you know, this could be my 15 year old sitting on this bed and having this abortion.

Late Term D & E Abortion
...The partial birth abortion is a three day procedure.... The first two days, the women are brought in and they do a process which they insert something that's called laminaria -- it looks like a tampon but it's made out of seaweed -- and they insert it into the cervix and when it gets wet, it expands, thus dilating the cervix. Because when a woman goes through labor and labor pains that's what happens, the cervix is dilating to enlarge it to bring the baby out. We also have to do it in an abortion because you just can't pull it out of an undilated cervix.... They came in, they had their laminaria inserted, and we sent them home or to an area hotel with an emergency phone number.
The second day, we brought them back in again and changed the laminaria, thus dilating it even more, and also on the second day they did what's called the D & E abortions. And in this abortion...they brought the ultra sound machine in and attached it to the woman's stomach, and you could see the baby, you could see the heartbeat. And these are up to four and a half months pregnant, that's about as far as they go on these. And I stood at the doctor's side, about three feet away from him and I watched them take a pair of forceps and go up inside the uterus and literally tear a baby from limb to limb. He went in and tore off an arm and threw it into the pan, went in and tore off a leg and put it into the pan. He continued until he got to the head then went up and with the forceps and crushed the head and pulled it out. And I'm standing there looking in the little pan that he had the body in, and I'm thinking to myself, wait a minute, where's the blob of cells, where's the mass of tissue? I see an arm, I see a leg, with toes and fingers on it, and it really started to bother me at that point.
And I started thinking about it...I came home and I thought, well, if this is as bad as it is on the second day, I hate to see what the third day's going to be like. And they did explain to me a little bit what was going to happen. The third day I went in, the first abortion I saw was a woman who was 26-1/2 weeks pregnant.
The baby had Downs Syndrome. And the nurse called her their special case. And I said, "Why is she a special case?" "Well, the doctor doesn't like to do them past 26 weeks and she's a little bit past."
Some women don't want abortions...

...This one particular lady didn't want the abortion. She had this Downs Syndrome baby, she was unmarried, her boyfriend didn't want the baby, and her parents didn't want the baby. She cried the whole three days she was in there. So we did her first to get her over with. We brought her in, prepped her, started an I.V. of Valium to calm her down. We did not use a general anesthesia and knock her out. ...We brought the ultrasound machine in and hooked it up to her stomach.
I could see the baby...
I could see the baby. I could see the heartbeat. And the doctor wanted me to stand right beside him, because he wanted me to see everything there was about partial-birth abortion. So I stood there. He went in, guided by ultrasound. He took a pair of forceps and went in and turned the baby because it wasn't in this position at the time. He found a foot and he pulled the baby's foot down through the birth canal, bringing it down and grabbed another foot, and literally started pulling the baby out, breech position, feet first. And he kept pulling it down, and I'm seeing this baby come pulled out of the mommy, his butt, his chest, and then, he delivered both these arms. And the lady's in stirrups, just like you have a baby or just like you're having an ob/gyn examination. And the baby, the only thing that was supporting the baby was the doctor was holding it in with his two fingers, holding the neck so the head was just inside the mommy.
And the baby was kicking his feet, hanging there, moving his little fingers and his little arms. I couldn't believe -- I don't know what I thought killed it in three days, but he was moving and I kept watching that baby move. And I kept thinking to myself, this isn't happening and I thought I was going to pass out. And I kept telling myself, I'm a professional, I can handle this, you know, this is right, this is supposed to be, and I supposed to handle this, I'm a nurse. He then took a pair of scissors and jammed them into the back of the baby's head. And the baby jerked out, like a startle reflex, like a baby does if you throw him up a little bit and he jumps. And then the baby was real rigid. The doctor then opened up the scissors to make a hole. He took a high powered suction machine with a catheter and stuck it in that hole and suctioned the baby's brains out. And the baby went completely limp.
I've seen that in my mind a thousand or more times...

And I have seen that in my mind a thousand or more times, of that baby, watching the life just drain out of it. And like I said before, I've seen babies die in my hands, I had people die in my hands. But it wasn't anything like seeing that vision of watching this abortion. And I almost threw up all over the floor. I was literally just breathing and saying, "Don't throw up, don't throw up, you're gonna be embarrassed if you do this." So I tried not to.
He pulled the head out, he cut the umbilical cord and threw it in a pan, and delivered the placenta and threw it in the same pan, he covered it up and took it out. Well, this mommy wanted to see her baby. And the doctor told us ahead of time, he said, "Try to discourage her from seeing the baby." He doesn't like that. But she had the right to see it. So they cleaned it up and we cleaned her up, and we walked her out of the operating room, and took her to a room and handed her the baby.
The mother held her dead baby in her arms...

...She held that baby in her arms and she screamed and prayed to God...to forgive her, and for that baby to forgive her, and she held it and rocked it, and told him that she loved him. And I looked in that baby's face, and he had the most angelic perfect face I've ever seen, and I just kept thinking, he's an angel now, he's in heaven. And I couldn't take it. In all the years I've been a nurse, [for the first time] I lost it. And I pardoned myself and excused myself and I ran to the bathroom and I cried and prayed.
...I saw two more that day, about 25 weeks. But I was in shock. I stood there and I knew what was happening but I didn't want to be there. I was walking on a beach in Hawaii somewhere, trying to get myself out of that room. ...The other ones were perfectly healthy mothers with perfectly healthy babies. One was a 40 year old woman who had a 19 year old son and she was getting a divorce so she didn't want the baby. The other was a teenage mom who hid the pregnancy from her parents, and then, her parents found out and made her abort the baby.
President Clinton vetoed the partial birth abortion ban bill ....
President Clinton vetoed this bill (the Partial-birth abortion Ban Act). I wish President Clinton had been standing where I was standing. I don't think he would have vetoed the bill.
...A lot of people out there say I didn't see what I saw. Believe me, I saw it and I've had a lot of nightmares. And this is one way of healing, of trying to get over this, and teach people the truth about what really does go on. I wish I hadn't seen what I saw, in a way, because it was very terrifying. What I saw that day shouldn't be allowed in this country.
People ask me why I've done this and why I've gone through with this and my husband's always told me, "It's better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." And that's what I'm trying to do, is light one candle. And hopefully from my candle I can light someone else's candle and they'll light someone else's and so on. Because one person can make a difference. And that's the big thing. Every one of you can make a difference. Whether it's you telling one person, your neighbor, and they tell one person, we got to, we've got to get the truth out and we've got to tell them.
And one of these days every person in here is going to stand before God and He's going to ask you, "What did you do for Me on Earth?" And you're going to say, "Lord, I didn't do much, but I lit one candle." And He's going to say to you, "But oh, how it shines."(Testimony by Brenda Shafer, RN)

FREE CHARITY SITES

2009-09-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

PLEASE CLICK ON www.Thehungersite.com/

YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FEED THE HUNGRY, HELP CURE BREAST CANCER, HELP WITH CHILD HEALTH, LITERACY, SAVE THE RAIN FORREST, AND ANIMAL RESCUE.

THIS IS A FREE CHARITY SITE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CLICK ON THE BOX WHERE IT SAYS (FREE CLICK) IF YOU DO IT EVERYDAY YOU ARE HELPING SUPPORT THESE CHARITIES JUST WITH YOUR CLICK. THE SPONSORS DONATE MONEY BY YOUR CLICK. SO PLEASE CLICK EVERYDAY. IT JUST TAKES A MINUTE OF YOUR TIME. PUT IN IT YOUR "FAVORITES" SO YOU HAVE THE EMAIL SITE AT HAND.

THANK YOU AND BE BLESSED.

ESTELLE
www.Heistheword.comYou can also access the link from my website at the bottom of the page.

REVIEW FOR MY BOOK - HE IS THE WORD

2009-08-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

Shrum Encourages Freshman Authors
FIRST COAST CHRISTIAN WRITERS

All FCCW guest speakers bring interesting messages and helpful hints to our meetings. But every so often we’re showered with additional, very useful material. Such was the case with Estelle Shrum’s presentation at last Thursday’s FCCW meeting.
In her presentation, Estelle described her life, and the troubling experiences that were foundational to her new book titled, He Is The Word, a compilation of poems written over two years. As she described it, her book is proof that a life visited by frequent, unhappy events out of one’s control, can produce both victory and a deeper relationship with God.
Estelle grew up in a house with an abusive father and a paranoid, schizophrenic mother. The effect of such a toxic environment led first to frequent panic attacks as a young woman, and later, two attempts at suicide. In later years, her daughter experienced some of the ripple-effects from her family tree, developing serious problems of her own.
Estelle related that today, both she and her daughter are living examples of God’s healing victory. As she pointed out, “The four best years of my life were when I dated my husband. And we’ve been married over forty years!”
Because all of Estelle’s poems are related to scripture, He Is The Word is both a resource for practical Biblical guidance as well as an escape into poetic literature. Glancing through the book, it is easy for one to pinpoint a topic of interest and be directed to a relevant poem. Each passage brings out the essence of scripture through insightful, tender paraphrase of God’s perspective.
Estelle told us the reason for the poetic format is to, “Encourage Christians and non-Christians to read the Bible.”
In addition to poetry, Estelle included sections at the end such as, “The Many Names Of Jesus,” and “The Bible Vs. The Koran,” -- an overview of the similarities and differences between two of the world’s most important books.
As for the “extra gift,” Estelle covered a large table with several, very helpful handouts such as:
“Avoiding literary scams”
“Writers Beware: Thumbs-Down Agency List”
“How To Find The Right Book Publisher”
“Fake Writing Contests.”
She included three long lists of Christian publishers and Christian self-publishing resources.
Estelle’s own book was published through an organization called, “Publish America,” a co-op company requiring no down payment by the author. As she put it, “It’s a subject of particular importance to all freshman authors!”
FCCW extends a warm thanks to Estelle and hopes many readers will enjoy her book for a relaxing, insightful poetic journey through the Bible. www,Heistheword.com

BIBLICAL NUMBERS AND WHAT THEY MEAN:

2009-08-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

One : 1 - Biblical Meaning of Number is the number of God. Independence is also attached to this number as well, for it excludes all things that are different. This number is also used when marking the beginnings of things. Unity is very common when defining this number, for it stands alone and cannot be divided.
***
Two : 2 - Biblical Meaning of Number is separation, divided or division. By it being the first number that can be divided, it is often look at as the fundamental number for division. This number is attached to the term Revelation as well. It has also been used when referring to discord and even war. Ruin and death is also within this number baggage.
***
Three : 3 - Biblical Meaning of Number is approval, entire and solid. The number is the symbol that is used in reference to the (cube). This number is also used when describing the Trinity or the Godhead (divine perfection). This number has also been associated with spirit and life.
***
Four : 4 - Biblical Meaning of Number is God's creative works or Earth Creation (material completeness). This number is always used when referring to God's creation. This number has also been used when describing space.
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Five : 5 - Biblical Meaning of Number is grace and redemption - God's grace or life that's moved by the spirit. This number has also been used to describe freedom, completeness.
***
Six : 6 - Biblical Meaning of Number is the number of man. This number is also used when referring (human labor) or (secular completeness) This number also is attached when describing the constant battle between spirit and flesh.
***
Seven : 7 - Biblical Meaning of Number is spiritual perfection and spiritual completeness. This number has also been used when describing the covenant between man and God.
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Eight : 8 - Biblical Meaning of Number (One who abounds in strength) This number is also used in reference to fertility. It has also been used when referring to the Resurrection or new beginnings.
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Nine : 9 - Biblical Meaning of Number is judgment or finality. Basically, it's used when judging man and all of his works. This number has also been used to describe the perfect movement of God.
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Ten : 10 - Biblical Meaning of Number is completeness in divine order or completed course of time. There's nothing that is left wanting within the complete cycle the number ten just completed.
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Eleven : 11 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with imperfection, disorganization or disorder.
***
Twelve : 12 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with governmental perfection. This number has also been used to describe God's chosen people. Plus anything that is made up of rules has this number associated with it.
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Thirteen : 13 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with rebellion, corruption, abandonment, defection, revolution, to break or destroy.
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Fourteen : 14 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with spiritual perfection that is doubled measured in strength or spiritual completeness that is twice over.
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Fifteen : 15 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with the energy that is found within the acts of divine grace.
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Sixteen : 16 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference that deals with love. To have passion and hold dear. To cherish and have devotion
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Seventeen : 17 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with the perfection of spiritual order
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Eighteen : 18 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference that deals with bondage, slavery, captivity and serfdom
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Nineteen : 19 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with the perfection of divine order that is in relation to judgment.
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Twenty : 20 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with expectancy of a great magnitude
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Twenty One : 21 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with Divine Completion
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Twenty Two : 22 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with disorganization, corruption or disintegration
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Twenty Three : 23 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference that involves death or extinction
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Twenty Four : 24 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference to a heavenly government and heavenly worship.
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Twenty Five : 25 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with expectancy of receiving divine grace and redemption from the almighty God
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Twenty Six : 26 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with the Gospel of Jesus Christ
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Twenty Seven : 27 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with expectancy of getting divine approval or divine redemption
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Twenty Eight : 28 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with expectancy of divine strength and courage
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Twenty Nine : 29 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with expectancy of Judgment
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Thirty : 30 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference to marking the right moment.
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Thirty One : 31 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference when dealing with the name of God or Deity.
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Thirty Two : 32 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with having a covenant or agreement with a certain person or party
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Thirty Three : 33 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with the making of a pledge or promise.
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Thirty Four : 34 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with the naming of a son
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Thirty Five : 35 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with having hope, trust and confidence towards a person or thing
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Thirty Six : 36 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference in regards to a particular enemy or opposition
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Thirty Seven : 37 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with the word that comes from the almighty God
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Thirty Eight : 38 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with slavery or having complete control or dominance over an individual or group
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Thirty Nine : 39 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference that with having a sickness or disease
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Forty : 40 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with probation or trial. This number has also been used to describe a period of judgment.
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Forty Two : 42 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference to the Antichrist.
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Forty Four : 44 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with a worldwide divine judgment against humanity
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Forty Five : 45 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with maintaining, preserving or protecting the things that matter the most to you.
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Fifty : 50 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with deliverance or restoration.
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Fifty One : 51 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference to having or experiencing a divine revelation.
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Sixty : 60 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with the sin of pride or conceit
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Sixty Six : 66 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with secular or idol worship. Fallacy, trickery, guile or deception is also used in connection with this number
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Seventy : 70 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with time of judgment of God's people.
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One Hundred : 100 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with an election process of God's choosen
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One Hundred and Nineteen : 119 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with having success or mastery over something
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One Hundred and Twenty : 120 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference to a divine probation period.
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One Hundred and Forty Four : 144 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with having a personal spiritual guide
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Two Hundred : 200 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with things within a state of insufficiency.
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Four Hundred : 400 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference to a divinely perfect period in time.
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Six Hundred : 600 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with extreme conflict or war
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Six Hundred and Sixty Six : 666 - Christian Numerology meaning deals with the number that refers to the name that is in relation to the Antichrist.
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Seven Hundred and Seventy Seven : 777 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with the name of Jesus Christ
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Eight Hundred and Eighty Eight : 888 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with the name of the Holy Spirit
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One Thousand : 1000 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with having or achieved divine completeness
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Four Thousand : 4000 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with a divine worldwide salvation
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Six Thousand : 6000 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with the deception of the Antichrist against humanity
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Seven Thousand : 7000 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with a divine final judgment
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One Hundred and Forty Four Thousand : 144,000 - Christian Numerology meaning deals in reference with those that came out of the great tribulation in which the book of Revelations is referring to in chapter fourteen

AMERICA SHOULD TAKE NOTICE

2009-07-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

Australian Government Official Says Muslims Who Want to Live by Sharia Law Not Welcome There.-Truth!

Summary of the eRumor: The eRumor appears to be an article that quotes the Australian Finance Minister as saying that immigrants who want to live in Australia need to live by Australian law, not the Sharia law of Islam. He is quoted as saying that Muslims to want to live by Sharia law are not welcome in Australia.

The Truth: The article quoted in the eRumor was written by Phil Mercer of the BBC and published in February, 2006. The remarks by the Australian Finance Minister Peter Costello were made in a speech on February 23, 2006 to the Sydney Institute. His speech was titled Worth Promoting, Worth Defending, Australian Citizenship, What it Means and How to Nurture it. In his speech he extolled the virtues of Australia and the necessity of adhering to Australian law. Then he added, "“But don't you think Australian Muslims – Muslims living in Australia – also have a responsibility to adhere to Australian law?” He went on to say "There is one law we are all expected to abide by. It is the law enacted by the Parliament under the Australian Constitution. If you can't accept that then you don't accept the fundamentals of what Australia is and what it stands for." He suggested that if someone wanted to live under Sharia law [law derived from the Koran], Saudia Arabia and Iran should be considered. Then he added, "Before becoming an Australian you will be asked to subscribe to certain values. If you have strong objections to those values don't come to Australia.Updated 8/15/06

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:
A senior member of Australia's government has said Muslims who want to live by Islamic Sharia law are not
welcome in the country. The comments have stoked Muslim anger against the Australian government.
Australian Finance Minister Peter Costello said in aspeech late Thursday that immigrants must respect thecountry's laws and traditions. Costello singled out Muslims who wanted to live under Sharia law as not welcome in Australia.
In his speech on Australian citizenship, the minister said his remarks were directed at what he called a"small radical minority." "You don't have to swear at the football and eat a pie to be an Australian," he said, "but you do have believe in democracy, the rule of law and the rights and liberties of others."
Earlier this week Prime Minister John Howard alsoaddressed Islamic extremism, saying it violated Australia's principles. He pointed to contentious issues such as relations with non-Muslims and therights of women.
Australian Muslims have reacted with anger to both sets of comments. They accuse the government of beingde liberately inflammatory and divisive.
Keysar Trad, president of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, says Costello's comments are unnecessary. "He is singling out the Muslim communityagain," he said. "Rather than calling on all citizensto respect the law of the land and respect traditional values, he is making an inference in his comments that Muslims don't do that. Well, on the contrary, Muslims do respect the law of the land and do respect the values of this country."
There are around 300,000 Muslims in Australia.
Community leaders say racism toward this minority group has increased since the terrorist attacks in theUnited States in September 2001 and the bombings ont he Indonesian island of Bali a year later, in which Australian tourists were targeted.

REMEMBER THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

2009-07-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

Please, let's stop playing the race card and being prejudice before this country gets deeper into division. We are a country of multi-racial people. There are no pure African Americans, or one pure race of Latinos, or one pure race of Asians. It seems the closer we are in race the more we dislike eachother. Take for example the Muslims and Jews. We need to remember we are all sisters and brothers. We had one set of parents - Adam and Eve. We are all part of the human race. We have one creator who loves all his children.

EXODUS 20:2-17 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS - GOD SAID:

Exodus 20:6 - "And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."
Exodus 20:16 - "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Exodus 20:17 - "Thy shalt not covet they neighbor's house, those shalt not covet they neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's."

JESUS SAID: Matthew 5:44 - "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."
Matthew 19:19 - "Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thous shalt love they neighbour as thyself.
John 13:34 - "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

IS GOD A REP OR A DEM?

2009-07-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

Joshua asks Christ the same question many are asking today. The Republicans will claim God is on their side, and some Democrats will claim God is on their side, but the answer is NAY. The real question is not which party God affiliates himself with, because as it is later stated, God is no respect of faces (he does not value one above another), but what party affiliates itself with God. Unfortunately, neither party can claim that they support God fully, and for this reason, it comes down to individuals, not parties. There are many aspects of the Political process that leave God out all together. The slander, mud slinging, back door dealings, and corruption that has become common in the political realm leave one dazed. This is simply more evidence that each candidate should be looked at on his or her merits, and personal position on each issue, not the letter listed beside their name. In many respects, George Washington was wise beyond his days when he suggested that there be no political parties, just individual candidates. This is how God views politics, he looks into the heart of the individual, not their party. However, can it be said that during any one point in history one party is closer to the path of God? Certainly God was not in favor of slavery, and in the same respect, he does not favor Gay Marriage or Abortion, so there is some merit to this point. All in all, I would have to say that God is not in favor of either party, and as I stated earlier, the question is, which party is in favor of God. From the looks of things, maybe God will abstain this time around.

Author Unknown

2009-07-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

TWELVE LIES OF THE DEVIL

1. Cowardly - “The best thing to do when Christ and His church are criticized is to keep silent. Critics might get angry if you speak up, or you may make your freinds mad.”

2. Foolishness - I’ll try anything once.”

3. Popular - “Go ahead, everyone else is doing it.”

4. Indifference - “I’m tired after working all day and cannot attend church services.”

5. Deceit - “It makes no difference what one believes as long as he is sincere.”

6. Pride - “If I become a Christian, my friends will think I’ve become a religious fanatic. I don’t like to be laughed at.”

7. Foolishness - “ One drink will never hurt anybody.”

8. Excuses - I’m afraid to discuss the Bible with others. Anyway, they won’t listen.”

9. Apostasy - “What difference does it make whether we follow the New Testament or not?”

10. Heartache - “I have never cheated on my spouse before but everybody does. No one will ever find out about this one time.”

11. Hypocrisy - “When we go home from college on weekends, we go to church so the home folks will think we are faithful at school.”

12. Opinions - “One church is as good as another; therefore, attend the church of your choice, as long as it makes you feel good.”

2 Corinthians 2:11
“Least Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

John 8:44
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth., because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

1 Corinthians 3:18“Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.”

Thirteen Tips to Better sleep

2009-07-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

1. Get up and go to bed at the same time each day, even on weekends. A regular sleep schedule helps you get better sleep and can even improve your mood.
2. Tidy up. Coming back to an unmade bed and messy room at night can be stressful. Which is the last thing you want when you're trying to wind down.

3. Create a sleep oasis. Is your bedroom calm and comfortable? Everything from the paint color on your walls to the quality of your pillow can affect your sleep.

4. Switch to decaf in the afternoon. It takes hours for the effects of caffeine to wear off, so try to have your last cup 6-8 hours before bedtime. Try peppermint or lemon tea for a pick-me-up that won't keep you up later.

5. Get some exercise. Working out regularly has been shown to help you sleep better and longer. Late afternoon is an ideal time. Before beginning or modifying an exercise program, consult with your doctor.

6. Stock up on bedtime snacks. Small portions of high-carb foods like bread or cereal, or foods that contain typtophan, like bananas, milk or peanuts can help induce sleep.

7. Leave work at work. Before you leave work, make a to-do list for tomorrow. It will help keep your mind clear when you're trying to sleep.
8. Take a warm bath. A bath can be a relaxing nighttime ritual. Just be sure to cool off before you get into bed. Cool temperature's are better to sleep.

9. Skip the nightcap. Alcoholic beverages may help you fall asleep: they also make it harder to stay asleep. Wind down with some herbal tea instead.

10. Don't work in bed. Or watch TV or eat or sort through your mail. Your bed should be associated only with sleep and relaxation.

11. Use the 30 minute rule. If you can't fall asleep within a half hour, get up. Go to another room and relax by reading or listening to music until you get sleepy.

12. Breath deep. If you can't sleep, try some deep breathing. Feel your stomach rise and fall. Count as you inhale . This helps you relax by placing your attention on your breath.

13. Say your prayers. It is a wonderful quite time to take advantage of communicating with the Lord God.

Author Unknown

WISDOM FROM MOTHER THERESA

2009-06-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

People are often unreasonable, illogical and selfish. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies. Be successful anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building someone may destroy overnight. Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway. The good you do today people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it just may never be enough. Give the world the best you have anyway. You see in the final analysis, it's all between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
--Mother Theresa

QUOTES OF THOMAS JEFFERSON

2009-05-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.”
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
“If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy."
"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe."

“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." Note: The entire quote reads: "No freeman shall be debarred the use of arms [within his own lands]" PROPOSED Virginia CONSTITUTION. FORD ED., ii, 27. (June, 1776.)

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
“To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical. "

THIS IS FOR ALL THE BUSH HATERS - READ THIS AND WEEP!

2009-05-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

Quotes from Democrats About the Threat of Iraq-Truth!
Summary of the eRumorAccusations that President Bush lied to the American people about whether there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq are counterbalanced by quotes from prominent Democrats about Saddam Hussein and weapons in Iraq. Most of these statements were during the debate over whether to use force against Iraq.

The Truth! There are several quotes. Most of them come during a time in the Clinton administration when decisions were being made about action against Saddam Hussein and amid concerns about weapons of mass destruction. We'll take them one at a time. "One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line."President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998-Truth!

This was a quote from President Clinton during a presentation at the Pentagon defending a decision to conduct military strikes against Iraq. "If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program. "President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998-Truth!

Bill Clinton went to the Pentagon on this occasion to be briefed by top military officials about Iraq and weapons of mass destruction. His remarks followed that briefing. "Iraq is a long way from USA but, what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face."Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998-Truth!

This is a quote from Albright during an appearance at Ohio State University by Albright, who was Secretary of State for Bill Clinton. "He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983. "Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998-Truth!

This was at the same Ohio State University appearance as Madeline Albright.
"We urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S.Constitution and Laws, to take necessary actions, (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destructionprograms."Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others Oct. 9, 1998-Truth!

According to the U.S. Senate website, the text of this letter was signed by several Senators, both Democrat and Republican, including Senator John McCain and Joseph Lieberman."Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998-Truth!

The text of this statement by Nancy Pelosi is posted on her congressional website.
"Hussein has .. chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies. "Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999-Truth!

This was from an appearance Albright made in Chicago.She was addressing the embargo of Iraq that was in effect at the time and criticism that it may have prevented needed medical supplies from getting into the country. Albright said, "There has never been an embargo against food and medicine. It's just that Hussein has just not chosen to spend his money on that. Instead, he has chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction, and palaces for his cronies." "There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has invigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programscontinue a pace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies."Letter to President Bush, Signed by Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL,) and others, December 5, 2001Truth!

The only letter with this quote from December 5, 2001 that we could find did not include the participation of Senator Bob Graham, but it was signed nine other senators including Democrat Joe Lieberman. It urged President Bush to take quicker action against Iraq.
"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandated of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them."Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002-Truth!

These were remarks from Senator Levin to a Senate committee on that date.
"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country."Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002-Truth!This and the quote below was part of prepared remarks for a speech in San Francisco to The Commonwealth Club."Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power."Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002-Truth!

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002-Truth!

Part of a speech he gave at Johns Hopkins."The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998.We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..."Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002-Truth!

On the floor of the Senate during debate over the resolution that would authorize using force against Iraq. He was urging caution about going to war and commented that even though there was confidence about the weapons in Iraq, there had not been the need to take military action for a number of years and he asked why there would be the need at that point.
"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force-- if necessary-- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security."Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002-Truth!

Senator Kerry's comments were made to the Senate as part of the same debate over the resolution to use force against Saddam Hussein.
"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have always underestimatedthe progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction."Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002-Truth!

Senator Rockefeller's statements were a part of the debate over using force against Saddam Hussein.
"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy hischemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do" Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002-Truth!

Senator Waxman's contribution to the Senate debate over going to war.
"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biologicalweapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program.He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons."Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002-Truth!

Senator Clinton acknowledged the threat of Saddam Hussein but said she did not feel that using force at that time was a good option."Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime He presents aparticularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation ... And now he is miscalculating America's response to hiscontinued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real ..."Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan.23.2003-Truth!
In a speech to Georgetown University

ENDURANCE

2009-05-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Endurance is going through trials even when you want to run. (1)
It is conquering pain and suffering until the task at hand is done.
Endurance is forging ahead when you know there is no relief.
It is showing courage and trusting a higher power in your grief. (2)
Endurance is getting up every time you are knocked down.
It is standing firm with your feet planted on solid ground. (3)
Endurance is facing whatever you are called to do.
Even if you are frightened you will see it through.
Endurance is Job’s strength although all was lost. (4)
He stayed true and faithful no matter what the cost. (5)
Endurance is Moses who was left in the desert for forty years. (6)
He maintained integrity even through the Jews anger and tears.
Endurance is David when he slew Goliath with tenacity. (7)
He succeeded the impossible through Godly capacity.
Endurance is Esther when she went before the King unannounced. (8)
She disregarded her fright knowing her death might be pronounced.
Endurance is Jesus and the great sacrifice he did for you.
He laid down His life and will make all things new. (9)

By Estelle P. Shrum, www.Heistheword.com

1. (1Cor. 9:24-25)
2. (1 Cor. 16:13
3. (Ephesians 16:13)
4. (Job chapter 1)
5. (Job 19:25-27)
6. (Josh. 1:5)
7. (1 Sam. 17:41:51)
8. (Esther 4:15-16)
9. (2 Peter 3:13)

TEN FACTS ABOUT MALARIA

2009-05-03T16:55:00.000-07:00

1. Malaria kills over 3,000 children every day in Africa (one child every 30 seconds)
2. Malaria is both preventable and treatable.
3. Malaria infects between 350 and 500 million people each year.
4. 90% of malaria cases occur in Africa.
5. Over 1 million people die from malaria each year, of which 75% are African children under the age of five.
6. Malaria has been eradicated form the US for over 50 years.
7. While 90% of Americans recognize AIDS as a very serious problem in the world, less than 30% of Americans are aware that malaria is also a grave threat.
8. Malaria causes severe flu-like symptoms including fever, vomiting and, if untreated, the disease can lead to coma, brain damage, life-threatening anemia and death.
9. Annual economic loss in Africa due to malaria totals an estimated $12 billion, representing a crippling 1.3 % loss of growth in endemic countries.
10. Malaria is a disease of the blood caused by a parasite transmittted from person to person by certain types of mosquitoes, which are active mostly at night. www.netfloridaredcross.org.
NETS SAVE THEIR LIVES - PLEASE HELP!

WHY SO MANY DIVORCES?

2009-04-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

There are 1,000,000 divorces in America every year.
On half of marriages in America end in divorce.

WHY HAS IT ESCALATED?

The family is no longer a moral force
Society no loner sees divorce as wrong
The Churches are not opposing divorce
No fault divorce makes it easy
Liberal media encourages no morals, or ethics
Television encourages promiscuity
Movie Industry encourages sex and violence
Humanism is doomed to fail without a higher belief in God

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ON DIVORCE?

Adultery is the only reason for divorce
What God joins together let man not put assunder
When you are married you become ONE FLESH

(Malachi 2:16), (Matthew 19:3-12), (Matthew 5:31-32), (1 Corinthians Chapter 7)

TEN EXCUSES WHY WE DON'T COME TO JESUS

2009-04-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

THIS IS WHAT SATAN TELL US...

1. Now is not a good time – I can do it tomorrow, or maybe later.
2. I have never been baptized, and don't really need to be.
3. I am too young to worry about it now. I have my whole life in front of me.
4. I am too old to change.
5. I am afraid I might fall away and fail.
6. I will not be forgiven for the awful sins I have done.
7. I am already a good person.
8. I wouldn’t know what to say.
9. I am just a visitor in the church. I don’t want to get involved.
10. I don’t want to change my life style, and I like who I am.

Matthew 16:23
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou are an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.