WE GIVE YOU THANKS LORD - HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

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

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

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)

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IF YOU CAN IMAGINE!

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

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

“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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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...

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...