Tolerance, not intolerance

1 Samuel 8 >>   1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. 7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. 9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. 10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. 11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. 13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day. 19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; 20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. 22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++   By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer <click here for source The clergy were Protestant, and so was the new head of state. But the inauguration Tuesday of President Barack Obama aimed for a much broader audience: an increasingly diverse America, where people want their beliefs acknowledged in the nation's most important ceremony. In his address, Obama referred to God and Scripture, saying, "the time has come to set aside childish things," from 1 Corinthians. But he also reached out to American secularists, calling the United States, "a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and nonbelievers." The Center for Inquiry and the Council for Secular Humanism, based in Amherst, N.Y., called recognition in the inaugural address "truly historic and remarkable." Evangelical pastor Rick Warren, whose participation drew criticism from liberals and gay rights groups, directly invoked Jesus as expected in his invocation, but did so personally. "I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life," he prayed. He also quoted from the most important prayer in Judaism, the Sh'ma, when he said, "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God. The Lord is One," and he called God "the compassionate and merciful one," a phrase from Muslim devotion. "His was as inclusive a prayer as an evangelical can give," said Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary, a leading evangelical school in Pasadena, Calif. The Rev. Joseph Lowery, a United Methodist considered the dean of the civil rights movement, focused on poverty and social justice. "Lord, on the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate. On the side of inclusion, not exclusion. Tolerance, not intolerance," he said. He called the stage where Obama took his oath "this mountaintop," a reference to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s final speech. Lowery also quoted from the song known historically as "The Negro National Anthem." "God of our weary years, God of our silent tears," he said, at the start of his benediction. Prayers at inaugural ceremonies generally draw little attention, but this year was different. Obama spoke of his faith openly during the election, trying to change the image of the Democratic Party as hostile to religious voters. He has also welcomed nonbelievers, who tend to vote Democratic, in his speeches and public appearances since his earliest days of campaigning. His supporters had been deeply upset by the prominence of the Christian right during the administration of President George W. Bush, and they watched to see what religious signals Obama would send at his swearing-in. Warren is a Southern Baptist who wants to broaden the evangelical agenda to include environmental protection, fighting poverty and ending AIDS. He also backed Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in his home state of California. Gay rights advocates and liberals were outraged that Obama had given Warren a place of honor at the ceremony. Obama, who prays with Warren, said he wanted the event to reflect diverse views and insisted he remains a "fierce advocate" of equal rights for gays. The new president had also asked Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, to give the opening prayer Sunday at the inaugural-kickoff event at the Lincoln Memorial. In his invocation Tuesday, Warren did not refer to the controversy. However, he asked God to forgive "when we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the Earth with the respect that they deserve." He also prayed for "civility in our attitudes, even when we differ." Warren said Jesus' name in four languages — English, Spanish, Arabic and Hebrew — and ended his invocation with "The Lord's Prayer," from the Sermon on the Mount. Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, who leads interreligious outreach for the American Jewish Committee, called Warren's invocation "inclusive even as it was slightly exclusive," for praying in Jesus' name and ending with "The Lord's Prayer." "I don't think the language of the prayer itself is offensive, but the context of the prayers, coming from Christian Scripture, is somewhat exclusive," Greenebaum said. Some atheists and agnostics had sued unsuccessfully ahead of the swearing-in to keep references to God out of the event. Obama began the day at St. John's Episcopal Church, where presidents since 1933 have prayed before being sworn in. Several evangelical clergy spoke at the service, including the Rev. Luis Leon and the Rev. Joel Hunter of Northland church in Longwood, Fla. Bishop T.D. Jakes, a Dallas megachurch pastor, gave the sermon. Mouw said the day sent a clear message: A liberal Democrat can be pious, and in the Obama administration, faith will have a place.

Fw: The Inauguration

--- On Sun, 1/18/09, lennon martin <martin562007@yahoo.com> wrote: ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: lennon martin <martin562007@yahoo.com> To: Christopher Collins <crcollins@optonline.net> Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009 11:27:12 PM Subject: The Inauguration I'm burning with anticipation of Barack Obama's inauguration, deep down I am still cautiously optimistic;  I don't think I'll be completely at ease until I'm satisfied that he has been sworn in and even then it still may take a couple of weeks to sink in. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and praying that he gets through this in one piece.   I know that even while I'm writing this email to you there are still forces at work that would do just about anything to stop this from happening, and would kill him in a heart beat if given the chance. Lets treat this as if we are close to the end of the struggle but not that the struggle is over. We still have a lot to prove and a far way to go, the division has been long and wide it will invariably take a bit more than just one of us being elected "President" to heal all the wounds. Please remember Barack in your prayers let us pray that he serve with distinction as usual we will have to be ten times as good as the other guy to get the recognition he gets. Thanks for reading my ramblings.   Daddy

FWD Re: Please send back. It's neat. (Don't delete this one, you' ll love it) Thanks Arlene!!!

Now I know what this (BLOG) is all about........WOW thanks my friends.....I now have permission to go on getting old....gracefully...of course....I did my part...this is my forwarding to my 10 friends....!!! MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!....I will perhaps regret this and amend it in a saner moment.

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--- On Sat, 1/17/09, GRACE wrote:
I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.
I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.
Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.
I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.
They, too, will get old. I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.
Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect. (RAMBLING)
I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.
As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.
So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day(if I feel like it).
MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!
MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RAINBOW OF SMILES ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART FOREVER AND EVER! FRIENDS FOREVER!
Forward this to at least 7 people and see what happens on your screen . You will laugh your headoff!!!!!!!!!!! With love from Grace.... In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.Isaiah 30 verse 15.

rambling - As it happens....

Righteous motives are not enough....
"I believe we have a duty to free people," Bush told me in late 2003. - Bob Woodward
Wash Post

not sure which way to take this...
1. a duty to people who are free OR
2. a duty to make them free who are not....either way its a tall order
around my place everyone thinks they are already free and no one want me messin' around wid their freedom'.....i'll just leave the whole ting remindin m'self.....freedom aint FREE!

Alice Snuffleupagus - FROM SESEME STREET
Snuffy’s two-year-old sister Alice is just learning about the world. She does whatever her brother does.

Big Bird is having a nest sale! He wants to sell the toys that he doesn’t play with any more to someone who will want them. Snuffy helps by being Big Bird’s Assistant Nest Sale Snuffleupagus. All he has to remember is that everything in the nest is for sale and everything out of the nest is not for sale.

The Count doesn’t know the monster’s name, but he knows that he’s tall and thin with curly hair on his head. Based on the description they find the right the monster,

YAHOO NEWS
President-elect Barack Obama launched a four-day inaugural celebration Saturday before thousands of chilled but cheering onlookers from Philadelphia to the nation's capital. He promised to bring the country "a new Declaration of Independence" — free from small thinking, prejudice and bigotry.

there it is again the word free !!!!

NPR NEWS
Vice President-elect Joe Biden, who hopped aboard the train in Wilmington, said the train ride marked the beginning of a journey that would change America.
"Our economy is struggling. We are a nation at war," Biden said. "Sometimes, just sometimes, it's hard to believe that we'll see the spring again. But I tell you spring is on the way with this new administration."

I always had an hyperlinked imagination - here is an older american (vice president) "HOPPING" aboard a train finding it HARD sometimes, to beleive that HE will see SPRING again....all this standing next to a STRUGGLING economy and "chilled but cheering " onlookers.
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not too sure where this is going yet...hopefully I'm going to turn it into a story....right now the ingredients are just lying on the counter top of my mind....not a pleasant sight obviously.....notwithstanding.....HMMmmm.....running out of PC time....I will need to revisit this later.....so long for now.

Heroes of the faith - Part II

This is my Pastor of some of my teen years. He was a holiness preacher. He was a very strong male role model. Some of us kids did not like the Holiness Doctrines that we were taught at our church growing up. Those same doctrines, however have been like seeds planted; we have reaped benefits many times over, some of us have seen the folly of our youthful rebellion...for the most part today we teach and pass on those same lessons -of modesty especially- to our children.

I was greatly influenced by Elder Blythe's life and teaching....and yet he was not as greatly admired by some. He was not perfect. I remember him couselling me through a major crisis in my young adult years. I was witnessing one of the greatest losses in my life...my closest friend at the time seemed at a point of absolute betrayal..this dear Elder took me aside and comforted me...pointed me to the God of all comfort....I do beleive that today he and my dad and the others are having a great time.

One of the church hymns I remember Elder singing a lot, says this in the refrain:
"Then forward still tis Jehovah's will
Though the billows dash and spray
With a conquering tread
We will push ahead and roll the sea away.!!"

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This is another Holiness Preachers son who is today himself a Pastor. Pastor Sam stands out in my memory most not because of his great personality or his firey preaching or his brilliant mind, all of which are a great blessing to many. The picture that has not left my mind across these many years is Young Sam standing beside his mom over the casket of the beloved husband and father. I never forgot the words of the song they were singing .... to this day it plays back in my mind in many a dark moment...here are the words as best I recall...

Though the angry surges roll

O'er my temptest driven soul

I am peacful for I know

Wildly though the billows roll

I've an anchor safe and sure

That will ever more endure

And it holds my heavenly anchor holds

Blow your wildest then O gale

O'er my barque so small and frail

It will never, never fail...for my anchor holds...MY ANCHOR HOLDS !!!

I had not heard that song before that day....I have never forgotten it !!

FROM COUSIN LENNON

--- On Fri, 1/16/09, lennon martin <martin562007@yahoo.com> wrote: From: lennon martin <martin562007@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: HAPPY FIFTIETH RUTHIE!!! To: salrom@sbcglobal.net Date: Friday, January 16, 2009, 12:25 AM Please wish Ruthie, a happy birthday from me as well, how time flies when you are having fun. Len

The Grand Finale !!!!

Without doubt....most favored

person of the month....

Fiftieth Part II

More Fiftieth Glamour....!!

Guess Who ??

The Lady in Blue....

Guess who??


and the gentleman too !!

Thanks Cousin Max

I met Maxine Last year for the first time. She held my attention for close to if not more than an hour. Her's was a story of perseverance. A bitter sweet tale of success and sorrow.....yet I was very encouraged. It was the same day that I met Peter and Dave. The occasion could have been just a sad time because we met in a hospital waiting room....but we .....all cousins....passed the time telling our stories of the old days in Jamaica. We shared some of our future hopes and promised to stay in touch. So far we have kept the connection....nothing like the family bond....Maxine is Man man's daughter...how well she reminded me of the old days in west Kingston and the good times with Auntie Mercy. God bless the memories.

Maxine's Birthday is May 1 ....don't forget to send a Happy Birthday greeting.

HAPPY FIFTIETH - part 1

HAPPY, HAPPY FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY RUTHIE !!!!!
May you enjoy many more birthday celebrations my sister.
God has been good and you look just great Ruthie.... 50 looks good on you!!

With love always,from Grace.... In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.Isaiah 30 verse 15.

Reunion 2000 - Atlanta

Re: RAMBLING - True confession

From: DR PRICE Subject: Re: RAMBLING - True confession To: salrom Date: Saturday, December 27, 2008, 4:55 PM Hi Ron, and family Merry Christmas. I was just about to tell you that my Merry Christmas ends at Easter. Just a note for your files. Incidentally, my birthday is celebrated the whole month of August. Sometimes . until birthday comes around again. Now , that, is fun. Now, I went out and bought a card to call Mommy at Christmas, not knowing whether she is here or there in Jam. I looked all around for her number and because of embarrassment I would not ask anyone. I just know that I will find it some time forgetting that every day is not Christmas day. Of course we have the Christmas experience daily but the Day,is different. I trust that it was not a severe burn, with all that pain. You see I am a burn victim myself, spent many moons in the hospital, at time I do have aberrations of that time. I hope that she is getting better. Cindy I spoke to her on Christmas day, she was over at Far Rockaway with her nieces and others, I was tempted to invite her over but, I was in a slump myself, jumping hurdles in the house, you know- obstacle course, Well thank God, He broke the bond asunder and has now set the captive free. House is clean. Yes, you can now visit, without skydiving and long jumping and pole-vaulting. You understand , little Mitz she knows about that encounter. Howard, I have not spoken with Phillip in a while, so I really don't know , neither have I spoken with Boyee their uncle. So I will get on the ball, thanks for the reminder. Sometimes I get so entrenched in my own that I forget that I am not all that important, but there are others who really need special attention. To Joanna, I love her so. Our encounter was brief but long enough to be enveloped with the heart/spirit kind of love. She is such a loveable baby. I know , she is a young lady, of course, just that I know she and Joel and all you Uncle Sonny Martin children will be mine for ever, don't even try to get away. See how you tried, went full circle and back. That's life. Where love is that where the heart is and some where some time they both will meet. That's enough of the mushy stuff. Give my love to Stephen wishing him a happy birthday and I hope that they were not cheated out of Christmas presents. Ron, my thought for the past few days have been quite simple: Must I be carried to the skies , on flow'ry beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize, and sailed through bloody seas? If I must fight, if I must reign, increase my courage Lord! I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by thy word. You see Ron, there is a charge for me to keep, and a God to Glorify, a never dying soul to save and fit it for the sky. I am saying to you, Keep on keeping on. Go for the press, it is pressing time. You have a race to run and a victory to win. Let none hear you idly saying, there is nothing you can do, while the souls of men are dying and the master calls for you. I believe it is time to pass around the collection plate. Love offering time. We kept church today. Maybe, I missed you so much. But the love is profound. Keep it, hold it, cover it . Greater love hath no man than this T H I S. Love you Babe, Give my love to family one and all, I am supposed to call Gracie. I want to get her B4 the season is over. Love Coz G

PICTURES... in the mind

My new year rambling …dedicated to the New York cousins all of Uncle Albert’s Crew…god bless him…the GRAND CONCOURSE neighborhood and Maxine, Peter and Howard Webb…God loves us all…none more than the other…and Mister Adams in Florida…Let us not forget also to pray for our distant cousin president-elect Barry O and his dear family….that God would also show himself to them.

Thank you ALL very much for a great year – thank GOD. A special mention :- my dearest Aloma Martin…perhaps you may be the one that has allowed me to keep my job – I don’t believe that I am my boss’s favorite employee, I think he may have been about to yell at me again when he stopped short and was riveted by something I had pinned on the wall of my cubicle. It was one of LOMA’s emails…he turned and gruffly said as he walked out “I need a copy of that”…Loma..give a shout out to Patrick and his family…send some pictures….Mrs Soares (coz Pauline) we have prayed very much for you…and Winston….how is Uncle Lincoln and mama…send some pictures too and the twins….where is Donny?…he may be close to ruth and keevs !!

In tenderness He sought me weary and sick in sin
And on His shoulder brought me back to the fold again
I wonder what HE saw in me to suffer such dread agony

O the love that sought me
O the Grace that bought me
Wondrous love that brought me to the fold
Wondrous grace that brought me to the fold.

I found a picture of Howard Daniels eating an apple, his false teeth came out….I don’t tink any of you will remember it…grace maybe….along wit dat was some audio “only one life twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last” I think that was on the Plack that he won….it’s not a very clear picture…it is old. I believe it was on the verandah at 27 Rochester Ave…I may be wrong…. back in the day they used to have these ‘youth gatherings’ at different homes and there was a lot of games and stuff….here’s another picture I think this one was at 12 Sullivan Ave. this was the ‘missionary house’ I think the Mauks were living there at the time..but any how the picture was of a bunch of us kids trying to hit a thing with candy hanging from a rope or something. You may have figured by now that these must be mental PICTURES. Here’s another one this is at Benbow Street…at Christmas..I don’t know what year it was but Auntie Coolie Had come from America wid a barrel….this was a whole lot of fun…and food..

My brother Dale and I are picture junkies….as a matter of fact he bought his wife another camera for Christmas !!…I think they have it worst than me over at their house….I think one day I am going to go over to their house and see my old friend James Lindo wallpapering all the rooms with Auntie Yonny’s 6 milloin picture photo collection.
Maybe it is not just us, grace and me had cameras pretty early on. There is this black and white picture of the plane taking off from palisados – Arlene was on it I believe-going to America!!. We have come a long way….with this digital stuff nowadays….f’r instance here I am sitting at my dining table…I kid you not …there are half used CD and DVD RW’s scattered all over the place, a stack of old hard drives is sitting under the table by my foot, a couple of memory sticks and MP3 players are somewhere….the basement is crawling with old VHS of every style, nowadays when I am not drooling reading about this new fangled blue ray stuff…I am plotting and scheming how to get to New York to plunder cousin Gee’s basement or raid cousin Boyies ranch and pick his brain dry with my handycam. I am not going to even mention my Sister Ruth in Florida who to top it all had to go out and marry a PROFESSIONAL photographer slash-commercial-artist-marketing-advertising-guru ...

…Hi Keevs….sorry I missed your call….I was going thru the basement and found your treasure…on VHS….coming soon to a blogspot near you…

Daleanne has now mastered the fine art of changing all manner of old media (VHS) to digital….I’m telling you man…. you are dealing wid de original DIGILORDS up here in cold Connecticut…dere are tings about to be released dat will make your hed spin.

This is some background for you out here seeing the ‘tip of the iceberg’ with these rambling emails and the FAMILY CHRONICLE BLOG….furthermore…my father was a prolific writer….a thinker really…if he were around in our time I am thoroughly convinced he would have a blog or two at least….I think Uncle Dale has a collection of his JOTTINGS….maybe we will publish them officially….who knows…maybe we already are !!!

I can only IMAGINE….LITTLE JO was singing that song….but here’s the deal….
If there was some kind of cosmic recorder running all the time capturing all the audio from my lips…every single word….WOW !!!

I can only IMAGINE video of ALL my thoughts…..or actions….

I can only IMAGINE….search….the chambers where polluted things hold empire o’er my soul….search me o God my actions try and let my life appear as seen by thine all searching eye to me my ways make clear.

I do believe that based on the technologies we are seeing today all the bible teachings are not at all far fetched or ‘out of the picture’ so-to-speak.

The hard drives sitting at my feet are quite dead at this time. However I got a little gizmo from my friend Ramon. He showed me how to hook-up these old dead hard drives from the old broke down computers in the garage that I have wore out over the years. CAN YOU IMAGINE!!!??? TONS OF STUFF thought to be long dead and forgotten….there it is SUDDENLY all come to life on the new DELL with XP !!….oooops all the old emails……pictures…..video clips……hmmmm!!….quick… delete…save…no…. ooops virus!!?…no wonder that old computer wouldn’t work…this DELL that I am using now with the gizmo…thingy from ramon…this dell has the latest ANTIVIRUS ANTISPYWARE anti-everything….maximum security super protection !!!

This is the same technology that Jesus mentioned in John when he said I am the resurrection and the life….he that beleiveth in me shall never die….fear not them that kill the body but fear rather the one who can destroy bith body and soul in HELL….translation: everything that you have ever done is on a’cosmic’ harddrive somewhere. I don’t want to loose my stuff. I am highly motivated to get to ‘replay’/ re-live my life….that is what eternal life is !!!…he that beleiveth HATH everlasting life.

IF A MAN DIE…..SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN – Job
ONCE TO DIE…and AFTER?…JUDGEMENT - Hebrews

…and he lifted up his eyes IN HELL being in torment….I don’t fully understand all this stuff but it is certainly becoming clearer to me that when God run’s his heavenly antivirus on me and CLEANS all the mess / virus / Trojans / worms / spyware / evil cookies / SINS etc…that is the stuff the cleansed version that I want to see and for you to see….I cannot therefore afford the luxury of secrecy / privacy whatever….secret sins….who can understand his own errors….says the psalmist david….”cleanse thou me from secret faults, keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins, let them not have dominion over me …then shall I be upright and innocent of the great transgression …let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in THY sight, o Lord…my strength and my redeemer…..AMEN.

Heroes of the Faith - part 1

*** OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH THE McCook Family as they mourn the passing of dear Elder McCook ****

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This is my Pastor from Jamaica. May God continue to Bless His Ministry. One thing I remember about pastor Vidal is when he formed asinging group called "The Beacon Brothers". We used to sing and have fellowship a lot in my teen years. One of the songs I remember is :
Across the bridge there'll be no sorrow
The sun will shine...and we'll never be unhappy anymore.
other members of the group were, Basil Glen Roninson, Carl Guthrie, James Lindo maybe Impy I can't remember. God Bless you Pastor, you are a great example of faithfulness.

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This is the person who taught me almost everything I know. Here you see him doing something that he does best; reasoning. He mostly liked to reason about righteousness. This is Uncle Sonny otherwise known as Sonny Man but best known to us his eight children as 'DADDY'. Maybe Cousin Gee can tell how the name Sonny came about. Daddy is also a great example of faithfulness.


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Here is another living hero or 'shero' as the case may be. This is Siter Dulcie. She was one of the people who helped inspire me to continue to play around the keyboard. I hear that she is on the radio sometimes in Jamaica. She was a school teacher as well as a musician. She has been an great example of a one who has endured many dangers toils and snears and kept faithful in uncompromising leadership. As the name suggests there is a 'sweetness' about this great christian soldier.



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Can you tell by this Radiant Smile....this is without doubt a Child of the KING !! This is Sister Betty. Also from my church. A shining example of a Godly women. Sometimes nowadays I dispair that those older women which the bible talk about who ought to teach the younger women.... they seem to be fast dissappearing ...but not Sister Betty, she seems to be going nowhere soon. God Bless Her.

RAMBLING - this week

A Soldier's Silent Night :

click here -> WHY WAR.

I often wonder about my uncle billy. I wish I could talk to him. He was in the war. I have some very emotional childhood memories about him. I wish I could ask him now that I am older. I am sure the war helped to make him. War is big business in some peoples mind....but war is much more than physical combat.

My brother had a passenger in the car driving along... the SOLDIERS SILENT NIGHT came over the radio....the passenger started to weep uncontrolably...we found out he was a soldeir.
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IDENTITY THEFT

father chris : so where is lucky these days?
sis : on the web
mother tea : you mean the web of deceit?
sonny : yup that's his gig now. he gave up his old job to start his own business.
sis : he used to be the light bringer right?
father chris : He used to work for my boss. he was not just into light, he was also the cheif sound man...he was the multimedia guru!

How do you know who you are dealing with

when you get on the web?

In today's brave new world wide web you can morph into whoever you need to be. So in the words of 'Sonny' why wouldn't that be a great gig for mister whats-his-name?...lucky..lucif (CLICK IT)
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Conqueror is a turn-based, multiplayer strategy game that takes place on a map of medieval Europe. Easy to learn but more complex than Risk. Play on the web against as many as 16 human or AI opponents, for games as short as 30 minutes or as long as 4 hours. An ingenious system of simultaneous turns means that you don't have to wait for other players to make their moves!

CHECK IT OUT HERE
__________________________

I was thinking about this bible phrase MORE THAN CONQUERERS.

struggling to find out what is more or greater or better than a conquerer. so I googled it and ended up on this game. Anyhow my time got eaten up - on the web of deceit and...

We are left with the idea of overcomer.

My job is a kind of manager for a large information pool - database management. the greater part of every day for me is spent working with names. mothers and fathers and children; brothers sisters etc. So I was kind of taken aback when the secretary left me a sticky note to return a call to Florence Johnson. I nearly went crazy trying to remember where I had met her before.

Even Washington and Jefferson flashed across the screen of my mind as the brain searched through its mental names bank. BTW that would be DENZEL WASHINGTON and GEORGE JEFFERSON ....oops!! stop there it is!!! Florence Johnson is George and Louise Jefferson's maid...WOW!! "we are a moving on up to the eastside to a deluxe apartment in the sky..we've finally got our peice of the pie"!

So anyhow, I remembered this scene from an episode of the jeffersons where they have recently started living on the UPPER EASTSIDE rich neighborhood. Weesy is kinda lonely and makes friends with a black lady she met in the building. the lady assumes weesy is a maid like herself. she even goes into the Jeffersons apartment a few times to chit chat. It is one of these times that Florence shows up and some how it comes out in the conversation that Weesy actually owns the apartment along with her husband george. ...at which point weesy's new found friend exclaims...."how come we black people did done overcame and ain't no one told me!!!!".....so there is our word again....OVERCAME....overcome.

Conquering seems to lack the idea of permanence..as in that strategy game. you may be winning now but not for long...some one is about to conquer you and then what?...the whole cycle of winning and losing gets repeated ...oft !!

Last night there was a beautiful MOON...and there was also a pretty brisk wind, to top it all, there were a bunch of fluffy white clouds being driven by the wind...northward...the neighbors must have thought I was crazy..it got down to 25 degrees last night....but there I was out in the yard looking up in the sky.

Between the moon and the moving clouds, I saw the landing lights of a big jet as it approached the nearby airport. That was when I thought about OVERCOMING versus CONQUERING. The big jet aircraft had to conquer the force of gravity... to stay flying; the big jet engines have to stay working all the time. However at landing time, he had to surrender, gravity would bring him back to earth.

The space shuttle on the other hand, has to exert no effort to remain in orbit. We are told that the weightlessnes of outer space is of such that you can just float around in zero gravity...effortless !!

YOU WILL NOT FALL!

My son is taking up wrestling as his high school sport this semester. He wants to demonstrate all his "new moves" at home. This is not a great idea !... I am steadfastly resisting it...mostly in my mind. Every so often now, he trys to put me in one o them "head-locks" or something : BTW...This is not new.... He's been doing this since he could talk. ". (could this be the cause of Alzheimers: kids putting their parents in 'head-lock'?! LOL)

The whole experience, though, is shedding much light on some things partially hidden.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood.

Of late I have been wondering if I was loosing my mind....this steady onslought of renegade thoughts that stampede through the mind. ...this stuff is close up and personal !! I used to try to separate out the thoughts to see which ones were mine....wrong move ! I now know that that is impossible...all kinds of thoughs will to the mind unbidden come !....(a little old english lingua there)....

So what's the point...

not yet,

a little more rambling first....

..there is a thin line between sanity, stupidity and alzheimers. I saw a sister on TV last week talking about a family member. At first I was shocked that an apparently private matter would be treated with this degree of openess especially by an avowedly private individual...ok so now that I got that out of my system...where was I?...o yes that's right...I recovered quickly from the attack of evil thoughts against the sister by using the Sheild.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT GRACE

That's right the shield of faith. I had to beleive that no matter how it seemed, that this was indeed a well intentioned move. ..and sure enough as I listened further it came out that there was indeed much for me to learn regarding keeping my mind active, (and MOSTLY RENEWED) and staying physically active as well to stave off any coming alzheimers or other dementia. I reflected on my old friend Oral...yup, he is my friend ORAL ROBERTS...we commune a lot....does he seem a bit demented to you ? ..well he is not !

Ruthie was on TV this week. (is this an example of mental malfunction?.. not Ruthie it was Ann Graham....Ruth Graham is the wife, check it out here) She was talking about her dad too....she said that he was still pretty sharp mentally, both himself, BILLY GRAHAM and ORAL are in their nineties.

So anyhow, lawlessness is very much a characteristic ouf our times. The Bible calls ANTICHRIST SPIRIT OF LAWLESSNESS.....look it up see what you find. Then take a read of the Chicago Tribune if you have time...politicians in general and Chicago politicians in particular seem to be a law unto themselves....I could be wrong.

FAMILY CHRONICLES beleives in families. Family represents order. Marriage is very unatural, it was invented by God. It has something to do with modeling our obedience to our God and His son Jesus.

When our children are habitually disobedient, is it becasue we have modelled it so well for them in our husband / wife relationship....in our own homes !! ?

So ought every man to love his own wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it and the wife to obey her husband....that does not go over too well with most of us...and so we become MONOSEXUALS.... (I never saw this word anywhere before, have you?...I think I may have invented it !!)

...that is... we do our own thing, we come up with a ton of other ideas that "will work for us"..are more convenient more comfortable more satisfying...after all...let's be reasonable...trans, bi, homo, multi, cross, serial monogamy, trial marriages, trial separation, shacking up and varoius other fornicating social networking kinds of things...whatever works for us...right?

Romans 1: 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Subject: Mindboggleing!!

In trying to deal with this. I stumbled on a website with the same words....and some really frightening stuff! Anyhow, do you realize that we are living in very unusual times? My sister dared to talk to me the other day about the RAPTURE....she seemed to be warning and encouraging at the same time. She was talking like right now stuff!! So maybe you are skeptical. We are almost there folks !! CHECK your GPS again... here we go

2 Peter 3 :1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Fw: Your Diet... Did You Know This?

-- On Sun, 12/7/08, DR PRICE wrote: This is interesting. Love, Coz G A friend sent this to us. It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... all before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw.... God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body! God's Pharmacy! Amazing! A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes. A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food. Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food. A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function. Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys. Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body. Avocados, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (mo dern science has only studied and named about 141 of them). Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility. Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics. Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries. Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just l ike the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts. Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body. SUBJECT: Psalm 46:19 'Be Still and Know that I AM GOD' Please don't break this even if you only send it to one person. Look at the date when this was started. Thanks NOTICE AT THE END, THE DATE THE CANDLE WAS STARTED. GONNA GIVE YOU GOOSE BUMPS. We are not going to be the one who Lets it die. We found it believable --- Angels have walked beside us all our lives, and they still do. This is to all of you who, mean something to us. We pray for your happiness. The Candle Of Love, Hope & Friendship. This candle was lit on the 15th of September, 1998. Someone who loves you has helped keep it alive by sending it to you. Don't let The Candle of Love, Hope And Friendship die! Pass It On To All Of Your Friends and Everyone You Love! May God richly bless you as you keep this candle burning. We received this today for the 1st time and we hope it comes back someday again. Please keep this candle alive! The Lord will never give you more than you can handle!!!

Worthy News

http://www.worthynews.com/
Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:36:51 -0500

Christian Revival in Iran

Now the harvest awaits because there is an extreme discontent among Iranian youth (70% of the population is under 30 years old), women, university students, as well as moderate Muslim intellectuals who are pressing the government for more social and political freedom. While the Islamic regime cracks down on these groups, many of them are listening to the Gospel for the first time and are experiencing mass revival!