Obama Denies & Mocks Jesus Christ Again & Again. Praises His Pastor Jeremiah Wright.

This was Obama's spiritual mentor for twenty years. Black Liberation theology teaches that you cannot obtain salvation without giving up your wealth to those who have less. In a sermon by Wright he railed against "rich white people" and said that Obama understands about "rich white people." This is where Obama gets his hatred for the rich and prosperous in America. This is why Obama continues to rant that "the rich" are not paying their "fair share" even though 50% of Americans pay no taxes at all and many actually receive money as "tax refunds" even though they paid no taxes resulting in a negative tax rate.

 

In a video obtained exclusively by The Daily Caller, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama tells an audience of black ministers, including the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, that the U.S. government shortchanged Hurricane Katrina victims because of racism.

"The people down in New Orleans they don't care about as much!" Obama shouts in the video, which was shot in June of 2007 at Hampton University in Virginia. By contrast, survivors of Sept. 11 and Hurricane Andrew received generous amounts of aid, Obama explains. The reason? Unlike residents of majority-black New Orleans, the federal government considers those victims "part of the American family."

The racially charged and at times angry speech undermines Obama's carefully-crafted image as a leader eager to build bridges between ethnic groups. For nearly 40 minutes, using an accent he almost never adopts in public, Obama describes a racist, zero-sum society, in which the white majority profits by exploiting black America. The mostly black audience shouts in agreement. The effect is closer to an Al Sharpton rally than a conventional campaign event. Obama gave the speech in the middle of a hotly-contested presidential primary season, but his remarks escaped scrutiny. Reporters in the room seem to have missed or ignored his most controversial statements. The liberal blogger Andrew Sullivan linked to what he described as a "transcript" of the speech, which turned out not to be a transcript at all, but instead the prepared remarks provided by the campaign. In fact, Obama, who was not using a teleprompter, deviated from his script repeatedly and at length, ad libbing lines that he does not appear to have used before any other audience during his presidential run. A local newspaper posted a series of video clips of the speech, but left out key portions. No complete video of the Hampton speech was widely released.

Obama begins his address with "a special shout out" to Jeremiah Wright, the Chicago pastor who nearly derailed Obama's campaign months later when his sermons attacking Israel and America and accusing the U.S. government of "inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color" became public. To the audience at Hampton, Obama describes Wright as, "my pastor, the guy who puts up with me, counsels me, listens to my wife complain about me. He's a friend and a great leader. Not just in Chicago, but all across the country."

By the time Obama appeared at Hampton, Jeremiah Wright had become a political problem. Wright told The New York Times earlier that year that he would no longer be speaking on the campaign's behalf because his rhetoric was considered too militant. And yet later in the Hampton speech Obama explicitly defends Wright from unnamed critics, a group he describes as "they": "They had stories about Trinity United Church of Christ, because we talked about black people in church: 'Oh, that might be a separatist church,'" Obama said mockingly. 

The spine of Obama's speech is a parable about a pregnant woman shot in the stomach during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The baby is born with a bullet in her arm, which doctors successfully remove. That bullet, Obama explains, is a metaphor for the problems facing black America, namely racism. (At a similar speech he gave in April of 2007 at the First AME Church in Los Angeles to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the riots, according to a church member who was there, Obama described the slug as, "the bullet of slavery and Jim Crow.")













Obama Mocks and Attacks Jesus Christ And The Bible. A top U.S. evangelical leader is accusing Sen. Barack Obama of deliberately distorting the Bible and taking a "fruitcake interpretation" of the U.S. Constitution. In comments aired on his radio show, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson criticized the Democratic presidential nominee for comments he made in a June 2006 speech to the liberal Christian group Call to Renewal. In the speech, Obama suggested that it would be impractical to govern based solely on the word of the Bible, noting that some passages suggest slavery is permissible and eating shellfish is disgraceful. "Which passages of scripture should guide our public policy?" Obama asked in the speech. "Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is OK and that eating shellfish is an abomination? Or we could go with Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount? "So before we get carried away, let's read our Bible now," Obama said, to cheers. "Folks haven't been reading their Bible." He also called Jesus' Sermon on the Mount "a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our Defense Department would survive its application." Dobson said Obama should not be referencing antiquated dietary codes and passages from the Old Testament that are no longer relevant to the teachings of the New Testament. "I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own world view, his own confused theology," Dobson said, adding that Obama is "dragging biblical understanding through the gutter." Dobson said the suggestion is an attempt to lead by the "lowest common denominator of morality." "Am I required in a democracy to conform my efforts in the political arena to his bloody notion of what is right with regard to the lives of tiny babies?" he asked. "What he's trying to say here is, unless everybody agrees, we have no right to fight for what we believe." "What the senator is saying there, in essence, is that 'I can't seek to pass legislation, for example, that bans partial-birth abortion, because there are people in the culture who don't see that as a moral issue,' " Dobson said. "And if I can't get everyone to agree with me, than it is undemocratic to try to pass legislation that I find offensive to the Scripture. Now, that is a fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution." In a stunning display of ignorance- and in a speech you will NOT see in the mainstream media, because even they apparently understand how ignorant Obama was on the issue, Obama exposes his disdain for Christians, and exposes his disdain for the word of God, by taking the typical, petty, ignorant position, that the bible advocated slavery and the stoning of children, apparently implying that Christians should live their faith by reinstating customs that were obviously secular laws that were in place in a time long ago. Obama not so subtly implied that Christians are hypocrites because they dont agree to put themselves back under the laws of Moses that are no logner relevent to Christians today! The laws of Moses were a Jewish-only set of laws. Barack Obama claims he found the Lord, whatever that means to him, but his obvious contempt for Gods word exposes the fact that Christ is not the one in control of his heart. His speech was a blatant misrepresentation of Christianity, and it was a speech whos intent was to malign and denigrate Christians, and to denigrate this great nation of ours. Stoning children for blatant disrespect of parents and of God, was a Jewish-only commandment meant to purge evil from among Gods elected people. Nowhere in the bible does God command anyone other than His own elected people, the Jews, to purge evil in such a manner. Barack Obama however is apparently too ignorant of biblical truth to realize this fact, and apparently he feels that he is big enough to call Gods commandments toward the Jews into question? Obama is also apparently too ignorant of Gods word to understand that Christians today are not under the law of Moses, and that many edicts in the bible were meant to tell the people that they needed to obey ALL laws, even the secular laws which included laws that allowed slaves, and that the Jews were not just bound to the laws that God instated, but also to the cultural laws at that time. Obama may not like that- because it completely refutes his petty attempt at maligning God, Gods word, Christians and htis great nation of ours. Obama may claim to be a Christian, and he may even succeed in fooling a couple of people, but to those who know better, we see very clearly that his words betray what he claims his heart stands for.

The Fulfillment of Bible Prophecy As Early As This Fall.

Do you think that Bible prophecy is quickly being fulfilled?  There are many questioning whether Comet Elenin is the way that God will bring about the three days of darkness, as well as the earthquakes and other destructions prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.  Sure, there are nut jobs out there who get crazy about Bible Prophecy with every little thing that happens.  However, with all of the destruction from weather-related-events, earthquakes, volcanoes, and anything else that I haven't mentioned, the next few months will be interesting to observe as Comet Elenin becomes part of the mix.

I know.  I know.  Comet Elenin is reported to have split in two and may on its way to disintegration.  However, there are other reports that there is still an abundance of strength and keep in mind that there are asteroids that are crossing paths with Elenin and coming close to Earth and the Moon as well.



I'm not one that really believes in the Planet X or Niburu theories as much, however, for those of you who do, here is an interesting video to get you updated on that.

Comet Elenin Hit By An Explosion? Update: Nasa Images

By Steffan Ileman.

Amateur observers studying NASA images from STEREO see Comet Elenin split into two parts (featured video). Leonid Elenin is said to have confirmed Comet's disintegration.

Update: Comet Elenin mystery took another twist as amateur observers Kelly and Rob Collins posted images from NASA's STEREO system showing the Comet splitting into two as a result of shockwaves from an immense explosion. STEREO stands for Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, a NASA project to study solar activity and its effect on the earth. Sydneystargazers.com reported that Leonid Elenin had confirmed the Comet's disintegration on his own web site spaceobs.org . This information, and whether the web site actually belongs to Leonid Elenin, have not been independently verified. There has been no announcement or update by NASA on Comet Elenin.

If the Comet has indeed been destroyed, this raises the questions of how, by what, or even by whom. Another question is if the debris from the Comet will reach the earth. End of update.

Amateur astronomer group tracking the Comet claims to have captured an explosion that changed Elenin’s trajectory yesterday. Could it be a hoax or disinformation? Russia Today interviews author Brooks Agnew on celestial events (video below).

A group of amateur astronomers that has been tracking Comet Elenin for several weeks claimed to have captured footage (below) of an enormous explosion on Jupiter yesterday. Spartan Maverick, a YouTube alias, first suspected that the U.S. Government had launched a nuclear missile to destroy the Comet. Another interpretation is, that the Comet had discharged its enormous load of electricity on Jupiter, possibly becoming a benign entity that’s not a threat anymore. Jana Briz says the natural phenomenon is very much like plasma elecricity or lightning. There was disagreement as to whether the Comet had changed its course or disintegrated as a result. Still another amateur speculation is, that Elenin was not a comet and something else all together.

Read more: http://digitaljournal.com/article/311009#ixzz1XxnkVBXh

Here is the last update I'll give you for today on Comet Elenin.  It's really difficult to get accurate information when you cannot trust your own government entities, media outlets, and other sources of information to be providing truthful and thorough information.  Therefore, keeping aware of the variety of information that continues to ooze from the Internet about Comet Elenin and other near-Earth-objects, while keeping a level head about all of it is the best advice. 

Still Awaiting The Rapture? Perhaps Its Just Late.

Rapture: the end was not nigh, after all

The apocalypse did not arrive at 6pm on May 21st, despite the predictions by Christian doomsday prophet Harold Camping.

Harold Camping, the 89-year-old retired civil engineer, who founded Family Radio Worldwide, an independent ministry that has broadcasted his prediction around the world Photo: AP

By Laura Donnelly, Bonnie Malkin and David Barrett 7:01PM BST 21 May 2011

Given that the end of the world was supposed to be nigh, it perhaps wasn’t surprising that Christian doomsday prophet Harold Camping had shown some reluctance to take advance bookings.

The 89-year-old Californian preacher and radio host had prophesied that the Rapture would begin at 6pm May 21st in each of the world’s time zones, with non-believers wiped out by rolling earthquakers, as the saved ascended into heaven.

His refusal to schedule a media interview for the following day - “It is absolutely going to happen. There is no way that I can schedule an interview because I won’t be here.” - was being replayed by media as the world firmly stayed standing.

On the microsite Twitter, groups of atheists and sceptics were last night swapping tales of After Rapture parties, with one group, in Tacoma, Washington, branding their celebration “Countdown to Back-Pedalling”.

Mr Camping’s doomsday prediction wasn’t his first. He blamed an earlier apocalyptic prediction which passed quietly in 1994 on a mathematical error, last month saying: “I’m not embarrassed about it. It was just the fact that it was premature.”

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This time would be different, with “no possibility” it would not happen. While across the United States, some devotees reportedly sold all their possessions and took to the streets to warn of the second coming of Jesus, in Britain, sceptical voices were louder.

After 6pm passed without incident in New Zealand and Australia, Stephen Fry tweeted: “Marvellous news! Rapture doesnt mean end of world; apparently all the planet’s imbeciles disappear in one go.”

Amid the sound of ruffled feathers he later added: “Calm down. Never said all Christians are imbeciles. Just those who think they’ll be raised up today. They do the faith a grave disservice.”

Earlier TV scientist Professor Brian Cox had suggested it was a good time for a global practical joke: “I think we should all pretend the rapture is happening so that when Harold Camping gets left behind later today he’ll be livid.”

Some of the first reports that the apocalypse was not keeping to schedule emerged from New Zealand. Kiwis confirmed there were no signs of the dead rising from the grave, nor of the living ascending into the clouds to meet Jesus Christ.

Daniel Boerman tweeted: “I’m from New Zealand, it is 6.06pm, the world has NOT ended. No earthquakes here, all waiting for the Rapture can relax for now.”  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8528385/Rapture-the-end-was-not-nigh-after-all.html

Apocalypse Not: Harold Camping wrong – again – about 'The Rapture'

Harold Camping had prophesied that the world as we know it would end today. But the time has come and gone, and "The Rapture" has not occurred.

Anybody there? Are we still here?

Oh, whew! For a moment there I thought Judgment Day actually had come today, as California preacher and religious radio broadcaster Harold Camping had predicted. And I’m really, really not ready.

RECOMMENDED: Judgment Day? Five failed end-of-the-world predictions

There’s a lot I still have to do. Like organize my sock drawer and change the strings on my banjo. Not to mention apologizing for some – er – indiscretions that have been weighing on me since forever. (Which have nothing to do with the banjo.)

I mean, if there really is going to be an “end times” or “the rapture” or whatever, I definitely don’t want to be left behind. So whoever’s listening out there, I do believe, I do believe, I do believe! And I promise to be good from now on.

But it looks like we’re all off the hook … for now, anyway.

Mr. Camping had prophesied that at 6 p.m. Saturday (local time around the world) the “saved” would ascend to heaven and the rest of you – OK, the rest of us – would be wiped out by October in earthquakes, floods, and war.

But that fateful hour has come and gone in the Pacific islands, New Zealand, Australia, and on through east Asia, and it’s turned out to be “Apocalypse Not.” Either that or nobody in that part of the world was worthy of ascension.

So it’s been rough times for the folks who filed for a tax extension because they figured they wouldn’t be around when the IRS came calling. And for those who tried to cash in on the predicted end the of the world as we know it. (Cue REM)

Like “Eternal Earth-Bound Pets, USA,” which bills itself as “the next best thing to pet salvation in a Post Rapture World.” For a mere $135 the online business “will guarantee that should the Rapture occur within ten (10) years of receipt of payment, one pet per residence will be saved…. A small price to pay for your peace of mind and the health and safety of your four legged and feathered friends.”

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0521/Apocalypse-Not-Harold-Camping-wrong-again-about-The-Rapture

APOCALYPSE

Help Us Make a List of Everything That’s Been Raptured

Lauri Apple — Happy Rapture, everyone! Are you still here? We are, but it's early in the day so who knows. We're making a list of everything that has been taken to Heaven to kick it with Jesus, and we need your help.

The Rapture, of course, is the day when all true Christians are gathered up into the air for a meet-and-greet with Jesus Christ. And — you've likely noticed — today is the Rapture! (According to noted radio host Harold Camping.) Slate's Tom Scocca notes several things that are likely in heaven already, such as the D train's subway ads, and one of his beers.

So: Have you left the house yet? Noticed anything missing, raptured up to Heaven to be with Jesus? Maybe you have even taken pictures or videos of things that aren't there anymore? Send them to us!

If you're wondering about the types of things that might be missing, here are some examples:

• Kaiser rolls
• Bicyclists
• Etc.

http://gawker.com/5804275/help-us-make-a-list-of-everything-thats-been-raptured

Lifting Burdens

Choices.

Sabbath Day, August 30, 2009

Freedom. Sabbath Day, July 5, 2009

Sabbath Day, June 14, 2009

His Will Be Done.

I am a child of God. I know that He loves me. Although I may have trials that at times seem hard to bear, I know that I will not be given trials that I cannot handle.

I think when people see the way that I am always "just myself" and never put on a front or have a hidden agenda they wonder. Those who know me well know that life is not always easy to me, but that I have a firm faith in the plan, in the reason(s) we are here having this human experience on earth.

While I was ill with late-stage Lyme disease, I was constantly working on doing my best in whatever situation I found myself. During the hardest 8 years of the disease (before the doctors found that Lyme was actually what it had been all of those sick years) I found myself suffering symptoms of a multitude of diseases that Lyme tends to mimic. There were times of depression, mania, miscarriage, inability to get pregnant, loss of memory, loss of speech, extreme tremor, inability to walk, seizure, and so forth. Through all of it I would joke about things and that humor always got me and my family through those hard times.

I took control over what I could...me, myself, and I. I studied the gospel, the Book of Mormon. I studied any and all national and global history material I could get my hands on. I learned wherever I could about whatever I could...especially since I could not go out and "do". I prayed. And I never took my support system, my family, for granted. I never took for granted that my Heavenly Father is watching over me and giving me comfort through every experience. I will never take for granted the learning that has taken place through these experiences.

It has been about 1 1/2 years since my diagnoses. I was treated aggressively when they found I had Lyme disease. I still have an immune system that gives in often to little illnesses. I still have a low stamina in general. However, I am amazed because I was given a second chance at life. My talents...my God given talents are available for me to learn, to improve, and to share with others. I love people and know that my time (however long or short) here on earth is going to fly by. I don't want to take this second chance at life for granted. That is why I am "just myself". I have to live with the decisions I make.

Someday I will speak with my Savior again. Hence, I always ask myself if I am acting in such a way with my fellow men that I will be able to humbly speak with my Savior and He will know that I did His will, my best, in this earthly experience. With that knowledge, I attempt Christlike behavior in all of my dealings with my fellowmen.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;

18. And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.

19. And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea more.

20. Wherefore, do the things which I have commanded you, saith your Redeemer, even the Son Ahman, who prepareth all things before he taketh you;

21. For ye are the church of the Firstborn, and he will take you up in a cloud, and appoint every man his portion.

22. And he that is a faithful and wise steward shall inherit all things. Amen." -- Doctrine & Covenants 78:17-22

Sabbath Day, February 1, 2009

Change is all around us. These changes are but the beginning of what is to come.

Keep hope strong because the end of times is near. Keep faith in our Lord Jesus Christ that you will be protected and that your family will be protected.

Prepare yourself, your home, your life, so that you will be optimally prepared for what is to come. If you do these things, you will have no reason to fear.

Prepare your spirit. Read your scriptures, attend meetings, attend the temple, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Prepare your home, utilized all of the emergency preparedness resources available to protect yourself and your family from emergencies (large and small) and from disasters.

Prepare your personal and family economic circumstances so that if you lose a job you will not be in debt and lose your home as well.

Prepare so that you will have The Spirit involved in all of your relationships and in your involvement and interaction with your fellow men.

There is a great divide growing. Even those in The Church are being divided by the developments of recent days and years. Prove yourself strong and valiant and live according to what you know to be correct and add every needful thing that the Prophets and Apostles add to the task.

Even the hardest of times on this earth are only for a short time and we will never be asked for more than we can give.

The rewards will be such that we will look back at our time on Earth and know that either we could have done more or that we did all we could and lived to the fullest. The time here is short and is winding down.

When you see your Savior and your Father in Heaven again, will you be looking forward to running to them with outstretched arms or will you be dreading it, cowarding because you knew you didn't fulfill your highest measure of yourself while on this Earth.

Even with the end of times coming upon us and speedily making its path known, our time could be sooner that we leave this Earth. Your time could be in the next second, the next hour, the next day, month or year. Prepare yourself on a daily basis.

We live in a human existence, so realize that you will be searching for perfection throughout this life. It is in the learning of the lessons, often by our mistakes, that we grow. Everyone on this Earth is human and makes mistakes, no matter what their office in The Church or in the land. Realize that and constantly search for your own lessons toward perfection. No one is better or lesser than you. We are all in this experience together.

Get involved in the world around you and know that by serving your fellow men you are serving your Savior, serving your God. Prove yourself to be the highest measure of self while on this Earth. Your rewards will be eternal.

I testify of these things and that it is not time to live in fear, but that it is time to live in hope, faith, and righteous actions. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Sabbath Day, Reflections of Christ.

Christmas Orange

CHRISTMAS ORANGE

Sometimes it is easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas. The busy traditions of the season and the appealing advertisements for material goods can leave the pure and simple truths far, far behind.

Jake was nine years old with tousled brown hair with blue eyes as bright as a heavenly angel. For as long as Jake could remember he had lived within the walls of a poor orphanage. He was just one of ten children supported by what meager contributions the orphan home could obtain in a continuous struggle seeking donations from townsfolk.



There was very little to eat, but at Christmas time there always seemed to be a little more than usual to eat, the orphanage seemed a little warmer, and it was time for a little holiday enjoyment. But more than this, there was the Christmas orange!

Christmas was the only time of year that such a rare treat was provided and it was treasured by each child like no other food admiring it, feeling it, prizing it and slowly enjoying each juicy section. Truly, it was the light of each orphan's Christmas and their best gift of the season. How joyful would be the moment when Jake received his orange!

Unknown to him, Jake had somehow managed to track a small amount of mud on his shoes through the front door of the orphanage, muddying the new carpet. He hadn't even noticed. Now it was too late and there was nothing he could do to avoid punishment. The punishment was swift and unrelenting. Jake would not be allowed his Christmas orange! It was the only gift he would receive from the harsh world he lived in, yet after a year of waiting for his Christmas orange, is was to be denied him.

Tearfully, Jake pleaded that he be forgiven and promised never to track mud into the orphanage again, but to no avail. He felt hopeless and totally rejected. Jake cried into his pillow all that night and spent Christmas Day feeling empty and alone. He felt that the other children didn't want to be with a boy who had been punished with such a cruel punishment. Perhaps they feared he would ruin their only day of happiness. Maybe, he reasoned, the gulf between him and his friends existed because they feared he would ask for a little of their oranges. Jake spent the day upstairs, alone, in the unheated dormitory. Huddled under his only blanket, he read about a family marooned on an island. Jake wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life on an isolated island, if he could only have a real family that cared about him.

Bedtime came, and worst of all, Jake couldn't sleep. How could he say his prayers? How could there be a God in Heaven that would allow a little soul such as his, to suffer so much all by himself? Silently, he sobbed for the future of mankind that God might end the suffering in the world, both for himself and all others like him.

As he climbed back into bed from the cold, hard floor, a soft hand touched Jake's shoulder, startling him momentarily and an object was silently placed in his hands. The giver disappeared into the darkness, leaving Jake with what, he did not immediately know!

Looking closely at it in the dim light, he saw that it looked like an orange! Not a regular orange, smooth and shiny, but a special orange, very special. Inside a patched together peal were the segments of nine other oranges, making one whole orange for Jake! The nine other children in the orphanage had each donated one segment of their own precious oranges to make a whole orange as a gift for Jake.

Sharing what we truly value is the true spirit of Christmas. Our Heavenly Father gave us His beloved Son. May we, like the children in the orphanage, find ways to share His love with others less blessed.

-- Anonymous

There is no Christmas without Christ.

When choosing a gift this Holiday Season, try asking yourself what the true meaning of Christmas is and then give accordingly. Remember, there is no Christmas without Christ.

The definition of the word "gift" from YourDictionary.com is...

something given to show friendship, affection, support, etc.; present
the act, power, or right of giving
a natural ability; talent a gift for languages

This season, there are more people in need than ever. When thinking of giving your child an expensive Wii, or Ski Passes for Snow Bird, think of the gift that will teach them about giving instead. Would they love those expensive gifts? Yes. But, wouldn't they love to be able to give to others just as much?

"Giving Circles are a form of philanthropy consisting of groups of individuals who pool their funds and other resources to donate to their communities and seek to increase their awareness and engagement in the process of giving. Through this process, they seek to impact their own communities or larger areas - including to have global impacts. The circles can serve as a form of shared, or collective, giving in the context of community economic development or other social ventures." -- Wikipedia

If you feel that you would like to do both, that is, give the expensive gifts and teach giving at the same time, there are many charities and shelters that could use service. Your entire family (age appropriate) could give time to your local charities and shelters. What a great lesson in giving!

"Members of giving circles donate their own money or time to a pooled fund, decide together where to give these away, and often have some sort of social or educational interaction associated with the giving. Many circles, in addition to donating their money, also contribute their time and skills to supporting local causes. Donations may range from spare change to thousands of dollars each year.

Giving circles as they currently manifest themselves are a new trend, but they are built on old traditions dating back hundreds of years to mutual aid societies and other forms of giving for the community. Several years ago, giving circles were predominantly composed of women. Women continue to make up the majority of today's giving circles - but today the make up of circles are more diverse in race, age and gender." -- Wikipedia

You may have church charities to give time and resources to, or you may choose to help the troops. Either way, the gift of giving is the best gift you could choose to give this holiday season.

When choosing a gift, try asking yourself what the true meaning of Christmas is and then give accordingly. Remember, there is no Christmas without Christ.

To find out more about the true meaning of Christmas, please click on this link... click here.

Sabbath Day, Primary Talks, June 22, 2008

My son had to give a talk in Primary this week. So, trying to be efficient, I typed into the Google Search Engine the words, "LDS Primary, Talks". By doing this, I came upon a gold mine of a resource for those of you who have Primary children. This site, listed at the end of this talk as my source, has talks (for free) that have been put together for each month's Primary topic and list additional resources for visual aids, etc. on the topic of each talk. It is amazing! Here is the talk that my 11 year old gave today.

June 2008, Talk #1

"I will live now to be worthy to go to the temple and do my part to have an eternal family.

Before we were born on this earth, we all lived together as brothers and sisters in the spirit world. We were part of a heavenly family with loving heavenly parents.

Adam and Eve were the first parents on earth. Heavenly Father told Adam and Eve to have children. They had the first family on this earth.

Heavenly Father loved Adam and Eve and their children. He told Adam and Eve to teach the gospel to their children.

In our day, Heavenly Father has sent each of us to a family, just like he did with Adam and Eve's children.

Heavenly father loves all children and has told all parents to teach their children the gospel. When we die and leave this earth, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to live again as families in heaven. They have shown us the way for this to happen.

An important part of being together as a family forever takes place in the temple. Inside temples we make special promises to Heavenly Father and Heavenly Father makes special promises to us.
In the temple, a husband and wife can have an ordinance performed that helps them be together forever. This is called a sealing or a temple marriage. If a couple is married outside the temple for this life only, they can go to the temple and be sealed so that they can remain married for eternity. Their children can be sealed to them and are then a part of their family forever. This special blessing is given only to those who are sealed in the temple and keep the promises they make there.

In order to receive the blessings of the temple we must be worthy. To be worthy means that we are living our lives the way Heavenly Father wants us to.

As primary children, we can prepare to go to the temple by following the commandments of God and the advice of our living prophet. We should do things such as keep the sabbath day holy, treat others with love and kindness, be honest, treat our body with respect by following the Word of Wisdom, pay our tithing, obey our parents and serve others.

I am thankful that Heavenly Father has sent me to a loving family. I am happy to know that Heavenly Father has provided a way for us to become an eternal family. I know that if we will follow Heavenly Fathers plan and do what he has asked us to do, we will be happy."

Source:
http://primarytalks.googlepages.com/

"Am I A Fireman Yet??"

This is a story that was forwarded to me by a member of my city fire department. The author is unknown.


Am I A Fireman Yet??

In Phoenix, Arizona, a 26-year-old mother stared down at her 6 year old son, who was dying of terminal leukemia.

Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination.

Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up & fulfill all his dreams.

Now, that was no longer possible. The leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dream to come true.

She took her son's hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?"

Mommy, "I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up."

Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true."

Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix.

She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her 6 year old son a ride around the block on a fire engine.

Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary Fireman for the whole day."

"He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards!"

"And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat...not a toy...one with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots."

"They're all manufactured right here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast."

Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station.

He was in heaven.

There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all three calls.

He rode in the different fire engines, the paramedics' van, and even the fire chief's car.

He was also video taped for the local news program. Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Billy, that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as a fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition.

The chief replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes.
Will you please do me a favor?...When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system, That there is not a fire?
It's the department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will you open the window to his room?"

About five minutes later a hook-and-ladder truck arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy's third-floor open window...16 fire-fighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room.

With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they LOVED him.

With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief, am I really a fireman now?"

"Billy, you are, and the Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand," the chief said.

With those words, Billy smiled and said, "I know, He's been holding my hand all day."

He closed his eyes one last time.

"The Third Jesus". Sabbath Day, June 8, 2008

By Tania Fuentez
Associated Press

Published: Sunday, Apr. 13, 2008

NEW YORK — Before he became known for promoting holistic health and spirituality, Deepak Chopra adhered to traditional Western medicine as an endocrinologist in Boston. He eventually questioned this approach, returning to the centuries-old Indian system of Ayurveda to find a balance between faith and science.
"I wanted to extend my idea of healing," Chopra said in a recent interview. "If you don't understand spiritual experience, you'll never understand healing."
Now, at 61, the physician and best-selling author hopes to extend conventional thought again — even more controversially — in "The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore" (Harmony Books). Chopra challenges Christian doctrine while presenting an alternative: Jesus as a state of mind, rather than the historical rabbi of Nazareth or son of God.

The third perspective — which Chopra calls "a cosmic Christ" — looks at Jesus as a spiritual guide whose teaching embraces all humanity, not just the church built in his name. Chopra argues that Christ speaks to the individual who wants to find God as a personal experience.

"I said to myself, 'Why not write a book that takes Jesus' teachings — and it doesn't matter if you're Christian or not — and learn from this and improve your life,"' he told The Associated Press at the Chopra Center and Spa in midtown Manhattan.

Considered a pioneer of mind-body alternative medicine, Chopra is president of the Alliance for a New Humanity, and he has been listed among Time magazine's top 100 heroes and icons of the 20th century. His books have been translated into dozens of languages, with topics that range from aging and sexuality to golf and Buddha's path to enlightenment. In 1995, he co-founded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing with Dr. David Simon, which officially opened the following year.

Fascination with Jesus' life began during his lessons while attending a Roman Catholic school in India, Chopra said. Though his parents were from Hindu and Sikh families, "if you were relatively affluent, education was always in the Christian school because of the missionaries."

He moved to the United States in 1970 after graduating from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Chopra did his internship in New Jersey, and residency and fellowship at various institutions, including Boston, Tufts and Harvard universities. He also was chief of staff at Boston Regional Medical Center for two years.

His interest in Hinduism and medicine evolved while observing a mind-body connection in his research, and a chance encounter in 1985 with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at a conference in Washington, D.C.

"I first leaned toward Ayurveda medicine and then actually went on to study other wisdom traditions of the world ... this happened during my training in neuro endocrinology where I saw what happened in consciousness in biology," Chopra explained.

"I was just extending my understanding of healing from physical to mental to social to environmental," he said. "That's what the 'Alliance' is all about ... healing the body politic, healing the world."

Chopra devotes substantial time to his own spiritual development. He meditates and exercises daily, though he occasionally enjoys a triple hazelnut latte.

During the interview, Chopra switches his Blackberry, covered in an orange case, to vibrate as he speaks on faith, politics and a list of projects like a new comic book launched with his son and Sir Richard Branson. The in-demand speaker is at ease quoting Scripture or talking quantum physics. He has studied the Bible closely, reading it hundreds of times.

Though "The Third Jesus" was on his mind for 25 years, it took him six months to complete once he began writing. The next book will be a fictional account of Jesus' missing years.

"Where else do you read a story of the Son of God being executed by their own?" he said. "It is dramatic. It's three years of his teaching, and it has shaped the world for 2,000 years."

In a review, Harvey Cox, Hollis professor of divinity at Harvard, said "The Third Christ" is "bound to provoke both admiration and condemnation." Chopra references the New Testament and Gnostic Gospels to deconstruct church doctrine and conservative Christianity on issues such as war, abortion, women's rights and homophobia.

"I see blogs every day that are negative and very nasty because this is not a literalist interpretation of Jesus," Chopra said. "My book is about Jesus as a state of consciousness. If I can aspire — maybe not achieve — but aspire to be in that state of mind and if a lot of people were aspiring to be in that state of mind this would be a better world.

"I emphasize this over and over again that whatever we do is about improving ourselves and improving the world."

Source:
www.mormontimes.com