Are Your Emails Jesus Proofed?

I have written this same message on far too many emails lately, so I thought it important to write it as a general exhortation. During the past few weeks in particular, both my ministry and personal emails have become clogged with well-meaning and thoughtful messages. So what's the problem you ask?

Each of them have a subject line that starts with "FW", some with multiple "FWs". Ya'll know what I mean! Well, here in is the problem. Countless say "This was was just too cute not to send on". If you know its not what Jesus would do or say, why does it become too cute to send along to someone who might not have the right understanding of the Bible?

Anything that says, a nice encouraging message, nice pictures and just nice--but add the words, send this to XX number of people within so many minutes or you will break the chain and loose the blessings that you would receive with this email. STOP and delete it!

Blessings clearing and biblically come from GOD not man and certainly not from an email. We wonder why people get the wrong information about Christianity, Christ himself, and what we stand for when we do things that are contrary to the biblical teachings. When they are received from people who are young in the Lord, that's one thing--most often they truly don't know. But I am really speaking to the number of evangelists, pastors, and Sunday School teachers, women ministers, etc that send them because its cute, its friendly, and its doing "out reach". Would you send one to Jesus?

Would you expect Jesus to send the emails stating, don't break the chain or you loose the blessings attached and expect Jesus to send it to 12 of his friends? Quite obviously the answer would be no. So next time before you place names in the send to slot, make sure Jesus is the first one you send any email to, if he can get it then go ahead, but if you wouldn't send it to Jesus, perhaps it just shouldn't be sent in the manner it is written.

Jesus is THE source of all things! Philippians 4:19 ... all of our needs are met through Christ Jesus, not an email with a special blessing attached to it.

In these end-times we need to be sure about our evangelizing and that we are speaking the word of God correctly. If we're not sure, ask somebody you know has a stronger understanding. Let us be truly about the business of lost souls, encouraging each other in these difficult days, and being true to the Word of God.

In and Out of Bounds

"Nothing is out of bounds unless it is out of Christ."

Susan Storm Smith

By now you know that there are all kinds of subjects on www.Mudsplats.blogspot.com and nothing is out of bounds, unless is is out of Christ. So the subject today is one that has been around for quite a while and to which my family has been at odds over--embryonic stem cell research.

My eldest brother became quite ill later in life and extremely overweight. His top weight was close to 500 pounds on a 6 foot 3 inch frame. To this day I'm not sure if his weight helped cause some of the health problems, or if his health problems added to his weight; either way, his kidneys took a beating and finally decided to shut down. Dialysis three times a week became a way of life for him. His weight came down dramatically.

In his last few years we had heart-to-heart discussions about the use of embryonic stem cell research. I have always been opposed to it. Quite clearly, including statements from the medical community, it is the destruction of a viable embryo which would could become a mature fetus and child. On the other hand, I understand people who are at death's door and their desire to remain alive. It is a hard but not impossible debate.

My brother asked me point blank if I would rather have him die than to have an embryo destroyed? My answer came without hesitation, I would not destroy any embryo for the survival of a person. To many that may sound hard and beyond comprehension.

The reasons I cited to him were clear and simple. I love my brother with all my heart and would sorely miss him, his laugh, guidance, and friendship. If my kidneys would have been a good match, I would not hesitate to give him one of mine, but they were not.

The Bible says, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lays down his life for his friends." John 15:13 NIV Weeping I reminded my dear friend and brother, an embryo has no choice to lay down its tiny but precious life to another. It is robbed, killed, and then destroyed for the sake of someone else, including the research that goes into the process.

Biblically the devil is described as the enemy who comes to kill, rob, and to destroy life. That is exactly what stem cell research does. So no, I will not condone it nor support it in any way that I can have control over.

My last words to him in this life were, "With much love, I shall truly miss you and appreciate the life we have shared together." We never had an opportunity to speak with each other again. He sat in his favorite chair one night, with his blanket covering him, nodded his head and passed on to another life.

Letting go is never easy, no matter what the circumstances. In the case of my brother who was dying without a kidney transplant and on a waiting list, who left the biblical belief of abortion while trying to stay alive, I grieved. But it is no different than the millions of people who die each year from cancer, diabetes, and other horrible life altering diseases. Families miss them and have memories.

Embryonic Stem cell destruction is abortion. It is murder. It is a sin against God and there will be a price to pay for it. It is surely out of bounds in Christ. Our nation has now changed the law that says we will not support this horrific act into we will and now we have. The FDA has approved the trials of embryonic stem cell research on humans.

The resolution to this type of research is underscored by the knowledge, proof and documentation that umbilical cord and adult cells work for regenerating cells--but we as a nation have now gone the road and next steps to make sure we continue the use of abortion so others might live.

This is truly out of bounds in Christ!

As the World Watched in Joy, Hope, and Starvation

Like most of the world, I too was glued to the vistas of the inauguration of the US 44th President, Baracj H. Obama. It was also interesting to see how Kenya responded. The Daily Nation [Kenya] had some great articles both Tuesday and Wednesday regarding how they say "their Obama". The fact that they killed two bulls tells how much they love and respect the man. Two bulls are very expensive not only to buy, but also are the reproduction of more cows which is a very good industry in East Africa. So for me, it spoke volumes.

One of the sentences that struck me, however, was Kenya has now taken over America. May I say to President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga, instead of asking America to give you money or even to loan it to your country, that if you are indeed taking over America, help us pay off the debt that we borrowed to give to you. And Mr. Odinga, thank you for helping a group of Kenyans be able to witness in person the swearing in of one of your own. Thanks for helping them to see America up close and personal.

On the same page of the Daily Nation were pictures of people living in the western parts of Kenya who are literally starving to death, having the 2nd year of no crop production. The next picture were school teachers on strike--can't say I blame them. A few of my friends from Kenya have emailed me stating that the government has become very corrupt. And they voted for change. They too are looking toward a new constitution, a promise that has been on the lips of people for years--but unfortunately Kenya is still looking to try and convict those responsible for the murders and riots of last year. If they did it honestly, it would close down government altogether.

So to those who say America is under scrutiny for the change many Americans voted for, let us also be aware of the change that is happening around the world. We do not live in a vaccuum. I wonder what our own food production is going to look like this summer after seasons of floods in the midwest, a government that pays farmers to burn their crops because prices are too low, and yet others are starving to death that we say we care about.

Mr. President and members of Congress, we say we are the richest and friendliest nation on the earth, please make changes that others can believe in too. Stop burning food because of greed. Remember Joseph from the Bible, he taught the Egyptians to store up the wheat and grains for seven years so they would have when the earth would not yield. They didn't burn of destroy their food they stored it for the day that surely was to come.

Global warming would indicate that the time will come when crops won't grow; global cooling does the same thing.

Remember: Everything starts with one word and one step--make yours in the direction of success.

Follow the Links to NWO Formation

Pondering the current events we have been exposed to internationally, both as a prophetic end-times researcher and as a news junkie, I find all the above sliding or colliding into each other at warp speed. I believe that we have come to believe several things from the news: the economic collapse could have been prevented, but wasn't for reasons we really don't understand on the surface, and it started a domino effect globally. The question remains, was it planned? And if it was planned, by whom and for what purpose?

Last March [2008] when I arrived back in the States from Africa, I received a word of prophecy which is demonstrating its truth daily by news reports and the election history just past. The next step in the sequence of unraveling the mystery we are living came in August after I posted the March prophecy and other more current information. A message came to me from a person within the financial world that many had heard "rumors" that something big was coming down in September or October and the financial institutions were selling off US dollars to be prepared. Was this a rumor or warning to the banks and financial institutions?

We know now that the big surprise coming was the Wall Street/major market failure to which we have not seen the bottom yet. There are other "surprises or shoes to drop".

Another event in April 2007, which I find interesting just by date, President Bush met with EU Commission president Jos Barroso and the serving president of the European Council, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in the Rose Garden of the White House. It is reported that they were thanked for their participation in "the trans-Atlantic economic integration plan of trade."

The agreement signed by the three above mentioned people is called "Framework for Advancing Transatlantic Economic Integration between the United States of America and the European Union." It has moved along very swiftly.

But an other meeting was held in March 2008 and much less publicized. At the State Department a group focused on the linking of the US, Canada and Mexico which in the end would also link to the European Union.

A person whose name is kept private under the Chatham House Rule states, "North America should be a premiere platform to establish continental institutions. That's why we need to move the security perimeters to include the whole continent, especially as we open the borders between North American countries for expanding free trade."

Wanting to expand the "security borders of the US" would involve Mexico and I find it of interest that in the article posted at the US Military is starting to make statements about the possibility of them going into "help" Mexico in the event of its collapse due to the drug wars going on.

It was interesting that then presidential candidate Obama made his famous "I am a citizen of the world" speech in Germany. But let us not forget that as President Obama, he is fully aware of these agreements, and the plans set forth by previous administrations, following the legacy and prophetic words of redividing the world into unions. In the months and few years ahead during his and Vice-President Biden's time in the White House, it is not their plan, but the plan of an international community for a world government.

Our own military is put on assignment to be a ready defense on domestic situations whether natural disaster, war, or whatever under the command of FEMA who reports to the president. In this case it will be to President Obama, but begun by President Bush.

Rumor again has it [hasn't been wrong yet] that in the early spring another "surprise" in the US is planned and again we should be prepared.

Summary: Many I have discussed this with believe that the international economic collapse was planned in order to move the coalition of trade and new world order onto the discussion table. A one world government so that issues can be addressed and direction given more easily rather than having to deal with so many different governments and rules. This is becoming a reality in our life-time, quite possibly progressive at the G-20 summit in April 2009.

The North American Union is going to be a reality and we believe sooner rather than later, and wonder if the wars are incited as a way to bring it about. As history has said repeatedly, always follow the money. And where can you find more money than in free trade.

Would love to hear your views, leave a comment and get into discussion. Should these things be something we as fellow world citizens be concerned or fearful of? Is there something we as citizens should do?

For further reference:
Information can be found on Google.com
quicker reference "What in the World is going On? by Dr. David Jeremiah pg. 131-133
www.newsmax.com dated 1/14/09
Press release on Bush/EU agreement 30 April 2007 from the White House

Incredible Rex

Let me say first and foremost, Rex is not just another book about overcoming disabilities. Cathleen Lewis takes the reader on an incredible journey into what most people simply do not understand--the world of autism, blindness, and relationships for a disabled person. Truly an amazing gift the world has been given to have something written so well that the reader gains a new appreciation for all the "Rexes" in the world.

It is often said and noted that when a person is blind, deaf, or has some other disability that other parts of the body become more sensitive and somehow compensate. His parents, of course, are disappointed that their child is born blind; thinking that their precious and beautiful son is looking intently at them, but instead can't see them at all. That would rock anyone's world. Then to find that other skills are missing as well.

Rex is first taken to the Blind Children's Center where his behavior has striking contrasts of a child who can't see but also refuses to touch almost everything, and to whom noise is a terror attack to his nerves. Music being the only thing that calms the tsunami of thoughts and ideas trying to process in his mind. Ms. Lewis then begins the years of searching for what will eventually become the chains breaking on her child from what would have been a silent sentence of despair and loneliness.

I don't want to tell too much about the actual journey because that would spoil the book for the reader. It is a delightful read that keeps you turning the pages. Rex moves from lonely intolerance to a socially competent young man who is willing and desiring to share his extraordinary gift with the world.

Ms. Lewis shares a dual journey, mother and son, in finding what makes both of them whole. For Ms. Lewis it is in assisting her son to become fully integrated into the sighted world, while she found the comfort that God so fully gives. If you're interested in being a world changer, this is an excellent addition to your library. Hopefully it will add sight to your world as it did to mine.

Confabulation of Muses--What Is Yours?

"We find comfort among those who agree with us--growth among those who don't."
Frank A. Clark, author

This has been both a soothing salve and sandpaper day for me. As I watch the news with the rest of the world, not just wars and doom and gloom, but also those that are trying to make a difference in positive ways. It's an amazing confabulation of muses trying to get noticed.

It makes sense that we want to be with those who are like us, but I ponder today and wonder if we are in agreement wholly with our religious, family, and political traditions. It appears that all shades of what has been are changing to fit what we want for today instead of holding on to what works and what is truth.

For me there are two things that stand as standards, the first is the Holy Bible. My tradition of life, promises and hope are based on the Word of God. Next comes the U. S. Constitution which is based originally by our founding fathers on nothing less than the Holy Bible. The second can and certainly has been changed by the whims and different traditions of man and the confabulation of ideas continue to change the values that were first instituted when we were a young country.

If we do not hold on to the basic premise of what we stood for in the beginning, how will we become what was inspired within the hearts of our forefathers and has made us strong? The basic breakdown of family and moral values have undermined the very Constitution that made us great. I pray that we will not allow the Constitution of 1787 to become completely lost in this generation.

You make a difference!

Success In the Box of Failures

"When the world says "Give up", Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."

Author Unknown

I love the story of inventors and entrepreneurs like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and even one of my favorites, Colonel Sanders and his famous chicken. Those around these persistent people often laughed, encouraged them to stop, telling them that they would never achieve what their minds saw as a legitimate product. Have you been there? I have, and sometimes I even gave in to the "stop". But then ...

I found as life continued on, the things that I stopped too soon came back to my mind and I picked many of the ideas up again. I had a new focus on the product. Life and new inventions that were in agreement with my idea helped push it along even better. The old idea that had been set aside was again viable--and working!

Without the inventions of Ford & Edison--would we have NASA? Would we put men/women into space? Would we have satellites that transmit our cellphones. Of that brings up Bell and the telephone. Your product may be the catalyst for the next generation of even greater!

Be encouraged today to look in the closet or box of "failures" and see what could be picked back up. Nothing is a failure, but an experience of what to do and not to do. Sometimes those that didn't work just might be your ticket to success now.

Remember--nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Safety For People Or Made To Be Human Shields

Today, after watching www.bbc.com and the video showing a hospital in Gaza, a greater burden has weighed upon me to speak out. This decision isn't even motivated by a religion belief in favor of Israel, it comes from a humanitarian view of Hamas and other Middle East countries that use their citizens as human shields.

A foreign doctor was interviewed who confirmed that most of the injured were men, women and children. But my question is, did they intentionally walk over the leaflets that announced their neighborhood was about to be bombed? A report on major news outlets have said that Israel droped leaflets letting people know their neighborhoods were next, and that they were ignored.

The Hamas leader who was killed by a bomb last week, stayed in his house with his four wives and children believing that surely they would not bomb civiliams. This is not the first time human shields have been used, Iraq was noted for this as well. But it is the human population that willfully walks over leaflets telling them to leave the areas because they are about to be bombed that has left me speechless.

Suicide bombers are one thing; people who, with full knowledge of what they are about to do, kill themselves and others, and/or cause great destruction. But in the name of life, how can anybody just walk over an announcement that your neighborhood is about to be bombed, and everybody killed and go on like nothing is happening? People know that Hamas leaders are in the neighborhood. They are warned, yet they stay. This is I don't understand.

Is there a brainwashing of all these people that says they are dying for the cause and that their death will bring them or their country honor? After all the years of war between Israel and Palestine, why aren't there any bomb shelters or places of safety for people to go to?

If tunnels can be made for smuggling in ammunition from Iran then surely if the Palestinians were concerned about their people, they would provide some sort of shelter for them but they have not--at least that I know about--and is reported "there is no place for them to go".

So in summary, Gaza/Hamas, it appears that you're using your own people as a human shield and allowing them to be killed for the sake of propaganda on the international stage at the suffering they are going through. You say, "Look how many are injured and dead", and yet, you have not taken any steps to provide protection for them. But you did make the provision for your ammunition. Which in the name of your god is more important--I guess we have the answer.

Exploding Roses

"Living is not enough, ... one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."
Hans Christian Anderson

While searching for a quote today and came upon this one, I started to laugh and had a memory smile moment. When I was in Arizona/Colorado and worked as a manager for a wholesale flower outlet we had fresh flowers all over our offices. I especially enjoyed Valentines day because we had exotic flowers that grow in Hawaii and other more tropical climates. And no, not everyone wanted red roses.

The flower "season" went from Thanksgiving straight through to Mother's Day. Tensions especially in the design department was extreme on certain days, which was predictable. They had to prepare hundreds of specialty arrangements, buyers had to make sure they have enough of all the ingredients, and God-forbid we ran out of anything. During Valentines our coolers could have anywhere from one to two million dollars worth of roses in them. If the temperature was not just exact, you lost your inventory.

Needless to say, everybody--and I do mean everybody--got involved around Christmas and Valentines Day prepping, or design. Some of us were lucky enough to do Sunday deliveries [smile] But one thing we all agreed on, we didn't grow tired of the flowers.

Our motto: Nobody ever died from an exploding flower! You simply pick up the petals and make potpourri

Sometimes we need to see our situations as flowers. The most that could happen is the petals fall off, its not tragic, pick up the pieces and make something else of it.

Smile--let the sunshine in
Freedom--don't block what could be an exceptional experience
Flowers--they add to your environment

Power for ....

"I am not interested in power for power's sake, but I am interested in power that is moral, that is right and it is good."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

One of the things that makes us want to remember Dr. King is that he was a moral man. He believed in the vision for a great society that was moral, that was truthful, and where all could feel a place with in it. I'm not sure that it is really possible because there are those who refuse to be truthful and/or moral. But that is not the issue.

For society, neighborhood, or even families to change, it takes the individual goal and determination to be different.

What a great year this is to make the determination for change. We've been saying it, blogging it, printing quotes about it for two years--now is the time for us individually to begin living it. First for self, then to be an example for others.

We all watch each other, what we say, how we dress, act--just live. You do make a difference to somebody--be the example for change. As Dr. King suggests don't want power just to be powerful, but demonstrate your power for moral change. Be the best you in your community!

Remember: Everything starts with one word and one step, point yours in the direction for success.

Later,
Susan Storm Smith

Installment Plan Change

"A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded
men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Education in any field of endeavor, even in learning to cook, may be required but until we are willing to crave for the information of learning, we will continue to have mediocre societies where many live with good enough and just get by attitudes and outputs.

No nation owes its citizens an income, those are the things that are determined by hard work and ingenuity. When governments are willing to pay people not to work, not to produce, then they have become a nation that is usurping the mental acuity given by their creator at birth to become something of great worth.

Let this be the year that those who can, mentor someone who would desire change in an area we can assist them, to empower them to strive toward their greatness. The gift of mentoring, the gift of giving seeds of education and greatness are never without a harvest.

Remember: Everything begins with one word and one step, point yours towards success.

YOU do make a difference

Change You Want the World to See

"Be the change that you want to see in the world."

Mohadas Gandi

How many times have you, like me and so many others, thought of something that needed to be changed and then waited for somebody else or some group to take the initiative to make the change? Certainly others can see what you do, right?

When I moved back to Buffalo, New York I looked around and saw so many things that were in need of change. Certainly the politicians and community see what I see. It's not always that easy. And I have come to acknowledge that when you see the need, it is then your assignment. You were allowed by God to see a need that you were capable of helping to fix.

So why can others discuss the need and not feel a need to become involved? People are willing to settle for what is instead of making a change to help everybody. Having skills and gifts to assist positive change, and not doing anything is like having the only oar for a boat that needs to get to shore, and not using it. The boat will then just move with the tide.

Cities and society cannot change without the people who live in it desiring a change for the better. May this new year be an experience where no matter what our political affiliations, religious traditions, or social weaving postulates, we as an individual take the initiative to make each day positive. Spread the word, one can be multiplied to the unfathomable degree of service.

Remember: Everything begins with a word and a step, point yours in the direction of success.

YOU do make a difference!