Some Things Birds Tell Us

                              

The following article came from a Christian friend of mine who from time to time gets up "stuff" to preach in his area. He sent this to my husband and me and I think it is pretty neat. :

Job 12:7- But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee: and the fowls of the air and they shall tell thee.

Prov.6:5- Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of a hunter, and as a bird from the hand of a fowler.

Psa.18:10- And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly upon the wings of the wind.

What can birds tell us?  They were created before man, and have been flying over heads for thousands of years. Birds mirror mankind, and they let us know that they can think.  For example, on a university campus in Japan carrion crows and humans line up patiently waiting for the traffic to stop at the lights.  When the lights change the birds hop in front of the cars and place walnuts on the road, which they got from the trees nearby.  After the lights turn green again, the birds fly away and the cars drive over the nuts, and crack them open. When it’s time to cross again the crows join the pedestrians and pick up their meal.  This is not instinct.  Before the fall, birds talked with man. Birds watch men. Man preys or is prey.  We need the Lord for victory.

God can use birds to give us direction.  For example, the Bible tells us that Moses brought the Jews out of Egypt in spring.  Most bible scholars say that the Jews came out in fall. But what do the birds say?

Quail are toxic during their southern autumn migration, but not on their return flight in spring. Also, quail are more abundant on the Red Sea coast in spring than in fall. Birds that fly north in spring are hungry and exhausted and stop in Israel before flying to Europe or Asia.  If they fly to Europe they’ll fly over Turkey.  And if they head to the breeding grounds in Asia they fly over Jordan.  These birds tell us that the Jews crossed the Red Sea in spring where the Jews could have fed on birds-Exodus16; 34:18.  During the fall migration they are relatively fresh and don’t need to stop over at the Red Sea. 

Each year hundreds of millions of birds cross over Israel, migrating between their breeding grounds in Europe and Asia and their wintering quarters in the heart of Africa.  That is 60 to 75% of all the migrating birds fly via Israel. This is because it is the only land route and offers access to the breeding grounds in Asia.  500 million to 1.5 billion birds fly north each spring from Africa to Asia by way of the Jewish salt flats.  They stop over at the feeding grounds near Eliat at the northern tip of the Red Sea.

When God told Moses to take the Jews out of Egypt, Egypt being a type of the world, mankind was then divided into two groups; that is Jews and Gentiles. Religion had its origins in Egypt with sun worship. Yet, all the modern versions have their origins in Africa where notorious Scribes, such as Origen, Marcion, Augustine, the Popes, etc. all showed their penmanship in corrupting the manuscripts. Afterwards, in the early 20^th century two devious scholars named Westcott and Hort came out with the ASV and adopted these changes telling you that they were from the Original Greek. There is no original Greek, in fact, there are 27 Greek texts and they all differ.  All they had to do was mess up 5% of the words. A little leaven leaveneth the lump.

The Bible comes from the majority text with the manuscripts from Antioch, Syria not Alexandria, Egypt. You either have the Holy Bible because God wrote it, or you have the unholy one because men wrote them.  What Bible are you spending time with?  Is this a sin that you need to confess?

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe (1Thessalonians 2:13.)

After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the gentiles were divided into saints and gentiles. God took out a part for himself called the Church.

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.

The Bible says that the oracles of God were given to the Jews.  God chose the Jews as his people because he had made a covenant with Abraham. Israel is the junction for truth. God wants us to look upward.  When we do we see birds.  Almost 2/3rds of all the birds stop over at Israel for food.  Jesus is called the bread of the world-John 6:33. These birds are telling us we need to feed on the Word of God. The word of God is likened to seed because the seed gave man eternal life.

1 Peter 1:23-Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever.

Acts 13:23- Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel, a Saviour Jesus.

John 6:32- Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that true bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

John 6:35-And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Luke 8:11-Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.

Luke 4:4- It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

 What are those high flying shorebirds telling us, like the geese who migrate by flying in V-formation.   Seems like the Lord wants us on his wings.  He wants to be near us. He wants us praying to him. And after a restful night, If I dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. (Don’t worry what a day may bring forth.)  Geese fly on the wings of the wind to remind us that we have victory in Jesus. The wind can be a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

John 16:13-He will guide you in all truth reviving the heart of man toward God.

You see how graceful birds fly in the wind.  In this V(wing)-formation it has been calculated that they can fly 70% further than a single bird. They fly in the draft of the flapping bird in front. Also, these geese expect the others to share the work. After the leading bird has done her part, she drops to the back and the bird that was closest to her then leads. This reminds me of Prov.6:19-The Lord hates people that sow discord among brethren like false doctrine that leads to heresy.

Also, you choose to react the way you do to what you see, hear, or feel.  Yet, your attitude may well determine how much grace you’ll get from the Lord. Your attitude effects just about everything in your life.  Each morning you choose to be in a good mood, or you can choose to be in a bad mood.  Yeah, I know, even with no sleep.  You have two choices.  You can choose to react, or you can choose to submit.  Each time something bad happens I can choose to be a victim or, I can choose to learn from it. You know how people affect your mood.  It’s your choice how you handle your life.  Sometimes it’s not that easy, and maybe even, you would rather die than live another day.  Life is all about choice. Try out the positive side of life.  You know God is watching (Luke 12:6,7.)

Are not five sparrows sold for a two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

  

Attitude is in your heart.? (Jeremiah17:9) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it. When people have heart transplants many times they take on the personalities and attitudes of the donors.  Even characteristics like beer drinking.  I remember the story of one woman that never drank beer until after heart surgery.  She had such a strong urge to drink beer that she just gave in and really liked it. But she had a suspicion that the heart donor was a heavy beer drinker. She contacted the donor’s wife and she told him that he was.

Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life.

The Bible says, “Where there is no vision the people perish”  Often  times altitude will change our attitude.  The Bible says  in John 3:8-The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou heareth the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whiter it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 

The powerful operations of God’s Spirit, reviving the heart toward God are compared to the blowing of the wind.  You may need to get back on the Lord’s wing.  Birds that flap their wings are low flying birds.  Eagles drop their young ones to teach them to rely on the wind to fly. Eagles fly high for a better vision. They eat only live food, live prey. God’s words are alive.  When you’re flying high, above the clouds you have more light. You can see that those bright clouds beneath you are rain clouds. They’re bright not dark, as the Bible says in Job 37:11. Up here you’re seeing more, you’re flying higher and seeing that all your worries were petty.  God is holding you up. Your vision is clearer.  God gave us a Bible to read  and study.  And to give you strength for another day.  We can reach a world that’s never been touched from the heart by having the right attitude and with patience lead them to the Lord.

Birds show the two nature of man.   The seed can be the seed of David (Romans 3:3), or the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15; through Judas, John 6:70,17:12). Birds tell you to fear God because of God’s vision. Proverbs15:3-The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. 

You can be like Christ, or you can be like the wicked.  Eagles can be nasty creatures, preying, devouring, envious, proud, and lofty, and harassing other birds. History has shown that the Roman eagle has killed millions. The Bible says, In her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth (Revelation 18:24.)  Many persecutors have destroyed the godly. “Come “ saith Pharoah, “let us deal wisely with them.”  Many Papists have accused Christians so they could take away their lives. Birds of prey are unclean  birds and would not be offered up in sacrifice.  Wicked men are unclean and their prayers and sacrifices are an abomination in the sight of God (Proverbs 15:8.) The Eagle is no well coming and friendly bird, but ill favored in God’s sight. Neither is their shrieks sweet in his ears.

 God wants to see, and hear his people.

              

Birds have a syrinx which is the sound producing organ.  Our soundbox is located at the top of the trachea.  The birds syrinx is set much lower down, at the junction of the two air tubes leading to the lungs.  This means that the syrinx has two potential sound sources, one in each bronchus.  This means that separate sounds which are then mixed when fed into the higher vocal tract . This complex design means that birds can produce a far greater variety of sounds.

 A British musician and avid bird watcher David Hindley slowed these bird songs down and discovered parallels between the skylark’s vast number of notes and Beethovan’s fifth symphony and Bach’s 48 Preludes and fugues  (whatever that is I don’t know.)

The love for Christ Jesus comes with birds singing (Song of Solomon 2:12) just before the rapture.

And if birds can parallel some music of Bach and Beethovan with sounds mixed and going out in two pipes how much more can the Devil do with his built in pipes and tabrets?

God created music for worship.  1 Chronicles 15:16-Man praised God with appointed singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding by lifting up their voice with joy. 1 Chronicles 15:28-And when the ark of the covenant was brought up the people shouted  and made a great voice with the sound of the cornet, with trumpets, and cymbals, and making noise with psalteries and harps.

              

Satan is the most subtle of creatures.

He wants to be like God and counterfeit Him                                                                                                                                                                                       

He has been going up and down in this world for 6,000 years and he is now out in full force with all his demonic spirits.  He was a murderer from the beginning.  He’s just as cunning now as he was in the beginning.  He was God’s music leader and wants worship. It’s no surprise to Paul who says to us in these latter days “Who hath bewitched you" (Gal.3:1.)

We have seen the decadence of music from Bach,  Handle, and Beethoven to Rock n’Roll with its sexual immorality agenda. Punk and Acid Rock shadowed the chaos in the world, and we now see the arise of Satanic worship in the music lyrics. The Rolling Stones have called themselves  “The Devil's Disciples.” The anti-Christ will come out of Europe and he is preparing his mix of music there. Coming out of Germany is a group called Scorpion and they are producing an alluring mix of classical and rock. He is a master with words, notes, and rhythm. God made Satan with pipes and tabarets  (Ezekiel 28:13) and only in the genealogy of Cain do we see this gift of music(Genesis 4:21,22) and the know how of how to make musical instruments. Father like son.  It’s not only what you say that matters, but how you say it.  The female song birds listen to all the male birds sing and mates with the one that has the largest lists of songs.  Wonder why the British people called their women “Birds?”

Satan was made the most beautiful of creatures.  Every precious stone was his covering (Ezekiel 28:13), and all the trees in the garden envied him (Ezekiel 31:9) These stones are all listed in (Ezekiel 28:13), but in (Revelation 21:20) the only precious stone that is left out is the diamond. Maybe because diamonds come from carbon and all dead things(bones) turn to carbon.  Isn’t he the god of death?  Also, carbon has an atomic number of 12, and this means it has 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons. His number 666 is in diamonds, and you men are even wearing it in your ears. Hopefully it will not be on your forehead! The Devil does not care for you. Diamonds are made under pressure just like he wants you under pressure too.

Paul says “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." The Devil can sift us all as wheat if we don’t know how to resist him. We resist Satan with the words of God. But Satan has taken your sword away, the King James Bible, and given you a modern paper thin plastic knife version!

  Where the word of a king is there is power: (Ecclesiastes 8:9)

Adam had to wait 130 years to get another son to replace Abel whom he named Seth. God allowed Cains line to flourish for 130 years because God had to keep his promise. That is 10 X 13.  Ten is the number that represents the Gentiles, and 13 is the devil’s number like Judas Iscariot, 13 letters. God waited for 130 years to see whether Cain’s line would glorify God  and they did not so God destroyed them all in Noah’s flood. 

Eve was not prepared to deal with Satan.  She lived in the dispensation of innocence and did not know whom she was facing. After her fall, she went back to the garden probably because she was lonely, and Adam was in no talking mood for she had tricked him.  Passing the blame is just one of those hitches in life and many times depends on which way the wind blows. So we do well to confess it and put it under the Blood.  Eve wanted company and maybe the only one who would talk to her was Satan..  They had both fallen and now had something in common against God.

Ecclessiastes 10:20-Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for the bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell of the matter.

 The devil had lost his beautiful covering and she her snow white body.( Before the fall, Adam and  Eve  had water instead of blood in their circulatory system. They were the only true “bluebloods” for they had dominion over the whole world until Satan took over.)  Eve  yearned for that close contact with Adam who didn’t want anything to do with her.   But the devil knew that he could comfort her through song. She may have had made many visits to the garden to see him. She had been touched before so she thought that he was harmless. And the Devil had his day to take advantage of her. He sweet talked her to get closer while the birds were watching. He sung songs, and maybe then rock n’ roll to get her body moving. We’re prisoners of sin, but God wants to set us free. The Lord Jesus Christ led  captivity captive. He arose from the grave. Birds have that freedom of flight.  We too have that  glorious liberty in Jesus, so why are so many of us still serving idols? Are we still held captive in these late modern days by T.V. ?  God instructed us to set no wicked thing before our eyes (Psa.101:3) so who has bewitched us? People are now relying on TV for guidance and instruction on how to live their lives.  We are attacked everyday with all sorts of demoniac spirits that we really need to exercise out.

               Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hands of the fowler.

            No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

  

Yes, we live in this world where birds are telling us that we gotta be free, or we gotta be divine.  Our gods are sex, money, and education. We glorify man instead of God. And it’s only by God’s grace that enables you, or I, to give glory to God.

God’s bird is the dove. Doves are meek, harmless, and chaste. They make their nests in the rock. They feed on grain, not carrion. They are often molested by birds of prey and were appointed under the law for sacrifice. They are very fruitful and have a lovely eye on their mate, and have no defence, but by flight. A fowler can catch them and put them easily in bondage. Paul writes, Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. (Galatians 4:3)

              

Can you glorify God? Birds teach you how to sing to the Lord. The best time is dawn. Sound travels best in the early morning with little wind and less noise.  I use to walk my dog at 5:00 in the morning, and was amazed by the loud and very large vocabulary of the mocking bird on the campus.  The Bible says:

O God , You are my God, early will I seek you.

But I will sing of your power, Yes, I will sing aloud of mercy in the morning.

 What does God say to us about our service? The Bible says:

              

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

The Lord tells us to be faithful, grow in faith, and put out his word.   Get that spiritual vision.   And that we better know  the King James Bible, because we will be judged by it. And women if you can find a man that’s trying to serve the Lord stand by your man because at the Judgment seat of Christ you’ll get an equal portion of his rewards, (Psalms 68:12, Romans 5:17, Ephesians 5:33.)

He that rejected me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. (John 12:48)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 215.)

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich;and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Revelation 3:18)

                                                                                                                                                           
 Brian Oshana

Wine Is A Mocker

Wine is a  mocker; strong drink is raging: and whosover is deceived thereby is not wise.  Proverbs 20:1

Each week as I read the newspaper or listen to the news, I see and hear over and over the tragedies that are occurring due to people partaking of alcoholic beverages. As a child growing up and even in my later teens, I learned first hand what alcohol can do to an individual and in a family. Before the salvation of my dad, there were numerous occasions in our household where alcohol ruled and reigned, and the result was a home life of constant fighting, less money to spend on the necessities of life, and sickness that would not have been prevalent if my dad hadn’t drinked.  My brothers and I, as well as other family members, were able to acquire beer and liquor at an early age which resulted in near fatalities on the highway and a brother who was a teenage alcoholic. Parents do not live to themselves—someone is always affected by what they do—someone is always watching.

According to the research I obtained from the Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the following information is true:

·   Every year more money is spent promoting the use of alcohol than any other product.  Perhaps through its elaborate and creative marketing, the most basic, yet important fact about alcohol is often overlooked—alcohol is a drug—the most commonly used and widely abused psychoactive drug in the world.

·  Even at low doses, alcohol significantly impairs the judgment and coordination required to drive a car or operate machinery safely. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can also increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including domestic violence and child abuse. Long-term effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol can lead to permanent damage to vital organs, several different types of cancer, malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies, sexual dysfunction, high blood pressure and lowered resistance to disease. Mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to infants with fetal alcohol syndrome which in turn may suffer from mental retardation and other irreversible physical abnormalities. These children are at a greater risk than other children of becoming alcoholic.

·  More than 100,000 United States deaths are caused by excessive alcohol consumption each year. Direct and indirect causes of death include drunk driving, cirrhosis of the liver, falls, cancer, and stroke.

·  65% of youth surveyed said they got the alcohol they drank from family and friends

·  Youth who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than those who never drink alcohol.

·  Underage drinking costs the United States more than $58 billion every year—enough to buy every public school student a state-of-the-art computer.

With all these statistics, why then do the adults in our area continue to include alcoholic beverages in just about every recreational activity in which they participate? One is hard pressed to find a restaurant to eat in that does not advertise and even push the wine, beer and liquor agenda, yet we wonder why there is so much chaos in the lives of the people around us. Not only do those who participate in promoting the use of alcoholic beverages have to live and deal with the consequences, those of us who do not, have to suffer because of the lifestyles of others around us. These days if a person becomes an alcoholic and is unable to work, he is allowed to get a disability check, but when a person who has worked practically all their life becomes sick, they are told they must be prepared to return to work in order to receive income. How unfair is that?

From the Christian perspective, I would like to quote a few convincing verses from the Bible in order to show how God clearly feels about this matter.

Proverbs 23:20-21

Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Proverbs 23:29-35

Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick, they have beaten me and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

Proverbs 31:4-7

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.  Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

Isaiah 28:7

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

Habakuk 2:15

Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

Why Should God Send Rain?

For quite some time it has been on my mind to write on the subject “Why Should God Send Rain?” Probably by the time I get this written and submitted, it will have rained at least once. But prior to my actually getting this written, the major topic of discussion seems to be the fact that it has not rained in most places for many days, weeks, and in some places months. The ground outside has been parched and brown.  If someone were to throw down a match or cigarette it is almost certain to start an unquenchable wild fire.

As I am writing this paper, it has only rained (a good rain) once since the talk began. I asked myself for many days why or what could be the reason for the absence of rain. I know that there are many theories, some blaming it on “el Niño” or global warming. Many people refuse to believe that it could be that God is just plain sick of what he sees in this area.  There are supposedly many Christians living in the Southside Virginia area but how many are truly considering what the Bible says about how God feels about what will take place in these last days and how little emphasis is placed on striving to not be like the people spoken about in these verses. I take the following scripture from the King James Bible

2 Timothy 3:1-7;13

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.  Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:  from such turn away.  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,  Everlearning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

It would be a good thing to get an old dictionary and look up the words in the previous verses to get the full meaning of what exactly is being said. Sometimes we don’t give heed to what the verses are really saying because we don’t fully understand their meanings. Now read the next few verses and maybe it will make you as disgusted as God is at what he sees in our area as well as in other places in this country.

Romans 1:21-32

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.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.  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. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts between themselves:  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. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death,  not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Has any one paid attention to the filth that is being played via TV in most peoples homes. No longer does anyone have to go to the “dirty movie” or rated “X” movies as it was called in my day. They just need to sit down in front of their TV in their living room and all the other rooms in the house and view every type of filth that wasn’t heard of years ago. Now it is done in the privacy of their own home and nobody knows what they are buying and renting in the DVD section of the Wal-Mart or movie rental stores.  Did you think that your children wouldn’t know how to use those DVD machines or be able to find those movies you are viewing privately. What do you think this is doing to the homes in this area and all across America?  Maybe you don’t care.  Maybe because you are enjoying yourselves you thought it would be a good idea to allow your teenagers to view some of this slop with you. Many have become what I call TV addicts. They live to see the next sitcom, soap opera, (full of filth that perpetrates adultery, fornication, whoredom, you name it) talk show, where all of this is available. 

Every week there is a section or two in the newspapers telling what entertainment is available for our families and friends. Many of these entertainments are sponsored by beer, wine, and liquor companies. What do you think this is doing to the young people in our area. Many adults who are parents are in disarray about their children, teenagers, and young adults being on drugs and alcohol, but these same people seek entertainment that is promoted by these same products. How hypocrital!! While these adults are out “dancing on the streets” so to speak, their children are doing likewise and entertaining themselves with drugs and or alcohol. The music plays a special part in the frenzies of the moment.

Many people have gone slap crazy over the racing sport. It seems to be the talk of mostly everybody around.  Countless dollars and time are spent keeping up with this sport. I have heard people complain that they are losing their jobs or their incomes, yet they still have time and can afford to participate in this entertainment and this sport is definitely sponsored by the beer manufacturers. The preachers in the churches in this area have given up speaking out about these idols. Many of them have become a part of this vast mob of entertainment.

2 Peter 2: 1-9

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:  whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. For if god spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Lastly, I know we are living in the last days. We are living in a time when all that we know as good and righteous is being destroyed. The devil is very subtle and clever and has done his work very well. He has caused people to actually think that this is normal in society. Well, I for one don’t want to reap the consequences of these actions and whether we like it or not, we have to live with the choices and decisions made by others. How about it. Why do you think that God doesn’t send rain?

Proverbs 14:34

Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.!!

Homeschooling

Three of my grandchildren are being homeschooled by their mom and she is doing a great job! When my youngest daughter Grace was getting ready to enter Middle school, I decided to homeschool her and did so until she graduated from high school. She went on to go to a Christian college. I am saying this because I know that with only one child it was very time consuming and took a lot of energy...and I didn't have her involved in all the activities that my daughter Beth is participating in, although I regret not involving Grace in more outside activities. 

Homeschooling gives the parents control of their children and there are many social skills they learn due to the fact they can decide how to spend their class time.  I am glad to see that Beth is training her children to prepare for the future as wives and homemakers as well as learning how to deal with day to day living experiences. They are not just sitting in a classroom worrying frantically if they will pass the SOL's. The parents can choose what their children are being taught. In the public school curriculums the students are being taught evolution as a truth as well as the other alternate "lifestyles" as being okay! You would be surprised what they are being taught. You have to do your homework!! They do not have to deal with someone putting them in "lock down" because of a gang or because someone has been using drugs.  They do not have to get up and wait for a bus at 6:30 a.m. in the dark and get home in the late afternoon at 5:00 p.m. This is something I am well aware of that most students deal with who are in public schools. If they are sick, they are already at home so they can go to bed if they need to, they don't have to deal with calling their parent to come get them so they can go home. 

There are times when the homeschooling mom feels she might not be able to continue dealing with the stress or the expense of homeschooling. This is the time when the homeschooling mom or dad needs to stop and just think about how they are protecting their children from the onslaught that is going on in the public schools and in some Christian (private) schools. The vast majority of public schools seem to me like being in the jungle. While attending college a few years back, I saw first hand how the high school kids, who came to the college for advanced classes, acted in the commesary. They actually made me think I was in a riot or something.

Anyway, the following is a typical homeschool day in my daughter's life at her home. This is taken from her blogspot, housewifepi.blogpot.com ....

A Day in the Homeschooler's Life

Well, I have survived 2 weeks of teaching 3 kids at once. And it's been okay. Annelise wants to learn, so it's actually gone alot smoother than I thought it would go. And for some reason, you get temporary amnesia during the summer and forget about how exhausting it can be doing everything.

I get up (now that Todd has to leave even earlier for work) :
at 4:30...(gag me)...I put together T's lunch, and fix him breakfast...If I didn't do this, no telling what the man would eat.
at 5:00...I drink very strong coffee, and try to wake up, while the kids come down in stages and fix themselves cereal, or eat whatever I've thrown together.
at 6:00...I straighten the house while the kids watch cartoons (lately it's been the Pink Panther)
at 7:00...I do aerobics for 45 minutes while the kids clean their bedroom, get their clothes on, hair/teeth brushed, etc. They know the drill, and they do it.
at 8:00....we start school. I have a system I have perfected over the years. First, we pray, do the pledge of allegiance, recite the Books of the Bible (a song I made up), and go over things like the days of the week, months, seasons (for Annelise), recite the Ten Commandments (this takes no more than 5 minutes), then I read the Bible to them, and we go over whatever we read. Which is fun, cuz kids can come up with some great questions.
We then sing hymns. I let them each pick one to sing, and we sing loudly. After hymns, we sing "fun" songs, such as 'I May Never March In The Infantry', 'Where O Where Is Sweet Little Nellie', and their favorite...'There's A Hole In The Bucket'.
Then the bookwork begins. While Ariel and Isabelle are doing their seatwork, I work with Annelise. Her attention span is about 2 minutes, so I have to work with that.
at 11:00...school is over for me and Annelise, but Ariel and Isabelle still have some workbook/homework to do, which takes them about 45 more minutes. We do lunch, and whatever I have to do housework wise gets done.
On Monday and Wednesday afternoons, we go to ballet.
On Tuesdays is violin and chorus (we won't start this until next week)
On Thursday is piano.....
And we throw in sewing lessons and various other homeschool trips/projects into the mix, as well. By supper time, I am tired, and I rarely make it until 10 o'clock (at night) before I am asleep. Honestly, I'm thinking of going to bed at 9:30.

Believe me...I look forward to Saturdays!!

Annelise's First Day of School

 

    Today was Annelise's first day of kindergarten. She was so excited she could hardly sleep last night. Which means she has been cranky this afternoon, but I remember that excitement when I started kindergarten.

She had everything ready-her books and pencils and crayons. I just love that desire in young children to learn. Ariel and Isabelle started 5th grade, and they weren't so excited.
  

They were dealing with it, and Isabelle is halfway smiling here, but that was before I showed her the new math workbook. She turned it to Annelise and said, "See, I told you. That'll wipe that smile right off your face."

I had to turn away to laugh. Kids are so funny.

 

Age Doesn't Matter

One of the best things about home schooling is that age doesn't matter. I have been thinking about it off and on all summer, mainly because I take my kids to the pool and I sit and watch them with the other kids. And I have noticed something. Many of the public school kids only interact with their own age group. Usually, you can pick out the public schooled kids quickly by their mannerisms, the way they dress, and the way they cling to each other, almost as if they would be lost if they were left to themselves.

Most home schooled children interact every day with different age groups. The 14 and 16 year old plays just as well with the 2 and 4 year old as they do with their own age group. And they generally tend to have a good attitude about it. Seeing a group of mixed ages playing backyard games, such as hide-and-go seek, does the heart good. Seeing a mopey teenager who is angry because he's stuck with a bunch of little kids does not.

Whatever happened to children of all ages playing together? My kids love old Little Rascals videos. And I love them, too. They tell of a simpler time. Kids of all ages played OUTSIDE! TOGETHER! And usually a little brother or sister tagged along. It taught kids to be responsible, to play and work together, and how to be creative. Instead of being told what to think and how to think, kids had to come up with innovative ways to entertain themselves and others, and they learned to negotiate.

It's our job as parents and educators (home schooled and public/private school alike) to keep the spirit of the backyard games alive. Get your kids involved in just having fun again. Organize games for your kids to play and incorporate everyone into it. It is easy to forget to enjoy life because there is so much going on.

Ye Must Be Born Again!



In one of my past blog post, I stated that sometime in the future I would like to tell you all about how I became a Christian. The following writing is a copy of the autobiography I started writing while I attended college a few years ago. I have tried to use this autobiography to give folks a little background on my early life and also some highlights on how I got saved as a young adult and what happened later as my life progressed.

Enjoy!

_______________________________

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE RUSSELL

OH HAPPY DAY!

That which is born of flesh is flesh, that which is born of spirit is spirit, Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.

On Easter Sunday, April 2, 1955, in South Boston General Hospital, a daughter was born to Harry and Mary Seigla.  She was named Alice Marie and was preceded by a brother named Harry, Jr., and later having two other brothers named Tim and Joe, it was a blessing to have a daughter.  In 1955, Dwight D. Eisenhower was president.  Billy Graham was the most successful; probably the most aggressive evangelist at this time, and Elvis Presley began mesmerizing thousands of people. Among these people was my mama.

First of all, I must tell you where my last name “Seigla” came from and about my family.  My granddaddy was born in Oklahoma to a Cherokee Indian family, and at a young age his parents were killed in a massacre out West.  Some German settlers by the last name “Seigla” adopted him and raised him as their own.  Later, he married my grandmother Ruth whose family lived in Virginia.  He died when I was two years old, but I do not remember him.  My daddy and mama decided to take care of grandma, so we lived in the household together.  In our house on Hyco Road,
there lived grandma, daddy, mama, four of us children and two girl cousins whose mother had left them.

How many of you are familiar with the “Redneck Jokes”?  You know, “You know you’re a redneck if your family pet dog is allowed to sit between you and your wife in your pickup!”  Well, my family was a combination of redneck and redskin.  I remember daddy going to the local “dump” as it was called back then.  He would take our trash there, but would always bring something back with him.  We were poor, and this was a means of helping out the family.  Daddy would make his own fans and other things for the household from items he found at the dump.  We were the family that would use old tires for planters and swings.  I remember daddy coming back from the dump one day with a rubber foot that looked like someone had run over it.  He was trying to make mama believe that someone had run over his foot!  Daddy had a good sense of humor.  One time he tried to smoke a pig in an old car; of course the pig was dead!

 On my birthday, at the age of nine, instead of getting some fine gift, daddy bought me a goat and I named him Horace, because he looked like a boy that I knew in school.  But the best thing is how we got Horace home.  Guess what, we put him in our old car and he rode down through Riverdale with his head sticking out the window.  I wasn’t embarrassed though.  I thought this was a natural occurrence.

Now, I will tell you a little about grandma.  My grandma would cook chitterlings, and when we came home on the bus, you could smell them from the road.  How embarrassing.  Talk about discrimination, we had a bus driver that called us “crowfoot” when we got off the bus!  We didn’t mind because we didn’t know why he was calling us that.  Later in life, I realized it was because we were mixed Indian.  Grandma also took us children in the woods to pick blackberries.  She would come home and make a blackberry dumpling.  She made the best chicken and dumplings I ever ate, besides my own. But grandma had a mean streak!  She was very straight forward and outspoken.  And I was told that she was the first woman to wear a pair of pants in the town of South Boston.  Grandma taught us children how to play “setback” and “rummy” and other card games, and when we caught her cheating and said so, she would practically knock us out of the chair!

 
All of the adults in my family smoked, except mama.  Whenever my uncles and aunts visited, we children would sneak cigarettes, and beer, cuss like sailors and really have a time. We did a lot of cussing even when the uncles and aunts didn’t visit.  We were known as the Hyco Road gang.  My brothers and I walked everywhere we went or rode bikes.  We would pick up drink bottles along the road and take them to the store for money.  This was the only money we had besides working in tobacco. As I said, my daddy was poor, and mama didn’t work.

 

Around the age of ten, my cousin Ruthie, who lived with us, had a friend named Carol who owned horses.  My brother Jr., Ruthie, and I spent a lot of time with Carol riding horses (ponies) and visiting old haunted houses.  During these years, we did a lot of things that I am not proud of.  It was also during this time that while I was in the seventh grade, I tried out for cheerleading.  I was chosen to be a substitute cheerleader.  I had a friend named Patricia who really wanted to be a cheerleader, more than anything.  She cried when she did not make it, and since I was poor and realized that my daddy couldn’t “really” afford to buy the outfit that I would need for this endeavor, I gave Patricia the position that I should have had.  She was my friend, and I wanted to make her happy.  The sad thing is, when we both entered high school, she acted like she didn’t know me. 

In 1969, I entered the eighth grade at Halifax County Senior High School with fear and trembling.  It took me a while to find my way around.  There seemed to be absolutely no one that I knew.  As I previously stated, my friend Patricia was no where to be found.  This is where I first met a teenage boy named Sam Russell who would be my husband in the future. Of course, I did not know this at the time.  We were in the same homeroom class.  This was a class that every student had to come to first, so that they could be counted present.  While in the eighth grade, Sam also met my brother Harry (whom we all called Jr.) and was invited to our house to play touch football in the front yard.  What he did not know was that when my brothers played football, I played too. He tells me that when he first saw me it was “love at first sight”.  Of course, he thought that I would never like him.  I was good at sports, all kinds.  In high school PE, I played rover on the girl’s basketball team.  Sam would walk from his house to ours to play ball after school.  He thought we were the wackiest family he had ever met.  There was a dance that daddy would take Jr. and me to every Saturday night.  It was at Cluster Springs.  I could dance really well and always enjoyed going.

 As a high school student, I liked school and did well academically.  I took secretarial courses, and in the 12th grade enrolled in the ICT program in which I left school early and worked as a secretary for an insurance business.  It was at this time that Sam and I began getting serious about each other, and after graduation we were married on September 29, 1973.    After a few months, I decided to go to hairdressing school in South Boston.  It was there that I met Hilda!

Hilda was a woman that went to Centerville Baptist Church, and at that time this church was awed by all in the community.  Most had heard that the people there were very serious about salvation and living a separated life for God.  Hilda began a daily trek of telling us students about “hell” and how we needed to “repent” so we wouldn’t go there.  At first, I wanted to “cuss” Hilda out, and Sam would tell me to tell her where to go, and he didn’t mean heaven either.  But, I just couldn’t do that.  So I endured her, and finally the Holy Spirit began dealing with me about my life and what Hilda was saying.  I know that Hilda’s church was praying for my family and for Sam and me.  It was during this time that I began to think back to a night when I went with my friend Patricia to a revival meeting at Black Walnut Baptist Church.  That night the preacher preached on hellfire and damnation (for real) and I came under deep conviction.  I felt that I was going to die if I didn’t go forward.  The sad thing that happened that night is that I did go forward, but the pastor of that church did not tell me what to do in order to be saved from the burning hell the preacher spoke about.  So he sent me back to my seat...said something about rededicating my life to God.  But, I was no different after I went back to my seat, and I just began going in my own way.

One Friday night in March after going to bed, I lay there in the dark and began to think about all that Hilda had said.  I knew that she was right.  At that moment, I began to cry out to God to have mercy on me and forgive me of my sins.  I spent much of that time repenting of all that I thought was sin.  From that night on, I knew that God had heard my prayers and for Jesus sake had saved me.  The next day I found that Sam had done the same thing!!  I went to school and told (wrote her a note) Hilda that I had asked Jesus Christ to save me.  I don’t think she believed me, but that didn’t matter, I knew that I had been born again. As time went on, I realized that was the greatest decision I could have made in life.
 
The first thing I did was tell my daddy and mama that I had been saved.  That summer my daddy and mama both got saved and with daddy it was like turning a light on and off in a dark room.  There was a dramatic change in his life, and everyone who knew him saw it.  He later told his family and friends that he had become an alcoholic and knew that was his last chance.  As time went on, he found out that he had skin cancer.  I am so thankful that my daddy turned to Jesus Christ during this time, because I do believe that he would not have survived long.  The following year, October 20, 1974, my first daughter was born and I named her April because my birthday is in April and I always liked this month.  I had a lot of growing up to do.  A couple years later our second child was born, and I named her Elizabeth (Beth).

Sam and I got involved in church and became very sincere in our life for Christ.  A few years later, while at a revival meeting, Sam surrendered to preach.  He was scared at first, because he has always been a quiet type person.  But, after he preached a few times, it was obvious that God had done a work in Sam.  I worked in the hairdressing field for a few years, but decided that being home with my children was more important. When April was ten years old, I had another daughter in which I named Grace after the song “Amazing Grace”.  Since we had always believed that the King James Version of the Bible is the only true bible, Sam and I got involved in a movement against Bible correctors.  During this time, we became heartbroken over the way the King James Authorized text had been changed, distorted, and many times the very words were opposite in the “newer versions”.  We were put in the path of the most popular defender of the Kings James Bible, Dr. Peter Ruckman, and Sam and I moved our family to Pensacola, Florida in order that he could attend Pensacola Bible Institute. 

During the four years that our family was there we became involved in street work (street preaching) in which we thoroughly enjoyed.  This became a recreation for our family.  Sam attended Bible College in the evenings and worked as an electrician during the day.  On the weekends, he preached when he was not in church.  I did some housecleaning and landscaping for some of the residents there.  This is when I injured my back, and I still have a problem with that today.  Before injuring my back, I played racquetball at the church gym and also played tennis in which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Both of our older daughters, April and Beth, were married during these four years.  April decided to come back to Virginia in order to be married to Chris Hamlett.  This was something that Sam allowed.  I really thought it best for April and Chris to stay in Florida with us and be married there.  But April had other ideas.  Beth later married Todd Lassitter who was also a classmate of Sam’s and a graduate of the Bible College.

After graduation from Bible College, Sam decided to fulfill a lifelong dream of going to Montana.  So we moved there in June of 1996.  We managed to find a good church there, and we put out hundreds of gospel tracts in Billings, Montana.  Sam was unable to find an electrical job so we moved to Havre, Montana which is about 40 miles from Canada.  It was extremely cold during the winter.  We experienced a blizzard in October and 40 degrees below zero temperatures in the winter.  We had to put a heater in our car motor and plug it up at night so that the engine wouldn’t freeze up.  When we went outside, our nose hairs froze up (literally)!!  It was here that Grace and I worked at the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen in order to help feed the homeless and American Indian as well as minister to these people.

In the spring of 1997, we decided to come back to Virginia.  My husband’s dad was diagnosed with cancer.  Sam and our son-in-law Todd decided to start a church in Clover, Virginia and we were in this church for four years.  Because of illness and a few minor family problems, Sam had to stop this church.  Also, it is during this time that Chris, April’s husband, decided that he wanted out of their ten year marriage.  This has taken a toll on our family life, especially since there is a daughter involved.  Sometimes I wish we had stayed in Montana and not come back here, but it is too late to turn back now.

I attended college at Southside Virginia Community College and worked toward an Associate Degree in Administrative Support Technology.  I have learned a lot since attending college.  I graduated in the early summer of 2006.  My advisor and professor, Mrs. Barbara Beard, nominated me to Who’s Who Among Students in Junior Colleges in America.  This is a prestigious award for which I am greatly thankful.  I was also been able to stay on the President and Provost’s list for consecutive terms since starting college.  I also intend to further study the Spanish language for future endeavors.  I enjoy growing herbs and am an organic gardener.  I have four grandchildren Amber, Ariel, Isabelle, and Annelise, and now a new grandson named Xander (Alexander) in which I enjoy spending time with all of them when available. 

In conclusion, I would like to say that life is full of decisions, some good and some bad.  One of the most important decisions one will make here on earth is where you will spend eternity.  My choice thirty-five years ago was to spend eternity with Jesus Christ.  I feel that it was the greatest thing I could have done in my life. 

I would like to quote the words to a hymn that sums up my feelings:

     Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me

I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers toils and snares, I have already come

Tis grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.
___________________

As it is written there is none righteous, no not one.

Romans 3:10

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:23

If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 10:9