Crosses Root

Psalms 139

lorianncross_searchengine — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:59:22 GMT

Yhwh, you have searched me, And you know me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But, behold, Yhwh, you know it altogether. You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me. This knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty. I can't attain it. Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there! If I take the wings of the dawn, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me; the light around me will be night;" Even the darkness doesn't hide from you, but the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you. For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well. My frame wasn't hidden from you, When I was made in secret, Woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, Yhwh! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I wake up, I am still with you. If only you, Yhwh, would kill the wicked. Get away from me, you bloodthirsty men! For they speak against you wickedly. Your enemies take your name in vain. Yhwh, don't I hate those who hate you? Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you? I hate them with perfect hatred. They have become my enemies. Search me, Yhwh, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. ~Psalms 139~

Heart of a child...

lorianncross_searchengine — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:12:01 GMT

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at their church, the Pastor and his 11-year-old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel tracts. This particular afternoon, as it came time to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside as well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said "Okay Dad, I'm ready." His Pastor Dad asked, "Ready for what? "Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out." Dad responded, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain." The boy gave his Dad a surprised look, and asked, "But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?" Dad answered, "Son, I am not going out in this weather." Despondently the boy asked, "Dad, can I go -- Please?" His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here's the tracts; be careful, son." "Thanks, Dad!" And with that he was off and out into the rain. This 11-year-old boy walked the streets of the town going door-to-door and handing everyone he met in the street a Gospel tract. After 2-hours of walking in the rain he was soaking bone-chilled wet and down to his very last tract. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to but the streets were totally deserted. Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell -- but no one answered. He rang it again and again but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer. Finally the 11-year-old trooper turned to leave but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell, and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch. He rang again, and this time the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a very sad looking elderly lady. She asked softly, "What can I do for you, son?" With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, the boy said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU!" "I came to give you my very last Gospel tract which will tell you all about Jesus and His great love." With that he handed her his last tract, and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed, "Thank you, son! And God bless you!" Well, the following Sunday morning in church, Pastor Dad was in the pulpit and as the service began, he asked, "Does anyone have a testimony or want to say anything?" Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face. "None of you in this church know me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart; for I had come to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live." "So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck." "Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted, I was about to leap off when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, 'I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.'" "I waited and waited -- but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I t hought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be?! Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me!' "I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder. When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes!" "There on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life! His smile! Oh, I could never describe it to you! And the words that came from his mouth caused my heart, which had long been dead, to leap to life as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, 'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU.'" "Then he gave me this Gospel tract that I now hold in my hand. As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and slowly read every word of this Gospel tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chai r. I wouldn't be needing them any more." "You see, I am now a happy child of the KING, and since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel tract, I have come here to personally say, 'Thank you to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time, and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in Hell.'" There was not a dry eye in the church. As shouts of praise and honor to the KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated. He took him in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Probably no church has had a more glorious moment and probably this Universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love and honor for his son, except for one: Our Father, God, also allowed His Son, Jesus, to go out into a cold and dark world to save the lost and dying. When He was finished, Go d received Him back with joy unspeakable, and as all of Heaven shouted praises and honor to the King, the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above all principality and power and every name that is named. There may be someone reading this who is also going through a dark, cold and lonely time in your soul. You may either be a Christian, for we are not without problems, or you may not yet know the King. Whatever the case, problem, or situation you find yourself in, and no matter how dark it may seem, I want you to tell you, "JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU!" "For God so loved ! the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned alrea dy because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:16 Author unknown

San Francisco Chronicle may shut down

lorianncross_searchengine — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:01:38 GMT

Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:21pm EST By Robert MacMillan and Janet Kornblum NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - San Francisco may lose its main newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, as owner Hearst Corp cuts a "significant" number of jobs and decides whether to shut or sell the money-losing daily. The privately held New York-based publisher already is considering shutting a second West Coast paper, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, in the face of a devastating decline in advertising revenue and big losses. Founded shortly after Gold Rush fever hit California in the mid-19th century, the Chronicle has long been an essential part of daily life for many Bay Area residents, even as it sometimes disappointed or outraged them. But the Chronicle lost more than $50 million last year and this year's losses to date are worse, Hearst said on its website on Tuesday. It said the paper has lost "major" amounts of money since 2001, a year after Hearst bought the paper. "Survival is the outcome we all want to achieve. But without the specific changes we are seeking across the entire Chronicle organization, we will have no choice but to quickly seek a buyer for the Chronicle or, should a buyer not be found, to shut the newspaper down," said Hearst Corp Chief Executive Frank Bennack Jr. More than 100 employees gathered in a conference room to hear the news from Editor Ward Bushee and Publisher Frank Vega after receiving a message about a mandatory staff meeting. "Some people were crying at the meeting," said Rachel Gordon, 47, a transportation reporter at the paper. "But people are trying to get the newspaper out for tomorrow." "We knew it was going to be ominous when we got that message," Gordon added. " said Hearst really wants to make this work, that shutting us down is a last resort." A Hearst spokesman declined to say whether the company has hired an adviser or banker to try to sell the paper. The paper employs 275 news staff and is the 12th-largest in the United States, according to the U.S. Audit Bureau of Circulations, with average weekday circulation of 339,430. It is the 19th-largest paper by Sunday circulation. Circulation fell 7 percent as of the six months ended September 30, 2008, compared with the same period a year earlier. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Chronicle was founded in 1865, about a decade and a half after gold was found in California. With the help of the local literary crowd, including Mark Twain and Bret Harte, the paper captured the largest circulation west of the Mississippi. It covered the biggest events in the city's history, from the earthquake and fire of 1906 to the assassination of its mayor, George Moscone, and the state's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, in 1978. The paper has reflected many changes in U.S. culture first seen in its own often cutting-edge city, including the shift from beatnik -- a word it may have coined -- to hippie in the 1950s and '60s and the shock waves from the AIDS pandemic in the city's sizeable gay population. "I hate to see a newspaper go," says writer Elizabeth Dietz, 63, of Los Altos, south of San Francisco. "I just hate it. I think we still need our newspapers and there's just nothing like that ancient old Chronicle. Even though it's irritating, it's an institution. I cannot imagine it not being there." The Chronicle is the latest U.S. paper to face the threat of extinction if its owners cannot find ways to cut costs. Advance Newspapers' Star-Ledger in Newark, New Jersey, cut its newsroom staff by 40 percent last year. Hearst has said it might take the Seattle Post-Intelligencer online only or close the paper if it cannot find a buyer by mid-March. Other papers, including EW Scripps Co's Rocky Mountain News, could fold if a buyer is not found. The Chronicle and its unions are expected to begin discussing the situation later Tuesday and on Wednesday. Doug Cuthbertson, who represents the Northern California Media Workers Guild, declined to comment on the talks. Hearst owns several other papers throughout the United States including the Times Union in Albany New York, and the Houston Chronicle. It also owns magazines such as Marie Claire and O, The Oprah Magazine. (Reporting by Robert MacMillan in New York and Janet Kornblum in San Francisco; Editing by Gary Hill)

Everything in the Name

lorianncross_searchengine — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:21:17 GMT

Who Really Sold Joseph - Genesis 37 After throwing your brother into a pit to die, would you be able to sit down to eat? Joseph's brothers did! (Gen 37:24-25) However, the Torah does not tell us if they sat near the pit, listening to Joseph's screaming and pleading, or if they sat far away from the pit, to enjoy some peace and quiet. What difference does it make? Believe it or not, this tiny detail affects our understanding of almost every aspect of this story. Could it be that Joseph was not sold by his brothers after all? Let's begin our study by paying careful attention to the brothers' various plans to 'get rid' of Joseph, and particularly Reuben's plan. Plan A - The Brothers' Soon after Joseph arrived at Dothan, his brothers conspired to kill him. (Gen 37:18-20) However, their plan of how to kill him was revised several times. Let's begin with Plan A: "They (the brothers) saw him from afar, and before he came close ... they conspired to kill him. And they said to one another, Behold the "dreamer" is coming. Now, let's kill him and throw his body into one of the pits... " (Gen 37:18-20) At first the brothers planned to kill Joseph right on the spot and 'bury him' in a pit, and thus 'cover-up' any future evidence against them. Although Reuben opposed Joseph's murder, he realized that the brothers will not accept his opinion. Therefore, instead of arguing with his brothers, he devised a shrewd plan to first postpone Joseph's murder and later enable him to secretly bring him back home. Plan B - Reuben's Notice the difference between what Reuben says (to his brothers) and what he thinks (to himself). "And Reuben said ... Do not shed blood, cast him into a pit (to die) out in the wilderness, but do not touch him yourselves, in order to save him from them and return him to his father." (Gen 37:22) Reuben's 'official' plan was to let Joseph die a less violent death (throw him alive into a deep pit instead of murdering him in cold blood). However, his 'secret' plan was to later return to that pit and free him. Reuben even suggested the specific 'pit' in which to throw him - "this pit in the wilderness." Most probably, this was so that he could later sneak away to that pit and save him. Compared to the brothers' original plan to throw him into "one of the pits" (37:20) - possibly a pit closer by. Unaware of Reuben's true intentions, the brothers agreed. Joseph arrived, and in accordance with Plan B, the brothers immediately stripped him of his special coat and threw him alive into the pit, (37:23-24) then sat down to eat. (Gen 37:25) Where did they sit down to eat? Close by or far away? Where was Reuben? Considering that they threw Joseph into a pit 'out in the wilderness,' most probably they returned back to their camp site in the Dothan area to eat. (37:16-17) It would not be very appetizing to eat lunch while listening to their little brother screaming for his life from a nearby pit. (Gen 42:21 proves that he was indeed screaming.) The story tells us that Reuben did not stay near the pit, because he "returned" to the pit after Joseph was sold. Rather, he had lunch with his brothers away from the pit. (Not joining them for lunch could cause suspicion...) Plan C - Judah's "And the brothers sat down to eat, and they lifted up their eyes and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from the Gilad carrying spices ... to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, What do we gain by killing our brother? ... Let us sell him, instead to the Ishmaelites, after all he is our brother, our own flesh, and his brothers agreed." (Gen 37:25-27) From Judah's suggestion, we see that they truly planned to allow Joseph to die and were totally unaware of Reuben's intention to save him. Plan C (to sell Joseph instead) put Reuben in a predicament. On the one hand, he could have disagreed with his brothers but if he did, they might suspect his true plan. On the other hand, he could not allow them to sell Joseph, because he felt responsible to save him. Reuben had only one alternative - to quickly excuse himself and run to the pit to free Joseph before his brothers could sell him. What happened when Reuben returned to the pit? We'll soon see. But first, keep in mind the geography of this location, in order to understand the distances involved here. The Ancient Trade Route We know that Joseph met his brothers while they were grazing their sheep in the hills of Dothan. (Gen 37:17) During their meal, the brothers 'lifted up their eyes' (37:25) and noticed a caravan of Ishmaelites travelling down from Gilad (northern mountain range - quite a distance from the 'hills of Dothan', even though it appeared a lot closer), on its way to Egypt. It looked like the convoy will soon pass by where they were eating, but actually it was to pass through the valley of Jezreel, and not through the hilly area of Dothan. Dothan (today - Jennin) is about 6 miles south of the main highway crossing the Jezreel valley and about 660 feet higher. From their vantage point in Dothan, the brothers were able to see the Ishmaelites turning down into the Jezreel Valley from the Gilad, even though they were still far away. They still had plenty of time to finish their meal, get Joseph from the pit in the "wilderness" and then meet the convoy and sell Joseph for the 'best price.' Somebody Got There First "And a group of Midianite traders passed by (Joseph's pit) and they (the Midianites) pulled, and they lifted Joseph out of the pit, and they (the Midianites) sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver, and (the Ishmaelites) brought Joseph to Egypt." (Gen 37:28) No mention of the brothers in this verse. The Midianites and the Ishmaelites were two different groups of people. The Midianites were local 'traders' while the Ishmaelites were international 'movers' (transport caravans). This verse states explicitly that a group of Midianite traders happened to pass by the pit (they probably heard Joseph's screaming), pulled him out, and (later) sold him to the Ishmaelites. In other words, the Midianites sold Joseph, and not his brothers. Where were the brothers during all of this? Most probably, still eating! They were so far away that they didn't even see or hear what transpired between Joseph and the Midianites. Where was Reuben? Eating with his brothers. However, as soon as he heard Judah's new plan to sell Joseph, he quickly excused himself and ran to the pit to get there first, before his brothers, as the next verse explains. "And Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was no longer in the pit; then, he tore his clothes." (Gen 37:29) Reuben was the first brother to recognize that Joseph was missing. What could he do? Shocked, he immediately returned to his brothers with the terrible news. "And he returned (from the empty pit) to his brothers and said, The boy is gone. And for myself, what am I going to do?" (Gen 37:30) Notice the words 'Reuben returned' in both verses 29 and 30. This proves that the brothers could not have been eating by the pit, for if so, Reuben would not need to 'return' to them. Since Reuben and his brothers were eating away from the pit, Reuben first returned to the pit (Vs-29) and then he returned back to his brothers (Vs-30) to tell them the news. Plan D - YHWH's Even though the brothers had three different plans for 'getting rid' of Joseph, YHWH's plan was quite different. The brothers had no idea what happened to Joseph, but they didn't want their father to know either, so they had one final plan which was ironically quite similar to their original plan. (Gen 37:20,33) They dipped Joseph's coat in blood and send it to their father. "And he (Jacob) recognized it and said, My son's coat, he was surely devoured by a wild beast.” (Gen 37:33) What Did Joseph Think? When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, he said "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold to Egypt." (Gen 45:4) Did Joseph mean to say that his brothers "caused him to be sold" or did he truly think that his brothers sold him, even though they themselves didn't know what really happened? Remember, Joseph was not aware of the conversations between his brothers or of their three plans. All he knew was that as soon as he arrived, his brothers took off his coat and threw him in the pit. A short time later some Midianites passed by, took him out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites, who later sold him to the Egyptians. Joseph, trying to piece together what happened, assumed that his brothers had this all planned out with the Midianites. The fact that Joseph may have not known his brothers' original plan to kill him actually helped him cope during his many years in Egypt. The brothers, on the other hand, talked, planned and plotted, and therefore they were considered guilty even though they never actually killed Joseph or sold him. While the brothers believed that their 'dream' to rid themselves of Joseph had come true, in reality, it was the fulfillment of Joseph's dream that was beginning to unfold. Joseph and his brothers Joseph, despite his high position in Egypt, did not even once attempt to contact his father. Did he no longer care for his father who loved him so dearly and was still grieving for him? Let's look at the "selection process" - the theme of the book of Genesis- in the story of Joseph and his brothers. "The Brothers' Hatred" To understand the reason behind the brothers' hatred of Joseph, let's review the story of Joseph's dreams. 1. "And behold we were gathering sheaves in the field, and my sheaf stood up and remained upright; then your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf." (Gen 37:7) 2. "And behold - the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me." (Gen 37:9) Clearly, these dreams reveal Joseph's sense of superiority over his entire family. They also echo an earlier sibling rivalry - between Jacob and Esau, over the blessing that Isaac gave to Jacob, though it was intended for Esau. "May YHWH bless you with ... an abundance of grain... Be master over your brothers, and let your mother's sons bow down to you." (Gen 27:28-29) This parallel suggests that Joseph's dreams were not only pointing to his future leadership position, but also to his 'election' as the only 'chosen son,' just as Jacob himself emerged as Isaac's only chosen son! Jacob's love and special treatment of Joseph. (Gen 37:3) Joseph's special coat, a sign of royalty. Joseph being the first son of Rachel, Jacob's 'primary' wife. Jacob's silence regarding Joseph's dreams. (Gen 37:11) The conclusion was obvious. Jacob planned to name Joseph (or possibly Joseph and Benjamin) his exclusive heir(s). Joseph's dreams simply added 'fuel to the fire!' This very likely was the basis for the brothers' decision to kill Joseph. Had Joseph been a bit more righteous in his brothers' eyes, they may have conceded to his destiny as either the 'leader' or the 'chosen' son. However, their perception of Joseph's character troubled them. In their eyes, he was a slanderer. "And Joseph brought bad reports of his brothers to his father." (Gen 37:2) The brothers, aware of the challenges facing YHWH's special Nation, recognized the need for exemplary leadership. Could Joseph possibly assume this role? To the brothers, the mere thought of 'Joseph the Slanderer' becoming the leader of YHWH 'holy nation'.was unthinkable. The brothers faced a predicament similar to that of Rebekah's in the previous generation. Just as Rebekah had realized that Isaac was mistaken in his favoring of Esau, so too the brothers realized Jacob's mistake in favoring Joseph. Just as Rebekah resorted to 'trickery' to ensure that the 'proper' son would be blessed, so too the brothers decide to use 'trickery' to ensure that Joseph would not be appointed their leader. Considering that the entire destiny of Israel was at stake, the brothers allowed themselves to 'bend the rules' a bit, so as to secure the nation's future. An ideal opportunity arose when Joseph arrived at Dothan to visit his brothers. In order to dispose of Joseph, they plotted first to kill him. Later they opted to sell him off to a distant land. In either case, their stated goal was to make sure that he was removed from the Divine family. (Gen 37:20) Out of respect and concern for their father, lest he worry about his 'missing' son for the rest of his life, they dipped his coat in blood so that Jacob would think that he was truly dead. Hopefully, their father will finally realize that Joseph was 'rejected', and Israel will continue to develop in the proper fashion. Thus, it was not only out of jealousy that they wanted to kill him, but also out of a 'sincere' concern for the future of the 'nation of Israel'. Why Didn't Joseph Write Home? Considering Joseph's relationship with his father (Gen 37:3) we would expect him to have made every possible attempt to contact his father. Yet, even after his appointment as head servant of the House of Potiphar, Joseph made no effort to inform his father that he was alive and well. Surely, after his appointment as the Commissioner of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, he should have no problem whatsoever contacting his father. Nevertheless, Joseph didn't seem to bother. It appears as though he had completely wiped his past from his memory. Was this done to ensure the fulfillment of his dreams? Would Joseph cause such suffering to his father simply because of a dream? Or did Joseph understand that in order for the Divine plan to unfold, he must not contact his family? Was he attempting to bring his brothers towards repentance? Why didn't he contact his father before they arrived in Egypt? It is possible that Joseph was waiting for his father (and/or his brothers) to come to his rescue. Surely, Joseph hoped his father would find out that he was sold and demand that the brothers trace the sale and then go to Egypt to buy him back. However, many months passed and no one came. Joseph's hopes were replaced by a feeling of rejection. After awhile, he reached the conclusion that he must have been 'rejected' from the 'election' process and accepted his new fate, thinking he was no longer wanted by his family. Joseph's Mistaken Theory At age 17, full of energy, emotion and ambition, Joseph was sent by his father to check on his brothers. As soon as they saw him, they immediately took off his coat and threw him into a pit. A short time later, a group of Midianites removed him from the pit and sold him to a caravan of Ishmaelites. His conclusion - his brothers were either playing a trick on him, or even sold him into slavery. Remember that Joseph didn't hear the brothers' original plan to kill him. Most likely, he expected his father will investigate the matter and find him by tracing the sale to Egypt. Joseph was totally unaware that the brothers had tricked their father with the blood-stained coat into believing that he was dead. The months passed, and nothing happened. Joseph no doubt was beginning to wonder why no one came to look for him. Did his father no longer care about him? Why did the brothers throw him into the pit? Why did his father send him out alone on such a long journey to see his brothers who hated him? Slowly, he came to the realization that Jacob must have received some divine revelation that he was rejected, and only Leah's children, and not Rachel's had been 'chosen.' Rachel, as her premature death may have indicated, had not attained the same status as Sarah and Rebekah... It could be that Joseph, after many years of pondering these events, concluded that his father had actually sent him knowing that the brothers would sell him, rather than telling him directly the terrible news of his 'rejection' from the family. Or maybe his brothers convinced their father that Joseph's disappearance was a Divine indication of his rejection. No doubt, 17 year old Joseph felt 'rejected' and 'abandoned' by his family. Despite his father's love for him, he chose to begin a new life, even if it meant that his father would miss him, rather than face returning to live with his brothers. Just as Esau established Edom, he would make a name for himself in Egypt and even bring the name of YHWH into that society. This may explain why Joseph, even after rising to power, never contacted his family. All this suddenly changed twenty years later as Joseph recognized his brothers when they came to Egypt to buy grain. As they bowed down before him, he suddenly remembered his long forgotten dreams. Should he dismiss this as pure coincidence, or should this partial fulfillment of his childhood dreams lead him to reconsider his earlier conclusions? Joseph's Plan Joseph's immediate reaction not to reveal himself to his brothers was quite understandable. But the events that followed were rather unusual. If Joseph just wanted to hide his identity from them, he could have ignored them. He did not have to entertain every foreigner who came to purchase food. So why did he accuse his brothers of being spies? Why did he return their money? Later, when they came back, why did he plant his special cup in Benjamin's bag? Was Joseph just 'teasing' his brothers (to get back at them) or did he have a strategy, some sort of 'master plan'? First, Joseph wanted to determine what happened to his younger brother Benjamin, since Benjamin wasn't with the brothers the first time they came to Egypt. Maybe Rachel's sons had been rejected, he thought. Therefore, his primary goal was to find out if Benjamin was still alive. If he was, then Joseph could question Benjamin concerning what 'really' happened in the family, and afterward he could re-unite with his family. If Benjamin was not alive or if his father was already dead, then Joseph may prefer not to reveal himself to his brothers. The 'spy accusation' allowed Joseph to question them concerning their family without raising suspicion that he may be their brother. Even when Benjamin came, Joseph still did not question him. Instead, he returned their money and planted his cup in Benjamin's bag, in an attempt to create a situation that would prompt his brothers to repent. "Alas we are guilty, for we heard his crying out (when he was thrown in the pit) but we did not listen ... therefore this fate has befallen us..." (Gen 42:21-23) Even though Joseph may have forgotten his dreams for some twenty years, when his brothers arrived in Egypt and bowed down to him, it suddenly dawned on him that his childhood dreams were actually coming to pass after all. If Benjamin was still part of the family, as his brothers claimed, then he was still part of the 'selection' process. Suddenly, everything was falling in place. Joseph knew that his family must ultimately unite, under his leadership (as his dreams suggested). At that point Joseph was ready to reveal his identity to his brothers but would they be ready to face him? The shame of their relationship with him could create a barrier between them... Therefore Joseph determined to reunite the family, restrain his emotions for a few more weeks, in order to create a true family unity, both physically and spiritually. He indeed was becoming a true leader! The test that Joseph created for his brothers to redeem themselves, required them to forfeit their lives in order to save Benjamin and make them wonder and think. By planting his cup in Benjamin's bag, not only would Joseph find out whether the brothers had truly repented, but the brothers now had an opportunity to prove to themselves that they have changed - that they are indeed men of virtue! Only after they demonstrated willingness to give up their lives for Benjamin they could face Joseph as a brother, and unite once again as a complete family. By the end of this entire episode, YHWH created a situation that would guarantee the physical survival of the nation of Israel during the famine and also set the stage for their exodus out of Egypt, while Joseph brought unity between the families. Throughout the generations YHWH was watching over Israel's history, making sure that they survived, by creating opportunities for redemption. As we enjoy His providence, it remains our own responsibility to make sure that we remain united as our destiny unfolds. Judah growing in grace Judah And Tamar (Genesis 38) ~ Judah And Joseph (Genesis 44) The story of the sale of Joseph is a very familiar one, and Judah played a main role in it, from the very earliest stages of his brothers' campaign against Joseph. It was he who suggested selling Joseph as a slave to Egypt, rather than killing him or leaving him to die in the pit, as Reuben suggested. Later, it was Judah again, who succeeded in convincing Jacob to allow Benjamin to go down to Egypt together with his brothers (unlike Reuben, who could not convince their father). In this story (Genesis chapter 44) we find Judah standing before Joseph and offering himself as a servant instead of Benjamin. Another story in Torah, which contributes to our understanding of Judah's actions in this situation, is the story of Judah and Tamar. (Genesis 38) Why did the Torah record the story of Judah and Tamar immediately after the account of Joseph's sale? The story of Judah and Tamar is recorded immediately after the story of the sale of Joseph, thus creating a background to the encounter between Judah and Joseph, with some interesting parallels. "Please recognize" the brothers declared, presenting Joseph's blood-drenched coat to Jacob, and "Please recognize" declared Tamar, presenting Judah with the items that he had left in her safekeeping. The two central figures in Genesis chapter 44 - Judah and Joseph, take center stage separately: Judah's grappling with the story of Tamar, and Joseph's grappling with his own situation in Egypt. The way in which they addressed the challenges that faced them, teaches us much about their characters. Judah first fell, then mended his ways. His failure was due to his fear of allowing his youngest son to marry Tamar, and in his insensitive treatment of her ~ first ~ "Remain a widow in your father's house." (Genesis 38:11) then ~ "Bring her out and let her be burned." (Genesis 38:24) Tamar, in her wisdom, caused Judah to retract this decree and to mend his ways: "She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shela my son." Genesis 38:26 In contrast - Joseph did not fail - even when tempted by Potifar's wife. Overcoming Fear In the story of Judah and Tamar, Judah refrained from giving his third son, Shela, to Tamar, out of fear that he too will die, like his brothers, and he will have no children left. In the encounter between Judah and Joseph, Judah described an identical situation in relation to Jacob, his father: "And your servant, my father, said to us: You know that my wife bore me two sons. One went out from me, and I said, he has surely been torn apart. And I never saw him since. If you take this one from me and some calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol." Genesis 44:27-29 Jacob, too, feared for the life of his youngest son, Benjamin, lest he 'die' like his older brother, and resisted handing him over to his brothers when they were ready to return to Egypt. Jacob described Benjamin as the third son who was to be taken from him: "You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is gone and Simon is gone, and you will take Benjamin, all of this has befallen me." Genesis 42:36 In exactly the same way, Judah felt that Er was gone, Onan was gone, and therefore he had to be especially careful with his third son. Judah's identification with his father Jacob is evident. By the end of the story Judah realized his mistake, repaired his ways and came to his father to persuade him to allow Benjamin to go with him to Egypt. The Pledge Of Commitment In both cases (with Tamar and with Joseph), Judah gave a pledge. In his encounter with Tamar he gave her his staff, his signet and his cord. The pledge remained with Tamar, and it was through it that she was able to convince Judah of his mistake in judging her so hastily. In his speech to Joseph, Judah mentioned his pledge to Jacob: "For your servant was surety for the boy to my father, saying, if I fail to bring him to you, I will have sinned to my father forever." Genesis 44:32 Judah gave Tamar his personal effects, demonstrating his commitment. Likewise with Joseph, he made himself a surety for Benjamin, again demonstrating personal commitment. Judah was ready to serve as surety for Benjamin, proposing to be a slave in Egypt in his brother's place, thus going beyond what was expected of him. Knowing that his father would prefer his brother's return to his own, he suggested that Benjamin's servitude be exchanged for his own. Money - in both instances there was a problem with the payment. Judah sent a goat as payment for the "prostitute on the road" but she could not be found, thus he never paid Tamar. "Judah considered her a prostitute, for she had covered her face." Genesis 38:15 With Joseph there was also a problem surrounding payment ~ the money in the brothers' sacks. The brothers did not succeed in paying Joseph, whom they believed to be an Egyptian, for the grain they received from him, because their money was returned to them time after time. Both, Tamar and Joseph resisted accepting payment for their service. As a result, something of much greater importance - the "surety" - was slated to remain in their hands. Judah's personal effects remained with Tamar, and now Judah himself was about to remain as a slave to the Egyptian viceroy. It was the lack of acceptance of payment that ultimately led Judah to realize that money could not solve his problems ~ instead; self-sacrifice would be required of him. Indeed, in both cases Judah displayed great inner strength, declaring in one case, "She has been more righteous than I" and in the other - "Let your servant remain instead of the boy, as a servant to my master." The story of Judah and Tamar highlights Judah's identification with Jacob, the identification of fathers who have lost children and who fear for the fate of their remaining son. It also highlights Judah's willingness to sacrifice himself for others, thus correcting the wrong that he did to Tamar and reversing his brothers' betrayal of Joseph by his selfless act on behalf of his younger brother, Benjamin. Judah and Joseph-Comparison Jacob's Children Just as Sarah and Rebecca had one son, who was most important, so did Jacob’s wives? Leah's most important son was Judah, while Rachel's most important son was Joseph. The fact that Jacob had two principal heirs, Judah and Joseph, rather than one principal heir, as his forefathers had, resulted from Jacob having two wives of full status (as opposed to maidservants or concubines), while Abraham and Isaac each had only one wife of full status. "Because he violated his father's bed, his birthright was given to the children of Joseph, son of Israel, but not to have the birthright attributed to him by genealogy. For Judah prevailed over his brothers; the chief ruler came from him, but the birthright was given to Joseph." I Chronicles 5:1-2 After Reuben's violation of his father's privacy, the birthright was given to Joseph, and the leadership to Judah. Only Joseph was worthy of the birthright, since he was Rachel’s firstborn. The leadership, on the other hand, passed naturally to the eldest among the brothers. Since Simeon and Levi lost their place because of what they did in Shechem, the leadership passed to Judah. Jacob recognized this and chose Judah to lead the way to Egypt to meet Joseph: "to show the way before him to Goshen." Genesis 46:28 When the kingdom split, following the death of Solomon, Rehoboam and his descendants, from the house of David, ruled in Jerusalem, while Jeroboam and his descendants, from the house of Joseph, ruled in Tirtzah, up until the Destruction of the Temple. The kingdom of the ten tribes is known as "Ephraim." The Tabernacle resided in the portion of Joseph’s while the Temple was in the portion of Judah. The tribe of Benjamin was both in Jerusalem and in the strip emerging from their portion towards Shilo. Ezekiel (in chapter 37) speaks of the joining of the branch of Judah and the branch of Ephraim into a single royal house by Messiah, the son of Joseph and Messiah, the son of David ~ the Messiah will be a descendant of Joseph and of Judah. The Torah refers to the tribes as "Judah and his brothers" (Genesis 44:14) and "Joseph's brothers." (Genesis 42:6) Nowhere is the group ever referred to as "Dan's brothers," "Benjamin and his brothers" etc. The Torah provides far greater details concerning Judah's and Joseph's families than those of all the other brothers and their families. All the brothers married Canaanite wives, deviating thereby from the oath that Abraham made his servant swear: "You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell." Genesis 24:3 The only brothers who did not marry Canaanite wives were Joseph and Judah. Judah's first marriage was to the daughter of a Canaanite, (Genesis 38:2) but the failure of this marriage (the premature death of his wife and the death of her two sons, both childless) prove that it was not proper for him to marry a Canaanite, for he was the most important of the "generations of Jacob." This may be the reason why the Canaanite woman's name was not ever mentioned, nor the circumstances of their marriage, the birth of their children or the meaning of their names. When Judah married the daughter of Shua, the Torah says, "Judah went down from among his brothers" (Genesis 38:1) - his status became diminished; only when he took Tamar did he regain his position within the family of Jacob. Judah and Joseph are the only two of Jacob's children whose life stories are detailed at length, and especially the challenges they faced. They are the only brothers whose good deeds were recorded in the Torah: Joseph as a righteous man for standing firm against the advances of Potifar's wife and for forgiving his brothers, while Judah was described as repenting in the story of Tamar and in his readiness to sacrifice himself for Benjamin. In addition, these two are the only ones among Jacob’s children who have Yahweh's Name within their own names: In Genesis chapter 49, Jacob gave short blessing to his other sons, while the blessings to Judah and Joseph were lengthy. Likewise, the size of their inheritance was much larger than that of their brothers – this being directly linked to the "size" of the blessing they received from their father. Judah And Joseph: The Tribes of Israel The tribe of Judah and the combined House of Joseph are the largest of the tribes in both of the census that were conducted in the desert. In the war against Amalek (Exodus 17), four leaders emerged: Moses and Aaron - the permanent leaders, and also Hur of the tribe of Judah (at the top of the mountain) and Joshua of the tribe of Ephraim (on the battlefield). Throughout the forty years in the desert, there is no other instance of additional or auxiliary leaders on the national level. In the story of the spies, the only two who did not fail were Joshua (tribe of Ephraim) and Caleb (tribe of Judah). In addition to their inheritances in the land, Judah and Joseph were each given a special city, in special circumstances. Moreover, both earned their special city even before they received their inheritance. Joseph was given Shechem, as Jacob tells him - "I have given you one portion more than your brothers." (Genesis 48:22) Apparently, Joseph earned Shechem as reward for his courage for going off to Shechem at his father's bidding, although he was aware of the dangers awaiting him. Caleb, the prince of the tribe of Judah, was awarded the city of Hebron for his courage in going there at the bidding of Moses, although he knew of the dangers involved in this mission and despite the four giants that threatened the city. It is in Hebron that the royal house of Judah started out (II Samuel 2), while the royalty of the house of Joseph began in Shechem. (I Kings 12-13) Judah and Joseph’s inheritances were considerably larger than those of their brothers; they occupied the largest parts of the land of Israel. It should also be noted that in the book of Joshua, their inheritances were given special attention: we find a list of their cities, their borders and many other details. The number of verses devoted to their inheritance attests to this fact. Judah and Joseph’s children were the only ones who possessed "the inheritance at its proper time" - at the time when they were commanded to conquer and possess the land. The children of Gad and Reuben carried out a "hurried inheritance" before its time; they were rebuked by Moses and were even punished by being the first of the tribes to go into exile. The other seven tribes had a "delayed inheritance" and were rebuked by Joshua for their feebleness, and punished by being deprived of their inheritance. (Chapter 18) Stories of selfless love for Israel are found only among the children of Judah - who demanded to receive Hebron and conquer it (Joshua 14) - and the children of Joseph, who claim for themselves an additional inheritance. (Joshua 17) Joshua also made mention of the love of the women who inherited the land: the daughters of Tselophad, of the tribe of Manasseh, and Iksa, the daughter of Caleb, from the tribe of Judah. Joseph's Repentance All of Jacob's sons had to experience true repentance. The first to repent was Reuben, who attempted to prevent Joseph's sale, thereby repairing his sin in the episode of Bilha. Reuben was followed by Judah, who progressed from his behavior in the episode of Tamar to his readiness to remain in Egypt as a slave in place of Benjamin. Similarly, the brothers as a group repented, admitting their sin in selling Joseph: "But we are guilty." Did Joseph undergo a similar process? Joseph's sins can be divided into three categories: 1. Speaking evil of his brothers: "And Joseph spoke badly of them to their father." Gen 37:2 2. Telling his dreams to his brothers and father without mentioning their author, Yahweh. 3. Joseph's conceit in his recounting of the dreams, which only aggravated the already difficult relationship between himself and his brothers. "They hated him even more for his dreams and for his words." Gen 37:8 They hated him for his dreams but also for the way he told them. Did Joseph acknowledge his sins and repair his relationship with his brothers? If so - how? How did Joseph acknowledge his sins and repair his relationship with his brothers? The first repair concerned the second sin. While Joseph made no mention of Yahweh when he first recounted his dreams to his brothers, his attitude changed when he told the royal butler and baker, "Please, tell me, do solutions not belong to Yahweh?" Gen 40:8 More specifically, he declared to Pharaoh: "It is not me; Yahweh will restore Pharaoh's peace of mind. What Yahweh is going to do He has shown to Pharaoh. For the thing has been determined by Yahweh, and He will hasten to perform it." Gen 41:16,25-32 Joseph came to understand the hard way that everything concerning him was in Yahweh's Hands. From the pit - to Potifar's house - back to prison, including two additional years of prison after asking the butler to remember him and help him - all that was part of a great and wonderful Divine Plan. Only later did Joseph understand the significance of this Divine Plan: "It is not you who sent me here but rather Yahweh, and He made me a father to Pharaoh and master of all his household, and ruler of all of the land of Egypt." Gen 45:8 "Yahweh worked it out for the good, in order to arrange things as at this time, that many people should be saved." Gen 50:20 After Joseph settled his father and his brothers in the land of Goshen, he turned his attention to the needs of the people of Egypt. First he gathered all the money of the land, and then all the cattle. "And Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan... and Joseph brought the money to Pharaoh's house. And the money ran out in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, and all of Egypt came to Joseph saying, Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence - for the money is gone. Joseph said, bring your cattle, and I shall give you in exchange for your cattle... They brought their cattle to Joseph, and he gave them bread in exchange for their horses and their flocks and their herds and their donkeys, and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock for that year." Gen 47:14-17 These verses create the impression of a cold and uncaring attitude on Joseph's part towards the Egyptians, who were on the verge of starvation. Was Joseph exploiting his control of the grain in order to separate the Egyptians from the last of their possessions? Did he use his power to take advantage of the Egyptians? After Joseph took everything that the Egyptians had, they begged: "We cannot hide from my lord that the money is gone and the livestock has been given to my lord. We remain before my lord with nothing but our bodies and our land. Why shall we die before you, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh, and give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land will not be desolate." Gen 47:18-19 The Egyptians offered themselves to Joseph as slaves to Pharaoh. With no land and their rights as free people gone, they were only able to obtain the bare minimum that any slave required - food. Joseph accepted their proposal willingly. "Joseph said to the people: Behold, I have bought you this day, and your land, for Pharaoh; here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land." Gen 47:23 "Joseph purchased all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for the Egyptians sold each his field, for the famine prevailed over them. And so, the land became Pharaoh's. As for the people, he moved them to the cities, from one end of the border of Egypt to the other." Gen 47:20-21 But the resettlement of the people in cities left the land empty and desolate, and Joseph had second thought... "Joseph said to the people: Behold, I have bought you this day, and your land, for Pharaoh; here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. At the harvest times you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own for seed of the field, and for your food, and for the needs of your households, and to feed your children." Gen 47:23-24 Why did Joseph first accept the people's proposal to move them from their land and make them slaves to Pharaoh, then suddenly returned them to their land and required them to pay a 20% tax? Why did he decide to change his plan? Upon reflection, Joseph understood that the seven years of famine will come to an end while the years of servitude and humiliation may later result in rebellion. Hence, he changed his plan to something the Egyptians could be happy with. "They said, You have saved us; let us find favor in my lord's eyes, and we shall be servants to Pharaoh." Gen 47:25 Again the Egyptians offer themselves as slaves to Pharaoh, but what a great difference in their attitude. When they first approached Joseph, their declaration was rooted in desperation, while now they were filled with gratitude. This is to teach us of Joseph's great wisdom, understanding and knowledge. He was a man of integrity. He brought all the money to Pharaoh, who trusted him, thus finding favor with Pharaoh and with the people. After Jacob's death, the fearful brothers came before Joseph: "Joseph's brothers feared, for their father had died, and they said: What if Joseph will hate us and repay us for all the evil that we did to him? They sent word to Joseph, saying, Your father commanded before his death, saying: So shall you say to Joseph: Please, now, forgive the iniquity of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you, and now please forgive the iniquity of thy servants. And Joseph wept when they thus spoke to him. His brothers, too, went and fell before him, and they said, Behold, we are your servants." Gen 50:15-18 Why did Joseph weep here? The Rabbis explain: From a literal reading of the text, it seems that Jacob was never told that the brothers sold Joseph. Rather, he thought that Joseph became lost in the fields, and someone found him and sold him to Egypt. Joseph's brothers did not wish to tell Jacob of their sin because they feared for their lives, lest he become angry and curse them, as he did with Reuben, Simeon and Levi. (Gen 49:3-7) Joseph also never told Jacob what really happened to him. Here Joseph wept out of sorrow, because his brothers did not trust him, and believed that his good treatment of them was merely a result of his respect and love for Jacob. At this point Joseph found true repentance. If at first he brought his father evil reports about his brothers, now he refrained from doing so, and kept the awful secret to himself ~ and the Torah makes no mention of what Joseph told Jacob concerning the circumstances of his disappearance and long absence. Indeed, Yahweh worked it out for the good! The Wisdom of Joseph Wisdom, Honesty And Compassion "There was no bread in all the land for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted because of the famine. Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain that they bought. Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house." Genesis 47:13-14 Why did the Torah recount the details of the famine after Jacob arrived in Egypt, and placed it between relating what happened to Jacob and his family when they settled in Egypt? As the last verse states: "Israel (Jacob) lived in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions in it, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly." Genesis 47:27 Pharaoh, in his first and only recorded dialogue with Jacob, asked, 'How many are the years of your life'? "Jacob said to Pharaoh, The days of the years of my sojourning are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning." Genesis 47:8-9 Both Pharaoh and Jacob spoke of days and years as if they represented separate concepts. Pharaoh understood that many people who reach a very advanced age may have only lived a few of their days to the full - many people do not reach anywhere near their full potential. Seeing before him Jacob - a man of great stature - he asked him, "Tell me, how many meaningful days have you had in your long life". In response, Jacob responded modestly, saying that his life was not comparable with the life of his ancestors. They lived more - in the sense that every day of their existence was living - and they could carry out their missions under more cheerful conditions. "Joseph gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Ramses, as Pharaoh had commanded and sustained his father and his brothers with food." Genesis 47:11-12 Joseph brought much happiness to Jacob in his final seventeen years of life, by uniting him with the rest of the family. This teaches us an important lesson on the Fifth Commandment and how honoring parents should be observed, including material ways in which children should care for their elderly parents. As the effects of the famine grew worse: "Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for each Egyptian sold his field, because the famine prevailed over them; so the land became Pharaoh's. As for the (Egyptian) people, he moved them to cities - from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end." Genesis 47:20-21 The way Joseph organized the welfare of the hungry Egyptians illustrates another important way of respecting parents, namely, bringing a good name on them. In order to emphasize Joseph's loyalty and honesty, the Torah makes a point of saying that he 'brought the money to Pharaoh's house.' Genesis 47:14 There was no false accounting. Coupled with his honesty, Joseph showed great compassion to the Egyptians. When conditions became so bad that they had to sell their lands for food, 'Joseph moved them to cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end'. Had he split up groups of people, he would have broken down the social and community structure with harmful effects to each person. Instead he moved entire communities so that old friends would remain together in their new territories. Joseph did not just take care of his father's material needs, but he gave him in the last years of his life, what a parent wants most - real pride. Jacob was able to see the positive qualities that he instilled in his son (wisdom, honesty and compassion) being consistently used by Joseph to better the welfare of peoples and nations, to the continuing good name of the family. Because Joseph cared for his father both materially and spiritually, this passage concludes with the words "Jacob lived in the land of Egypt." Genesis 47:27 Jacob actually lived, in the sense of being able to fulfill his true potential, under uplifting conditions. We learn from here how people can raise the quality of their elderly parents' lives, not just in caring for their physical welfare, but in conducting their life style in such a way that their parents may be truly proud of them. That would be one of the highest levels in observing the Fifth Commandment. Retrieved December 16, 2008, from http://rinahshal.tripod.com/index.html

Arias

lorianncross_searchengine — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:34:27 GMT

Only when we understand the true depths of our struggles and choose to embrace our most devastating moments of defeat in enlightenment of knowing the great strengths found within overcoming them, and choose to implement those strengths towards bettering the world around us, only then will we be able to attain the mentality that will lead us out of our oppressions. -Arias John Sebastian Harrington

Arias

lorianncross_searchengine — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:09:15 GMT

whispered in the winds and hidden in the stars the word of Zion stretches forever far our world is constrained, driven insane it's time to break free and ease the pain our chains surround us so, we don't even see that we ourselves drown us in this misery look around, media, religion, currency, industrialization the world of mother nature now a fascist nation now we wind down to a self destruction, an extermination people of this world open your eyes, look past what you know open your heart to the truth and let your songs flow the truth was well hidden but now comes out from the dark let me welcome you to the one thing you knew from the start Zion lives within, shine your light and open your heart sync with your inner divine, angelic people of the second attentive mind these dreams lead to the same instance, this question in time. what is this existence, what is our destined lifeline. the end days are coming but it's only the beginning the times are dark but please believe Zions revolution's winning it's time it's finally time... open your heart and know your inner divine look in the mirror and have no fear, watch closely as you see the one true god appear

Proverbs 14:13

lorianncross_searchengine — Sat, 31 May 2008 20:09:29 GMT

"Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, And mirth may end in heaviness."

Three Bullets

lorianncross_searchengine — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:19:57 GMT

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat, but he had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner. As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree. As he went further, he saw a large wild turkey up in a tree, but he had only one bullet remaining. A voice spoke to him and said, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused." However, at the same time, he saw a deer which would provide more meat than the turkey. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake. Still, the voice again said to him, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused." So, the man decided to listen to Yah's voice. He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree, and shot the wild turkey. The bullet went into the turkey, deflected off a bone and hit the deer, killing it. When the gun fired, it knocked the man off balance, he stepped on the rattlesnake' s head which killed it and fell backwards into a pond. When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a deer and a turkey with which to feed his family. The snake was dead simply because the man listened to Yahweh. Moral of the story: Keep Yahweh first and everything else will follow. Pray before you do anything. Aim high in your goals, and stay focused on Him. Never let people or things discourage you concerning your past and don't look to man for your blessings. ~ Author Unknown ~

UPROOTING THE BITTER ROOT OF A DIVIDED HOUSE

lorianncross_searchengine — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:37:30 GMT

From the Rhema Journals of Sandy Warner www.thequickenedword.com rhema 2/03/08 UPROOTING THE BITTER ROOT OF A DIVIDED HOUSE vision: I saw a mantle being torn in half, top to bottom. HEARD: What is this field? HEARD: A root of bitterness. This is important. Dear God, please let everyone heal. DREAM: I saw men angels in working clothes and they were walking down the river bank and I asked them if they could please pull out the big giant weeds, but please leave the ferns. I saw the ferns were absolutely gorgeous and huge. The weeds were the same size. WORD TO PONDER: 2/03/08 UPROOTING THE BITTER ROOT OF A DIVIDED HOUSE All over the world My people have suffered the deep, bitter pain of a house divided. When resources have dwindled, when children leave the nest, when friends move, when a loved one dies, when betrayal works its rending, when opinions clash, when marriages fail .... all of these and more are the painful wounds of a house divided. Many who have gone through this deep rending, have bitterroots that have grown up along the good fruit. The crop is now full and I AM sending My angels to go out among the hearts of men and uproot the bitter root of a divided house. Dear precious ones, when it comes time to uproot this bitter root, it will come out through weeping and acceptance. I know this is very, very hard, but as you offer up the pain of your soul of feeling abandoned and alone, I will wash you with My Presence as I rain upon your tears and cleanse your soul. As you look at the rending and accept that even in the worst case of failure, I have allowed this for your good, it will give you grace to swallow the bitter cup. When within the deepest agony of bitter tears, you are able to look up into My own wet face and be honored and thankful to have suffered for My will in your life, then you will know the final resting place and depths of a cleansed heart without a bitter root. You will know My sweetest release and understand My love is bittersweet agony. Hos 6:3 NKJV Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn , but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth. Matt 27:50-54 NKJV And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!" Mark 10:38-40 NKJV But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" 39 They said to Him, "We are able." So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; MISC SCRIPTURES ABOUT THE FRUIT OF BITTERNESS 2 Kings 20:5 NKJV In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.'" 2 Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3 "Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5 "Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father:"I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. Ex 15:22-27 NLT They traveled in this desert for three days without water. 23 When they came to Marah, they finally found water. But the people couldn't drink it because it was bitter. (That is why the place was called Marah, which means "bitter.") 24 Then the people turned against Moses. "What are we going to drink?" they demanded. So Moses cried out to the LORD for help, and the LORD showed him a branch. Moses took the branch and threw it into the water. This made the water good to drink. It was there at Marah that the LORD laid before them the following conditions to test their faithfulness to him: 26 "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and laws, then I will not make you suffer the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you." 27 After leaving Marah, they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the springs. Luke 22:60-62 NKJV But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So Peter went out and wept bitterly. Acts 8:23 NKJV For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." Eph 4:31-32 NKJV Let all bitterness , wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Col 3:19 NKJV Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Heb 12:14-16 NKJV Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; James 3:10-12 NKJV Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? James 3:14-18 NKJV But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Marijuana 101: School teaches ins, outs of pot

lorianncross_searchengine — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:16:47 GMT

Marijuana 101: School teaches ins, outs of pot Justin Berton, Chronicle Staff Writer Monday, April 21, 2008 (04-20) 18:22 PDT Oakland -- Ryan and Matthew Epperley awoke at 4 a.m. in Redding, loaded their Dodge Durango with clothes for the weekend and arrived in Oakland on a Saturday morning just in time to attend their first class at Oaksterdam University. The brothers were among 20 people enrolled in the two-day course that, by Sunday evening, would teach them how to own and operate a pot club in California. They'd learn how to grow their product indoors, harvest it and cook with it, and hear from several lecturers on the legality of such a practice. Ryan, 30, resembled Larry the Cable Guy with his well-worn baseball cap and a sleeveless shirt that revealed a shoulder tattoo of a skull and dagger. He was awake late one night watching television when he saw a report on Oaksterdam. "I jumped right up and wrote down the phone number," Ryan said. "I knew right then, if we can get in on the ground floor and this thing takes off - we'll make a killing." Ryan is not alone in his exuberance. Almost 12 years after California voters passed Proposition 215, the state initiative that allows dispensaries to sell marijuana to people with medical recommendations from a doctor, pot clubs have become a lucrative business. About 500 clubs in California bring in an estimated $870 million to $2 billion in revenue annually, according to the State Board of Equalization. Yet the mixed legal messages over pot clubs - California allows it, but the federal government does not - is what caused Ryan's brother, Matthew, to get in the car and join his older brother. Unlike Ryan, Matthew viewed a pot club business with caution. The 27-year-old said the only pot club in Redding had been quietly shut down three times, and the owners lived in constant fear of being raided and sent to prison. He was hesitant to open a shop if the consequences were too severe. "I want to see if it's worth sticking our neck out for," Matthew said on the first day of classes. "I've got a wife and two kids at home. But I don't want to lose everything I have and go to jail over it." Horticulture, law lessons When Oaksterdam owner Richard Lee opened the school in November, inspired by a similar operation in Amsterdam, he did it to help educate future club owners but also to pull back the curtain on pot clubs. Lee has grown and sold marijuana for 17 years and has never been arrested, a clean record he credits to his transparent practices. "We're doing this to show our cities we can be good neighbors," Lee told the class. "That we've got nothing to hide. That we can run a business on the up-and-up, and it's nothing to fear." Oaksterdam University has held eight classes and graduated 160 students. The response has been so overwhelming that a Los Angeles chapter is opening this month, and Lee said he's about to sign a lease on another Oakland space that could hold 45 students every weekend, charging $200 for the course and $75 for textbooks. Danielle Schumacher, the university's chancellor, told the class she figured at least one undercover narc had taken the course. Aside from the Epperley brothers, the April class included three middle-aged men from Shasta County who grew outdoor plants and were looking to bolster their "grow skills"; an older, extremely polite and well-coiffed gentleman who wore a cell phone device on his right ear and was most interested in pot's effects on sickle-cell anemia; three men under 25 who kept to themselves; and three female students, none of whom fit the profile of Nancy Botwin, the suburban mom played by Mary-Louise Parker who sells pot for a living in the Showtime series "Weeds." In a narrow classroom decorated with an American flag, Chris Conrad, a quick-talking attorney who has been trying to legalize marijuana since 1998, summarized the history of government interventions he said conspired to keep marijuana a controlled substance. "How many of you knew there was a report that went to the White House that recommended the legalization of pot in this country?" Conrad asked the class. Two students knew about the Shafer Commission, which was convened by President Richard Nixon and which Conrad said recommended legalization (though it only recommended decriminalizing marijuana for personal use). Oaksterdam University's most popular class is horticulture, taught by Ilia Gvozdenovic, a growing expert from Marin County. He explained that for about $700 in supplies, students could build a "grow hut" and get their operation started. After Gvozdenovic showed the class how to properly mix nutrients, a debate broke out among students over whether to wait eight weeks to harvest or 8 1/2 weeks. Gvozdenovic said that was a subjective decision for the grower. "The plants will talk to you," Gvozdenovic said. "They'll tell you when the time is right." Earlier, attorney Laurence Lichter, who has represented club owners and doctors in federal court, told students that if the feds caught them with 100 plants, they would face a five-year minimum sentence. One thousand plants results in a 10-year minimum. But Lichter also noted that it's been a few years since anyone in the Bay Area has been prosecuted by the feds. Under Prop. 215, anyone with a doctor's recommendation can grow for personal use - 12 immature plants or six mature plants. To distribute marijuana, one needs to be either a primary caregiver - a difficult standard to meet for the typical individual - or part of cooperative. As Lichter put it, "It's tough to be a caregiver, but it's easy to grow collectively." In Oakland, which has the most lenient stance toward marijuana in the state, each person is permitted to grow 72 plants indoors, far higher than the 12-plant maximum state guidelines recommend. Lichter said if a grower in Oakland gathers three friends, all of whom are entitled to 72 plants, they can grow 288 together. Each plant yields about 2 to 4 ounces, which sells for anywhere from $200 to $400 an ounce, depending on the strain, potency and demand. This was all sounding very juicy to Ryan Epperley, who was smiling and nodding during this part of Lichter's presentation. Ryan's brother, Matthew, raised his hand. "So," Matthew asked, "if I was to open a dispensary, there's still nothing stopping the feds from coming in and closing me down?" "The feds," Lichter told Matthew, "can take your house for one plant." Helping sick people Students enrolled for a variety of reasons. Tom, a middle-aged sex abuse counselor from Angels Camp in Calaveras County who did not want to give his last name because he works with children, enrolled to learn how to draw a greater yield from his six plants. Tom said he started growing marijuana after his girlfriend, who works at a hospice, told him about the elderly patients who can't take Vicodin or morphine due to the side effects. Tom doesn't smoke pot - "I wish I could, but it turns me into an idiot" - and he's not high on pot clubs. "I think pot club owners are profiteers and scumbags," he said. "Cutting out loopholes just to make their millions." Even though Tom voted for Prop. 215, he described the medicinal argument behind the law as "disingenuous." He had signed up to learn how to grow better pot and cook it so he could give it away. "If I didn't know sick people, I wouldn't be here," he said. A 53-year-old student named Sheryle represented another contingent: pain sufferers who are fed up with their meds. Sheryle, an Oakland business owner who did not want her last name used because she feared reaction from customers who may read this article, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and arthritis at age 35, she said. She took all the pain medications her doctor prescribed, but felt zonked out during the day and restless at night. The meds also were damaging her liver. "I don't like getting high," Sheryle said. "I smoked, maybe, a joint in high school." But last year, she ate a pot cookie offered by a friend, and the effects were stunning: She got the REM sleep she craved and felt productive during the day. It worked as an anti-inflammatory. Her liver damage was put on hold. Sheryle started growing her own plants but, like a lot of novices, couldn't yield the maximum amount. "Being able to sleep has been the biggest enhancement in my life," she said. "You might think it's a small thing, but being able to take my dogs out for a walk - that's a great joy to me." After the class picture was taken Sunday, owner Richard Lee gave students a 17-page take-home exam. If they passed it with a 75 percent score or better and returned it to the university within two weeks, they'd get a certificate vouching for their education. Outside the class, Matthew said he felt better about opening a club in Redding. "A lot of people need it," Matthew said. "We don't have one in our community, so why not make it the safe place it should be, where people can come get their medicine? I mean, I'd like to open it right in the middle of downtown Redding, right where everyone can see it, just so they know we've got nothing to hide." Ryan liked the idea. "Downtown, right next to the courthouse." "Once you get public support," Matthew said, "it makes it harder for the feds to come in and close it down. "When I get home," Matthew added, "the first thing I'm going to do is go down to the Human Resource Center, apply for a business license and make myself presentable." Online resources Learn more about Oaksterdam University at www.oaksterdamuniversity.com. E-mail Justin Berton at jberton@sfchronicle.com.

The Olympic torch arrived

lorianncross_searchengine — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:54:28 GMT

By JULIANA BARBASSA, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 32 minutes ago SAN FRANCISCO - The Olympic torch arrived for its only North American stop amid heavy security Tuesday, a day after its visit to Paris descended into chaos and activists here scaled the Golden Gate Bridge to protest China's human rights record. Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said the committee would consider ending the international leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay because of the protests. The torch's global journey was supposed to highlight China's growing economic and political power. But activists opposing China's human rights policies and a recent crackdown on Tibet have been protesting along the torch's 85,000-mile route since the start of the flame's odyssey from Ancient Olympia in Greece to Beijing, host of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Rogge told The Associated Press he was "deeply saddened" by violent protests in London and Paris and concerned about the relay in San Francisco, where activists expressed fears that the torch's planned route through Tibet would lead to arrests and violent measures by Chinese officials trying to stifle dissent. The flame arrived in San Francisco shortly before 4 a.m. and was immediately put in a vehicle to be whisked away to a secret location, San Francisco Olympic Torch Relay Committee spokesman David Perry said. Security was heightened because several protests were planned before the torch's six-mile relay Wednesday. "We treated it like a head of state visit," airport spokesman Mike McCaron said. Already, one runner who planned to carry the flame during the San Francisco relay dropped out because of safety concerns, Perry said. The person was not identified, but Perry said he understood the concern. Three people climbed the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday and tied the Tibetan flag and two banners to its cables. The banners read "One World One Dream. Free Tibet," and "Free Tibet 08." They later climbed down and bridge workers cut down the signs. The bridge protest's organizers said they would remain faithful to their mission of nonviolence during the torch relay. They said they wanted to take full advantage of the international spotlight to get their message out. "This is a life-or-death situation for Tibetans," said Yangchen Lhamo, an organizer of the banner-hanging who is on the board of directors of Students for a Free Tibet. Olympic organizers canceled the final leg of the Paris run Monday after demonstrators scaled the Eiffel Tower, grabbed for the flame and forced security officials to repeatedly snuff out the torch and transport it by bus. China condemned the protests as "despicable" but vowed to continue the relay to the end. French President Nicolas Sarkozy told reporters Tuesday it was sad spectacle, but that protests are normal in a democratic country. Rogge said the IOC's executive board would discuss ending the international leg in a meeting Friday. After San Francisco, the torch is scheduled to travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and then to a dozen other countries. It is scheduled to enter mainland China on May 4 for the host country's portion of the relay. San Francisco officials said they were developing a plan that strikes a balance between protesters' rights to express their views and the city's ability to host a safe torch ceremony. U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman Peter Ueberroth said in a statement the event was "an important moment for the city to show its character, hospitality and commitment to peace and tolerance." "It must provide a proper forum for the peaceful expression of opinions and dissent. And it must safely and respectfully welcome the flame and honor the U.S. athletes and other participants who will carry the torch," Ueberroth said. Mayor Gavin Newsom and the police department said they reserved the right to adjust the flame's route, slated to run along San Francisco Bay, if necessary, but a spokesman dismissed rumors the relay would be canceled. The air space above the city will be restricted during the relay, a federal aviation spokesman said. __ Associated Press writer John Marshall contributed to this report

Teen murder suspect in San Mateo County escapes from jail

lorianncross_searchengine — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:50:33 GMT

By: Associated Press | Friday, February 15, 2008 8:06 PM PST ∞ SAN MATEO, Calif. -- A 17-year-old murder suspect escaped from the San Mateo County juvenile detention center by scaling a wall and wriggling through a hole cut in a chain-link fence, authorities said Friday. Police issued a statewide alert Thursday night for Josue Raul Orozco, who was arrested three years ago in connection with a drive-by killing in Redwood City. Authorities say Orozco is a SureIno gang member and should be considered dangerous. He was charged in adult court but has been held at Hillcrest Juvenile Hall since his arrest. Officials said Orozco escaped between 6:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Thursday by apparently scaling a 10-foot cement wall. They believe an accomplice cut the 3-foot-long slit in the fence through which Orozco escaped. Loren Buddress, chief probation officer for San Mateo County, said the escape went unnoticed by the two probation officers who monitor the facility's more than 120 security cameras. Surveillance cameras showed a suspicious car near the facility around the time of the escape. "We want to analyze what happened, what didn't happen, what we can do in the future to maximize chances that it won't happen again," he said. "It will include a discussion with the sheriff's office about any security enhancements we can put in place." Probe demanded after teen escapes detention facility 17-year-old suspect charged with murder ************* By Michael Manekin and Karen de Sa / MediaNews A chorus of San Mateo County officials called for an investigation Friday into how a 17-year-old suspected of murder escaped from a $150 million juvenile detention hall on Thursday, hopped into a waiting car and sped off - at least 6 1/2 hours before authorities even issued a warrant for his arrest. Josue Orozco, the youngest person ever to be charged as an adult for murder in San Mateo County, made a planned getaway from a new, high-security juvenile hall Thursday night and has more than likely made a run for the Mexican border, authorities said. "I'm scratching my head and saying, 'How could this happen?'" Supervisor Rich Gordon said Friday. "I'm upset, and I will personally be imploring the Probation Department (in charge of juvenile hall) to take whatever steps are necessary to learn from this situation and to guarantee that this type of thing doesn't happen again." Investigators have determined that the alleged Sureno gang member scaled an approximately 10-foot wall surrounding the facility's athletic area between 6:50 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Thursday. Once atop the wall, he pulled back a debris net and jumped down on the other side. Orozco then slipped through a 3-foot-long slit in a chain-link fence that surrounds the detention facility at 222 Paul Scannell Drive. The fence had been cut from the outside by an accomplice, authorities said. "This is not the type of individual that you would want out and about - he is here on murder charges," said James Normand, the facility's deputy chief of institutions. "We're very fortunate that no one was injured in the escape, and that continues to be our wish - that no one is injured." Orozco had been detained in the county's juvenile hall since being arrested on suspicion of killing a rival Norteno gang member in 2005 during a drive-by shooting. He moved into the county's new juvenile detention facility in 2006 alongside approximately 165 other wards. The facility is equipped with approximately 100 security cameras and is considered to have state-of-the-art security, Normand said. Orozco was last seen on a basketball court in the facility's recreation area with two other wards, authorities said. The facility's protocol mandates that all wards be kept in "direct line-of-sight supervision," Normand said. Investigators are reviewing whether the boys were left unsupervised at the time of Orozco's escape, he added. "If everyone is following correct policy and procedure, it's hard to imagine that this would have occurred," he added. "If everyone did what they were supposed to do, this would not have occurred." A full internal investigation of the facility's mishandling of the response to the escape will soon be conducted to "ensure that something like this will not occur again," said Loren Buddress, chief probation officer for San Mateo County. The last time a ward escaped from juvenile hall occurred about 10 years ago at Hillcrest, the county's former juvenile detention facility, Buddress said. The probation officer couldn't say whether authorities ever caught the escapee. A ward has escaped from the county's juvenile hall facility "about once every 10 years," Buddress said. If an inmate escapes from juvenile hall, probation officers are told to issue a teletype alert to law enforcement, Normand said. The teletype informs other police agencies that a juvenile has escaped and requests a "courtesy assist," Normand said. Both Normand and Buddress acknowledged Friday that probation officers and investigators from the Sheriff's office made a serious error by not making a warrant for Orozco's arrest their "top priority." "For me, it's a no-brainer that you want a warrant," said Judge Marta Diaz, the county's supervising judge of Juvenile Court. Diaz said she was awakened at 2 a.m. Friday by a knock on the door from a deputy district attorney and two officers with the county Probation Department and the Sheriff's office, who requested that she sign Orozco's arrest warrant. "I noticed while I was reading the affidavit that the escape had occurred (6 1/2 hours earlier) - and I was shocked," she said. Authorities should have sought a warrant immediately after the teen broke out of the detention center, she said. A teletype alert to the state's law enforcement agencies never includes a photo of the suspect, whereas a warrant not only has a photo but also "commands (an) officer to make an arrest," Diaz said. "If (an inmate) is making for the Mexican or Canadian border, you want that arrest warrant in your hot little hands," she said. The judge said Orozco was given hours to begin his getaway south of the border because the probation department and the sheriff's office delayed in getting her the arrest warrant and swore that she would participate in "a total failure analysis" to prevent such a grave error in the future. Investigators from the Sheriff's Office didn't attempt to begin writing an arrest warrant until about 10 p.m., some three hours after the escape, Normand said. To make matters worse, one officer wasted valuable time filling out a warrant for an adult, rather than a juvenile, according to Buddress. Meanwhile, Lt. Marc Alcantara of the Sheriff's Office denied any difficulties in the investigation, explaining that "six hours is a very good amount of time to get a warrant walked through and filed." Investigators sent the state's law enforcement agencies a track flier at 9:30 p.m., some two hours after the escape, Alcantara said. The alert provided other agencies with news of Orozco's escape and a photo to identify him. Sheriff's deputies first arrived at the scene of the escape at 7:27 p.m., Alcantara said. Patrol officers were later joined by detectives from the Sheriff's Office while a California Highway Patrol helicopter searched the vicinity. Meanwhile, officers with the Redwood City Police Department and the county's Gang Task Force worked to contact Orozco's friends and family. Authorities determined Orozco was planning to run to Mexico, where his father lives, according to Alcantara. They learned of the teen's travel plans through interviews with his former associates and an unsent letter found in his room at the juvenile facility. County Manager John Maltbie said through a county spokesperson that he intends to examine why a 17-year-old murder suspect being tried as an adult would be housed in the county's juvenile detention center, as opposed to the county jail. Meanwhile, Gordon and fellow Supervisor Jerry Hill called for an independent investigation into the lapses of protocol that enabled Orozco's escape and delayed his pursuit by police. Hill also vowed to address the concerns of residents who live near the facility, who were upset they weren't notified of the break-out. "Something went wrong, and we have a serious responsibility to find out what that was so it doesn't occur again," Hill said. Orozco was 14 years old when he allegedly shot 21-year-old Francisco Rodriguez in the back of the head. Orozco was a Sureno gang member, and Rodriguez was a Norteno gang member, prosecutors say. On the day of the shooting, the two wore different colors. Three of Orozco's alleged accomplices - all teenagers at the time of the shooting - were convicted last year of murder, firearm use and gang-crime allegations. They were sentenced to serve out their sentences in the charge of the state's Department of Juvenile Justice until their 25th birthdays. Orozco's friend, Faustino Ayala, 23, was allegedly driving a blue Cadillac when the teen allegedly pulled the trigger and killed the rival gang member. He is currently awaiting trial as an alleged accomplice in the murder. County prosecutors had planned to bring Orozco to trial last month, but the teen's defense attorney filed a motion to postpone the trial until May - more than three years after the alleged shooting. "(Orozco) could have escaped anywhere in the past three years, I suppose, but we wanted to go to trial and have this over with last month," Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.

S.F. struggles with juvenile offenders

lorianncross_searchengine — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 22:06:09 GMT

S.F. struggles with juvenile offenders Heather Knight, Chronicle Staff Writer Wednesday, February 27, 2008 When the number of kids locked up at San Francisco's juvenile hall reached record numbers last spring, Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered the population at the hall to be reduced and the city to recommit to partnering with community groups that work intensively with troubled youth while allowing them to live at home. Nine months later, however, executives with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a leading private funder of such initiatives around the country, say the $587,500 it has given San Francisco since 2001 to help achieve that very goal has been wasted and that change is happening at "a snail's pace." Meanwhile, directors at many of the 29 community groups that hold contracts with the city to work with youth once they're released from juvenile hall say they're not being paid, despite having signed agreements with the city's Juvenile Probation Department. One result, say critics of San Francisco juvenile justice authorities, is that while the population is down at juvenile hall - a facility meant to be a holding zone while cases are adjudicated - the average length of stay for each youth in custody there is up. It is a track record that is befuddling to observers given San Francisco's progressive political tradition and national research showing that getting youth out of incarceration and into rehabilitation programs lowers the likelihood they'll reoffend, improves chances they'll stay in school and saves tax dollars. "If San Francisco really committed itself to the process, the detention population would probably be half of what it is now," said Barry Krisberg, president of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, a criminal justice research and policy organization based in Oakland. "The process in San Francisco has been going slowly and fitfully, with not nearly the kinds of dramatic successes we've seen (elsewhere)." Newsom's press secretary, Nathan Ballard, countered, "There is no question that the mayor's executive order mobilized the criminal justice community to come together and address juvenile detention issues in a systemic fashion. But we acknowledge that there is much left to do." Kevin Ryan, the former U.S. attorney recently hired by Newsom to direct the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, said the administration is still committed to the reforms, but juvenile authorities are finding their hands tied. Arrests of juveniles for weapons offenses, robberies and assaults are up. Under state law, Ryan said, probation officers have less discretion to release youths arrested for serious violent felonies. In addition, he said, more young people in the city are getting arrested in groups in part because of new technology. A text message from one youngster can quickly draw a group into a bad situation that escalates into a crime. That can lead to five juvenile defendants with five different lawyers in a case, making it harder to coordinate schedules and resulting in the youths being held in juvenile hall longer. "All those things are a factor," Ryan said, noting the two committees formed by the mayor last spring continue to meet to come up with solutions. Follow-through missing The city's expanded juvenile hall, called Youth Guidance Center and located near Twin Peaks, opened last year with 150 beds. At the time, Newsom and his juvenile probation chief, Bill Siffermann, promised the beds at the facility would never be filled. But by May, the number of kids being held at Youth Guidance Center reached 156 - the most in decades - because of more arrests for more serious offenses. Advocacy groups accused authorities of overzealous policing, overly aggressive charging and resistance on the part of judges and probation officers to using alternatives to incarceration. In San Francisco, those alternatives include home detention, electronic ankle monitors, a stay at the city-owned Log Cabin Ranch for boys in La Honda, mandatory check-ins at four city-funded nonprofit centers that are open from 3 to 9 p.m. daily, or participation in community programs offering mentors and counseling. Newsom promptly issued an executive order demanding the population at Youth Guidance Center be reduced and the city begin abiding by the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative, which it adopted in 2001 but then largely abandoned. Administered by the Casey Foundation, the initiative encourages cities to reduce their reliance on traditional juvenile halls in favor of alternatives. The Casey Foundation has given San Francisco $587,500, but the money hasn't proved a good investment, according to Bart Lubow, director of the foundation's program for high-risk youth. "I was encouraged back in the springtime when the mayor focused his attention on this," Lubow said. "But I have yet to see the kind of fundamental changes that I think really hold the key to population management in your juvenile hall. ... If (changes are happening), it's at a snail's pace." Languishing behind bars Last year, officials across the city's juvenile justice system - from the mayor's office to the district attorney to the courts - agreed that San Francisco would no longer send youthful offenders to the California Youth Authority, the state prison system for juveniles. The policy was an acknowledgement not only of the failures of CYA, but also of the problems of long-term incarceration of youths in general. Still, while the average daily population of youths held at the city's juvenile hall has dropped from the high of 156 to between 110 and 125, the length of time kids are in custody was up last year to 48.2 days, compared with 32.9 days in 2006. Lubow of the Casey Foundation acknowledged that a particular challenge is the number of 707b's, which is a California Penal Code reference to juveniles at least 16 years old who are charged with violent felonies, including homicide, robbery, rape, carjacking and armed assault. Lubow said youths held on these offenses are languishing at juvenile hall for months because of the long time it takes District Attorney Kamala Harris' office and the courts to hold hearings about whether to try them as adults. Harris' office said the process takes an average of five months, but blamed the lag time on factors outside its control. "There's a lot of wheel-spinning going on in San Francisco," Lubow said. Siffermann said another factor contributing to longer stays is the increased number of undocumented youth being picked up who have no family in the country to return them to. "I'm not offering excuses," said Siffermann, who headed Chicago's juvenile probation department until being hired by Newsom in 2005. "I'm just offering evidence of the challenges here." He said some improvements have been made since Newsom's executive order, including improving the way the Police Department handles the process of arresting young people and bringing them to juvenile hall. Now, the officers must promptly fill out an admissions form for each youth describing the alleged offense in detail. Before, officers would sometimes bring a suspect to juvenile hall and provide only very sketchy information about the crime. In addition, Siffermann said, he holds a meeting every Monday to review the reason for each youth being in the hall and a plan for getting them released. Money talks Many of the community groups juvenile probation officials work with as an alternative to lockup aren't convinced much is changing. And, they say, they're going unpaid for months despite having contracts with the department. Some have lines of credit to cover the shortfalls, but others ask their employees to go without paychecks for months. The problem, seemingly simple to fix, has been going on for years under a number of juvenile probation chiefs, said Sam Ruiz, director of Instituto Familiar de la Raza, a Mission District nonprofit agency that has a contract to provide intensive supervision and guidance to youth released from juvenile hall. "We find it as a contradiction when they say, 'Yes, we're there to support you because it works.' But then they won't reimburse you after you provide the services," Ruiz said. "It's great to say you're doing good work, but money's better." Outside groups aren't the only ones having a hard time getting paid. Omar Khalif, who has worked since 1999 as the department's ombudsman dealing with complaints from kids and their families about the department, has a major complaint of his own: not getting paid. He was awarded a new three-year contract in July for $50,000 a year, but didn't see a dime of it until November. "It says a lot if they can't get this simple issue figured out," Khalif said. Siffermann, who acknowledged the delinquent payments, said he's hired a new chief financial officer to help straighten it out. N'Tanya Lee, director of Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth, said reforming juvenile justice will take more than just the juvenile probation department and must include a host of city agencies. "It really means the mayor needs to make system reform a priority. That is what I have not yet seen," she said. "It is an issue of political will and priority - nobody gets elected or unelected on the basis of who's in juvenile hall in this city. We need someone to make the highest need, highest risk kids in this city a real priority. Until that happens, we won't see institutional change."

Zoo's response to tiger attack detailed

lorianncross_searchengine — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:34:55 GMT

By MARCUS WOHLSEN, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 58 minutes ago SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco Zoo workers should have believed two brothers who said a tiger was loose and had mauled their friend, but overall reacted well to the fatal Christmas Day attacks, according to the organization that accredits the nation's zoos. ADVERTISEMENT The report by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which the zoo released in excerpts Tuesday, provided its most detailed account of the fatal mauling. The full document remains confidential between the organization and the zoo, but association spokesman Steve Feldman said the excerpts released by the zoo accurately reflected the full report. "They've accurately summarized the findings from those documents," Feldman said. "The fact that we've maintained the zoo's accreditation also speaks for itself." Association inspectors criticized the zoo's security supervisor for doubting two brothers, Kulbir and Paul Dhaliwal of San Jose, who said a tiger had escaped from its enclosure and attacked them and their friend. Responding to calls that the men were at a zoo cafe seeking medical attention, the supervisor arrived to find that brothers "behaving erratically, possibly intoxicated," according to the inspection report's timeline of the incident. The supervisor assumed there had been a fight and did not believe a tiger was free "because of the erratic and belligerent behavior of the two guests," the report said. The 250-pound Siberian tiger, named Tatiana, already had killed 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. and was roaming the zoo grounds. Minutes later, it attacked the brothers, who were kept outside the cafe by a manager who lacked a zoo radio and didn't know the tiger had escaped, the report said. The report found that most of the zoo's workers had been sent home early for the holiday, leaving too few staffers on hand. AZA inspectors also found that the one zookeeper who was trained as a shooter in animal escapes did not have keys to remove a shotgun from storage. He eventually retrieved the weapon with help from a veterinarian who had left for the day and returned because she had forgotten to complete a report. The tiger was fatally shot by police about 20 minutes after the brothers first reported they had been attacked, according to police and zoo timelines. The attacks came just over a year after the tiger devoured the arm of a zookeeper during a feeding. "The zoo is too often chasing problems rather than proactively addressing known concerns," the report said. "This will require a shift in culture and the supervisory and maintenance staff to make it happen."

Troubled Teens

lorianncross_searchengine — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:01:57 GMT

http://www.helpingamericasyouth.gov/

Matthew 11:28-30

lorianncross_searchengine — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:07:44 GMT

"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you, and learn from me, for I am humble and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Mobile Treatment Center Helps Birds Caught in Oily Slick

lorianncross_searchengine — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:27:28 GMT

Environmentalists are racing to save marine life tarred with oil from the tanker ship that collided with a Bay Bridge support tower. State officials say six oil-coated birds are already dead, dozens injured and an unknown number at risk from Wednesday's (11/07/07) spill that has drifted at least 15 miles north. Wildlife experts remain reluctant to predict how many birds and other creatures in the Bay will die in the aftermath of the bar pilot's accident. A mobile treatment center is up and running for birds caught in the slick. Marine victims have been pouring into this virtual ambulance for birds caught in the slick. The center is well heated because body temperature is key to the their survival. "That's the main concern we have right now is these animals in the environment are getting cold," explained Oiled Wildlife Care Network Director mike Ziccardi. He worries injured birds are in shock. "Usually it takes 7 to 14 days to get them through the entire rehabilitation process. If they have skin burns, if they have secondary problems, it can actually take months before we release them." The prognosis is good for between 50% and 75% of injured birds the network sees. "Of course it depends on species, depends on time of year, depends on product." The network maintains a facility in Fairfield that can handle up to 1,500 oiled birds. There are a dozen backup treatment facilities across California. Meanwhile, local officials are questioning the Coast Guard's response to the accident. The impact ripped a gash in the side of the ship yesterday and led to the 58,000 gallon spill. Nearly two dozen Bay Area beaches were at one time or another closed because of oil contamination. This morning, the California State Park Service announced that Angel Island would be closed to the public as well. All public ferry service to and from the park is also cancelled today. A Victorian Christmas event was to take place there today. Yesterday, city officials recommended that the San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island be cancelled because of the spill's effect on the water. Today, event organizers announced the swim portion of the race was cancelled, but the bicycling and running portions would go on as planned. The beach at Crissy Field was reopened Friday morning. City officials are saying the Coast Guard initially underreported the size of the spill and that prevented the city from taking appropriate action. Mayor Gavin Newsom says the city will consider legal action against anyone found liable. "There's going to be action by the city, legal action, and there's going to be new protocols that we put in place to secure that this never happens again in the future," Newsom declared. Newsom is promising to go after anyone who played a role in this environmental crisis. "We will protect the city's interests, we probably will have claims to the extent that there are cleanups and costs associated with port property," echoed San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera. There were reportedly conference calls yesterday among local and state leaders and agencies, discussing the impact of the spill. "We have huge amounts of vessel traffic coming in and out of the Bay," pointed out San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who represents much of the city's waterfront. "This is the first time this it's ever happened. There clearly must have been human error in this case." Mayor Newsom reacts: KCBS' Barbara Taylor reports As the cleanup continues in and around the Bay, the investigation into the initial accident is well underway. The Coast Guard says there's no damage to the Bay Bridge after the container ship bumped the tower. The ship was heading outbound from Oakland when it struck the tower, west of Yerba Buena Island around 8:30 a.m. Visibility was limited during the time of the collision due to fog. However, it is now being reported that the pilot of the vessel that hit the support tower has previously come to the attention of the agency that licenses bar pilots, the title given to those who guide these types of large ships. The bar pilot is described as a 25-year veteran of the industry, but has been under investigation four times since 1993. According to published reports, the pilot was reprimanded in 2006 for running a freighter aground off the shore of Antioch. KCBS' Bob Melrose reports on the bar pilot's record Coast Guard crews will be in the air today as they track how far the oil has spread from the spill. A Coast Guard spokeswoman said yesterday the oil had spread as far north as Stinson Beach and to Ocean Beach. One official termed the oil plume as ``ribbons of oil just going all over the place.'' The spill is believed to be the biggest spill in the bay since 1988. Coast Guard officials are asking the public to report oil sightings at 985-781-0804. To report oiled wildlife, call 877-823-6926. And to submit a claim for oiled property, call 888-850-8486. The oil is proving problematic for fishermen, as well. "We're all going to have to scrub the oil away from the hull," explained Robert Gallia, Captain of the El Dorado. "Hopefully you can use a mild enough detergent, a lot of elbow grease and get it off. As the El Dorado navigated the oily waters, clumps of what looked like black goo floated nearby. Skimmers are being used to mop up the oil on the water's surface. However, this particular arm of the cleanup operation can be done during daylight hours, only. "The helicopters, we get aerial shots and then they say, okay, this is where you guys move, that way, go here," Coast Guard Petty Officer Kevin Neff described.

Arias

lorianncross_searchengine — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:21:12 GMT

Upcoming artist whos heart is right with our Creator. His writings are awesome and age 17...wisdom of a grown man. i look so infinatly into the mystics of the heavens, into the very depths of the highest stars above i try to find an eternal truth, a truth of purity in soul my heart longs so intracatly to find my inner divine i search into the dark with my beaming light of love i search so longengly for the truth, the all so well hidden truth i'm compelled to live a life of ignorance and bliss, so they say but i break free from the chains of our sociatal structure all to grasp the truth, the all so loving truth, the truth of all so indefinatly we walk within our outer bonds, and we never search within restrained to our posessions, our slow poisons of infedelity i look deep into my heart and soul and find my graceful mind and still i search, i search so longely for truth, the one all eternal truth and so i ask you, i ask you with the compassion of my heart... whats your truth?

Halloween Celebration in the Castro

lorianncross_searchengine — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:58:03 GMT

San Francisco residents and city officials are at odds on how to ensure a safe Halloween this year. Although the Castro District's annual celebration will not be sponsored by the city, city officials say police will be out in force to manage throngs of partygoers expected to swarm the neighborhood on Oct. 31. Some residents are skeptical the streets that night will be incident-free. At a police commission meeting Wednesday, city officials discussed ways to keep the peace on Oct. 31, according to Police Commission Sgt. Joe Reilly. Police, fire and transportation departments will tack on extra resources to offset large crowds, he said. "The city is trying to manage (everything) as they would any other festive event," Reilly said. Rosenthal believes a lack of ordinance in the streets could lead to more violence than last year's event, when nine people were shot in the Castro on Halloween night. Halloween Celebration in the Castro Interrupted by Shootings by Erika Estrada and Erick Ayapana , staff producers November 1, 2006 12:13 PM Halloween festivities ended early for partygoers after a shooting broke out on Castro Street Tuesday night, resulting in 10 people injured. The shooting, which occurred at 10:40 P.M., was on Market and 15th Streets. Public Information Officer Sgt. Neville Gittens said last night that initially five people were shot, with one sustaining a life-threatening injury. According to an SFGate.com article released Wednesday morning, the reported number of people wounded increased to 10 and may have been gang-related, with two persons of interest in custody. "We believe it was all one incident," Gittens said last night around 11:30 p.m. "We have some people detained, whether or not they are involved in the shooting is unknown at this point." The San Francisco Police Department said they would not be releasing any information because they were still gathering information about the incident. Phones calls made to Gittens in the morning were not returned. SF State student Vi L鬠19, a junior biochemistry major, who was at a party one block away from the shooting, said he heard about the incident from a person at the party. "Somebody was running through the house screaming "people were shot. I started freaking out," said L鮠"It's really frightening, thinking about maybe being shot. I'd rather think of my safety first rather than traveling outside and being stupid."

Fleet Week in Full Swing in San Francisco

lorianncross_searchengine — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 10:45:47 GMT

Fleet Week in Full Swing in San Francisco SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- Crowds gathered along the San Francisco waterfront today to watch the Blue Angels precision flight team, and other show planes during the Fleet Week air show. There was also a parade of ships entering the bay, each lined with military men and women. Kids, and their parents alike said that they enjoyed watching the fancy tricks, and high speed maneuvers. However, not everyone is thrilled by Fleet Week. San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly says the jets are too loud and dangerous to fly over the city. ”I don’t think we need to have war machines flying over populated neighborhoods. There’s just a lot of issues,” said Daly. Fleet week continues through Tuesday ********* SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- Several high profile events will fill the streets of San Francisco today. Along the bay waterfront thousands are expected to watch military ships on the water, and the Blue Angels overhead, as part of the city’s annual Fleet Week. In addition, there is a bluegrass music festival in Golden Gate Park, the Castro street fair, the Italian heritage day parade in North Beach, and a 49ers football game at Monster Park. The San Francisco police say that all of the celebrating has lead to trouble in the past. ”We’re going to be out patrolling these events to make sure they are safe and enjoyable for everyone,” said San Francisco Police Sergeant Steve Mannina. He says that it’s important for everyone to be courteous, and obey the law. ”If you’re going to be out at these events, we don’t allow alcoholic beverages,” said Mannina. “You will be cited. We will be out there.” To help people navigate the city, without getting stuck in traffic jams, service on Muni, BART and CalTrain will be extended throughout the weekend.

Care Not Cash

lorianncross_searchengine — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 02:37:42 GMT

Posted: Thursday, 04 October 2007 4:56PM SF Homeless Program Hits New Milestone SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- San Francisco’s Care Not Cash program, designed to get homeless people into permanent housing, has reached a new milestone. The Newsom Administration announced that over 2,000 people who were once homeless now have a steady roof over their heads. “If it weren’t for the mayor and his program I’d probably be out on the sidewalk somewhere. Still on drugs, no roof, I may be dead,” said Joseph Brown, who recently moved into the Pierre Hotel on Jones Street. Still, there is a long way to go, according to Director so Human Services, Trent Rhorer. “We haven’t solved homelessness. You can walk down the streets and you still see the despair. Still people out there who are in dire need of our help,” he said. Critics claim Care Not Cash has fallen short of the mark, and that the number of people still huddled in sleeping bags in parks, under freeways and on sidewalks is evidence of that shortcoming. Supervisor Chris Daly, Mayor Gavin Newsom’s chief opponent, has proposed setting aside another $5 million for affordable housing. Newsom nixed a similar proposal a few months ago.

KEEP THE CHILDREN

lorianncross_searchengine — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 04:58:48 GMT

www.thequickenedword.com RHEMA 5/18/07 KEEP THE CHILDREN HEARD: The war outside. HEARD: I went through the world and sought for a man to stand in the gap. One who has no personal agenda. One who is willing to make a difference. One who understands the process. {Lord to stand in the gap for what?} HEARD: My children. Count them one by one. The ones who know Me and stay aligned. Graft them in. Exactly. Before you met me, I was an outcast. Now I am no longer alone. That I might have life. That you might have life. Abundantly. PIX: I had in my hands a string of gems that was twirling and twisting. It looked like a fine necklace. Isa 54:11-14 NKJV "O you afflicted one, Tossed with tempest, and not comforted, Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems, And lay your foundations with sapphires. 12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies, Your gates of crystal, And all your walls of precious stones. 13 All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children . 14 In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you. Wait {Hebrew} To bring together by twisting qavah OT:6960 qavah (kaw-vaw'); a primitive root; to bind together (perhaps by twisting), i.e. collect; (figuratively) to expect: KJV - gather (together), look, patiently, tarry, wait (for, on, upon). (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.) Isa 49:22-23 NKJV Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations, And set up My standard for the peoples; They shall bring your sons in their arms, And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders; 23 Kings shall be your foster fathers, And their queens your nursing mothers; They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD, For they shall not be ashamed who wait {6960} for Me." PIX: I saw something written on the black board. It was the word, “WHY” And it was underlined to bring emphasis. HEARD: The world goes through its storm. Noah’s ark. Night resurrection. Redeemed, welcome. Sent to occupy. Worn in two. This land is very ours. Liberate. DREAM: I prophesied to the president of the US and said that we need to turn around and go the right way. I said and it is not about us, it’s about our children. 2 Chron 16:9 NKJV For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. Ezek 22:29-31 NKJV So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. 31 Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads," says the Lord GOD. 2 Chron 6:19-20 NKJV Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You: 20 that Your eyes may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place. Ps 34:15-17 NKJV The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. Prov 15:3 NKJV The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. Jer 32:19-20 NKJV You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. QUICKENED REOCCURRING SONG: I surrender all.

Modern scarecrows

lorianncross_searchengine — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:28:39 GMT

By BOB NORBERG THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Saturday, September 29, 2007 Strega, a 2-year-old Lanner falcon, stretched her wings, looked around a Healdsburg vineyard and lifted off, climbing to 500 feet in a matter of seconds before diving to make low, 100-mph passes over the vines. "I feel like I'm flying with her," said Jim Tigan, a falconer and co-owner of Tactical Avian Predators, a Yuba County company that flies falcons over vineyards, airports and golf courses to scare away other birds. "I look at her finesse and I feel like I am up there with her." Strega, one of a dozen falcons that Tigan's company owns, flew around the 60-acre Herrick Vineyard in Healdsburg. It's one she knows well, having spent two weeks in the vineyard as the grapes were ripening, flying eight times a day. On Thursday, she was reacquainting herself with her domain. "These are like Olympic athletes," said Tigan, who flies the birds every day. "It keeps the birds healthy." Just her presence, Tigan said, is enough to scare off starlings, non-native birds that fly in swarms of up to 1,000 and can be destructive to a grape crop. "This is pest control using ancient falcon techniques," Tigan said. Falconry is one of several ways grapegrowers protect their crops, valued at $8,000 to $10,000 an acre, from starlings and other birds, said Nick Frey, president of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Association. Sonoma County's grape crop this year is estimated to be worth about $360million. "The birds can come in and literally strip a vineyard," Frey said. Growers use mylar strips, but the birds get used to the flashy metal bands and ignore them. Another defense is netting over the vines, but that is expensive and labor-intensive, Frey said. Falcons are used successfully by other vineyard owners as well, but it is still an uncommon practice. "It is site-specific, but if you have a bird problem, falcons can help," Frey said. Tigan has been a falconer since he was a teenager and started the Browns Valley-based company four years ago with Kate Marden, who has been a falconer for a decade. They fly the falcons at vineyards in Sonoma County, Paso Robles and Soledad. Camille Pope of Huntington Wine Cellars said Huntington hired the company for the Herrick Vineyard, from which it buys its chardonnay grapes, for the first time last year after starlings caused significant crop damage. Huntington, a 30,000-case winery founded in 1988, has a falcon on its label, which is how Tigan found the winery and made a pitch to use his birds. Tigan's falcons are just days or weeks old when they get them. They are fed a diet of farm-raised quail and specifically trained to fly the vineyards. As the falcon gets near the vineyard boundary, Tigan recalls it with a whistle until the bird learns what the limits are. He'll bring it back to him by twirling a lure on a rope, a game of keep-away the falcon finally wins. Starlings stay away from areas they know falcons patrol, but they are smart birds, Tigan said. They post sentries, soon recognize his car and leave when he shows up with the falcons. He said he has had to switch cars and once even donned a wig to fool them, but they didn't stay fooled very long. The most effective method, he said, is to hang a fake starling from the bottom of a helium balloon, high enough to be just visible from the vineyard boundary, and have the falcon attack it. On Thursday, returning after the harvest was completed, Strega rousted few birds. That's largely because of her previous work there, Tigan said. "She's working the trees," said Tigan, watching Strega pass low over the edge of the vineyard. "She's looking for staging starlings. It's basically a maintenance job." You can reach Staff Writer Bob Norberg at 521-5206 or bob.norberg@pressdemocrat.com.

Medications are so good, it obviates the need for counseling...

lorianncross_searchengine — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:12:55 GMT

Study: Depressed Youth Getting More Meds STANFORD, Calif., Nov. 17, 2005 (AP) Young people diagnosed with depression are being treated with more prescription drugs and less psychotherapy as the number of doctor visits for adolescent depression continues to rise, according to a Stanford University study. Researchers Jun Ma and Randall Stafford at the School of Medicine's Stanford Prevention Research Center studied two large national databases that tracked visits by young people to physicians and hospitals between 1995 and 2002, the most recent years for which data is available. During that period, the use of medication in depressed kids rose to 52 percent of all visits from 47 percent previously, while the use of psychotherapy dropped to 68 percent from 83 percent previously. The trend runs counter to guidelines issued by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, which urges doctors to first use psychotherapy as a way to teach problem-solving skills and correct destructive thought patterns. The group advises that medication should only be used for the most serious forms of mental illness, and even then in combination with a psychotherapy regimen. "There is the assumption that the medications are so good, it obviates the need for counseling," Stafford said. The study's authors cautioned that the findings may be dated. An analysis conducted for the Food and Drug Administration found the number of antidepressant prescriptions for children and adolescents peaked in 2002 and fell 20 percent over the next three years. In 2004, the agency determined that certain antidepressants were linked to an increase of adolescent suicide, and use declined. The Stanford study also found that the number of adolescent visits to doctors for depression increased to 3.2 million in 2002, compared to 1.4 million in 1995. ___ Information from: San Jose Mercury News, http://www.sjmercury.com The date of this article, Nov. 17, 2005 is a prophetic date when doors opened in restoration for the Cross family...Jer. 1:11 "Yhwh is watchful to carry out HIS purpose".

Have no other gods before Me

lorianncross_searchengine — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:02:55 GMT

MARY CLARK Marianna, Florida God is True September 26, 2007 true – real, genuine, actual, valid, authentic, veritable, bona fide, rightful, sincere, accurate, spot on, correct, proper, exact I am the one, true God. You shall have no other gods before Me. Listen to My words of wisdom and heed their direction, heed the direction that will take you to your destiny of successful living that is found in Me. Have no other gods before Me. Have nothing that you place higher than your relationship with Me. Look on My heart; look on Me as your caregiver. Look to Me to supply all of your heart’s desires. It is an honor and pleasure to do so. It is an honor and pleasure to bless My chosen with all that they need for a happy, successful life. I will be with you through all of life’s trials. I will uphold you. I will enable you to know true success as you walk in the direction of My will for you. You are entitled to know true success in your life, beloved, because you are My child. I died that you might know the wonders of My grace, extended toward you with an open hand, an open hand to bless and to see you arrive to that special place of wonder that I have carved out for you. So know this. Take these words to heart: You serve a God of love and truth. There is nothing in Me that is not true. I am truth through and through. The words that I speak are truth. My actions are truth. All of creation is true. There is nothing false about your God. These words that I am speaking to you this night are words that you can take into your heart as truth. For I am truth through and through, and it delights My heart to see you walking in the knowledge of My truth. I am your God. I am a God of truth. I desire for you to step into My truth with both feet, frolic in My truth, and know My truth, know it backwards and forwards. I have never wanted you to be ignorant about Me, never. I have always yearned to explain Myself to you, yearned for you to know Me as I am, a God of truth and love. Follow My course. Know that My very earnest desire is to bless you. My very earnest desire is for you to know Me and My goodness toward you. For too long man has walked unaware of Me and what a good God I am. Man has walked not seeking after the heart of the holy One Who is truth and love. He has walked in the direction of the evil one. In this day, I am seeing many turn toward the One Who is holy, just, and true. I am seeking many, and hearing many call out to Me a willingness to comply with My plans for their lives. This delights Me. This delights Me so much because it is enabling Me to move them out of that place of ignorance in which they have dwelled, and into the bright sunshine of My glory. So, beloved, follow My course. Know that it delights My heart to bless you. Know that I am a God of truth, and I long to see each of My dear children walking in that knowledge, enjoying that knowledge, free in that knowledge. Yes, it delights Me so much to see My very own walk in the knowledge of the One Who is just and true, the One Who has singled you out to know the essence of His goodness. This is truth, beloved. Take it. Chew on it. Absorb it, and know that you serve the One true God has looked on you with an eye to bless you, and bless you I will, beloved. Bless you I most certainly will, and that is true, beloved, that is a truth that I extend from My heart to yours!!!