Lelia,

I got these  audio scripture things from, well? I don't know where they are 
from, I've collected various audo bits through the years, anyway, my wife 
and daughter took off for the other side of the state and woo woo!! I got 
the place to myself for once in a very long time. So? Out comes the grill, 
up goes the music and the pooch and I are partying with sunshine, warm 
temps, shorts, tank top, burgers and brats and just relaxing with no real 
agenda. I love it lol. Anyway back to the audio bit, I  got all my CDs and 
various MP3s  on an external drive and so I'll load them up in WinAmp  and 
put it on random pick and I got my own custom radio station, or maybe it's 
my "BRADio" station  lol, and  while I was fixing up a burger an MP3 came 
up with someone reading the below scripture and I thought how fitting it 
was for our whole America down the  tubes and tossing city life off thread 
:). Here's the scripture and because you really can't mess  this one up 
with various versions, I'll paste it in the Living Bible Version which I 
rarely do but it is very conversational.

"Don't store up treasures here on earth where they can erode away or may be 
stolen. Store them in heaven where they will never lose their value and are 
safe from thieves. If your profits are in heaven, your heart will be there 
too. "If your eye is pure, there will be sunshine in your soul. But if your 
eye is clouded with evil thoughts and desires, you are in deep spiritual 
darkness. And oh, how deep that darkness can be! "You cannot serve two 
masters: God and money. For you will hate one and love the other, or else 
the other way around. "So my counsel is: Don't worry about things-food, 
drink, and clothes. For you already have life and a body-and they are far 
more important than what to eat and wear. Look at the birds! They don't 
worry about what to eat-they don't need to sow or reap or store up food-for 
your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than 
they are.  Will all your worries add a single moment to your life? "And why 
worry about your clothes? Look at the field lilies! They don't worry about 
theirs.  Yet King Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as beautifully 
as they. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today 
and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you, O men of little 
faith? "So don't worry at all about having enough food and clothing. Why be 
like the heathen? For they take pride in all these things and are deeply 
concerned about them. But your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well 
that you need them, and he will give them to you if you give him first 
place in your life and live as he wants you to. "So don't be anxious about 
tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time.


And, as I type now, our lovely Lynn Lathum-Hunt is playing on the random 
pick Bradio Station lol. Anyway how fitting as to not be concerned about 
worldly things. I sure would like to live a much simpler life however,. lol 
now playing on the Bradio Station is Burlap To Cashmere's Store Up 
Treasure's in Heaven lol, think he is trying to tell me something? lol. If 
you guys like a different yet very musically cool CD, get Burlap To 
Cashmere's  CD I think entitled Is Anyone Out There. Although not sure but 
I think they only have one. Wish they had more awesome awesome music, some 
are very metaphoric almost renaissance style and others are contemporary, 
some are very Spanish, very diverse. Anyway That commercial is over lol. 
Sure hope God isn't impressing upon me  the "don't worry about food and 
clothes" for any particular reason I don't know about. Maybe I better keep 
my ears to the ground and eyes on the horizon.

Brad


At 06:59 PM 6/29/2007, you wrote:
>Brad, your talking my language friend, we read a book together by Pat 
>Robertson called The End of the age.  and you talk of living off solar 
>panels and farming and eating your own made food, or I think that's what 
>your saying, well, Todd and I've talked of this many many times. Its 
>interesting though, you talk of this amongst your selves thinking every 
>one else would think your off your rocker then someone like you comes 
>along and says basically, hey!!! your not crazy I'm with you grin!!!
>
>
>Lelia
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Brad D" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 2:51 PM
>Subject: Re: Where America Is Going
>
>
>>Lelia,
>>
>>I have a friend who is not a doom monger, but is very confident we have 
>>less than a few short years before things really hit the fan. Tops four 
>>years. I don't know, he use to tell me these things and I blew it off as 
>>alarmist, trigger happy for the end, but looking around, and seeing how 
>>things happen, I'm not  so doubtful that God isn't in his words as he 
>>says and that they are not my friend's alone. Of course no one knows the 
>>day of Christ's return, not even Christ himself but the Father knows. 
>>Nonetheless yes you are spot on, it is very good idea to be debt free. If 
>>I had my way I'd be off on a nice piece of land living in a simple log 
>>cabin off grid and self-sufficient and owing nobody nothing and then 
>>doing what I'm suppose to do. Instead I live in a small town near a major 
>>metropolis in a house that I'd never ever thought years ago I'd pay that 
>>much for, and working to pay bills which is to maintain a lifestyle we 
>>American's come to view as normal. I am still pondering and I've not 
>>given up on a much simpler life, not necessarily easier, that is likely 
>>not the case, but simpler and more peaceful.
>>
>>Brad
>>
>>
>>
>>At 11:19 AM 6/29/2007, you wrote:
>>>Brad, first of all, I want you to know that I have confirmation of the 
>>>Word you received from God, I say that because, about two years ago I 
>>>told Todd We need to get out of debt and stay out of debt, why he asked, 
>>>I said I don't know I feel it in my spirit in my soul, its something we 
>>>have to do. Secondly, its interesting you bring up martyrdom, I've been 
>>>thinking of J Foxes the book of Martyrs today all day.
>>>
>>>Its so easy to think and say, ah this or that won't happen not in my 
>>>life time, oh no no I know it will happen the bible says it and I 
>>>believe it, but not in My lifetime I'm beginning to think differently.
>>>
>>>
>>>Lelia
>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Brad D" <[log in to unmask]>
>>>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>>Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 9:36 AM
>>>Subject: Re: Where America Is Going
>>>
>>>
>>>>My great grandmother came to this country from Germany back in 1917, 
>>>>worked as a maid cleaning houses, and vowed that if she lived in this 
>>>>country she would   respect and live by the standards of this country. 
>>>>She taught herself English as she went along knowing it was only right 
>>>>to do such. When she was living day to day, she did not expect others 
>>>>to learn German for her to communicate, she would only talk in German 
>>>>to her relatives within their own homes. I agree the mentality of those 
>>>>days are, for the most part,  becoming rare. It would help however, 
>>>>that the USA actually have a national language. Did you even know that 
>>>>we do not have a national language? You'd assume it is English, but we 
>>>>do not have one. You can't enforce what you don't have. I often say 
>>>>"freedom is valued to the degree morality, or the value system  which 
>>>>holds it up", or some such similar saying. The point being we can only 
>>>>enjoy freedoms if  we have a value system that upholds it, and of 
>>>>course wisdom as well. However, this is not a situation in and of 
>>>>itself alone. There is a bigger picture that comes into play, 
>>>>especially regarding the US which plays such a role in the world, 
>>>>self-imposed or invited, for this consideration it really doesn't 
>>>>matter. The point being that for whatever reason we are a major player 
>>>>in the global workings, we are, and that makes us a target economically 
>>>>as well as spiritually. I  like to refer to the global economics as 
>>>>this. First of all we know without a doubt, that we are moving towards 
>>>>a one world government. That is as obvious as the nose on our face, not 
>>>>to mention biblical references,  when you look at how countries have 
>>>>expanded the trade borders  over the years. Technology has really went 
>>>>a long way to help that in a short time, which also must be noted as we 
>>>>get on in years of the last days, the seals released as shown in 
>>>>revelation can happen even in a shorter time than we might expect, we 
>>>>are told to be as watchman and it will come like a thief in the night. 
>>>>. But anyway, imagine each geopolitical entity on the globe as a glass 
>>>>tower or giant test tube. Each one tall, clear and empty. Now, each 
>>>>tube is filled with water to the level of their economic strength of 
>>>>its citizens, such as wages, debt to income ratio and etc. I'm sure you 
>>>>would have no trouble envisioning the USA being quite full of water up 
>>>>nearer the top than many countries, than say Mexico, some African 
>>>>states and even countries such as Australia where their dollar is worth 
>>>>only maybe 85 cents of ours. So each one  of the geo-political entities 
>>>>filled to their respective  water level representing the economics. The 
>>>>USA pretty full, Mexico maybe a quarter full, Australia maybe  three 
>>>>quarters full, UK as well pretty full,  Central American  countries 
>>>>pretty low too. Now, as we create trade agreements with each of the 
>>>>varying political entities it is very much likened to  connecting a 
>>>>hose to the bottom of each tube and opening up the valves. What 
>>>>happens? The law of physics applies. The trade, or hose, allows a 
>>>>common water level to be established to each tube, equalizing or making 
>>>>even the level of all who are connected. We, the US with wages of $25 
>>>>an hour in manufacturing are now connected to similar manufacturing of 
>>>>that of $5 per hour and because we can no longer be competitive in the 
>>>>international economics at that wage, our wages, or water level,  must 
>>>>go down to  the level of those lesser to keep people buying. Perhaps 
>>>>the level of the other countries will rise slightly, but that is 
>>>>dependent upon the volume of lower paying jobs against those of higher 
>>>>paying jobs. If you have 10 jobs at $10 per hour and two jobs at $20 
>>>>per hour, the average when balanced out isn't going to be $15 per hour, 
>>>>it will be much less maybe $11 or $12 per hour. We get companies that 
>>>>realize this, and either move operations overseas, or sell out to new 
>>>>owners, and the guy who was making $25 per hour  can keep his job under 
>>>>the new owners for $10 per hour, of course he refuses and looks for 
>>>>work elsewhere  in hopes to maintain his or her lifestyle. It is 
>>>>inevitable that if we are establishing trade with other countries of 
>>>>lower wages, we in this country will be lowered in wages. The American 
>>>>worker does not want low wages, therefore does not apply to those jobs, 
>>>>and therefore we have immigrant labor which  the current 
>>>>administration, well let's face it, our president is pushing for. He 
>>>>blatantly said that the jobs the American workers do into want will be 
>>>>filled by immigrant workers. And of course they can easily control the 
>>>>attractiveness of the jobs to the American worker and thus control the 
>>>>amount of immigrant workers, and ultimately the economics of this 
>>>>country, making us more like other countries as Russia where there is 
>>>>upper class and lower class and no middle class. The American worker 
>>>>can not be paid what he or she wants or maybe even needs right now and 
>>>>so there is a scurry of employment options. Statistics will tell you 
>>>>that X amount of jobs were created this month or last month, but do 
>>>>they tell you how many were lost? Or, how many folks had jobs of $25 
>>>>per hour but lost them then got a new job at $10 because that is all he 
>>>>can find. Or, such as is the case here in the Twin Cities area, the 
>>>>commute back and forth from outlining areas is no longer worth the 
>>>>gasoline cost and rising taxes, that they will either move  closer to 
>>>>the job, or in many cases especially now with housing markets fallen, 
>>>>quit the job, do not move but keep the home they have due to 
>>>>unlikelihood of selling at a decent price, and   take a lesser paid 
>>>>job, but have less traffic time in their life. So in essence we still 
>>>>have a lesser paid job for that person. So there is a much larger 
>>>>picture of our economics than just within our borders, it is a world 
>>>>wide situation. But, you say, "the trade agreements are called Fair 
>>>>Trade Agreements". The trades yes were meant to be evened off, made 
>>>>fair but we sit with millions and millions of trade deficit with China 
>>>>and growing everyday which congress is scratching their head how to 
>>>>fix. And as of last year already, China owns 45% of our debt. Does that 
>>>>give you any clue as to where we are headed? Last year we had a 
>>>>national debt of just shy of 9 trillion dollars, when I was just out of 
>>>>high school, which I'm sure yawl would agree it really wasn't all that 
>>>>long ago right? :) Well. OK. It was 26 years ago, but the national debt 
>>>>was 3 trillion dollars. I remember that because it was also the value 
>>>>of revenue, properties and etc. of the Disney Company and I remembered 
>>>>thinking if we took that money and did without Disney, we'd have no 
>>>>national debt wow!! Anyway, six trillion dollars later we are past any 
>>>>point of digging out especially with  the war costing what it does. 
>>>>Last year I calculated it out according to our own governments figures 
>>>>and it boiled down to like $1100 per every second we are occupied 
>>>>there, unfathomable figures. When I was in Texas, probably six years 
>>>>ago now, I got a specific word from God saying to get out of debt. 
>>>>Anyone holding credit card debt will be in trouble soon, and to get 
>>>>debt free. I am not yet, I don't have any real credit card debt or 
>>>>unsecured miscellaneous to speak of, probably did one major purchase of 
>>>>a car that countered that but I'm a whole ton better towards that end 
>>>>than I was and I now am reviewing our finances to push for that goal, I 
>>>>haven't forgotten God, I haven't forgotten. However, the economics are 
>>>>only a part of what is happening. The spiritual end globally is also 
>>>>active. I was listening to a radio station in Israel the other day 
>>>>through freedom Box, and they had a gentleman on there explaining that 
>>>>if America and Europe media would let the citizens actually know what 
>>>>is going on over there, they would be shocked. Not just Christians but 
>>>>of course Jewish folks in the Gaza Strip are being tortured.. An M16 
>>>>round, one round of it will  make a couple three inch hole in you and 
>>>>Islamic fundamentalists are blasting 40 rounds into their victims, hand 
>>>>cuffing  arms behind people and pushing them off buildings, tragic 
>>>>things happening. Gaza just announced that the Christian population 
>>>>there will, without exception , follow the cultural rules such as women 
>>>>with uncovered heads, no evangelizing and etc. or they will be killed. 
>>>>Any woman, American or not, if head is uncovered will be killed. 
>>>>However, in this country, when three or four suspicious Islamic men 
>>>>were understood by another passenger strictly by happenstance of her 
>>>>understanding Fata language, gets very nervous of what they are talking 
>>>>about, writes a note to the captain, has it sent discretely to the 
>>>>cabin, and the men are removed for questioning, the men become appalled 
>>>>at the mistreatment because of their praying in public and want 
>>>>recompense. What is wrong with that picture? It is clearly one sided 
>>>>economically and spiritually. This is really only a mild waft of what 
>>>>will come in the latter days. The bible says folks will wish they could 
>>>>commit suicide but won't and there will be martyr believers, well we 
>>>>have that happening in other countries but it seems so far away as we 
>>>>look on life here in our country. It is times as we are in and will go 
>>>>through in the future that it is  a thankful thing to have the strength 
>>>>and guidance of God to give us insight and peace and not be  fearful.
>>>>
>>>>Nonetheless because of the encroachment and preparation of a world 
>>>>government, we will most certainly be more affected in this country. 
>>>>Those with the most, have the most to lose.  Also keep in mind we are 
>>>>yet the teenager in the world compared to century upon century old 
>>>>countries. The descendants of Jacob and Ishmil  were poised against 
>>>>each other long ago, have been fighting since, and I frankly do not 
>>>>understand how we, a bit of an arrogant teenager, can feel we can jump 
>>>>in the middle of what God spoke, put our hand up to both sides and say 
>>>>stop, without expecting to get by unscathed. Perhaps some of you more 
>>>>biblical scholars have a different perspective on it and I am wrong on 
>>>>the last part? But that is how I see it at this point.
>>>>
>>>>Brad
>>>>
>>>>
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>>
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