GoodnewsEverybody.com: Death- Grieving, Mourning, Reflection, etc..

"My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me."-Psalm 55:4


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"Say it loud...say it clear..." These are some of the words to a song I (Sal) was listening to when I was at work this morning (11/5/03-Check "Living Years" by Mike and The Mechanics).

"Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven"

"Beyond the door There's peace I'm sure. And I ks website is to have you the readers value every moment of the people God puts in your linow there'll be no more... Tears in heaven "

"he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces"-Isaiah 25:8

I decided to start this website, which I've been planning to for awhile-especially after a former UMM student died unexpectedly from a fatal car accident a month ago in the Twin Cities. In fact this former student-Christian-was a floormate of mine when I lived in Spooner Hall during my senior (1998-1999) year at UMM. When I first got a prayer chain e-mail from a sister-in-Christ about his accident-I immediately prayed for him and his family with my friends in my living room.

Many times we forget about the people God puts in our lives until they are gone. For example, I work at a group home for developmentally disabled adults. One of the 8 consumers (a.k.a. residents) was gone for several days for a trip out of state. After a day or even less, the staff started to missed this particular consumer's presence at the home. One reason was that he was very helpful with many household errands, which we would rely on him at times on this duty. A sad circumstance was another consumer, who died of health complications. When he died, we started to reminiscence the "good times" when he was around.

I wanted to do this website to encourage grievers to reflect and bring back the good ole' memories of this person with love ones or people that knew him. This tends to help with the grieving time after someone's death.

My main goal for thife. Our life can sometimes get too busy to realize what we are already blessed with! This life reflecting e-mail forward explains some of this....

Mad at God!

When a close one dies unexpectedly? It's natural to be mad at God. We question why? For example, there was this young woman who took her life and her friends that tried to help her couldn't understand why God didn't answer their prayers. Another story was a young woman that died of cancer at a very young age. An unexpected fatal car accident took the life a young college graduate, whose life seem promising. Why? Why does good things happen to good people?

First of all, there is no "good" people because we were all born to sin since the "first day" of Creation (Genesis).

I'm not an expert or know the answer to why God let "bad" things happen to "good" people-I'm only 26. However, I can direct them to God and the Bible. From my knowledge of this Book, I can refer them to read the book of Job in the Old Testament.

18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:

"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart. [3]
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."

22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

more..Job

If you had some bad times in life, you should read the trials (death of a family member, losing his hardwork property, etc..) that this guy went through. I pray that you'll find some peace in your circumstance in the season in the wilderness after reading this.

Subject: FW: Profound words from a keen observer

GEORGE CARLIN POST 9-11 (His wife recently died...) Isn't it amazing that George Carlin - gross and mouthy comedian of the 70's and 80's - could write something so very eloquent ...and so very appropriate post 9-11. A wonderful Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Can you think of any? If you don't send this to at least 8 people.... who cares? George Carlin cont...

Fwd: MOMENTS IN LIFE
from my friend Shannon

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real!

When the door of happiness closes, another opens; but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one, which has been opened for us.

Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.

Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Please send this message to those people who mean something to you (I JUST DID); to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life.

If you don't send it, don't worry, nothing bad will happen to you; you will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten someone's day with this message!!!

Is There Life After Death?

" A drunken driver loses control of his car and careens head first into a van killing a family. A mother dies of breast cancer leaving confused children and a grieving husband. A desperate depressed tee... more >>
A drunken driver loses control of his car and careens head first into a van killing a family. A mother dies of breast cancer leaving confused children and a grieving husband. A desperate depressed teenager commits suicide. These are the stories that fill our newspapers. Death is a reality of life, but what happens after death? Is there the hope of an after life? On Beyond Today, lets look at what happens to you when you die."

My Personal Experience Dealing with Grieving
(Tuesday, February 24th of 2009)

-Young Kid
Earlier this evening I was at an event where they started with a "moment of silence" for someone that past away. I didn't know the individual that "past away", but I could tell how much profound effect throughout some of the people at this event. I then pondered my first time I dealt with grieving. It was at a young age when my mom started crying. It was the first time I ever saw my mom crying. I would later find out it was her grieving the death of her mom-my grandma.

-High School
During my junior year in high school (St. Paul Harding Senior High), I would face more grieving with 3 deaths of classmates of mine within one school year. One was a suicide, the other was a car-truck accident, and the other was "drug-overdose"! I knew all three in different ways. The hardest one was the one that died from a car collision with a semi-truck because I knew him since elementary school. The reason why it was so hard for me is because we "fought" with one another due to "silly" issues from junior high-middle school. He tried to make amends with me in my sophomore year, but I just had a "hard-heart" and couldn't forgive him-wasn't a Christian at the time! I finally "blew-up" crying alone after "trying" to carry all that anger turned grief-this happened after the funeral. I was mad at myself for not attending his funeral to say my "final goodbye"!

Jeremiah 8:18-" You who are my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me...

-College

As I got older, I was able to deal with death "somewhat" better. During my junior year at the University of Minnesota-Morris, a former-resident& friend of the hall I was an RA in "past away" (suicide). I would end up going to her "wake" and shared some memorable moments with other friends, family, and acquaintances. Unfortunately, a little after some friends started quarreling-blaming one another for the "debatable" causes of her death. This was something I wasn't prepared for, which grieving at any age is always a challenge.

"... 25 "All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate (Comforter), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid...-John 14

Life after Death?

Is There Life After Death?

"A drunken driver loses control of his car and careens head first into a van killing a family. A mother dies of breast cancer leaving confused children and a grieving husband. A desperate depressed teenager commits suicide. These are the stories that fill our newspapers. Death is a reality of life, but what happens after death? Is there the hope of an after life? On Beyond Today, lets look at what happens to you when you die."

"25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?""-John 11:25-26

What Would Heaven be like?
*see Life: Eternity, Heaven, etc...

Have you ever ask this question? A friend ask this question as he thought it would be boring. I told him that when you come to a personal relationship with your Heavenly Father, you will look forward to going to Heaven. My friend sarcastically said, "Is heaven going to be place where we'll just play music and float in the clouds...this would be boring". In the Bible, it describes this place will be filled with us worshipping God. Not just milk and cookies!

-Movies
5 People You'll Meet in Heaven

more on heaven....

Isaiah 65 New Heavens and a New Earth

" 17 “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. 19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

20 “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach[a] a hundred will be considered accursed. 21 They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. 24 Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD. "

New Body in Heaven

Awaiting the New Body
"For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands....we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,"-2 Corinthians 5

Related Sites:
Heaven: The Rest of the Story; John 1:1-3 pt. 3 of 6

OUR NEW BODIES crossroad.to
What will we look like in Heaven?, from gotquestions.org
"..Question: "What will we look like in Heaven?"
Answer: In the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, Paul talks about the resurrection and the resurrected body. In verses 35 and following, he states that our heavenly bodies will be different from our natural bodies, with some stark contrasts. Whereas our earthly bodies are characterized by mortality (being susceptible to death), our resurrected bodies will be characterized by immortality (not susceptible to death). Likewise, while our earthly bodies are susceptible to decay (corruption), they will become incorruptible (1 Corinthians 15:53). Also, where our natural bodies are prone to weakness (ask anyone who has reached 40 years of age or older), our resurrected bodies will be characterized by strength (verse 43)...

E-Mail Forward:

From: Tom W
Sent: Sun 3/09/08 5:37 PM
To: saldapal@hotmail.com

" This was taken from a site I belong to, its to good not to share.

DEATH comes to everyone. The Bible also speaks about untimely death! Galatians 6:7: 'Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap.

Here are some men and women who mocked God :

Lennon (Singer): Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said: 'Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, today we are more famous than Him' (1966).

Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times

Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil

During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency.

Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.

Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet): During A show in Canecio (Rio de Janeiro while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said:'God, that's for you.'

He died at the age of 32 of LUNG CANCER in a horrible manner.

The man who built the Titanic ?

After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be.

With an ironic tone he said: 'Not even God can sink it'

The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic

Marilyn Monroe (Actress) She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show.

He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her.

After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: 'I don't need your Jesus'.

A week later, she was found dead in her apartment

Bon Scott (Singer) The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang:

'Don't stop me; I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell'. On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.

In Campinas , Brazil (IN 2005) a group of friends, who were drunk, went to pick up a friend.....

The mother accompanied her daughter to the car and as her daughter left with her drunk friends the mother said to the daughter: 'My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect You.' Her daughter responded: 'Only If He (God) Travels In The Trunk, Cause Inside Here.....It's Already Full ' Hours later, news came by that they had been Involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, The car could not be recognized , but surprisingly, the trunk was intact. The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none were broken Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer) said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written. In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle.

Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of JESUS

Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive. Jesus said 'If you are embarrassed about me, I will also be embarrassed about you before my father

Remember this when you decide whether or not you should forward this??

Miraculous Stories of People raised from the "dead"

"And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, [and] thou heardest my voice...But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay [that] that I have vowed. Salvation [is] of the LORD.¶ And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry [land]."-Jonah 2:2-10

NATION
MAN RAISED FROM THE DEAD

"Is it a medical mystery or a miracle? A South Florida man pronounced dead from a massive heart attack and then brought back to life. His doctor says the man was raised from the dead by a simple prayer.
http://www1.wsvn.com/features/article....."

  • Famed heart doctor tells the dramatic story of how a patient of his was ‘raised from the dead’ after prayer Dr. Chauncey W. Crandall IV produces evidence at the 4th Annual World Christian Doctors Network conference in Miami, Florida By Dan Wooding Founder of ASSIST Ministries Sunday, July 15, 2007

  • "They called me in to evaluate the patient towards the end of his treatment where they had unsuccessfully tried to revive him. The nurse was preparing his body to be taken down to the morgue when the Holy Spirit told me to ‘turn around and pray for that man.’ When the Holy Spirit talks to you, you have to respond. It’s sometimes a quiet voice and this was a quiet voice and to honor the Lord I did turn around and I went to the side of that stretcher where his body was being prepared..."
    *see GoodnewsEverybody: Liberal Arts-Medical stories..
    GLOBAL
  • Miracles in Nigeria 13 - Raising the Dead, from youtube.com

  • "Brace yourself: a man gets raised from the dead! That is, if you believe it's genuine ... what do you think? "
    *see GoodnewsEverybody.com African-Nigerian Outreach

    "Jesus Anointed at Bethany
    1Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume... 17Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word......
    -John 12


    *see Bible

    Suicide
    *see GoodnewsEverybody.com Health Issues-Depression, Lonely, Sad, etc..

    Bible

  • Suicide and The Bible, from inthewakeofsuicide.com

  • "Following the death of a loved one, faith naturally comes into question. When your loved one dies due to suicide, faith becomes an even bigger issue. How could God not reach our loved ones and save them? How could He let this happen? These are torturous feelings that can overcome anyone who lost a loved one. ...

    Ministries

  • Hess Ministries

  • suicide is not the answer

    "We are here to help. If you or someone you know is thinking about taking their lives and needs help please call us or someone that can help. Our number is at the end of the video."

    Youth

    Suicide Prevention for Teens

    "In the wake of a suicide, family members and friends wonder what they could have done to help, how they could have prevented this tragedy. Made for a teen audience, This clip comes from a DVD called A Cry for Help which educates young people to recognize the signs of depression and suicide in their peers. Featuring Sue Eastgard, President of The American Association of Suicidology, and groups of teens, this video talks about how to intervene and get help when a friend is contemplating suicide. A Cry for Help prepares young people to listen and care in one of the most challenging situations they might ever face: stopping a friend from taking his or her own life. appropriate for Jr. High and up "


    Recommended Resources

    Local-GoodnewsMorris

    Articles

  • Advice on coping with death: Questions and Answers Morris Sun Tribune Published Wednesday, December 05, 2007

  • "By Pat Hein
    *know through former work as a Residential Advisor back in 98'-99' at the UMM

    Since I started writing all of these articles on coping with grief, I have been asked many questions regarding grieving and proper etiquette when a loved one dies. Below are some of the questions/discussions that I've had with various people.
    Q: Should I still wear my wedding ring after the death of a spouse?
    A: Do what makes you feel most comfortable. Some surviving spouses place their wedding rings on their right hand; others remove their rings, sometimes saving them for future generations. Some have their rings fashioned into a special new piece of jewelry and others wear their ring all their life. I made my anniversary ring bigger and placed it on my middle finger of my left hand. I gave my wedding and engagement ring to my daughter to be handed down to the next generation. My point is you need to do anything that you feel comfortable with. There is no right or wrong regarding your wedding rings.
    Q: What should I do with my husband/wife's clothes?
    A: This is a special concern to most surviving spouses or family members. Trust yourself to know when the time is right to dispense with the personal belongings. Some people give them to family and friends, others to charitable organizations. This task doesn't have to be done all at once. It usually helps to go through belongings with a friend or family member so you can share memories and stories � it may make the task less distressing.
    Q: How can I get others to talk about my deceased loved one?
    A: People are afraid that any mention will make you sad. They feel uncomfortable and don't know what to say. You can help them and yourself by sharing memories of your loved one with them. You might open the door by saying, "Remember when Tom ...?" Or be direct and simply say to friends and family that you want to talk about your loved one and want others to do so, too.
    Q: When should I start dating after the death of a spouse?
    A: The traditional one-year period of mourning is really a good stepping stone. However, some people may choose to seek companionship earlier � and some may never choose to do so. Only you will know when the time is right. Its important to remember that you are vulnerable and need to be cautious. And if you find someone whose company you especially enjoy, don't think of her/him as a replacement for your spouse. Consider that person as someone with whom you might share the next chapter in your life adventure.
    Dr. Joyce Brothers wrote in her book, �Widowed�: "And if there should ever be another good man with whom I share my life, there will still be that empty corner of my soul. I know what I had and what I lost. I hope I will not spend the rest of my life alone. But if I do, I will not be sorry for myself. Life goes on, and I am ready to join the parade again."
    Q: Should I attend a bereavement support group?
    A: Everyone needs help from others during times of intense grief. Most people rely on the support of friends and family. Some seek counseling from clergy or other spiritual advisers. Support groups aren't for everyone. If you attend a few sessions and it doesn't feel right or seem to help, don't feel badly about dropping out.
    Q: How will I know when I'm getting better?
    A: Sometimes keeping a journal of your feelings is a healing factor in grieving. Periodically reading earlier entries provides tangible evidence of improvement. I knew I was getting better at coping with grief when I was able to talk about memories of Tom with a smile instead of tears. Remember: Things will never be the same, but you can and will feel happiness again.
    Q: When will I be over my grief?
    Don't try to set a goal for when you won't be feeling sad. Time tables just don't work when it comes to the grieving process. Be patient with yourself as you go through the mourning process. The ever-present pain of grief eventually gives rise to a renewed sense of meaning and purpose if you reconcile this grief within yourself. Your feeling of loss will not completely disappear, yet it will soften, and the intense pangs of grief will become less frequent. Hope for a continued life will emerge as you are able to make commitments to the future, realizing that the person who died will never be forgotten, yet knowing that your life can and will move forward.
    Q: I'm so tired since my loved one died. Is this common?
    A: Be aware of the physical impact you may experience after the death of a loved one. Tiredness, shock, extreme lack of energy and motivation, lack of appetite or overeating, and crying are common reactions to grief. Take care of yourself by eating healthy foods, drinking water and avoiding alcohol, sleeping regular hours, getting exercise, and finding ways to smile and laugh again.
    Q: How can I make sure that people remember my loved one?
    A: Memories are your own memories and they are something that no one can ever take from you. Due to my grandchildren being so young when Grandpa Tom died, I wanted them to remember their grandfather so I printed an 8 by 10 picture, framed it and asked each of my children to hang it up in the grandchild's room so they will always remember their Grandpa Tom. I also decided that a great gift for my grandchildren would be a memory quilt made out of the Western Co-op uniforms that Tom wore daily. I thought these two ideas would be great ways to keep the memories from becoming lost or forgotten.
    Q: I just don't know how I can get through the holidays without my loved one. How did you do it?
    A: I have found that holidays can be manageable if you embrace the season rather than dreading it. Your spouse or child would not want you to be sad and lonely. With that concept, I reached out and created new traditions, called upon friends and family to help me make it through the holidays. It worked! I made it through the first one and am making it through the second holiday season. It's all up to you, the survivor, to make the most out of this holiday season. The holiday season can be whatever you make it to be.
    If there is one thing I have learned through the loss of my husband, Tom, it is that I can't change the past, but I can take charge of the present and shape the future. It's all up to the person left behind to make a new identity and embrace life. Try thinking about what you have rather than what you have lost. Focus on the blessing of the memories in your heart."

    Related Sites:

  • Widow, from Goodnews Everybody: Life Challenges
  • Dr. Joyce Brothers: Coping with tragedy December 10, 2001 Posted: 2:30 PM EST (1930 GMT) (CNN)
  • Blogs

  • Job 14-16, Thursday, January 7, 2010 from Food For The Soul john1135jesuswept.blogspot.com

  • "..."Man's days are determined;
    you have decreed the number of his months
    and have set limits he cannot exceed." Job 14:5

    "Only a few years will pass
    before I go on the journey of no return." Job 16:22

    Yesterday I watched the movie What About Bob? I really liked watching it since I hadn't seen it for maybe a year or so. One part really sticks out to me. Sigmund and Bob have a conversation before they go to sleep. Sigmund says to Bob that we all are going to die and there is nothing we can do about it and that fact scares him. They don't go into a conversation about the Savior after that though, but it is a true fact of life that we all must die, but what Sigmund and Bob don't mention is that there is a judgment to come after death and there is only One person who can save from eternal punishment....

    Funeral Homes

  • Pedersen Funeral Home

  • " 101 South Atlantic Avenue Morris, Minnesota 56267 Phone: (320) 589-3220 Fax: (320) 589-3060 E-mail: mail@pedersenfh.com"

    -Community Builder: Extraordinary Citizens Published January 28, 2012, 10:33 AM morrissuntribune.com
    A community needs people who go above and beyond to help make it better. In this Community Builder, we worked to highlight some of the people from around Morris who are quietly making a difference.
    "MORRIS, Minn. - A community needs people who go above and beyond to help make it better. In this Community Builder, we worked to highlight some of the people from around Morris who are quietly making a difference.
    Bob Tirevold, Cyrus Police Chief: Keeping the community safe
    Rose Murphy, After Care Coordinator: Lending a compassionate ear
    Sal Monteagudo, Community Cheerleader/Activist: Mentoring across cultures
    LaVerne Swanson, Volunteer Extraordinaire: Volunteering everywhere she's needed"

  • Rose Murphy, After Care Coordinator: Lending a compassionate ear By: Michael Strand, Special to the Sun Tribune, Morris Sun Tribune Published January 28, 2012, 05:00 AM

  • Morris native Rose Murphy went back to school for a degree in grief studies and now works as an after care coordinator at Pedersen Funeral Home, serving grieving families after the death of a loved one.
    "MORRIS, Minn. - The death of a loved one is something we all experience, but the process of grieving is different for everyone. Sometimes friends and family are in as much pain as you; and when that’s the case, you need a neutral party – someone to lend a compassionate ear.

    It takes a special person to provide care for grieving families in their moment of need. The work requires patience, life experience, compassion and great listening skills. Rose Murphy is just such a person. Murphy went back to school later in life to complete a degree in grief studies and today works part time at Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris as an after care coordinator, supporting grieving members of the community.
    Murphy is a Morris native who has worked at the University of Minnesota, Morris for nearly 37 years; first in the Office of Continuing Education and later in the Center for Small Towns and the Summer Term/Instructional Support Office as an associate administrator. Rose and her husband, Dan, live in Morris.
    When Murphy’s two children, Mike and Krista, went off to college, she began contemplating her future. She had always dreamed of gaining a degree from a four-year university (she had studied at a technical college after high school) and started classes at UMM while continuing to work there full time.
    At first, she was unsure of what direction she wanted to go with her undergraduate education. “I was interested in grief and the process of grieving, but I didn’t know how that related to my studies,” she said. “My parents never sheltered my siblings and me from the reality of death – I had two siblings who died at birth and experienced the passing of many other people in my environment. Death and grieving has been something I’ve been exposed to my whole life.”
    To explore her interest in working with people dealing with grief, she became a part time visitation assistant at Pedersen Funeral Home in 2003. Her duties included greeting mourners at the door when they came for visitation and speaking with families.
    In order to complete her degree, Murphy wrote about her thoughts and feelings following each experience. She used no names and kept her work strictly confidential. Over the course of several years, she developed a deep interest in the stories of those who’ve passed away.
    “When I met a family soon after they had lost someone, I would just talk with them – and when I say talked, I mean I mostly listened,” she said. “People needed to tell their loved one’s story. They’d tell me what that person meant to them and what they did in their life. For example, I’d hear stories about what it was like to grow up during the depression, to serve in war or the unique qualities their loved one had.”
    She provided an analogy to illustrate the scope of these stories: “When you look at a headstone what do you see?” She asked. “You see a name, a birth day and a death day. But the most important part is the little dash between those two dates. That dash represents that person’s life, their story.”
    One such story in particular transformed her. In this case she worked with a family through each step in the funerary process from the time of death to burial.
    “It involved a young man who had died in a car crash. He had three young kids. When I initially arrived at their home, I felt humbled by their raw grief. In the following days, I worked hard to identify what each of the family members needed, especially the children. The whole process was enlightening, rewarding and exhausting. It underscored for me the need for appropriate after care when a loved one passes.”
    Such experiences working with people struck with grief solidified her determination to complete her degree in the field of grief studies. UMM didn’t offer a major in the field, though, so she worked with a professor advisor to create her own area of concentration. In addition to her classes, she continued her full-time position at UMM while working part time at Pedersen’s.
    After eight long years, with the support of her family, friends and mentors, Murphy completed her undergraduate degree in 2010 with a double major in sociology and grief studies. Since the beginning of 2012, Murphy has been working with Pedersen’s to create a new program to facilitate better after care for grieving families. As an after care coordinator, she’ll provide logistical as well as emotional support to grieving families and friends – becoming a conduit between the funeral home and the people it serves.
    “Sudden death takes you out at the knees, you are just in shock. But it’s different when someone is sick for a long time and has a protracted death. You get time to say goodbye, but it’s really hard to watch someone you love suffer,” she said, emphasizing the need for individualized care. “Everyone is different, but death is always a life-changing event, and you need support.”
    Murphy emphasized that grieving is a long and deeply human process. Working with people dealing with grief, she says, demands a long-term commitment to caring for others.
    “A lot of emphasis is put on the first year after a loss, but in my experience the second year and beyond is just as hard. Friends and extended family move on while the reality hits home of that person not being in your day to day life. One moment you are fine, and another you are overcome with grief and don’t even know what triggered it. Over time, it becomes less frequent but you never get over it completely,” she said. “Grieving is not a linear process. It continues in different ways throughout your life.”
    Murphy said she feels her experiences dealing with the deaths of people close to her, her education, as well as enduring serious illness herself, have given her the tools she needs to help people through what is perhaps the most scary and painful time of their lives.
    “As you experience grief and loss yourself, you gain an understanding of the pain of others. While working with families, I have sometimes felt grief from my own losses come back. After many years, I have found myself still grieving,” she said.
    “I feel, though, that these pains from my own past have become a gift. Because of them, I am comfortable consoling people who are grieving and can be a good listener. I believe in using the gifts we’ve been given, and that’s what gives me the desire, confidence and ability to do this work.”"

    State-GoodnewsMinnesota

    Funeral Homes

  • Funeral Homes, from checkbook.org
  • Twin Cities Christian Directory-FUNERAL HOMES, mcchronicle.com
  • Twin Cities Cremation, from funeralhomesguide.com
  • Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapels & Cremation Services
    16 Twin Cities Locations
    (612) 377-2203
    -St. Paul
  • Saint Paul Funeral Services, from minnesota.funeralhomesguide.com
  • Sports

    -Baseball

    13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

    Boasting About Tomorrow (James 4)

    "13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that."16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. "

    *click the picture above for more pics
    {Photos by Salphoto.biz}
    Photobucket

    More...

  • Where can I find the verse that says "tomorrow is promised to no man"?, wordoftruthradio.com
  • Nation-GoodnewsUSA

    Animals

  • A Different Grief: Helping You and Your Children with Pet Loss by Marty Tousley
  • Accidents

    Our Daily Bread (Oct. 18) - When We Dont Know What To Say

    "..Remembering the story of Job and his friends may help us when we dont know what to say. — Anne Cetas
    Lord, give me sensitivity
    To people in their grief and pain,
    To weep with them and show Your love
    In ways mere words cannot attain. —Sper
    When someones grieving—listen, dont lecture.

    Articles

  • Dealing with Death, from Ctruth.com
  • "WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF DEALING WITH LOSS?", from gospelcom.net
  • Baby-Infant

    -Miscarriages
    Miscarriage--Baby Angel is Home

    "A mom's struggle after she miscarried her 6 month baby girl."

  • Handling the loss of a newborn baby , by Jemimah Vakacavu from helium.com

  • "I would like to make myself available to talk with mums and dads who have either had miscarriages or actually lost a new born baby or child.
    I went full term with my first child. A beautiful little boy named 'Maloni'. Maloni was born with a diaphragmic hernea. He survived 5 days.
    7 months after I lost my Maloni I found out I was pregnant with my second child. My beautiful daughter 'Cadence' was born a healthy bub. I thought the only way to get over the loss of Maloni was to have another baby. It didn't quite work out like that.
    My pregnancy with Cadence was full of worries.... Cadence's first week of life, I couldn't bring myself to love her. It took me almost a month to really love her... I had a lock over my heart. I had subconciously not allowed myself to love her in fear that she too would be taken from me.
    I actually didn't realise any of this until a week after I had my third child. My SON Jediah. This was the most difficult. I guess because I had been blessed with the son I had lost...
    Although Cadence and Jediah are my little blessings, I will tell them about their eldest brother and the struggle he had.
    Maloni my son. I love you and always will. Your daddy, Cadence & Jediah will always talk to you in their prayers.
    Mumma xox"

  • Miscarriage to Jesus, from intothelight.org

  • "It has been 3 years since our son went to be with the Lord and after 3 years the Lord has given me the freedom to share of how He is there to bring the comfort, peace, joy, and even rejoicing in the midst of our hardest times. Even at our lowest if we allow God to work in us, He is glorified. It is a privilege and a joy to be able to share how Jesus came to my aid once again with the Balm of Gilead for healing....
    He ran to get mom in the next bedroom over who was already there at the door. She calmly and so peacefully came in. Josiah's father and brothers were there for Josiah who did not know what to do and yet was flooded with peace in his heart because he knew that God allowed this to happen. Within minutes I had mom and my two sisters sitting opposite me on the edge of the bathtub. As we sat and talked together the peace of the Lord came upon me. The Lord truly does bring peace that surpasses all understanding no matter what the circumstance or situation is. I was able to tell mom and my sisters that I believed that the Lord had spoken to me in that He was going to take our child. I did not know that it would be so soon, but I also rejoiced in the fact that the Lord allowed me to carry this little one for the 5 months that I did and prepared my heart for what was ahead...
    I want to encourage all who have been through a miscarriage or stillborn child. It is not a time of grief but of great rejoicing. With the way that the world is today Heaven is the greatest place they could ever go. Meditate on such things. The Lord can and truly and will turn your mourning into dancing and your sorrow into joy if you allow Him to. It doesn't seem fair but we must trust and know that the Lord knows what is best for us. It is not a time of blaming and building walls by allowing resentment into our hearts for something that we think our husband or wife did or did not do. It would not have mattered how much we did or didn't eat, God is the giver of life and death. It would not have mattered what we did, God opens and closes the womb. God is not a respecter of persons. What He does for one He may or may not do for another. He knows what we all need and does what is necessary for our own good. We can either take the easy way and trust Him and thank Him for all He has done whether we understand it or not. Or we can go the hard way and blame others including God for what we see as a misfortune. Trust Him dear brothers and sisters and instead of running from Him, run to Him and as you do this, Jesus will be the Balm of Gilead. He will bring the healing that is needed physically, spiritually and emotionally.
    Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
    Proverbs 3:5 - 6..
    A few months ago the Lord reminded me of a vision He gave me in July 2004 (one month before our miscarriage). During prayer one morning He showed me a little boy sitting on the Father's lap. The Lord was trying to show me that a month before the miscarriage our son was already with Him. That little boy on the Fathers lap was our Son. Thank you Jesus....

  • Why Me?: Dealing with the Grief of Miscarriage or Stillbirth from christianliferesources.com

  • "Dear God, why me? There are children and babies and pregnant women all around me and now my womb is empty. Why did this have to happen to me? What went wrong? How will I ever get the strength to try again? Will there ever be another little blessing to hold in my arms? I am full of questions and anger and sadness and full, and so completely empty, all in one.
    These haunting questions are normal. Your grief and your unexpected emotional trauma are all part of the healing process when you deal with miscarriage. Because miscarriage is such a sensitive issue and not completely understood, this can be a time of silent suffering. Expect this time to be difficult. You may need some extra hugs and support as you go through this. Perhaps the information in this brochure will help you as well.
    Experts estimate that over half of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. Other studies state it is actually closer to 75% of all fertilized eggs that never become a live birth.* This is a startling statistic, isn't it?! Oftentimes the pregnancy hasn't even been detected yet. The embryo may not have been able to implant, or the early cells were not able to divide as they should, even before the woman would have missed a period! Yet, even in the pregnancies that are detected, either by a home pregnancy test or an ultrasound, over 10% of these pregnancies never result in a live birth.**
    Although it seems like shallow comfort, rest assured that you are not alone as you grieve the loss of your child. It is also true that the vast majority of women who experience a miscarriage or stillbirth are able to go on to have healthy babies. Although these issues are beyond our understanding, they are all a part of God's amazing plan and perfect timing. Our God in His infinite wisdom always has a purpose for every new life that He creates, but for reasons we may never understand, He chooses to end some lives at an early stage. "The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up." (1 Samuel 2:6 NIV)..."

    Books

  • Grief Journal Helps Those Experiencing Devastating Loss By Nico Bougas Special to ASSIST News Service Saturday, August 20, 2011

  • "BRADENTON, FL (ANS) -- It was 10.00 on a Tuesday night when Beth Marshall’s phone rang. The incredible shocking news that followed would change her world forever. Her amazing, full-of-life, fun loving mother was gone. In the months that followed Beth suffered through sadness and debilitating pain. It was her journal that gradually began to help her heal.
    "I started to see that I was getting better and stronger,” says Beth. “I could see through writing that I was gaining strength.”
    Out of her sorrow, Beth created a grief journal. The simple book became a resource that she used through her position as the Care Ministry Coordinator for New Spring Church, a congregation of about 10,000 people based in Anderson, South Carolina. She also sent journals to many of the families of the victims of 9/11 in New York City and Washington DC. The incredible response and need Beth has seen for the journal prompted her to take it to the next level with the help of Ambassador International, a Christian publishing house based in Greenville, South Carolina.
    "I've known since the beginning that the Lord had big plans for it,” Beth says. “That’s what has kept me going."
    A Time to Heal: A Grief Journal is the book that has emerged out of her experiences and is currently available through major retail outlets.
    After assisting passengers aboard Delta flights for 25 years, Beth Marshall hung up her flight attendant wings in order to help people dealing with major life changes at her church. Six years ago Marshall accepted the position of Care Ministry Coordinator at New Spring Church, a congregation of about 10,000 people based in Anderson, South Carolina.
    Just about everyone experiences a devastating loss at some point, but as a culture, Beth says it’s difficult to know how to reach out to those who are grieving. “We send flowers or offer food, but we don’t do anything that really touches the deep pain of losing someone we love,” says Beth. A Time to Heal is a book you can confidently give to someone who is walking through a season of grief. Although the book is full of Bible verses, Beth says it’s not just for Christians. “It’s for anyone who feels stuck in grief."
    I asked Beth Marshall what it was about journaling that made it so therapeutic. She replied that in journaling you can be completely honest and write down your own thoughts without embarrassment or fear of what others will think or say.
    "You can dig deep into the depths of your soul and dredge up all the anger, the sorrow, the regrets, and the frustration and let it all hang out. And from there you can take the attitude of the Psalmist in Psalm 43, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."
    On the day of our interview she received the news that the book is being translated into Japanese so that those who have been devastated by the recent earthquake and tsunami can use it as a tool for healing.
    A Time to Heal is a journaling guide through a season of grief. The journey, bathed in timeless scriptures from God’s Word, will lead the reader to reflect, write, cry and hopefully, one day laugh again. The goal is to look at grief as a journey, rather than a permanent destination.
    A Time to Heal by Beth Marshall (Ambassador International). "

    Children

  • Death and Loss-Parenting Tips for dealing with Grief, from keepkidshealthy.com

  • "Avoid using euphemisms when explaining death, such as the person went on a 'journey' or is 'going to be asleep forever.' Younger children may take these explanations literally and be afraid to go on a trip or journey or go to sleep themselves because they will associate those things with dying.

    Also avoid saying things like 'grandpa went to the hospital,' 'got sick,' or 'had an accident' and then 'died'. The next time someone else or the child himself gets sick or has to go to the hospital, he may believe that he will die, since he may associate these events with someone else's death. It is better to say that it was a 'severe accident' or that the person was 'very sick and regular medicines wouldn't work,' so that your child understands that people don't normally die after all accidents, or after getting sick, or going to the hospital...."

  • Steven Curtis Chapman, family talk of tragedy by Erin Roach � BP Published by Minnesota Christian Chronicle � September 2008

  • "NASHVILLE, Tenn. � Two months after the tragic accident that claimed the life of his 5-year-old daughter Maria Sue, Steven Curtis Chapman appeared with his wife and three oldest children on CNN�s �Larry King Live� Aug. 7 to testify to the solid hope believers have in Christ.
    Chapman, a Grammy-winning Christian musician, said he deals with the loss of the youngest of his three adopted Chinese daughters �sometimes in intervals of about 15 minutes at a time.�
    One of the most pressing questions King wanted to ask was whether Chapman lost his faith at any point during the ordeal.
    �You know, at that moment, I've got to say, Larry, I mean it was�I was crying out to my�to my Father,� Chapman said. �I was crying out to the guy that I know as my Heavenly Father.�
    King wanted to know if Chapman was angry.
    �I really wasn't angry at God � I know I heard myself saying a lot, �God, You can't ask this of me. You can't ask this of my family. This is too much. We can't do this,�� the musician responded.
    Chapman was standing on the front porch of his home in Franklin, Tenn., May 21 when he saw his 17-year-old son Will Franklin coming up the driveway in an old SUV. Chapman said he believes it was providential that God allowed him to see that Will was driving uncharacteristically slow and wasn't talking on his cell phone.
    Will drove around to the back of the house, and as he was turning the corner, he didn�t see his little sister run into his path. Immediately he knew he had hit something, and he stopped, only to find something that would forever change his life.
    Wanting to run
    Will told King he just wanted to run after the accident.
    �And then Caleb, not too long after that, just kind of ran and tackled me and just kind of jumped on me,� he said of his 18-year-old brother. �... And it was just like, �You can't leave, you can�t leave,� and just�was just on top of me saying, �Everything�s going to be OK. We love you. You can't leave.� And just�it was just that�that was super important.�
    Chapman said his memory of the immediate aftermath is foggy.
    �(I began) reminding God of all the great things He had done through history and that He could, you know, give her life again. He could breathe life back into her.�
    Maria had been on the playground in the backyard with her two sisters, and she ran toward her brother when she saw him coming in the SUV
    Will and the other children have been meeting with trauma counselors in order to work through their grief, their mother Mary Beth said while opening up about her own reaction to losing a child.
    �I�ve been mad. I�ve been sad,� she said. �I�ve jumped up and down. I�ve crawled under my bed. I�ve gone in my closet. You name it, I�ve done it. And I know that I will never understand, this side of eternity, why Maria? Why Will? I have a list of questions in my journal, you know, �Why?��
    A love note left behind
    Chapman told about a discovery he made in the hours after the accident that has provided comfort in the days since.
    �Maria had the morning of the accident drawn a picture of a flower and had written a word that she had never written before. She knew how to write her name. That was all I had ever seen, and maybe �I love Dad� or �I love Mom,�� Chapman said. �But she had never written any other words.
    �And when she first died, Caleb and I, especially, kept saying if we could just see, if we could just have a dream, something, God, we�d believe it. If we could just see something that would tell us that she�s OK.
    �And the day after the accident, we went home to get some clothes for the funeral, for the memorial,� he said. �Sitting on the art table was this little picture that Maria had drawn the morning of the accident. She had drawn a six-petaled flower, and only one petal was colored in. We have six children. Only one is whole now, we believe, in the arms of Jesus.
    �She wrote the word S-E-E,� he said. �She wrote the word see. And she had never written that before. She was saying, �See, I'm good. I'm OK.��
    Honoring Maria
    Caleb told King that the night Maria died the family gathered around her body and made an oath that they would honor Maria by honoring the One who gave her to them.
    �And so the way I�m going to live my life from here on out is not be ashamed of what I�ve been created to do, and that's just share the gospel, share Maria�s story, and by sharing Maria�s story, I get to share the hope that I found through tragedy,� Caleb said.
    Chapman said he chose to appear on CNN and on ABC's "Good Morning America" the day before because he has a hope in Christ to share with people. Chapman has begun touring again, and he said the tragedy of losing Maria has given him more confidence as he sings.
    �I know a lot less about God, but the things I know about God, I know a whole lot more, for sure,� he said.
    As a tribute to God's faithfulness, Chapman wrote another verse to �Yours,� a song that originally appeared on his album �This Moment,� released last year:
    I've walked the valley of death's shadow
    So deep and dark that I could barely breathe
    I've had to let go of more than I could bear
    And questioned everything that I believe
    But still even here in this great darkness
    A comfort and hope come breaking through
    As I can say in life or death
    God we belong to you. "

    Comedy

  • Life Reflections by George Carlin, from 256.com

  • Life Reflections by George Carlin
    "1. Never raise your hands to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected.
    2. I'm not into working out. My philosophy is no pain, no pain.
    3. I'm in shape. Round is a shape.
    4. I'm desperately trying to figure out why Kamikaze pilots wore helmets.
    5. I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific.

    Depopulation

  • One Billion is enough!, facts-are-facts.com

  • Nothing troubles the secret elite powers quite so much as the world’s growing population. Their goal is to reduce this number to a billion—and by any means possible: wars, famine, epidemics, disease and vaccines that make women infertile.
    "On a hilltop in Elbert County in the US state of Georgia stands a huge granite monument built in March 1980. The identity of the architect is still unknown, for the well-dressed and eloquent man who entered the offices of the Elberton Granite Fishing Company in June the year before and announced his plan to erect a monument with a message to humanity gave a false name. R. C. Christian remains a phantom, as do the men who financed the construction of this “American Stonehenge”. Yet it is said that the monument is still an important ceremonial site for the occult secret society that aspires to world domination. The four granite plaques surrounding the central columns are engraved with messages in eight languages, and call mankind to unity and respectful communion with Nature, in harmony with the Infinite. Critics, however, see in it the blueprint for a planned world dictatorship, which, for many people, could mean death. Hewn in stone, just as the Ten Commandments once were, these ten modern “guides” call for moderation in different aspects of life. The last point on the stone plaques admonishes: “Be not a cancer on the earth—Leave room for nature”! A request that good-willed and well-meaning people could hardly oppose. Yet what about the first and most important message on the Georgia Guidestones, which simply reads: Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature? Following this instruction would mean killing twelve out of thirteen people currently living on the planet. Mankind—No More Than a Pox and a Commodity After the fall of Communism, Mikhail Gorbatchev, the first and last President of the Soviet Union, dedicated himself to environmental protection and became the co-founder of Green Cross International. He also made a considerable contribution in formulating the so-called Earth Charter. According to Wikipedia, “The Earth Charter is an international declaration of fundamental values and principles considered useful by its supporters for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. Created by a global consultation process, and endorsed by organisations representing millions of people,” the Charter’s “ethical vision proposes that environmental protection, human rights, equitable human development, and peace are interdependent and indivisible.” It is supposed to be ratified as a binding contract under supranational law by the international community. Its guidelines are outlined in 16 articles, the seventh of which reads: “Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction [highlighted by editorial] that safeguard Earth’s regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being.” Gorbatchev himself does not mince matters: “We must speak more clearly about sexuality, contraception, about abortion, about values that control population, because the ecological crisis, in short, is the population crisis. Cut the population by 90 percent and there aren’t enough people left to do a great deal of ecological damage.” His vision of a sustainable world population of a good half a billion people matches the first of the Georgia Guidestones’ commandments exactly—strikingly so. Also following these lines is the President’s Council on Sustainable Development, an expert panel that advised US President Bill Clinton between 1993 and 1999. In answer to the earth summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, it concluded in 1996 that the world population should not exceed 500 million. The multi-billionaire and former media czar Ted Turner—more on him later—expressed even more severe views that same year. In an interview given in 1996 to the magazine of the American conservation organisation The Audubon Society, Turner explained: “A total population of 250-300 million people, a 95 percent decline from present levels, would be ideal.” Dave Foreman from the Sierra Club (another US conservation organization) and co-founder of Earth First! once confessed: “I see no solution to our ruination of Earth except for a drastic reduction of the human population”. Another time he said: “We humans have become a disease—the human pox!” The militant whale protector Paul Watson (Sea Shepherd Conservation Society) is also one of those who demand a world population of under a billion people, because “We are killing planet Earth”. Yet it’s not only the radical environmentalists who fear that the planet will soon be bursting at the seams, but also the intellectual elite. The Club of Rome, for example, has been warning against overpopulation for decades. The First Global Revolution, published in 1991 by this influential think-tank, contains the statement: “In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill.[1] Too many people: the global elite fear planetary collapse. “But in designating them as the enemy, we fall into the trap of mistaking symptoms for causes. All these dangers are caused by human intervention (…) The real enemy, then, is humanity itself.” Jacques Cousteau, the internationally respected oceanographer, explained to the UNESCO Courier in an interview in November 1991: “The damage people cause to the planet is a function of demographics—it is equal to the degree of development. One American burdens the earth much more than twenty Bangladeshes. The damage is directly linked to consumption. Our society is turning toward more and needless consumption. It is a vicious circle that I compare to cancer.” He then added: “This is a terrible thing to say. In order to stabilize world population, we must eliminate 350,000 people per day. It is a horrible thing to say, but it’s just as bad not to say it.” Paul Ehrlich, a professor at the renowned Stanford University, wrote in his book The Population Bomb: “A cancer is an uncontrolled multiplication of cells; the population explosion is an uncontrolled multiplication of people. (…) We must shift our efforts from treatment of the symptoms to the cutting out of the cancer. The operation will demand many apparently brutal and heartless decisions.”
    These men are neither fantasists nor ignorant; they are pragmatists like former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, still a leading member of the Bilderberg Group and one of the eminences grise in American politics, who simply said: “The world population must be reduced by 50 percent.”
    Convenient, then, that the UN Biodiversity Assessment on Sustainable Human Population should state, “All ecosystem management activities should consider human beings as biological resources”. In other words: human right to life is no longer inviolable, because one should cultivate mankind just like any other commodity. The document goes on to say that, “A reasonable estimate for an industrialized world society at the present North American standard of living would be one billion people. This must be implemented within 30 to 50 years.”
    When this was presented to the US Senate on 9 September 1994, it caused such a furore that it had to be withdrawn. Yet the ideas contained within it managed to escape the shredder.

    The Ultra-Rich “Good Club” An article appearing on 24 May 2009 in the British Sunday Times is also interesting in this respect. It reported that some of the richest people in America had secretly gathered together to discuss the issue of global overpopulation and what they could do about it. “The philanthropists who attended the summit convened on the initiative of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder,” the newspaper informed its readers. “Described as the Good Club by one insider it included David Rockefeller Jr., the patriarch of America’s wealthiest dynasty [current total assets unknown], Warren Buffett [37 billion dollars] and George Soros [13 billion dollars], the financiers, Michael Bloomberg the mayor of New York [16 billion dollars], and the media moguls Ted Turner [2.3 billion dollars] and Oprah Winfrey [2.3 billion dollars].”
    Together with Bill Gates, these people have donated over 45 billion dollars to charity since 1996. The informal meeting took place on 5 May 2009 in New York and was evidently so secret that some billionaires told their personal employees that they were taking part in “security briefings”. According to Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, there had never been such a top-class and simultaneously mysterious meeting. “We only learnt about it afterwards, by accident. Normally these people are happy to talk about good causes, but this is different—maybe because they don’t want to be seen as a global cabal.”
    Apparently they mainly discussed projects in the Third World. “Taking their cue from Gates they agreed that overpopulation was a priority,” commented the Sunday Times article. It goes on to quote another participant, according to whom the group believed that the problem of population growth had to be tackled as a “potentially disastrous environmental, social and industrial threat”. “This is something so nightmarish that everyone in this group agreed it needs big-brain answers,” explained the guest, who wished to remain anonymous. “They need to be independent of government agencies, which are unable to head off the disaster we all see looming.”
    Why so independent, covert, faceless? As the anonymous guest revealed, “They wanted to speak rich to rich without worrying anything they said would end up in the newspapers, painting them as an alternative world government.”

    Bill Gates Admits Vaccines Are Used for Human Depopulation

    "Uploaded by grinreaperdutchphil on Feb 28, 2010
    Next are two short excerpts from a recently filmed TED presentation (Feb 2010) by none other than Bill "Microsoft" Gates.
    At the heart of Gates' address lies the central Global Warming dogma, which dictates that Co2 emitted by human beings are the primary culprit for the unwanted heating of the globe. Since this artificial alleged human-induced heating effect allegedly stands to devastate the planet if left unabated, Global Warming dogma proponents therefore argue that human Co2 emissions must be drastically reduced. As Gates casually addresses the issue, he goes on to state that one way to accomplish this goal is to reduce the global human population. "

    DEPOPULATION AGENDA - Plan to Kill 6 Billion People (Bill Gates, Bernanke, Elite, NWO, Illuminati)

    *see GoodnewsEverybody.com Issues: Greed, Greedy, Elite, Money, Power, Pride, Rich, Wealthy, etc... &

    E-Cards

  • Christian Memorials

  • Free Sympathy E-Cards
  • Cross Daily
  • MP3 Holy Spirit
  • Education

  • University professor to study life after death By Claudine Zap | The Sideshow – 3 hrs ago (Saturday August 4th 2012)

  • "Pop quiz: Does life exist after death? A University of California, Riverside philosophy professor, John Martin Fischer, has been awarded a three-year, $5 million grant by the John Templeton Foundation to study just this topic—and yes, students can take his class.
    Fischer noted in an email to Yahoo News, "Both I and my post-doc, Benjamin Mitchell-Yellin, will teach related classes over the next three years. I have frequently taught classes on death, immortality, and the meaning of life both at Yale University and UC Riverside."
    So what's the meaning of life? More on that in a moment.
    Fischer noted, "We'll be open both to studying religious and non-religious views about immortality. One thing that we'll study is whether human beings would want to live forever: would it be boring?
    Would it lose its meaning and beauty and urgency? Does death give meaning to life?"
    According to the university's website announcing the grant award, many anecdotal reports of the afterlife abound, but there has been "no comprehensive and rigorous, scientific study of global reports about near-death and other experiences, or of how belief in immortality influences human behavior." The research will look at a range of phenomena, including heaven, hell, purgatory, and karma. The grant is the largest ever awarded to a humanities professor at UC Riverside, and one of the largest given to an individual at the university.
    Fischer said in a statement, "We will be very careful in documenting near-death experiences and other phenomena, trying to figure out if these offer plausible glimpses of an afterlife or are biologically induced illusions," Fischer said. "Our approach will be uncompromisingly scientifically rigorous. We're not going to spend money to study alien-abduction reports."
    The grant will also fund two conferences to discuss the findings. Said UC Riverside Chancellor Timothy P. White, Fischer's research "takes a universal concern and subjects it to rigorous examination to sift fact from fiction."
    The Immortality Project, as it is called, will solicit research proposals from eminent scientists, philosophers and theologians whose work "will be reviewed by respected leaders in their fields and published in academic and popular journals."
    The research will also delve into cultural aspects of the afterlife. For example, there are reports of millions of Americans seeing a tunnel with a bright light at the end. In Japan, reports often find the individual tending a garden.
    The professor added that the academic research could include a range of issues, like "heaven and hell: If we are material beings, how can we exist in heaven, where we would not have physical bodies (or not of the sort we have here)?
    "There is a lot of interest in near-death experiences. We can carefully catalog them and look into whether there are patterns. There has already been a lot of work on this. Perhaps some cross-cultural studies would be helpful.
    "We'll also be open to studying the relationship between beliefs in afterlife and behavior--moral behavior and crime rates."
    Sounds like the kind of research topics that many college students have already spent hours pondering. As for the meaning of life? The professor says check back in three years.

    Funerals

  • Christian Funeral or Memorial Service Guide to Planning a Christian Funeral or Memorial Service By Mary Fairchild, About.com Guide

  • Christian Funerals

    "WEBSITE: http://www.teachertube.com www.allfuneralhomes.com Planning a funeral is always difficult. Our site makes finding the right service for your loved ones a little easier. Search our directory for funeral directors and homes by city or state in US and Canada."

    Holidays

    -Christmas
    "Away In A Manger" By Amber Thompson And Kelly Nelon

    "Kelly Nelon and Amber Thompson (daughter and granddaughter of the late rex nelon) sing "away in a manger" "

    Life

    -Near Death Experience

  • Christian Andreason's Near-Death Experience on NBC, from youtube.com

  • "Christian Andreason's NDE story has so-far been translated into 10 different languages and read online by a multitude. Besides being a recording artist, Christian also has a very successful one-on-one practice based in Houston. These particular news segements were first broadcast by NBC station KPRC and then later picked up by news affiliates through out the U.S.
    You can find out more about Christian's NDE, his one-on-one practice and his music at www.ChristianAndreason.com."

    Marriage

    Tammy Trent: Losing the Love of Your Life*

    "Singer Tammy Trent shares about losing her husband in a tragic diving accident and how she can still beauty in her life despite experience tragedy. For more stories of beautiful faith, visit beautifulfaith.org; Visit tammytrent.com to find out more about Tammy's music and life."
    *see GoodnewsEverybody.com Music: Pop

    Memorial

    -Online

  • Much Loved
  • Military

    Our Daily Bread (Sept.27) - Gone The Sun

    "In 1862, during the US Civil War, General Daniel Butterfield wanted a new melody for lights out. And so, without any musical training, he composed one in his head.
    Years later, the general wrote, I called in someone who could write music, and practiced a change in the call of Taps until I had it suit my ear, and then . . . got it to my taste without being able to write music or knowing the technical name of any note, but, simply by ear, arranged it. General Butterfield gave the music to the brigade bugler, and the rest is history.
    While there are no official lyrics to the hauntingly familiar strains of Taps, here is a commonly accepted version of one verse:
    Day is done, gone the sun,
    From the hills, from the lake, from the sky;
    All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

    What a comforting lyric as faithful members of the military are laid to rest! And what hope in the acknowledgment that God is near, even—especially—in death!
    At a time when death and evil reigned, the prophet Isaiah anticipated a day when death itself would die. Your sun shall no longer go down, he wrote to Israel, for the Lord will be Your everlasting light (60:20).
    For those who follow Jesus, the strains of Taps are not a funeral dirge but a song of hope. The days of your mourning shall be ended (v.20). All is well. God is nigh. — Tim Gustafson
    Sunset in one land is sunrise in another. "

    Music

    -Acoustic

  • Tears in Heaven, by Esmee Denters
  • OFFICIAL Somewhere over the Rainbow - Israel "IZ" KamakawiwoÊ»ole , from youtube.com
    *heard this played at a friends (of 14+ years) funeral yesterday (Saturday, October 23rd 2010)
    OFFICIAL Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole - "What A Wonderful World" Video

    Israel Kamakawiwoʻole From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    "...He became famous outside Hawaii when his album Facing Future was released in 1993. His medley of "Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World" was subsequently featured in several films, television programs, and commercials.
    Through his ukulele playing and incorporation of other genres (such as jazz and reggae), Kamakawiwoʻole remains one of the major influences in Hawaiian music over the last 15 years.[1]..

    *see GoodnewsUSA.info: Hawaii
    -Contemporary Christian
    held natalie grant

    "...Bridge:
    If hope is born of suffering.

    If this is only the beginning.
    Can we not wait for one hour
    watching for our Savior?

    (Chorus)
    This is what it means to be held.
    How it feels when the sacred
    is torn from your life
    And you survive.
    This is what it is to be loved.
    And to know that the promise was
    When everything fell we'd be held.
    This is what it is to be loved.
    And to know, that the promise

    was when everything fell,
    we'd be held.

    *see GoodnewsEverybody.com Life-Love, Agape, Passionate, Romance, etc...
    Point of Grace - How You Live

    "Coral Ridge Presbiterian - Fort Lauderdale Concert February 13, 2009 "
    "Wake up to the sunlight with your windows open
    Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
    Wear your red dress, use your good dishes
    Make a big mess and make lots of wishes

    And have what you want, but want what you have
    And don't spend your life looking back

    Turn up the music
    Turn it up loud
    Take a few chances and let it all out
    'Cause you won't regret it
    Looking back from where you have been
    'Cause it's not who you knew
    And it's not what you did
    It's how you live

    So go to the ballgames and go to the ballet
    And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
    Kiss all your children, dance with your wife
    Tell your husband you love him every night

    Don't run from the truth 'cause you can't get away, no
    Face it and you'll be okay

    (Chorus)

    Oh, wherever you are and wherever you've been
    Now is the time to begin
    So give to the needy, and pray for the grieving
    Even when you don't think that you can
    'Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
    So think of your fellow man
    And make peace with God, and make peace with yourself
    'Cause in the end, there's nobody else

    (Chorus)
    Label: Word Records
    Lyrics may not be reproduced without permission from the publisher."
    -from klove.com
    There Will Be a Day - Jeremy Camp - Worship Video w/Lyrics

    "Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all you lands.Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know you that the LORD he is God: it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful to him, and bless his name.For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100 "
    -Gospel
    Natalie Grant - In Better Hands Now

    "http://www.christianbook.co...
    GMC Christian Music Video Gospel Music Channel Natalie Grant - In Better Hands Now "

    When We Get Over There

    "Me- Leader Mt.Zion MBC Youth Choir June 2009 "

  • When We Get Over There Hezekiah Walker, from higherpraise.com

  • " Chorus:
    Troubles will be no more on the other shore
    Peace and rest
    Home at last
    When we get over there
    When we get over there
    (Repeat)
    Verse:
    Oh how happy the day
    When I say good bye to the troubles of this life
    A city bright and fair
    Where the streets are paved with gold
    And they never grow old
    He promised me a mansion there
    Where they�ll be no more worries and no more cares
    And the joy that we�ll share cannot compare
    CHORUS/VERSE/CHORUS
    Oh what joy
    Oh what peace
    Oh what happiness
    When we get over there"

    -Pop
    The Rose - Bette Midler [Lyrics Included!]

    Concert=>
    Bette Midler - The Rose, from youtube.com
    -Worship

    When It's All Been Said and Done

    " Contemplation of Eternity "
    Related Sites:
    Praise Charts Songs
    Audible Faith.com
    "When it's all been said and done There is just one thing that matters Did I do my best to live for truth Did I live my life for You When it's all been said and done All my treasures will mean nothing Only what I've done for love's Reward Will stand the test of time
    Lord Your mercy is so great That You look beyond our Weakness And find purest gold in miry clay Making sinners into saints
    I will always sing Your praise Here on earth and ever after For You've shown me Heaven's my True home When it's all been said and done You're my life when life is gone
    Lord I'll live my life for You "

    MySpaceTvVideos
    Power of Gratitude
    "Description: Jim Cowan wrote this great song, which has been popularized in covers by Robin Mark and Don Moen. It's something of a mantra for the Grace notes."
    "What about you? What do you want said about you? What do you want to accomplish in your lifetime?"

    Resources

  • Death, Dying, and Grief, from a personal site
  • "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy."-Psalm 126:5

    Testimony

    Losing a Loved One -- My Testimony Pt. 2

    "My Testimony of losing my mom, a follow up to my Salvation through Deliverance Video"

    T.V. Shows

    Family Ties - God Air Date: 09/15/09 Clip 2:05

    Global-Multicultural

    Accidents

    This man died...and returned..Heaven and Hell are real

    "The man you see died in a plane-accident and was on his way to hell. But by the grace of God he was given a chance to cry out to God to save him. God did, and now he tells people hell is real- he experienced that darkness- and heaven is real. Pleading with you to repent and choose the Lord Jesus Christ, the ONLY WAY (John 14:6) to heaven and eternal life!
    Mickey Robinson's website:
    http://www.mickeyrobinson.com/
    Re-posted with the permission of Extreme Prophetic http://www.extremeprophetic.com/"
    *see GoodnewsEverybody.com Issues-Accuser, Satan, Hell, etc...

    Baby-Infant

  • Dealing with miscarriage The simple definition of miscarriage is the spontaneous termination of a pregnancy - the emotional implications for men and women are more complex however .., from africanfathers.com

  • "Miscarriage affects about 25% of all expectant women, and generally happens between four and six weeks. Miscarriage almost always happens before the 13th week of pregnancy. The chances of a miscarriage are higher in first pregnancies than in later ones.
    Miscarriages happen for a wide variety of reasons. About half are due to abnormalities in the fetus or the placenta, including chromosomal problems. Sometimes the egg attaches in the wrong place resulting in an early miscarriage. Recent studies have linked environmental pollution or excessive caffeine consumption to higher risks of miscarriage. So the short answer is that most times, miscarriage occurs totally outside of the control of the expectant mother.
    But both physically and emotionally, miscarriage means much more than the textbook definition. There are strong physical and emotional impacts to a couple who experience miscarriage. .."

    Bible

  • Bible Quotes That Will Bring Comfort In Times of Grief Or Sadness , from encouragingbiblequotes.com
  • Psalm 23

    "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

    Book

    90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death Life - Today's Christian Videos

    "DON PIPER, KILLED IN A CAR CRASH! SPIRIT WENT TO HEAVEN, 90 MINUTES OUT OF HIS BODY. HE SAW FRIENDS AND FAMILY, BUT IT WAS'NT HIS TIME..."

    Funerals

    " 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

    2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
    he leads me beside quiet waters,

    3 he restores my soul.
    He guides me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.

    4 Even though I walk
    through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
    I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

    5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
    You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.

    6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
    and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
    forever."
    -Psalm 23

    Holidays

    -Easter

  • Where was Jesus for the three days between His death and resurrection?, gotquestions.org

  • "..Where was Jesus for the three days between His death and resurrection?...
    Our Lord yielded His spirit to the Father, died, and at some time between death and resurrection, visited the realm of the dead where He delivered a message to spirit beings (probably fallen angels; see Jude 6) who were somehow related to the period before the flood in Noah's time. Verse 20 makes this clear. Peter did not tell us what He proclaimed to these imprisoned spirits, but it could not be a message of redemption since angels cannot be saved (Hebrews 2:16). It was probably a declaration of victory over Satan and his hosts (1 Peter 3:22; Colossians 2:15). Ephesians 4:8-10 also seems to indicate that Christ went to “paradise” (Luke 16:20; 23:43) and took to heaven all those who had believed in Him prior to His death. The passage doesn’t give a great amount of detail about what occurred, but most Bible scholars agree that this is what is meant by “led captivity captive.” ...

    Did Jesus go to hell between His death and resurrection?, gotquestions.org
    "..Hades is a temporary place. So, no, Jesus did not go to hell because hell is a future realm, only put into effect after the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).
    Sheol/hades is a realm with two divisions (Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27-31), the abodes of the saved and the lost. The abode of the saved was called “paradise” and “Abraham's bosom.” The abodes of the saved and the lost are separated by a “great chasm” (Luke 16:26). When Jesus ascended to heaven, He took the occupants of paradise (believers) with Him (Ephesians 4:8-10). The lost side of sheol/hades has remained unchanged. All unbelieving dead go there awaiting their final judgment in the future. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes, according to Ephesians 4:8-10 and 1 Peter 3:18-20...

  • Was Jesus dead for three FULL or PARTIAL days?, biblestudy.org

  • "..Modern interpreters of the Bible make Jesus Christ a liar. They say Jesus was crucified on Good Friday, buried about sundown the same day, and arose on the next Sunday about daybreak in contradiction to the Scriptures! Any schoolboy knows that this is only two nights and one day. If He were crucified on Good Friday and arose on Sunday morning as they say, then He did not literally fulfill the sign of Jonah. If He did not fulfill this sign as He promised the Jews, then He was an IMPOSTER and not the Messiah! In other words, Jesus Christ lied to the Jews about His burial and resurrection. If the Good Friday theory is correct as some teach, then the Bible contains "highly figurative language" which requires a human interpreter to tell people what the verses really mean. By this same liberal method of interpreting the Scriptures you can destroy every basic doctrine in the Bible. ..
    There is nothing in the Bible to favor a Friday crucifixion of Jesus Christ or a Sunday sunrise resurrection from the dead. The Biblical record harmonizes with a Wednesday crucifixion and a Saturday sunset resurrection. Jesus was dead and in the grave for three days and three nights (72 hours total) and not for parts of three days."

  • How do we know that Jesus Christ really rose from the dead?, christiananswers.net

  • "..Many scholars hold that Jesus' tomb was discovered to be empty just a few days later. ..

    Issues

    -Euthansia (Wikipedia)
    "(literally "good death" in Ancient Greek) refers to the practice of ending a life in a painless manner...

  • Euthansia.com,INFORMATION FOR RESEARCH ON EUTHANASIA, PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE, LIVING WILLS, MERCY KILLING

  • "We are committed to the fundamental belief that the intentional killing of another person is wrong. We have deep sympathy for those people who are suffering."

    Raised from the Dead Stories

  • Raising the Dead: A Doctor Encounters the Supernatural By Dan Wooding Founder of ASSIST Ministries Sunday, February 1, 2009

  • "MIAMI, FL (ANS) -- The audience of 120 doctors from 50 countries sat in stunned silence as a renowned heart doctor produced evidence of how, after he had prayed for a patient who had died and was being prepared for the morgue, was brought back to life after prayer.
    Dr. Crandall making his dramatic presentation on Friday, July 13th, 2007, at the 4th Annual World Christian Doctors Network Conference in Miami, Florida
    Dr. Chauncey W. Crandall IV, who serves at the Palm Beach Cardiovascular Clinic in Palm Beach, Florida, Dr. Crandall making his dramatic presentation on Friday, July 13th, 2007, at the 4th Annual World Christian Doctors Network Conference in Miami, Florida.
    He produced dramatic evidence that was shown on the screen and told of that day on October 20, 2006 when a middle-aged auto mechanic, Jeff Markin, walked into the Emergency Room at the Palm Beach Gardens Hospital and collapsed from a massive heart attack.
    Forty minutes later he was declared dead. After filling out his final report, the supervising cardiologist, Dr. Chauncey Crandall, started out of the room.
    In a later interview Dr. Crandall explained, “Before I crossed its threshold, however, I sensed God was telling me to turn around and pray for that dead patient.”
    Crandall had learned to follow that impulse even if he was embarrassed. “Father God,” he said, under his breath, “I cry out for this man’s soul. If he does not know you as his Lord and Savior, raise him from the dead now, in Jesus’ name.”
    With that prayer and Dr. Crandall’s instruction to give the man what seemed one more useless shock from the defibrillator, Jeff Markin came back to life—and remains alive and well today.
    Now Dr. Crandall is writing a book on his incredible experiences called Raising the Dead: A Doctor Encounters the Supernatural which will be published by Faith Works Publishing based in Houston, Texas.
    In Dr. Crandall’s practice he has become a doctor who prays with his patients, and he has seen many miraculous healings—even others raised from the dead. He’s known by his patients and by a national reputation for treating people with “the best of medicine and the best of Jesus.”
    But how did a Yale-educated cardiologist whose Palm Beach practice includes some of the most powerful people in American society, including several billionaires, come to believe in supernatural healing? How as a scientist can Dr. Crandall embrace God’s power to intervene in the natural order? And why does this doctor freely acknowledge that faith does not compel God to work wonders, even though God desires that everyone ultimately be healed?
    The answers to these questions compose a story and a spiritual journey that transformed Chauncey Crandall from a self-satisfied Christian into a radicalized warrior for God against the evil of disease. He began pursuing answers to these questions with everything he had when late at night in June 2000 Dr. Crandall received a “value alert” phone call from the hospital’s lab concerning one of his patients. His patient had a white blood cell count of over 80,000. The doctor’s immediate thought was, “Whoever he is, he’s dead—he has leukemia.”
    “Dr. Crandall, I’m sorry to tell you this,” the nurse on the phone said, “but it’s your son, Chad. We’ve already run the results a number of times to make sure.”
    Chad was eleven years-old—a flaxen-haired tennis enthusiast, with blue-
    Chad Crandall
    eyes, freckles and a mischievous grin. He was the fraternal twin of his brother Christian. Christian was the natural leader; Chad the shy charmer, the one everyone wanted to be around once they came to know him. How could Dr. Crandall’s precious son Chad be dying?
    Once Dr. Crandall understood that Chad was suffering from a life-threatening illness, he cried out to God for every spiritual gift God would give him. He came to believe that Christ’s healing power was not only for the people of his day but ours as well. He was surprised to find that few other Christians shared this faith, many believing that God stopped performing miracles during the apostolic age. Belief in healing through prayer was far more common, though, among missionaries. So Dr. Crandall began taking journeys to such places as remote Indian villages in Mexico where he witnessed many healings through prayer. This built-up his own faith and taught him how to pray effectively for his son.
    Dr. Crandall also made certain that Chad received the best conventional medical care possible, visiting Dana Farber Hospital at Harvard, Duke Children’s Hospital, and finally The Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Oregon, where Dr. Brian Druker informed the Crandalls of a miracle drug that might soon be on the market, Gleevec. Partially as the result of Dr. Crandall’s advocacy, which included persuading President Bush to write a letter on Chad’s behalf, Gleevec was fast-tracked by the FDA. After a year of keeping Chad alive with prayer and lesser drugs, Gleevec reduced his counts to normal within 4 days.
    But Chad’s journey through illness was not over. Three years later his leukemia was back and had metastasized into other strains that produced tumors. In the fall of 2004 Dr. Chauncey Crandall and his wife Deb lost their son.
    At Chad’s deathbed, Dr. Crandall felt he must decide, right then and there, whether to abandon Christianity completely or commit himself unreservedly to God’s service. Before he left Chad’s hospital room, he committed the rest of his life to going wherever God led and doing whatever He asked of him. But Dr. Crandall made one demand: “In exchange for Chad’s life, Lord,” he prayed, “let me win 1 million souls to you.”
    Dr. Crandall had wanted “every gift God could give” him, but the gift God gave Dr. Crandall then was one few Christians want—Christ’s cross. By joining his grief to Christ’s sacrifice, his passion, and “filling out the sufferings of Christ,” as the Apostle Paul felt privileged to do, Dr. Crandall came to know in a far greater measure Christ’s resurrection power.
    Much of charismatic and Pentecostal teaching implies that faith compels God to act according to our desires. Dr. Crandall found that God uses miracles as signs of the world’s ultimate restoration—the defeat of every evil, including death. And at times we are the instruments God uses to produce such signs. At other times we are warriors in an epic struggle with evil whose destructive effects claimed God’s own son. But it is through joining Jesus Christ in this battle—whatever the costs—that we participate in God’s victory. Our ultimate security is to be found in radical obedience.
    These truths were confirmed for Dr. Crandall when shortly after his son’s death “the heavens opened,” as he says. Within a matter of weeks Dr. Crandall was being invited around the globe to share his hope in Christ.
    He began to see miraculous healings among the patients in his practice.
    When he prayed for people at mass evangelistic meetings they were often touched by the Holy Spirit and were healed of their diseases.
    Dr. Crandall became the kind of Christian who would turn around at God’s prompting and pray for a man to be raised from the dead, because he had become convinced that nothing is impossible with God. Christ’s resurrection power is as available today as it was in the time of the Apostles. The believer has God’s own life within him, in the here and now, and for eternity.
    As it happens, Dr. Crandall was not the only one praying for Jeff Markin the day he came back from the dead. Jeff’s long-estranged wife had been praying for many years for Jeff. His daughter, who was just arriving in the hospital’s parking lot when her father died, was praying for him as well. Dr. Crandall’s prayer was but one of many that together became the means God used to bring Jeff Markin back to life.
    A life that had not been committed to Christ, as it turned out. Jeff told Dr. Crandall that when his heart stopped he briefly visited hell—or received a vision of it. He saw himself as someone thrown away, isolated for eternity, unloved. Once he had sufficiently recovered Dr. Crandall was privileged to lead Jeff to a saving knowledge of Christ. While Jeff still struggles with his faith, as we all do, his life is now more and more a sign of the transformation God wants to bring about in all of us. Jeff has progressed from a man who cared about little but pleasure to one committed to sharing God’s love with others.
    Raising the Dead shows that the work of healing, as part of Christ’s epic struggle with evil, is not only Dr. Crandall’s task and those of similarly gifted individuals; it’s the task of the reader as well and of all Christ’s people as we join together in bringing about God’s rein—his Kingdom—wherever we find ourselves.
    Dr. Crandall is a member of the board of directors of Regent University and he has appeared as a guest on the 700 Club. That interview can be seen at the following website: http://www.cbn.com/media/index.aspx?s=/vod/SUT35_DrChaunceyCrandall_080508&title=The%20700%20Club&prgm=700club . Dr. Crandall has a standing invitation from Pat Robertson to return as a guest on the network once his book is available.
    The story of Jeff Markin’s healing was featured on Fox News New York as a part of a “Christmas Special,” and that interview can be seen at: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2684816148541027361&q=fox+news+miracle&total=46&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1
    In a separate broadcast as part of its news broadcast, Fox News in Miami broadcast the story and that can be seen at: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2334132798216105638&q=Raise+from+the+Dead&total=1772&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=4
    The Fox News (Miami) broadcast resulted in over a million hits to its website.
    He is now a frequent guest on the “Doctor to Doctor” program of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (“TBN”) and he has an invitation to appear on the network to promote his book when it is published. He speaks regularly throughout the year to a total annual audience numbering in the hundreds of thousands. For more information about Dr. Crandall and media opportunities in connection with his story, visit his website www.chaunceycrandallmd.com
    The Writer
    Working with Dr. Crandall on the book, which is expected to be released later this year, is Harold Fickett, the author of many books, including The Holy Fool (Crossway, Hodder & Stoughton, Northcote), Flannery O’Connnor: Images of Grace (Eerdmans), and The Living Christ (Doubleday). He is Charles Colson’s longtime collaborator, making major contributions to Loving God and How Now Shall We Live, and co-authoring The Good Life and their recent bestseller, The Faith.
    Dr. Crandall is being represented by Sealy M. Yates of Yates and Yates literary agency based in Orange, California. "

    -Hell

    Angelica Zambrano's Testimony about Hell - 1 - Ministry Videos

    "Celebrities in Hell - Michael Jackson, Pope John Paul, Selina in Hell - Angelica Zambranos Testimony about Hell - English Translation Download audio, copy to CD, share: http://www.swordofprophecy.org "
    *see importance of GoodnewsEverybody.com Life- Forgiveness, Repentance, Sorry?, etc...

    Medical

    -Coma

    Esther visits heaven and returns with a message - Inspirational Videos

    "In a clear out of body experience Aboriginal woman Esther visits heaven and brings back an urgent message for everyone."

    Music

    -Worship
    Robin Mark- When its all been said and done

    "Robin Mark a musical evangelist from Ireland sings When its all been said and done with the words. "
    "When it's all been said and done
    There is just one thing that matters
    Did I do my best to live for truth?
    Did I live my life for you?

    When it's all been said and done
    All my treasures will mean nothing
    Only what I have done
    For love's rewards
    Will stand the test of time

    Lord, your mercy is so great
    That you look beyond our weakness
    That you found purest gold in miry clay
    Turning sinners into saints

    I will always sing your praise
    Here on earth and in heaven after
    For you've joined me at my true home
    When it's all been said and done
    You're my life when life is gone."
    -lyricstime.com

    Raised From Dead Stories

    AFRICA

    -Ethiopia

  • Raised from the Dead The incredible story of an AIDs widow who refused to die…twice By Jackie Johnson Special to ASSIST News Service Thursday, November 3, 2011

  • "MUDULA, ETHIOPIA (ANS) -- Inhabitants of an Ethiopian administrative division are still overwhelmed by a miracle as one of their community members has life breathed back into her after she had been declared dead some hours earlier. Amarech Ameche
    Early on the morning of September 21, 2011 in the village of Omo, Amarech Ameche lost her long battle against AIDs. However, this is far from the end of the story. As the community members prepared for the burial ceremony, Omo Village Church leaders began to pray for their fallen sister.
    Omo is a village within the woreda (a woreda is much like American state districts) of Mudula, a poverty-stricken city approximately 400 kilometers southwest of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia.
    "This community is living under poverty; there is no clean water, the air condition varies, it is affected by drought, and many have the problem of a lack of food to eat. In the woreda, almost 200,000 people are living – with only one health center, [a few] small clinics, and no hospital….many die before reaching a hospital. Only one ambulance [services] this amount of people. There are hundreds of orphans in the community [and all are in] need [of] assistance in their education and living,”1 says community and Village Church member, Ayele Adore.
    It is in this community that the Lord brings His message of faith and healing.
    Beyond the already remarkable circumstances of Amarech Ameche’s death and resurrection is the unique prophetic event that occurred years before the incident. “At the time, I had faith because four years ago the Lord spoke that the dead will raise and my testimony will be spread globally and the faith of many [will be] uplifted. I was seriously waiting [for] that moment…and it happened and I am so excited,”2 says Ayele.
    Members of the church claim the Lord spoke to them that a miracle would occur involving the resurrection of a community member. “…Look, this story was told four years ago and it happened…[the]Lord [performed a] miracle and after many hours this dead body started to breathe and everybody shouted with surprise by giving glory to God who heard the prayer of His children,”3 recalls Ayele.
    Due to the lack of medical doctors in the deprived village, skepticism is no doubt going to surround this story, but over sixty community members witnessed as Amarech Ameche’s breathing ceased. On September 21 at 7am, family and Village Church leaders confirmed the 45-year-old widow’s death.
    At 9am, two hours following her passing, she awoke, dazed at first, but soon she began to understand what had happened to her.
    "I know I was dead for hours,” says Amarech Ameche.
    And still, the Lord had more of a story to tell through Amarech. As if to say to cynics, ‘no, still don’t believe? Watch this.’ And the Lord provides the village with another miracle. Three days later, Amarech Ameche once more seems to lose the battle against HIV and starvation. But this war belongs to Christ.
    On September 24 at 6pm, Amarech’s heart again stops beating.
    Ayele recalls the overpowering episode: “Omo Village Church members, her family, and neighbors are the real testimony…The situation was her breathing stopped, her eye color changed, [there was] no movement…people there gathered to mourn in the sorrow."4
    This time, Amarech remains in this state for four hours, twice the duration as the previous phenomenon. After refusing to stay dead for a second time, Amarech again awakens in bewilderment but becomes coherent after several minutes of recovery.
    "[At first,] she started watching what was happening with only her eyes…After minutes she said, ‘I am okay,’ and after a few hours she understood all the conditions of what had happened to her.”
    Amarech Ameche tells her testimony to the village: “The Lord added more days for me to live…I know that I have no one to help me but in all these conditions the Lord did great things in my life. You all are a testimony for what happened in my life. Pray for me to live the life that pleases the Lord and for the Lord to provide me with what to eat.”
    "Her testimony touched the life of many and many cried,” says Ayele.
    When asked if there was anybody in the village who did not believe these two incidents to be the hand of God, Ayele said, “No one.”
    “More than anybody, those who are not Christians gave glory to God and they said the God whom you worship is great and many said, ‘we will follow this life-giving God,’” says Ayele.
    Ayele continues to be a strong member of Omo. Ayele participates, trains, and teaches the church members in different issues and maintains a close relationship to AIDs widow, group member, and death victor, Amarech Ameche. Ayele also participated in the establishment of the Omo Village Church and has been involved in the institution’s HIV group and she was a key player in the church’s formation of its relationship with Bruce Sonnenberg and his HIV/AIDs ministry, He Intends Victory, which is headquartered in Irvine, California.
    Ayele is overjoyed by what the Lord has done in her community through Amarech Ameche, but for her and Omo, this is only the beginning of what remains a long journey.
    “One high school serves 200,000 people. There are hundreds of orphans…we need volunteers and foundations and churches to assist us and work with us…it is my prayer to get assistance for the community,”5 says Ayele.
    If you would like to find out how you can help support the HIV/AIDs afflicted like those in the community of Omo, please contact Bruce Sonnenberg at He Intends Victory: PO Box 399 Irvine, CA 92650 1-800-HIV-HOPE 949-716-4670 fax 714-247-1264 949-350-9990 cell www.heintendsvictory.com Bruce@heintendsvictory.com "

    -South Africa

  • SAfrican man wakes after 21 hours in morgue fridge, By NASTASYA TAY - Associated Press | AP – Wed, Jul 27, 2011 news.yahoo.com


  • "JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A South African man awoke to find himself in a morgue fridge — nearly a day after his family thought he had died, a health official said Monday.
    Health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said the man awoke Sunday afternoon, 21 hours after his family called in an undertaker who sent him to the morgue after an asthma attack.
    Morgue owner Ayanda Maqolo said he sent his driver to collect the body shortly after the family reported the death. Maqolo said he thought the man was around 80 years old.
    "When he got there, the driver examined the body, checked his pulse, looked for a heartbeat, but there was nothing," Maqolo told the Associated Press.
    But a day after staff put the body into a locked refrigerated compartment, morgue workers heard someone shouting for help. They thought it was a ghost, the morgue owner said.
    "I couldn't believe it!" Maqolo said. "I was also scared. But they are my employees and I had to show them I wasn't scared, so I called the police."
    After police arrived, the group entered the morgue together.
    "I was glad they had their firearms, in case something wanted to fight with us," Maqolo said.
    He said the man was pale when they pulled him out.
    "He asked, 'How did I get here?'" Maqolo said.
    The health department said the man was then taken to a nearby hospital for observation and later discharged by doctors who deemed him stable.
    Kupelo, the health department spokesman, urged South Africans to call on health officials to confirm that their relatives are really dead.
    The man's family was informed that he was alive during a family meeting convened to make funeral arrangements. They're very happy to have him home, Maqolo said.
    But Maqolo said he is still trying to recover from the traumatic experience.
    "I couldn't sleep last night, I had nightmares," he said. "But today I'm much better."

    Religions

    "6 Remember him” before the silver cord is severed,
    or the golden bowl is broken;
    before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
    or the wheel broken at the well,

    7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
    and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

    8 "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. [a]
    "Everything is meaningless!"
    -Ecclesiastes 12

    -Christianity

  • Christian Funeral or Memorial Service - Planning and Organizing, from christianity.about.com

  • "Guide to Planning a Christian Funeral or Memorial Service
    Planning a Christian funeral is never an easy thing to do. Saying goodbye to a loved one is difficult. People grieve in different ways. Oftentimes family tension adds to the stress during an already emotionally burdensome period. This practical and spiritual guide is designed to alleviate some of the burden and offer steps to help you plan your loved one's Christian funeral service.
    First, before making any plans, ask family members if your loved one left specific directions for their funeral. If so, this will greatly ease the load of making decisions and guessing what your loved one would have wanted. Be sure to find out if your loved one has a funeral or burial insurance policy or prepaid arrangements with a funeral home or cemetery.
    If no prearrangements have been made...

  • Transition Rituals A faith-by-faith guide to rites for the deceased , from beliefnet.com

  • Catholicism
    Belief about death
    Catholics see death as a passage from this life to the new, everlasting life promised by Christ. The soul of the deceased goes on to the afterlife, which includes Purgatory as well as Heaven and Hell. According to Catholic belief, the bodies of the dead will be resurrected at the end of time.
    Funeral practices
    The Catholic funeral service is called the Mass of the Resurrection. During it, Jesus Christ's life is remembered and related to that of the deceased. Eulogies are not allowed during the funeral mass, but may be delivered at a wake or other non-religious ceremony. There is also a final graveside farewell, and additional traditions depending on the region. The Church encourages Catholics to be buried in Catholic cemeteries. In 1963, the Vatican lifted the ban on cremation for Catholics. However, the cremains must be interred, not scattered or kept at home.

    Does God's Word teach about purgatory?, from christiananswers.net
    "There is no mention of purgatory in the 66 books of the Bible, and since the orthodox biblical view of forgiveness assures redeemed sinners that their sins have all been paid in Christ, the doctrine of purgatory is rejected by Protestants as an erroneous addition to the Bible. Furthermore, we believe that it has been created by the church out of virtual necessity, as its view of the inadequacy of Christ's death demands such a doctrine.
    This doctrine simply fits with Catholicism's whole system of justification by faith plus works—a keystone of Catholic theology. There is no possible way to reconcile Catholic teaching with Protestant teaching or the Bible on this point. Purgatory is part of a false gospel."

    "Buddhism
    Belief about death
    Death of the physical body is certain, but only a part of an ongoing process of re-incarnation until one receives enlightenment. After death it is believed that the dead person goes through a transformation in which they discover death, and prepare for their rebirth (if there is one).
    Funeral practices
    In early times and commonly today, Buddhists cremate the bodies of their dead. The first seven days after death are the most important for final and funereal prayer.
    Mourning rituals
    Prayers are said weekly, during a 49-day funeral period. It is during this period that the prayers of the mourners are believed to help the deceased during the post-death transformation and awaken their spirit to the true nature of death.

    "Hinduism
    Belief about death
    Hindus believe death is part of the continuing cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. The soul of the dead transfers to another body after death.
    Funeral practices
    Hindus generally cremate their dead. In preparation for cremation, the body is bathed, laid in a coffin, adorned with sandalwood paste and garlands, and wrapped in white cloth. In the cremation ceremony, the body is carried three times counterclockwise around the pyre, then placed upon it. The chief mourner hits the cremation switch.
    Mourning rituals
    The days of mourning are considered a time of ritual impurity. Mourners cover all religious pictures in the house and do not attend festivals or visit swamis or take part in marriage ceremonies. Mourning period length varies, though Hindu scriptures caution against excessive mourning.

    The House Of Mourning, from heartoheart.com
    " A verse from Ecclesiastes kept coming to mind this week: “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” Chapter 7:2 Michelle loved to smile and laugh! A passion for life burned in her eyes. She leaves behind a husband, an 11th grader, and a college freshman.
    Why is it better to go to the house of mourning than the house of feasting? Here are some of my thoughts, then I want to hear from you.
    It is a reality check.
    You do not know how long you have. Love people, don’t take them for granted.
    Appreciate simple things from people; a hug, a note, a phone call, a listening ear, their smile.

    "Islam
    Belief about death
    Muslims believe that there is another world after death for which the believer should prepare during their lives on earth.
    Funeral practices
    The corpse is bathed, wrapped in a plain cloth (called a kafan). The deceased is buried in the ground after the funeral service. Only burial in the ground is allowed according to Shari' ah (Islamic law).
    Mourning rituals
    Mourners gather and offer Janazah, prayers for the forgiveness of the deceased. Once the body is buried, Muslim mourners offer one final Janazah prayer."

    "Judaism
    Belief about death
    Jews believe death in this life will eventually lead to resurrection in a world to come.
    Funeral practices
    The dead are buried as soon as possible. The body is washed to purify it, dressed in a plain linen shroud. The casket, a plain wooden coffin, remains closed after the body is dressed. The body is watched over from time of death till burial, as a sign of respect. The kaddish, a prayer in honor of the dead, is said.
    Mourning rituals
    There is an intense seven-day mourning period, called shiva, following the burial. Mourners traditionally rent their garments as a symbol of grief. Today, people often wear a black ribbon instead of tearing their clothes. Mourners also cover mirrors, sit on low stools, and avoid wearing leather. The full mourning period lasts a year, after which mourners observe the dead's yahrzeit, or yearly anniversary of the death.

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