The Village Research Project

I have not written much about the new research project we are launching. I call it, "It takes a whole village" project because we are trying to find out exactly how to best support and empower parents of Special Needs Children. The African Proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child" was used by Senator Hillary Clinton as the title for her book on education and health care a few years ago.

I agreed with Mrs. Clinton then and now. It is important to remember that the family system, neighborhood and community are all important in giving a child what she needs to be a healthy, contributing member of society. Our values are caught not just taught.

When a child comes into the world with a disability of some sort, the parents and extended family members are put into situations of stress that are greater than the normal stresses of parenting. There are many services, support systems and opportunities for Special Needs kids but almost nothing for the parents.

Our research will look at what exists now and what the parents in our study think would be helpful to them as they rear their child. We shall, at the end, develop ideas about ways we and local churches can more effectively come around these families and help them find peace, refreshment and better ways to lead their families.

If you have suggestions, write me.

Gary Sweeten
gary@sweetenlife.com

Being a Religious Minority is Good

It is important for us who follow Christ to remember this fact: We are in the minority and we have always been in the minority. Unfortunately, we have thought we were a majority religion in America and that led us to adopt a laissez faire attitude toward sharing our faith in the power of the Holy Spirit and the healing grace of His love.

I have enjoyed my many trips to Asia, Africa and Europe where my minority faith is obvious. The Christ Followers are very much aware of their need to share the good news and to witness in love and good works. Humility is demanded in such places.

It is also obvious in most of those places that life in a society without Christ and Christian values is harsher for its citizens. Family relations are less wholesome and an attitude of "love thy neighbor" is rare. We tend to think that Socialism's impact will be primarily economic but in Russia and Eastern Europe the loss of love and mutual caring have been the greatest losses.

When the USSR started to cataclysmic fail in the late Eighties, Mr. Gorbachev sent his ambassador to Norway a message. "Ask the Norwegian Bible Society to print a million Bibles in Russian and send them to us." Why would he,a confirmed atheist, do such a thing? The ambassador said, "We have discovered that without a biblical and Christian foundation the people will not be motivated to care for each other. We need the Bible again."

Is the USA ready to not only lose our economic freedom but also our tradition of "Love one another"?

Gary Sweeten

Music to Drive us Mild or Wild

Music sets the mood and may also change your mind. Read this article in the paper, ScotlandonSunday to see what I mean.

Music can torture or heal. Did you know the US Army has a list of the "Golden Oldies" that dive terrorists to spill their guts? They also have lists of music than can help calm an unquiet mind and even help kids with Asperber's Syndrome. Now that is something.

Read the article and see what you think. (But stop listening to Acid Rock before you write your comments.)

From Reality to Real Politics

It is easy to tell when a topic moves from being a focus on reality and becomes almost entirely political. For example, when I did my dissertation on integration of faith and soul care, the term "Evangelical" was clearly meant to describe a type of person who was deeply committed to Christ, the Bible and historic Christianity. Now it means a group of people who are trying to force their narrow views about life on the USA in defiance of the Constitution.

The same is true of "Pro Life". That term meant that a person believed that all human life was precious and created in God's image. Now it is used to mean that the person hates women and science.

Today I will focus on a view that has, until recently, dominated society, counseling and law. Everyone in authority agreed that homosexual behavior was abnormal and should not be encouraged. Additionally, the psychologists taught that it was an aberration that could through therapy, be healed and changed in many instances.

Today, any psychologist or counselor or lay person who says such things will be charged with "homophobia" and accosted as hating gay people. It is well known that a similar charge will not be made against a person who believes that depressives can be healed. I have counseled many depressed and anxious people as well as those who are fearful, angry or addicted but no one has accused me of hating the people I treat.

In those cases I am lauded as compassionate, empathic and concerned because I am responding helpfully to the requests of people who want out of painful situations.

I have also helped married couples stop fighting and adulterers trade adultery for better marital sex. I have shown parents how to stop yelling an start disciplining and they love it.

Because of my success I am asked to write, speak and consult. I am affirmed by many other counselors who want to learn from me. But when I mention that I have helped men and women stop their same sex attractions I am suddenly accosted as a mad man or evil charlatan.

What say you? Do you affirm counselors and peers who state that marriage was always intended for men and women? Can you support the Miss USA candidate who spoke up about her traditional views or do you think she is a homo-phobic that is spouting hate speech?

When A.A. leaders facilitate sobriety and community leaders put a stop to drugs do you see them as heroes or villains? If heroes then you will have to also applaud the courageous men and women at Exodus who have led thousands out of same sex temptations. Healing homosexuality is no more hateful or phobic than defeating depression or divrce.

Gary Sweeten

Christian Music?

A Times Online article looks at Christian and faith oriented singers from the US and England. See what you think about it.

Do You Have Dream?

I listened to Susan Boyle sing about a dream last week and I wept. Her voice and demeanor touched me deeply and I a not sure why. Maybe it was because she was so plain, poor and plump and so perky despite it. Maybe it was because she sang so powerfully despite all the audience and judges expectations.

Have you ever read the mission statement of a contemporary business? Almost every one of them says they will "Meet or surpass expectations." Do they really or do you get pretty much what you expected. I bought breakfast this morning at MacDonald's and it was good but not much more than I expected. The egg was cooked correctly and it was a bit cool to my tongue so it did not exceed my expectation of a hot meal.

But that is OK because it was pretty cheap. Once I visited the Ritz Carlton and got an egg that was runny despite my request that it be well done. It was beneath my expectations for that place.

I wept at the ability of Susan Boyle to greatly exceed the expectations of the judges whose smirks told us they expected an off key voice from an off key looking person. I was rooting for her before I heard her sing a note because I always root for the underdogs.

Susan Estrich wrote a powerful review of her singing that you can access in The Rasmussin Report.


Gary Sweeten

Great Relationship

Over the past few days I have spoken with several people whose lives were deeply touched and liberated through the materials we called, Rational Christian Thinking. It is all about building a great relationship with God, self and other people by applying Christian truth to my thoughts.

It is hard to love God if my ruminations about the Father are all messed up and distorted. Yet this is exactly what so many dedicated Believers face on a daily basis. If I have a deep commitment to God but also harbor Stinking Thinking about His character, it can drive me into depression and anxiety.

I have ministered to many Bible believing Christians who suffered from high anxiety and emotional distress because they were convinced that God was sitting in heaven watching their every move to see when a sin was committed just so He could punish them. This sets up a horrible Double Bind making it impossible to live in joy.

What do you think will be the result if I try to love God and know I need to draw close to Him yet I also believe He takes great pleasure in causing me pain? How will that habit cause me to feel in the long run?

I am reminded of the fictional father who placed his little child up on a high cabinet and said, "Jump and I will catch you." The child did and his dad let him fall and hurt his legs. Then the father said, "See what happens when you trust someone."

Many Christians have been trained to think that the Heavenly Father is like that man. He is constantly setting us up to fail just so He can then punish us for failing or sinning.

When I was teaching the residents in our in-patient units I often heard them say that this was what they expected from God. I replied, "If I had that kind of God I would also be depressed. But I have joy because my Father is a loving Daddy who cares for me and gives me a life of abundance."

What kind of Father do you worship? Go to our web and read the materials for downloading. www.sweetenlife.com

Do You Know King Jesus?

The one sentence slogan for Sweeten Life Systems is:

A lifetime of great relationships.

You have to see this video and praise the Lord for a relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Taxes and Patriotism

As you may have guessed, Norwegians are very patriotic. After paying a pretty high Income Tax, about 50%, they also must pay a Value Added Tax. Here is what the winner, Michael Cristiani said.

"In Norway, VAT is split into three levels: 25% is the general VAT, 14% (formerly 13%, up on January 1, 2007) for foods and restaurant take-out (food eaten in a restaurant has 25%), 8% for person transport, movie tickets, and hotel stays. Books and newspapers are free of VAT, while magazines and periodicals with a less than 80% subscription rate are taxed. Svalbard has no VAT because of a clause in the Svalbard Treaty. Cultural events are excluded from VAT."

Yep, and that is not all. After Income Tax, they pay 1/4 on almost all food and clothing. Just think, that every time you get a bottle of water, a sandwich, a candy bar or a sack of potatoes at the grocery store you have to add 1/4 to the price.

If your groceries add up to 100 US Dollars just add 25 more Dollars to that amount. This means if your salary is $50,000.00, and that would be high in Norway, you bring home $25,000.00 after taxes. Then, you must pay 1/4 of that amount in taxes when your purchase your food and clothes.

Additionally, cars have are taxed at 100% and gasoline is $10.00 per gallon. All this to stop people from driving so global warming will not kill us for at least 10,000.00 years instead of nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine years.

A Ford focus may cost $20,000.00 at the dealer so just double it. They pay another $20,000.00 to the government. Housing is higher than here as well so my Norwegian friends are financially stressed.

Why am I sharing this? Because this is the direction we in the USA are going. In few years our taxes, prices and utilities will match Norway. How will your like paying high taxes so our Congress Members can buy votes back home?

Got any tea?

Gary Sweeten

New Web Site to Visit

Let the little children come to me.

My dear friend Dorothy Faye Geverdt has put up a nice web describing their ministry to disabled kids in Romania. The ministry is Romanian Handicapped Ministry and is led by several local men and women.

The way Communist countries treated persons with handicaps was brutal, callous and heartless. Despite often saying that they were supportive of the rights of minorities, women and poor the track records of places like Russia and Romania were awful. The Eastern Bloc fell because of their cruelty to all persons but the terrible ways they treated the handicapped was especially egregious.

The Romanian Handicapped Ministry is trying to make up for all those years of neglect and downright persecution. Please pray for the ministry and support them as you can.

As a footnote, I am amazed and saddened to see the United States of America moving backward into treating handicapped persons like the Romanians did under their Communist dictators. President Obama is taking aggressive actions to remove their rights and make sure they are discriminated against in the worst way: abortion.

About 85% of all Down Syndrome babies are already killed in the womb. If Obama has his way that percent will rise to 100%. Moving toward Romania in ethics and morals is not my idea of an enlightened nation.

Listening and Accomodating to Others

The more I study the research on counseling, influence, sales and leadership the more I am convinced that tuning in to others is a key to effectiveness.

The mind operates at least six times faster than we can talk. So, we are filling in the blanks when another person speaks. Instead of listening to them we listen to ourselves as six times the speed of their sound.

Today I met with friends Eric and Elaine Hansen. Eric made a great comment about the importance of developing great relationship skills. He went on to say how difficult it is to master those skills. "Learning soft skills is hard" he said.

I said, "Very hard" and we laughed at the fact that we are all "teachers" of soft skills but still find it difficult to practice them.

All it takes is humility, patience, gentleness and peace.

Gary Sweeten

Idols in the Pulpit

I just read a blog by Pam Hogeweide on the topic of some preachers who love the limelight and who become "idols" to a lot of Believers. Here is my response.

Pam,

Well written ideas about celebrity. My 2 cents.

Immature folks need some person to idolize. Almost every young believer idolizes a leader, a writer, a preacher or an apostle. Because of that, some narcissistic folks, usually males will puff themselves up and enhance their image.

Most of us will outgrow the need for idols and stop attending the BIG NAME gatherings while the immature will keep pumping them and holding seminars where a few can brag. It cannot be stopped but as God grows people up they will stop it. Here is the catch. When lots of people become “Seasoned Believers” and stop flocking after the big names the press will report it as a "sign that Christianity is dying”. That kind of Christianity needs to die.

There are almost no places where Seasoned Believers can come together for meaty discipleship and in depth interactions. Most people are left to attend shallow, showy, hyper active gatherings where BIG NAMES can talk. I know of hundreds of Seasoned Believers that are bored to tears. The research at Willow shows it but still the BIG NAMES want to put on more shows with bigger screens and more video tapes. That is giving 1% milk to carnevours.

So, we have millions of Seasoned Believers who came to faith in Christ during the Fourth Great Revival of the Seventies who want to become the Fourth Great Awakening but the RULING CLASS of leaders are still feeding them 1% milk.

What to do? Stop complaining about the idols and the immature and focus on the mature so we can go deeper no matter what others do.

Shalom,

Gary Sweeten

Sexual Abuse Recovery: Is There Hope?

One cannot keep from reeling at the high numbers of people who are sexually abused, shocked and traumatized in America. Here are the differences:

1. Sexual Shock is a one time or very rare sexual interaction that are inappropriate. This includes porn, sexual touching and sexual verbalization's.

2. Trauma is more than shock and includes occasional sexual interactions that are inappropriate.

3. Abuse is an ongoing, chronic inappropriate sexual interaction.

The results are different for the differing levels of pain.

1. Shock leaves a person with distorted, confused and cold emotions.
2. Trauma leaves a person with frozen, confused emotions.
3. Abuse leaves one with permafrost emotions.

There is good news, however, for all of these situations. Healing and restoration is possible for all three levels of pain. I have personally been involved with people who have been able to recover completely even from chronic abuse.

Recovery comes from faith, hope and love.

Never, ever give up. I heard a podcast today about a woman who was severely beaten, abused and rejected who ran away from an "insane asylum" in Australia and completely recovered, largely on her own. God's people are constantly seeing hurting people healed through prayer, worship, discipleship and caring.

Gary Sweeten

Gary Sweeten

Paying Taxes to be a Patriot

Joe Biden told us that it was patriotic to pay taxes. Why is he being so disrespectful to 42% of Americans? That is the percentage of US citizens who pay no taxes. I think Mr. Biden has insulted a lot of good citizens.

Norway must be filled with the most patriotic people on earth. While I was there last month I learned from my friends why prices for food, clothing, cars and everything else are so high. The government has a large Value Added Tax (VAT) on all those items.

What would you guess the percentage of an item is in Norway? Take a guess and the person who gets closest will get a prize. The prize is a copy of the book, "The Last Lecture".

Hit the comment section below and leave your estimate.

Gary Sweeten

www.sweetenlife.com

Obama Affirms Sea Adventurers (Pirates)

President Obama has finally changed the mood in Washington from one of attacks and mean rhetoric to love and appreciation. As a lawyer, Mr. Obama has developed an approach that is sure to "Win Friends and Remove Enemies".

This quote from a blog called, The Exurban League says it all.

Good evening. As you know, early yesterday, Somali-based pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama, a freighter carrying relief supplies to Kenya. While we do not yet know all the details, the Alabama's crew re-took control of the vessel and forced the pirates off the ship.



Since the pirates are still holding the captain, I have sent FBI negotiators to facilitate his safe and speedy release. I assure his friends and family that I will not stop until this man-made disaster is resolved in a peaceful, tolerant and ecologically-sound manner.

Obviously, this incident has raised many concerns among Americans. There have been calls for justice and even violence against the misguided perpetrators. But such an emotional reaction has led to the disparagement of entire groups with which we are unfamiliar. We have seen this throughout history.

For too long, America has been too dismissive of the proud culture and invaluable contributions of the Pirate Community. Whether it is their pioneering work with prosthetics, husbandry of tropical birds or fanciful fashion sense, America owes a deep debt to Pirates.

What is the Resurrection?

Have we been wrong all these years about the Resurrection and what it really means in scripture? NT Wright, the Bishop from England, says we are.

Bishop Wright goes on to suggest that it is tyrants and very secularistic, liberal theologians who love to plant seeds of wrong thinking about Resurrection in our minds. HMMMMMMMMMM! WOW!

You need to read the Bishop's interview in Christianity Today online.

Free Speech is Theatened

The advent of what is being called, "Hate Speech" is a threat to all of us who enjoy freedom and liberty. The last post I mentioned the rise of Climate Fundamentalists whose fears and anxieties are forcing citizens to adopt "Carbon Free" activities even if it destroys our way of life.

We are also seeing fears and anxieties about expressing ideas about religion and its leaders. Go to the Washington Post for an interesting article about what is being proposed in the U.N. and is actually happening in Europe.

The Fundamentalists are Coming

The Climate Fundamentalists are trying to completely control everything we do. See this link for a partial list of what they will control in our lives.


I grew up in a very strict Fundamentalist Christian Culture. One of the hallmarks of Fundamentalist thinking is the need to angrily punish us for having fun and control what people do and say. My Fundamentalist fore fathers could have learned a lot from the Fundamentalist Climate Masters of the Universe. Christian leaders try to control alcohol, smoking, sex and sexually revealing clothing. For this modest focus we are forever to be hated and reviled.

Why are Al Gore and the Democrat Party trying to punish all of us for being Climate Sinners?

I am an Expert

Do we need experts to help us make decisions about life? Not usually. This is why I tray to train Peers how to be more effective as Helpers. First, they are more likely to really understand your issues.

Second, they won't usually over think things and give philosophical ideas but real practical ones. Third, they are far less expensive. Fourth, they are readily available.

Listen to me. I am an expert on these matters.

Read Nicholas Kristof's insights in the New York Times.

Muslim-Christian Conflict and Obama

President Obama is trying to calm the fears of Muslims and secularists around the world by saying nice things to the Turks and bowing to the Muslims. Will it work? Is this an enlightened bit of politics or coming from a naive President who thinks we can convince people to start loving and stop killing each other?

I heard David Brooks on a recent pod cast say an interesting thing about why he is a Conservative and I think it is why I am a Conservative. Like Reinhold Neiebuhr I do not think it is possible to change people as individuals, groups or nations very easily or quickly. Good changes in the life of an individual take a long time and great wisdom on the part of the change agent. Group and national changes take even longer and more wisdom.

Obama wants to change the USA and the world into his image quickly and very radically. He seems to think he can change Muslims by saying nice things to some of their leaders. George Bush thought the same thing but they chose different avenues of bringing the changes.

The Atlantic Monthly has a great article on Neiebuhr with an interview by David Brooks that I suggest you read.

There is also a good article on Obama's approach to Islam in Wall Street Journal Online.

I will close with a prayer written by Rev. Dr. Neiebuhr. Part of it is used by all the Anonymous groups for wisdom, hope and encouragement. It was carried into war by all the soldiers in WWII.

It lays out a large part of my theology and why I am a Conservative.


A Prayer for Courage and Serenity

Rev Reinhold Niebuhr

God, grant me the serenity to accept
The things I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time:

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace:
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it:

Trusting that you will make all things right
If I surrender to your will:
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with you in the next

Distributed by Dr. Gary Sweeten
P.O. Box 498455
Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
513-300-5065

My Cancer Surgery

Thanks to the Lord and great surgeons and staff my skin cancer is gone.

I am home recovering for a few days.

Who Loves You?

From an anonymous source:
While watching TV on Sunday instead of going to church, I saw a Church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years. He was 92 and I wondered why they bothered to ask the gentleman to preach.

After a warm welcome and introduction, the applause quieted down he rose from his chair and walked slowly with great effort and a sliding gate to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak....

When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever learned in my 50 odd years of preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all My trials. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me... The only thing that would comfort was this verse.........

Jesus loves me this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
We are weak but He is strong.....
Yes, Jesus loves me...
The Bible tells me so.'

When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his foot steps as he shuffled back to his chair. I don't believe I will ever forget it.

A pastor once stated, 'I always noticed that it was the adults who chose the children's hymn 'Jesus Loves Me' during a hymn sing it was the adults who sang the loudest because they knew it the best.'

Senior version of Jesus Loves Me

Here is a new version just for us who have white hair or no hair at all.

JESUS LOVES ME:

Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.

(CHORUS)

YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I'll go
On through life, let come what may,
He'll be there to lead the way.

(CHORUS)

When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song.
Telling me in words so clear,
Have no fear, for I am near.

(CHORUS)

When my work on earth is done,
And life's victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I'll understand His love

(CHORUS)

I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.

God Bless Us All!!!

Anonymous

How to be a Healthy Christian Sinner

I receive a weekly devotional with the name, Graced Again and it is generally quite good. Take a look at the following comments and see what you think.

A Gospel-centered life is the Christian Waltz. A waltz is a dance made up of three steps. Christians need to consider the Christian three step when it comes to growth.

In the first step, we acknowledge our need as we see our sin in light of the Law.

In the second step, we look to Christ to change us.

In the third step, we fight against sin and fight to choose righteousness in the strength of the Holy Spirit.

Repent! Believe! Fight!
Repent! Believe! Fight!
Repent! Believe! Fight!

An emphasis on the love and grace of God lays the dance floor, or the foundation, for the waltz. Unless Christians are convinced of God’s love for them and His favor over them by virtue of their union with Christ, they will minimize their sin and engage in blame-shifting and excuse- making in order to feel justified before God.

Unfortunately, many in the Church today teach believers a Two-step. The two-step is to simply repent and fight. They acknowledge their sin and proceed with new resolve to try harder to avoid sin. The problem with this approach is it bypasses the cross of Christ and the power of the resurrection. Bob Flayhart

Send me your comments on how to help Christian Sinners stay spiritually and emoionally healthy.

Gary Sweeten

Why Are People Ignorant about Religion?

Generally speaking the public knows little or nothing about religion in general and Christianity specifically. Why are so many people either ignorant or mistaken about the facts? Religion is rarely reported in the news.

The Pew Research Center reports that:

Throughout much of 2008, the media generally seemed to follow two patterns in its coverage of religion. First, religion reporting was often episodic, clustering intensely around big events such as the pope's visit and religion stories related to the 2008 holiday season. Religion stories also faded quickly from the headlines.

Second, the angle of religion coverage frequently gravitated toward controversies, such as Barack Obama's relationship with Jeremiah Wright and stories about the clergy sex-abuse scandal that surfaced during the pope's visit. This was particularly problematic for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, who were inundated with questions concerning their faith.

The media loves controversy. They rarely report the good things we do so 99% of Christianity is missing in the minds of the public. If people are to understand us we must do a better job of reporting our own news.

Gary Sweeten

The Power of Love

Karen and I drove up to Pittsburgh this week to get grand son Jack and bring him back to our house for some time together with us and the rest of the family. It is important to get the kids out of Steelers country occasionally.

On the drive we found an "Oldies but Goodies" station that was playing a lot of songs from the Sixties and Seventies. One of them was, "What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love" and it brought back many good memories.

First, we thought about the great times we had on campus and at College Hill Presbyterian. Then we were taken to the fact that indeed, the world does need love. The words of that tune could have been copied from the Bible. "There are plenty of mountains and valleys but not enough love" reminds us during hard times that money and materialism will never replace caring and godliness.

After forty years of counseling the words of that song ring even more true. Research is coming in from around the world showing that the heart and soul of healing is not medicine or clean rooms in a hospital but love.

Modern psychiatry is filled with talk about providing "Evidence Based Practice" so people are guaranteed the best treatment. This way of thinking means that technical expertise trumps great relationships. But I Corinthians 13 tells us a different story and that story is being reinforced over and over again by research and personal experience.

Take a look at this video and see the power of faith, hope and love.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP_EW9u_TTw&feature=related

Gary Sweeten

Ministry for the Long Haul

While in Norway I was struck by the importance of continuing God's call for the long term. Maybe that is why Paul said that we ought not grow weary when we are doing good thing.

It takes a long time for the seeds to fall to the ground, get covered up, bloom and grow and then produce fruit of their own. It was over twenty years ago That I met Jens-Petter Jorgensen in Nairobi, Kenya. We became friends and he invited me to teach in Oslo at a Pastors' Conference in 1986.

Many of the people who came to our many teaching and equipping sessions have grown in maturity, insight and wisdom and God has placed them in positions of influence. They have grown and developed in new ways because of the Holy spirit not me. God brought healing and power to so many good people back in the Eighties that something good had to happen! It did because they are spread out all over the world doing good things for Jesus.

So, don't grow weary as you keep the flock of God covered with grace and power.

Gary Sweeten