Doctor Ben Carson

I heard dr.

Ben Carson

speak yesterday and I was inspired. Thanks to the Chick-Fil-A sponsored broadcast I was able to watch on video and hear several top speakers share their insights about being a positive, servant leader.

Thanks to Prasco Company, a wonderful Christian citizen located in Mason, Ohio, and Sunrise Commuity Church, the annual simulcast of John Mazwell and other inspiring men and women shared their lives, insits and innovative ideas with some 65,000 people in auditoriums around the world.

All of them were terrific speakers with something to say. But my favorite was Dr. Carson, one of the most accomplished brain surgeons in the world. he grew up in some of the most repressive and soul killing social environments imaginable. Poverty, racism, rejection by peers when he made good grades and affirmation when he acted like a bum along wit a single mother that could not read or write.

But listen to her character. She forced Ben and his siblings to go to the local library every week and read some books. He also had to write a review of one of the b books and turn it in to his mother. He hated it. He was upset. he rebelled. But she persevered. She marked up each paper and gave It back to the kids.

Finally Ben started liking to read. He became a voracious reader. Why? His illiterate mother. Yes, I said illiterite! She could not read or write. But she faked it to make him read and write.

Now Dr.Carson is at John Hopkins Hospital. He is a renowned surgeon who, with his wife, has set up a scholars program to encourage kids to do well in school.

He is also a committed Christian and an outspoken man against Political Correctness and the Federal Government's take over of medicine. Why? They kill innovation and creativity.

I hope Dr. Carson will live a long and healthy as well as influential life. Go to his web and read all about him.

Happy Grandparents

 
Papa and Grandma with Jack and Emma Sweeten

Just shwoing off our grand kids.

Abortion, Sarah Palin and Disability

I just came across an article on the blog Disability Matters by Dr. Mark Moster who teaches at Regent University. Regent is one of the most progressive and creative Christian Universities in the world and Dr. Moster is on the cutting edge of promoting a Pro-Life Ethic.

Dr. Moster wrote the article in July 2009 but I am just now seeing it. Read and reflect upon its message.

Tolerance Ends, Animus Arises Where Disability Begins
Posted: 08 Jul 2009 06:34 AM PDT

Cyberspace has been alive with discussions of a hit piece written by the Huffington Post’s Erik Sean Nelson. Nelson used the now well-worn epithets of being retarded in commenting on Sarah Palin’s resignation as Alaska Governor last week.

The piece was pulled almost immediately, but not before several media watchdog groups had downloaded screen captures. Nelson swiftly offered an apology for what he wrote, but not for the way he thinks about people with disabilities.

I’ve decided to share the piece in it’s entirety because it reveals the palpable animus toward people with disabilities that’s alive and well in the US. Penned as a “humorous” piece (it’s not), had this been written about almost any other group of people (take your pick: minorities, women, on and on) there would have been nothing less than a media firestorm that would have had the potential to wipe the Michael Jackson coverage from our TV screens.

However, Nelson is in good company. It wasn’t too long ago that Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) repeatedly said, on the record, that Sarah Palin was retarded. And don’t let’s forget President Obama cheerfully noted that he bowls like a retard.
Just so that it’s clear: Palin is targeted in this way because Trig has Down Syndrome.

Funny, I don’t recall anything like this ever being said about a person in the Kennedy family who had mental retardation.
Here’s Nelson’s vitriol:

Palin Will Run in '12 on More Retardation Platform
In Sarah Palin's resignation announcement she complained about the treatment of her son Trig who always teaches her life lessons. She said that the "world needs more Trigs, not fewer." That's a presidential campaign promise we can all get behind. She will be the first politician to actually try to increase the population of retarded people. To me, it's kinda like saying the world needs more cancer patients because they teach us such personal lessons.
Her first act as President: To introduce a Pre-K lunch buffet that includes lead paint chips. Sort of a Large HEAD-START Program.

She will then encourage women to hold off on pregnancies until their 40's just to mix up some chromosomes.

She now is in favor of abortion only in case of diploid birth.
Her policies will increase jobs because Wall-Mart is building new stores each day and someone has to be the greeter.

This will lead to smaller government because fewer Americans will have the cognitive ability to hold a government job.

Look, she says she's resigning as governor because people are making attacks on her and Trig. If she ever did become president, all Osama bin Laden would have to do to defeat the United States is Photoshop a picture of Trig and she'd surrender the country that night. As she said, "That's not politics as usual." It isn't. Politicians don't usually quit for so stupid of reasons.

I’m sure you’re all laughing your heads off.

A final thought: A raft of disability advocacy groups have been stunningly silent on this issue. They get their alerts, they read the blogs every day, and are lightning quick to defend against the kind of bigotry that Nelson showed.
They’ve been AWOL here. Why? Do they believe that for Sarah Palin and her son Trig this kind of nastiness is OK?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We at Sweeten Life Systems are decidedly Pro Life for all life. We are strongly committed to respecting the people with disabilities as well as their families. This is why we are doing research on ways we can support them.

Is our nation becoming more callous toward people with disabilities? Is the government focusing so strongly on "Abortion Rights" that "The Right to Life" is being threatened? Are US politicians getting so cold hearted that they would rather see Down syndrome children aborted than live and bring love to their family and friends?

Parenting with Personal and Marital Joy

My friend Linda Watson wrote this article almost 20 years ago. As I was about to leave my position at College Hill Presbyterian Church I had a special class for the staff and church leaders on "Developing Healthy Families" and Linda was in the class.



Her boys were "real boys" with high energy, sibling rivalry and keen insights about how to hassle their mom. Linda was a hard working, overly zealous mother who, like most young moms, wanted to have perfect, peaceful and kind kids. They saw to it that she was in a state of chronic worry because she was "failing" as a "good mother".


After hearing me teach and show role plays about family systems, Linda had an epiphany. "I am rewarding their fights. I must change me to influence them. I shall change my getting in the middle of their fights. WOW! That took courage as you shall see.




The Night I Stopped Being a Referee
Linda Watson

One of the roles I have played for years for my two boys is a referee. My boys are 2 & 1/2 years apart and they often fought other. A fight brought one of them running to me and I became the referee. I thought if only I could become a better referee and come up with just the right punishment, lecture or scripture verse to make them be good Christian brothers, the fighting would cease or at least get better. But it was getting worse as they got older. Joel was 10 and Ethan 8 at the time and I, who swore I would never scream at my kids, was reacting to the conflict as a screaming maniac.

One typical evening, I told the boys they had five minutes to get ready for bed and whoever was not ready with teeth brushed and pajamas on was getting a spanking. (One of my better referee tactics was to set a time limit so short they didn’t have time to fight.)

In a few seconds the screaming and fighting began. Ethan, the younger, came running and said, “Mom! Joel hit me in the stomach!.” I tried to respond by asking, “What did you do…” but Joel said, “Mom, he threw my pajamas across the room. Besides you always let him get by with more than me.” (There was a grain of truth in that accusation and I was stunned.)

My own anger escalated because I failed as a referee. However, I rather calmly said, “You have five minutes to get ready for bed. If you are not ready then you will be spanked. You have to make your own decisions about how you are going to treat each other. I am no longer going to referee your fights”.

They left the room and in a few minutes I heard the usual chaos. “Mom, Joel hit me.” Then, “Mom, Ethan hit me first.” I called back, “I want to remind you that you have exactly three minutes to get ready for bed. If you are not ready you will be spanked. I am not coming in there to referee so you can do whatever you want to each other.”

About three minutes later both came into my room. Ethan was very quiet but Joel fell down before me crying and started to beg me to be a referee again. “Mom, don’t do this please. Just go back to the way you were before.” (I said to myself, “Maybe I have hit on something good here. Is this what we have discussed in Gary Sweeten’s Family Class about how changes cause shock waves throughout the entire system? Is Joel just acting out to try to suck me back into my old patterns of refereeing?”)

When I said I would no longer referee I was unaware I was making such a big change in my pattern and the entire family system. I just needed to do something. I said it more out of desperation than anything else. I was unaware of the role I was playing and how I was getting caught into the triangle between the boys. To Joel I replied, “This is very interesting. Just a few minutes ago you were complaining how unfair I was as a referee. I gave you five minutes to do anything you want to Ethan without getting into trouble and you want me to go back to a referee.”

Joel began to cry loudly and say, “Please Mom; please! Don’t do this! Please just be the way you were. What if we hurt one another or kill one another?” I said, “I guess if you made that choice you would have to live with it wouldn’t you.” I was amazed at how calm I was. I did not yell or scream. I was not enmeshed with him! He was crying but I did not comprehend all the dynamics or why he was so upset but I simply said, “Joel, I am going to change. I will not be a referee any more. We will talk more when your father is home.”

Bill arrived a few minutes later but we didn’t have enough time or calmness with Joel’s weeping to get everything straightened out so Bill just said, “Hold it. Let’s go to bed now and talk tomorrow.”

It had been a good start but I was still pretty anxious. The next day the boys and I were talked in the car but the discussion was too brief for real insights. However, things were smoother. The real test came at supper. With Joel’s baseball game after school we had a tight schedule, just right for a big fight.

I served spaghetti for dinner, Joel said to Ethan, “Now that Mom will not referee we can do anything we like.” .He proceeded to fire a fork load of spaghetti at Ethan who smiled and loaded his fork. I said, “I think you have this all wrong. I need to redefine referee. Any food that lands on the table, floor or walls you will have to clean up.”

Ethan promptly picked up one of Joel’s carrot sticks and dunked it into his milk and Joel retaliated. “I said calmly, excuse me but the rule still applies that you must eat all your veggies.” Joel turned and started to say something belligerent when I said, “Another thing has not changed. You may not be disrespectful to me.”

Then we began to eat in silence. I was amazed at my new peace. Maybe they were not having fun but I sure was, but the calm did not last for long. Joel finished first and swatted Ethan on the head as he rose from the table. Ethan took his shoe off and reared back to fling it when I said, (With some anxiety) “Whatever the shoe hits you are responsible for.” Joel retorted, “Yes, and if I get hurt you will have to pay the doctor bills.”

That caused me to question myself. (“What if he gets hurt? What if…?) Will I be responsible for the bills? But before I could go much farther with the ‘What ifs’ Ethan broke in and said, “Mom, you are a Mom, right?” I said, “Yes. Ethan, I am a Mom.” Ethan continued, “Moms are supposed to be referees.” I smiled and said, “Ethan, I am not going to be a referee any more but I am still going to be your mother.”

We had to leave immediately to get to the game on time so I ran to get the car keys. I was really enjoying myself in this new role. But the good feelings did not last long before I heard Ethan screaming. “Oh, no” I thought. “Ethan is probably injured and how can I explain my non-refereeing stance to the ER when my children were trying to kill one another? And, who is responsible for the Doctors’ bills? “

At the bottom of the stairs Ethan was lying on the kitchen floor weeping profusely with loud groans. “I can’t walk, I am hurt bad. Joel kicked me in the leg with his baseball cleats!” My old referee habit immediately sprang into action and I yelled, “Joel! Come here immediately!” Then I saw him peeking around the door with a look that said, “Come on Mom. You can do it. You can be the referee again!”

That look brought me to my senses and I inspected Ethan’s badly bruised leg to find no marks at all. I calmly informed them that as soon as Ethan could walk we would go to the game. Joel complained loudly “I just knew we would be late for the game” but I refused to take the blame bait. Instead I said, “Joel, one of the consequences of choosing to hit your brother is being late to the game.” But, it seemed that Ethan was able to recover quickly so we were able to leave with no delay.

I tried to fill Bill in on these matters while watching the game but not much of the new developments were made clear or understood. I left for my evening commitment somewhat apprehensive that the boys would get out of hand. When I got home and asked Bill how things went he said, “It was fine. In fact, I also told the boys I am not going to be a referee either. To which Ethan replied: “I may run away from home.”

We went into their room to pray for the boys and I said, “Ethan, daddy says that you really don’t like us not being referees any more and you might run away. I want you to know that if you choose to run away I will really miss you.” Joel chose that moment to begin to cry and beg us to return to our old ways. “Please, please don’t do this,” he said. “I want be punished so I can be a good adult, We may kill each other if you don’t go back to what you were doing.”

With so much bombarding us we did not know where to start but we said that we have so many other choices and ways to manage conflict other than killing or hurting each other. There are other alternatives to channeling anger. We also wanted to address Joel’s idea that punishment would make him a good adult. That night we made a promise to ourselves that we would be parents instead of referees or police officials.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

There are times when I tend to slip back into my referee mode but I am definitely having more fun as a parent when I play the game of life with my children rather than being on the sidelines with a whistle. So often I was ready to frantically blow the whistle in the midst of a fight but now I have changed. I discovered that being a referee is not much fun but I love being a MOM! Linda Watson 1989 revised 2007

Joel lives in Dayton and Ethan in Denver. During their high school years and to this day are best friends. Ethan was just married and Joel was the best man. Please let people know that if I had not been in your class I would have thought I had made a horrible mistake, especially when the boys did such a good job of trying to get me to take back my old role. I can’t emphasize enough how important it was for me to understand the dynamics that were going on when I made the second order change and the class affirmation that I had in fact done the right and healthy thing!! (Update from Linda, March 12, 07)

Go to my web for more materials.

Adoption Heroes

My friend Carole Adlard has just been recognized as an "Angel" to many babies in need of a family. Here is her heroic story.

For Immediate Release September 27, 2009


Contact: Congresswoman Jean Schmidt Honors Carole Adlard as an Angel in Adoption™
To Be Recognized at National Event in Washington, DC


Cincinnati, Ohio: September 27, 2009 Congresswoman Jean Schmidt has selected Carole Adlard as a 2009 Angel in AdoptionTM for her outstanding advocacy of adoption issues. The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), which orchestrates the Angels in Adoption™ program, will honor Carole Adlard along with more than 190 Angels, at an awards ceremony and gala event in Washington, DC, September 30, 2009.

Carole Adlard is being honored for conducting twenty three years of adoption education. “I felt the adoption process was lacking,” explains Carole Adlard, “ In order to improve the practice of adoption, I formed an adoption educational agency called Adoption Option..” Adoption Option has become a catalyst for a broad array of adoption activities in Southwestern Ohio including, an infant adoption video based curriculum that is used by schools, agencies and pregnancy testing centers throughout the U.S; an adoption mentoring program for unwed pregnant teenagers; adoption mediation program for birth and adoptive parents; a professional adoption education program which educates medical and mental health professionals on how to provide faction adoption information in a non directive ways; an adoption media initiative that conveys accurate adoption information to make communities more adoption literate and adoption friendly. Mrs. Adlard has spoken on adoption in national conferences including National Neonatal, National Infant Adoption, National Right to Life and The Common Ground Network for Life and Choice.

The Angels in Adoption™ program is CCAI’s signature public awareness campaign and provides an opportunity for all members of the U.S. Congress to honor the good work of their constituents who have enriched the lives of foster children and orphans in the United States and abroad.


“The Angels in Adoption program is unlike any other program in the Nation’s Capitol. Because of it, over 1400 “Angels’ have come to share with Washington their adoption experience and left with a renewed excitement of all that adoption makes possible,” said Congresswoman Jean Schmidt.“I learned one simple lesson from my time on the hill, knowledge is power. Angels in Adoption is meant to give Members of Congress the knowledge they need to use the power they have toward making the dream of a family a reality for every child.”


In addition to the more than 190 local angels from around the country, several National Angels will also be recognized at the ceremony and gala for their dedication and commitment nationally and internationally to child welfare on a grand scale. Former “National Angels” include First Lady Laura Bush, Patti LaBelle, Jane Seymour, Muhammad Ali, the late Dave Thomas, Steven Curtis Chapman, Bruce Willis, Alonzo Mourning, and Marcus Samuelsson.

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) is a 501(c)3 nonpartisan organization dedicated to raising awareness about the tens of thousands of orphans and foster children in the United States and the millions of orphans around the world in need of permanent, safe, and loving homes through adoption. CCAI’s goal is the elimination of the barriers that hinder these children from realizing their basic right of a family.

CCAI was created in 2001 by the active co-chairs of the bicameral, bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA) to more effectively raise Congressional and public awareness about the issue of adoption.

The Angels in Adoption™ program was established in 1999 as a Congressional press conference to honor outstanding individuals. Since then, the program has developed into a yearlong public awareness campaign culminating in an extraordinary awards Gala and celebration in Washington, D.C.

When there is no God? Chaos!

"A couple of Swedish parents have stirred up debate in the country by refusing to reveal whether their two-and-a-half-year-old child is a boy or a girl. . . .

In an interview with newspaper Svenska Dagbladet in March, the parents were quoted saying their decision was rooted in the feminist philosophy that gender is a social construction. 'We want Pop to grow up more freely and avoid being forced into a specific gender mould from the outset,'

Pop's mother said. 'It's cruel to bring a child into the world with a blue or pink stamp on their forehead.' "



June 23, 2009

Are the Swedes alone in denying reality? Evidently the mother has chosen a female role. What would happen if she chose to be a male and got pregnant?(

If it is a female, I would like to see her stand and pee.)

New Grant Coming for Marriage Mentoring

Sweeten Life systems and Hope for Cincinnati will co-sponsor another all day seminar on August 20. Tune in for more information as it develops.

Nathaniel Lett of Beech Acres asked us to consider another training session like the one we did two years ago and we said, "YES SIR!"

If you or one of your friends wants to learn how to Mentor Marriages and help them get healthier, contact me.

gary@sweetenlife.com

Can I Go Home for the Holidays?

Opening a Can of Worms!
My international readers may not know it but millions of Americans live far, far away from the town where they grew up. Many of them "go back home" to see relatives and friends during Thanksgiving, the third weekend in November, and Christmas, the last week of December.



The return home can provoke a lot of anxiety because we have moved away from the customs and values of our family of origin and find it difficult to remember how to act properly in that old environment. It is also hard on the "old folks back home" because they tend to think of us as we were as kids and that was a long time and many changes ago.



I was a rebel as a kid and my family tended to see me through that prism even though I left most of my rebellion behind a long time ago. I can remember how hard it was when Karen and I first began to return home from Cincinnati. I had gotten a couple of college degrees, fathered a child and became Associate Dean at U.C. Yet, I was tempted to regress in my behavior away from a mature adult to the teenage rebel of so many years ago.



I found myself being irritated by the same things that had bugged me as a teen and Mother was so unreasonable and parental. It seemed to me that I was all grown up but Mother treated me like a child. It was all her fault! (Thankfully, Karen was able to point out that I was acting like a teenager not like an adult. Boy, did that sting!)



As you prepare to go back home or to see your family that is returning to the homestead, ask yourself some questions:

1. Do I treat my family members as well as I want to be treated?

2. Do I treat my family like I treat other adults?

3. Do I have some of the same feelings I had as a kid when I interact with my parents and siblings?

4. Do I judge my family more harshly than I judge others?

5. Do I have peace when I think about my family?

6. Are there things I would like to straighten out in them?

7. Is God happy with the way I honor my family?



How are you preparing to go home again? Prayer might help.



Gary Sweeten

http://www.sweetenlife.com/

Thanks

We are coming upon another Thanksgiving Day with all the trimmings and I have a great deal to be thankful for. Most of all I am thankful for my Christian roots and the family members who forced me to go to church and introduced Jesus Christ to me. My life is inestimably better today and for eternity because of my salvation.

Second, I am thankful for 47 years of marriage to Karen Judy Mayer Sweeten. We have shared both good and bad together since the day we were married on November 21, 1961. I had been praying for a Christian wife, actually a Baptist wife, for several years and the Lord brought me into contact with Karen again in May of 1961. On May 6 she went with me and a bus load of kids from the Ina School to St. Louis Zoo. I was the bus driver because I could earn another $900.00 annually to add to the $3000.00 I made for teaching and coaching Fifth and Sixth Grades, all subjects. (An almost 1/3 increase in salary for driving the bus! What a deal.)

Six months later Karen and I were married at the First Baptist Church in Pinckneville, Illinois by Rev. Maurice Swinford. All my kids from school attended. We have weathered many storms since then but each of us is thankful for our life together.

I am especially thankful for coming from poverty. because of our background, Karen and I are like St. Paul who noted that he had learned to be content in all kinds of circumstances. We have been close to food stamps and we have been able to live well. The secret to contentment is knowing a loving God and a loving family. Now that the economy has dropped and it may be awhile before it returns to its bullish nature, Karen and I are content with the wonderful lives we enjoy.

I returned from ten days in Russia a few weeks ago and it is good to be back. The comparison between the USA and Russia are many. The primary difference is that the USA has a long tradition of opportunity and innovation. Our Capitalist system allows us to try new things, borrow money and take risks with many rewards. The Socialist traditions of Russia tend to emphasize a top down system of rules and regulations enforced by a government that the people cannot trust.

We in the USA are fortunate. We are blessed. I am thankful.

Honoring Mentors

Last Friday I attended the Memorial Service of Marge Miller. The sanctuary of College Hill Presbyterian Church was half full and it seemed that most of us were torn between grief over the loss of a wonderful friend and, at the same time, filled with joy because we knew she was now at the side of her husband Jim and son David.

The mixture was particularly strong when we sang some of Marge's favorite songs. She was Welsh and loved singing as much as anyone I ever met. The music brought back sweet memories of our great days together at CHPC as well as the reminder that some day a group will be singing that music at our service.

Marge Miller was on the edge of the huge shift in theology and practice of lay ministry. It is common today to see churches with numerous lay volunteers who do everything but the sacraments in churches. However, when I joined the staff at CHPC in 1973 it was unusual, especially in an Mainline Presbyterian Church.

Marge had been the Interim Minister of Christian Education when I came full time in that position. Marge took me under her wing and mentored me, coached me and showed me the ropes. I was a Baptist kid from a tiny village who knew nothing of Presbyterian polity, theology or practice. Marge was warm, caring, funny and straight forward. She was my life saver.

Thanks to Marge Miller and all the Marge Millers who labor in God's vineyards behind the scenes. They are the keys to how a church operates and few people recognize it. Most of the accolades and fame goes to the clergy who speak on Sunday mornings. They write the books and get quoted by Christianity. But it was Marge and Marie and Doris and Carole and Jim and Tom and Peter who made it all work.

Thanks Marge. The lights you lit in others will shine brightly for generations. God has blessed me and thousands more through you so now you can enjoy your reward.

We Love the Little Children

Mamma Shelley with Emma just after they arrived home from the hospital.

Too Much Partying

Gary at age 30 and about forty pounds lighter.
The long hair and beard did not weigh much.

I made a bad mistake this morning. I got on the scales. Over the past two weeks I have gained five pounds. That is not a good thing.

The photo is the Sweeten Family of Tim, Karen, Gary and Julia plus Aaron Bates.

I do love to party but even that must be done in moderation. As a wise man once said, "A second on the lips but forever on the hips."


My daughter Julia put up a special blog for my 70Th birthday. It is great. http://happybirthdaygary.wordpress.com/ Many of my friends from around the globe wrote nice, affirming comments on it. I do appreciate all those good memories. Thanks for leaving out all the bad memories of my weight gains and bad moods. They had a lot of grace in them.


It had also several old time photos of me, my parents, siblings and nuclear family. One of the photos shows my mother with a very small waist line. When we looked at it we were shocked. Mother fought her weight my entire lifetime to the best of my memory and I have waged an often losing battle with candy and ice cream as well.


Habits are hard to break. Why? because we like the behavior but dislike the results. I love to eat, especially with my family and friends. When we get together we laugh, tell stories and tease everyone. But, the longer it goes the more we eat. And, you know what that leads to.


Over the past few months we have celebrated the birthdays of Julia, Lily, Timothy, Gary, Hazel and the United States of America. We also celebrated Mother's Day and Father's Day along with the anniversary of son Tim and wife Shelley. In a few weeks we travel to Maryland for Th 50Th anniversary of my brother and sister in law and the anniversary of daughter Julia's handy husband Dave.

I am amazed I have gained only five pounds.

Why Do Pastors Refuse to Equip Members?

I have been a Christian for sixty years. I grew up in a very conservative church that preached and taught the Bible. We said we "Believed the Bible word for word from Genesis to maps". But, we did not really follow what it said on some very important matters.

One of the last things that our Lord said is recorded in Matthew 28:16ff. Just before Jesus rose from the earth and ascended into the heavens He gave a direct order to the small group of men who had been with Him Let me paraphrase it to get your attention.

"Remember that I told you earlier that I was going to go away and send you the Holy Spirit to be your encourager and counselor. It is best that I go to the Father because then you will be able to do far more than I could do if I stayed.

"Now here are my marching orders and I have the authority to do it. Go out from here and make students and practitioners of every nationality and ethnic group in the whole world. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them and train them to do everything I did and that you will do. In other words, reproduce yourselves among the Jews and Gentiles of every tongue, race and ethnicity until my followers fill the earth with Believers."

This is the most basic call of Jesus to His followers and it worked fine in the early days. Every follower of Jesus was trained how to minister in power, truth and love. They met in homes and under trees and their lives were changed along with the Roman Empire.

But, after some 300 years, things changed and a few elitist leaders took over the organization and did all the work of the ministry. This was and is a direct violation of Jesus' Great Commission. If a church even equips ten to twenty percent of its members a community will be transformed. But few really equips any members.

It is time for a change. We are ready for a New Reformation. God is on the move. Get ready. Our book, Hope and Change for Humpty Dumpty will inspire you and educate you on how to start.

Sweeten Life Systems

P.O. Box 498455

Cincinnati, Ohiop 45249

Happy Easter