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Christmas 2016 Dear Friends & Family: As you may recall, in October 2015, we embarked on a journey that led us to move from Colorado to the California area. We finalized on the purchase of our new home in December and in January, we took delivery of our stuff. We enjoy our new home, although we have spent a major part of the year adjusting to it. It is about 2/3 of the size of our Colorado home. Our journey has involved getting rid of stuff that we are unlikely to be able to use. It has involved opening up new storage areas in both our attic and in our garage. We sold our automobiles and purchased a Toyota RAV-4, Hybrid—the 5th hybrid that we have owned. We both like it. It has many new safety features that I needed in a car. We also purchased a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle. To some it is only an electric golf cart. But, ours is more. It is licensed to drive on some of the roads and streets here in California. So, I have learned to drive it to nearby shopping centers, the local town and even the local SDA Church. Christopher: After spending a summer as an Intern for Microsoft in Washington State, he returned to Iowa State University where he is working on a degree in computer science. We expect for him to spend a few days with us for Christmas. David: He continues his employment as a Prison Correctional Officer. We enjoy spending time with his family, our grand daughter and even a step grandson--Noah. Gregory # 4: It has been a pleasure building a relationship with him. We generally visit with him in the home he shares with his mother, each week. At times we do things together. Sharon: She has been exceptionally busy in working on getting our home set up. I appreciate the work that she has put into making it a center where we can have family gatherings for our local relatives. We are establishing and building relationships and that is good. Gregory: Life is just beginning to slow down from events connected with our move. My goal in retirement included reading some of the books I have that I have not had the needed time to read. I am finding it is going much more slowly than I had expected. May you receive the blessings of the season. Let us know what is happening in your lives.

The only "holy PLACE" is the area of the Temple and court, on the Mount in Jerusalem. Daniel 11:31 "And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place THERE the abomination of desolation." (NKJ) Matthew 24:15 "Therefore when you see the`abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place " (whoever reads, let him understand), The AOD is something or someone, that can been SEEN. The AOD is set up in the Temple area on the Mount. The only thing NOT authorized by God, currently standing on that PLACE - is the Dome of the Rock - a Muslim shrine. I personally believe "the image of the Beast" will be "set up" in a rebuilt TEMPLE, on the Mount. It has nothing to do with the USA.

The Bible is a "Jewish-centric" book. Almost every event and prophecy in the Bible takes place in the Middle East. There was no "United States" 2,000 years ago. NO one even knew about the U.S. What makes some of you think that Daniel and Revelation has anything to do with the U.S.? Look at the verses in John's epistles that describe the antichrist: "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." (1John 2:18) The spirit of the antichrist/beast existed in John's time 1400 years before America was discovered. "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also." (1 John 2:22-23) America does not deny the Father-Son relationship, nor the dual/triple personhood of God. That is the realm of Satanists and Muslims - neither of which have ever "ruled" the U.S. BTW, neither does the Catholic Church deny it - they uphold it. " Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." (1 John 4:2-3) America has never disavowed that Jesus IS the Christ and that He died for our sins. Again, this is the realm of Satanists and Muslims. Sure, Hindus, Buddhists, and most pagans may doubt the deity of Christ; or that He actually died on the cross; but only radical Muslims vow to kill all those who do put their faith in Christ. Only radical Islam and its holy books - the Quran and hadiths - openly predict and threaten the death of all infidels - explicitly Jews and Christians. Their "Madhi" and "Prophet Jesus fulfill the scriptural roles of antichrist and false prophet, respectively. There is no biblical proof (only private interpretations) that the U.S is a major player in the end times. Nor is there any mention of a Sunday Law. the verses about changing times and laws more readily refers to converting the world to Sharia Law, including the Friday Sabbath observed by Islam. Those waiting for the pope or for Obama to put a national or international Sunday Law into effect will be waiting a long time - perhaps too long. " For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist". (2John 7) In Christianity, Jesus is the "God made man". In Islam Jesus is the "man made God". Allah is One and does not need a Son the carry out His desires. To Muslims, claiming Jesus is God (or part of a "Trinity") is blasphemy worthy of death. Does the U.S. or RCC have any doctrines like that? No.

Questions that you always wanted answered about squirrels, but you never asked your mother: NOTE: I am endebted to this for an article by Hazel Wheaton, on page 78 of the December/January edition of Birds & Blooms. 1) The squirrels in New York's Central Park are decended from a handful released in 1877. 2) Squirrels can run at a speed of 20 MPH. 3) Squirrels can rotate their hind feet 180 degrees. This helps them to climb your bird feeder. 4) There are 285 species of squirrel, in three different groups--ground, tree and flying. 5) Some squirrels can jump 8 feet from a stationary position. 6) The front teeth of a squirrel may grow 10 inches a year. They have to gnaw to keep them short. 7) January 21, 2017 is National Squirrel Appreciation Day. 8) Birds and other squirrels steal some 25% of the food that a squirrel hides.

The reason for Gorbachev's inviting the GC President may be inferred from hch's claim that he wrote Gorbachev of the valuable information. Knowing that the informant is an SDA, Gorbachev, the Russian President, invited NC Wilson, the SDA President.

hch could be referring to Neal C. Wilson, president of the SDA General Conference from 03 Jan 1979 to 06 July 1990.

At this time of the year many of us send Christmas Greetings to our friends and family. Many of us consider C A to be part of our family. So, I thought that I would establish a thread where we could send greetings to this great family as a whole. I will start this off with a letter that Sharon and I sent out. NOTE: Remember that safety concerns must be considered in any public posting of personal information. One point of concern is any public posting of a specific address. Therefore, I have edited my letter below and I suggest that you all do the same. Please, I wish to restrict this thread to greetings that we can send to our members here. If you wish to post on other subjects, to include any discussion of a pagan background for Christmas, I will remove it. To all reading this: Merry Christmas. May you enjoy the blessings of this season.

Thank you for setting me on a wild goose chase for your direct answer to a simple question answerable either by a Yes plus a period, or with a No plus a bit of explanation.

The replacement vehicle that has been recommended ever since the NAD policy recommended to stop using the vans is a properly designed small 15 passenger bus that does not require a CDL driver. (It is the number of passengers that dictates CDL requirement) It has a lower center of gravity, wider and longer wheel base (real axle with dual wheels positioned closer to back), far better load/weight distribution, and improved suspension and handling. The passenger compartment is taller with center aisle allowing for safer entry and exit without having to crouch. I have driven both a 15 passenger van and a 15 passenger bus. There is no question that the latter is a substantial improvement. Under otherwise normal driving conditions the vans are noticeably unstable and poorly balanced. In an emergency maneuver (hard braking, slippery conditions or swerving to avoid obstacle, etc.) they are hard to control. It is even noticeable on a normal 90 degree turn at relatively slow speed when fully loaded. The cost of insurance for them is very high, driven largely by multi-million dollar judgments from crashes that result in multiple deaths and or sever permanent injury. Arguing against this is quite simply foolish.

Dave, if you want to cite a list of Biblical verses, please provide the book, chapter and verse so that others may check our your citation.

One of the churches I used to pastor had a 12 seater and a 15 seater. As the youth pastor I used to drive then often. This was in the early 2000's. We were very nervous about driving the 15 seater because it was noticeably unstable over about 40mph. The risk with those vans was roll over. I really had to concentrate when driving the van because you could feel the instability of the vehicle especially at speed and when the van was full of passengers. When I arrived at destination my prayer was often my heartfelt than usual. Around 2004 we had instructions that the NAD would no longer insure 15 seaters so the work around was to take out 3 seats to make it 12 seats. This did help since the instability seemed to be greater a full capacity but my guess is that solution was not a TSA suggestion. I was told that the NAD did not ban them at the time because there would have been a lot of churches without transport and also the TSA had not banned them. The suggestion was to sell them as soon as possible and replace with 12 seater or what is called a "turtle bus". I got a sense at that time that the safety of church members and church workers was being compromised so as to avoid the financial implications.

Debbym: The design flaw present in a 15 passenger van makes them danger for the transport of people of any age. For this reason, the NAD has ruled that the SDA denomination cannot use those vans for transporting people under any conditions. It is not limited to children. The State and Federal laws that govern this situation generally apply to the transport of children. E.G. Federal law makes it illegal for a licensed vehicle dealer to sell such a van in a situation where it is known that the van will be used to transport children. The sale of such vans to transport adults is not illegal under Federal law. I have provided the links in my OP as to State laws and their application.

Pam is correct. The NAD has totally prohibited the use of 15 passenger vans for any purpose, by any denominational agency, regardless of ownership of the van.

Green said, in my quote below: I am not aware of any comparison every having been made by a person who knew what they were talking about between a 15-passenger van and a 4 passenger automobile. In fact, I am not aware of any comparison between a 15 passenger van and any automobile. 15 passenger vans have an inherent design flaw that makes them dangerous to transport people. Period. No comparison needed. However, any comparison would be made between a 15 passenger van and a 15 passenger vehicle, not a van, which has been built and is available for sale that does not have that design flaw and is able to safely carry 15 persons.

I think for liability reasons more than anything else, the church doesn't want a 15-passenger van used, but I think it's more than just regarding school children. I don't think a privately owned 15-passenger van would be approved for use in transporting Pathfinders, as part of a church-sponsored event. I may be wrong, but I think the church would have to accept liability when someone is using their own vehicle in the transportation of Pathfinders. Gregory might have an answer to that...

This restriction on the 15 passenger bus is about transporting church school kids. It is not about church members personally transporting friends to church. Since 1966 there have been state laws regarding the dangers of using this kind of van, not designed for transporting loads of people esp. in public transportation. Transporting school kids for school functions involves corporate church insurance. and since there has already been warning by other agencies against it, there would be greater liability for ignoring publicly made known cautions.

Again, helicopters fly where fixed-wing aircraft cannot fly. One can not directly compare. To directly compare them would be similar to comparing roller skating accidents with ice skating accidents. They differ as to the circumstances.

I woke up excited today! Let me tell you why. Reason #1 One week from today, late in the evening after all the days Christmas festivities are complete, I will board a plane to Kenya. I am excited because this trip is a longtime dream of mine. A trip to Africa with a purpose for God’s beloved children. I love kids. If you know me, you already know this. This trip is all about kids. Africa is filled with kids who need so much. How to choose where to go? Last year in Early January a lady whom I had only met once or twice – at events where I was telling Bible stories to kids here in Australia – contacted me on Facebook. Her name was Carol Platt. Sometime later, I discovered I had met her husband Leon at other family camps where I was storytelling. While I had been telling Bible stories to the kids, Carol and Leon had been telling stories about other children – the ones they help in their work with Education Care Projects Kenya. As Carol and I chatted, she began telling me about two schools in Kenya that they were passionate about. Both Schools had children already but no buildings! The children come from various desperate situations and need a safe place to live so they can go to school. Without first being safe, they spend their days looking for food, safety and shelter. This 'family' of orphans was found yesterday - yes YESTERDAY - in a sugarcane field. Carol asked me if I would like to go over and tell Bible stories to the children – many of whom have never heard about how much God loves them. There is nothing I love more than telling Bible stories – and no better audience than kids! So, of course, I said yes. The rest of this year has been constant in conversation and planning. What was originally going to be some storytelling in a circle of kids has turned into storytelling under the big tent with 60+ kids. The kids will be walking hours each morning to come to the week of meetings. We will have one meeting before lunch and one meeting after lunch. Then they will walk home. I will leave a copy of The Illustrated Children's Bible with each school. Then they can continue telling stories long after I am gone! I have asked the local school leader to have a group of older kids ready with a few action songs. They will be my worship team. And I am going to choose a couple of them to be storytellers. Each evening there will be a meeting for the kids who live at the school. So, here’s my plan for the week. Each evening I will tell two stories to the local school kids. Then they will choose a student to tell each story the next day to the travelling kids in the big tent meetings. In the two daytime meetings, we will have Songs, Story 1 (me), Songs, Story 2 (local kid), songs, question time. This format will provide an opportunity for the local kids to learn to love telling Bible stories – a passion that never leaves one once it gets you! – and an opportunity for the travelling kids to hear Bible stories told by their peers. While I may be a professional storyteller, I have a lot of things standing between me and the kids – my age, my culture, my colour, my language, my ignorance – while the local kids have walked the same dusty roads as the travelling kids. This group of local kids love to dance and sing. Maybe they can lead worship! I will be able to tell you more about the children after the trip. I am going to meet lots of them. I am going to listen to their stories. I am going to take copious notes. And, then, I am going to write a book to tell their story. Reason #2 One hour from now I will be selling clothes for $2 each to raise money for the work of Education Care Projects Kenya. We live on a block facing a T-junction – the perfect place to setup a yard sale. I have advertised it all over Facebook and will continue to do so as the day progresses. All of the clothing – hundreds of items – have been donated by kids from the two schools where I chaplain, Dorset Primary School and Lilydale Primary School. I dropped a note in the school newsletter about a month ago telling them I am going to Africa to tell stories to two schools filled with orphans and disadvantaged kids – I said, “If you have any nice clothes you would like me to take over to them, they will wear them!” Every day since the request I have come home with at least one more bag of clothes. There are so many! I will take my allotted 30kg of luggage filled with kids clothes. I’ll pack my own clothes in my carry-on. But the other 300kg of clothes are being sold to raise money and awareness for the Kenya kids being helped by Carol and Leon and the Kenyan schools they help through Education Care Projects Kenya. Those clothes I do not sell today, will be sold later. All proceeds – every dollar – will be donated to ECPK. The clothes that remain next time I travel north to visit my Dad in Queensland will be taken to Carol’s OpShop – where every dollar raised goes to ECPK. I have been so touched by the generosity of the school kids who donated clothes. Merry Christmas (to all) If you are looking for a way to make the world a better place this Christmas, please consider donating to ECPK. If you would like to rescue a person from a tip (many of the kids in Eldoret who attend Hands of Hope School are found scavenging on the Eldoret rubbish dump) rather than adding more plastic to a tip (the after Christmas tip trip – you know the one!), please consider donating to ECPK. View the full article

Green said in my quote below: Green, I think that you probably know that your statement is false on its face. Why? Because medical helicopters are used under conditions where a fixed-wing airplane could not be safely used.. That is why. A fixed wing aircraft requires transportation between the airport and wherever the patient is or is going. Helicopters land on highways, where a fixed-wing aircraft could not land. Helicopters land on the roofs of hospitals where a fixed wing aircraft could not land. In many cases a helicopter can cut one or more hours off of the transport time thus saving the life of the patient.