| Author | Message | ||
| Carol_2 Registered user Username: Carol_2 Post Number: 170 Registered: 2-2002 |
Hrob! From a former Cards fan (I'm originally from the St. Louis area,) to a current Braves' fan, as my husband says, they have a better chance tonight because a Brave is pitching! Seriously, all the best to the Cards....I know all my family in St. Louis is heartsick as you are. Living in Atlanta for nearly 20 years now, I'm not much of a St. Louis fan anymore, but I sure know what it's like to have your hopes dashed. Games about to begin.....positive thoughts!!!!! Love to all, Carol #2 | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 1049 Registered: 11-2002 |
I'm still in love with the San Francisco Giants. Willy Mays is not only a great ball player but a great man. A real miracle happened to me when I was I 12th grade. I have always loved baseball. I broke out in spots on the first day of the world series. I went to the doctor. I had chicken pox. I got to stay home from school all during the world series and watch the entire series on t.v. that year. Lucky me. I try to catch the Little League world series on t.v. every year, too. It is very interesting to me to learn about all your I.D. system in South Africa. Sounds like a lot of it s a big hassle. I have had jobs in witch the pay is sent directly to the banks electronically. I do believe it most likly is a lot less expensive for the employeer to do it that way. Frankly though I prefer getting the paper check. | ||
| 33ad Registered user Username: 33ad Post Number: 74 Registered: 10-2004 |
Hi Susan, I still have a check account, so does my wife, but we haven't written a check out for about 5 years. Brenda's & my salary's hit our accounts electronically, then on Pay Day (Like yesterday) I sit at the PC for 30 minutes and settle all the accounts for the month. Those that need confirmation of payment automatically get an email or fax to confirm they've been paid. At the grocery store we use debit and/or credit cards. I only draw a minimum of cash at an ATM for paying tips to parking attendants or buying small items at the corner convenience store. There are CCTV cams on most intersections in the downdown city area, and in every mall. 95% of employed people here have cell phones, and if you have an emergency you have to only press one button, and they can locate you to 5 yrds via the cell towers. Those parents who want to keep a check on their kids can punch in a code and the cell number, and see where they are. (Of course you sign up for the service with the service provider.) I just got Brenda (She's blind) a new generation cell phone last Saturday that has a program to speak all the menu's to her. So for the first time she can use her appointment book, calculator, text & email & To-Do list on the phone via speech. The disabled have a big disadvantage in modern technology as it's all 'visualy' based. Anyhow, now I've really gotten off the topic of this thread. God bless you and your family today. Loren | ||
| Melissa Registered user Username: Melissa Post Number: 552 Registered: 7-2003 |
Wow, Loren. That's very high tech. You know, as much as people decry the dispensational theory to escatology, that sounds right in line with their futurist view of the world. What are CCTV cams? | ||
| 33ad Registered user Username: 33ad Post Number: 79 Registered: 10-2004 |
Melissa, CCTV=Closed Circuit TV. All the cams(Cameras) are connected to one control room, not broadcast TV in other words. Compare them to a network of webcams if you wish.BTW Britain is the country now with the highest number of camera's monitering the population. As far as end-time events go, I'm keeping my options open ended. I just know that the Spirit will lead us as to what to do in any given situation. Glory be, God is still in control! Loren | ||
| Hrobinsonw Registered user Username: Hrobinsonw Post Number: 65 Registered: 7-2004 |
Susan and Carol, thanks. This is a new day and the Cardinals were swept. These are the first words that I have uttered or written since 8:00am. Everyone here at work is teezing me. Their teams didn't even make it this far. My dad called after the game last night. He said that the city of st. louis is silent. Nobody is really speaking about it. | ||
| Melissa Registered user Username: Melissa Post Number: 554 Registered: 7-2003 |
Loren, do you use the global positioning system stuff much then? They are in more and more cars here. Seems okay in one respect, but hate to have someone able to track my every move on the other. We hear about dogs with implanted chips and even some talk of doing it to kids to find them when missing. I had no idea there were governments watching their folks that way. I'm not advocating an end-time perspective either, just commenting on the similarities. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 869 Registered: 12-2003 |
GPS modules are being placed in cell phones now. My understanding is that as of the first of this year, all new cell phones have them. As Richard says, though, we know we are on the side of victory. With the Holy Spirit making us one with Christ, what difference does it make if they track us? His comment was, here is evil inventing more and more ways to do surveillance, and they're tracking we who are alive with the Spirit. They are powerless without God's permission, and their tracking us cannot put us in any danger God does not allow us to be in. We're 'way ahead if we stay grounded in the truth of the Word and don't get sidetracked into immersing ourselves in the what-ifs and fears of the evil one's plans. Yes, Melissa, the dispensational theories do not seem completely silly! Praise God He's in control! Colleen | ||
| 33ad Registered user Username: 33ad Post Number: 80 Registered: 10-2004 |
Yes Colleen, all new cell phones are GPS enabled. But as you said, "We're 'way ahead if we stay grounded in the truth of the Word and don't get sidetracked into immersing ourselves in the what-ifs and fears of the evil one's plans." I only know, IF the dispensational theories do happen, the first thing you do is 'lose the cell', and NEVER allow yourself to be microchipped. Brenda's guide-dog is 'chipped', but that's ok so it doesn't become a stray. But I'm completely against 'Chipping' people, even if they've got Altzheimers. A GPS bracelet is ok for that. One can get rid of it when and if necessary. But we have nothing to fear except those that can kill the Body & the Soul. The Spirit will never allow us to be deceived by anything evil if we walk close to Jesus. God Bless Loren | ||
| Grace_g Registered user Username: Grace_g Post Number: 26 Registered: 7-2004 |
Susan, I got a big kick out of reading of your miracle in baseball. Thanks for sharing that delightful story. | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 1055 Registered: 11-2002 |
Loren, was Brenda raised SDA? If not, did she used to be SDA? If not, does she understand how totally the SDA as an organization wants control of the entire person? It's my opinion that folks who have never been SDA have difficulity grasping just how strong "chruch membership" is pushed by the denonination. I had no idea until reading this discussion that technology could do so much. For my next big technology purchase I want to buy a satelite radio. I think I would like that a lot. In South Africa do the kids hip-hop? Do they listen to rap? Do you even have country-western music? | ||
| 33ad Registered user Username: 33ad Post Number: 83 Registered: 10-2004 |
Hi Susan, No, Brenda was a convert to SDAís about 10yrs ago from the Salvation Army. We met at SDA church, but she became disillusioned with the cult quite a while before I finally began to see the errors. Probably I was in "deeper indoctrination" being there from birth. But then I began to study and I read everything; Des Ford, Walter Rea, D.M. Canright, Dale Ratzlaff and many others. Brenda was shocked the day I came home and told her that Iíd be quitting the SDAís, but she was happy. Hip-Hop and Rap music are very hot with the Genexerís here (but Iím not into that) and those with Sat TV watch M-TV all day, but Country & Western is still popular with us ìBoomersî. Iíve got a good CD collection from Glen Campbell to Shania Twain. Iíve also still got a box of Vinyl disks I want to convert to CD/MP3ís, but I donít have a turntable and theyíre scarce. All my neighbors have Sat TV, but I just donít have the time to watch even Discovery Channel or CNN/FOX/BBC, so I leave it. Brenda and I sat and watched ìThe Return of the Kingî (Sheís into Tolkien Books) on DVD this past Saturday, but that was the first time Iíve switched on the TV for months. My 19yo son lives with his mother 150 miles away, and doesnít come visit me that often. When he comes, he brings a box of DVDís downloaded from the net, and sits watching all day. Otherwise our TV room never gets used. I donít want a TV in the bedroom. Itís bad for a relationship!! About your satellite radio. That would be great to have. Iíve been talking to Brenda about getting one too, then we should get some better stations than they have locally.(LOL) Iím going to refer to another thread on this forum about the SDAís converting the 3rd world. Brenda and I would like to create a seminar study and tour Eastern Europe to warn them of the dangers facing them from the SDAís. Iíd even relocate to there if it were possible. It really makes me mad the way theyíre deceiving people, but of course itís part of the Devilsí plan to confuse and deceive people. Iíve been talking a lot about Hi-Tech stuff, but I think I must put everyone in the picture about the true technical situation in Africa. What I was telling you is true only of South Africa ñ the country. In the whole of Africa ñ the continent, there are only six million internet users.(Out of a population of about 700M) Of that, four million are in South Africa. Most of these connections are for business, so in reality there are only about 750,000 home internet users in Africa, also 99% of them in South Africa. Iím a sort of ëTechno junkieí, so Iím one of less than 1% of people in Africa that have the internet at home and the office. Iím very blessed. Because of the mineral wealth of South Africa, it is the only 1st world country in Africa with a telecommunication, road, rail & air infrastructure equal to Europe. We are the only African country with undersea fiber-optic links to North America, Europe and Asia. We also have good Satellite communications with the rest of the world. But if one ventures out of the main cities, most of the population are very poor and shanty towns of sheet metal huts are the norm. But cell phones are very popular and the coverage is excellent. More people have cell phones than have PCís, (about 21 Million Cell Phones) so Text messaging is used a lot and I even do banking on my cell phone. (The newer phones like Brenda just got can surf the web too) All the main highways between cities and all towns have signal coverage, but in a few desert areas away from towns or roads there is no signal. (Only affects about 3% of population) As the most powerful country in Africa, we also have the seat of the new Pan Africa Parliament here (part of the African Union, similar to the EU) Because Africa is so sparsely wired, they want to bridge the internet gap by using satellites to bring in PC usage to the poorer masses. But I donít know where the funding will come from? My, Iím hogging all the forum with this message(LOL). Iíd better get back to work. Iím at the office now. You and your family have a blessed weekend. Loren | ||
| Melissa Registered user Username: Melissa Post Number: 559 Registered: 7-2003 |
Loren, are you in Johannesburg (spelling??). My church sponsors some missionaries over there and I met them a couple of years ago. They were telling us about some of the crime in the area, but perhaps that's just their area. Thanks for opening up another part of the world to us. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 873 Registered: 12-2003 |
Loren, thanks for talking about South Africa. How interesting. I have had email correspondence with one other former SDA from South AFrica regarding Proclamation, and I've noticed that his email address is associated with his business. I have assumed what you just described, that he only has email at work. You really are part of a fortunate minority! A couple of years ago I had email corresondence with a lady from Zimbabwe who had email at work. Her internet access was extremely limited, but she and her husband/kids were in the process of leaving the SDA church even though information was scarce. We sent her some packages of printed "stuff"--but the picture she gave us of the increasingly disrupted political situation there, the difficulty obtaining even food, the land being taken by the national government from families (mostly of European or colored [mixed blood] descent) who had farmed it for generations and redistributing it to nationals who did not cultivate it and use it well--the situation was bleak and getting worse. This person obtained a new job where she didn't have her own internet or email access, and we have not been able to correspond since. I still pray for her and her husband and wonder how they're doing. Isn't it amazing that we are all united in Christ even when we don't have access to each other? Colleen | ||
| 33ad Registered user Username: 33ad Post Number: 84 Registered: 10-2004 |
Hi Melissa, Yes, I live in Johannesburg. Crime is a problem, but I personally don't believe it to be worse than New York, Chicago or LA. We do wall ourselves in and keep a good watch-out all the time. And I don't drive out of my driveway before I pray. So I believe my Guardian Angel looks after me pretty well. I'm not paranoid about it. The media will always blow up any incident out of proportion. Colleen, about Zimbabwe, well I won't say too much except I'm thankful I don't live there. Their President is a dictator, but he's getting old, and the opposition party leaders are much more moderate. Let's pray that God will be merciful to the citizens of Zim and give them a better Govt soon. Colleen, thank the Lord, we are always united in Christ. I think I've said it before, but again I say, I'm not of this world, just passing through! I think sometimes that we who live outside North America know more about what's going on in the USA than you do. For instance, I read in our local press that Calif. had an earthquake of about 6 points about 3 weeks ago. When I called my sister who lives in Modesto and asked her if she felt it, she didn't even know about it. Wasn't even in the 'Modesto Bee'. I'm sorry for you in your elections this week. You don't have much of a choice. Whoever you vote for won't really change the status quo. The guys up for nomination are only there for their own self interests, and you don't have to believe me, but that's true of All governments in the world today. We are no exception. There are a small elite of Black leaders and their family and friends. The rest of their country folk live in abject poverty. I grew up in Cape Town, the second largest city anout 1000 miles from Johannesburg, but I've learned to like living in-land. We're also a mile high city (Like Denver) Just a side bar here - I and Brenda are both divorcees, and we met in the SDA congregation. When we asked the local SDA conference for permussion to marry in church, thay just sat on the decision and would not give us an answer for months. Finally, we decided to call the local Baptist Pastor, and he readily agreed to marry us. After we were married, word got about at a "Pot Luck" the following Sabbath that we'd been hitched. Then suddenly the Pastor and congregation were very happy for us and publicly congratulated us! But if I had not gone outside the establishment, we'd never have got the permission to marry. Such a lot of hypocrites!!! Well, we're coming up to our 7th Aniversary come February, and we're 'Still on honeymoon'. Praise God that he can mend all broken vessels and make new ones to do His will. God bless Loren | ||
| Dane Registered user Username: Dane Post Number: 61 Registered: 4-2004 |
Hi Loren, Your comment on we in the U.S. sometimes being ill-informed is all too often the case. I remember when Clinton was president and the Monica thing was going on that we got more straight info from the British press than from our own main-stream media. In the U.S. we actually have 3 major information sources. Namely, the major television networks, radio, and the net. It is quite obvious that television is controlled by what many refer to as the "elite left", radiois mainly conservative, and the net is a free-for-all. In my opinion one has to dig into all 3 sources to get a rounded picture. Dane | ||
| 33ad Registered user Username: 33ad Post Number: 85 Registered: 10-2004 |
Quite right Dane, My modus operandi is to check out the mainstream daily's online, plus our own radio news (Which is much like the British media), Then I go check the Blogs and weigh it all up to see what makes the most sense. BTW, I've been expecting this "Osama" tape to air just before Oct 31. Next watch out for an attack somewhere to be blamed on "The Bin" That just may be enough to halt the elections, call off the constitution & in with martial law. I'm right out on a limb here, and I pray that I'm wrong, but with the crazies running around now anything's possible. It's said WWIII started on 9/11/01; they just want to push it to the next level. Well, this next week, especially tomorrow, should be very interesting. Loren | ||
| Pheeki Registered user Username: Pheeki Post Number: 409 Registered: 1-2003 |
Loren, I made a former SDA friend in South Africa (Johannesburg I think). You might like to meet him. Can you give your information to me through Colleen and I can hook you up with him? | ||
| 33ad Registered user Username: 33ad Post Number: 87 Registered: 10-2004 |
OK Pheeki, I'll ask Colleen to give you my email contact. Loren | ||
| Dd Registered user Username: Dd Post Number: 179 Registered: 7-2004 |
Hey Loren, What time is it for you as I type this Monday at 12:20 p.m. (PST)? Will it be US election day for you before any of us here in the states? Please start praying for us. Not for a specific outcome of one candidate but the election in general that God's sovereign hand will protect and guide our process. He knows what is best not only for the US but the world and I know I am praying that He is the ulitmate Ruler in all of this mess we have in our world and though I may feel certain candidates (presidential, congressional, local) have a better alternative, God is the only one that knows for sure. I am also praying that whatever the outcome will be, that it will be decisive enough that the disruption following the 2000 election will not be repeated. Thanks, Loren. |
