Throught history, books have been filled with the cultural ways and means of mankind. There have been good times and bad times. The cycles have been repeated and repeated and yet no one seems to learn or benifit from the written knowledge of each century or dacades of any given century.

The escalation of our times make the cycles come faster, it would seem. Now we are looking at a deeper valley of despair even than what was once called the great depression, because it is really totally world wide. It should be a call to unite as all Christians have done from the beginning of the Church, and treat our brothers and sisters as if it were ourselves! The first century Christians faced times of persecution and all problems just as we face our problems. They had the Book of Revelations from the Apostle John supplied to give them strength and courage during their times. If we lean upon our written word, the Bible, we can find that same strength to endure.

But human reasoning also tells us that we must do what we can to learn to endure by making our lives simple and using our time and brains to "make do" with whatever we have, just as our ancestors did while building our country. They worked hard with their hands and invented what they needed and could not have otherwise. Women sewed their own clothes out of threads that they spun and wove their own materials. Men learned to be blacksmiths, farmers, agriculturists, doctors, etc. by their own wits. It can be done again, and learning now will get minds and interests back where they belong rather than desiring that which we cannot attain. What a gift to give the generations coming up now that seem to "want,want,want" and are haughty and disobedient and lazy! It should be a lot easier for this generation than before, because there are all kinds of books written on the different subjects. Gathering together and each family learning one thing and then sharing and bartering with what they have such as communal first century citizens learned to do as Christians, would take us a long way. We can't stop the flood of despair if we are unwilling to put the hand to the plough!

I know there have been some of you that have been reading this message. I understand that so many of us are now feeling the pinch of this failing economy, but take courage - this too will pass. Our Lord has promised never to forsake us, and that He will be with us unto the end. But we must make sure we are doing what is right in His sight, and this may be a time calling for us to take stock of what His purposes are according to His will.

May God's face shine upon His children and give us courage to endure according to His purposes. He is our strength and our redeemer! Blessed be the name of the Lord God, Jehovah - creator of heaven and earth and all that is in it, for His care rests with us always.

Mary, your words are timely and correct. We're still okay, but there have been pay cuts in my husband's office, and things could get very tough. I keep reminding myself that God has never left me alone, and He won't this time, either. Our son will start college in the fall of 2010; we hadn't planned on applying for scholarships, but it looks like we will be doing so now.