A BIG Thank You to my cousin Susan for this information. Yes, America is the land of the free and the home of the brave! And yes, my grandparents came over from Italy, and they learned English and followed the laws of this land to live and work here legally. They had a passion for the American dream, and they found it, BUT NOTHING, and I MEAN nothing was handed over to them – they worked hard for everything they got! These photos show you the results of a very liberal media and  government leaders that is adding to the moral  ”DECAY” of our  society! What a disrespect for the symbol of the very freedom these folks feel should be handed over to them, you know, entitlements – “I deserve free health care and good paying jobs, and I should not have to do it legally!” – has now become the new cry of the millions of illegals in this Country. We are all for people attaining the American Dream, however, please, lets do it the right way, the legal way.  People who are suffering oppression in this world today should have a chance to flee from it, and America is a great place to flee from that oppression. Again, our “ELECTED” leaders (for the people, by the people) need to enforce the laws that already exists to protect both side of this equation!

Here’s the article that accompanied these photos:

Subject: Montibello High School in California


 

 



I guess they already finished their English homework!!!
 Montebello High School in California
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You will not see this heart-stopping photo on the front page of the NY Times, nor on the lead story of the major news networks. The protestors at Montebello High School took the American flag off the school’s flagpole and hung it upside down while putting up the Mexican flag over it. 


 The image of the American flag subsumed to another and turned upside down on American soil is already spreading on Internet forums and via e-mail.
 If you choose to remain uninvolved, do not be amazed when you no longer have a nation to call your own nor anything you have worked for left since it will be ‘redistributed’ to the activists while you are so peacefully staying out of the ‘fray’. Check history, it is full of nations/empires that disappeared when its citizens no longer held their core beliefs and values. One person CAN make a difference. One plus one plus one plus one plus one plus one…….. ..

The battle for our secure borders and immigration laws that actually mean something, however, hasn’t even begun.

Sher and I ask that we continue to pray for our leaders and that God will give them wisdom to lead this GREAT COUNTRY! Also, pray that America finds it’s MORAL Compass that currently points so left that God and God’s Word is being scrubbed from every public place imaginable! 

To all our friends, as always, we love you and until next time – May God Richly Bless You!

Charlie-n-Sher

Have you ever wondered to yourself, “Where would I be without the love of God?” Sher-n-I have! Someone said this, “We are designed to flourish when we connect to and love God.”  In order to understand God’s love for us, we need to know how God sees us – that right – Who does God say that I am?  Before we tell you, let’s look at the following statement: “Whether we like it or not, our perception of who we are has a great influence on our emotional, relational and spiritual well-being.  Research has shown that we tend to act in harmony with what we perceive ourselves to be. The most important belief we possess is a true knowledge of God. The second most important belief is who we are as children of God. We cannot consistently behave in a way that is inconsistent with how we perceive ourselves. And if we do not see ourselves as God sees us, then to that degree we suffer from a wrong identity and a poor image of who we really are. If you see yourself as a failure, you will find some way to fail no matter how hard you want to succeed. If you see yourself as adequate and capable because of your relationship with God, you will face life with greater optimism and perform nearer to your best. It is not what we do that determines who we are, it is who we are that determines what we do.”  Now, there’s a mouth full! God does NOT make mistakes. You are not a mistake! God uniquely made us, and He loves us, and His desire is to see us, His children, succeed in all that we do! 

DID YOU KNOW…God Has Set Us Free? That’s right, John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”  

DID YOU KNOW…We Are Deeply LOVED And ACCEPTED by God? That’s right, Isaiah 43:1,2 “¹But now, God’s Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: “Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. ²When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end—³Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! ⁴That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you!

So, you are all of these things and so much more to God! DID YOU ALSO KNOW… YOU ARE GOD’S CHILD? John 1:12: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—”  That’s right – He’s our Papa! 

So it’s time to wake up and realize when life deals us some of those “bad hands”  - we have an advocate working for us! Sometimes God believes in us more than we believe in us! Allow your love for God to fuel your passion! Dr. Henry Cloud said this, “People fail us, dreams are shipwrecked, and circumstances go against us, BUT God will make a way when you allow Him into the places of your wounds.”  So remember, no matter how bad the storms of life get, you have a father in heaven who loves you – all He wants is our love and obedience to Him. When we do that, God will always make a way where there seems to be no way! 

Sher-n-I wanted to leave you with a song that will affirm your love for God!  Also, we want  you  to know with all your heart that He loves you and Can Do What He Says He Can Do!

Just click on the link below – turn up your speakers and enjoy!  

Until next time, May God Richly Bless You!    Charlie-n-Sher

My Heroes! We hear the word “HERO” used a lot these days – and it got me (Charlie) thinking – out of all the people in my life, “Who Is My Hero?” WOW, I never thought about this before. Being the “Type A” person that I am, I first did a little research. According to Webster, a hero is defined as, “a person, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.”  Then I found this one-liner, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”  Suddenly it hit me – there were two heroes in my life – Ann & “Boots” Sweet, my Mom and Dad!

My Mom & Dad were married for 69 years, now that makes them heroes right there! Both my parents were from large families, Mom from seven and Dad from thirteen. Needless to say, they both learned to make a lot out of very little. After they were married, Dad peddled vegetables from a Ford Model A pickup truck while Mom cared for my sister Barb. Then it was off to World War II, yeap, Dad got drafted! After serving in the US Navy, Dad returned home and went to work for Remington Arms as a machinist. They built a home in Frankfort, NY and there they lived together into their twilight years. Dad worked two jobs and mom, well, she tried to work, but when I came along (Mom was 38 years old in 1955) – let’s just say, I (Charlie), was a very needy baby! Poor Mom had to leaves the joys of her job to care for me – the sunshine of her life (lol)! Mom and Dad paid their home off early in life and they took excellent care in raising my sister Barb and I.

Neither of my parents had higher education past high school, but that never stopped them from achieving their dreams and living their lives to the fullest! Mom and Dad ALWAYS gave of themselves to others. Someone got sick – they were there! Someone needed money – they were always there! Something broken, Boots to the rescue – he could fix anything, and it always worked better than it did before it was broken – Dad had the magic touch. Someone needed rescuing – there was Ann & Boots ready to bandage the wounds, wipe the tears and of course, eat – it will make you feel better! Boy could my Mom and Dad cook! Oh, and did I mention what heroes they were to their grandchildren? Car rides to Cooperstown, ice cream, gifts, good food, good moral teachings and a love for each grandchild as big as the moon!

As I look at the various photos I have of Mom and Dad – I think – now these are real “WANTED POSTERS.” Wanted? Sure! Everyone I know who were part of my Mom & Dad’s life wanted them intimately entwined in their lives. At both their wakes the morticians were flabbergasted with the overwhelming amount of family and friends who came to offer their last respects – traffic jams! The Bible says that we shall be known by our fruits. Mom and Dad harvested a lot of fruit. It must have been somewhat prophetic that Dad sold produce from the Back of that Model A pickup – eh?

Heroes – Ann & Boots Sweet – you bet! They remained unselfish right to the end, putting family and friends ahead of their own desires and wants. Mom and Dad both retired on or about age sixty. Mom lived for 29 years and Dad 31 years after retirement. They traveled, went out to eat, enjoyed family and friends and continued to give of themselves to anyone who had a need. They did ALL of this without leaving behind any debt to their children. In their latter years we put Mom & Dad in assisted living to give them the proper care they deserved and worked hard for all their lives. Mom’s big concern, “You’re not using the money we have for you and Charles for all of this care, are you?” – she would ask my sister Barb. “No Mom, don’t worry, it’s your money and it will be used for you and Dad.” – Barb would respond. One day I was walking my Mom down to see my Dad, the five-minute walk took twenty-minutes because she would have to stop and rest every so often. “Charles”, she asked, “Will your father be OK. Is he getting the right care? You and Barb will take care of him, right? I’m real tired now and I don’t think I can do it any longer.” ”Don’t worry Mom, he’s in good hands, you rest, we have it all covered.” I responded. Mom passed two weeks after we took this little stroll to Dad’s room. To the end, Mom lived the definition of a hero, “a person, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.”  Mom’s life is summed up in this quote, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”  YEAP, THAT WAS SO MY MOM!

And what about Boots? Well, also a hero to the end! Without his hero by his side, he was lonely, he missed Mom and he wanted to go home to be with her. Did Boots give up? No. Like any hero worth his weight, as he came upon this earth, so Dad wished to leave, quietly and without notice. Kind of like when Superman in the comics would save the day, and when the folks turned to thank him, whoosh, he’s gone with just the sound of a whisper of wind. Dad’s life so exemplified this quote, “Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. He is the hero, he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor, by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it. He must be the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world.”

My heroes are no longer with me, but their unselfish love, understanding and life that they gave to me will NEVER be forgotten! I am what I am today because Ann & Boots (Charles) Sweet loved and cared for me with an unselfish love, much like the love God has for us, an AGAPE LOVE, a love that looks for no rewards or for anything in return, just a pure love for one another. Thanks Mom. Thanks Dad. You are both truly HEROES in my life. Mom & Dad, see you soon, when we all will be united again in the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ!

To all our dear friends, until next time, May God Richly Bless You! Charlie-n-Sher

Once again, Sher-n-I received something that we just have to share with you! We hope you enjoy them. Until next time, May God Richly Bless You!  Charlie-n-Sher

1) Quote Of The Day:

“There were 1.5 million people at the inauguration and only 14 missed work!”

2) “Look Out Taxpayers, Obama Thinks You Are Rich!”

3) “You think healthcare is expensive now? What till it is free!”

4) The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” Margaret Thatcher

5) “You can’t blame Bush anymore!”

6) “Annoy a liberal, use facts and logic!”

7) “Don’t spread my wealth…Spread my work ethic.”

“Keep the change! I’ll keep my freedom, my guns and my money!”

9) “01.20.13 – Change we can believe in!”

10) “Because everyone deserves some of what you have worked hard for!”

11) “So, how’s that “hope” and “Change” working out for you?”

Sher and I thought you would enjoy this!  

God Bless You All!

 

Again, Sher-n-I could not pass this one up either! If it offends you, well, you’ll just have to build a bridge and get over it! lol!!!

May God Richly Bless You!

 

Dear Employees,

As the CEO of this organization, I have resigned myself to the fact that Barrack Obama is our President, and that our taxes, and government fees will increase in a BIG way.  To compensate for these increases, our prices would have to increase by about 10%. Since we cannot increase our prices right now due to the dismal state of the economy, we will have to lay off six of our employees instead. This has really been bothering me, since I believe we are family here and I didn’t know how to choose who would have to go.

So, this is what I did. I walked through our parking lot and found six ‘Obama’ bumper stickers on our employees’ cars and have decided these folks will be the ones to let go. I can’t think of a more fair way to approach this problem. They voted for change; I gave it to them.

I will see the rest of you at the annual company picnic.

A recent of breakout of illnesses that have come upon those we love and cherish – our friends – has caused Sher and I to reflect on the trials of life. James 1:2-3 puts it so well, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” Honestly, we find it very hard sometimes to “consider it pure joy” when we see those who we love so much, go through such painful seasons. Hey, we are speaking in Spirit and Truth – anything less would be a lie! HOWEVER, though we may have our weak moments, Sher and I understand this, “God’s way is not out of our problems but through them.” This is how we, the Sweets, have learned from our difficulties and find God’s way for our lives. Actually, if the truth be told, every time Sher or I have come to the end of ourselves – that is where we find God truly is! Thank God! Here’s a quote that changed our lives forever, “God is not concerned with getting us out of our problems as He in getting us through our problems.” Sher and I have lived through some very serious illnesses with our children and Sher herself came very close to death back in 1995 – and God got us through each and every trial. Every time we came through it, God made a way, where there seemed to be no way, AND we came out stronger in faith. Two Scripture come to mind, Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” AND II Timothy 2:13 “Even when we are too weak to have any faith left, he remains faithful to us and will help us, for he cannot disown us who are part of himself, and he will always carry out his promises to us“ Here’s a revelation that greatly helped Sher and I get through trials (with joy, by the way), either personal or with our beloved friends and family:

1. We accept that pain is a part of life.

2. We accept that we do not have all the answers.

3. We accept that problems will always be around us.

4. We accept that there are some trials that will remain a mystery until we are face-to-face with God Himself!

This acceptance helped Sher and I live in “REALITY” – God’s reality! It helps us to “see” the way things really are so that we can better adapt and relax so that we can better focus on the trials at hand. When this happens, God can more easily direct us through our problems. You see, God will make a way when you allow him into the place of your wounds – that’s where the healing comes in!

So, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. 3You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 4So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”  Yes our friends, as hard and gut wrenching as trials may be, IF we embrace trials as gifts, we can better focus on the problems at hand, even if they hurt us. We close with: James 1:12 “God will bless you, if you don’t give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life, just as he rewards everyone who loves him.“

Until next time, May God Richly Bless You! Charlie-n-Sher

First let us give a few disclaimers:

1. We are NOT Black Eyed Peas Groupies!
2. We do NOT subscribe to all their political views and/or statements made in this song!
3. We do NOT listen to rap – Christian or Non-Christian!

There, now that we cleared that up, Sher-n- I can now say this, this song is a cry from a generation seeking answers and they are clearly asking, “Where Is The Love?” What an open door for us to tell and show them what love is and where it can be found!

We tried to insert the You Tube Video, it would not play on our post. Go to your browser and cut and paste this in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojpbOJjrGBQ

What touched our hearts are these lyrics in the song: 

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder; As I’m gettin’ older, y’all, people gets colder; Most of us only care about money makin’; Selfishness got us followin’ our wrong direction; Wrong information always shown by the media; Negative images is the main criteria; Infecting young minds faster than bacteria; Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema; Yo’ whatever happened to the values of humanity; Whatever happened to the fainess in equality; Instead of spreading love we’re spreading animosity; Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity; That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ under; That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ down;  There’s no wonder why sometimes I’m feelin’ under; Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found; Now ask yourself; Where is the love?; Where is the love?; Where is the love?; Where is the love?; Father, Father, Father, help us; Send some guidance from above; ‘Cause people got me, got me questionin’; Where is the love?

WHERE IS THE LOVE? The Apostle John, the Apostle of love, has so much to tell us about about where the love is. John tells us that love is practical and must be expressed. Look at these verses in IJohn 4: 7-16 “My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God. My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love! This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God. God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us.

Where is the love? IN US! When His love is inside of us – we need not fear or feel insecure! When we understand, accept and live  God’s love for us, we understand that God is the only source of absolute security. When we give our love to others it shows that we love God. Where is the love?  IN ONE ANOTHER – SO THAT ALL THE WORLD WILL KNOW! Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”  John 13:34,35

Let’s help this generation know, all is not lost and their is HOPE in Christ! Love the Lord, Love the Truth – That’s Where The Love Is! Remember, “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he that does the will of God abides forever.” IJohn 1:17

Until next time – May God Richly Bless You!   Charlie-n-Sher

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” (NLT) What powerful wisdom found in this Scripture, wisdom that can and will shield you from a lot of hurts in life. Someone said this, “Who we are on the inside creates much of our outside life.”  Herclitus, and ancient philosopher said, “A man’s character is his destiny.” Sher-n-I have seen so many relationships destroyed because people have neglected or refused to guard their hearts. “In scripture we find our heart is where we Dream, Deliberate, Decide, Want & Will. It is Control Central! No one invades it unless we give permission! It is the core of who & what we are. It is the Real, Authentic You! After all the layers of external camouflage have been removed, your heart is the naked reality of what you really are.”  

What happens when you do not “GUARD” (Watch over, Preserve from Danger, Guard with Faithfulness, Keep Blockaded):

1. You reach a place of strength (you’re walled in – isolationism) “I right – everyone else – not right!”
2. No one can talk to you – “It’s just me and God baby!”
3. Can’t speak into your life; You become unteachable. 
4. You Become self-willed.
5. You do not speak in Spirit and in Truth.
6. Honesty and Character diminishes.
7. And stubbornness enters in.
8. Then decay sets in! – Relationships fall apart!

Listen to this statement, “In the same way that it’s possible to get food poisoning from rancid food, it is also possible to get heart, mind, soul, and strength poisoning from toxic people.”  All through the Bible there is an awesome lesson that is taught, be careful whom you trust. Misplaced trust can open some very sorrowful doors. It all boils down to – and once again we say – TRUST! Trust has two doors, Door #1 - Talk; Door #2 - Behavior. Let Sher-n-I give you an example of these two doors in action: “Pals for 12 years, these two guys (Bob and Sam) saw each others highs and lows in life and both were always there for each other. To say they shared their hearts, minds, thoughts and dreams would be an understatement – they were  very close.  Through a series of life and business events, a strain was put on the relationship – and Sam felt let down by Bob. After a long talk, and a series of  repentance and forgiveness – the two buddies were back on happy ground again! Problem Solved? Not so fast! You see, Sam was a little less than honest during the time of repentance and forgiveness. He let Bob think everything was now OK. Bob asked Sam several times, “Sam, are you sure we are OK – all is forgiven?” “Yes Bob, I love you man – we are best buds!”  So, Bob walks away from the meeting feeling everything was OK, only to find out weeks later, things were not OK. To make matters worse, Bob felt something wasn’t right with Sam – but THEN he found out Sam was still upset with him through a third person! (Charlie’s Comment: So much for Matthew 18, TRUTH, HONESTY, CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY!)  WOW! Sam said he forgave Bob (he released Bob, never to bring it up again) – but that wasn’t the case at all. What a mess! The friendship is in disrepair and it may never be restored because of the lack of trust in Bob’s heart towards Sam.

See, Bob thought the friendship he had with Sam was this: “Friendship, trust someone you have known long enough to see that they are honest, loyal, spiritual, responsible, kind, forgiving, trustworthy, and posses other qualities that ensure good treatment.”  Now Bob feels the friendship wasn’t what he thought it to be. Door #1 Talk, was not honest  on Sam’s part – the old adage, “Talk Is Cheap” applies here. You see, sometimes to avoid the painful truth, some people find it easier to tell you anything to avoid the tough conversation, the conversation laced with Spirit and Truth. Sam did not guard his heart and skirted the truth with Bob. The result – a very broken relationship.

Well Charlie-n-Sher, “How Can I Know To Trust Someone?” – you may ask. Well, the Bible points many times to this, let us paraphrase it, “trust a person’s character, as evidenced by their behavior.”  OUCH! Hand out the band-aids? “Do not believe what people say, believe what they do. We can depend only on what people do, not what they say they will do or what we wish they would do.”  - Dr. Henry Cloud  As Jesus put it, “A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit… Just as you can identify a tree by it’s fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”  So, just do not listen to what is being said in any relationship, the secret to trust is to watch their behavior. Guard your heart, set boundaries in your life, and guard them too! We need to embrace this fact, “Maturity doesn’t come with age, it comes with the acceptance of responsibility.”  Take responsibility for your short-comings and own your mistakes and let honesty begin in your own heart! “Honesty doesn’t come out of nowhere. It is a product of your of your moral convictions.”  “Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. Luke 16:10 

Our opinion, integrity is known by your loyalty: Being loyal to a person when they are not there – TRUSTED! Don’t fall prey to a Sam and Bob situation – sadly – a situation that exist far to often! Guard your heats and follow this prescription: “A friend loves at all times.”  Proverbs 17:17   Oh, and try this: make sure your “WORDS” match your “BEHAVIOR” – it will cement all your relationships in life!

Until next time, May God Richly Bless You!     Charlie-n-Sher