• International
  - Peace of Jerusalem, Ps 122:6 (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
  - Control of North Korea WMD & Iran nuclear program
• Nation
  - Decency and honesty in leadership (Foley scandal)
  - Liberty Sunday, Oct 15, Defending Our First Freedom will air from Boston in response to the legal battles over marriage taking place in Massachusetts. (FRC)
• State
  - Voter registration ends Oct 10
  - General Election, Nov 7
• Community
  - Pray for Paige McKenzie's recovery from brutal beating, KOBTV, Politicos Pause
  - Purity Ball, Nov 3
• Prayer Resources. Featured link: Christian Faith Bulletin Board.

Community Calendar (check for updates, links, future events, and regular meetings) We want to be a blessing to our community and support events by avoiding scheduling conflicts.

• Sep 18 - Dec 4, 6:30-8:30pm - ID classes at Calvary Chapel Abq (Family Room), Mondays
• Oct 9 - Columbus Day
• Oct 10, 7pm - Discussion meeting on scientific issues related to origins in room 2405 of the UNM Law School, (1) Prof. David Keller, from the Chemistry department at UNM, will describe ongoing research work on DNA polymerases, (2) We will listen to and then discuss a lecture by Paul Nelson on "The Origin of Animal Body Plans-Starting from the Top" given at Yale University. http://www.nmidnet.org
• Oct 15 - Liberty Sunday
• Oct 15 - Wilson/Madrid Debate at UNM (see article below)
• Oct - Greenridge Bible Music-Drama presentations in NM
  Oct 23 - Greenridge at Missions Banquet in Clovis NM
• Oct 30, 7pm - CSF Meeting, Dr John Hartnett, Alameda Bible Church, 220 El Pueblo Road, SW Paseo Del Norte and 2nd St
• Oct 31 - Halloween Gospel Tracts
• Nov 3, 6:30pm - Purity Ball, Hotel of Abq, deadline 27 Oct, $50/person, volunteers welcome, Frank Frost Photography, call 821-0684 for reservations
• Nov 7 - General Election, Voting Info
• Nov 11 - Christian Heritage Speech Competition
• Nov 12-18 - American Education Week

UNDERSTANDING - And of the children of Issachar, which were men
that had understanding of the time, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads
of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
I Chron 12:32

• Contents:
  Supreme Court Opens With Issues of Moral Principle
  Cristobol Colon
  The New Cutting Edge Of the Pro Life Movent by Mark Ortega
  Wilson/Madrid Debate at UNM
  Abstinence Education in NM
  Camp Oro Quay
  2007 Shepherd's Guide
  Faith in the News
  American Heritage Girls
  Voter Registration Ends Oct 10
  Friends of the Family
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• Supreme Court Opens With Issues of Moral Principle
  President Bush's two conservative appointees, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, give opponents of abortion and affirmative action reason to hope the high court will move in their direction. It was only a few years ago that a different mix of justices seemingly settled some of these questions in high-profile cases.
  
  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061002/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_new_term
  
  As long as evil is in the world, questions of moral principle will never be settled. "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty (Wendell Phillips, abolitionist)." "Woe unto those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isa 5:20)"
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• Cristobol Colon
  Otherwise known as Christopher Columbus, the man we honor for providentially discovering America appears to have Jewish roots. The significance of this is the presence of Sephardic Jews in NM. Many New Mexicans, including messianic Jews, are discovering their Hebrew heritage. Sephardim are from Spain and Portugal. Until the 1400s, the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, and the Middle East were all controlled by Muslims, who generally allowed Jews to move freely throughout the region. When the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, many of them were absorbed into existing Mizrachi communities in Northern Africa and the Middle East. The word "Sephardic" is derived from the Hebrew word for Spain. The word "Mizrachi" is derived from the Hebrew word for Eastern. Sephardic Jews have their own international language: Ladino, which was based on Spanish and Hebrew in the same way that Yiddish was based on German and Hebrew.
  
  The messianic Jewish congregation, Adat Yeshua in Albuquerque, is a congregation of Jewish and Gentile followers of Yeshua, or Jesus the Messiah, who have joined together for worship, fellowship, and service. Called to bear witness to Jewish people, and all peoples, of the coming of the Messiah of Israel, and to the Church concerning her true Hebrew roots. On August 2, 1492, more than 300,000 Jews were expelled from Spain. The day after the Spanish expulsion, Christopher Columbus, whose actual name was Cristobol Colon, took a group of Jewish refugees with him to the New World. Columbus himself, in his journal, calls attention to the "coincidence" of his first voyage of discovery with the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, in the following passage: "So, after having expelled the Jews from your dominions, your Highness, in the same month of January, ordered me to proceed with a sufficient armament, to the said regions of India."
  
  A few scholars present strong evidence that Columbus was himself a Jew. His mother's maiden name was Suzanna Fonterosa, "daughter of Jacob, granddaughter of Abraham and a Jewess. His father, Domingo Colon, was a map-seller. He hid his Jewishness, they say, because 'no Spanish Jew could ever have expected aid from the king and queen of Spain, so the explorer claimed to be an Italian Catholic.'" Tina Levitan, author of Jews in American Life, found the first reference to Columbus' Jewishness in print in a diplomatic document dated fifty-eight years after the discoverer's death. The French ambassador to Spain, she reveals, refers to "Columbus the Jew," Furthermore she states: "From him we learn that Cristobal Colon {who never called himself Christopher Columbus and never spoke or wrote Italian} was the son of Susanna Fontanarossa {also spelled Fonterosa} and Domingo Colon of Pontevedra, Spain, where those bearing such surnames were Jews, some of whom had been brought before the Spanish Inquisition. Letters written by him to strangers have the customary X at the top to indicate the faith of the writer, but of the thirteen letters written to his son only one bears an X, and that letter was meant to be shown to the King of Spain. The others have in the place of the X a sign that looks like the Hebrew characters B and H, initials used by religious Jews meaning in Hebrew, 'With the Help of God.'"
  
  Harry L. Golden and Martin Rywell, authors of Jews in American History: Their Contribution to the United States of America, are quite insistent about the Jewishness of Columbus. The cite where Ferdinand, Columbus' son, writes that his father's "progenitors were of the blood royal of Jerusalem..." (Golden and Rywell, p. 7; Friedrich Heer, God's First Love: Christians and Jews over Two Thousand Years, pp. 04-106; Heer discusses Columbus' interest in the messianic implications of his western explorations and his repeated references to prophecy as well as other indications of his Jewish descent) In Columbus' words, "for when all is done, David, that most prudent king was first a shepherd and afterwards chosen King of Jerusalem, and I am a servant of that same Lord who raised him to such a dignity." (Golden and Rywell, p. 7)
  
  Book of Prophesies by Christopher Columbus, $11.95.
  -
• The New Cutting Edge Of the Pro Life Movent by Mark Ortega
  I first became involved in the pro-life movement as a young Christian in the mid 1980's. In 1989 I went to UNM as a student. At that time there was a pro abortion group named UNM Choice. Then in 1990 I started New Mexico's first college pro-life group. I have been fascinated with and involved in the movement ever since. As a long time activist I have always been interested in seeing what methods and which groups are effective. We have tried many methods, but I have come to the conclusion new methods are needed. We keep getting the same old results with the same old methods. That's why when I learned about Justice for All (JFA), it was like a breath of fresh air.
  
  For too long the abortion debate usually has consisted of pitting the rights of the mother (pro-choice) against the rights of the child (pro-life). The pro-choice movement seems to live behind code words. Choice = abortion. They are in reality promoting abortion. So I would call them pro-abortion. What makes Justice For All so diffrent is that they give the cold hard facts about abortion. It shows how abortion kills babies. It does this by putting up larger than life pictures of babies in the womb. They go through the whole process from conception to birth. JFA also shows what exactly abortion does to babies. It is right in front of our faces. Abortion kills babies. They get every single response that is possible in the abortion debate. Yet despite all this evidence, they face opposition from pro-abortion proponents. Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have fought to keep JFA from coming to American college campuses. The University of New Mexico (UNM) is no diffrent.
  
  When I graduated in 1995, I wondered what was going to happen to the pro-life movment at UNM. We had a pro-life group there a few years after I graduated. But I always wondered what the future would be for my alma mata. Recently I found an answer to my prayers. It came in the presence of a pretty young lady named Jennifer Gibson I met at UNM. We both have a deep concern for unborn babies. Her mother is a long time pro-life advocate. It turns out she too is outspoken in protecting the unborn. She got involved with JFA as a Junior at St. Pius. I believe God put in her heart at that time to speak up for the unborn. But at her high school she was like a voice crying in the wilderness. This despite the fact that St. Pius is a traditional Catholic school and the Catholic church has always taken a strong pro-life stance. This has not stopped Jennifer. She graduated from St. Pius, is now a Junior at UNM, and is the vice president of the UNM JFA. I knew when I talked to her that JFA was in good hands.
  
  In my interview with Ms. Gibson there were many things that stuck out to me about JFA. I had already heard of their exhibits. But what struck me the most was the compassion of JFA activists (or shall I call them missionaries?). Pro-life people have compassion for the babies. We are all aware of ugly pro-life activists who blow up abortion mills or scream at women going to get abortions. (The pro-abortion movement won't let us forget it either.) But one of the things that makes JFA diffrent is that they learn to dialogue with people. They don't just learn to argue with people. JFA teaches people to actually discuss the abortion issue with people by using a logical calm discourse. As someone who has been screamed at by women I know how important that is. Before every trip they take to college campuses across the country they train their people to logically and calmly discuss the issue with the other side. They also pray before they go out to present their exhibit. The Bible calls us to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves. JFA teaches their people to listen to what the other side is saying. Then they explain in a gentle as dove attitude what the pro-life view is. Unfortunately, since we live in a pluralistic society and because most college campuses are anti-Christian, JFA does not bring up Christian values or the Bible. That's how being wise as serpents applies. Most JFA members are Christians and do pray in private. Indirectly, I believe they can promote Christain values.
  
  Jennifer said she has grown in her Christian faith because it takes faith to be involved. JFA's graphic nature and its training separates it from other pro life groups. It tells the truth about abortion. Jennifer told me people can help in several ways. 1) JFA needs prayer. Any Christian can tell you prayer is essential to any godly work. 2) Get involved in training. Even if you don't get involved the JFA the training for pro-lifers is important. Yelling and screaming is counter productive. 3) Donations - any group that does this kind of work needs cash to operate. 4) Hosts - they need people to host JFA members from out of town and for dinners. JFA always needs places for their people to stay.
  
  JFA is coming to Albuquerque at UNM from October 23 through the 26th. Their training is Sunday, October 22. Ms. Gibson ended our interview by saying she hopes people will come to see the exhibit to see what JFA is all about. I intend to get the training and become involved. My prayers for UNM were answered with JFA and Jennifer Gibson. My hope and prayer for readers is that you too will become involved. JFA is truly one of the cutting edge pro-life groups that is making a positive impact on our world.
  
  To contact UNM JFA you can email:
  Jennifer at jgibson3@unm.edu
  Matt at NeoKineses@gmail.com
  JFA UNM at JusticeForAllUNM@gmail.com
  
  Read About JFA in Citizen Magazine
  Read About JFA in Focus on the Family's Heartlink Publication (pdf)
  
  To find out more info about JFA:
  (888) 922-1010
  http://www.JFAweb.org
  http://www.choicesmc.org
  -
• Wilson/Madrid Debate at UNM
  New Mexico First, a nonpartisan nonprofit (http://www.nmfirst.org), is seeking participants for a one-day town hall event at UNM on Sunday, October 15. The topics for discussion at this town hall center on the Congressional race between Heather Wilson and Patricia Madrid. New Mexico First seeks a balanced group of local voters to take part in a rational discussion of the major issues in the race, to result in questions that all participants would like the candidiates to address.
  
  The event will take place from 8:30am - 4:30pm on Sunday, October 15. Participants will have parking and lunch provided, and will receive a $25 stipend for taking part. The only requirement is that all participants must be able to vote in the Congressional District 1 election. To reserve your place in this event, please call 241-4813. Space is limited, and not all applicants will be accepted, as a balance between the candidates' supporters will be maintained. Please feel free to forward this information to people in your association and friends that you feel may be interested and engaged participants.
  
  Krista Koppinger
  Director of Events and Administration
  New Mexico First
  320 Gold Avenue SW Suite 300
  Albuquerque, NM 87102
  505.241.4813 office
  505.715.8238 cell
  
  "But always, if we have faith, a door will open for us, not perhaps one that we ourselves would ever have thought of, but one that will ultimately prove good for us."
  A.J. Cronin, Scottish Novelist, 1896-1981
  -
• Abstinence Education in NM
  Due to restrictions on teaching abstinence until marriage to only grades six and below, the State Dept of Health (DOH) currently has contracts with only four providers in NM. The DOH is in the process of writing a proposal for additional abstinence education contracts. Due to controversy over compliance with federal abstinence education a-h guidelines (money used to promote "safe" sex instead of abstinence), proponents of abstinence education met with a DOH representative on Sep 20 to provide community input for the Title V Abstinence Education proposal. No assurances that any of these recommendations would be included in the final draft of the proposal. Abstinence education is a front line issue among conservatives and liberals. Conservatives hold to the worldview that sex is designed for marriage while liberals promote sex
  
  1. Target age: Each community knows what target age is appropriate to its needs. DOH should leave the decision for target age (within the 12-29 year range) to local community discretion.
  
  2. Curriculum: Each community knows what curricula are appropriate to its needs. DOH should leave the decision about choice of A-H compliant curricula to local community discretion.
  
  3. Activities: Each community knows what activities are appropriate to its needs. DOH should allow communities freedom to choose classroom educational presentations, parent educational presentations, peer mentoring, community presentations, and/or media campaigns to suit the needs of their local populations.
  
  4. STD material: Communities choosing classroom educational presentations should be free to teach about sexually transmitted diseases in compliance with A-H guidelines.
  
  5. Coordination (Section IV.5, pg. 23): New Mexico has several CBAE recipients and/or subcontractors (Albuquerque Best Choice, Socorro General Hospital, Mescalero Indian Tribe, Community Abstinence Network of Las Cruces which is under the Project Reality CBAE program). DOH is encouraged to partner with CBAE contractors (either through consultation or through the use of resources) to accomplish the goals of its Title V programs.
  
  Many thanks to those who attended and gave of their time and wisdom to hold our State DOH accountable. Present day heroes:
  * Beth Beers, Maternal Child Health Project Director (Socorro, NM), CBAE recipient
  * Kathy Latasa, Youth Education Coordinator, Socorro General Hospital (SGH) (Socorro, NM), CBAE
  * Richard Chavez, Abstinence Educator (SGH) (Socorro, NM), CBAE
  * Carol J. Sullivan, SGH-MCH CBAE Community Outreach Coordinator (Socorro, NM)
  * Elaine Skidmore, Apple Tree Education Center (Truth or Consequences, NM), Title V contractor
  * Derrick Bash, Executive Director, Cottonwood Prevention Services (Alamogordo, NM), Title V contractor
  * Donna Adams, Hidalgo County Health Consortium (Lordsburg, NM)
  * Laurel Edenburn, Chairperson NM DOH Abstinence Education Advisory Committee (AEAC) (Peralta, NM)
  * Sue Alice Erickson, Ph.D., AEAC member (Albuquerque, NM)
  * Lillian Jimenez, Project Coordinator, Community Abstinence Network (Las Cruces, NM), CBAE sub-contractor
  * Jamie Maestas, Abstinence Educator, Community Abstinence Network (Las Cruces, NM)
  * Angie Carver, RN, Director, Community Abstinence Network (Las Cruces, NM)
  -
• Camp Oro Quay - Where Lives have more value than "Fine Gold"
  
  
  Singing Hills Ministries is a non-denominational, non-profit, Bible based organization with a desire to make a difference in the lives of youth and adults. We desire to support development of the mental, physical and spiritual aspects of one's life. Our Mission is to provide resources where children and adults can come and learn about the Bible and the importance of knowing Jesus Christ as their personal savior.
  
  The creation camp picnic was held at Camp Oro Quay this year. Jerry Simmons gave children and adults an opportunity to learn first-hand about local geology and archaeology. Staff provided a hearty lunch and the beautiful grounds were an inspiration to worship God for His Creation.
  
  Formerly known as Singing Hills Camp, we are now called Camp Oro Quay (Fine Gold). We are located in the San Pedro mountains South of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The elevation is 7100' and the summer weather is mild. Our goal is to give our guests an excellent camp experience. Please take some time to check out our site.
  
  281-5474
  1441 Hwy 344, Sandia Park NM 87047
  
  Many of the children that attend camp each year come from families that do not have the financial means to cover the cost. All gifts are tax-deductible. Current Needs: yard tools, shovels, rakes, edgers, kitchen goods, paper towels, paper napkins, paper cups, paper plates, campers' needs, toothpaste, toothbrushes, flashlights, bug repellant, sun screen.
  
  http://www.oroquay.org
  -
• 2007 Shepherd's Guide
  The 4th annual Shepherd's Guide is available at churches and Christian businesses throughout greater Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and surrounding areas. As you use this directory, please patronize the businesses listed and share that you found them in the Shepherd's Guide. Churches, ministries, and schools are also listed. If you would like to be a part of the Shepherd's Guide, please call 363-6277.
  
  http://www.albuquerque.shepherdsguide.com
  -
• Faith in the News
  "When researchers take the time to ask about people's religious activity on the local level, only about one in ten Americans ends up having no connection to a religious community." http://www.abpnews.com/1360.article
  
  "One's view of God informs one's values and politics." http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=24006
  
  "A growing number of Christian writers are embracing the idea that the United States is moving into a post-Christendom phase and that the church should not resist this transition." http://www.abpnews.com/1407.article
  -
• American Heritage Girls
  Interested in an alternative to the feminist and homosexual agenda of the Girl Scouts? American Heritage Girls Organization is a scouting program for girls that supports the traditional values of God, Family and Country. AHG's programming promotes the Judeo-Christian values upon which our country was founded and strives to enhance the girls life experiences with fun filled activities supervised by trained adults, supported by family members and implemented by members. AHG's programming provides life skills, leadership skills and character building through a traditional troop setting.
  
  If your children are involved with Girl Scouts, carefully examine local policies.
  
  GSUSA's national policy was examined in a recent Newsweek article. While GSUSA has a non-discrimination policy including sexual orientation, it does not require its local councils to follow such policies. When it comes to sexual orientation, GSUSA says "it lets each of the 317 local councils decide for itself." More than two dozen councils have adopted guidelines allowing homosexual behavior. Those that haven't fall back on a long-standing national GSA policy-a kind of Junior League "don't ask, don't tell." While the national policy claims to allow homosexual behavior, a spokeswoman for the national organization, Ellen Christie Ach, concedes that local councils are not automatically dechartered if they do not."
  
  GSUSA does not inquire as to the sexual orientation of its members, nor is membership automatically denied by GSUSA if someone says they practice homosexual behavior. GSUSA states that it "does not condone or permit sexual displays of any sort by its members during Girl Scout activities, nor does it permit the advocacy or promotion of a personal lifestyle or sexual preference."
  
  Troop locator: http://www.ahgonline.org/locator/index.php
  -
• Voter Registration Ends Tue, Oct 10
  To register to vote in New Mexico, go to New Mexico Secretary of State: http://www.sos.state.nm.us/ or http://www.fec.gov/votregis/pdf/nvra.pdf.
  
  Read General Instructions, New Mexico Instructions (p. 18 of booklet) and New Mexico Registration Date (p. 28 of booklet) and print and complete National Voter Registration form and sign and date it and mail or hand deliver it to County Clerk of county in which you reside. (For New Mexico County Clerks and their addresses, click on county clerk.)
  
  You may also get printed forms from your political party office, the library, or county clerk's office. Anyone at least 18 years of age by Nov 7 may register to vote.
  
  NM Registration Date is Oct 10, 2006 at 5:00 p.m. for the up coming General Election.
  -
• Friends of the Family is a group of key supporters who invest monthly in family ministry. Their commitment is key to the ongoing effectiveness of Focus on the Family and enables us to extend the ministry to many who cannot afford the resources and services they need. They also enable our radio programs, our efforts to defend family values, and our outreaches to special groups like teens, unwed mothers, and non-Christians. For more information, call 1-800-A-FAMILY.
  -

• RESOURCES
  This section has been updated with a link to resource organizations. Anyone finding these organizations helpful, please consider mentioning the Principles Newsletter when contacting them. Thank you.
• Principles Newsletter Archives
  Roster of NM Govt Officials
  
  Resource Organizations

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