Various points of discussion within this text:

Hunting wild animals

Working with trained domestic animals

Our responsibility toward Yahweh's four legged beasts

Pets in the home: Expendable brutes or family members?

Blessings connected with animal care

Old & New Testament viewpoints -- the same

Compassion towards mute (dumb) innocent beasts

The cruelty of  the kosher animal slaughter (It's anti-Bible)

End note: Lest we forget --- The abortion issue supercedes the points of this topic.

      How does Yahweh Almighty view our shared existence on this planet with the animal creation?  Since The Creator knows that we as man have a definite interaction with the four legged beasts of the Earth, He has provided us with His viewpoint on what our understanding should be considering this situation.    Realizing that in the Book of Genesis man was given dominion over the Earth (Gen.1:26; 2:19), we have a responsibility to exercise that dominion within the guidelines and understanding granted us by the Divine Will of God.  How, according to His Word, are we to view the animal life which fills the Earth?  The primary insight we have from The Scriptures is that Yahweh expects us to observe a keen difference between wild animals, farm herd  animals, and domestic/family trained animals.

       Whether hunting game animals or domesticating companion animals, the Scriptures teach that cruelty from thoughtlessness, as well as favoring animals over man are both unacceptable behaviors in the eyes of Yahweh.  Man is called upon to monitor his actions toward the creatures in light of the fact that they too have senses, feel pain, suffer hunger, raise offspring, can be happy or become emotionally depressed, etc.  For example, if you were to go camping in a forest, one must remember that we are entering the backyard and home of bears, raccoons, birds, and other wildlife.  On the other hand, we can not be so foolish as to let the beasts encroach upon our settled towns in an unsafe manner, or let vermin such as mice or rats bring disease into our dwellings. Furthermore, as man deliberately changes an animal's personal awareness, this likewise entails a change in responsibility  on the part of man.   Let's check a Scriptural analysis of our duties and guidelines concerning this subject.

     There have been some articles written that equate the killing of wild game to the personality traits of Nimrod and Esau whom the Bible says were "mighty and cunning hunters" (Gen.10:9; 25:27).  Therefore it is reasoned that  Christians should not hunt game animals on the claim that hunting is an evil act done only by those who enjoy shedding blood. This opinion is the result of the leftist anti-gun lobby among us with their distorted view of nature’s reality and their propensity to legislate within an arena they know little, if anything, about. Our American pioneer forefathers carved a great nation out of a wilderness, and the hunting of game for provision as they traveled westward played no small part in what they did. The Biblical depiction of evil Nimrod and Esau being “mighty hunters” has absolutely no reference to responsible hunting in the least.

     For a person to be best known his entire life as “A Mighty Hunter” would mean that he is not occasionally seeking nature's provision to feed his family, but rather he is first and foremost a professional big game trophy hunter who kills for the purpose of killing. Additionally, in Nimrod's case we aren't even told that his hunting was for animals, rather many Bible commentaries point out the original Hebrew language context (Gen.10:9) in that Nimrod was a tyrant hunter of men being that Nimrod was a "mighty hunter against Yahweh" (not "before" the Lord, as in the KJV translation).  Basically, this type of personality likes to shoot anything that crosses his path, and it is this sort who gives responsible game hunting a bad name. Acquiring a famed title recorded for posterity as “A Mighty Hunter” does not refer to a man who works his land, has domestic animals as well, tends to the crops, yet will bring home a turkey or a deer as part of what Yahweh Almighty has given us as wholesome food. That type of person is a conscientious husbandman of nature with knowledge of providing a varied diet for his family. This is a far cry from a compulsive trophy hunter who will kill an animal or man for target practice, or merely take game for antlers, or ivory and is recognized everywhere as a "Mighty Hunter".  Nimrod and Esau obviously earned that distinction by their actions, which actions matched the rest of their degenerate personalities.

     Yet contrary to Nimrod and Esau, with respect to responsible providers of clean game meat when needed, of the animals listed for our consumption in Deuteronomy 14:2-5 given by Yahweh God,  ten such animals are mentioned.(there are more listed elsewhere)   Of the ten that are clean for eating, seven are wild game animals not raised in captivity, but rather they would need to be hunted in the field with Yahweh God giving the "OK" to do so. The “hart, roebuck, fallow deer, wild goat, pygarg, wildox, and chamois” are of the antelope, mountain goat, or deer species. See below.

Deut.14:2 “thou art an holy people unto Yahweh thy God, and Yahweh hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing. 

4 These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, 

5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois”

  Therefore, Yahweh certainly did expect His people to make use of the wild game bounty of the land as food, and He even gives a natural rule about hunting to enhance the local ecology (leave the area clean):

Leviticus 17:13 “And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.”

     Today, responsible hunting is a great way to stay sharp on firearm use such as the mechanics of pistols and rifles, plus a knowledge of bullet calibers, gun safety, outdoor clothing, and environmental awareness. It most certainly beats having your son or daughter being stuck inside the house glued to a video game or hours of mindless TV nonsense. It is also a way to avoid consuming the harmful fats,chemicals, and hormones found in super market meats, which chemicals pollute our bodies contributing to our illnesses and physical misery. Wild game hunting is as part of traditional Christian America as is good ole homemade apple pie (chemical free kind of course!)  Hunting of wild game animals is Scriptural when done responsibly and with a humane quick kill precision intent.  That requires diligent preparation of skills and safety before going out into the field.

     There are those who view animals as merely disposable life forms and would therefore not lift a finger to help an animal in need of care.  This attitude is not in accord with the mind and heart of Yahweh Almighty.  According to the Bible a compassionate person is compassionate to both men and animals.  Yes, we know that Christ said that man is considered "more valuable than sparrows", but He also explained that even though sparrows may be bought and sold, "God does not forget even one of them". (Lk. 12:6,7)   This is a direct reference to the Divine Law reflecting just how much Yahweh God considers His animals, and considers man yet more!  It does not mean that because Yahweh values man more than birds, that He (or we) should consider even a bird's life as expendable.  In fact, the Law demands that we must, if the occasion arises, care for even young nestling birds if their nest suffers disruption, and that we should take the birds home and raise them.  This demand of caring for nature's young helpless animals is so great in Yahweh's eyes that doing so carries the same promise of a gift of long life for that person as does the fifth commandment of honoring thy father and mother!!!  True !!! (see Ex.20:12; & below Deut.22:6,7)

  "If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:

  But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days." (Deut.22:6,7)

    We are also to be thoughtful that if we see an animal of our neighbor's on the loose, we should take the animal to our house for safety until we can return it to our neighbor. (Deut. 22:1-4).  Furthermore, even though careless violation of the Sabbath carries the death penalty under Kingdom law, Christ explains that if a neighbor's ox was fallen by the wayside it was expected that you expend whatever energy it took to help get the ox out of the ditch.  Helping the animal out of that situation supercedes even the Sabbath law of rest. (Lk.14:5; Ex.23:4,5)

     Animals have helped man for centuries with supplying the muscle of labor that man didn't have until the machine age of modern times.  Even up to just 100 years ago the horse was the chief means of transportation for the entire world for thousands of years.  Still today where would the blind be without seeing eye dogs, or the rescue teams be without their rescue dogs?  Where would the many lonely elderly be without their faithful companion dog, cat, parrot, or song bird?  No doubt --- animals are physically and psychologically beneficial to man.  We owe them much for their labor provided and companionship selflessly given.  Yahweh's law provides that fairness in return for the labor done by animals is a priority we must not forget.  In ancient days an ox was used to turn treading equipment to separate corn from the ear.  Yahweh said that the ox, for doing the work, may eat as much as the corn it so desires:

   "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn." (Deut.25:4)

     In fact this standard of fairness applied to the working ox was of such high esteem to those who knew the Scriptures and the Law, that the Apostle Paul refers to it when saying that those who teach and labor in the Gospel are to be rewarded with material help:

   "who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

  Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

  For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take (only) care for oxen?

  Or saith He it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

  If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?" (I Cor.9:7-11)

     So we see that the same scale of fairness of giving material support for teachers of the Gospel is on equal footing with the ox that works to provide corn for food.  In Yahweh's eyes, fairness is just and righteous, whether in dealing with men or animals.  The principle is the same, and both the prophets and the  apostles considered it so.

     Here's where some serious reflection must come into focus for those who feel that animals domesticated as family pets or companions can be mistreated, abused, abandoned, forsaken, or even ignored.  Hunting wild animals for game as the bounty of the land is one thing, but once an animal has been taken into captivity and trained with the hand of man, another completely different agenda is embarked upon.  Care must be taken to not bring the anger of Yahweh upon one's self for the privilege He has given us to have dominion over the Earth's creatures.  It's easy for some people to abandon a family pet because the dumb animal can't speak to plead it's case.  But Yahweh speaks clearly for His creatures, and He weighs the hearts of men for their compassion or lack of it towards them.  Of course there are situations where a pet cannot be kept, and sound judgment would dictate that a good home be found for the animal in that case.

     A creature that is wild and depends on Yahweh's laws of nature as a way of life is not under the direct responsibility of man (other than man must not rape the woodlands and fields in a thoughtless quest for monetary greed).  But many animals have more intelligence and emotion than most of us realize, and once they have learned the words of man and have been exposed to man by being included in man's family, it changes that animal's entire thinking process.  This includes dogs, cats, elephants, entertainment animals, horses, etc. We can no more gain an animal's trust and then abandon the creature, than we would expect Yahweh's salvation to be revealed to us and then cruelly have Him say "Sorry, I didn't really mean it".  To do so would be unmercifully sadistic.  Pet owners must be careful here because Yahweh does not take this situation lightly.  Once your dog or cat or other creature has been trained to depend on you as it's family and looks into man's eyes with understanding and emotion --- it is a whole new ball game where The Almighty is concerned, even though the beast is not destined for eternal life.  In fact, the Bible tells us that domestic pets which live in the family are likened unto adopted children. Pets learn a daily routine, have enhanced emotions over wild animals, they love their master's presence, they depend on the home as the location of food, they feel sadness, happiness, guilt, and devote their entire loyalty to the family. 

   It is better to not ever take the responsibility of raising a pet than to include a pet as your family only to dump it on a dark isolated road because "the children get tired of it."  Scripture shows that the anger of The Almighty is upon a person who feels that family pets are expendable in that manner.   Let's take notice that King David was a man after Yahweh's own heart:

  "And afterward they (Israel) desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

  And when He had removed him, He raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also He (Yahweh Almighty) gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will."  (Acts 13:21,22)  In other words, David thought like Yahweh.

     In the course of events concerning Uriah the Hittite, which the reader may read about on his own, Nathan the prophet approached David with an account concerning a man who raised a ewe lamb in his house as if it were a family member.  Here's the account, along with King David's emotional response upon finding out that the animal had been plundered and taken for a meal by wealthy thoughtless men.

    " And Yahweh sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

  The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

  But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat (food), and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

  And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

  And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As Yahweh liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die."  (II Sam.12:1-5)

     That particular ewe lamb was domesticated, taught the love of man, and hand raised even as an adopted daughter.  This changes the beasts demeanor and disposition so radically that it would not be suited to be a meal animal as were other herd sheep, plus it was the old man's companion.  King David, a man after Yahweh's heart, was ready to kill for a deed of this sort that would brazenly take the ewe lamb pet from the family.  Although the story unfolds within the context of David and Uriah the Hittite, the point is well taken and presented by Nathan.  Now let's consider what the heartless ungodly U.S. Government did to our valiant War Dogs during the Vietnam war as we see just what kind of disposition of men consider loyal animal friends as disposal worthless creatures.

     Involvement in the Vietnam military conflict was a bad deal all the way around.  But an untold and little known saga of what happened to thousands of brave and loyal war dogs, raised and trained by their handlers as "brothers" of the men they saved, is yet another example of the depraved minds that promoted that war in the first place.  It is a sad tale indeed. 

      Trained rescue and combat dogs played a major role in South East Asia as the Vietnam war progressed.  Our men on the front relied upon the dogs to neutralize the unconventional guerilla warfare fought by the Viet Cong. These dogs were trained and skilled in special talents. Many could detect enemy battalions, others warned of booby traps, surface  mines, tunnels, and hidden weapons that had been stock piled.  These wonderful dogs gave their all for their handlers to help secure the safety of our troops.

      After these noble beasts were bonded unto death with the men they served, they deserved what their human counterparts rightfully deserved at the end of the war --- the right to come home.  But were they granted that right by the Pentagon?  No.  They were abandoned, betrayed, and left behind in Vietnam by the thousands as they said their last good byes to their masters who were ordered to leave the dogs.   The U.S. government viewed these canine soldiers as "equipment".  Some of the handlers were at least able to endure the agony of having their friend put to sleep so they wouldn't have to suffer a fate unknown, but most of the dogs were mercilessly just left there.  Rumors circulated that many wound up in stew pots of the Vietnamese kitchens not because the Vietnamese were starving, but because "dog" is a favorite meal in Asia.  We can only guess at how many of our canine elite suffered starvation in the streets or just plain shot on sight by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese army as they entered the South.

     The graphic story of these brave dogs and soldier's best friends, (along with U.S. government abandonment of them) can be viewed by visiting these sites. As one Vietnam war dog handler puts it: "These dogs knew more of honor, devotion and duty than most people today."

      This commentary is for the benefit of the many people among Saxon Christian Israel who are now celebrating The Passover memorial in light of Exodus 12:14 and Leviticus 23:5, as indeed we are directed. However, reports have been forthcoming to this ministry that a few groups are now  "kosher slaughtering" lambs attempting to emulate the Rabbinic practice (shechitah), as opposed to preparing a proper Christian Israelite Passover lamb dinner.  The Rabbinical shechitah procedure is not to be found in the Bible.  It is a tradition from the Kabbalah.  Privately owned livestock can be humanely  killed by means other than animal abuse. 

    Brothers and sisters, true Passover does not include the "kosher killing method" of little lambs.   Israelites called of The Spirit do not have these things in their hearts.   Rabbis still perform this gruesome ritual on God's creatures as they slit the carotid neck artery of live animals restrained upside down to supposedly give those Jews who eat meat prepared this way "more sparks of holiness" (according to the Kabbalah). What panic striken animal fighting for its life and bleeding from the neck in pain, can infuse any holiness into man for doing this deed?  Jewish authorities claim that the animals feel little when killed in this manner "because the knife used is very sharp". 

The article linked below explains how kosher beef from South America is the largest supplier of Jewish ritual meat to the US and Israelie,"A majority of the South American slaughterhouses producing kosher meat use a method known as "shackle and hoist," whereby the cow is pulled up into the air by one of its hind legs and then dropped onto the ground before its throat is slit."   >> http://www.forward.com/articles/12666/

And from this report on the cruelty of both Jewish and Islamic animal ritual slaughter:

"Tony is a senior meat industry spokesperson who has been involved in slaughter from the age of 8 - in a family butchers and slaughterhouse."

"I have seen a lot of religious slaughter over the years and no one will convince me that it is painless. The way the animal kicks out at the kicking pad in the killing box shows that and anyone who has ever seen it would know that to make such claims is a lie. As for the claim that the animal dies instantly - utter nonsense. It can take a very long time and often they're disembowelled before they're even unconscious let alone dead".

--- another experienced meat processor slaughterman says:

"Jewish Shechita slaughter is just a sick joke. They claim they kill with one cut but with the bigger animals it never is. The Shochet slices backwards and forwards and it can take as many as 20 cuts and the animal obviously feels real pain. It can take minutes to lose consciousness."

Above link report>> Ritual Slaughter by our Zionist Occupation Government

Christians take heed:

    Some Christian assemblies new to the Feast Day celebrations are being misled by irresponsible leadership with respect to Feast Day symbolism.  The perverted rationale of making a little lamb bleed as much as possible before it dies for Passover, is based on a perverted correlation to that of our Savior Yahshua's (Jesus) bleeding immensely in the streets of Jerusalem as He was crucified.  To make a lamb bleed to death today on the grounds that we know that Christ bled to death is nothing but a perverse reasoning not formulated from the Bible.   If this is the true celebration method of Yahweh's Passover, why not  take this twisted line of reasoning another step further?  If congregations who are perfoming the Kabbalah shechitah slaughter on lambs are doing so to better express what Christ went through, why not lash the little beast raw with a whip, drive thorns into its head, tie a heavy wooden post on it's back, and nail it by it's legs to a tree for a couple of hours before they slay it!!?  No friends, Yahweh said to "kill" the Passover lamb (Ex.12:6), not to "torture it in order to duplicate the Crucifixion". This must be understood by Christians, and care needs to be taken to keep "Jewishness" out of the New Testament Saxon Passover memorial.

     Most importantly, nothing in the Bible reveals that a "Kabbalah slaughter process" was ever done to the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament.  Let's not get descriptive, but there are ways by which the Old Testament priest could quickly kill an animal, then gravity drain the blood after it is dead.  If someone is to cite the Scriptural prohibition against consuming blood  (Lev.7:26) as a reason to "kosher slaughter a beast", rest assured that there is still plenty of blood in any animal meat no matter how the animal dies.   Even with the heart pumping out the blood, we are not going to make the meat "bloodless". The residue of raw blood in a steak, brisket, or fillet is Scripturally rendered neutral by burning it to sear it as it is roasted well done over fire. (see Ex.12:8,9)   Roasting the brisket, not a tortured Kabbalah death,  is the process for purifying the meat of any remaining raw blood. 

    Secondly, Christ did not die on the actual Israel Passover hour of the slaughter of the lambs, because we know that He ate the true Israel Passover the night before He was crucified. (Luke 22:15) Try to find the prophecy saying that the Messiah was to die on the hour of the slaughter of the lambs, and we will discover that we can't, as that was never prophecied in Yah's Word.  Our Kinsman Redeemer entered completely into enemy territory as He went to the false Jewish Passover at the hands of the Herodian priests, where He knew He would be tortured to death. Therefore, no lamb  we would roast today could ever fully transmit to us what infinite agony our King went through, nor was the killing of the Passover lamb ever meant to fully portray His exact suffering. It would be absurd to even attempt to duplicate this by  "kosher killing" a lamb either before or after the era of the Crucifixion.  Yahshua Christ was alone in His agony. This was a one of a kind sacrifice, "the sacrifice of Himself" (Heb.9:26) which He took upon Himself outside of the time frame of the Israel Passover memorial.

   Yes, Christ is a type of Passover (I Cor.5:7), yet He is a Priest of the order of Melchisedec (Heb.7:21) and not after Aaron, who conducted the ceremonial sacrifices.  The Aaronic priesthood could never duplicate the suffering of Christ, and as such, the Old Testament animal sacrifices were never intended to do so.  They symbolized but did not duplicate the coming Messiah's suffering.  There is a big difference between the two concepts.  The death and blood of the slain (not slowly "kosher bled") animal was enough to symbolize (not duplicate) what would take place at Calvary.  Likewise, the Passover meal itself, not the torture a struggling koshered animal, suffices to remind us that our Savior's death (I Cor.11:26) is racially explicit for Israel, and that it was our Saxon race in bondage under Egyptian rule. (Ex.12:26,27)  This is our family heritage that God Almighty commands us to not forget.  It is kept in our national awareness by obeying the law of keeping the racial Passover dinner memorial yearly.

    If we are to be reminded of  Christ's terrible pain which He endured at the crucifixion, we are specifically told to be "looking unto Jesus  the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross ..." (Heb.12:2)   We are never told to be looking at a suffering animal today in order to arouse our awareness of Calvary's Cross or to understand the blood redemption of the Messiah.  Reading the words of the Scripture account is our method to achieve that purpose. Any attempted Rabbinical method being used by some Christians to torture one of Yahweh's creatures at Passover, should not be part of our exclusively Saxon Israel memorial celebration. 

    The compassion of Noah toward Yahweh's creatures is well known in his care for them in the Ark of the great flood.  Noah is called, "a preacher of righteousness" in 2 Peter 2:5.  We have already read how the Law  reveals the commandments of Yahweh instructing us to be mindful of the well being of animals.  Do we then somehow deduce that our Heavenly Father, who's very laws even tell us to care for tiny birds from a fallen nest, somehow enjoys  seeing us inflict  a neck  bleeding death upon young lambs? Complete absurdity!

     Even under the old law of ceremonial sacrifices we do not find any carotid artery neck slitting being described or given as the manner of death for the animal.   Yahweh never gave Israel such instructions for a jewish based ritual to be performed on a creature. We are simply told "to kill" the animal. Saxons kill their beasts quickly and humanely as possible.  As mentioned, here's how Yahweh feels about animals:   Deut.22:6 Prov.12:10 Gen.33:14 Deut.25:4    If any of them were going to die for sacrifice back then it was by neck breaking (instant) or beheading.  Birds had their necks wrung Lev.1:5; 5:8 , then cut off, which is instant.  We see no directions here to cut a small slit in the neck until it slowly bleeds and squawks to death. (Typical edom jew blood lust) 

The larger animals were beheaded from the back of the neck. Ex. 13:13 even though it says "break his neck", the word is "aw-far"(Heb) -- "to behead".  Therefore, if someone wants to debate the point as to whether it is quick neck breaking or beheading, the idea is "instant death", not jew koshering morbidity.   There would still have been plenty of blood from a quickly killed animal for "sprinkling on the altar" of the old priesthood. Since Israel is likened to a battle axe Jer.51:20, possibly they killed the sacrifice with a swift plunge into the back of the head nerve ganglion with a battle axe.  There are a few other methods that predate the invention of firearms that would do the trick quickly too.   Our Israel ancestors weren't mentally dull, and we can be sure they had their humane instantaneous killing methods of high efficiency.

    Have the heart of Yahweh, have the heart of Noah, have the heart of David when it comes to animal responsibility.  Learn what the Scriptures teach about the subject, and show respect with compassion for the creatures on this planet.  They too, in some manner we don't fully understand, wait for the time when the Earth will be transformed from it's contamination with sin.

     "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."  (Romans 8:19-21)

In light of the foregoing message in dealing with our animal care responsiblity as Saxon Christians, we should remember that what has happened with abortion cruelty performed upon our infant children far exceeds in priority the careless treatment of our animal friends, although both stem from a pervasive evil.  It is bad enough what happens to some of the unfortunate animals, but it is an infinitely greater condemnation of our country to know how America has tolerated the murder of unborn children in the mother's womb.  An updated article on that subject (from our past pamphlet distributions) is being edited for our website uploading as well.  Email readers of this ministry's articles will receive a notice of completion when that subject is reloaded to the "misc. articles" page at www.solarsabbath.org.  Thanks to all the brothers and sisters and God bless! --   Ken Lent