Friday, January 4, 2013
Caseworker Exposes Flaws in Welfare System
NEW HAMPSHIRE - Author Deb Shorter of New Hampshire worked in Human Services for a decade. This experience as a case worker provided her with valuable, first-hand insights into how the American Welfare System works - and how it doesn't.
Her first book, "Giving Away Your Tax Dollars - An Eye Into Welfare," delves into the twisted, turbulent and troubled world of the Welfare System, exposing who gets help, and who doesn't, and the reasons why. In the interview room of a caseworker, she hears client’s troubles and works her way through the government policies that determine if aid will be distributed.
"Readers will run the gamut of emotions as they read this book," she says. "They'll laugh, they'll cry, and they'll get angry. Then, they'll want to fix the system."
This entertaining and informative book offers ways to do just that, spelling out Ten Easy Solutions to America's budget problems within Human Services, especially Social Security.
Born in Amesbury, Massachusetts in 1961, Deb moved frequently as a young girl, first to Newton New Hampshire, and when her parents separated, to Haverhill, MA. She likes to say, "I worked my way up the state and back into New Hampshire, and kept heading further north!" She now lives in New Hampshire's beautiful North Country with her husband Ron. She writes in lovely a cabin in the woods called "The Pen Den." She is a grandmother of seven children, six boys and one girl.
She loves to hear from her readers, and enjoys their reactions to her work.
"They are my enthusiasm," she says. "It's weird how so many people love the emotional roller coaster I send them on - and that is EXACTLY what I wanted!"
An Eye Into Welfare: Giving Away Your Tax Dollars is available in an affordable print edition from Amazon Createspace for $12.99 at https://www.createspace.com/4067938 and as a Kindle eBook for $2.99 at http://amzn.com/B00AQ3KRRM. For more information, visit www.debshorter.com.
Labels:
book reviews,
Deb Shorter,
eBooks,
welfare fraud,
welfare reform
Friday, December 21, 2012
Former Caseworker Rips the Mask Off Welfare Fraud in “An Eye into Welfare: Giving Away Your Tax Dollars”
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Deb Shorter, deb@debshorter.com; 603-523-9549;
www.debshorter.com
Former Caseworker Rips the Mask Off Welfare Fraud,
Calls for Reforms in “An Eye into Welfare: Giving Away Your Tax Dollars”
Shorter, who worked as a case worker for ten years, brings
her many valuable, first-hand insights to the topic of welfare, which she
considers in urgent need of reform.
In “An Eye Into Welfare,” Shorter delves into the twisted,
turbulent and troubled world of the Welfare System, exposing who gets help, and
who doesn't, and the reasons why.
In the interview room of a caseworker, she hears client’s
troubles and works her way through the government policies that determine if
aid will be distributed.
“Readers will run the gamut of emotions as they read this
book,” she says. “They’ll laugh, they’ll cry, and they'll get angry. Then, they’ll
want to fix the system.”
This entertaining and informative book offers ways to do
just that, and spells out Ten Easy Solutions to America's budget problems
within Human Services, especially Social Security.
Born in Amesbury, Massachusetts in 1961, Shorter now lives
in New Hampshire's beautiful North Country with her husband, Ron and two Red
Bone Coonhounds. She writes in lovely a cabin in the woods called "The Pen
Den." She is a grandmother of seven.
Shorter loves to hear from her readers, and enjoys their
reactions to her work.
“They are my enthusiasm,” she says. “It’s weird how so many
people love the emotional roller coaster I send them on - and that is EXACTLY
what I wanted!”
An Eye Into Welfare: Giving Away Your Tax Dollars is
available in an affordable print edition from Amazon Createspace for $12.99 at https://www.createspace.com/4067938
and as a Kindle eBook for $2.99 at http://amzn.com/B00AQ3KRRM. For more
information, visit www.debshorter.com.
###
Labels:
authors,
book reviews,
Deb Shorter,
e-books,
eBooks,
welfare fraud,
welfare reform
Sunday, December 9, 2012
What Does the Religion of Jesus Require of Us?
What does the religion of Jesus requires us to do? For many Christians
today, that is a bizarre and foreign question, because many have been taught
that we are under no real obligation other than to have faith – a faith that
this or that word or concept is “true” or this or that “really happened” or
that this collection of books contains (or is) “God’s Word(s).” That is it.
And
for many, that seems enough. After all, life is too hard as it is. We’re too
busy to care about anything other than a mere assent to these long-established
doctrines for one hour every week. And after all, Jesus taught us that religion
consists only of “Loving our neighbor,” right?
So we’re all set if we just
emote some love for those with whom we attend church at 11:00 on Sunday
morning. There. We’re done.
And besides, anyone who says we need to do “work”
is wrong and has to be rebuked, because to try to “earn” our salvation with
good works is just… wrong. Right?
The problem with all of this is that the Jesus who is being praised
so emotionally on Sunday mornings says something quite different.
Not just to
love our neighbor half-heartedly, but to love our neighbor (broadly defined as Everyone)
and to do so JUST AS WE LOVE OURSELVES. No less than that.
And even BEFORE
this, we are to love God with ALL of our heart, soul, mind and strength. All
day, every day. That’s WORK, friends. Good, pure and healthy work that brings
us closer to our God and to our neighbors.
But not only this, Jesus taught that God wishes us to love
and pray for our ENEMIES and that we are to forgive others when they offend us
– and if we don’t, we will NOT be forgiven by God when we mess up. And the only
time Jesus was specifically asked, “what do I need to do to be saved?” the answer
was that we must “endure to the end,” not that we must merely assent to believe
something ABOUT an aspect of Jesus’ birth, death or resurrection (in fact,
crying out “Master, Master/Lord, Lord” he says, is NOT enough) Jesus said we
MUST obey God’s moral commandments, serve others – especially the poor – and imitate
Jesus’ perfect life. Further, we will certainly be judged according to our Deeds, not our intentions or hollow professions.
To refuse to attempt any of this because we might fail (and
guess what, we will indeed fall short!) or to view Jesus’ words as “optional”
or simply obeying out of “gratitude,” if we feel like obeying them, is a gross
misreading of Jesus’ words – which, by the way, cannot be discounted and will
NEVER pass away. We are called to strive to be Servants of God and Jesus
Followers – to be perfect (just as God is perfect!) and also to humbly and
continually seek after God’s forgiveness, strength and guidance.
That’s the
Good Message of the ministry of Jesus. Let’s do that and see how it turns out!
Scriptural Notes:
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark
12:30
“The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:31
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you” Matt. 5:44
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly
Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Mark 6:14-15
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and
knelt before him and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit
eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good
except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit
adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your
father and mother.’”
And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from
my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You
lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ Mark 10:17-21
“If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which ones?" And
Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall
not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matt. 19:17b-19
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in
heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your
name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you
workers of lawlessness.’ Matt 7:21-23
"And
you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end
will be saved." Mark 13:13 (also Matt. 10:22; Matt. 24:13)
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and
you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you
clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'
Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry
and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger
and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in
prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as
you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Matt.
25:35-40
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass
away.” Matt 24:35
Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.” John 21:17
“For I have given you an example, that you also should do
just as I have done to you.” John 13:15
“And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward
of our deeds” Luke 23:41
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after
me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find
it.” Matt. 16:24-25
“Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matt.
5:48
“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is
dead.” James 2:17
Labels:
Christianity,
Jesus Christ,
Jesus Followers,
sermon
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Seventy Times Seven
If we expect to be forgiven by God, we must first freely
offer forgiveness to others, and to do so continually. Or so says Jesus,
anyway. Forgiveness is given by God freely when we ask for it, but we must in
turn give forgiveness freely to others, not out of mere “gratitude” or as an
optional, grudging act (and when we feel like it) but willingly, and with a
contrite heart. This is a condition of our forgiveness by God. Everyone to whom
much was given, of him much will be required, says Jesus, and this surely
applies to forgiveness, which he speak about frequently. When the Scribes told
Jesus that only God can forgive sins, Jesus corrected them, and by example,
taught that all men should forgive others’ sins and trespasses. When Peter asks
how many times we must forgive others, Jesus says “Seventy times seven” times.
In other words, continually and without end. This comes as a great shock to
those who believe they need “do” nothing to achieve communion with God
eternally, but they have been greatly misled. Forgiveness, more than almost any
other doctrine, is a the core of the faith Jesus preached. And if Jesus can, in
his dying breath, forgive those who murdered him, we can forgive those who
offend us with their gossip and other petty offenses. Our God, revealed to us
by Jesus, is a God of high expectations, and believes that we are able to meet
and exceed them. I believe Jesus. Thus endeth the sermon.
Scripture cited:
“And forgive us
our debts, AS we forgive our debtors. For if ye
forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but
if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
your trespasses.” Matt. 6:12, 14-15
"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything
against anyone, forgive him,
that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in
heaven forgive your
trespasses." Mark 11:24-25
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As
many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times,
but seventy times seven.” Matt. 18:21-22
“Everyone to whom much was given,
of him much will
be required, and from him
to whom they entrusted much,
they will demand the more.” Luke 12:48
“Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you,
rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive
him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in
a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him.” Luke 17:3-4
Labels:
Christ,
Christianity,
forgiveness,
Jesus Followers,
sermon
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Let's Revolutionize Our Calendar! Five AWESOME New Ideas!
Is our calendar perfect? Few would argue that it is. The number of days in each month are uneven, its
quarters are unequal, and it's
impossible to determine when
on which day any random date
will fall.
But it turns out, there are many, many other - arguably better - ideas to reform it.
For instance, there's the 13-Moon Calendar. Inspired by the ancient Mayan Long-Count calendar, this proposal to reform the current Gregorian calendar re-names all the months, and introduces other innovations, including an extra month, which approximates many ancient calendars.
The Symmetry454 Calendar is a proposal by a Toronto university professor. It features four exactly equal quarters of 28-, 35- and 28-day months, making it easier to compare fiscal quarters. It's beautiful symmetry contrasts with the chaotic Gregorian.
The 13-month "Sol" Calendar updates an Old Idea - the 13-month year tied to the lunar cycle. This calendar's 13 months are all 28 days long, making it easy to remember the length of months. A leap year is added to the last month, December, and a new month, Sol, is added between June and July.
The New Earth Calendar is a bit of a hybrid - mixing the best elements of proposals like the Symmetry454 calendar and the 13 months of the Sol calendar.
Finally, the 30x11 Calendar is what its creator calls a "Gentle Update" of our current calendar. All of its months are 30 days long, except December, which rounds out the 365 or 366-day year with 35 or 36 days. It makes it incredibly easy to determine what day number each day on the calendar holds, and makes it easy to remember days.
All of these calendars - and MANY MORE - can be found EXCLUSIVELY on the new Abbott ePublishing eBook "2012: A New Calendar for a New Age" available on the Abbott ePublishing website. Or purchase RIGHT HERE via PayPal:

But it turns out, there are many, many other - arguably better - ideas to reform it.
For instance, there's the 13-Moon Calendar. Inspired by the ancient Mayan Long-Count calendar, this proposal to reform the current Gregorian calendar re-names all the months, and introduces other innovations, including an extra month, which approximates many ancient calendars.
The Symmetry454 Calendar is a proposal by a Toronto university professor. It features four exactly equal quarters of 28-, 35- and 28-day months, making it easier to compare fiscal quarters. It's beautiful symmetry contrasts with the chaotic Gregorian.
The 13-month "Sol" Calendar updates an Old Idea - the 13-month year tied to the lunar cycle. This calendar's 13 months are all 28 days long, making it easy to remember the length of months. A leap year is added to the last month, December, and a new month, Sol, is added between June and July.
The New Earth Calendar is a bit of a hybrid - mixing the best elements of proposals like the Symmetry454 calendar and the 13 months of the Sol calendar.
Finally, the 30x11 Calendar is what its creator calls a "Gentle Update" of our current calendar. All of its months are 30 days long, except December, which rounds out the 365 or 366-day year with 35 or 36 days. It makes it incredibly easy to determine what day number each day on the calendar holds, and makes it easy to remember days.
All of these calendars - and MANY MORE - can be found EXCLUSIVELY on the new Abbott ePublishing eBook "2012: A New Calendar for a New Age" available on the Abbott ePublishing website. Or purchase RIGHT HERE via PayPal:
Labels:
2012,
Abbott ePublishing,
calendar reform,
calendars,
Gregorian Calendar
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Reformation Sunday: Commemorating a FAILURE to Reform ENOUGH!
Want to know what's REALLY scary this Halloween? It was also Reformation Day in so-called "Reformed" Churches.
Why scary? Why "so-called?" Because the Reformation of the 16th Century failed to go far enough to pull Christianity out of Ancient and Dark Age thinking about God, and millions still believe in SCARY-wrong doctrines.
Sadly. almost 100% of Christians are unaware they are even infected
Why scary? Why "so-called?" Because the Reformation of the 16th Century failed to go far enough to pull Christianity out of Ancient and Dark Age thinking about God, and millions still believe in SCARY-wrong doctrines.
Sadly. almost 100% of Christians are unaware they are even infected
with these theological diseases.
Like the scary belief by "Reformer" Martin Luther that one can "sin boldly!" because we are secure in a one-time-only salvation event without the requirement of obedience to secure that Salvation (a Scary-unbiblical lesson, one that modern evangelicals learned so well, they think Jesus taught it. They're only 1550 years off!)
The Reformers failed to go back far enough and cure "Saint" Augustine's SCARY-false belief that God's commands can only be obeyed IF He gives us the ability to do so in advance ("Give what you command, then command what you will.") Scary-unbiblical, that is, because if we have a duty to obey, and will be judged according to our ACTS, we must be free to act by a just God, whom otherwise would be at fault for not obeying. And, good news, the Scriptures say we are free and morally able to obey.
And millions, thanks to so-called Reformer John Calvin, now believe in
SCARY Calvinist doctrines like God damning souls to a scary eternal hell
- BEFORE WE WERE EVEN BORN! Making a mockery of Jesus' call to Repent,
Believe and Obey his words. He also oversaw a vile re-VAMPing of the
Augustine-created Original Sin doctrine that pretends we are Zombies who
are unable to do good, and ALWAYS are compelled to do evil (despite our
Master Jesus's commands and clear trust in us that we CAN to do good -
and should do so, continually.)
(Dare I mention the other scary belief by the One who often contradicted the Savior, by claiming good works are "filthy rags" in the eyes of God? No, but that Antichrist's mis-perception needs urgent Reformation, one day, too.)
So I hope those who attended Reformation Sunday services this weekend did so knowing that their Reformation is incomplete. To say the least, and repent quickly of these spooky, innovative doctrines.
Like the scary belief by "Reformer" Martin Luther that one can "sin boldly!" because we are secure in a one-time-only salvation event without the requirement of obedience to secure that Salvation (a Scary-unbiblical lesson, one that modern evangelicals learned so well, they think Jesus taught it. They're only 1550 years off!)
The Reformers failed to go back far enough and cure "Saint" Augustine's SCARY-false belief that God's commands can only be obeyed IF He gives us the ability to do so in advance ("Give what you command, then command what you will.") Scary-unbiblical, that is, because if we have a duty to obey, and will be judged according to our ACTS, we must be free to act by a just God, whom otherwise would be at fault for not obeying. And, good news, the Scriptures say we are free and morally able to obey.
And millions, thanks to so-called Reformer John Calvin, now believe in
SCARY Calvinist doctrines like God damning souls to a scary eternal hell
- BEFORE WE WERE EVEN BORN! Making a mockery of Jesus' call to Repent,
Believe and Obey his words. He also oversaw a vile re-VAMPing of the
Augustine-created Original Sin doctrine that pretends we are Zombies who
are unable to do good, and ALWAYS are compelled to do evil (despite our
Master Jesus's commands and clear trust in us that we CAN to do good -
and should do so, continually.)(Dare I mention the other scary belief by the One who often contradicted the Savior, by claiming good works are "filthy rags" in the eyes of God? No, but that Antichrist's mis-perception needs urgent Reformation, one day, too.)
So I hope those who attended Reformation Sunday services this weekend did so knowing that their Reformation is incomplete. To say the least, and repent quickly of these spooky, innovative doctrines.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
We all need a kick in the BUTT occasionally. This is one way...
New eBook:
"The Buck-Fifty Kick in the BUTT,
50 Life Lessons We Forgot Along the Way"
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50 Life Lessons We Forgot Along the Way"
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Labels:
Abbott ePublishing,
e-books,
eBooks,
self-improvement
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