Hershey company announced more jobs moving to Mexico-My thoughts...

“If the-wrong people or organization get control, they can spend or give away more money in a short time than I have made in my life, to build monuments unto themselves, for their own financial gains, ego and recognition-- whose heads would swell and hearts would shrink, who would give to those who had plenty and take away from those who had little or none”
- Milton Hershey

They said it would happen eventually...Rumors on the internet have been flying since 2007, and now, it is finally coming to fruition, and it is starting with the York Peppermint Patty plant in Reading Pennsylvania. nearly 300 jobs will go to Monterey, Mexico.
According to WNEP, a local news station of Pennsylvania "...the chocolate maker is closing the plant Friday and moving production to a new factory" over the border.
I find this very disheartening. I see the main plant in Hershey leaving next. With labor cheaper in Mexico and other places across the globe, companies are taking the coward's way out as far as I am concerned and not seeking God to give them their next move. Sad...One of my fondest memories as a child was of the smell of chocolate cooking near the Hershey Stadium on cold November nights while our marching band waited to make our appearance on the field to compete in the Hershey Championships. The smell was comforting to my body as the high school band focused on putting on a great show. We would be nervous, but the chocolate looming in the air was enough to settle us down and relax us.

We must not only be concerned about the jobs that Pennsylvania is losing, but also the standards of food quality as well. It is no big secret that water is a prime component in the melting process and used to clean the equipment. it is also no big secret that bacterium and parasites exist in Mexican water otherwise referred to as "Montezuma's revenge." Furthermore, these parasites and bacterium may not only be contracted in Mexico, but all of Latin America and other developing countries of the world.

I am almost scared to think that there will have to be a warning on the labels of the risk of eating a Hershey bar in the near future...
Is anything pure in this world anymore?

Cash to quit?

As we traveled to church last night, our radio was turned on WKREJ, a local Christian radio station. The news reporter talked about a research study done with the cooperation of General Electric employees to help smoking employees quit their dirty habit. The researchers found that money is a great incentive...Big surprise? Not to me.

The researchers found that people were three times more likely to quit smoking within 24 weeks when they were paid up to $750.

Now, the common person would probably say "This is a great idea!" but I do not.This is another ploy to substitute money for the cause of Christ. Please, those of you who like the idea of being paid to quit; Why isn't it enough to know that tobacco use is a major cause of heart attack, stroke and peripheral arterial disease? and to those who are bought with the blood of Jesus- Why isn't it enough that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit? One more question- What happens if these "guinea pigs" return to their nasty habit? Do they get another $750.00 to quit again?

What then???

Jesus and His cause should be the uttermost motivation to quit, and I thank God everyday that he took the cigarette away from me. I didn't need money to motivate me, I had the Holy Spirit's conviction-Enough said.

I praise God everyday that I am free from the bondage of cigarettes! I am victorious Amen and Amen!

I have now been smoke free for 1 year and 5 months. I never plan on smoking again, and by God's grace, I will never touch a cigarette again.

UPDATE 1/12/11: I have been free from cigarettes now 3 years and 3 months and I give God ALL THE PRAISE!!!!

1 Corinthians 3:16-18
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.