Heaven as written by 17-year-old Brian Moore

17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class. The subject was what Heaven was like. "I wowed 'em," he later told his father, Bruce. It's a killer. It's the bomb. It's the best thing I ever wrote." It also was the last. Brian's parents had forgotten about the essay when a cousin found it while cleaning out the teenager's locker at Teays Valley High School in Pickaway County Brian had been dead only hours, but his parents desperately wanted every piece of his life near them, notes from classmates and teachers, and his homework. Only two months before, he had handwritten the essay about encountering Jesus in a file room full of cards detailing every moment of the teen's life. But it was only after Brian's death that Beth and Bruce Moore realized that their son had described his view of heaven. It makes such an impact that people want to share it. "You feel like you are there," Mr. Moore said. Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial Day. He was driving home from a friend's house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole. He emerged from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted. The Moore 's framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among the family portraits in the living room. "I think God used him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make something out of it," Mrs. Moore said of the essay. She and her husband want to share their son's vision of life after death. "I'm happy for Brian.. I know he's in heaven. I know I'll see him. Here is Brian's essay entitled "The Room." Page 1 In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I have liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I have betrayed." The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed at." Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've yelled at my brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger", "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents Often there were many more cards than expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature. When I pulled out the file marked "TV Shows I have watched," I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew that file represented. When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it.. The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand. And then the tears came.. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards.. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me. Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. "No!" I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, and so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished." I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 If you feel the same way forward it to as many people as you can so the love of Jesus will touch their lives also. Thank you,

NYSC Reviews Posting Policy To Classrooms Only

State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has affirmed his administration’s commitment to the safety of corps members, explaining that there has been no record of kidnapping of corps members in the state. Uduaghan stated this on Thursday when the chairman of the newly constituted National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Governing Board, Gordon Bozimo, and his team paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba. Uduaghan described the NYSC as a pivot for the promotion of peace and unity in the country. The Governor assured that Delta State was very safe for members of NYSC, disclosing that security operatives were on the alert in areas where there are “corpers’ lodges”, asserting. “Delta State is a safe place for corps members and the Police Commissioner has taken special measures to ensure their safety. The corps members too should be security conscious and avoid criminal flash points.” Uduaghan used the occasion to commend the Governing Board for reviewing the policy of posting all corps members to classrooms to teach, observing that such amounted to waste of human resources, especially of graduates, who did not study education courses. Earlier, Bozimo, who was accompanied on the visit by the state coordinator of the scheme, Joseph Ezechukwu, and other top NYSC officials, disclosed that the NYSC has reviewed the posting policy of the scheme to ensure that graduates were posted to areas of their specialisation and to ensure that employers, especially those in the private sector were able to employ a minimum of 30 per cent of corps members posted to their organisations. He stated that such policy would encourage corps members to bring out their best during the service year to enable them be employed. He on government bodies to tackle the issue of security challenges to ensure the safety of corps member posted to their states.


http://dailyindependentnig.com/2013/07/uduaghan-lauds-nysc-board/

2015: Governors, Ministers, Opt For Foreign GSM Lines

*As Security agents intensify wiretap of phone talks *Extend operations to US, UK, UAE, South Africa, Ghana *It has to do with security - DHQ Just as foreign currencies especially US Dollars and British Pounds are common features in Nigeria's daily financial transactions, so is the number of international GSM lines in local telephone conversations by state governors, ministers, top security chiefs and several other Very Important Personalities, VIPs to avoid the rising frequent wiretap of private discussions by the nation's intelligence operatives. Saturday Sun gathered that the number of political office holders and top government functionaries using foreign telephone lines in Nigeria has in the past few months increased geometrically due to an unprecedented acquisition of "spigot and surveillance equipment by the intelligence agencies especially the Department of State Security, DSS in the last two years to enhance their ability to record, retrieve and analyse conversations of certain persons under profile or surveillance." To safeguard their telephone conversations from the reach of security agents, investigations reveal that many serving state governors, current ministers, former governors, a number of heads of federal parastatals and agencies as well as some VIPs who are involved in national politics and who have the financial means have resorted to using GSM lines used in United Kingdom, USA, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Ghana and others to make sensitive telephone calls and discussions. A serving state governor, who confirmed he's one of those who recently joined the trend, told Saturday Sun that recent developments in the nation's political arena have made it expedient for him to join some of his colleaques "who have already ported." "That (foreign GSM line) appears to be the safest way to communicate with ourselves under the present hostile political environment in our country. It's only reasonable that I do as others do", the state chief executive who prefers not to be named for fear of being misunderstood, stated. If this class of foreign GSM line users believe they are totally safe from security wiretap, they need to read this. To beat their targets in the game, it was learnt that the intelligence agencies have extended their tentacles to the US, UK, UAE, South Africa, Ghana and others under the guise of counter-terrorism efforts. Findings reveal that a number of intelligence operatives travel out of Nigeria from time to time to some of the identified countries where they retrieve call logs and other data from the lines of their targets with the aid of their foreign counterparts. One of the operatives involved in such overseas operations was, until recently, an under-cover agent in a Federal Government-run media house. One of his colleagues confided in one of our reporters that, "the move is a justifiable security assignment but so far, it has been more successful and easier in London (UK) than other jurisdictions." He said it's easy to get the Nigerian users of some United Kingdom GSM numbers because "even though some of them are registered in the names of proxies, technology often reveals the locations where such lines are being used while the data collated on them confirm the true owners or users." Some of the UK operators, said to enjoy the patronage of Nigerian political office holders and VIPs include T-mobile, Orange, 02, Lebara and Vodafone. When asked why security agencies have to resort to monitoring phone discussions of political office holders, an obviously stunned Director of Defence Information, DDI at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade was more anxious to know why one of our correspondents wanted to know about such a sensitive security issue than providing a direct answer. "Who told you it is DHQ that is monitoring telephone discussion of government officials and VIPs and why do you think so? It has to do with security and DHQ is not the only security agency in the country. So, you should find out who is monitoring phone discussion and not conclude that DHQ is responsible", the Defence spokesman stated. Nigeria has of late invested millions of dollars to boost intelligence gathering of most of the nation's security agencies especially DSS, Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA and Directorate of Military Intelligence, DMI. Contracts for the procurement of most of the wiretap equipment have often gone to Israeli companies because of the Jewish nation's prowess in intelligence gathering. One of the latest attempts to invade the privacy of citizens got mired in controversy. The Federal Government was said to have secretly awarded an Israeli firm, Elbit Systems, with headquarters in Haifa, a $40 million contract to help it spy on citizens' computers and Internet communications under the guise of intelligence gathering and national security. The House of Representatives has instituted a probe into the award of the contract but the presidency, which is at the centre of it, has kept mute.