Tuesday, August 31, 2021

August 31 Prayer Pod

 

We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 31 Psalm 141:3  
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Set a guard, oh Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
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Monday, August 30, 2021

August 30 Prayer Pod


We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 30 Proverbs 28: 13   
Pray: Lord hear Your words: He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Sunday, August 29, 2021

FL Supporters Amplify Need for Biden's Free Community College Plan

 

Florida News Connection

By: Trimmel Gomes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Despite the raging pandemic, college students are flooding Florida classrooms and campuses this week as the fall semester begins. At the same time, allies of President Joe Biden contend in order to "Build Back Better," as his plan is dubbed, the first two years of community college should be free.

During a Thursday virtual news conference by the labor union United Faculty of Florida, Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., said the change would make drastic improvements in students' lives, who are often saddled with debt.

"Two years of free community college would be a life-changer, a game-changer for so many," Soto asserted. "Additional investments in education in the American Family plan reduce student debt for future teachers as well, which we know is critical for so many."

A divided U.S. House on Tuesday passed a $3.5 trillion budget resolution with the free college proposal, which now has to gain approval of the spending hawks in the Senate.

Republicans have been blasting the overall American Families Plan as a "reckless tax and spending spree," arguing it would lead to higher inflation and a suffering economy.

Rep. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, is a community college graduate, and used the proverb about teaching a man to fish to explain the need for free community college.

"All those of us that are Latinos and Latinas in the minority community, you know, that's all we're asking for," Cruz remarked. "You know, we're not asking for the handout of your fish, we're asking for the opportunity, and a chance to equalize our opportunity."

According to the Pew Research Center, among all U.S. adults, 63% favor making tuition at public colleges free. However, the issue is heavily favored by Democrats, while Republicans are divided by age and education level.

Content for this Post is provided by Florida News Connection, a bureau of Public News Service.  Public News Service is a member of the The Trust Project.

August 29 Prayer Pod


 We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 29 Psalm 35:13  
Pray: Lord hear Your words: But As for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself My fasting select add my prayer would return to my own heart.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Saturday, August 28, 2021

August 28 Prayer Pod

 

We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 28 Isaiah 41:10  
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will hold you with my righteous right hand


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Friday, August 27, 2021

August 27 Prayer Pod

 

We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 27 Hebrews 4:16
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Redistricting – Changing the Political Face of Florida

FLORIDA  
WEST COAST        

Opinion by:  
E. Eugene Webb PhD
Author:
In Search of Robin  

It's that time of the year again following the census when states are faced with the requirements for redistricting.

Redistricting is the process of drawing political boundaries for electoral and political districts in the United States and in Florida, in particular, and is usually done every 10 years following the census.

The US constitution requires that each representative in the US Congress represent an equal number of citizens and mandates a census to determine the number of citizens and apportion the seats to the state.

Since redistricting, is in the hands of the Florida State Legislature which is predominantly Republican in political stance, there are always confusion and angst in both political parties, Republican and Democrat regarding the redistricting process.

The most common political battles surrounding redistricting involves something called gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering BALLOTOPEDIA

The term gerrymandering refers to the practice of drawing electoral district lines to favor one political party, individual, or constituency over another. When used in a rhetorical manner by opponents of a particular district map, the term has a negative connotation but does not necessarily address the legality of a challenged map. In this context, proponents may counter that the map has not been gerrymandered but has been drawn to conform with overlapping, potentially conflicting redistricting standards. The term can also be used in legal proceedings and documents; in this context, the term describes redistricting practices that violate federal or state laws.

From Common Cause by: Ellen Freidlin, of Fair Districts Florida; A Guide to the 2022 Redistricting process in Florida:

Criteria for State Legislative and Congressional Districts

“The FairDistricts Amendments (passed in 2010) established constitutional requirements for the Legislature to follow when drawing state legislative and Congressional districts. If the rules are not followed, there are grounds for a legal challenge.

Tier 1 criteria:

No apportionment plan or district shall be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent – no partisan gerrymandering; and

Districts shall not be drawn with the intent or result of denying or abridging the equal opportunity of racial or language minorities to participate in the political process or to diminish their ability to elect representatives of their choice – no racial gerrymandering.

Tier 2 criteria (must be followed unless doing so would conflict with the Tier one standards or federal law):

Districts shall consist of contiguous territory;

Districts shall be as nearly equal in population as is practicable;

Districts shall be compact; and

District lines shall, where feasible, follow existing political and geographical boundaries.”

Criteria-Driven Legislative Redistricting with Judicial Approval:  (FairVote)

“Based on the approach taken in Florida, this reform would continue to allow the state legislature to adopt district maps, but it would require it to do so according to criteria set by statute. At the end of the process, the maps would have to be approved by the state Supreme Court as complying with the criteria.”

As citizens of Florida, we are merely observers in the redistricting process here in Florida, which ofttimes appears to be more of a cross between a circus sideshow and an opera.

Rarely do members of the Florida House or Senate request or even want, for that matter, public input on redistricting issues. This is a political process reserved for the politicians and the political insiders who want to gain the greatest political advantage in their counties and in the state legislature.

It's a good idea to follow these proceedings. We all hear a lot about it on the news both electronic and print and off times if there are significantly egregious changes proposed you may even see some legal action.

The greatest impact may be new opportunities for additional members of the state house in districts that have experienced significant population growth over the last ten years. Once redistricting is complete, in the next election cycle, we'll have all these potential new political opportunities on the ballot.

That's the time you want to start paying attention.

 E-mail Doc at mail to: dr.gwebb@yahoo.com or send me a Facebook (E. Eugene Webb) Friend request. Like or share on Facebook and follow me on TWITTER  @DOC ON THE BAY.

See Doc's Photo Gallery at Bay Post Photos.  

Disclosures: 

Thursday, August 26, 2021

August 26 Prayer Pod

 We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 26 Jeremiah 17:7 
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Blessed it is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

September 26 Prayer Pod

 

We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

September 26 Romans 11:36
Pray: Lord hear Your words: For of him and through him and to him are all things common to him be glory forever.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM


Wednesday, August 25, 2021

August 25 Prayer Pod

 We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 25 Isaiah 43:25
Pray: Lord hear Your words: I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; And I will not remember your sins. 


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Is The World Coming Unhinged?


Tuesday, August 24, 2021

August 24 Prayer Pod

 

We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 24 Romans 8:18 
Pray: Lord hear Your words: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in US.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Monday, August 23, 2021

August 23 Prayer Pod

 

We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 23 John 20:14-15  
Pray: Lord hear Your words: I am the Good Shepherd; and I know my sheep and am known by my own. As the father knows me, even so I know the father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Sunday, August 22, 2021

August 22 Prayer Pod


We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 22  John 1:14
Pray: Lord hear Your words: And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

It's Time to Vote for Saint Petersburg's Next Mayor

 

FLORIDA
WEST COAST        

Opinion by:  
E. Eugene Webb PhD

Election Day in St. Petersburg FL is drawing nearer. In fact, mail in ballots are already due.

The mayoral race began with a large list of candidates and has gradually narrowed down to two prominent names, former county Commissioner Ken Welch, and former City Council member Robert Blackmon.

These two candidates present a stark contrast in the direction Saint Petersburg will go.

Ken Welch for St. Pete Mayor?

Ken Welch, a longtime political fixture in Pinellas County, is significantly grounded in the past. Part of the issue in Saint Petersburg, has been the continuing problem of mayors who simply can't see past 34th St to the West. Welch has already indicated at least a hint of this myopic approach.

There has long been too much focus on downtown Saint Pete, and the Tampa Bay Rays, while to the West, Tyrone Mall continues to slowly disintegrate and investment to the West has been small to say the least.

Ken Welch is a consummate politician with a long list of financial supporters, and political endorsements, and a long list of favors to repay.

Saint Petersburg Does Not Need a Career Politician as Its Next Mayor

Robert Blackmon is new to politics serving his first elected political office as a Saint Petersburg City Council member. Blackmon, however, brings a fresh set of eyes and a new perspective that encompasses the entirety of Saint Petersburg.

Former administrations have spent decades and literally millions of dollars trying to resolve problems in South Saint Petersburg while ignoring, in many instances, the rest of the city. Blackmon would appear to have a broader view and a wider perspective of how all Saint Petersburg can be included in the future.

The city administration could also use a little refreshing and that refreshing should be holistic and represent again all areas of the city, all ethnicities, and all people. Robert Blackmon can make that happen.

While it may not appear so, this election for Saint Pete Mayor has long range consequences for the entire city. Like all other cities, the new census data shows that Saint Petersburg is changing in its makeup. And those demographic changes need to be recognized, embraced and addressed.

Ken Welch is a career politician. He spent his entire life playing politics and there is no reason to expect that he will significantly change his approach once he's the chief operating officer of the city of Saint Petersburg. One might see Welch’s connections with the Pinellas County Commission as an asset when it comes to dealing with problems like the Tampa Bay Rays and Tropicana Field redevelopment, but others looking carefully will probably see it as more of a liability.

Blackmon brings a fresh look, significantly fewer political debts to pay, much more of a true business and management-oriented approach. Blackmon can relate to the changing demographics and the new millennial mindset that requires significant adjustment as it relates to virtually every part of the fabric of our society.

It's time to stop looking backward for leadership. It's often been said, “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the true definition of insanity.”

That may or may not be the case, but in this election, new ideas, new approaches, new concepts, and fewer entanglements and commitments should make for a better Mayor.

I think Robert Blackmon is St. Petersburg’s best choice.

Whatever you do, whoever you support if you live in Saint Petersburg and are registered to vote, vote in this election. 

Every vote counts.

E-mail Doc at mail to: dr.gwebb@yahoo.com or send me a Facebook (E. Eugene Webb) Friend request. Like or share on Facebook and follow me on TWITTER  @DOC ON THE BAY.

See Doc's Photo Gallery at Bay Post Photos.  

Disclosures:

 

Saturday, August 21, 2021

August 21 Prayer Pod

 

We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 21 Proverbs 19:11
Pray: Lord hear Your words: The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Friday, August 20, 2021

August 20 Prayer Pod

 


We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 20 Proverbs 12: 1
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

COVID-19, Governor Ron DeSantis and His Own Florida Sinkhole

FLORIDA  
WEST COAST        

Opinion by:  
E. Eugene Webb PhD
Author:
In Search Of Robin  

Governor Ron DeSantis has continued to expand his own personal version of the Florida sinkhole for the past week.

Doubling down, on his “no mandated masks” the governor continues to make national headlines as someone who openly defies the reality of science and the practicality of protecting Florida’s children.

Check out this article from The New York Times By Patricia Mazzei: As Covid Surges in Florida, DeSantis Refuses to Change Course.

Governor DeSantis and the Florida Board of Education have thrown local County School boards into a hysterical disarray of poor choices, bad decision making, political intrigue, and protecting themselves and their district’s revenue flow by threatening everything from withholding funding to withholding salaries of school board members and school district administrators.

In many ways, this could look like a schoolyard fight between a couple of groups of children who just genuinely don't like each other but, in this case, there is so much more at stake.

The scientific and medical facts that this pandemic is spreading rapidly through schools, including both students and staff is a documented reality.

Still, mostly for political purposes, I believe, the governor and his resident pet in kind, Richard Cochran, continue to use the Florida public educational system as a political football to curry favor with the anti-vaxers and the conservatives on the far right.

In general, I don't have a lot of really good things to say about most school boards in Florida, the way they are run, and the way they are used for political purposes.

In this case, the school boards, and their leadership, both political and hired, face a dilemma that they really shouldn't be dealing with. And it's not necessarily just COVID-19.

DeSantis has threatened them all personally. He threatened to take away their pay; he threatened to take away their jobs, and he's threatened to hold them accountable. And they're not really sure what “accountable” means.

Lost in all of this are the kids. There are those that would be just perfectly happy to go to school, wear their mask, get their education, go home at night, do their studies, and act like kids normally act. Then there are some, probably most notably the children of those you see on television screaming about you can't force my kid to wear a mask, who want to openly challenge the school board and educational administration system over something that borders on insane.

For years, there have been dress codes, in many cases uniforms, and many other rules and restrictions implied and imposed by the educational system to further the educational environment.

It seems almost impossible to believe that these people consider their little darlings so sensitive that wearing a mask will somehow affect their ability to learn and their psyche as human beings.

What most of these children are going to look back and finally figure out is that their parents, we're idiots.

They would propose to put at risk everybody else in the educational system for the sheer benefit of their child to sit in their seat no mask, grinning defiantly at their teacher.

All of this we owe to the governor of the state of Florida: Ron DeSantis.

The governor opened this sinkhole, and he keeps digging it bigger and deeper. We can only hope it finally swallows him up.

E-mail Doc at mail to: dr.gwebb@yahoo.com or send me a Facebook (E. Eugene Webb) Friend request. Like or share on Facebook and follow me on TWITTER  @DOC ON THE BAY.

See Doc's Photo Gallery at Bay Post Photos.  

Disclosures: