Monday, January 31, 2022

January 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.

January 31
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.


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, January 30, 2022

January 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.

January 30
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts You


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

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Should A Supreme Court Appointment Be the Result of A Campaign Promise?


 FLORIDA  

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

President Biden’s campaign promise to appoint an African-American female to the Supreme Court was a great political ploy to garner what were probably a few votes from the African-American community and from the general female population.

Now president Biden, is faced with living up to that promise and the results of him failing to do so are more significant than the votes he might have received as a result of the promise.

Supreme Court nominees have long been part of the political process. Political ideology, right, left, centrist, have almost always played into the selection of Supreme Court nominees.

The question is should the person nominated for the Supreme Court be selected based on their race and gender? Is the best-qualified African-American female really the best qualified to be part of the Supreme Court?

Biden has backed himself into a corner and while the good news is he has some interesting candidates to choose from it is highly unlikely that any of these candidates are the best available from an experience and jurisprudence capability and perspective.

If we strive for a fair and equitable Supreme Court, compartmentalizing our available candidate pool by gender and race almost automatically eliminates the best possible candidate.

The ultimate question is simply: how can a candidate who was selected first on her ethnicity and then on her gender sit on the court and be truly unbiased?

The problem is regardless of how this Supreme Court Justice rules, there will always be lingering questions in the background about how the criterion of her selection impacts her decision making.

If the President's objective is to give women, black women and African Americans a better shake on the court, then the Supreme Court's viability is in severe jeopardy.

If the objective of the President is to look longingly at the dais and at the smiling face of his latest African American Supreme Court Justice resplendent in her robes as a role model for black women and for all women and little girls, then the President needs to reread the job description for Supreme Court Justice.

If he's looking to stoke some votes for the 2024 presidential election, he's squandering the independence of the Supreme Court for votes that will most likely be for a losing effort.

I for one, like a Supreme Court where I don't have to gauge the decision based on the race, ethnicity, or gender of those issuing the opinions. The founding fathers established a Supreme Court based on the primary assumption that the members of the court would be proficient in the law, profoundly independent, and unbiased.

That's just going to be hard to do when you were picked by the President not because of what you know, or what you've experienced, or what you've learned, but because you happen to be female and black.

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

See Doc's Photo Gallery at Bay Post Photos.  

Disclosures:

 

Saturday, January 29, 2022

January 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.

January 29 
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Psalm 119:67-68 Before I was afflicted, I win astray, but now I keep Your word. You are good, and do good: Teach me your statutes.


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, January 28, 2022

January 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.

January 28
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and he shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.


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

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Advocates Urge Additional Funding for FL Home-Care Workers

 Florida News Connection 

January 26, 2022

 

By: Trimmel Gomes

Many health-care advocates tout the benefits of home-based care rather than sending loved ones to nursing homes or other facilities. For Medicaid recipients in Florida, however, home-based care can be difficult to find because of long waiting lists and high turnover among underpaid home-care workers. There's some hope that lawmakers in Congress could agree - and pass a new, "slimmed down" version of President Joe Biden's Build Back Better plan, with $150 billion for Home and Community-based Services.

Miriam Haramatz, founder and advocacy director for the Florida Health Justice Project, said the funding needs are critical because too many people are fending for themselves.

"One of our clients had to go days without services," she said. "She is in bed after a stroke; she needs aides to come and operate a Hoyer lift. She was going virtually every weekend without any aid."

Harmatz said caregivers often are paid less than $11 an hour to provide intense, round-the-clock care while juggling other duties. She said she sees an infusion of federal funding as a way to help states take people off wait lists, increase worker pay and provide other critical services.

Amber Christ, director of Health Policy and Advocacy for the group Justice in Aging, said chronic underfunding is making it difficult for Floridians to get the proper care they need where they want to receive it - at home with loved ones.

"From an older adult perspective," she said, "this lack of investment in home- and community-based services in effect pushes older adults into nursing facilities, unnecessarily."

Democrats in Tallahassee have put forward a bill to establish a Medicaid "buy-in" program for people between ages 16 and 64 who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. They've also proposed a bill requiring the state's Social Services Estimating Conference to develop 'iBudget' enrollment and cost projections, so state economists can better track the number of folks on wait lists, which averages around 22,000. 

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.

Thursday, January 27, 2022

January 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.

January 27
Pray: Lord hear Your words: 1 Peter 4:8  And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of 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   

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

DeSantis 2024 Is Florida the Key

 

January 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.

January 26
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.


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

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

January 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.

January 25
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.


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

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Hillsborough SOE Craig Latimer's $2.9M "ZuckBucks" Issue and His Problematic Relationship With the Highly Partisan Democrat-Aligned Nonprofit CTCL

 




Tampa Florida

From: Eye On Tampa Bay
Posted by: Sharon Calvert

In September 2020 Democrat Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections (SOE) Craig Latimer took over $2.9M of "ZuckBucks". He received his "ZuckBucks" from the highly partisan Democrat activist nonprofit CTCL. There are a lot of questions that deserve answers from SOE Latimer.

Why was Latimer taking money from CTCL, a Democrat aligned organization? Why was Latimer taking private money from a billionaire Tech Oligarch who censors those he disagrees with? 

In 2020 CTCL told local election officials to report to the Censor King Tech Oligarchs ala Zuckerberg "suspicious" posts "they" considered misinformation and/or disinformation. Who knew the role of the SOE included being the social media police? Who was colluding with who?

As we posted hereCTCL was founded in 2012 by Tiana Epps-Johnson, a former election administration director for the New Organizing Institute (NOI)NOI, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit was a partisan Progressive activist organization that trained Progressive organizers and was responsible for training many of the Democratic Party's digital organizers. NOI was called "the left's think tank for campaign know-how" by the Washington Post.

CTCL states on their website "some of the organizations who have funded them over the years". These are Lefty organizations who support Democrats.


In addition, according to CTCL's previous 990's, the Tides Foundation also funds CTCL. The Tides Foundation is a Leftist organization funded by the radical Leftist billionaire George Soros. Soros has openly admitted that he is a "transactional meddler" who uses nonprofits to meddle in elections.

Did Zuckerberg become the George Soros like "transactional meddler" who meddled in our 2020 election using nonprofits?

 Zuckerberg handed almost a HALF BILLION dollars to 2 nonprofits - $350 Million to CTCL and another $70 Million to the nonprofit - Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR) who also handed out "grants". 

 CEIR also funneled millions to Democrat aligned nonprofits. According to this Breitbart article CEIR "gave $12 million in September 2020 to a Michigan nonprofit, which then funneled the money to two Democrat consulting firms...". Those firms targeted specific groups of voters and "somehow" were being notified to remove voters from their targeted messaging once they voted. 

As posted here, Latimer was the most flagrant user of "ZuckBucks" of any Florida county who received them. Very little was spent on COVID resources, none was spent on any new equipment. Latimer handed $2.6M (90%) of the $2.9M ZuckBucks he received to a local PR firm Vistra Communications

 Outsider PR firm Vistra spent the entire $2.6M on what can be described as an unethical, perhaps even illegal, SOE GOTV campaign. 

 Craig Latimer has been working with the highly partisan Democrat aligned CTCL nonprofit for years. Latimer was elected Hillsborough County SOE in 2012 and he has had a relationship with CTCL since at least 2014.

 Such relationship is a huge red flag.

 Latimer knows exactly who CTCL is - a highly partisan Democrat-aligned organization.

 Latimer and his Director of Communications Gerri Kramer, joined CTCL's youtube videos as participants in working with CTCL to create a new CTCL "Civic Engagement Toolkit". Why is the Democrat Hillsborough SOE working with a Democrat partisan nonprofit to develop any kind of "toolkit"? 

 Latimer's relationship with CTCL was under the radar of voters in Hillsborough County. 

 In April 2020, CTCL stated their 2020 election strategy priority was to push mail ballots. Mark Zuckerberg knew that. Zuckerberg's money pushed mail ballots, changes to election laws and rules that never went thru a legislative process and some very questionable activities documented in numerous states. 

 Florida Politics published a post on September 2, 2020 about the potential use of "ZuckBucks" in Florida elections. Gerri Kramer, Latimer's Director of Communications, is quoted: 

But state officials say situations may still vary from locality to locality. Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer this year serves as President of the Florida Supervisor of Elections, and his office noted, the way the grants are structured, it will be up to local elections officials whether to pursue assistance.

“That’s really a county by county question,” said Gerri Kramer, spokesperson for the office. “Since it’s a grant process, any county can apply for the money, if needed.” That won’t happen in Hillsborough. “We’re good,” she said.

On September 2, 2020 Kramer publicly and clearly stated Hillsborough County SOE did not need "ZuckBucks". Kramer admitted Hillsborough County was financially good to go for the November 2020 election and they did not need additional funds.

9 days later on September 11, 2020, Latimer submitted his grant request to CTCL for $2,932,375

10 days later on September 21, 2020, CTCL awarded Latimer a "ZuckBucks" grant in the total amount of his request $2,932,375. 

One day later on September 22, 2020, Latimer awarded a no-bid contract to local Marketing and PR firm Vistra Communications for $2.6M - almost 90% of the total "ZuckBucks" Latimer received. Vistra's contract even requested expedited payments from the SOE due to the large costs being spent in such a short period of time.

Vistra rapidly spent the entire $2.6M in the 5-6 weeks prior to the November election on a GOTV campaign to push mail ballots and target young, minority and "inactive" voters. Vistra's contract with Latimer even used the "Woke" term "LatinX" voters they were targeting. 

Vistra's Final Report submitted to Latimer after the election states their GOTV "Call to Action" successfully enabled Latimer to reach "his" objectives. Call to Action is not education or outreach rhetoric it is full mode campaign rhetoric. "Call to Action" is the campaign rhetoric of candidates, political parties, political action committees and grassroots activists. 

The role of the Supervisor of Elections (SOE) is ADMINISTRATIVE. Their role is to administer the local elections and voter registration process. The SOE is not a Public Relations or Marketing role to be used to unfairly chase specific demographics of voters. It is not the role of the SOE to chase after voters who have never voted or inactive voters.

Hillsborough SOE clearly stated September 2, 2020 they had enough funds to ADMINISTER the November election. So what changed 9 days later for the SOE to pursue almost $3M in "ZuckBucks" and spend almost all of it on a GOTV campaign?

Did Latimer see the "ZuckBucks" as a way to launch a GOTV campaign thru a third party PR firm? Latimer, selected as President of the Florida Supervisors of Elections Association in May 2020, knew he could never launch such GOTV campaign and oh so quickly with taxpayer dollars. 

Latimer and Kramer have had a relationship with CTCL for years. What communication was going on between the SOE and CTCL? 

Did CTCL contact Latimer and/or Gerri Kramer directly to pursue the grant? If Latimer knew they would get the grant they asked for, were they already orchestrating the GOTV contract with Vistra?

Latimer and/or Gerri Kramer never transparently informed the voting public about their $2.9M "ZuckBucks" grant. Hillsborough SOE never published a press release to announce the grant millions they were receiving. 

For election integrity purposes, receiving a grant of almost $3M - almost 20% of Latimer's budget for 2020 - from a private donor is certainly newsworthy. 

Why didn't the Hillsborough SOE inform the voting public about the grant? Did Latimer not want Hillsborough County voters to know he took "ZuckBucks" from a highly partisan Democrat aligned nonprofit? Did Latimer not want the voting public to know what his "ZuckBucks" was being spent on? 

Why didn't the Hillsborough SOE inform the voting public what changed in 9 days to pursue almost $3M in "ZuckBucks" from a Democrat aligned nonprofit?

Latimer provided none of the transparency required to spend tax dollars - public hearings, financial transparency, checks and balances, accountability - because he was spending outsiders "private" money....on our election activities.

Can Hillsborough voters feel "trust" and "confidence" with such disregard and lack of transparency?

We could find no local news reporting about Hillsborough SOE's "ZuckBucks" grant or how that money was spent. Why? 

The New York Times reported about the "ZuckBucks" in September 2020: 

The prospect of election administrators tapping large pools of private money has raised new legal and political questions. That is partly because it is unusual for elections to be subsidized by nongovernment funding at this level, but also because most of the cash is coming from nonprofit groups that have liberal ties, and the biggest source of the cash, Mr. Zuckerberg, has drawn fire from across the political spectrum.

The Associated Press also reported "ZuckBucks in September 2020:

The cash comes with a new set of questions about donor transparency, motivations and the influence of groups and figures that are not democratically accountable.” He also reported without objection that conservatives were concerned because of “the Democratic origins of CTCL and that its donations have predominantly been in areas where Democrats depend on votes.” [AP reporter] Nicholas Riccardi stated “I cannot believe people of such partisanship will put their partisanship aside while taking hundreds of millions of dollars and distributing it to election offices.”

But not a peep from our local media when Hillsborough SOE took the questionable "ZuckBucks" money.

Regarding Latimer's contract with Vistra, we received in writing via a public records request to the SOE: "There was no RFP. The Vistra contract was made through emails and verbal conversations." 

Handing $2.6M with zero transparency to a third party PR firm to fund a GOTV campaign is a problem.

How did Vistra get awarded the contract the day after the SOE received their "ZuckBucks" grant? Why was Vistra selected?

What communication and coordination was already occurring between Latimer and Vistra to enable a contract, apparently already created, to be signed so quickly? 

Cozy relationships between local taxpayer funded agencies and PR firms drives distrust.

What if a conservative organization such as the NRA, Heritage or Right to Life, etc. handed election officials almost a half billion dollars to fund election activities targeting specific voters? We can bet Democrats, the Tampa Bay Times and all of DNC Media would be screaming outrage. Their outrage would be headline news everyday most probably demanding the SOE must resign.

Lack of reporting by local media is a real injustice because it displays journalistic laziness, incompetence and/or the censoring of important information from voters. 

The only mention we could find by the Tampa Bay Times about "ZuckBucks" was this article published on August 8, 2021 - almost a year after the 2020 election. Their article makes generic claims that election offices are "chronically" underfunded and quotes a person from the highly partisan CTCL, not any elections official, that the "infrastructure faced unprecedented challenges" due to the pandemic.

The Times never mentions a word about any of the "ZuckBucks" handed out in Florida, including to their own local Hillsborough SOE who took $2.9M "ZuckBucks".

Why?

Well...Latimer spent his "ZuckBucks" with a sole-sourced PR firm on a GOTV campaign, not on elections "infrastructure". And...Gerri Kramer had already publicly stated Hillsborough did not need any additional funds to administer the 2020 election.  

The 2022 election year is bearing down upon us. Thankfully private funding of election activities is now banned in Florida.

But voters deserve transparency from Latimer about his $2.9M "ZuckBucks". Voters deserve to know whether Latimer is still associated with CTCL.

Voters must trust their election officials to treat EVERYONE the same and fairly and that they do not step outside the bounds of their administrative role. 

Whitney Quesenbery is on CTCL's Advisory Committee that CTCL claims is "made up of some of the most experienced, thoughtful election professionals in the United States." Quesenbery Tweeted this on November 6, 2020. How "thoughtful".


Latimer must immediately cut off his relationship with the highly Democrat partisan CTCL.

It's time to get all the who, what, where, why and how questions answered by Latimer about his "ZuckBucks" issue.

The State of Florida needs to launch a formal investigation and audit of the Hillsborough County SOE's $2.9M "ZuckBucks", the $2.6M GOTV campaign it funded and Latimer's relationship with CTCL.

Voters deserve transparency and accountability from their SOE. 

Voters deserve answers to numerous questions about Latimer's "ZuckBucks". 

Voters must be assured that Latimer has cut all ties to the highly partisan CTCL.

Because voters must have trust in the integrity of ALL actions taken by their SOE.

Posted by Sharon Calvert at 11:03 AM 

No comments:

Post a Comment

 This post is contributed by EYE ON TAMPA BAY. The views expressed in this post are the blog publisher's and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher of Bay Post Internet.

 

Cross Posted with permission from: Eye On Tampa Bay

Monday, January 24, 2022

January 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.

January 24
Pray: Lord hear Your words: James 1:2 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; Four we for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him.


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, January 23, 2022

January 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.

January 23
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Ephesians 4:26-27 Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.


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

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Hispanics – Are they becoming a Political Force to be Reckoned With? Answer YES

 

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

As the Hispanic population grows in Florida, a growing number of local and county governments are developing outreach and liaison programs.

This week Tampa mayor Jane Castor appointed Maribel Garrett as the City’s Hispanic Liaison. You can get more information from the Tampa Bay Times article  by: Juan Carlos Chavez: New Hispanic liaison is ready to help others in Tampa.

Florida's white population, now at 51% and the Black/African American population at 14.5% both declined between 2010 and 2020. There were sharp increases in the Hispanic/Latino population, now at 26.5%, Asian population at nearly 3% and multiracial, now at 4.6%.

As immigration from the Caribbean and across our southern border continues to increase, the demographic numbers in virtually all states in the United States will continue to shift.

For a look at how Florida is doing, check out this article from Florida Politics by: Scott Powers: Florida’s population growth tops in migration, immigration.

The short- and long-term implications of this dramatic demographic shift in the Florida population are not going unnoticed.

From political parties to business and marketing there are significant shifts in how organizations approach the growing Hispanic population.

On the political front, up until now, the major political parties have both treated the Hispanic population in a pleasant but often non inclusive way.

Although there have been some outreach efforts made in both the Democratic and the Republican Party regarding intra party political positions, action committees that focus on Hispanic and Latino issues, there have not necessarily been significant efforts to seek out, secure, educate, promote, and train Hispanic candidates for public office.

Given Hispanic population figures in many counties in Florida, they are significantly underrepresented on city councils, city commissions, and county commissions throughout the state.

All of this will happen as a matter of happenstance strictly based on the population growth, but it makes a great deal more sense to prepare Hispanic leadership, so they can have the necessary practical and political experience to not only run for office but serve effectively in the office they seek.

It's just simply time for the white political power structure to come to grips with the fact that the 51% of white people in Florida will not come together and coalesce to support in significant numbers an all-white political agenda of policies and candidates.

As hard as it may be for some to accept, we are rapidly becoming a new country, a new state, and a new local government. These political entities must reflect the reality of the population and the norms and values of that population as they integrate into our domestic society.

If you don't think that's true, then I would invite you to watch more closely the commercials that scroll across your TV screens. Notice the ethnic makeup of the families used in those commercials to sell everything from cars to groceries.

The marketing people have figured it out, now it's just time for you to get on board.

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 , follow me on TWITTER  @DOC ON THE BAY.

See Doc's Photo Gallery  Bay Post Photos.  

Disclosures:

Saturday, January 22, 2022

January 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.

January 22
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.


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, January 21, 2022

January 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.

January 21
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Matthew 15:19 “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murderers, adultery, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”


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

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM 

Experts Warn FL Parents about Blue-Light Exposure, Excess Screen Time

 

Florida News Connection

Originally Posted on: January 19, 2022

By: Mark Richardson

The pandemic shows no signs of ending soon, and with working from home and distance learning still a reality for many Florida households, health experts are concerned about the mental, social and physical health of children using digital devices. That includes the possible damaging effects of blue-light exposure.

Scott Edmonds, chief eye-care officer at United Healthcare, said blue light is a low-wavelength, high-energy light that can boost a person's alertness. However, doctors and researchers are concerned about the effects it can have over time.

"Research shows it's toxic to the retina," he said. "It causes the retina to change its metabolism and, over the long term, could lead to retinal damage."

Experts have said the best ways to reduce blue-light impact is to keep screens at least 30 inches away from your eyes and to use a blue-light filter or glasses. Another recommendation is the "20-20-20" rule - after 20 minutes of computer work, take 20 seconds to look at something that's 20 feet away.

Studies regarding the dangers of too much screen time find other side effects, including poor mental health and not enough physical activity. Ilana Lowery, director of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that reviews online materials aimed at kids, stresses the need for children to develop one-on-one social skills.

"When you can learn to be a critical thinker from a very young age, that sticks with you," she said. "You can't always do that when you're just watching TikTok challenges and stuff like that. When you have face time with people, you learn how to be social, you learn how to interact."

Lowery said it's important that parents who want their kids to cut down on screen time set a good example.

"It's critical, really, for families to think about how they use media as a family," she said, "and I think it's really important for parents or caregivers to model the behavior that they want their kids to have."

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.