Is That a Choice You Want To Make?

 

September 7 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 7 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.

      
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"Help a Brother Out" – FL Groups Rally to Resettle Afghan Refugees

Florida News Connection

By: Trimmel Gomes September 3, 2021

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Organizations providing relief support for Afghan refugees say more people can help by simply taking time to learn about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Groups like Catholic Charities Jacksonville are preparing to handle a surge of over 150 Afghan refugees, who'll need basics like food, housing and jobs as they begin their new lives in the community in the next few months.

Matt Schmitt, associate director for the group, said at the same time, he has been trying to help clear up some misunderstandings that stem, in part, from the name of the effort: the Afghan Parolee Support Program.

"People are worried that the refugees that are coming from Afghanistan are a security threat," Schmitt explained. "They're concerned that the term 'parolee,' by the way, it sounds like someone who's been released from jail or from prison, and that is the farthest from the truth."

Schmitt explained the terms are used by the federal government as subcategories for refugees, such as someone on a Special Immigrant Visa, a 'parolee' or 'asylee,' and they have no connection to the criminal justice system. He added all refugees will be completely vetted through the U.S. State Department before being sent to resettlement areas like Jacksonville.

Schmitt urged people to do more research, by visiting his organization's website or searching online for the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Department of State, and other sources to keep up with what's going on.

"And then after that, feel free to get involved," Schmitt emphasized. "We're doing humanitarian work. If you were in this situation, wouldn't you like to have someone reach out, you know? It's 'help a brother out,' that's what I've been saying lately, help a brother out."

Schmitt pointed out the Catholic Charities of Jacksonville website has information about how to help. They need gently used furniture and household items. People can also volunteer their time, or donate money and specify that it go directly to resettlement efforts.

The State Department named Jacksonville among the top 19 "welcoming cities" for refugees, but organizations in other parts of the state also are gearing up to help with resettlement.

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. 

September 6 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 6 Isaiah 44:22
Pray: Lord hear Your words: I have blotted out, like I thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed 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   

September 5 Prayer Pod

 

September 5 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 5 John 14:2
Pray: Lord hear Your words: In my father's house are many mansions; If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for 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 

End Times or Just Coincidences

FLORIDA 
WEST COAST        

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

Events in the last two years have been truly startling.

There was the election fiasco, which nearly tore our country apart and has created continuing deep political divides. Then there was the onset of the COVID-19 virus. Over politicized, downplayed, mismanaged, and as we watched the world became engulfed in a viral pandemic.

Then there was the 2nd wave of the COVID virus called the delta variant. Once again, over politicized, downplayed, mismanaged, and as we are watching The United States and much of the rest of the world is becoming completely engulfed by yet another version of this invasive virus.

Then, we have recently experienced the complete collapse and downfall of the government in Afghanistan which the United States spent billions of dollars creating, arming, equipping, and propping up and all of this occurred in just a little over 30 days.

The minister in our church recently asked an interesting question. He posed the question, what is God trying to tell us? You might be more comfortable with the question: What is the world trying to tell us?

But certainly, something is trying to tell us something.

What fascinates me about all that we've seen in the last 30 months is not so much the magnitude of the disasters Covid-19, fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, governments collapsing, it's the rate at which these things are occurring. Despite all of our knowledge, technology, and military capacity, we don't seem to be able to affect the rate at which these events occur.

Usually in world events, there is a rhythm or a cadence to the things that occur on a global basis and history often provides us a glimpse into the future as we compare current events with past events. Such does not seem to be completely applicable in the season that we're currently in.

It's hard to get your head around a flu-like virus that can completely shut the world's economy down in a few short months. It's equally hard to get your head around the politicization of such a sequence of events and how that politicization has worked in favor of spreading the virus.

It's difficult to believe in today's modern world with all our technology, ability to gather information, that a government can fall completely in just over 30 days after spending 20 years establishing itself.

In science, and mathematics we often look past the event and put more attention on the rate at which it happens.

For example, massive events that play out over a longer period of time are much easier to manage and cope with than events that are catastrophic and occur with a moment's notice and are complete in a short period of time.

The rate of occurrence of disastrous consequences is increasing despite our best efforts.

One thing is for certain, if we haven't learned anything else in the last three years, or so we should begin to understand that as humans, we're not in complete control of what happens on this planet.

Most of us have seen the cartoon with the guy carrying a sandwich board over his shoulders, a Bible in his hand and the sign says, “The end is near.”

Maybe, maybe not.

If you'd like a biblical perspective let me point you to two books in the Bible. The first one is Daniel in the Old Testament, and the second is revelations the last book in the New Testament.

Further exacerbating all of this is  a growing lack of faith and an increasing level of distrust in our fellow human beings. There are a lot of people who would like to draw the lines of this distrust along ethnicity, skin color, or other differences but the fact of the matter is a lot of us just don't trust each other regardless of those issues.

And are growing distrust of government at all levels from the school board to the White House isn't helping much at all.

I didn't come to this Post with an answer, or even a suggestion for that matter. I'm merely raising the issue that the rate at which things are beginning to decay in our country and worldwide is a cause for major concern.

Sooner or later, some country, despot, or other individual is going to figure out how to take advantage of all of this, and I'm confident the results of that event will be truly catastrophic.

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.

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