The United States Supreme Court sided with former football Coach Joe Kennedy who argued that the Bremerton School District in Washington state violated his religious freedom by telling him he couldn’t pray on the field after games.
The First Amendment case concerned prayer on the 50’yard line. The Court says the school district violated the coaches free speech and free exercise of rights when it barred him from on the field after games.
In October 2021, U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on The Constitution, and James Lankford (R-Okla.) filed an amicus brief signed by 11 other Senators and 14 Representatives in support of Kennedy in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District.
The brief asked the Supreme Court to reverse the Ninth Circuit’s decision that allowed Coach Kennedy to be fired for silently kneeling and praying after school football games.
U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) is co-leading the brief for the House.
The attorney generals of Alaska, Arizona and Texas led a 23-state coalition defending religious liberty for the coach who was unjustly fired for praying after games.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Coach Joseph Kennedy’s religious discrimination claim against the school district, saying that because Coach Kennedy prayed in view of students, his prayers are considered government speech that the district can censor.
The coalition urged the Supreme Court to review and reverse that decision because of the serious First Amendment concerns it raises.
“The Ninth Circuit’s conclusion threatens to make everything a public employee does while on the clock into government speech,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said. “In turn, that would require public employers to control their employees’ every word in order to avoid liability.”
“Americans do not abandon their religious liberties at the door of their workplace,” Arizona AG Mark Brnovich said in a statement. “Especially at this moment in our country’s history, it is imperative that heavy-handed government be restrained from trampling on our rights to personal expression as recognized and protected by the First Amendment.”
The Ninth Circuit’s decision curtails the First Amendment liberties of public employees, which will deter individuals from seeking public employment to avoid being forced to give up their constitutionally protected liberties.
Senate co-signers included Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), and John Thune (R-S.D.).
Being a registered nurse for 40 years, as soon as we heard about the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I did extensive research to find the right foods and supplements for Jack and me to fight it. (Shown at the bottom of this article).
Both of us agreed we would not be taking any so-called experimental vaccines that were rushed into development and not adequately proven.
We elected to support our God-given immune systems by modifying our vitamin, mineral, and food intake instead.
Hard to get.
Hydroxychloroquine, which has been around since 1946, has been used to treat autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, in addition to malaria and other conditions.
The more research I did, talking with and learning from physicans, nurses and researchers, I decided on a regimen for Jack and me.
Let me just say, we have taken road trips through Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada and Colorado since June 2020. These were during so-called “lockdowns.”
Some of the crowds we’ve been in included Graceland, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, D.C., Ark Encounter, Branson, Royal Gorge, Sea World, various zoos, museums and theaters.
We have relatives that had COVID, some twice, even after taking the jab. We know more people who have died from COVID and some after being recently inoculated. We also know many nurses and even doctors who refuse to take the shots. We are respectful to any individual for whatever their choice is, but we refuse to be used as guinea pigs for their harmful gene therapy injections.
We are not fond of wearing masks, but out of respect for others, we do so only in medical offices, hospitals, and businesses that require it (usually we go somewhere else).
We know our body wears out over time, but why? Exactly what drives this process that slowly robs us of our health and vigor?
Our body ages because our cells become damaged, and our body can’t repair them fast enough. There are many different reasons for this damage, and scientists don’t agree on which one is the main cause. But most agree on this: The long term effect of this wear and tear on the cells in our tissues is the main factor in aging.
This gradual damage reduces the number of brain cells we have, allows some of the cells in our body to become cancerous, destroys the part of our cells that produces energy, limits blood flow by clogging our arteries, and weakens our heart.
Free Radicals
In the mid 1950s, Denham Harman was toiling in a science lab at the University of Nebraska. His hard work paid off when he proposed the free radical theory of aging. His name is famous in the research world, and the free radical theory is more widely accepted today than any other in the scientific and medical communities.
Take a deep breath. Feel refreshed?. As you breathe, you take in invigorating oxygen; it also produces chemicals called free radicals. These free radicals are molecules that are unstable because they lack an electron. They travel through your body like a band of pickpockets, trying to steal electrons from healthy cells. When they succeed, they leave the cell irreversibly damaged.
One damaged cell will not usually cause your body much distress. But over time, lots of these pickpocket molecules can cause so much damage that your body becomes weak and more likely to fall prey to cancer and heart disease. This cell damage is called oxidation, and it is similar to the oxidation of metal that produces rust.
Don’t feel betrayed by your body because it creates these roving thieves. Luckily, your body also produces antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants fight oxidation by combining with free radicals to form a harmless substance or by contributing an electron to the free radical, making it stable. However, when free radical levels get too high, these protective processes can’t keep up.
Cigarette smoke, pollution, radiation, stress, excessive sun exposure, and other factors can increase your level of free radicals, causing you to use up your store of antioxidants more quickly. In addition, as you get older, your body’s production of antioxidants slows down, allowing free radicals to damage more and more of your cells.
How can you stop free radicals from slowly taking over your body, overpowering and outnumbering your antioxidant protectors?
You can help your body manufacture antioxidants like glutathione, and you can get other antioxidants, like vitamins E and C, from your diet. As far as protecting ourselves from COVID-19, here is the well researched regimen we’ve successfully used since early March 2020.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Health information articles provide general health information and are not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment by a physician or other health professionals. We advise you to contact a health care professional with any questions or concerns about specific health care needs.
OUR ANTI-COVID REGIMEN
Today we eat a low sodium (under 2,000 mgs a day) diet. We emphasize more vegetables and fruit, and smaller entrees of meat, chicken, seafood, etc. We do prefer chicken (not fried) over meat.
🔹The #1 thing we take every evening is zinc with tonic water. It’s the closest thing to hydroxychloroquine that we know of. It’s inexpensive and doesn’t require a prescription.
🔹Tonic water contains quinine, which has been used for centuries to treat malaria. Chloroquine is a relative of quinine — both are extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree. Quinine has been around for centuries, discovered by Peruvian natives in the 1820s.
There are a few reasons why quinine and chloroquine work as an anti-viral. First they can change the pH in the cells, making them more alkaline (thus impairing virus’s ability to replicate).
Second, quinine and chloroquine help bring otherwise bio-unavailable zinc into your cells, and the zinc inhibits the virus’s ability to replicate inside your cells.
🔹Sunlight (vitamin D) also minimizes the effects of viruses. A 2020 study found that people with lower levels of vitamin D were more likely to die from coronavirus.
🔹Vitamin C is used to help our God-given immune systems fight off any viruses we come in contact with. We take Emergen-C containing 1000 mg of Vitamin C as well as B Vitamins and other antioxidants.
🔹We also take a proprietary blend of CoQ-10, Citicoline, and refined fish oil.
🔹In addition, we consume Green Pasture Products such as fermented Cod Liver Oil along with their Concentrated Butter Oil.
Concentrated Butter Oil is made from milk produced by rapidly growing greengrass fed cows. It is extracted and concentrated through centrifugation. The speed of grass growth, timing of grazing, species of grass, climate, and extraction method are all-important factors in making real Concentrated Butter Oil.
Their blend contains naturally occurring Vitamins A and D. It’s a natural source of Omega Fatty Acids.
🔹This cod liver oil is so good for your heart, brain and joints. I’ve tried many brands over the years (as a former national champion volleyball player) and Green Pasture helped me in just a matter of days like no other.
🔹Things are not as they appear, but God looks at the heart.It’s in the Bible, 1 Samuel 16:7, NKJV. “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
🔹God has made each heart unique.It’s in the Bible, Psalm 33:15, NKJV. “He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.”
🔹Where is God when our hearts are broken?It’s in the Bible, Psalm 34:18, NKJV. “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”
🔹Even when we think we can’t go on, God can be our strength.It’s in the Bible, Psalm 73: 26, NKJV. “My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
🔹Is there anybody we can trust?It’s in the Bible, Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
🔹What about when everyone says to just trust my heart?It’s in the Bible, Jeremiah 17:9, NKJV. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?”
🔹The Bible can cut deep to show the truth about our hearts.It’s in the Bible, Hebrews 4:12, NKJV. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
🔹What kind of heart is needed to see God?It’s in the Bible, Matthew 5:8, NKJV. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
🔹How can my heart be purified? By faith in God.It’s in the Bible, Acts 15:9, NKJV. “and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”
🔹How do I find God?It’s in the Bible, Deuteronomy 4:29, NKJV. “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
🔹How can I be saved?It’s in the Bible, Romans 10:9-10, NKJV. “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
🔹If we let God show us the sins in our heart, He can lead us into everlasting life.It’s in the Bible, Psalm 139:23-24, NKJV. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
🔹Is there anything I can give to God? God only asks for a broken spirit and sorry heart.It’s in the Bible, Psalm 51:17, NKJV. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart— these, O God, You will not despise.”
🔹My heart is full of darkness, can God still save me?It’s in the Bible, 1 John 3:20, NKJV. “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.”
🔹What happens if we do not follow and hear the Holy Spirit?It’s in the Bible, Hebrews 3:7-8, NKJV. “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness’”
🔹What if my heart is too hardened?God promises He can give us a new heart.It’s in the Bible, Ezekiel 36:26, NKJV. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
🔹We need to want God to create a clean heart in us. It’s in the Bible, Psalm 51:10, NKJV. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
🔹What can we put into our hearts to help us day by day?It’s in the Bible, Psalm 119:11, NKJV. “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”
🔹God promises He will write His law on our hearts and minds.It’s in the Bible, Hebrews 10:16-17 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
🔹God wants to give us the deepest desires of our hearts, if we will trust Him.It’s in the Bible, Psalm 37:4-5, NKJV. “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”
🔹Christ can fill the thirsty heart and overflow from it.It’s in the Bible, John 7:38, NKJV. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
🔹Guard what you let into your heart, because it is the source of all you do.It’s in the Bible, Proverbs 4:23, NIV. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
🔹The things people say are good signs of what is in their hearts.It’s in the Bible, Luke 6:45, NKJV. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
There is a reason that The Andy Griffith Show, of the 1960s, remains in the list of Top Ten Classic TV Shows of All Time.
Sheriff Andy Taylor (Griffith), his son Opie (Ron Howard), Deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts) and a host of others from Mayberry, North Carolina provided great life lessons with both humor and sometimes drama.
One notable episode focused in on the importance of parenting when outside influences come in to disrupt. It’s a wonderful lesson even today.
The episode, “Opies Hobo Friend,” aired on November 13, 1961:
🔹Deputy Barney remains determined to round up what he is convinced is a Chicago gang on the lam.
🔹A life lesson appears in learning how to tell good from bad.
🔹Andy makes certain that Opie learns that lesson.
🔹Earl Hagen’s evocative theme played on harmonica that captures the slowed-paced and seemingly innocence of small-town America just when the post-war 50s were giving way to the New Frontier of the 60s.
🔹Buddy Ebsen (the original Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz” 1939 movie, before he became ill from the silver body paint), played the guest star role as hobo David Browne. He is dressed just a shade better here than he is when “The Beverly Hillbillies” television program starts its run the following year.
Deputy Barney tells his boss, “Oh, Andy, everything’s breakin’ loose. First, Mrs. Tillman has an apple pie stolen from her window. Now, Jess Crawford just reported a chicken thief. It’s a regular reign of terror!”
David Browne, a hobo, appears in Mayberry and befriends Opie. It becomes obvious that Andy must put away the welcome mat when the likable drifter starts putting Artful Dodger-ish notions into Opie’s head.
David Browne: You know, I’ve grown awful fond of that young fellow. What’s wrong?
Andy Taylor: Well, there seems to be something wrong with his thinkin’. He’s gotten a little twisted on things lately, like bein’ able to tell the difference between right and wrong.
David Browne: Oh.
Andy Taylor: Not that that’s an easy thing. A lot of grownups still strugglin’ with that same problem, but ‘specially difficult for a youngster, ’cause things rub off on ’em so easy.
David Browne: Well, Sheriff, maybe I do look at things differently than other people. Is that wrong? I live by my wits. I’m not above bending the law now and then to keep clothes on my back or food in my stomach. I live the kind of life that other people would just love to live if they only had the courage. Who’s to say that the boy would be happier your way or mine? Why not let him decide?
Andy Taylor: Nah, I’m afraid it don’t work that way. You can’t let a young ‘un decide for himself. He’ll grab at the first flashy thing with shiny ribbons on it, then when he finds out there’s a hook in it, it’s too late. The wrong ideas come packaged with so much glitter it’s hard to convince him that other things might be better in the long run, and all a parent can do is say, “Wait. Trust me,” and try to keep temptation away.
Somehow, along the way, we have lost this basic truth. As parents, we must protect our children from harmful indoctrination and propaganda. Too many people are more concerned about being their child’s friend, than in being a parent.
It’s in the Bible, John 14:2-3, NIV. “There are many homes up there where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming. When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with me where I am.”
Heaven is beyond our comprehension. It’s in the Bible, I Corinthians 2:9, NIV. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
How did Isaiah describe heaven? It’s in the Bible, Isaiah 65:21-23, NIV. “They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; My chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them.”
Peace will pervade even the animal kingdom. It’s in the Bible, Isaiah 65:25, NIV. “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy in all My holy mountain.”
The handicapped will be healed. It’s in the Bible, Isaiah 35:5-6, NIV. “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb shout for joy.”
God will live with His people and there will be an end to death, crying, and pain. It’s in the Bible, Revelation 21:3-4, NIV. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”
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Prayer is speaking with God. It’s in the Bible, Jeremiah 33:3, NKJV. “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
Did Jesus pray? Yes, often. It’s in the Bible, Luke 5:16, NKJV. “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.”
Jesus often rose early to pray. It’s in the Bible, Mark 1:35, NKJV. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.”
What do I pray for? Our needs, our joys, our sorrows, our cares, and our fears – everything. It’s in the Bible, Philippians 4:6, NKJV. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
Jesus understands all our needs as a close friend – He’s been there. It’s in the Bible, Hebrews 4:15, NKJV. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
God is very willing to hear and answer our prayers. It’s in the Bible, Mathew 7:11, NKJV. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
Prayers are not magic. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 6:7-8, NKJV. “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”
How often should I pray? It’s in the Bible, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, NKJV. “Pray without ceasing.”
If we ask, God will answer. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 7:7-8, NKJV. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
Our motive for prayers needs to be in the right place. It’s in the Bible, James 4:3, NKJV. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
If we cling to any known sin, the Lord will not hear us. It’s in the Bible, Psalm 66:18, NKJV. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”
It’s in the Bible, Proverbs 28:9, NKJV. “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.”
What should I do if I don’t know what to do? Pray for wisdom. It’s in the Bible, James 1:5, CEV. “If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking.”
God can only get through to us, when we are willing to listen.It’s in the Bible, 2 Chronicles 7:14, NKJV. “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
We should have a spirit of love and forgiveness in our hearts when we come to God. It’s in the Bible, Mark 11:25, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”
We are to pray in the name of Jesus – and in His mind and spirit. It’s in the Bible, John 14:13-14, NKJV. “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
When we pray, we must have faith and believe that God will hear and answer our prayers. It’s in the Bible, James 1:6-8, NKJV. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
Don’t give up! God won’t fail to answer your prayers – the failure only comes if we don’t persevere in prayer. It’s in the Bible, Luke 18:1, NKJV. “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.”
Sometimes God answers our prayers even before we ask Him. It’s in the Bible, Isaiah 65:24, NKJV. “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.”
Sometimes God says “No” to our prayer requests. It’s in the Bible, 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, NIV. “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Sometimes God answers our prayer by saying, “Wait awhile.” It’s in the Bible, Psalm 46:10, NKJV. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
There is no limit to God’s ability to help! It’s in the Bible, Ephesians 3:20, NKJV. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”
What if I don’t know how or what to pray about? The Spirit will lead you. It’s in the Bible, Romans 8:26-27, NKJV. “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
When our prayers are God’s will, we can have confidence He has answered. It’s in the Bible, 1 John 5:14-15, NKJV. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
Can I pray and wait for God to handle everything? Prayer and faith do not replace what you can do of your own efforts. It’s in the Bible, James 2:18, NKJV. “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
What does praying look like? It’s in the Bible, Matthew 6:9-11, NKJV. “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Don’t forget to give thanks to God. It’s in the Bible, Colossians 4:2, NKJV. “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”
God gave up the best there was in Jesus, He will not withhold anything good from us. It’s in the Bible, Romans 8:32, NKJV. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
I need help, what can I do? It’s in the Bible, Jeremiah 33:3, NKJV. “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
At any moment, no matter the circumstances, God is there to help. It’s in the Bible, Psalms 46:1-3, NKJV. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.
Helping one another is an important part of Christian living. It’s in the Bible, Galatians 6:2, NIV. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
We should help each other, and not take advantage of those in need. It’s in the Bible, Leviticus 25:35, NKJV. “If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you.”
Don’t avoid helping others. It’s in the Bible, Deuteronomy 22:4, NKJV. “You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fall down along the road, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely help him lift them up again.”
Help comes from God, who never sleeps. It’s in the Bible, Psalms 121:1-4, NKJV. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills— from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”
God knows all your struggles, He can give you the help you need. It’s in the Bible, Hebrews 4:15-16, NKJV. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
What if I don’t know how to pray? The Holy Spirit helps us with our prayers. It’s in the Bible, Romans 8:26, NKJV. “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
The Holy Spirit is our Helper. It’s in the Bible, John 14:26, NKJV. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
What if I am struggling with faith and believing God? Jesus can help us with our struggles of faith and belief. It’s in the Bible, Mark 9:23-24, NKJV. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’
God can free us from the things that are chaining us. It’s in the Bible, Psalms 107:13-14, NKJV. “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces.”
It is wise to have godly, Christian friends to help you. It’s in the Bible, Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, NKJV. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.”
Will God still help me, even if I have made a mistake? It’s in the Bible, Psalms 37:23-24, NKJV. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.”
Who can be against us? It’s in the Bible, Isaiah 50: 7-8, NKJV. “For the Lord GOD will help Me; therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed. He is near who justifies Me; who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me.”
Jesus knows it all–every sorrow, every grief; He will not leave you to sink, for His arms are beneath you. It’s in the Bible, Deuteronomy 33:26-27, NKJV. “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, and in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’
Make ways to remember times when Jesus helped you in your times of need. It’s in the Bible, 1 Samuel 7:12, NKJV. “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
Formal schools and homeschooling may both be good education systems, however more parents are recognizing the advantages for their children attending non-government run schools.
🔹In the spring of 2019 there were about 2.5 million homeschool students in grades K-12 in the United States.
🔹The homeschool population is continuing to grow (at an estimated 2% to 8% per annum over the past few years).
🔹By March 2022, there were an estimated 5.1 million homeschool students in grades K-12 in the United States. This represented about 9% of school-age children.
Linda C., a 28 year-old mother of two elementary age children in central Texas, recently decided after the 2021-22 school year to make changes. Her husband, Javier and she have elected to join a growing group of families in their area to homeschool “beginning immediately.”
“With so much politics, indoctrination and questions about curriculum–like critical race theory and teaching sex education to 6 year olds–we are happy with our decision to homeschool,” Linda said.
“We waited for the school term to be over to make this move,” Javier explained. “We believe in prayer. These schools may teach basics like math, reading, writing and stuff, but the soft skills of manners, getting along and figuring out things for yourself is important.”
In their research, the couple found “the homeschool opportunities are endless,” Linda continued. “We have a wonderful library, the internet is rich with information and curriculum. There are opportunities to learn from field trips. The local farmers, ranchers, the emergency management services, are some that came to mind.
Other parents they have talked with point out that for them, “homeschooling is more flexible in educating, especially soft skills,” Linda continued. “Because there are so many kinds of soft skills it takes time to learn them then teach them gradually. We’re talking about things like time management, team work, communication, leadership, critical thinking, decision making.”
“Homeschooling, by its very nature, teaches soft skills,” says Laura Young, a Christian homeschool teacher who has former students now homeschooling children. “Students learn time management when they aren’t restricted to certain class periods, but still need to finish their work by the deadline.”
They learn “teamwork when they finish a household project together (such as making dinner), communication through being part of the family and learning to get along, leadership when they are placed in charge of a project, critical thinking through everyday life that isn’t planned in advance, same with decision making,” she expressed.
“All these things are an important part of why homeschooling is superior to any other method. And the beauty of it is that these skills are taught organically through doing life together instead of artificially using workbooks.”
Research on homeschooling show that the home-educated are doing well, typically above average, on measures of social, emotional, and psychological development.
According to National Home Education Research Institute, measures include peer interaction, self-concept, leadership skills, family cohesion, participation in community service, and self-esteem.
The most common reasons given for homeschooling is to provide a safer environment for children and youth, because of physical violence, drugs and alcohol, psychological abuse, racism, and improper and unhealthy sexuality associated with institutional schools.
Other reasons given for homeschooling include:
customize or individualize the curriculum and learning environment for each child,
accomplish more academically than in schools,
use pedagogical approaches other than those typical in institutional schools,
enhance family relationships between children and parents and among siblings,
provide guided and reasoned social interactions with youthful peers and adults,
provide a safer environment for children and youth, because of physical violence, drugs and alcohol, psychological abuse, racism, and improper and unhealthy sexuality associated with institutional schools, and
as an alternative education approach when public or private institutional schools are closed due to acute health situations such as related to disease (e.g., Covid-19, Coronavirus)
protect minority children from racism in public schools or lower expectations of children of color (e.g., black) (e.g., Fields-Smith, 2020; Mazama & Lundy, 2012).
teach and impart a particular set of values, beliefs, and worldview to children and youth.
The home-educated typically score higher on SATs and ACT than their public-school counterparts. Homeschool students are increasingly being actively recruited by colleges.
Homeschool students score above average on achievement tests regardless of their parents’ level of formal education or their family’s household income.
Whether homeschool parents were ever certified teachers is not related to their children’s academic achievement.
Degree of state control and regulation of homeschooling is not related to academic achievement.
Home-educated students typically score above average on the SAT and ACT tests that colleges consider for admissions.
Homeschool students are increasingly being actively recruited by colleges.
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Sleep is an essential to life and our wellbeing. A lack of good quality sleep can have serious negative impact on our physical and mental health. Here’s some wise tips on how to get some quality sleep.
1. Put your phone down
Our phones, tablets and computers emit blue light which tricks our body into thinking it’s daytime. This causes a reduction in the hormone melatonin, which relaxes us and allows us to fall into a deep sleep. Try to avoid screens at least a half hour before bedtime and definitely do not use them in bed if you’re struggling to sleep.
2. Avoid caffeine late in the day
Caffeine can stay in our systems for several hours and therefore can keep us awake at night. Try avoiding caffeine 6 hours before bedtime to ensure your system has enough time to wind down for a good night’s sleep.
3. Exercise regularly but not before bed
Exercise has many great health benefits including sleep quality improvement. Regular exercise during the day is one of the best ways to ensure a healthy sleep routine. However for some, exercise right before bedtime can increase the body’s production of hormones such as adrenaline which may cause sleep issues if too close to bedtime.
4. Avoid alcohol
Many people believe alcohol helps them sleep. However alcohol seriously reduces the quality of your sleep. Alcohol reduces the production of melatonin which is vital to your sleep cycle. You may feel it helps you fall asleep but it is likely you will wake up feeling tired as your sleep quality will be negatively impacted.
5. Get outside during the day
Natural sunlight helps keep your circadian rhythm in check by keeping your body clock in sync with night and day.
By increasing your light exposure during the day your body will provide increased energy followed in the cycle by a relaxed brain and body at night, telling your body it is time to sleep.
6. Get into a routine
By changing your routine on weekends or even day to day throws off your circadian rhythm. If you struggle to have consistent bedtime your body will not know when it needs to wind down for the night. This will negatively impact your long term sleep health. Have a set sleep/wake cycle if you’re having difficulty sleeping.
7. Improve your environment
Invest in a comfy mattress, pillow and create a relaxing bedroom environment. Improving comfort will reduce aches and pains and provide a better night’s sleep. You can also use black out blinds/curtains and reduce external noise to help you relax.
Associate your bedroom with sleep and being relaxed. If your work computer is in your bedroom you may not feel relaxed when in that environment, which could affect sleep. Leaving a TV on overnight in your bedroom will also prevent you from getting much needed restorative sleep.
8. Don’t eat late at night
Eating a large meal late at night can negatively impact the release of melatonin and HGH which help you get a quality night’s sleep.
It is also worth mentioning a healthy diet will help improve your sleep on the whole.
9. Get the temperature right
Being too hot or cold can prevent you from falling asleep or having a quality sleep. Try to get the room to around 68° for an optimal sleep temperature.
10. Relax
Try to incorporate relaxation into your bedtime routine. Things such as reading a book, taking a bath, breathing techniques or getting a massage can help you wind down and reduce your stress/ adrenaline levels before bed.
Why is there hell? God’s original intent and purpose for hell was for the devil and his angels, not for human beings. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 25:41, NKJV. “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’”
Are there wicked people burning in hell right now? No, God holds back until the day of judgment. It’s in the Bible, 2 Peter 2:9, NKJV. “then the Lord knows how to…reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.”
When will the wicked be destroyed in hellfire? At the end of this age. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 13:39-40, NKJV. “The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.”
What is the end result of sin? The wages of sin is death, not continual punishing. It’s in the Bible, Romans 6:23, NKJV. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The wicked have not yet been rewarded – not until Jesus comes again. It’s in the Bible, Revelation 22:12, NKJV. “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”
Those who do not believe in Christ perish. The opposite of everlasting life and existence is death, or ceasing to exist. It’s in the Bible, John 3:16, NKJV. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Does God burn sinners into the ceaseless ages? The wicked do not burn forever. It’s in the Bible, Psalm 37:20, NIV. “But the wicked will perish: The Lord’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke.”
The unchanging sinners will be burned up and nothing will remain, just ashes. It’s in the Bible, Malachi 4:1,3 NKJV. “‘For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘That will leave them neither root nor branch…You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
How does the Bible describe the destruction of the wicked? The Bible describes an utter and complete end. It’s in the Bible:
Psalm 21:9, NKJV. “You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger; the LORD shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them.”
Psalm 37:10, NKJV. “For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more.”
Isaiah 1:28, KJV, “And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.”
Obadiah 1:16, NKJV. “For as you drank on My holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually; yes, they shall drink, and swallow, and they shall be as though they had never been.”
The idea of people being tormented eternally contradicts God’s promise of putting a complete end to pain. It’s in the Bible, Nahum 1:9, KJV. “What do ye imagine against the LORD? He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.”
With a long, overdue message to a university professor…
Texas State University in San Marcos, between Austin and San Antonio, was known as Southwest Texas University during the summer of 1976. Barely beginning my junior year, a significant paradigm challenge and among the first major attempts at indoctrination took place in a Flowers Hall Sociology class.
SWTSU
Sewell Park ’76
Flowers Hall
Jack Dennis ’76
Old Main, TX State
“Is God so powerful, that He can create a rock so heavy even he can not lift it up over His head?” our professor asked the class.
Several classmates attempted to answer but were torn into by the professor’s stern logic.
I took a moment to bow my head.
A girl in the desk to my left, did the same. Several others also followed.
“Oh, come on now, please spare me,” he theatrically clinched his two fists together and began shaking them below his waste. “What do you believe? Did your Jesus, your God, shake himself like this and spew out a universe?”
The girl next to me picked up her belongings and walked out into the hallway. He slammed the door behind her.
“Any of you children, still sucking your momma’s teats, after this had better get out now and prepare to drop out for good.”
Flowers Hall entrance
A few students walked out and politely closed the door behind themselves.
He turned to us and sarcastically asked, “So how does this Jesus purport to be the almighty God anyway? When he prays to God is He praying to himself?”
Of course, gullible as some of us were, none of us had the knowledge and ability to debate him. The professor’s word was the final discussion and ruling on the subject. I’m guessing he voted for William Jefferson Clinton later that year, and if still around, voted for Joe Biden and the likes of Beto O’Rourke in 2020.
Decades later, I know the answer to the mad professor’s question.
How could the prayer of Jesus to the Father be the same as us praying to the Father when he demonstrated to us that he himself answers our prayers in John 14:13?
WHATEVER YOU ASK IN MY NAME, THIS I WILL DO, THAT THE FATHER MAY BE GLORIFIED IN THE SON.
John 14:13
Now if we took the professor’s meaning of prayer, we were limited in our ability to debate him. His term for “pray” really just means a human speaking to God. Of course, this wouldn’t make sense because Jesus himself says He answers our prayers. So if Jesus can answer our prayers, He couldn’t be just human.
The fact that He can answer the prayers of humans, yet prayed Himself, shows both that HE IS GOD and that His prayer to the Father is of a different nature than ours.
A human being can’t both answer human prayers and pray to the Father as a human being. Either he can’t answer prayers (but He can), or His prayer is not just a human-to-God interaction. So the fact that Jesus can answer prayers proves that He is God while also being able to talk with other persons in the Godhead.
Along the years, I read this statement when studying the Bible:
“that will I do; he does not say, that he would be a Mediator between God, and them, an advocate with the Father for them, and would intercede, and use his interest with him that it might be done, which would have been saying much, and all which he does; but he declares he will do it himself, which is a proof of his deity, and an instance of his omnipotence.”
Jesus’ prayer does not negate his Deity
🔹The word pray does not always have to mean a communication between God and Man.
🔹Jesus used the term “pray” as being a dialogue between two individuals of the same essence.
🔹One of the methods of instruction employed by Christ was leading by example. Hence if Jesus prayed, then all the more should we.
🔹If Christ prayed to the Father in like manner to our appeals and requests to God , then it wouldn’t make any sense because Jesus said that He, himself, could answer our prayers.
🔹If He can answer our prayers, He must not be separate from God.
🔹If He can answer our prayers, His prayer to the Father is of a different nature than our prayer to the Father.
Dear Professor, There is no contradiction between Jesus praying and the idea of Him being a member of the Trinity, (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit), the Word made flesh.
1. Meditate: the #1 brain exercise! Stress clouds your thinking, so relieve stress with meditation. It’s easy! Put on your headphones, press PLAY on your meditation music download, and let the technology put you in a meditative state.
2. Work on being ambidextrous. Brush your hair, write, use the mouse and eat/drink with the “wrong” hand.
3. When something is broken, find creative repair solutions using common objects. Make do with what you have; make repairs with odd items and ingenuity.
4. Learn to convincingly argue every side of an argument.
5. Write with the wrong hand. Write backwards with both.
6. Read upside down (the text, not you).
7. Hydrate. Water enhances the brain’s electrochemical activity – dehydration slows it!
8. Change your perspective. Turn the pictures in your home upside down for a while.
9. Doodle and draw visual solutions to problems instead of using numbers or text.
10. Mentally estimate the passage of time.
11. Listen to classical music.
12. Power nap.
13. Stop procrastinating!
14. Move and motion daily. (We don’t prefer the word ‘exercise’.)
15. Eat exceptionally well. Give your brain energy and nutrients, not fillers and chemicals from junk/processed food.
16. Solve math problems without a calculator.
17. Remember phone numbers.
18. Mix up your routine. (We dare you.)
19. Play chess – especially a prolonged email version.
20. Solve optical illusions.
21. Play brain games like crosswords or Sudoku.
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Clever Journeys 