Wednesday, August 29, 2007
More Jena 6, Less Michael Vick
If I told you that a 16 year old was charged as an adult for attempted murder after allegedly getting into a fight (along with 5 others) with another student, would you believe me?
What if the victim was knocked unconscious but was released for the hospital the same night? What if the alleged victim testified that he didn’t know who hit him first?
Well, this is precisely what happened in the Jena 6 case.
Notably, the victim is white and the members of the Jena 6 are Black.
Bloggers tend to be ahead of the curve. Changeseeker put me on to the Jena 6 petition a month or two ago. However, I wasn’t compelled to write about it ’til Gotty reminded me of how the case was being buried by Micheal Vick stories.
Jena, Louisiana is a town comprised of approximately 3000 residents, and approximately, 350 Black folks. Apparently last summer, some of the Black students asked to sit under the “white tree”. Here is the backstory:
On a late summer day in 2006, in Jena, Louisiana, a Black high school student asked permission to sit beneath the “white tree” in front of the town’s high school. It was unspoken law that this shady area was for whites only during school breaks. But a student asked, and the vice principal said nothing was stopping them. So Black students sat underneath the tree, challenging the established authority of segregation and racism. The next day, hanging from the tree, were three ropes, in school colors, each tied to make a noose.
Many folks, especially the Black parents felt that the Noose Incident should have been treated like a hate crime. The attack was brushed off as a “youthful stunt.” The three white students responsible, given only three days of in-school suspension. In response to the incident, several Black students, among them star players on the football team, staged a sit-in under the tree. The principal reacted by bringing in the white district attorney, Reed Walters, and 10 local police officers to an all-school assembly. Police officers roamed the halls of the school that week, and tensions simmered throughout the fall semester.
In November, as football season came to a close, the main school building was mysteriously burned to the ground. This traumatic event seemed to bring to the surface the boiling racial tensions in Jena.
This is the background that let up TO THE FIGHT that happend on December 6th. The following is a description of what happened prior the major Jena Six Event.
On a Friday night [Friday December 3rd,2006], Robert Bailey, a 17-year-old Black student and football player, was invited to a dance at a hall considered to be “white.” When he walked in, without warning he was punched in the face, knocked on the ground and attacked by a group of white youth. Only one of the white youth was arrested—he was ultimately given probation and asked to apologize.
The night after that, a 22-year-old white man, along with two friends, pulled a gun on Bailey and two of his friends at a local gas station. The Black youths wrestled the gun from him to prevent him from using it. They were arrested and charged with theft, and the white man went free.
The following Monday students returned to school. In the midst of a confrontation between a white student, Justin Barker, and a Black student, Robert Bailey—where Bailey was taunted for having been beaten up that weekend—a chaotic fray ensued. Barker was allegedly knocked down, punched, and kicked by a number of Black students. He was taken to the hospital for a few hours and was seen out socializing later that evening.
The six young people, including Mychal Bell were charged with attempted murder and conspiracy charges.
Many charge that DA’s handling of the case is evidence of a Jim Crow/1992/Emmit Till legal system at work.
Mychal Bell, 16, a former Jena High School football star, and five other black students had been facing the potential of up to 100 years in prison if convicted of attempted murder, conspiracy and other charges for the December beating of the white student, who was knocked unconscious but not hospitalized. The incident capped months of escalating racial tensions at the high school that began after several white youths hung nooses from a tree in the school courtyard in a taunt aimed at blacks.
There was conflicting testimony from witnesses about whether Bell was among a group of black students who allegedly jumped the victim.
There are a series of peculiarities around this case. The jury pool was entirely white, the defense rested without calling any witnesses, Bell’s parents were excluded from the courtroom Mychal has been in jail since December, unable to post $90,000 bail.
As of June 26th, the charges were reduced to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery, which together carry a maximum of 22 years in prison. Aggravated battery involves the use of a dangerous weapon, but no evidence of a gun, knife or other weapon was introduced.
As of June 26 Bell has been convicted and his case is up or appeal.
A group of Monroe defense lawyers have taken on the appeal of Mychal Bell, one of six black high school students known as the Jena six, convicted last month of beating a white fellow student.
Louis Scott, Bob Noel, Peggy Sullivan and Lee Perkins have agreed to work on Bell’s post-conviction matters in a case and trial Scott described as fraught with errors.
“Almost always when you have an unfair result, somewhere down the line you had an unfair process,” Scott said.
The fact that the May 20th Tribune report garnered the case national attention speaks to the importance of journalists and the attention that they can bring to an issue.
What if the Tribune never wrote about the Jena Six?
Peace to Howard Witt and all his journlistic del.ish.es.ness.
My question now is, where is the New York Times? Nightline? Newsweek?
What can you do to help?
1. Sign the petition at colorofchange.
2. Use this as a teaching opportunity to educate people on the importance of voting in national and local elections. DA’s are elected NOT appointed. In this case, the DA was instrumental in charging Bell as an adult, and pursing an attempted murder charge against him.
3. Send a letter to the DA and the Governor. Peep the template at the www.colorofchange.org.
===========
===========
What would you do if Bell was your son/brother/nephew?
What do the major papers have to lose by reporting on this case?
Perhaps they won’t have to, as Oprah has taken up the Jena 6 case.
Source
What if the victim was knocked unconscious but was released for the hospital the same night? What if the alleged victim testified that he didn’t know who hit him first?
Well, this is precisely what happened in the Jena 6 case.
Notably, the victim is white and the members of the Jena 6 are Black.
Bloggers tend to be ahead of the curve. Changeseeker put me on to the Jena 6 petition a month or two ago. However, I wasn’t compelled to write about it ’til Gotty reminded me of how the case was being buried by Micheal Vick stories.
Jena, Louisiana is a town comprised of approximately 3000 residents, and approximately, 350 Black folks. Apparently last summer, some of the Black students asked to sit under the “white tree”. Here is the backstory:
On a late summer day in 2006, in Jena, Louisiana, a Black high school student asked permission to sit beneath the “white tree” in front of the town’s high school. It was unspoken law that this shady area was for whites only during school breaks. But a student asked, and the vice principal said nothing was stopping them. So Black students sat underneath the tree, challenging the established authority of segregation and racism. The next day, hanging from the tree, were three ropes, in school colors, each tied to make a noose.
Many folks, especially the Black parents felt that the Noose Incident should have been treated like a hate crime. The attack was brushed off as a “youthful stunt.” The three white students responsible, given only three days of in-school suspension. In response to the incident, several Black students, among them star players on the football team, staged a sit-in under the tree. The principal reacted by bringing in the white district attorney, Reed Walters, and 10 local police officers to an all-school assembly. Police officers roamed the halls of the school that week, and tensions simmered throughout the fall semester.
In November, as football season came to a close, the main school building was mysteriously burned to the ground. This traumatic event seemed to bring to the surface the boiling racial tensions in Jena.
This is the background that let up TO THE FIGHT that happend on December 6th. The following is a description of what happened prior the major Jena Six Event.
On a Friday night [Friday December 3rd,2006], Robert Bailey, a 17-year-old Black student and football player, was invited to a dance at a hall considered to be “white.” When he walked in, without warning he was punched in the face, knocked on the ground and attacked by a group of white youth. Only one of the white youth was arrested—he was ultimately given probation and asked to apologize.
The night after that, a 22-year-old white man, along with two friends, pulled a gun on Bailey and two of his friends at a local gas station. The Black youths wrestled the gun from him to prevent him from using it. They were arrested and charged with theft, and the white man went free.
The following Monday students returned to school. In the midst of a confrontation between a white student, Justin Barker, and a Black student, Robert Bailey—where Bailey was taunted for having been beaten up that weekend—a chaotic fray ensued. Barker was allegedly knocked down, punched, and kicked by a number of Black students. He was taken to the hospital for a few hours and was seen out socializing later that evening.
The six young people, including Mychal Bell were charged with attempted murder and conspiracy charges.
Many charge that DA’s handling of the case is evidence of a Jim Crow/1992/Emmit Till legal system at work.
Mychal Bell, 16, a former Jena High School football star, and five other black students had been facing the potential of up to 100 years in prison if convicted of attempted murder, conspiracy and other charges for the December beating of the white student, who was knocked unconscious but not hospitalized. The incident capped months of escalating racial tensions at the high school that began after several white youths hung nooses from a tree in the school courtyard in a taunt aimed at blacks.
There was conflicting testimony from witnesses about whether Bell was among a group of black students who allegedly jumped the victim.
There are a series of peculiarities around this case. The jury pool was entirely white, the defense rested without calling any witnesses, Bell’s parents were excluded from the courtroom Mychal has been in jail since December, unable to post $90,000 bail.
As of June 26th, the charges were reduced to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery, which together carry a maximum of 22 years in prison. Aggravated battery involves the use of a dangerous weapon, but no evidence of a gun, knife or other weapon was introduced.
As of June 26 Bell has been convicted and his case is up or appeal.
A group of Monroe defense lawyers have taken on the appeal of Mychal Bell, one of six black high school students known as the Jena six, convicted last month of beating a white fellow student.
Louis Scott, Bob Noel, Peggy Sullivan and Lee Perkins have agreed to work on Bell’s post-conviction matters in a case and trial Scott described as fraught with errors.
“Almost always when you have an unfair result, somewhere down the line you had an unfair process,” Scott said.
The fact that the May 20th Tribune report garnered the case national attention speaks to the importance of journalists and the attention that they can bring to an issue.
What if the Tribune never wrote about the Jena Six?
Peace to Howard Witt and all his journlistic del.ish.es.ness.
My question now is, where is the New York Times? Nightline? Newsweek?
What can you do to help?
1. Sign the petition at colorofchange.
2. Use this as a teaching opportunity to educate people on the importance of voting in national and local elections. DA’s are elected NOT appointed. In this case, the DA was instrumental in charging Bell as an adult, and pursing an attempted murder charge against him.
3. Send a letter to the DA and the Governor. Peep the template at the www.colorofchange.org.
===========
===========
What would you do if Bell was your son/brother/nephew?
What do the major papers have to lose by reporting on this case?
Perhaps they won’t have to, as Oprah has taken up the Jena 6 case.
Source
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Family seeks help finding daughter
Local radio stations have teamed up with Esserman Nissan in Miami to spread the word about a missing 22-year-old woman.
BY ROBBYN MITCHELL
rmitchell@MiamiHerald.com
Sylvia Henry prepared small mountains of curry chicken and roti to encourage someone to come forward with information about her missing daughter, Stepha.
Henry, along with her husband and younger daughter, spent Monday at Esserman Nissan in Miami talking to the media and residents, taking donations and serving food to radio listeners who were drawn by the family's pleas.
''The best thing is that this will increase the reward for information,'' she said. ``That will really help because somebody out there knows something.''
So far the family and community organizations have raised $11,000.
Stepha Henry, a 22-year-old Brooklyn resident and a graduate of New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice, disappeared on May 29 after being seen at Peppers Cafe in Sunrise about 1 a.m.
During her annual Memorial Day visit to her aunt's home in Miami Gardens, she told her mother she was getting a ride from a friend's brother-in-law.
The 5-foot-2, 110-pound woman with auburn hair was picked up in a dark four-door Acura Integra that night.
That was the last time her family saw her.
Sylvia Henry left her Brooklyn home to try to find her daughter in early June and has been in South Florida since then trying to find ways to reach out to the community to aid in her search.
She did a radio interview on Cox Radio's WHQT-FM 105.1 and caught the attention of Chris Assmar, general manager of Esserman Nissan and a longtime advertiser with the radio station.
''After I heard the interview, I went and Googled Stepha and was disturbed about how little media coverage she had been given,'' Assmar said.
So he contacted the station and set up a fundraiser for reward money at the dealership, which also donated $5,000 to the Stepha Henry Fund. Esserman also vowed to donate $200 to the fund from every vehicle sold during the event.
But the main objective of the event was media coverage, to keep Stepha's name on the mind of the public.
''When Natalee Holloway went missing in Aruba, I felt like I knew her because her family was on TV every night talking about her it seemed,'' said Jerry Rushin, vice president and general manger of WEDR-FM and WHQT-FM, which co-sponsored the event. Both stations broadcast live at the dealership from 1 to 8 p.m.
''We're just trying to get that kind of exposure for Stepha,'' Rushin said. ``I've seen it a 1,000 times. Once you put the call out on the radio, the community will respond.''
''It's good to see so many different types of media in one place,'' said Steve Henry, Stepha's father. ``It should help us bring her home.''
Source
BY ROBBYN MITCHELL
rmitchell@MiamiHerald.com
Sylvia Henry prepared small mountains of curry chicken and roti to encourage someone to come forward with information about her missing daughter, Stepha.
Henry, along with her husband and younger daughter, spent Monday at Esserman Nissan in Miami talking to the media and residents, taking donations and serving food to radio listeners who were drawn by the family's pleas.
''The best thing is that this will increase the reward for information,'' she said. ``That will really help because somebody out there knows something.''
So far the family and community organizations have raised $11,000.
Stepha Henry, a 22-year-old Brooklyn resident and a graduate of New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice, disappeared on May 29 after being seen at Peppers Cafe in Sunrise about 1 a.m.
During her annual Memorial Day visit to her aunt's home in Miami Gardens, she told her mother she was getting a ride from a friend's brother-in-law.
The 5-foot-2, 110-pound woman with auburn hair was picked up in a dark four-door Acura Integra that night.
That was the last time her family saw her.
Sylvia Henry left her Brooklyn home to try to find her daughter in early June and has been in South Florida since then trying to find ways to reach out to the community to aid in her search.
She did a radio interview on Cox Radio's WHQT-FM 105.1 and caught the attention of Chris Assmar, general manager of Esserman Nissan and a longtime advertiser with the radio station.
''After I heard the interview, I went and Googled Stepha and was disturbed about how little media coverage she had been given,'' Assmar said.
So he contacted the station and set up a fundraiser for reward money at the dealership, which also donated $5,000 to the Stepha Henry Fund. Esserman also vowed to donate $200 to the fund from every vehicle sold during the event.
But the main objective of the event was media coverage, to keep Stepha's name on the mind of the public.
''When Natalee Holloway went missing in Aruba, I felt like I knew her because her family was on TV every night talking about her it seemed,'' said Jerry Rushin, vice president and general manger of WEDR-FM and WHQT-FM, which co-sponsored the event. Both stations broadcast live at the dealership from 1 to 8 p.m.
''We're just trying to get that kind of exposure for Stepha,'' Rushin said. ``I've seen it a 1,000 times. Once you put the call out on the radio, the community will respond.''
''It's good to see so many different types of media in one place,'' said Steve Henry, Stepha's father. ``It should help us bring her home.''
Source
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
An Anxious Heart
In the message "Consistent Trust" we were encouraged to "trust in the
Lord with all your heart" (Proverbs 3:5). We saw how a consistent
trust ought to invade all areas of our life. We must be able to
trust God for our eternity as well as our daily walk. A good measure
of our trust (or lack of trust) is in our level of anxiety.
Being anxious, or having anxiety, is defined as being mentally
troubled with worry or concern. Unfortunately, we have all been
battling anxiety ever since Adam ate the forbidden fruit and tried in
vain to hide from God; "I heard You in the garden, and I was afraid"
(Genesis 3:10). The negative effects of anxiety were understood
three thousand years ago when King Solomon wrote his proverbs of
wisdom; "An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers
him up" (Proverbs 12:25).
Anxiety remained a necessary topic as Paul preached the Good News of
Jesus. Almost in the same breath that he instructs us to "Rejoice in
the Lord always!" (Philippians 4:4), Paul teaches on removing anxiety
from our life; "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God" (Philippians 4:6).
When we find ourselves being overly concerned or mentally troubled
about ANYTHING, we must go to God (with thanksgiving) and give our
burdens to Him. This doesn't mean we ignore our problems, but we
must learn to view the things of this world against the backdrop of
eternity. The concerns of this life always fade as we compare them
to the eternal glory of His Kingdom.
Matthew 6:25,34
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry {or be anxious} about your life,
what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more important than food, and the body more important
than clothes? But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and
all these things will be given to you as well."
When we feel weighed down, pressured, or stressed - when concerns are
coming in fast motion from all directions and we don't know where to
begin - we must stop and take a long, deep breath! We must refocus
on Jesus and His Word. We must be reminded of eternity in the
presence of a loving God and diligently seek His Kingdom; "make every
effort to enter that rest" (Hebrews 4:11).
As we draw closer to our Heavenly Father, our eyes become adjusted to
His light and we see He has already given all we really need. As we
love Him more, all fear is removed: "perfect love drives out fear" (1
John 4:18). And as we trust Him more and more, we will receive His
gift of peace and no longer live with the burdening weight of an
anxious heart.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
*****************************************************
Archive of previous devotions : http://www.gdwm.org/archive07.htm
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no longer desired. We absolutely do not support unsolicited E-mail.
Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
God's Daily Word Ministries
P.O. Box 190
Lorena, TX 76655
*****************************************************
Lord with all your heart" (Proverbs 3:5). We saw how a consistent
trust ought to invade all areas of our life. We must be able to
trust God for our eternity as well as our daily walk. A good measure
of our trust (or lack of trust) is in our level of anxiety.
Being anxious, or having anxiety, is defined as being mentally
troubled with worry or concern. Unfortunately, we have all been
battling anxiety ever since Adam ate the forbidden fruit and tried in
vain to hide from God; "I heard You in the garden, and I was afraid"
(Genesis 3:10). The negative effects of anxiety were understood
three thousand years ago when King Solomon wrote his proverbs of
wisdom; "An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers
him up" (Proverbs 12:25).
Anxiety remained a necessary topic as Paul preached the Good News of
Jesus. Almost in the same breath that he instructs us to "Rejoice in
the Lord always!" (Philippians 4:4), Paul teaches on removing anxiety
from our life; "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God" (Philippians 4:6).
When we find ourselves being overly concerned or mentally troubled
about ANYTHING, we must go to God (with thanksgiving) and give our
burdens to Him. This doesn't mean we ignore our problems, but we
must learn to view the things of this world against the backdrop of
eternity. The concerns of this life always fade as we compare them
to the eternal glory of His Kingdom.
Matthew 6:25,34
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry {or be anxious} about your life,
what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more important than food, and the body more important
than clothes? But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and
all these things will be given to you as well."
When we feel weighed down, pressured, or stressed - when concerns are
coming in fast motion from all directions and we don't know where to
begin - we must stop and take a long, deep breath! We must refocus
on Jesus and His Word. We must be reminded of eternity in the
presence of a loving God and diligently seek His Kingdom; "make every
effort to enter that rest" (Hebrews 4:11).
As we draw closer to our Heavenly Father, our eyes become adjusted to
His light and we see He has already given all we really need. As we
love Him more, all fear is removed: "perfect love drives out fear" (1
John 4:18). And as we trust Him more and more, we will receive His
gift of peace and no longer live with the burdening weight of an
anxious heart.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
*****************************************************
Archive of previous devotions : http://www.gdwm.org/archive07.htm
Subscribe/Unsubscribe by email to closerwalk@gdwm.org
Subscribe via web: http://www.gdwm.org/subscribe.htm
Feedback and Prayer: http://gdwmboard.org/6/ubb.x
Send Invitation: http://www.gdwm.org/invite.htm
Verses and Psalms: http://www.gdwm.org/verses
Spanish Devotions: http://www.gdwm.org/spanish
Mail from GDWM is only sent to those who subscribe (free of cost) or
by invitation from friends. Please unsubscribe if these messages are
no longer desired. We absolutely do not support unsolicited E-mail.
Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
God's Daily Word Ministries
P.O. Box 190
Lorena, TX 76655
*****************************************************
Friday, August 03, 2007
Edwards, Obama, Richardson and Clinton on Energy
Which of the major Democratic party candidates has the best energy platform? I thought I'd do a comparison based on what I could find on their websites and some interviews. The good news is that all four of Edwards, Obama, Richardson, and Clinton have either "Energy" or "Energy and Environment" as one of the top-level platform issues on their sites. The not-so-good news is the content of those platform proposals. Details below!
(Cross-posted from my blog at altenergyaction.org.)
To facilitate comparisons I broke down the candidates' energy plans into 14 significant policy areas, with an additional note on the detail level of the plans and a final "miscellaneous" category for special ideas found in each. Every one of the proposals has something that seems unique and useful, but not all will do as much to solve our energy and climate problems.
| Energy policy area | Edwards | Obama | Richardson | Clinton |
| Plan detail level | Medium | Low | High | Low |
| CO2 reduction goal | 15% by 2020, 80% by 2050 | 80% by 2050 | 20% by 2020, 80% by 2040, 90% by 2050 | No policy |
| Post-Kyoto | Yes: binding greenhouse reductions in trade agreements | After we take first step; help developing countries with our technology | Mandatory world-wide limits, help finance leapfrogging in developing countries | No policy |
| CAFE | 40 mpg by 2016 | 4% annual increase | 35 mpg by 2016, 50 by 2020 | No policy |
| Renewable electric standard | 25% by 2025 | No policy | 30% by 2020, 50% by 2040 | 20% by 2020 |
| Bio-fuels | Goal of 65 billion gallons/year by 2025 (corn ethanol first, then cellulosic) | National Low Carbon Fuel Standard: reduce fossil carbon in fuels by 5% in 2015, 10% in 2020; expand E85 and biodiesel | life-cycle low carbon fuel standard - 30% lower by 2020 | Part of Strategic Energy Fund |
| Carbon tax or cap and trade? | Cap and trade | Cap and trade | Cap and trade | Cap and trade |
| "Clean coal" | freeze on new coal power until sequestration in place | No freeze; use cap and trade market to decide | by 2020 new plants have to emit 90% below today's | Fund R&D on "clean coal" |
| Energy R&D | $13 billion/year New Energy Economy fund | No policy | Energy and Climate Investment Trust Fund - several billion dollars/year | Part of Strategic Energy Fund |
| Solar/wind production tax credit | make permanent | No policy | 10-year extension; add storage technology tax credit | No policy |
| Oil company subsidies | Repeal | No subsidies that increase global warming | Invite oil companies to become energy companies | Eliminate tax breaks, create new "Strategic energy fund" - oil companies can invest in renewable energy themselves, or pay into the fund |
| Distributed generation | $5000 tax credit, R&D, smart meters, smart grids | No policy | No policy | No policy |
| Public transportation | No policy | No policy | increase funding, tax incentives for passengers | No policy |
| Buildings | weatherizing and other efficiency | No policy | goal of 50% savings by 2030; incentives and regulations on retrofits and new buildings | No policy |
| Improving Efficiency | Goal-based; cut US govt energy use 20%, add R&D dollars | Market-based; don't prejudge what works | Strong federal standards; efficiency resource program through utilities | Market-based; invest in R&D |
| Other ideas | GreenCorps - volunteers adding renewable/efficient infrastructure | domestic auto makers get health care assistance for efficiency investments | 100 mpg car, smart growth, bike and walking trails, more specifics | "Apollo Project-like program" for energy independence |
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Godly Compassion
As we open our hearts to minister to those around us, we soon
discover we live in an imperfect world full of sickness, heartache,
and frustrations. Many of us (many more than we realize) are facing
trials which are sometimes quite severe. When we are finally invited
into someone's private world and allowed to hear of their pain, it
can be difficult to know what to do or say.
As we grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus, we learn of His truths:
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all
circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We understand and usually
have some actual experience with God's loving plan and purpose; "in
all things, God works for the good of those who love Him" (Romans
8:28). But there are times when this type of advice - even this type
of truth - can be a little cold and fail to comfort or draw someone
closer to God.
While it's absolutely true that God will use our pain and suffering
for His glory, it may not be the first response someone needs to hear
when they enter a difficult trial; "There is a time for
everything...a time to be silent and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes
3:1,7). We must learn to be more sensitive to the real need.
When Lazarus became very sick, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus but
He did not come until after Lazarus died. Mary fell at Jesus' feet
and cried: "Lord if You had been here, my brother would not have
died" (John 11:32). At that moment, Jesus did NOT begin preaching
"Rejoice in the Lord always!" (Philippians 4:4). There would be
other opportunities for sermons, other opportunities to speak about
faith and trust, but this was a time for compassion.
John 11:33,35
"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her
also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled...Jesus wept."
The Creator of the Universe wept! From the beginning of time, Jesus
knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead; He knew many lives
would soon be changed through this miracle. But "Jesus loved Martha
and her sister and Lazarus" (John 11:5). Though this pain and sorrow
was necessary in the context of God's sovereign plan, these were real
people who were grieving and Jesus took time to show He truly cared
and understood their pain.
The world is in great need of the healing power of Jesus Christ. Sin
has caused separation from God and left many lives in a mess. As we
minister through encouragement and the truth of God's Word, we are
called to do so while "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians
4:15). But love does not exist outside of a relationship. And in a
loving relationship we will often best demonstrate God's truth by
listening and comforting with a Godly compassion.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
*****************************************************
Archive of previous devotions : http://www.gdwm.org/archive07.htm
Subscribe/Unsubscribe by email to closerwalk@gdwm.org
Subscribe via web: http://www.gdwm.org/subscribe.htm
Feedback and Prayer: http://gdwmboard.org/6/ubb.x
Send Invitation: http://www.gdwm.org/invite.htm
Verses and Psalms: http://www.gdwm.org/verses
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Mail from GDWM is only sent to those who subscribe (free of cost) or
by invitation from friends. Please unsubscribe if these messages are
no longer desired. We absolutely do not support unsolicited E-mail.
Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
God's Daily Word Ministries
P.O. Box 190
Lorena, TX 76655
*****************************************************
discover we live in an imperfect world full of sickness, heartache,
and frustrations. Many of us (many more than we realize) are facing
trials which are sometimes quite severe. When we are finally invited
into someone's private world and allowed to hear of their pain, it
can be difficult to know what to do or say.
As we grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus, we learn of His truths:
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all
circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We understand and usually
have some actual experience with God's loving plan and purpose; "in
all things, God works for the good of those who love Him" (Romans
8:28). But there are times when this type of advice - even this type
of truth - can be a little cold and fail to comfort or draw someone
closer to God.
While it's absolutely true that God will use our pain and suffering
for His glory, it may not be the first response someone needs to hear
when they enter a difficult trial; "There is a time for
everything...a time to be silent and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes
3:1,7). We must learn to be more sensitive to the real need.
When Lazarus became very sick, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus but
He did not come until after Lazarus died. Mary fell at Jesus' feet
and cried: "Lord if You had been here, my brother would not have
died" (John 11:32). At that moment, Jesus did NOT begin preaching
"Rejoice in the Lord always!" (Philippians 4:4). There would be
other opportunities for sermons, other opportunities to speak about
faith and trust, but this was a time for compassion.
John 11:33,35
"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her
also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled...Jesus wept."
The Creator of the Universe wept! From the beginning of time, Jesus
knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead; He knew many lives
would soon be changed through this miracle. But "Jesus loved Martha
and her sister and Lazarus" (John 11:5). Though this pain and sorrow
was necessary in the context of God's sovereign plan, these were real
people who were grieving and Jesus took time to show He truly cared
and understood their pain.
The world is in great need of the healing power of Jesus Christ. Sin
has caused separation from God and left many lives in a mess. As we
minister through encouragement and the truth of God's Word, we are
called to do so while "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians
4:15). But love does not exist outside of a relationship. And in a
loving relationship we will often best demonstrate God's truth by
listening and comforting with a Godly compassion.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
*****************************************************
Archive of previous devotions : http://www.gdwm.org/archive07.htm
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Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
God's Daily Word Ministries
P.O. Box 190
Lorena, TX 76655
*****************************************************
Eternally Secure
In the last two messages we've considered how the gift of eternal
life is given to "everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him"
(John 6:40). But we also saw that belief is much more than a mere
acknowledgement of existence; "Even the demons believe that - and
shudder" (James 2:19). Eternal life is a gift given only to those
who so intensely believe that Jesus is the only way to receive
forgiveness that they stand before a living God and enter into an
eternal covenant.
Covenants were first introduced by God to Noah after the flood; "I
establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off
by the waters of a flood" (Genesis 9:11). Over the years, God made
covenants with Abraham (Genesis 15), the nation of Israel through
Moses (Exodus 19), and with David (2 Samuel 7). In each case, God
initiated the covenant and clearly established the guidelines.
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God spoke about the new covenant He
would make through Jesus; "I will put my law in their minds and write
it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people"
(Jeremiah 31:33). This new covenant was designed to be permanent and
under God's complete protection: "I will make an everlasting covenant
with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire
them to fear Me, so that they will never turn away from Me" (Jeremiah
32:40). Through the prophet Ezekiel, God gave further indication of
how this would be accomplished:
Ezekiel 36:26-27
"I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in you; I will
remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and
be careful to keep My laws."
When we truly believe in Jesus, we enter into a covenant and God
transforms our heart by His Spirit; "a deposit guaranteeing our
inheritance" (Ephesians 1:14). At that moment we are "sealed for the
day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). And when we enter into His
saving covenant, we are purchased with the blood of Jesus: "You are
not your own; you were bought at a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
We are still called to continue in the faith, but God has promised we
WILL continue; "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will
be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians
1:8). He is the giver and sustainer of eternal life; "I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish" (John 10:28).
There is debate whether this covenant can ever be broken, whether it
is eternal. But perhaps this only distracts from the greater
truth. We are called to love God and continue to love Him with all
our heart. This calling is clear! Let's remain within His arms of
love, and trust that as we do, we are eternally secure.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
*****************************************************
Archive of previous devotions : http://www.gdwm.org/archive07.htm
Subscribe/Unsubscribe by email to closerwalk@gdwm.org
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Mail from GDWM is only sent to those who subscribe (free of cost) or
by invitation from friends. Please unsubscribe if these messages are
no longer desired. We absolutely do not support unsolicited E-mail.
Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
God's Daily Word Ministries
P.O. Box 190
Lorena, TX 76655
*****************************************************
life is given to "everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him"
(John 6:40). But we also saw that belief is much more than a mere
acknowledgement of existence; "Even the demons believe that - and
shudder" (James 2:19). Eternal life is a gift given only to those
who so intensely believe that Jesus is the only way to receive
forgiveness that they stand before a living God and enter into an
eternal covenant.
Covenants were first introduced by God to Noah after the flood; "I
establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off
by the waters of a flood" (Genesis 9:11). Over the years, God made
covenants with Abraham (Genesis 15), the nation of Israel through
Moses (Exodus 19), and with David (2 Samuel 7). In each case, God
initiated the covenant and clearly established the guidelines.
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God spoke about the new covenant He
would make through Jesus; "I will put my law in their minds and write
it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people"
(Jeremiah 31:33). This new covenant was designed to be permanent and
under God's complete protection: "I will make an everlasting covenant
with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire
them to fear Me, so that they will never turn away from Me" (Jeremiah
32:40). Through the prophet Ezekiel, God gave further indication of
how this would be accomplished:
Ezekiel 36:26-27
"I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in you; I will
remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and
be careful to keep My laws."
When we truly believe in Jesus, we enter into a covenant and God
transforms our heart by His Spirit; "a deposit guaranteeing our
inheritance" (Ephesians 1:14). At that moment we are "sealed for the
day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). And when we enter into His
saving covenant, we are purchased with the blood of Jesus: "You are
not your own; you were bought at a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
We are still called to continue in the faith, but God has promised we
WILL continue; "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will
be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians
1:8). He is the giver and sustainer of eternal life; "I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish" (John 10:28).
There is debate whether this covenant can ever be broken, whether it
is eternal. But perhaps this only distracts from the greater
truth. We are called to love God and continue to love Him with all
our heart. This calling is clear! Let's remain within His arms of
love, and trust that as we do, we are eternally secure.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
*****************************************************
Archive of previous devotions : http://www.gdwm.org/archive07.htm
Subscribe/Unsubscribe by email to closerwalk@gdwm.org
Subscribe via web: http://www.gdwm.org/subscribe.htm
Feedback and Prayer: http://gdwmboard.org/6/ubb.x
Send Invitation: http://www.gdwm.org/invite.htm
Verses and Psalms: http://www.gdwm.org/verses
Spanish Devotions: http://www.gdwm.org/spanish
Mail from GDWM is only sent to those who subscribe (free of cost) or
by invitation from friends. Please unsubscribe if these messages are
no longer desired. We absolutely do not support unsolicited E-mail.
Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
God's Daily Word Ministries
P.O. Box 190
Lorena, TX 76655
*****************************************************
A Belief That Saves
In the message "The Father's Will" we saw that not all who do great
things for God will enter Heaven, but "only he who does the will of
My Father" (Matthew 7:21). We further saw that the Father's will is
"that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have
eternal life" (John 6:40). We are given the gift of eternal life
because of our belief in Jesus, not because of ANYTHING we do; "all
our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6).
Salvation can never be earned, it is a gift to those who
believe. However, we must understand what it means to believe and
what changes will occur when we believe. "You believe that there is
one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder" (James
2:19). A saving belief is much more than just acknowledging God's
existence or even the existence of His Son - even the demons believe this!
Belief in Jesus in never simply an intellectual
understanding. Belief implies a humble surrender. We will never
"look to the Son" unless we first recognize our eternally lost
condition due to sin; and we will never truly "believe in Him" until
we accept our complete inability to save ourselves. A drowning man
will never reach up for help until he first understands and accepts
his need to be rescued.
To be rescued, we must believe so completely that we abandon all
other "rescuers" and cling to the only One who can truly save; "any
of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple"
(Luke 14:33). Giving up everything cannot save us, but true belief
gives up all other sources of hope. It also reveals the trivial
nature of our worldly attachments and creates an understanding that
everything belongs to Him. We see our life as lived for Him and do
ALL for His glory.
James 2:14,17
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has
no deeds? Can such faith save him? ... In the same way, faith by
itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
Belief must produce a change in our life or we know it is not a true
belief - it is nothing more than dead intellectual understanding! At
the moment we truly believe, we are "marked in Him with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13), and we become "a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians
5:17). Belief creates change through the work of the Holy Spirit!!
If we lack the evidence of a changed life, we must not focus on
creating the change. This type of change becomes self-righteous
"filthy rags." Rather, we must return to the cross and place ALL our
trust in Jesus, believing He has paid the penalty for our sin and has
granted us passage through the narrow gate to eternal life. As we
completely turn over control to our Heavenly Father, fruit and good
deeds will abound. Our life will be forever changed, but only when
we begin with a belief that saves.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
*****************************************************
Archive of previous devotions : http://www.gdwm.org/archive07.htm
Subscribe/Unsubscribe by email to closerwalk@gdwm.org
Subscribe via web: http://www.gdwm.org/subscribe.htm
Feedback and Prayer: http://gdwmboard.org/6/ubb.x
Send Invitation: http://www.gdwm.org/invite.htm
Verses and Psalms: http://www.gdwm.org/verses
Spanish Devotions: http://www.gdwm.org/spanish
Mail from GDWM is only sent to those who subscribe (free of cost) or
by invitation from friends. Please unsubscribe if these messages are
no longer desired. We absolutely do not support unsolicited E-mail.
Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
God's Daily Word Ministries
P.O. Box 190
Lorena, TX 76655
*****************************************************
things for God will enter Heaven, but "only he who does the will of
My Father" (Matthew 7:21). We further saw that the Father's will is
"that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have
eternal life" (John 6:40). We are given the gift of eternal life
because of our belief in Jesus, not because of ANYTHING we do; "all
our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6).
Salvation can never be earned, it is a gift to those who
believe. However, we must understand what it means to believe and
what changes will occur when we believe. "You believe that there is
one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder" (James
2:19). A saving belief is much more than just acknowledging God's
existence or even the existence of His Son - even the demons believe this!
Belief in Jesus in never simply an intellectual
understanding. Belief implies a humble surrender. We will never
"look to the Son" unless we first recognize our eternally lost
condition due to sin; and we will never truly "believe in Him" until
we accept our complete inability to save ourselves. A drowning man
will never reach up for help until he first understands and accepts
his need to be rescued.
To be rescued, we must believe so completely that we abandon all
other "rescuers" and cling to the only One who can truly save; "any
of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple"
(Luke 14:33). Giving up everything cannot save us, but true belief
gives up all other sources of hope. It also reveals the trivial
nature of our worldly attachments and creates an understanding that
everything belongs to Him. We see our life as lived for Him and do
ALL for His glory.
James 2:14,17
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has
no deeds? Can such faith save him? ... In the same way, faith by
itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
Belief must produce a change in our life or we know it is not a true
belief - it is nothing more than dead intellectual understanding! At
the moment we truly believe, we are "marked in Him with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13), and we become "a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians
5:17). Belief creates change through the work of the Holy Spirit!!
If we lack the evidence of a changed life, we must not focus on
creating the change. This type of change becomes self-righteous
"filthy rags." Rather, we must return to the cross and place ALL our
trust in Jesus, believing He has paid the penalty for our sin and has
granted us passage through the narrow gate to eternal life. As we
completely turn over control to our Heavenly Father, fruit and good
deeds will abound. Our life will be forever changed, but only when
we begin with a belief that saves.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
*****************************************************
Archive of previous devotions : http://www.gdwm.org/archive07.htm
Subscribe/Unsubscribe by email to closerwalk@gdwm.org
Subscribe via web: http://www.gdwm.org/subscribe.htm
Feedback and Prayer: http://gdwmboard.org/6/ubb.x
Send Invitation: http://www.gdwm.org/invite.htm
Verses and Psalms: http://www.gdwm.org/verses
Spanish Devotions: http://www.gdwm.org/spanish
Mail from GDWM is only sent to those who subscribe (free of cost) or
by invitation from friends. Please unsubscribe if these messages are
no longer desired. We absolutely do not support unsolicited E-mail.
Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
God's Daily Word Ministries
P.O. Box 190
Lorena, TX 76655
*****************************************************
Millionaires in the Making: The Magtibays
Aris and Maria Magtibay
Ages: Aris 38, Maria 36
Occupations: Pricing manager and bank manager
Salary: $115,000 combined
401(k): $180,000
IRA: $23,000
529 plan: $14,000
Home equity: $81,000
Emergency Fund: $3,000
Money isn’t just a means for Aris Magtibay of San Antonio, Texas – it’s a full-time obsession.
magtibay03.jpgSince getting his degree in finance in 1991 from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., he’s putting abstract concepts from his education - like asset allocation and the importance of compounding money - to work in the real world.
Aris has documented all of his spending in Microsoft Money since graduation. If he buys a $3.99 value meal on his debit card at McDonald’s, it goes into the books. He says he takes no offense to the teasing he gets from coworkers and friends about his obsession.
“Although I must admit: if I spent as much time trying to make money as tracking the money I have, I’d be a rich man,” he jokes.
Aris’s big indulgence is the lottery - $7 in tickets each week. He calls it his investment that hasn’t paid off just yet.
He and his wife, Maria, were both born in the Philippines, although his family moved to Virginia when he was 3 years old. Maria spent most of her life in the island nation before the couple married in 1993. Aris met Maria while vacationing there, and she moved to the U.S. just three weeks before their marriage.
They have a son, Jared, who’s 13. The couple has built up $14,000 in a 529 college savings plan. They’re adding $100 a month, hoping to reach $20,000 by the time Jared is ready for school.
Aris and Maria earn a combined $115,000 a year before taxes. He works as a pricing manager for a telecom company, and she’s a manager at a bank. They each sock away 10 percent of their salaries in 401(k)s, putting in a total of $1,150 a month. Their employers match add an additional $500. They also put $50 per month into their Roth IRA.
The Magtibays bought a new home in San Antonio early this year for $315,000 with 20 percent down, spending some of their emergency savings to make the down payment. They pay $1,500 a month towards a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 6.25 percent, and expect to pay it off in 21 years.
“The goal is to pay the mortgage off before we begin dipping into our 401(k)s and IRAs,” said Aris.
After buying the house, their emergency savings are down to $3,000 in cash. They also have $1,200 in a bond exchange traded fund (ETF).
Aris handles his own investments wherever possible and says he prefers ETFs and individual stocks over mutual funds. Maria’s Roth IRA is also in the aggressive growth Janus Orion Fund.
Aris is trying learn more about investing and has recently started to trade options. They can take years to learn and can be risky.
The couple owns a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder and a 2006 Nissan Altima, both of which they lease for a total of $850 a month.
“I think that’s our Achilles heel,” said Aris. “We’re the type who wants to drive something brand new every five years.”
Each month, they spend $600 on food, $500 on utilities, and $700 on taxes. They’re also paying $700 a month on $11,000 in credit-card debt.
For security, they have two term life insurance policies for $500,000 each, plus homeowner’s insurance for 120 percent replacement value.
The couple’s goal is to have $1 million in assets, including home equity, by the time that Aris reaches age 50. After their retirement, they’d like to have $100,000 a year in income to live on.
Our Expert’s Take: The Magtibays are in pretty good shape, and on track to be millionaires by age 50 - but they could do better, said Greg Gardner, Certified Financial Planner with Gardner Group wealth management.
“They need to really beef up their savings account so they have six months worth of emergency liquid savings,” he said.
In addition, Gardner estimated that they are currently saving enough to withdraw only $93,000 annually in retirement - short of their $100,000 goal - assuming they live to 95.
In order to make up the budget gap in retirement, he listed three options. “They can buckle down and work one year beyond the typical retirement age of 65, or they could choose to save $850 more per month now, or adjust their spending down at retirement,” he said.
“But they’re definitely going to be able to save a lot more money once Jared leaves the house,” said Gardner.
For their emergency fund, they should have $20,000 to $30,000 – essentially six months worth of expenses – at the minimum. It should be completely liquid, in an interest-earning account like a money-market fund, says Gardner.
Finally, they should purchase larger life insurance packages, he said. “They’re a little bit underinsured at the moment,” said Gardner. “If one gets laid off, there’s not enough money in the emergency savings or the taxable investment accounts to draw on. If you were forced to liquidate money from the 401(k)s and IRAs, you’re talking taxes and penalties to get to those funds.”
Are you a millionaire in the making? Tell us why at millionaire@cnnmoney.com.
Source
Sharpton Backs Off Imus, Targets Record Industry
July 25th, 2007 | Author: Omar Burgess
It appears that the Reverend Al Sharpton's crusade against what he deems to be objectionable content within Hip-Hop music is shifting fronts. During Monday's press conference to announce the formation of a Buffalo Chapter of his National Action Network, Sharpton supported a proposal by New York Senator Antoine Thompson to divest an estimated $3 billion of New York's state pension from record companies in hopes of opening up a dialogue with industry executives.
Thompson, a Democrat representing New York's 60th District said, "We just want to have more responsible entertainment where we're not using language that's offensive to anybody." The move is the latest in a series of actions that has seen Sharpton and his peers take exception with lyrics he feels are "celebrating a culture of depravity and decadence." Sharpton stepped up is efforts in the wake of the Don Imus firing and he also made a similar plea to artists during June's BET Awards.
And while many speculate the firing of Imus sparked Sharpton's renewed interest in the content of Hip-Hop's lyrics, the Reverend can be quoted in an online interview with Radar Magazine saying he wouldn't necessarily oppose an Imus comeback. "My position is that we never called for him to be permanently barred from being on the air," Sharpton said. "We'll see when he comes back, and if he comes back, what are the boundaries and what is the understanding. We'll be monitoring the situation, but we wanted him to pay for being a repeat abuser, and he paid. We never said we didn't want him to make a living."
Source
It appears that the Reverend Al Sharpton's crusade against what he deems to be objectionable content within Hip-Hop music is shifting fronts. During Monday's press conference to announce the formation of a Buffalo Chapter of his National Action Network, Sharpton supported a proposal by New York Senator Antoine Thompson to divest an estimated $3 billion of New York's state pension from record companies in hopes of opening up a dialogue with industry executives.
Thompson, a Democrat representing New York's 60th District said, "We just want to have more responsible entertainment where we're not using language that's offensive to anybody." The move is the latest in a series of actions that has seen Sharpton and his peers take exception with lyrics he feels are "celebrating a culture of depravity and decadence." Sharpton stepped up is efforts in the wake of the Don Imus firing and he also made a similar plea to artists during June's BET Awards.
And while many speculate the firing of Imus sparked Sharpton's renewed interest in the content of Hip-Hop's lyrics, the Reverend can be quoted in an online interview with Radar Magazine saying he wouldn't necessarily oppose an Imus comeback. "My position is that we never called for him to be permanently barred from being on the air," Sharpton said. "We'll see when he comes back, and if he comes back, what are the boundaries and what is the understanding. We'll be monitoring the situation, but we wanted him to pay for being a repeat abuser, and he paid. We never said we didn't want him to make a living."
Source
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Injured Iraq war vets sue VA over delays
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Frustrated by delays in health care, a coalition of injured Iraq war veterans is accusing VA Secretary Jim Nicholson of breaking the law by denying them disability pay and mental health treatment.
"Unless systemic and drastic measures are instituted immediately, the costs to these veterans, their families, and our nation will be incalculable, including broken families, a new generation of unemployed and homeless veterans, increases in drug abuse and alcoholism, and crushing burdens on the health care delivery system," the complaint states.
It asks that a federal court order the VA to make immediate improvements that would speed disability payments, ensure fairness in awards and provide more complete access to mental health care.
Earlier this month, a federal appeals court in San Francisco issued a strong rebuke of the VA in ordering the agency to pay retroactive benefits to Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and contracted a form of leukemia.
"The performance of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has contributed substantially to our sense of national shame," the opinion from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals read.
Nicholson abruptly announced last week he would step down by October 1 to return to the private sector. He has repeatedly defended the agency during his 21/2-year tenure while acknowledging there was room for improvement.
More recently, following high-profile suicide incidents in which families of veterans say the VA did not provide adequate care, Nicholson pledged to add mental health services and hire more suicide-prevention coordinators.
Some veterans say those measures aren't enough. In the lawsuit, they note that government investigators warned as early as 2002 that the VA needed to fix its backlogged claims system and make other changes.
Yet, the lawsuit says, Nicholson and other officials still insisted on a budget in 2005 that fell $1 billion short, and they made "a mockery of the rule of law" by awarding senior officials $3.8 million in bonuses despite their role in the budget foul-up.
Today, the VA's backlog of disability payments is now between 400,000 and 600,000, with delays of up to 177 days to process an initial claim and an average of 657 days to process an appeal. Several congressional committees and a presidential commission are now studying ways to improve care.
The class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, filed Monday in federal court in San Francisco, seeks broad change in the agency as it struggles to meet growing demands from veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Suing on behalf of hundreds of thousands of veterans, it charges that the VA has failed warriors on several fronts -- from providing prompt disability benefits, to adding staff to reduce wait times for medical care to boosting services for post-traumatic stress disorder.
The lawsuit also accuses the VA of deliberately cheating some veterans by allegedly working with the Pentagon to misclassify PTSD claims as pre-existing personality disorders to avoid paying out benefits. The VA and Pentagon have generally denied such charges.
VA spokesman Matt Smith said Monday he could not comment on a pending lawsuit. But he said the agency is committed to meeting the special needs of Iraq war veterans.
"Through outreach efforts, the VA ensures returning Global War on Terror service members have access to the widely recognized quality health care they have earned including services such as prosthetics or mental health care," he said. "VA has also given priority handling to their monetary disability benefit claims."
The lawsuit comes amid intense political and public scrutiny of the VA and Pentagon following reports of shoddy outpatient care of injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and elsewhere.
"While steps can and will be taken in the political arena, responsibility for action lies with the agency itself," said Melissa W. Kasnitz, managing attorney for Disability Rights Advocates, in a telephone interview. Her group is teaming up with a major law firm, Morrison & Foerster, to represent the veterans.
"We don't believe the problems will be fixed by the VA if we wait for them," she said. "In the meantime, it is veterans who risk their lives for our country who are suffering the consequences."
The lawsuit cites violations of the Constitution and federal law, which mandates at least two years of health care to injured veterans.
The veterans groups involved in the lawsuit are Veterans for Common Sense in Washington, D.C., which claims 11,500 members, and Veterans United for Truth, based in Santa Barbara, California, with 500 members.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/07/23/veterans.lawsuit.ap/
"Unless systemic and drastic measures are instituted immediately, the costs to these veterans, their families, and our nation will be incalculable, including broken families, a new generation of unemployed and homeless veterans, increases in drug abuse and alcoholism, and crushing burdens on the health care delivery system," the complaint states.
It asks that a federal court order the VA to make immediate improvements that would speed disability payments, ensure fairness in awards and provide more complete access to mental health care.
Earlier this month, a federal appeals court in San Francisco issued a strong rebuke of the VA in ordering the agency to pay retroactive benefits to Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and contracted a form of leukemia.
"The performance of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has contributed substantially to our sense of national shame," the opinion from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals read.
Nicholson abruptly announced last week he would step down by October 1 to return to the private sector. He has repeatedly defended the agency during his 21/2-year tenure while acknowledging there was room for improvement.
More recently, following high-profile suicide incidents in which families of veterans say the VA did not provide adequate care, Nicholson pledged to add mental health services and hire more suicide-prevention coordinators.
Some veterans say those measures aren't enough. In the lawsuit, they note that government investigators warned as early as 2002 that the VA needed to fix its backlogged claims system and make other changes.
Yet, the lawsuit says, Nicholson and other officials still insisted on a budget in 2005 that fell $1 billion short, and they made "a mockery of the rule of law" by awarding senior officials $3.8 million in bonuses despite their role in the budget foul-up.
Today, the VA's backlog of disability payments is now between 400,000 and 600,000, with delays of up to 177 days to process an initial claim and an average of 657 days to process an appeal. Several congressional committees and a presidential commission are now studying ways to improve care.
The class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, filed Monday in federal court in San Francisco, seeks broad change in the agency as it struggles to meet growing demands from veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Suing on behalf of hundreds of thousands of veterans, it charges that the VA has failed warriors on several fronts -- from providing prompt disability benefits, to adding staff to reduce wait times for medical care to boosting services for post-traumatic stress disorder.
The lawsuit also accuses the VA of deliberately cheating some veterans by allegedly working with the Pentagon to misclassify PTSD claims as pre-existing personality disorders to avoid paying out benefits. The VA and Pentagon have generally denied such charges.
VA spokesman Matt Smith said Monday he could not comment on a pending lawsuit. But he said the agency is committed to meeting the special needs of Iraq war veterans.
"Through outreach efforts, the VA ensures returning Global War on Terror service members have access to the widely recognized quality health care they have earned including services such as prosthetics or mental health care," he said. "VA has also given priority handling to their monetary disability benefit claims."
The lawsuit comes amid intense political and public scrutiny of the VA and Pentagon following reports of shoddy outpatient care of injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and elsewhere.
"While steps can and will be taken in the political arena, responsibility for action lies with the agency itself," said Melissa W. Kasnitz, managing attorney for Disability Rights Advocates, in a telephone interview. Her group is teaming up with a major law firm, Morrison & Foerster, to represent the veterans.
"We don't believe the problems will be fixed by the VA if we wait for them," she said. "In the meantime, it is veterans who risk their lives for our country who are suffering the consequences."
The lawsuit cites violations of the Constitution and federal law, which mandates at least two years of health care to injured veterans.
The veterans groups involved in the lawsuit are Veterans for Common Sense in Washington, D.C., which claims 11,500 members, and Veterans United for Truth, based in Santa Barbara, California, with 500 members.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/07/23/veterans.lawsuit.ap/
The Father's Will
We often consider how God uses all kinds of circumstances to draw us
close to His side. The purpose of being drawn close is ultimately to
be transformed to the image of His Son and to have intimate
fellowship with Him for all eternity. But initially, the purpose of
being drawn near is so we can be introduced to His Son.
The Kingdom of Heaven is open only to those who truly believe in
Jesus. We may think this to be "intolerant," but if we profess to
believe the Bible is true there can be no other conclusion: "Enter
through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road
that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is
the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find
it" (Matthew 7:13-14). Our Father is drawing us near because the
narrow gate is only open to those who are known to His Son.
Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of
Heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven.
Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many
miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away
from Me, you evildoers!'"
Clearly, being "good" does not ensure we are known by Jesus. Neither
does going to church, reading our Bible, teaching Sunday School or
even writing devotional messages! Jesus knows, and takes away the
sin, of "only he who does the will of My Father."
Fortunately, Jesus also tells us exactly how to do His Father's will:
"For My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and
believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at
the last day" (John 6:40). The will of our Heavenly Father is to
truly know and be known by His Son.
All the wonderful things we do in the name of Jesus count absolutely
nothing toward granting us the gift of eternal life. True believers
in a risen and glorified Lord will certainly desire to turn from a
life of sin and obediently serve; "anyone who does not take his cross
and follow Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:38). But entrance
through the gate of eternal life is based ONLY on sincere belief, not
on the results of belief.
We must spread this message throughout the world and, most
importantly, we must receive this message into our own heart! All
our "good" will be burned up and cast aside if done without first
having placed the entirety of our life in His hands. He is drawing
us near because belief in Jesus is both necessary and sufficient for
our Salvation. He is drawing us near and inviting us to submit to
the Father's will.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
*****************************************************
Archive of previous devotions : http://www.gdwm.org/archive07.htm
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Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
God's Daily Word Ministries
P.O. Box 190
Lorena, TX 76655
*****************************************************
close to His side. The purpose of being drawn close is ultimately to
be transformed to the image of His Son and to have intimate
fellowship with Him for all eternity. But initially, the purpose of
being drawn near is so we can be introduced to His Son.
The Kingdom of Heaven is open only to those who truly believe in
Jesus. We may think this to be "intolerant," but if we profess to
believe the Bible is true there can be no other conclusion: "Enter
through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road
that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is
the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find
it" (Matthew 7:13-14). Our Father is drawing us near because the
narrow gate is only open to those who are known to His Son.
Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of
Heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven.
Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many
miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away
from Me, you evildoers!'"
Clearly, being "good" does not ensure we are known by Jesus. Neither
does going to church, reading our Bible, teaching Sunday School or
even writing devotional messages! Jesus knows, and takes away the
sin, of "only he who does the will of My Father."
Fortunately, Jesus also tells us exactly how to do His Father's will:
"For My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and
believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at
the last day" (John 6:40). The will of our Heavenly Father is to
truly know and be known by His Son.
All the wonderful things we do in the name of Jesus count absolutely
nothing toward granting us the gift of eternal life. True believers
in a risen and glorified Lord will certainly desire to turn from a
life of sin and obediently serve; "anyone who does not take his cross
and follow Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:38). But entrance
through the gate of eternal life is based ONLY on sincere belief, not
on the results of belief.
We must spread this message throughout the world and, most
importantly, we must receive this message into our own heart! All
our "good" will be burned up and cast aside if done without first
having placed the entirety of our life in His hands. He is drawing
us near because belief in Jesus is both necessary and sufficient for
our Salvation. He is drawing us near and inviting us to submit to
the Father's will.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
*****************************************************
Archive of previous devotions : http://www.gdwm.org/archive07.htm
Subscribe/Unsubscribe by email to closerwalk@gdwm.org
Subscribe via web: http://www.gdwm.org/subscribe.htm
Feedback and Prayer: http://gdwmboard.org/6/ubb.x
Send Invitation: http://www.gdwm.org/invite.htm
Verses and Psalms: http://www.gdwm.org/verses
Spanish Devotions: http://www.gdwm.org/spanish
Mail from GDWM is only sent to those who subscribe (free of cost) or
by invitation from friends. Please unsubscribe if these messages are
no longer desired. We absolutely do not support unsolicited E-mail.
Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
God's Daily Word Ministries
P.O. Box 190
Lorena, TX 76655
*****************************************************
John 9:26-34 - Lesson #98
In a way, I kind of feel sorry for the religious leaders during the
time of Jesus. I am often quite condemning as I read of their love
for their religious system and their inability to see God in all
Jesus did and said. I want to believe I would never be so foolish,
but then I am reminded of the blinding power of tradition. The
tradition of the Pharisees began with a desire to honor God and
follow His commands; but in the end, their tradition kept them from
seeing the One sent to be "the brightness of His glory and the
express image of His person" (Hebrews 1:3). I try to guard against
it, but I know my own traditions have a tendency to cloud my view of
Jesus. Father, forgive me!
John 9:26-34
"Then they said to him again, 'What did He do to you? How did He open
your eyes?' He answered them, 'I told you already, and you did not
listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become
His disciples?' Then they reviled him and said, 'You are His
disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spoke to
Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.' The man
answered and said to them, 'Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you
do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know
that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God
and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been
unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If
this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.' They answered and
said to him, 'You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching
us?' And they cast him out."
The man had already explained how Jesus had healed his eyes, so when
the Pharisees asked him again he became annoyed and sarcastic. The
reply of the Pharisees revealed the nature of the problem.
By claiming to be disciples of Moses, the Pharisees were saying they
were devote followers of the Law and the system of interpretations
which surrounded the Law. This much was true. But what they had
failed to see was that Jesus was and is the supreme exalted focus,
even in the words of Moses; "if you believed Moses, you would believe
Me; for he wrote about Me" (John 5:46). But to the man who, perhaps
due to his physical blindness, was not attached to the religious
system the identity of Jesus was clear.
When the man tried to explain the simple logic which ought to have
led to belief in Jesus, the Pharisees raised the barrier of high
education and training - How dare you try to teach us! The
solution? Cast him out!
Our nature craves systems with lists of things to do and not do. We
want to be able to somehow measure our relationship with God -
measure our spiritual growth. But God's Word speaks only in terms of
faith and trust, love and hope. These are impossible to quantify,
but they are true! Let's remember that it always has been and always
will be about Jesus Christ and Him crucified for the forgiveness of
sin. If this is not our focus then our focus is being dimmed and
will eventually fade to blindness.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
*****************************************************
Archive of previous devotions : http://www.gdwm.org/archive07.htm
Subscribe/Unsubscribe by email to closerwalk@gdwm.org
Subscribe via web: http://www.gdwm.org/subscribe.htm
Feedback and Prayer: http://gdwmboard.org/6/ubb.x
Send Invitation: http://www.gdwm.org/invite.htm
Verses and Psalms: http://www.gdwm.org/verses
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Mail from GDWM is only sent to those who subscribe (free of cost) or
by invitation from friends. Please unsubscribe if these messages are
no longer desired. We absolutely do not support unsolicited E-mail.
Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
God's Daily Word Ministries
P.O. Box 190
Lorena, TX 76655
*****************************************************
A Lifetime of Conviction
Daniel was one of the first captives taken by the Babylonians in 605
BC. Upon his arrival in Babylon, Daniel was selected to receive
three years of specialized training (as well as special food and
drink) to prepare him for service in the palace. This special
treatment would have caused Daniel to violate the laws of God, so he
"resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine" (Daniel 1:8).
His convictions had a profound impact on those around him -
especially his three closest friends who were soon thrown into a
fiery furnace for refusing to bow to a golden image; "We want you to
know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image
of gold you have set up" (Daniel 3:18).
Daniel served seventy years under the kings of Babylon and his
convictions earned him a place as the most trusted advisor in all the
land. When the Persians defeated the Babylonians, the new king even
"planned to set {Daniel} over the whole kingdom" (Daniel 6:3). But
when the other officials became jealous, they convinced the king to
pass a law forbidding prayer to anyone except the king.
Though he knew he would be severely punished, Daniel held to his
convictions and prayed to God three times a day. For this violation
of the law, Daniel was thrown into a den of lions; but "God sent His
angel, and He shut the mouths of the lions" (Daniel 6:22). When the
king saw how God miraculously protected Daniel, he issued the
following decree:
Daniel 6:26
"I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear
and reverence the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and He
endures forever."
There were many opportunities for Daniel to question his
circumstances. He was taken into captivity at a young age, tempted
with special treatment, despised by his peers, thrown to the lions,
and served an entire lifetime under foreign rulers. But, without a
single complaint, Daniel continued to trust God and serve Him without
compromise. In the end, Daniel was used to encourage the Jews while
in captivity and to draw an entire nation to a greater reverence of
God. Shortly after the decree was issued 50,000 Jews were allowed to
return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.
Stories like this are scattered all through God's Word! We may not
understand our circumstances or be able to see God's plan, but we
KNOW which way He's calling us to walk. Let's continue to serve and
trust with all our heart. Let's walk down His path without turning
to the right or to the left. Regardless of our present
circumstances, let's determine once and for all to give Him a
lifetime of conviction.
Have a Great Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
*****************************************************
Archive of previous devotions : http://www.gdwm.org/archive07.htm
Subscribe/Unsubscribe by email to closerwalk@gdwm.org
Subscribe via web: http://www.gdwm.org/subscribe.htm
Feedback and Prayer: http://gdwmboard.org/6/ubb.x
Send Invitation: http://www.gdwm.org/invite.htm
Verses and Psalms: http://www.gdwm.org/verses
Spanish Devotions: http://www.gdwm.org/spanish
Mail from GDWM is only sent to those who subscribe (free of cost) or
by invitation from friends. Please unsubscribe if these messages are
no longer desired. We absolutely do not support unsolicited E-mail.
Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
God's Daily Word Ministries
P.O. Box 190
Lorena, TX 76655
*****************************************************
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