Pandemic timeline

Jan. 11 – China reports first death due to coronavirus

    Jan. 20 – Countries outside of China report first confirmed cases of COVID-19

    Jan. 31 – University releases email to university community with information on the virus

    Feb. 28 – The United States confirms its first COVID-19 death.

    March 2 – University suspends programs to countries affected by COVID-19

    March 11 – President Trump blocks most visitors from Europe for 30 days

    March 12 – University extends Spring Break, moves classes online until April 6

    March 13 – President Trump declares a national emergency

    March 15 – CDC recommends no gatherings of 50 or more people in the United States

    March 17 – University moves online for the remainder of the semester, postpones commencement, shuts down housing

    March 23 – Governor issues stay at home order for non-essential activities

April 22 - first stimulus checks went out.

April 29 - restaurants are allowed to open at 50% capacity and space apart customers.  Face masks must be worn by employees.

May 1st - retails stores and malls are allowed to re-open with restrictions on social distancing.

May 6th - salons, barbers and other personal care facilities are allowed to open with limited capacity.

April 29, 2021 - mask mandate is lifted in Hamilton County.

Back on Track

December 6, 2019

How can we get education back on track?

Our education system is completely skewed.  Teachers are forced to "teach to test" instead of teaching for children to learn.  Many kids don't know basic life skills like how to balance a checkbook (yes, I know a little dated), change a tire, apply for a loan, save money, etc. and the list goes on.

I'm not sure what the solution is, but something needs to be done.  Private schools seem to care more about teaching to learn (just my observation; no first hand experience).  We have many good teachers out there who are leaving the profession in droves because they lose control of their classroom because they have no help from administration or parents.  It is a broken system that needs to be fixed, but it will not happen overnight.

Kids nowadays are glued to their phones/tablets and have not learned simple communication skills.  They don't know how to read body language.  Small kids are given electronic devices to act as babysitters instead of letting experience boredom so they can be forced to be creative.  Preschoolers are expected to learn to read when this was not even done until first grade when I was in school.  Kids' brains have not changed.  Preschoolers and Kindergarteners need to learn by action and play.  NOT by being made to sit still for long periods and learn reading skills.

It all starts with one step.  What is that step?  Like I said, it won't happen overnight.  We didn't get to this point in a day.  It was a slow, steady process, but where or how did it start?

I know Madeline O'Hara was the one who rallied to get prayer taken out of schools, therefore removing God as well.  I personally think that's where everything began.  ONE person was offended and we allowed her to step forward and make a decision for all schools even though many did not agree with her.

Back when I was in school, if a child misbehaved, the child's parent was called and the child subsequently punished at home.  Sometimes, the child was punished at school. Children had a healthy fear of adults and not wanting to get into trouble.  They especially didn't want to get into more trouble when they got home.  Parents were more involved in their child's life.  Now many parents do not care at all what happens to their child at school.  They are just glad for their child to go to school to get out of their hair.  When the school does happen to call the parent, the parent tends to blame the school or the teacher for the child's misbehavior.  This is most often not the case at all.  Teachers are not given the respect they should be given. I do understand there are exceptions to this rule, but for the most part teachers are completely run over by students, parents and sometimes, administration and it's very sad to me to see this.

Over the last 30-40 years the proverbial "envelope" has been pushed and pushed a little bit at a time to we are where we are now.  Things that were never allowed on television in the 1970s are common and prevalent on television now.  Examples:  cursing, sex, same sex relationships, etc.

Happy

Homosexuality and the church

This is a subject I have been thinking about for some time now.  I have heard from both sides of the issue and the friction that it causes in modern day society, more specifically in the church.  Over the years, homosexuality has become more accepted in society.  Back in the 1970s, for example, anyone who was homosexual kept it a secret from friends and family for the most part.  It was not socially accepted.  Today more and more people are "coming out of the closet," as they say, and embracing their homosexuality.  I honestly don't know if this trend is a result of growing social acceptance or peer pressure or what.  So, for the purposes of this paper, I'll leave that alone.  That's a whole other research paper. 

The Bible clearly states that homosexuality is a sin.  In my research, I found there are 43 scriptural references in the Bible pertaining to homosexuality.  One old testament example is Leviticus 20:13 (ESV)  ¹³ If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. It also talks about homosexuality in the new testament.  In 1 Timothy 1:10 English Standard Version (ESV), the Bible says  ¹⁰ the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers,^[a] liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound^[b] doctrine. 

I am a born-again Christian.  I am also a sinner.  We are all sinners.  We all fall short of the glory of God.  It is only through Jesus Christ and believing in Him and his death on the cross for our sins that we can be born again.

 Homosexuality is a sin, but so is stealing.  Murder is a sin.  Gossiping is a sin.  All are sins in the eyes of God.  We are ALL guilty of committing sin.  That's why we are all sinners.  God does not have "degrees" of sin.  Sin is sin in God's eyes.  The problem in regards to homosexuality as a sin, as I see it, is how Christians act/respond to homosexuals.

 Homosexuality is not part of God's plan for us.  As I pointed out earlier, the Bible clearly speaks against it.  Theoretically speaking, if we all were homosexual, the human race would die out as we could not reproduce.  God intended for us to "be fruitful and multiply."  He also said in Mark 10:6-9 ⁶ But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’  ⁷ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,^[a] 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. ⁹ What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Many of the verses on homosexuality in the Bible are in the old testament.  This was the old covenant.  Extreme measures were taken on those who practiced homosexuality.  Like in Leviticus 20:13, it says, " If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them."  Likewise, in the old testament, it speaks against adultery.  In Deuteronomy 22:22 it says, “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel."  Clearly, in today's society, death is not the punishment for adultery.  Nor should it be the punishment for homosexuality, especially at the hands of Christians.


 I think the issue here is not whether or not homosexuality is a sin, but how Christians deal with homosexuals.  Yes, it is a sin.  The Bible clearly states that.  So, why do we Christians persecute homosexuals on a grander scale than we do, say, adulterers?  Thieves?  Gossipers?  Are they not sinners as well?  Or is it easier to hide such sins from others?  I think much of it has to do with the fact that homosexuality is not "normal."  It's not understood, so the easiest thing to do is condemn those who practice homosexuality.   Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.  No one?  I thought not.  

Why do we not accept them into the house of the Lord like we would anyone else?  The Bible teaches us to love the sinner, hate the sin.  If all of us had our sins exposed as a scarlet letter, how would others treat us?  Think about it. Regarding whether homosexuality is a lifestyle choice as opposed to something one is born with, I am unsure of the answer.  I don't think anyone truly knows the answer.  I believe environmental variables have a huge impact on how one is "bent" in this regard.  Your upbringing, home life, emotional health, etc all plays a part in how you see the world and how you fit in.  Again, all these factors would require much deeper research to adequately address them all. 

Reference:  http://www.openbible.info/topics/homosexuality

Loyal lyrics

Loyal

We've never seen the savior in the flesh 
some think the bible's just a script like a movie 
and someday heaven's our address 
when we leave this town, it's our happy ending 

I sing the psalms like I'm blessed..praise God..no matter what I go thru 
blood stain, thorn crown..dying just to save you 
don't be scared..he's fighting enemies in your dreams 
so every night i'm like my lord..jesus..guard me with your spirit 
angel armies satans gotta fear it 
I declare, I'm all caught up in this love affair 

So we gotta stay loyal 
sins are covered by his blood 
that kind of life he want's for us 
he's got a selfless type of love 
let him be your ruler 
believers are guaranteed 
and baby he'll prove, he'll prove, he'll prove, he'll prove 
the reward's eternity 

My friends and I—we've cracked the code 
we have the word to keep us all from falling 
and everyone who knows us knows that we're fine with this 
its just our calling 

I sing the psalms like I'm blessed..praise god..no matter what I go thru 
blood stain, thorn crown..dying just to save you 
don't be scared..he's fighting enemies in your dreams 
so every night I'm like my Lord..Jesus..guard me with your spirit 
angel armies satan's gotta fear it 
I declare, I'm all caught up in this love affair 

So we gotta stay loyal 
sins are covered by his blood 
that kind of life he want's for us 
he's got a selfless type of love 
let him be your ruler 
believers are guaranteed 
and baby he'll prove, he'll prove, he'll prove, he'll prove 
the reward's eternity 

Ooh ooh oh 
he's bigger than we've ever dreamed 
and I will call him holy king 
ooh ooh oh 
that's the reason why I share 
I'm all caught up in this love affair 

So we gotta stay loyal 
sins are covered by his blood 
that kind of life he want's for us 
he's got a selfless type of love 
let him be your ruler 
believers are guaranteed 
and baby he'll prove, he'll prove, he'll prove, he'll prove 
the reward's eternity

Questions to ask b4 spending time with a boy

Another excerpt from Lysa TerKeurst.  Good stuff!

1/13/14

As a mom of teen girls, there’s a big part of me that wants to say, “stay away from boys until you’re 30!” But maybe a more realistic approach is to teach them the right questions to ask before spending time with a friend boy. (And yes, that wording is intentional.)

Worship — Who or what does he worship in the shrine of his heart?
Words — Do his words (spoken and written) build others up or tear them down?
Character — Who is he when no one else is looking?
Personality — Who is he around other people?
Interests — What kinds of things does he do to recharge?
Feelings — Do you feel better about yourself when he’s around?
Attraction — Is your attraction to him centered around something that will stay over time?

How does he treat his mother?

Knowledge – what is he feeding his mind with?

What do you think about these questions? Are there others you would add?

Mothering

You have the exact qualities God knew your kids would need in a mother. So, each day,

hold up your willingness and ask God to make you the best version of you that you can 

possibly be.

Lysa TerKeurst 1/7/14