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Choose Wisely - Veterans Outreach Ministries - Delaware
02 Sep
0

Choose Wisely

by in Religion

Article by Pastor Scott Stevens,
US Army and Disabled Veteran

JESUS asked. “Who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:15

Certain decisions in life are made for us, while others we have to personally make on our own which have life-long consequences. Where you were born, who you were born from and the area or country you were born in were chosen for you. Yet, your career, who you marry (for the most part), and who you choose to serve and call God is a personal and individual decision.

As you read in the above scripture Jesus is asking his disciples and followers a question, and prior to asking this question, He had spent many years with his disciples and followers and they have seen Him perform many miracles. They had left everything to follow Him, yet now Jesus is challenging them with this question “Who do you say that I am?”

Let us look back in a few scriptures before this to see Jesus setting up his disciples wherein He had asked an easier question in Verse 13 “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
Peter, being the vocal leader of the group responds in Verse 14, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

Then Jesus asks the more difficult question in Verse 15 NIV “But what about you?”, he asked, “Who do you say I am?”

To have Him and now them decide and commit with their mouth “Who am I to You?” Peter then goes on to say in Verse 16 , “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter had answered correctly, YOU (Jesus) are the Messiah, the anointed One, the one who will save us.

Many times in life we do not have to make decisions and we just have to go through life, yet when you hang around God long enough, He will ultimately ask you to commit and say to your spirit “Who do you say that I am?” He will ask us for a personal decision that you must answer. He may ask you for MORE, or just as He has said to so many of us “Am I just your friend?” Are you going to treat Jesus like a neighbor or co-worker, a person that you see every now and then, but there is no personal time or commitment? Or are you going to say, You are the Messiah, the Lord of my life and I want Not my will, but thy will be done.

There have been times in my own thirty years of marriage that I have been busy with ministry, helping others, or even at times selfishly focusing on things that please me rather than committed to my marriage and my family. There have been occasions when my beautiful wife has said to me “Hey Scott, remember me? I am your wife and I need you to commit to this relationship and our family more than the needs of others or you selfish desires.” I had a choice, I could continue to do my will and meet the needs of others and my own desires or I could repent and humble myself to her request for me to Love her and our family. I am so glad I have a loving and patient wife who is willing to work with me and see my heart and prays for me to lead with integrity, humility and passion. And I am also glad to have a God who is willing to challenge me, when my priorities are out of place.

God never wants to be second or third in your life, that is why the scriptures say in Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.” He doesn’t want to just be your friend or someone you go to occasionally with your request, stresses and problems. He created you, loves you, died for you and has a glorious plan for your life. It is your choice to choose God or something else. Anytime you put your job, your activities, your relationships or your personal plans before God, He will always ask you the hard question “Who do you say that I am?” Or to paraphrase “where am I at in your life?”

Sometimes, it is sin that separates us from the relationship with God. In the Bible when Adam had disobeyed, followed his wife into sin by eating the forbidden fruit, he tried to hide and cover his sin from God. When God came to spend time with Adam in the Garden of Eden, God asked a similar question that He asked of Peter, in Genesis 3:9 “But the LORD God called out to the man [Adam], “Where are you? Adam had separated himself from God and now God was coming to tell him you are not where you belong . Just as Peter had to commit an answer to the question “Who do you say that I am?”

Let me ask you now to search within your heart and within your life and ask yourself “Where is God in my life?” and “Who do I say that God is in my life?”

I want you to choose wisely, because this decision will affect the next years of your life. If you want to make a personal commitment to God, it looks something like this, “God I realize that I do not have You in the place in my life that has you in the center, I am sorry for separating myself from you with my sins and I need your forgiveness and salvation. I believe in you, I accept your sacrifice of dying on the cross for me and want to live my life according to your direction and not mine. Help me find a good Church who believes and teaches your word. Lead me to a small group that can help me grow, and help me find a mentor, In Jesus name I pray, Amen”.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about God, feel free to reach out to me via email at PastorStevens@aol.com. And thank you for choosing wisely and following God.

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/

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Financial Focus - Veteran's Outreach Ministries
11 Aug
0

Financial Focus

by in Interest

This article was written by Edward Jones for us by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor, Tyler Simonds. Edward Jones, Member SIPC. You can reach Tyler at 410-398-4214

What’s your investment risk tolerance?

Risk is a normal part of investing. If you didn’t take on any risk, you wouldn’t have the potential to achieve higher returns. But how much risk should you accept?
You don’t want to incur unnecessary risk. So, you’ll need to assess the amount of risk you’re comfortable taking and then determine if this risk level supports your ability to achieve your long-term goals.

Here are some of the key factors in determining your own capacity for investment risk:

  • Personality – We all have different personalities. And your individual personality can certainly affect your comfort level with risk. If you enjoy taking chances or pushing yourself outside your comfort zone in other aspects of your life, you could be more likely to accept greater investment risk, too, because you know that greater risk means greater potential reward. Conversely, higher-risk investments also carry greater potential for volatility, including steep short-term declines.
  • Time – Risk tolerance can change over time. When you are first starting out in your career, with decades to go until you retire, you may feel comfortable with a certain degree of investment risk, knowing you have time to potentially overcome the inevitable downturns in the financial markets. But as you near retirement, you might consider lowering your risk level and investing more conservatively, because once you do retire, you’ll likely have to start withdrawing money from your retirement accounts, which means you may need to liquidate some investments – and, ideally, you won’t want to have large fluctuations in value at that time. However, even during retirement, you may want your portfolio to include some growth-oriented investments to help keep you ahead of inflation.
  • Type of goal – You might have different risk tolerances for different goals. For example, if you know you need a specific amount for a particular goal in two years – such as buying a new car or taking an overseas vacation – you may want to put away money in a low-risk, liquid vehicle. This type of investment might not have much growth potential, but for this goal, you are less interested in achieving a high rate of return than you are in being reasonably sure the money will be there when you need it. So, in this instance, you may have quite a low tolerance for risk. But for a long-term goal, such as a comfortable retirement, you may be prepared to take more risk in the hopes of greater returns, given the longer time horizon.

By understanding your risk tolerance and knowing how it can change over time and under different circumstances, you can be better prepared to face investment volatility. And there are certainly things you can do to mitigate risk. By owning a variety of investments – domestic and international stocks, bonds, mutual funds, government securities and so on – you can reduce the impact of market volatility on your portfolio. (Keep in mind, though, that diversification can’t prevent all losses or guarantee profits.)

In any case, the biggest risk of all is simply not investing. If you are going to achieve your financial goals, you need to invest for them. By understanding your own risk tolerance, and by making wise choices along the way, you can stick with an investment strategy that can work for you in the long run.

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/

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Trusting God Even If - Veteran's Outreach Ministries
04 Aug
0

Trusting God Even If

by in Religion

Today’s Reading – Daniel 3:13-25, Written by Xochitl Dixon / Our Daily Bread
Originally published Dec, Jan, Feb. 2017-2018

It’s not always easy to trust or praise the Lord, but when the situation feels unbearable, God’s constant presence comforts us. He strengthens and reassures us of His unchanging goodness, limitless power, and sustaining grace. And when we are tempted to doubt our Lord, we are encouraged but the determined faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They worshipped God and trusted he was with them, even when their situation seemed hopeless.

When Kind Nebuchadnezzar threatened to throw them into a blazing furnace if they didn’t turn away from the true God to worship his golden statue (DAN 3:13-15), these three men displayed courageous and confident faith. They never doubted the Lord was worthy of their worship, (DAN 3:17) “even if” He didn’t rescue them from their current predicament (DAN 3:18). And God didn’t leave them alone in their time of need. HE joined and protected them in the furnace. (DAN 3:24-25)

God doesn’t leave us alone either. He remains with us through trials that can feel so destructive as Kind Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace. Even if our suffering doesn’t end on this side of eternity, God is and always will be mighty, trustworthy, and good. We can rely on his constant and loving presence.

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/

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U.S. MARINE CORPS Bases around the World - Veteran's Outreach Ministries
28 Jul
0

U.S. MARINE CORPS Bases around the World

by in Patriotism

An Article Pulled From www.militarybases.com/marine-corps

The Marines, first established in 1775 as a ground-force sector of the Navy, is considered to be the smallest branch of the military, next to the Coast Guard. Initially, the Marines were used to take over beaches for the Navy. 1798, marked the beginning of the Marine Corps, as it then became its own official branch of the military.

Although the Marine Corps has its own aviation unit, the Navy still mainly supports Marines by air and sea. The Marine Corps receives medical aid from the Navy. Currently, there are over 180,000 active Marines strategically placed across the world ready for fast deployment during times of crisis and need. The Marine Corps is best known for their slogan: “The few. The proud. The Marines.”

Marine Barracks Marine Corps Base in Washington, DC

Marine Barracks represents the oldest military installation operated by the United States Marine Corps. It is located in Washington, DC, and spreads over 6 acres only. The place is commanded by Paul D. Montanus and is also a National Historic Landmark since 1976, Unlike many other installations run by the United States Marine Corps, this one is also open to the public, but only at specific occasions, ceremonies and parades.

Henderson Hall Marine Corps Base in Arlington, VA

Henderson Hall is located in the closeness of the Pentagon, the local national cemetery and a different military facility – Fort Myer. The base spreads over more than 20 acres and hosts multiple facilities, such as the United States Marine Corps barracks and plenty of educational buildings. The base is operated by the United States Marine Corps, but under the jurisdiction of Fort Myer. In fact, the two installations work in a very tight collaboration. It is named after Archibald Henderson, the longest serving commander in the US Marine Corps. He spent more than five decades in this military force and is often referred to as the grand man. The current commander is Ira M. Cheatham.

Have you explored a base? Share with us! Let’s publish your story!

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/

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Male Veteran of the Quarter - Tony Lane - Veteran's Outreach Ministries
21 Jul
0

Male Veteran of the Quarter – Tony Lane

by in Veteran of the Quarter

This article is written by and features Tony Lane

My family moved to Cecil County in the early 1970’s. The Vietnam War had recently ended and Bainbridge Naval Base operations was winding down. However, the military presence here was still very strong. Aberdeen Proving Ground used to put on an Armed Forces Day every year to let the community see the Army’s systems and weapons. There were displays, live demonstrations, and vendors giving away samples of all sorts of items. I look back at those days now and realize it was a very effective recruiting tool.

My mother told me that when I was about 8 years old, I sat in a UH1 (Huey) Helicopter and told her I wanted to fly it. Fast forward to my Junior year at Salisbury University (Salisbury State University at the time) I was talking to an Army helicopter pilot about what I needed to do to get into the Army Flight Program. He told me about the Warrant Officer Flight Training program. I had never heard of a Warrant Officer but what he said had me hooked. One week after my senior year I was headed to basic training in Fort Jackson, SC. I was then sent to Fort Rucker, AL to attend Warrant Officer Candidate School, and then flight school. It was literally a life changing time for me. I have been a Warrant Officer for 32 years and do not regret one moment of my time.

I spent the first 4 years after flight school in the Mohave Desert working with Eagle Team, Aviation Observer Controllers at the National Training Center, NTC Ft. Irwin California. I was a young pilot and they gave me an OH 58 helicopter and more desert than I could cover. It was the best helicopter flying in the Army in my opinion. We flew all day, night, and under night vision goggles in some of the harshest terrain in the country. It was wonderful. I learned an incredible amount of doctrine, flight experience, and met some of the brightest soldiers in the US Army at the time. It was a great time in my life.

Leaving Ft. Irwin, I PCS’d to Ft. Rucker Al to become an Instructor pilot teaching new pilots the trade. There we ran classes of student from their first flight to their graduation day. It is where I met my wife, Lisa. She too is an Army Veteran, and a Warrant Officer Pilot.

I left active duty and moved back to this area. I joined the Delaware National Guard. The DEARNG at the time had UH1’s and OH58’s. UH1’s were Air Assault and Medivac units. The OH58’s were SCOUTS. I flew OH58’s for a couple of years serving as the unit Instructor Pilot. After a few years I transitioned in the C12 airplane. I have been deployed multiple times to the Middle East, Africa, South America and travelled extensively around the United States. I was fortunate to have made it to the top of my rank structure, CW5. They call it the rarest rank in the military or the unicorn.

Really, it means that I am old and it’s time to retire. Thank you.

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/

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It’s The Little Things - Veteran's Outreach Ministries
14 Jul
0

It’s The Little Things

by in Religion

An Article by Debbie DiVirgilio, MDiv, MNM, GPC, CGT, President, Faith Based Non-Profit Resource Center

Did you ever notice how it is the little things that get you?

A couple of weeks ago, our office was having a really busy day. It was one of those days where things are humming and everyone is doing their part to get all the work done — one of those days where you need everything to go just right — technology needs to work just perfectly, the printer needs full ink cartridges and hopefully, the toilet doesn’t back up.

I am sure we have all had those days.

Fortunately, in our office when those days come along, our team works really well together and we are able to support each other in the tasks we have been given. I have worked hard to help each person see how their piece of the task fits into the big picture. Everyone has an important role to play.

And, so it was just a few weeks ago…

We were in the midst of printing a document that was large and one that needed to be precise. Getting it printed early in the morning was essential for making the rest of the day flow smoothly. Unfortunately, just a few pages in and the printer makes a horrible sound and flashes an error message on its screen. PAPER JAM it was shouting at me.

I checked all the normal spots where paper gets hung up, pushed the clear button and started again. But, the JAM message popped back up. This time I moved the printer looked in the back, pulled a couple of levers and hit reset. Once I hit the clear button, the message popped up AGAIN.

You can imagine my frustration, we went through this process five or so times. I was ready to scream and, if I am being honest some things came out of my mouth that I regret. Recognizing we were getting anywhere and the whole day was on its way to being derailed, we got serious looking for where the jam was occurring. Finally, we found it. But, we couldn’t reach it. Fortunately, in an office full of women, someone had a set of tweezers, but the tweezers weren’t long enough.

Digging in our supply closet, we found a long flat-head screwdriver. Very carefully, we held the paper with the tip of the screwdriver, pulling it up ever so slightly. Then, we were able to use the tweezers to pull it out. Imagine the look on my face when this piece of paper that was not even two inches square came out. All of our problems were being caused by that one piece of paper. Immediately, I knew that piece of paper was a teaching lesson. I have kept that piece of paper on my desk as a frequent reminder of the lessons I learned.

  • It’s not the big things that get in the way of our life for Christ, it’s the little things.
  • When the pressure is on, the little things seem really big.
  • Always be ready to apologize to your team when you turn the little things into big things.

But perhaps one of the biggest lessons learned is that when you have developed your staff into a team, they can overlook and forgive your mistakes because they recognize those mistakes are not really who you are.

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/

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Female Veteran of the Quarter - Lisa Lane - Veteran's Outreach Ministries
07 Jul
0

Female Veteran of the Quarter – Lisa Lane

by in Veteran of the Quarter

Article Provided by Lisa Lane

I grew up in Owosso, Michigan, a small rural town located just outside of Lansing. Right out of high school, I joined the Army. I really craved travel and adventure and that’s what I got. I enlisted for 3 years and got sent to Frankfort, Germany to the B company, 17th signal Battalion as a 31M for my tour from 1986-1988. I loved it. I went on every USO tour and vacation I could. I traveled everywhere. I went to the Berlin wall. I left Germany in November 1988 and when the wall came down in 1989, I knew it was a significant event.

After my enlistment, I went home to Michigan and went to college. I attended Michigan State and majored in Biology with a teaching certificate. I had also enlisted for the Michigan National Guard. I was using the GI Bill to pay for college and the guard was like a part time job. In January 1991, my guard unit was activated for Operation Desert Storm. We deployed to Saudi Arabia not knowing what to expect.

In the 146th military police detachment we were assigned to a POW camp in the desert, managing the capture of several thousand Iraqi prisoners. Being in Saudi Arabia was eye opening. Life styles there were so different from ours. I was required to wear a burka and headscarf when leaving our base. I was not allowed to shop or order food without a male escort. Women had few rights there. The experience was very humbling. I went home with an appreciation for our western freedoms. Upon returning to the states, we were all welcomed home with much pomp and circumstance.

Back home in Michigan, I finished college. I waivered on whether or not to stay in the National Guard or focus on a new teaching career. On a whim, I applied for Army flight school through the guard. By this time I had almost 10 years in the military. The Michigan National Guard offered to send me to flight school to become an Army helicopter pilot.

Off I went to Warrant Officer Candidate School followed by Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training in 1995 at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Flight school was an awesome experience. I graduated a year later and headed back to Michigan to fly the UH-1, HUEYs in an Air Assault unit. Also, I had met my husband- to- be while at Ft. Rucker. He was a pilot too on active duty flying the OH-58, Kiowa back then.
Soon after flight school, we married and moved around a bit and then to Maryland. I transferred to the Maryland Army Guard in Edgewood, in 1997 and flew Hueys and then UH-60 Blackhawks for them in a Medevac unit. Then in 1998, my first, child was born. I continued to fly. I will say I was one of the very few female aviators at the time it was a bit new to the Army to have pregnant aviators. I was definitely a pioneer on that score.

In 2000, my second daughter was born. In 2002 I had served out my commitment, I chose to exit the military as a CW2 and focus on raising my kids and going back to school for a Master’s degree. I began my teaching career with Cecil County Public Schools in 2005 and am still currently teaching biology at a Cecil county high school. My daughters are now grown and my husband flies the C-12 for the National Guard with many deployments under his belt. For me, it was an honor and a privilege to serve my country, meet so many great people, and I am truly a proud veteran.

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/

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Business of the Quarter - Fin - Veteran's Outreach Ministries
29 Jun
0

Business of the Quarter – Fin

by in Business of the Quarter

Get Out & Explore! www.findf.in

Article Provided by Meredith Boas

On the evening of Monday, May 23, 2022, Fin, a new startup business in Cecil County, Maryland had a ribbon cutting to launch their first bike-share location in Chesapeake City at the start of the Ben Cardin bike trail.

What is Bike Sharing?

Bike Sharing is a new way for folks to be able to enjoy outdoor recreation on a bicycle without actually having to own or transport their own bicycle. Simply put, a person can rent a bike for a limited amount of time from the Fin rack. All they have to do is download the Fin app, then use their smartphone to scan the QR code on the bike they’d like to use, they’ll receive the code to unlock the bike on the rack, and they’ll have use of that bike for an amount of time. When they’re finished, the person will then return and re-lock up the bike. It’s easy!

The Founder

Meet local entrepreneur Kelly Benson of the water-sports recreation company Benson Outdoors, and the North East, MD restaurant Port House Grill. Fin is his newest business to make what is now a solid trio of much-needed and we’re sure soon-to-be much-loved local businesses in our community.

What Kelly Says…

I have many passions in life – but the one passion that is consistent among everything that I do is simple – I love to make people happy.

Growing up I spent my summer days barefoot, running around in the woods behind my parents house. My second home was the Fair Hill Nature Center where my mom developed and taught outdoor education program and summer camps. I suppose it wasn’t by chance that I developed a love for the outdoors at a very young age.

When I turned twenty one I cofounded the Port House Grill with my father. It was in this time that I realized that my entrepreneurial spirit could let me to blaze my own path. With my father as mentor, he taught me the subtle complexities of both managing a team and a business, and how to weigh risk versus reward.

It was those first years of business where when interacting with my guests that I would be repeatedly asked “So this is a water town, how do you get out on it?”

When backpacking in January in the Patagonia region of Chile, I stayed overnight in a small lakeside town of what felt like no more than forty people, that was over six hours drive from the nearest populated area. I had rented a bedroom for the night in the sole storekeeper’s house. When I woke up, a small outfitter had a line of patrons eager to white water raft. It was this moment, in the middle of nowhere, that I realized I could solve the question that had been asked many times back home. And I could do three miles from the most traveled corridor on the East Coast. Bay Venture Outfitters was born that spring.

Born as an idea in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic with its roots found in Bay Venture, Fin is our next adventure. We hope you enjoy the flexibility and diverse experiences that are found using the Fin network.

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/

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The Gift that Keeps Giving - Veteran's Outreach Ministries
26 Jun
0

The Gift that Keeps Giving

by in Family

Article by by Dee Jones, President of Light 2 World, Inc

When I was younger, I loved playing with dolls, creating hairstyles, and caring for sick toys and birds. I knew early in life I wanted to become a nurse. I watched my mother care for others, and I had the horrible experience of watching a dear friend die before my eyes.

I prayed and asked God to use my gifts for His glory. It took me eighteen years to complete my nursing degree but along the way, I earned a degree in Early Childhood Development. I liked children and wanted to work in pediatric nursing one day. Years later, I did become a nurse, and I worked in pediatrics for a little while, then landed a position in Nursing Education at numerous local colleges.
I still enjoyed caring for others but did not stop there. My husband and I began to fostered children. What a rewarding experience. Being a foster parent was different from caring for a child in the hospital. A foster child lives in your home for a short or extended period. We had the blessing of assisting two boys from middle/high school years into adulthood. Fostering children can be arranged through the court system or through family arrangements. I was fostered by my great-aunt but remained a ward of the state. Though I was not officially adopted, I was unconditionally loved by my great-aunt Nancy.

Now my family is half-retired because I still work, life has changed drastically. Our own children are adults and we were looking to slow down some. Well God had other plans. Another little boy needed our help, but he was not born yet. We were approached specifically about raising this unborn baby. My first thought was” NO”. I was completing another degree and there was no way we were fostering an infant. Well the baby was born. We got the call, and no one was able to take this baby boy home. We took the drive to Ohio and said, “we will do our best”. That was five years ago, and we are still doing “our best” with God’s help. Life has not been the same. As we plunged into infancy again after 34 years of raising children and fostering other children; we begin to look up terms like Night Tares, Infant Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, Reflux, Speech impairment, Proprioception Disfunction, Oppositional Compulsive Defiance, Anger Displacement, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism and more. What in the WORLD did all this mean! I had studied some of these terms in my Early Childhood Development years but never lived the experiences. Our infant did not sleep, he vomited every day, was constantly constipated, screamed in the middle of the night, and did not speak until almost two years old. We were plunged into the world of the “Special Needs Child”.

Where do I begin to get help!

We were not prepared for this (so we thought). Yet God was preparing us all the time. I had studied some disorders over a 14-year career as a Child development specialist for the Army Child Development Center. I helped young Moms with their babies who had such illnesses as Pyloric Stenosis and Prader- Willi Syndrome. There were times that my husband and I were the only caregivers for our friends who had children with severe ADHD and Anger Displacement Disorder. So, God was preparing us all along.
Now it is our turn to learn, advocate, and love our special son with God’s help. Is it easy? No way! Do I have doubts? All the time. But at the end of the day, when I gaze into those shifting brown eyes, I know we did the right thing. I pray a lot and journal often as we live one day at a time. I am learning more about myself than I ever thought possible through this child. My church and Life Recovery Group teach me coping skills to address anxiety, outbursts, and anger, even my own emotions. Each day is a new adventure and our son is truly a gift that keeps giving.

Resources: www.guardianangelguide.com, April 3, 2017, Prayer For Children With Special Needs
kennedykrieger.org and marylandfamilynetwork.org

Light 2 World, Inc , Dee Jones, President, 1013 Beards Hill Road Suite M #237, Aberdeen, MD 21001
410-459-5060, www.deejones.org

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/

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The Plague of Blessings - Veteran's Outreach Ministries
23 Jun
0

The Plague of Blessings

by in Religion

Article by Pastor Glenn Ahrens, EL SHADDAI אל שדי CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

There are only two countries in the world that have been founded on biblical principles. One is Israel and the other one is United States of America. Our founding fathers consecrated and dedicated America to God. Because of this God has blessed us in so many ways. The laws have been set up on a Christ-centered interpretation of justice, fairness, and equal opportunity.

He has blessed us with a plentiful and beautiful nation. A lot of countries are desert or all frozen with brutal environments. God has placed at our feet; ore, minerals, oil, forests, lakes, pastures, farmlands, and more. He’s provided what we need for ourselves and enough to care for other countries around the world.

God has also given us a free enterprise system where we all have the equal opportunity to have our own businesses, and excel in innovations because were permitted to go after our own dreams. Some nations tell you what you are going to do and how you are going to do it with no choice in the matter. I used to live in a country that was run by a dictatorship. If you did not follow the religion they told you to follow or complain about anything political, it was considered treason and you could be jailed or shot for the crime. Usually the latter.

We should be very thankful to God for the election process and the opportunity to directly impact the direction of this nation. We should also be very thankful for the freedom of speech and of assembly just to mention a few. We also must take a voice in the future of the country by voting but we must carefully look at all the candidates and look into their records for ourselves not believing the media what we have heard. We also need to spend time praying for direction from God lead us in our decisions.

We have become so used to all these blessings that we take them for granted. We have no respect for nature and just throw our trash wherever we want to in a lot of cases. We dump chemicals into the rivers that kill the fish and other life with no respect to the long-term effect. Just now we are starting to be concerned about pollution and the environment. Businesses are being forced to gradually, but not fast enough in my opinion, reduce the amount they pollute the environment between dumping and air emissions. A lot of the species of the animals in the world by becoming extinct because we want to kill them just to hang their heads on a wall or put their stuffed bodies in room suite can brag about what we did.

We have forgotten God has blessed us because we are so used to these blessings, but he can very easily change that. A new culture is developing that believes that they can say whatever they want whether it’s truth or not. They also feel that they can do whatever they want without repercussions. They forget whether or not they believe in God he is still very real and they will have to answer to Him eventually. We also have no respect for our bodies, which are God’s temple, doing things that we know are harmful to it such as smoking, drinking to excess, drugs, and eating habits that are not healthy.

We make sure our churches and grounds look very nice but we forget one minor detail. The buildings are just that a building. The real temple of God is our bodies. All Christians claim to love God yet in our actions we show Him no respect by the way we take care of His Temple.

If we don’t respect everything that God has given us and take care of it, He will take it away. God promises us that in the Bible!

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/

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