tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-221523302024-03-07T10:02:30.706-06:00Ramblings from an Over-Squozen BrainThe first thing you're asking is, "What is SQUOZEN?" Well if you freeze something, it's frozen, so if you squeeze something, it's squozen! And my brain is definitely squozen! I live a busy life, wearing many hats, and I enjoy every one. This blog will contain miscellanous comments about my life as a husband, father, pastor, politician and hopefully generally nice guy! Anyhow, I hope you find something useful or at least entertaining in that which overflows from my "Over-Squozen Brain."NathanMartinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11164295169232460427noreply@blogger.comBlogger207125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-30570424296588880192023-11-02T08:02:00.005-05:002023-11-02T08:30:51.435-05:00Nov 18 Constitutional Amendments<p></p><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1974228803027591972" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; position: relative;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s640/vote-1319435_640.png" style="color: #992211; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="640" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s320/vote-1319435_640.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Source: </span><a href="https://pixabay.com/p-1319435/?no_redirect" style="color: #771100; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Public Domain</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #333333; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span>Election day is soon approaching and with it comes another round of proposed Amendments to the Louisiana Constitution. We voted on four back on October 14 (all of which were passed), and there will be another four on the November 18 ballot (along with a few remaining statewide runoffs (Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Treasurer), and a Rapides Parish 20-year tax proposal to support the Renaissance Home. You can get details on your ballot at the Secretary of State's </span></span><a href="https://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/GetElectionInformation/ReviewSampleBallots/Pages/default.aspx" style="color: #333333;">website</a><span style="color: #333333;"><span> or by going to </span></span><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span><u>http://GeauxVote.com</u></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span>. </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><div style="font-family: helvetica;"> For the past several years I have sought to provide a layman's guide to the amendments because they are (rightfully so) written in legalize in order to be factual, precise, and enforceable. Unfortunately, that means that sometimes they are not easily understood!</div><div style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: helvetica;">To guide my research I read as much as I can about the amendments as well as take in <a href="https://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PAR_ConstAmend2023.pdf">PAR's</a> excellent <a href="https://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PAR_ConstAmend2023.pdf">guide to the amendments</a>. However, as hard as they work to boil the language down to understandable terms, this year's guide is still 17 pages long! (Granted, that includes covering the four on the Oct 14 ballot and the four on the Nov 18 ballot.) My goal is to summarize each amendment in one or two paragraphs. So let's dive right in!</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 1</b> would allow lawmakers to try to override a governor's veto without calling a separate session if they are already in a legislative session. In the past few years the Legislature has often called special sessions immediately after regular sessions to deal with pressing issues. This has caused some confusion as to the time limit requirements of veto sessions, so this amendment would clarify the language, especially dealing with special sessions. <b>(I'm voting <span style="color: #04ff00;"><u><span>YES</span></u> </span>because I think the rules need to be clarified regarding special sessions.)</b><br /><br /></li><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Constitutional Amendment 2</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> would remove six inactive funds with zero or near-zero balances from the Constitution. These six funds are not being used and no longer fulfill their original purpose. Five of the funds have $0 in them and the sixth has $604 and hasn't had a deposit in over 20 years. (The $604 would be transferred to the general fund.) </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">(I'm voting </b><span style="color: #04ff00; font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"><u><span>YES</span></u> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">because I think it helps streamline the </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Constitution</b></span><b style="font-family: helvetica;"> by removing these no-longer-used funds.)</b><br /><br /></li><li style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 3</b> would allow property tax exemptions for First Responders. Most property owners receive a $75,000 property tax exemption for the home they live in, and some other specific exemptions are allowed (such as homeowners with disabilities, some military veterans, and homeowners of certain income levels who are 65 and older.) This amendment would allow parish governing authorities to approve an additional $25,000 exemption to qualified first responders who live in the parish in an effort to help recruit and retain first responders. I'm very conflicted about this because while I fully support first responders, this has the potential for confusion and abuse. And currently there is not an understanding of the financial impact so I'm <b>withholding my recommendation</b> until I can research it more fully.<br /><br /></li><li style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 4</b> would tighten the rules on how money from the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund could be used by the Legislature. Currently funds can be accessed by a vote of 2/3 of the legislature for undefined "emergencies". The proposed changes would make it harder to access these funds by defining which "emergencies" it can be used for and limiting it to a certain amount of usage, only after the states separate "rainy day fund" was accessed. I'm leaning towards a <u style="color: #04ff00; font-size: 16.335px; font-weight: 700;">YES</u><span style="color: #04ff00; font-size: 16.335px; font-weight: 700;"> </span>vote, but I'm still researching the potential impact of this amendment and am <b>withholding my recommendation</b> until I gain some additional perspective.</li></ul><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Well, there you have it, a brief look at the four amendments coming up on the Nov 18 ballot. I will try to update this post later after I've had more time to take a closer look at 3 and 4. But I wanted to share this now since <b>early voting starts Nov 3 and runs through on Veteran's Day, Nov 11 (excluding Sunday, Nov 5 and Veteran's Day holiday on Nov 10)</b>. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the constitutional amendments. Who knows, maybe you'll change my mind! But regardless of whether you agree with me or not, I hope everyone will educate themselves on the amendments and </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">geaux vote!!!</b></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-19742288030275919722023-10-02T21:21:00.007-05:002023-10-02T21:21:41.958-05:00October 14, 2023 Constitutional Amendments<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s640/vote-1319435_640.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="640" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s320/vote-1319435_640.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 11.88px;">Source: </span><a href="https://pixabay.com/p-1319435/?no_redirect" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11.88px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Public Domain</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It's election season again! Louisianians will be headed to the polls Oct 14 to vote for a new <b>Governor, Lt Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer, Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry</b> as well as <b>Commissioner of Insurance</b>! Plus there are seats on the <b>Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE Board</b>), a few <b>judges</b>, and many state <b>Senators </b>and <b>Representatives</b>. <b>Rapides Parish</b> will also be voting for <b>Sheriff, Clerk of Court, Tax Assessor</b>, and several <b>Policy Jury</b> seats. You can find out what's on YOUR ballot at the Secretary of State's <a href="https://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/GetElectionInformation/ReviewSampleBallots/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">website</a> or by going to <a href="http://GeauxVote.com">GeauxVote.com</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div>Along with all those important statewide and local races there are <b>four constitutional amendments</b>. For the past several years I have sought to provide a layman's guide to the amendments because they are (rightfully so) written in legalize in order to be factual, precise, and enforceable. Unfortunately, that means that sometimes they are not easily understood!</div><div><br /></div><div>To guide my research I read as much as I can about the amendments as well as take in <a href="https://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PAR_ConstAmend2023.pdf">PAR's</a> excellent <a href="https://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PAR_ConstAmend2023.pdf">guide to the amendments</a>. However, as hard as they work to boil the language down to understandable terms, this year's guide is still 17 pages long! (Granted, that includes covering the four on the Oct 14 ballot and the four on the Nov 18 ballot.) My goal is to summarize each amendment in one or two paragraphs. So let's dive right in.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Constitutional Amendment 1</b> would<b> <u>prohibit the use of private funds to pay for elections in Louisiana</u></b>. This came out of the COVID-19 pandemic era when elections were more expensive because of the need for protective equipment, expanded hours, and increased use of absentee ballots. A nonprofit funded by Facebook offered to help pay for the elections. But since Louisiana law is silent as to whether this is allowable or not, the Attorney General recommended that no private funds be used in public elections and to allow the legislature to address the issue. The legislature has twice passed legislation outlawing the practice and both times Governor Edwards has vetoed it. So the legislature has proposed a Constitutional Amendment to allow the people to speak to the issue. <b>(I'm voting <span style="color: #04ff00;"><u><span>YES</span></u> </span>because I think private funding could skew the results by pouring more money into certain areas that might vote a certain way.)<br /><br /></b></li><li><b>Constitutional Amendment 2</b><span> would<b> <u>add additional levels of protection to the constitutionally protected freedom of religion</u>.</b> This also comes out of the COVID-19 pandemic era when Governor Edwards shut down churches while allowing many businesses to remain open. One pastor was repeatedly arrested for violating the restrictions and his case went to the Louisiana Supreme Court where charges were dismissed on a 5-2 vote. Some say we don't need this additional protection while others point to the fact that it took a Supreme Court decision (that actually was split) to preserve religious rights, so this amendment is needed. </span><b>(I'm voting <span style="color: #04ff00;"><u><span>YES</span></u> </span>because I think I believe freedom of religion needs the greatest protections available.)<br /><br /></b></li><li><b>Constitutional Amendment 3</b><span> would <b><u>require that 25% of any state surplus be used to pay down the retirement debt</u> </b>(or "unfunded accrued liability") for the four state retirement systems. Currently the state is required to pay 10% of surpluses to TWO of the four systems, but that requirement expires in 2029. Those against the amendment say the state has too many other priorities, such as unfunded bridge and road construction, water system repairs and other infrastructure issues and this would limit surplus monies from being used for those important projects. </span><b>(I'm voting <span style="color: #04ff00;"><u><span>YES</span></u> </span>because paying down this liability in the short-term will free up money in the long term and make our state more financially sound.)<br /><br /></b></li><li><b>Constitutional Amendment 4</b><span> would<b> <u>allow local governments to revoke property tax exemptions from non-profits tha</u></b></span><b><u>t lease housing and have repeated public health or safety violations</u>. </b>Many non-profits, such as churches, hospitals, cemeteries, etc, receive property tax exemptions because of the benefit they provide to society, including some non-profits that provide rental housing for low-income families. However, some of them have allowed their properties to fall into disrepair and actually become a danger to the residents and the public. This amendment would allow local governments to rescind the property tax exemption on a non-profit owned entity that leases their property for housing if there have been three or more safety code violations in the last 12 months for specific health and safety issues. Their tax exemption can be restored if the health and safety violations have been fixed. <b>(I'm voting <span style="color: #04ff00;"><u><span>YES</span></u> </span>because this could help eliminate "slum lord" conditions by non-profits who take the money but don't provide for the safety and welfare of the residents they are supposed to be serving.)</b></li></ul><div>Well, there you have it, a brief look at the four amendments coming up on the Oct 14 ballot. As I write this, early voting has already begun and will continue through Saturday, Oct 7. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the constitutional amendments. Who knows, maybe you'll change my mind! But regardless of whether you agree with me or not, I hope everyone will educate themselves on the amendments and <b>geaux vote!!!</b></div></div></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-39295102974988712882022-11-16T21:56:00.003-06:002022-11-16T21:56:48.347-06:00December 10, 2022 Constitutional Amendments Overview<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s640/vote-1319435_640.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="640" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s320/vote-1319435_640.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 11.88px;">Source: </span><a href="https://pixabay.com/p-1319435/?no_redirect" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11.88px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Public Domain</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There's another election right around the corner and this time there are 3 Constitutional Amendments on the ballot for Louisiana voters. Each time this happens I try to provide a "plain English" explanation of the amendments because they are often written in "legalize" which essentially means they are written by lawyers, for lawyers. I'm not knocking that because it's very important for the language to be correct. But sometimes it makes them difficult to understand by the layperson.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Thankfully that is not the case with the three amendments before us on the December 10, 2022 ballot. They really are fairly easy to understand. What's harder to understand is the motive behind the amendments! There's always a backstory, which is also important to understanding the amendments and why you should vote for or against them. So here's my best attempt at explaining the amendments and why you might vote for or against them:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 1</b> would ban people who are not US citizens from registering to vote or casting ballots in Louisiana elections. While that seems to be a good idea, the LA Constitution already requires a person to be at least 18 years old and a citizen of Louisiana in order to register to vote and to cast a ballot. Plus, the election code requires people applying to register to vote to attest they are US citizens. So this really seems to be a redundancy. Apparently this is a knee-jerk reaction to the fact the some municipalities in other states have allowed non-US citizens to vote in local elections. But that loophole does not exist in LA as municipalities do not have the legal authority to change the rules to allow non-citizens to vote. <b>(I'm voting <u><span style="color: red;">NO</span></u> because I believe this is a needless change that only seeks to stir up emotions and gain political points.)<br /><br /></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 2</b> would require that the governor's appointees to the State Civil Service Commission be confirmed by the LA Senate. Backstory: 6 of the 7 members of the State Civil Service Commission are appointed by the Governor. (The 7th is elected by the states classified employees themselves.) The governor receives 3 recommendations from six different private universities (including Louisiana Christian University). He then selects one from each region of the state, making sure there is at least one representative from each of the 6 congressional districts. This amendment would require that his appointees go through a Senate confirmation process, which would slow down the process and introduce politics into what should be an apolitical process. <b>(I'm voting <u><span style="color: red;">NO</span></u> because I think this just gums up the works.)<br /><br /></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 3</b> would require that the governor's appointees to the State Police Commission be confirmed by the LA Senate. Pretty much the same backstory as the previous amendment with recommendations coming from six private universities, including LCU, and the 7th being elected by the classified state police officers. I find it interesting that both of these amendments seek to limit the governor's discretion so it makes me wonder if these two are more about disagreements between the current legislature and governor than about policy. I trust the presidents of the various universities (Centenary, Dillard, LCU, Loyola, Tulane, and Xavier) to put forth good candidates that are above reproach, and I don't think we need to insert additional politics into the process. </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">(I'm voting <u><span style="color: red;">NO</span></u> because I think this just gums up the works.)</b></li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Well, there you have it! I don't expect you to agree with me on everything. I've often found that the elections often don't go the way of my recommendations - and I'm ok with that! My goal is to try to explain things as simply as I can in hopes that folks will at least be more informed on the amendments and not skip over them. I HIGHLY recommend the <a href="http://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/PAR-Guide-to-the-2022-Constitutional-Amendments.pdf" target="_blank">PAR Louisiana guide to the amendments</a> which gives a wonderfully balanced approach to explaining them (although they use a lot more words than I do! LOL!).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Don't forget there are several other very important runoff elections on the ballot, including:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Alexandria City Council, District 2:</b> Gary Johnson or Roosevelt Johnson</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>School Board District G:</b> Keith Breazeale or Wally Fall</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Forest Hill Chief of Police:</b> Glynn Dixon or Jay Molinary</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Lecompte Alderman:</b> Top 2 among Alex Baker, Michael Busch, Butch Butler and Nancy Phillips</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Early voting is <b>Nov 26-Dec 3</b> (excluding Sunday, Nov 27) from 8:30AM-6PM and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is <b>Dec 6 </b>from Louisiana's <a href="https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/" target="_blank">Voter Portal</a> or your <a href="https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/registrar" target="_blank">Registrar of Voters</a> Office. (Absentee ballots must be received by 4:30PM on Dec 9 and election day is Dec 10 from 7AM-8PM. <b>Don't forget to VOTE!!!</b></span></div></div><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-61862475260329968442022-10-24T07:54:00.003-05:002022-10-24T09:05:04.621-05:00Nov 8, 2022 Constitutional Amendments Overview<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s640/vote-1319435_640.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="640" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s320/vote-1319435_640.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 11.88px;">Source: </span><a href="https://pixabay.com/p-1319435/?no_redirect" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11.88px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Public Domain</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I've become a rather irregular blogger, apparently. Over the past 3-4 years I've only been posting my thoughts on the Louisiana Constitutional Amendments that appear on our ballots each year. I do not claim to be an expert on the amendments at all. I simply read the various resources available and try to make an informed decision. And since I am both <a href="http://www.oversquozen.com/2016/06/politics-and-religion.html">a pastor and an elected official</a>, I often get asked to share my perspective - and thus this blog post. (BTW, it's ok to disagree with me. I disagree with myself sometimes! LOL!)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This year there are <b>ELEVEN proposed amendments </b>to the Louisiana Constitution, eight on the November ballot and three on the December runoff ballot. And, as usual, they can be a bit cumbersome. Below I am providing a very brief overview of the eight that will appear on the November 8 ballot, along with my personal recommendation. <b>Early voting runs Oct 25-Nov 1 from 8:30AM-6:00PM daily, excluding Sunday, at the Rapides Parish Courthouse or at Kees Park Community Center in Pineville.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">By the way, I get most of my information from the excellent non-partisan 21-page</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><a href="http://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/PAR-Guide-to-the-2022-Constitutional-Amendments.pdf" style="font-family: helvetica;">guide</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">put out by the</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><a href="http://parlouisiana.org/" style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana</b></a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>,</b> which goes into great lengths to explain each one and give the pros and cons for each one without taking a side. I also draw on the 12-page <a href="https://cabl.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-CA-Nov-Ballot-Final-Doc.pdf">guide</a> from the <a href="https://cabl.org/"><b>Council for A Better Louisiana (CABL)</b></a> which does offer their recommendations. Based on that research, here's my brief take on the 8 constitutional amendments that will appear on our ballot on Tuesday, Nov 8, 2022, (and I'll provide a later post on the 3 constitutional amendments that will appear on the Dec 10, 2022):</span></p><p></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 1</b> would allow seven different state-controlled trust funds to invest up to 65% of their funds in the stock market. Currently these 7 funds have different caps, from 0% to 35% (or 50% with 2/3 vote from lawmakers) and are largely limited to investing in low-earning instruments like government bonds, CDs, etc</span>.<span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">(I'm voting <u><span style="color: #04ff00;">YES</span></u> because these long term trust funds need long term tools to ensure they keep up with inflation.)<br /><br /></b></li><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Constitutional Amendment 2</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">would increase the local property tax exemption for veterans with a service-connected disability greater than 50% as verified by the VA. Currently local parishes can call for a vote to double the exemption from $75,000 to $150,000. This amendment does not call for a local vote and would give 100% exemption for 100% service-connected disabilities, $120,000 exemption for 70-99% service-connected disabilities, and $100,000 exemption for 50-69% service connected disabilities.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">(I'm voting <b><u><span style="color: #04ff00;">YES</span></u> </b>because the sacrifices of our men and women disabled in the service of our country should be recognized and rewarded.)<br /><br /></b></li><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Constitutional Amendment 3</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">would allow civil service employees to support political campaigns of immediate family members. Currently civil service (classified) employees are prohibited from almost all involvement in the political process, primarily based on Louisiana's sordid past of political corruption. </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">(I'm voting <u><span style="color: red;">NO</span></u> because the definition of "immediate family member" is too broad (21 different classifications) and this could erode the public's trust in the political system. It is also opposed by most civil service organizations.)<br /><br /></b></li><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Constitutional Amendment 4</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> would allow local water systems to waive charges for excess water use not caused by the customer. Currently the state constitution says that if the water went through the meter the customer must pay for it (outside of specific circumstances). This amendment would allow local water systems to waive the excess fees if the usage was caused by damage to the water lines outside the control of the customer - for example, flooding, ice storms, etc.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">(I'm voting <u><span style="color: #04ff00;">YES</span></u> because it is unfair to force a customer to pay for something outside of his/her control.)<br /><br /></b></li><li><b style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;">Constitutional Amendment 5</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> would allow local taxing districts more time to decide whether to "roll forward" millages (property taxes) after assessment years. Property values must be reassessed at least every 4 years by the local tax assessor. When the district-wide assessment increases property values local governments either adjust their taxes down to generate the same revenue as previously or "roll forward" the millage to generate more revenue. </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">(I'm voting <u><span style="color: #04ff00;">YES</span></u> because this is the only way local governments can keep up with inflation Otherwise new taxes would need to be enacted.)<br /><br /></b></li><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Constitutional Amendment 6</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> would limit increases in property taxes to no more than 10% per year in Orleans Parish. Property values in Orleans Parish have been soaring, sometimes over 50% in the post-Katrina build-back. This has created a burden on taxpayers who have seen their property taxes increase correspondingly. This amendment would phase in property tax increases to no more than 10% per year. Although the situation appears to be unique to Orleans Parish due to post-Katrina issues, because it is a property tax issue, it has to be addressed through the constitution. </span><b style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;">(I'm voting <u><span style="color: #04ff00;">YES</span></u> </b><b style="font-family: helvetica;">because this is a </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>reasonable</b></span><b style="font-family: helvetica;"> approach to a unique situation.)<br /><br /></b></li><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;">Constitutional Amendment 7</b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> places limits on the definition of "involuntary servitude." Currently the LA Constitution states that "slavery and involuntary servitude are prohibited, except in the latter case as a punishment for a crime." The new language reads “Slavery and involuntary servitude are prohibited, (but this) does not apply to the otherwise lawful administration of criminal justice.” While the wording seems similar, the author of the amendment says the wording was changed after he introduced it and now is overly ambiguous and he now opposes passage of it. </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">(I'm voting <u><span style="color: red;">NO</span></u> because the author himself opposes it.)<br /><br /></b></li><li><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 8</b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: 400;"> would remove the requirement that those receiving a freeze on their property tax assessments have to annually recertify their income status. Individuals with 100% disabilities who also have an annual tax income of under $100,000 can have their property taxes "frozen" at the current levels, provide that they provide an annual recertification of their income. This amendment would make their frozen property tax assessment permanently without any recertification of income. </span></b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><b style="font-family: helvetica;">(I'm voting </b><u style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: red;">NO</span></u><b style="font-family: helvetica;"> because the steps to receive this benefit are not overly </b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>onerous</b></span><b style="font-family: helvetica;"> and provide for checks and balances in the property tax system.)</b></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Well, there you have it! Whether you agree with me or not, hopefully my explanation helps you understand the four amendments you'll be asked to vote on this weekend. By the way, there are quite a few other races on the ballot, including US Senate, US House and Public Service Commission, plus a whole host of local races in Rapides Parish (Police Jury and School Board), plus Alexandria, Ball, Boyce, Forest Hill, Glenmora, Lecompte, McNary, and Woodworth. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> You can find your sample ballot by going to the <a href="https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Home/ParishLogin">GeauxVote</a> website.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I hope this is helpful! I would love to hear your thoughts on the amendments, even if you disagree with me! And whether we agree or not, don't forget to vote!!!</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-31454173226525134512021-11-11T22:29:00.000-06:002021-11-11T22:29:47.277-06:002021 Constitutional Amendments Summary<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s640/vote-1319435_640.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="640" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s320/vote-1319435_640.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11.88px;">Source: </span><a href="https://pixabay.com/p-1319435/?no_redirect" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11.88px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Public Domain</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Readers of this blog pretty much know that I am both a pastor and an elected official. I've explained my view on wearing the distinct hats of "politics and religion" in a previous <a href="http://www.oversquozen.com/2016/06/politics-and-religion.html">blog post</a> so I'm not going to rehash that here. But because of the uniqueness of those dual roles I'm often asked for my thoughts about elections. I no longer give out recommendations on individual candidates, but many still ask me what I think about the constitutional amendments in Louisiana - whether they agree with me or not! 😂</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This year there are four proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution and, as usual, they can be a bit cumbersome. I'm planning on voting "yes" on 3 of the 4 and I'll explain why below. By the way, I get most of my information from the excellent non-partisan <a href="http://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/PAR_ConstAmend2021-2_Sep10Update.pdf">guide</a> put out by the <a href="http://parlouisiana.org/">Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana</a>, which goes into great lengths to explain each one and give the pros and cons for each one. With thanks to their 14-page guide, here's my brief take on the 4 constitutional amendments that will appear on our ballot on Saturday, Nov 13, 2021:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 1</b> would create a streamlined sales tax collection system in the state of Louisiana for collecting sales taxes on items purchased on the Internet. Many times internet vendors charge sales taxes but may not remit them back to the state because we have dozens and dozens of different sales tax collection agencies spread across our 64 parishes. Please note that this amendment has nothing to do with our tax rates - they do not change! This simply makes it easier for out-of-state companies to accurately return the sales taxes to the state and local governments (municipalities, police juries, school boards, etc) that they are already collecting by providing them with a "one-stop-shop" way to pay those sales taxes. <b>(I'm voting <u><span style="color: #04ff00;">YES</span></u> because our state and local governments need this lost revenue to avoid raising taxes in the future.)<br /><br /></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 2</b> would lower income tax rates in Louisiana in exchange for eliminating the deduction for federal income tax payments, a requirement that only one other state in the US has. This would lower the maximum income tax rate in Louisiana from 6% to 4.25%, with other tiers lowering as well. In addition, corporate income taxes are reduced across the board, and the "franchise tax" (on retained earnings and investment capital) is significantly reduced or eliminated (in many cases). One reason for this is that whenever the federal government changes its deductions it has an effect on state income. This would make revenue more predictable while lowering the taxes for most folks and make them simpler for everyone. <b>(I'm voting <b><u><span style="color: #04ff00;">YES</span></u> </b>because our tax code needs to be simplified and made more fair across the board. This is a good first step in tax reform.)<br /><br /></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 3</b> would allow levee districts created since 2006 to raise up to a 5-mill property tax without voter approval. (Districts created prior to 2006 already have this authorization, but the law was changed in 2006 preventing taxing being levied without a vote of the people.) While flood control is a critical issue in Louisiana, giving any governmental authority the ability to raise taxes without the consent of those taxed is bad public policy, in my opinion. If I recall correctly we fought a war over "taxation without representation" a couple of hundred years ago! <b>(I'm voting <u><span style="color: red;">NO</span></u> because I think people should always have the right to vote on any tax that is assessed.)<br /><br /></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 4</b> would allow the state to transfer a small amount of money from dedicated funds to fix a shortfall in the state budget. Currently in times of financial crisis the State of LA can only make unrestricted cuts to the general fund, which is why we've seen such drastic cuts in education and healthcare in the last decade. All other "dedicated funds" are protected and can only be cut by 5%, even in times of severe financial shortfall. This amendment would allow the legislature to cut dedicated funds by an additional 5% (for a total of up to 10%) to solve budget problems during periods of financial downturn. Th fact that there are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of constitutionally protected funds essentially ties the hands of the legislature when cuts are needed. This would allow cuts to be spread across all of government rather than just healthcare and higher education. <b>(I'm voting <u><span style="color: #04ff00;">YES</span></u> because we can't afford to keep cutting healthcare and higher education in times of financial hardship - all of government should be able to share the load together.)</b></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Well, there you have it! Whether you agree with me or not, hopefully my explanation helps you understand the four amendments you'll be asked to vote on this weekend. By the way, there are a few special elections in the area to fill vacant seats, such </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://rppj.com/officials">Rapides Parish Police Jury District I</a>, vacated by the death of Scott Perry and </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.cityofalexandriala.com/council-directory">Alexandria City Council District 4</a>, vacated by the retirement of 99-year-old Harry Silver. If you live in those districts you'll be given the opportunity to select who will serve out those unfulfilled terms. You can find your sample ballot by going to the <a href="https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Home/ParishLogin">GeauxVote</a> website.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I hope this is helpful! I would love to hear your thoughts on the amendments, even if you disagree with me! And whether we agree or not, don't forget to vote on Saturday!!!</span></div><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-68098553438915965082020-10-16T16:50:00.000-05:002020-10-16T16:50:18.325-05:002020 Constitutional Amendment Thoughts<p><br /></p><div class="post-header" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5826773753722771597" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s1600/vote-1319435_640.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #771100; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="640" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s320/vote-1319435_640.png" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11.88px;">Source: <a href="https://pixabay.com/p-1319435/?no_redirect" style="color: #771100; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Public Domain</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because I'm a <a href="http://www.oversquozen.com/2016/06/politics-and-religion.html" target="_blank">pastor AND an elected official</a> I’m often asked for my take on elections. I used to give recommendation on candidates but several years ago </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>I stopped doing that.</b></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Partly because I often know many of the candidates personally and also because I have friends that support opposing candidates - both of which can create tension! I'm grateful to know that so many good people seek to serve others through political service and I honor them all. So in the last few years I’ve limited my postings to discussing the </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Constitutional Amendments,</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> mainly because they are often hard to understand.</span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5826773753722771597" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5826773753722771597" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This year there are seven proposed constitutional amendments to the Louisiana Constitution, and once again some of them are hard to understand. (Except for number 1 - that one's VERY easy to understand!) I'm planning to vote "Yes" on 6 of the 7. I'm voting "No" on number 6 and on the "sports betting" (i.e., gambling) proposition. Below I'm going to briefly discuss each of these based on my research, which includes the excellent non-partisan <a href="http://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/PAR_ConstAmend2020FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">guide</a> put out by the <a href="http://parlouisiana.org/" target="_blank">Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana</a>, and I'll share my reasons for why I'm voting yes or no. So here is my take on the 7 amendments, plus a proposition that will be on every ballot across the state this fall:</span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5826773753722771597" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="color: black;">Constitutional Amendment 1</b> would declare that nothing in the Louisiana Constitution protects the right to abortion. Louisiana already has laws in place that would ban abortion if Roe v. Wade were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. However, the Louisiana Constitution has no language that specifically mentions abortion. Some feel that Louisiana’s constitutional rights to privacy or due process may be interpreted by state courts to allow abortion. This amendment seeks to place clear and specific language in the LA Constitution that would prohibit abortion in Louisiana. <b>(I'm voting <u><span style="color: #04ff00;">YES!</span></u> because I believe strongly that there should be no provision for abortion in the Louisiana Constitution.)</b>
</span></p></span></li><li><p dir="ltr" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 2</b> changes the way that oil and gas wells are assessed for property taxes. Currently the production of a well is not taken into account when property taxes are assessed and has caused disagreement between producers and assessors as to how to properly assess these wells for property tax purposes. This amendment authorizes the LA Tax Commission to create rules for how the gas and oil well’s production would be included into a method used by local assessors. Interestingly, both producers and assessors have backed this bill as a more fair way of assessing these properties. <b><u>(I'm voting <span style="color: #04ff00;">YES</span> because I believe this is a fairer way to assess property taxes - especially since both sides affected by this agree on it!)</u></b><br /><br /></span></span></p></li><li><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 3</b> allows the state’s Budget Stabilization Fund to be used when there is a federally declared disaster, as opposed to only when there are revenue shortfalls. The “Rainy Day Fund” is a financial cushion the state can use when revenues fall below forecasts that were used to set the budget. This amendment would allow the state to tap into the “Rainy Day Fund” to front the costs associated with a federally declared disaster, with the understanding that those funds would be reimbursed from federal emergency relief funds that typically come into the state some period of time after a disaster. Some feel this amendment passed out of committees without a full vetting due to Covid-19 restrictions on meetings and should go through a fuller review process and are concerned that the “payback” provisions may not have enough teeth. <b><u>(I'm voting <span style="color: #04ff00;">YES</span> because I know the financial burden of placed on governmental bodies to have to "front" the money that will eventually be reimbursed.)</u></b><br /></span><br /></span></p></li><li><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 4</b> establishes a new, more conservative, budget spending limit. The current limit has an upper limit of 5% and is based on changes in the average personal income in Louisiana. The new limit adds three more factors which would seemingly restrict the fluctuations in a single factor limit and create a limit that doesn’t fluctuate as much, making budgeting more consistent. Opponents feel it would constrain government too much, but fiscal conservatives have promoted this as a way to rein in state spending. <b><u>(I'm voting <span style="color: #04ff00;">YES</span> because this will give forecasters more tools to make realistic budget projections.)</u></b><br /><br /></span></span></p></li><li><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Constitutional Amendment 5</b><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"> creates a new economic development tool called “PILOTs” (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) which are used by many other states to attract new developments. This allows for public/private partnerships in economic development where the governmental entity becomes the owner of the property and leases it to the private sector, which makes the property exempt from property taxes. The business then makes scheduled payments back to the local government bodies in place of property taxes. While it may not generate as much income to the local governments the money is bondable and it’s often viewed as being better for local governments than the 10-year ITEP exemption which is one of the only economic development tools available. Those who support this say it would both attract new businesses and allow existing major industrial sites to expand capacity or add equipment. Those opposed typically point to tax breaks being given to businesses which then shifts the tax burden to others. These agreements must be approved by the local taxing authority (school district, parish, municipality, etc) which provides for local input and control over the process. </span><u><b style="font-size: 14.6667px;">(I'm voting <span style="color: #04ff00;">YES</span> because I believe we need more economic development tools to attract manufacturers to Louisiana. And the jobs created by these new businesses or expansions of </b><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>existing</b></span><b style="font-size: 14.6667px;"> businesses offset the negatives, in my opinion.)</b></u><br /><br /></span></p></li><li><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Constitutional Amendment 6</b><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"> allows homeowners with higher incomes to qualify for the existing property tax assessment freeze that is currently available to homeowners with lower incomes. Currently homeowners with incomes of $77,030 or less can request that the assessment of their primary residence be “frozen” and not be raised during reassessment years. This amendment raises the threshold to $100,000 and would be adjusted each year for inflation beginning in 2026. Proponents argue that this would make Louisiana more attractive to retirees. Detractors argue that since the median household income for those aged 65-74 is $52,465 this amendment is unnecessary since most people over 65 already qualify for the existing assessment freeze. <b>(I'm voting <u><span style="color: red;">NO</span></u> on this because I think it extends the freeze protection beyond the original intention of protecting seniors on limited budgets. Through the Homestead Exemption Louisiana already exempts the property tax on the first $75,000 of every owner-occupied home in Louisiana. This relief would be minimal to a small number of individuals but the impact on school systems, parishes and other local governments could be significant.) </b><i>(P.S. I expect my position to be an unpopular one and I expect this amendment to pass overwhelmingly. But I'm simply sharing MY opinion and why I'm voting the way I am.)</i></span><br /><br /></span></p></li><li><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 7</b> could create a new fund in which to place unclaimed property money. Each year the LA Treasury Department receives millions of dollars in unclaimed moneys from companies that can’t find the people those moneys are owed to. (Examples include unclaimed bank accounts, insurance payments, utility bill excesses, etc.) The Treasurer’s office receives these moneys and holds them in trust, allowing for citizens to search for and recover their unclaimed property. Current law allows for a percentage of the unclaimed money to be used for state general fund appropriations. This bill would create a fund for all excess unclaimed property funds and then only the interest and investment earnings would be eligible to be passed on to the State General Fund. This would prevent a situation that has already happened twice where more claims came in than were available in the Treasurer’s escrow account since the surplus had been used by the State General Fund. <b>(I'm voting <u><span style="color: #04ff00;">YES</span></u> on this because it protects the property rights of Louisiana citizens. While much of this money goes unclaimed forever, it's still NOT the property of the state and should be held in trust for the original property owner and their heirs. In the short-term the state will have to plug the hole this creates because they've come to depend on this extra "free" money. But it's not right. The state will receive the interest and earnings off of investing this money, which eventually will be significant. But in the short-term I believe in protecting the property of the citizens that is held in trust for them.)</b><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span></p></li><li><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>"Proposition to allow sports betting by parish."</b> Although this is not a constitutional amendment, this proposition will appear on all ballots throughout the state on November 3. A vote for this proposition would allow sports betting in the voter’s parish. While “gambling” is forbidden under the LA Constitution, courts have ruled that many forms of “gaming” (including casinos, video poker, lotteries, racetracks, and fantasy sports contests) are allowed. Voting for this proposition will legalize and formalize sports wagering, bringing in new tax revenues to state and local governments, but is also an overt effort to attract younger people, expanding gambling to homes and mobile devices across the state. According to Wallethub, Louisiana is the fifth most gambling addictive state and this vote will decide if this major expansion of gambling will be allowed. <b>(As you can tell by my description, I'm voting <u><span style="color: red;">NO</span></u> on this proposition as the negative side of gambling does not outweigh whatever financial windfall the state receives. In my opinion.)</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px;"> </span></p></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Well, there you have it - those are my recommendations for the seven proposed constitutional amendments and the sports betting proposition. There is a lot more on the ballot, including the President, Senate, House of Representatives, LA Supreme Court Justice, Rapides Parish District Attorney, as well as Alexandria City Marshal, Pineville City Marshal and Alexandria City Council races ... and maybe more! One resource on the various candidates you may appreciate is the <a href="https://louisianavoterguide.org/" target="_blank">Louisiana Voter Guide</a> published by the <a href="https://www.lafamilyforum.org/" target="_blank">Louisiana Family Forum</a>. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Don't forget y</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px;">ou can find your sample ballot by going to the </span><a href="https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Home/ParishLogin" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px;" target="_blank">GeauxVote</a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px;"> website. You can even print it out to help you remember how you plan to vote when you go into the voting booth, since you'll only have a limited time there to cast your vote. And that's the important thing - whether you agree with me or not, please remember to cast your vote in this important election!!!</span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-58267737537227715972019-10-11T11:17:00.001-05:002019-10-11T11:17:10.971-05:002019 Election Recommendations (October)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s1600/vote-1319435_640.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="640" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s320/vote-1319435_640.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://pixabay.com/p-1319435/?no_redirect" target="_blank">Public Domain</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m often asked for my take on elections, probably because of <a href="http://www.oversquozen.com/2016/06/politics-and-religion.html" style="color: #771100; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">my involvement in the local political scene.</a> In previous years I would give my recommendations on candidates for specific offices, but several years ago </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>I stopped doing that.</b></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Partly because I often know so many of the candidates personally and also because I have friends that support opposing candidates - both of which can create tension! So in the last few years I’ve essentially limited my recommendations to </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Constitutional Amendments,</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> mainly because they are often hard to understand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This year I plan to vote "Yes" on all four of the Constitutional Amendments on the October ballot. These amendments can be confusing, and I totally understand why some would vote "No" on some of them. I use the excellent non-partisan <a href="http://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/PAR-Guide-2019-Amendments-Web.pdf" target="_blank">guide to the Constitutional Amendments</a> from the <a href="http://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/PAR-Guide-2019-Amendments-Web.pdf" target="_blank">Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana</a> to help me shape my opinion and I highly encourage you to read it before you shape yours. So without further adieu, here are my takes on the 4 amendments, and why I'm voting Yes:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 1</b> would exempt from property taxes certain goods and products being transported through Louisiana to the Outer Continental Shelf (in international waters). Traditionally these have not been taxed due to an interpretation of the US Constitution, but some parishes have begun taxing these barring a court decision. A yes vote would guarantee they are not taxed. A no vote would leave it up to the local jurisdiction until a court gives clarity. <u>(I'm voting YES because parishes that are beginning to tax these items are changing the long-established rules and hurting the off-shore drilling industry, which is one of the life-bloods of Louisiana's economy.)</u>
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<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 2</b> would add 3 more schools and public TV to the list of institutions funded by the Education Excellence Fund. Currently 153 local schools and school systems along with 43 non public schools receive funding and the 3 under consideration match the others in qualifications. A yes vote would add them to the funding formula, along with $75,000/year to the LA Educational Television Authority (through LPB). A no vote would maintain the status quo. <u>(I'm voting YES because had these schools existed when the fund was originally established they would have been included. This is a good investment in education.)</u>
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<li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Constitutional Amendment 3</b> would grant the Board of Tax Appeals the ability to rule on the constitutionality of tax laws when citizens appeal decisions by the state Department of Revenue without having to file suit in district court. This would spead up the process significantly. A yes vote would grant this authority. A no vote would maintain the status quo, meaning citizens appealing the constitutionality of taxes would have to file suit through district court before the rest of their appeal can be heard. <b>(I'm voting YES because this would streamline the appeals process and help citizens who feel the Department of Revenue has decided against them wrongfully. They still can appeal to the courts if they disagree with the Board of Tax Appeals' decision. But this would cut at least a year off most appeals dealing with constitutionality issues.)</b>
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<li><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Constitutional Amendment 4</b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> would grand the City of New Orleans the right to establish property tax exemptions for residential properties that provide affordable housing, which is a great need in New Orleans. New Orleans has unique housing needs and they feel they need this "tool in their toolbox" to generate more affordable housing. A yes vote would grant them the authority to exempt properties from local property taxes. A no vote would maintain the status quo of the exemptions already in the constitution that are applicable state-wide. (<u>I'm voting YES because I think New Orleans has unique needs and needs unique tools to deal with their housing issues. Besides, the only taxes they're exempting are their own - so if the City of New Orleans is willing to forego tax revenue in order to encourage the development of affordable housing, why shouldn't they be able to?</u>)</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">There you have it - those are my recommendations on the four Constitutional Amendments that will be on the October 12 ballot. Obviously there is a lot more on the ballot, from the governor and other state-wide offices to regional offices such as BESE, State Senate and State Representative races,and several local races such as the Sheriff, Police Juror and Mayor of Ball. One resource I can encourage you to look at for the statewide is the <a href="https://louisianavoterguide.org/" target="_blank">Louisiana Voter Guide</a> published by the <a href="https://www.lafamilyforum.org/" target="_blank">Louisiana Family Forum</a> which you can find at <a href="https://louisianavoterguide.org/">https://louisianavoterguide.org</a>. And most of all, pray and listen for the voice of the Shepherd. Because God is who chooses our elected officials, but He uses us to do it!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blessings,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nathan</span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-86154977513786238252019-08-11T21:33:00.001-05:002019-08-11T21:33:34.849-05:00Hell in a Hand Basket?<h2>
Hell In A Hand Basket?</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/2019/08/11/world-going-hell-hand-basket/1960635001/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="526" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnk5cqhYDUyUDJ_MR1F5DzGTAqGjrrAG0wIsmoMQdI-kM-t4F_K-WgxoBIQdH0nOOQXnmyZ9FNDutIz92zaSVlqh31l3FAcPnN0cdIe5jrE7TLInKsos9E3ipg33oqUoH9iwRMg/s400/TT33+2019-0811.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/2019/08/11/world-going-hell-hand-basket/1960635001/" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></td><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/2019/08/11/world-going-hell-hand-basket/1960635001/" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></td><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/2019/08/11/world-going-hell-hand-basket/1960635001/" target="_blank">(This column originally appeared in the Town Talk on Sunday, August 11, 2019.)</a></span></td></tr>
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Do you ever feel like the world is going to hell in a hand-basket? It sure seems like there is a lot of messed up thinking in society today. But it shouldn’t surprise us since that’s the natural condition of the fallen world.<br />
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Paul wrote about this condition in his letter to the Roman Christians when he said, <i>“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind…”</i> <b>(Rom 1:28a NASB)</b><br />
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So by default, the world’s mindset is the opposite of what God intended. And due to sin, God allowed mankind to take their folly as far as they could. That’s how we ended up with a worldview that is completely upside down, that calls good evil and evil good.<br />
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This is just what the prophet Isaiah warned about when he wrote, <i>“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”</i> <b>(Isaiah 5:20 NASB)</b> I don’t want to be “that guy!”<br />
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Thankfully, this is what God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us from, a world of messed up thinking! In fact, in the Greek, the word for “repentance” literally means “a change of mind.” It was that kind of changed thinking that John the Baptist called people to, and Jesus as well, when they both preached saying, <i>“Repent, the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!”</i> <b>(Mat 3:2, 4:17)</b><br />
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Jesus called on people to change their thinking about how they lived. Like a Great Physician He called to those who were sick, to those who recognized they needed help. And it’s only when you realize you’ve got messed up thinking that Jesus can help you get your head on straight and you get saved!<br />
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But even after we become Christians we can still struggle with messed up thinking. Mainly because we live in an unrenewed world, and it rubs off! That’s why Paul called on Christians to <i>“not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”</i> <b>(Rom 12:2b NASB)</b><br />
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Even as believers our mind must be constantly refreshed. In Eph 5:18 he taught that we were to live constantly being filled with the Spirit. It’s not simply a one-time experience but rather the daily infilling of the Holy Spirit that empowers us to live the renewed life that we’re called to live in order to be His witnesses.<br />
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How do we do that? First of all by <i>“taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”</i> <b>(2 Cor 10:5b NASB)</b> We need to learn to “change the channel” whenever harmful or negative thoughts come into our minds. This is why it’s important memorize and internalize Scripture. If you don’t know God’s Word, you won’t have a channel to change to!<br />
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Another way is to guard what goes in! A great way to take thoughts captive is to not let them get a foothold in the first place. That’s why Paul wrote that we should think on things that are <i>“true…honorable…right…pure…lovely…of good repute”</i> <b>(Phil 4:8 NASB)</b> We need to be careful what we allow into our minds because we are what we think. In times of pressure and stress whatever is on the inside is what’s going to come out! So guard what goes in!<br />
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Finally we must learn to praise God in every situation. We praise Him best when we thank Him for what we do not want, knowing that He has a plan, even for that! Paul wrote that we should <i>“in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”</i> <b>(1 Thess 5:18 NASB)</b> That doesn’t mean that everything that happens is God’s will, but we can still learn to give God thanks in the midst of whatever is happening.<br />
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As Christians we must learn to renew our minds daily, because everything around us is in a constant state of decay. But we can be renewed every day to God’s fresh mercies by presenting ourselves to God as living sacrifices and being transformed by His indwelling Holy Spirit. So let’s choose to get rid of the “stinking thinking” and renew our minds every day in Christ!<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-51574846361665137902019-01-10T14:34:00.003-06:002019-01-10T14:34:44.453-06:00New Year, New You<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVgAyJ_A6JHo9YIDhagEmUac44yl0o9T4lJIG4lk6fqmjC1s-enXbx4OoMg0kw4m-fhVmFCWT6qIYzTnW23iuDmXJBzDENOvp2BNid1aWmnmomFnwbwldhzryhVpyUZsIFrWsLQ/s1600/TT32+2019-0106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="667" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVgAyJ_A6JHo9YIDhagEmUac44yl0o9T4lJIG4lk6fqmjC1s-enXbx4OoMg0kw4m-fhVmFCWT6qIYzTnW23iuDmXJBzDENOvp2BNid1aWmnmomFnwbwldhzryhVpyUZsIFrWsLQ/s400/TT32+2019-0106.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(This column originally appeared in the <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2019/01/06/nathan-martin-new-year-new-you-guest-pastor-column/2474064002/" style="color: #771100; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Town Talk</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"> on </span><a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2019/01/06/nathan-martin-new-year-new-you-guest-pastor-column/2474064002/" style="color: #771100; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sunday, January 6, 2019</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">.)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I love the new year! It ushers in a wonderful time
of reflection on the past with the promise of new opportunities for the future.
It signifies a clean slate, a chance to start over, to begin again!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">God is all about fresh starts and new beginnings! In
one of the saddest books of the Bible, Lamentations, the weeping prophet
Jeremiah wrote these amazing words of consolation: <i>“This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope. The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His
compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”</i>
(<b>Lam 3:21-23 NASB</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The King James Version translates the word
“compassions” as “mercies” but either way we find the goodness of God is
refreshed to us every day. What a magnificent promise, and how much more so in
the new year!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Paul carries forth this theme when he declares the
good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. <i>“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he
is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
new.”</i> (<b>2 Cor 5:17 KJV</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This is another way of describing what it means to
be born again. When you believe in Jesus, that is that you believe that God
raised Him from the dead, and you confess Him as Lord of your life, committing
to live according to His instructions, He causes you to be born spiritually, no
matter how old you are. And that’s when new life begins!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But even those who’ve been walking with the Lord for
some time need to be occasionally reminded that each day is a new gift from God.
No matter how long you’ve been a Christian, you get to walk in the newness of
His mercies every day! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It’s easy to look back on our missteps and mistakes
and feel like we’ve failed God so much that we’ve disqualified ourselves from
experiencing His presence again. But we never qualified ourselves in the first
place! Remember that <i>“while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”</i> (<b>Rom 5:8b
NASB</b>) He extended His mercy to you before you knew Him, and He continues to
give you new mercies every morning!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So now that we’re in a new year, perhaps we should
all take to heart Paul’s words to the Philippian believers. From a Roman jail
he wrote, <i>“…one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to
what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of
God in Christ Jesus."</i> (<b>Phlp 3:13b-14 NASB</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Some people are held back by their past. But Paul
encourages us to forget the past, to not limit ourselves by our past failures
OR successes! It’s time to press forward into the “new” that God has for you in
this new year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Many people start the year with resolutions to lose
weight, get in shape, start a new hobby, learn a new language, etc. These are
noble goals and I don’t knock any of them! And we know that to achieve any of
these goals will require discipline and work. So I commend you and encourage
you as you begin your new year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But I also want to urge you to consider one more,
slightly different, resolution for your new year. In the midst of all your work
on yourself consider Paul’s admonition to Timothy: <i>“…discipline yourself for
the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but
godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present
life and also for the life to come.”</i> (<b>1 Tim 4:7b-8 NASB</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If you truly want a new you in the new year,
consider making the spiritual disciplines a priority in your life! Sure, losing
weight will make you feel better, and getting in shape will bring you some
compliments from others. But spiritual discipline has eternal value! So commit
yourself to regular Bible reading and memorization, prayer, worship, fasting,
and other spiritual disciplines. And you will truly find a new you in the new
year!</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-24810173151250104662018-12-01T23:39:00.001-06:002018-12-01T23:39:18.675-06:00Why These Miracles?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOnWLgCTFXanzlWONoqNKUoArW8jyWA6uT5WWpK9Ng2zxBOF2X0im_KSL3jpYCmz4Ze7EwTpiXcgqI31ZDgjIzaMRtsiy31xpfQaX1mm-9IvLaxUsmsmsTetxaq-jLfc3bTYmuw/s1600/TTWhyTheseMiracles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="517" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOnWLgCTFXanzlWONoqNKUoArW8jyWA6uT5WWpK9Ng2zxBOF2X0im_KSL3jpYCmz4Ze7EwTpiXcgqI31ZDgjIzaMRtsiy31xpfQaX1mm-9IvLaxUsmsmsTetxaq-jLfc3bTYmuw/s400/TTWhyTheseMiracles.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(This column originally appeared in the <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/12/02/nathan-martin-why-these-miracles-guest-pastor/2160289002/" target="_blank">Town Talk</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> on </span><a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/12/02/nathan-martin-why-these-miracles-guest-pastor/2160289002/" target="_blank">Sunday, December 2, 2018</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">.)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">If I were to ask you how many miracles Jesus
performed what would your answer be? If you ask Google, over 68 million results
would suggest that Jesus performed 37 miracles, recorded in the four Gospels
(Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), with Mark’s Gospel recording the most.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But what if I were to tell you that Jesus did many, many more miracles than this, would you believe me? I can prove it to you. Listen to the words of the beloved apostle John as he concludes his Gospel with these final words: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.”</i> (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">John 21:25 NASB</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It may seem a little surprising that the Bible records only 37 of these innumerable miracles. And even more surprising is that the Apostle John only records seven, prior to the crucifixion! Out of all the miracles that John personally saw Jesus do, how did he come to pick these specific seven?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">John seems to have anticipated that question as well because in the second-to-last chapter of his Gospel we find these words: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”</i>
(<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">John 20:30-31 NASB</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">What’s interesting is that when you walk through each of the miracles of Jesus that John recorded you find that very common theme – it always resulted in someone believing in Jesus! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">For example, after Jesus turned the water into wine
at the wedding in Cana John records these words: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”</i> (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">John 2:11 NASB</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I could walk you through all seven miracles and with each one you would see that the miracle resulted in someone believing in Jesus. Here’s a good way to summarize it with John’s report of what happened in Jerusalem: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.”</i> (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">John 2:23 NASB</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Hopefully you’re seeing the point very well. Jesus didn’t just do miracles to wow the crowds or drum up a big following. Every miracle had the sole purpose of bringing someone to faith in Him. And so John picked seven specific miracles to help the reader “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But the sentence doesn’t end there. John went on to say, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“…and that believing you may have life in His name.”</i> (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">John 20:31b NASB</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My question to you is have you received the life that He offers? There are many who might say they “believe” in Jesus, but they don’t have a life that demonstrates that. It’s not enough to believe in God for according to James even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“the demons also believe, and shudder.”</i> (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">James 2:19b NASB</b>) At least the demons have the sense to tremble before God! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My prayer for you is that you will receive the life that Jesus offers, and that His life will transform your life! Then you’ll find that life bubbling out onto others, giving them hope as well! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">John opens his Gospel by saying that everyone who received Jesus was given the right to become children of God! (See John 1:12.) So why did he include the seven specific miracles that he chose? Because he wanted to give you something to believe in, a hope to sustain you, and a life worth living! Why these miracles? That you might believe! And that believing you might have life! Do you believe?</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-17757196397642353602018-11-21T00:44:00.001-06:002018-11-21T00:44:23.838-06:00Alcohol Sales in Pineville??? Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.oversquozen.com/2018/07/alcohol-sales-in-pineville.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="702" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS1w6nGl3C8hbnK4Sh4Rir9JWGi18N1DjEJd98e1SI8J5cf2Gn0GtC7LoxNkZaVvEKYghnAyziUtBkR0OlFhOo52qjfHvpp_kbuNjrx766BsYvUPLFsiwzA4mbzXOVGePm-HMng/s320/KALB-Alcohol-Pineville.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
On December 8 the citizens of Pineville will decide <b>the future of alcohol sales in the corporate limits of Pineville,</b> courtesy of two <b>out-of-town corporations</b> (Walmart and Super 1) and <b>a Texas consulting group</b> (<a href="https://www.texaspetitionstrategies.com/" target="_blank">Texas Petition Strategies</a>) that does this for a living.<br />
<br />
Back on <a href="http://www.oversquozen.com/2018/07/alcohol-sales-in-pineville.html" target="_blank">July 22</a> I shared right here in <a href="http://www.oversquozen.com/2018/07/alcohol-sales-in-pineville.html" target="_blank">this blog</a> about an effort by the "big box" stores to promote a petition to put alcohol sales on the ballot. In my opinion their tactics were <b>very deceptive,</b> and I explained that in <a href="http://www.oversquozen.com/2018/07/alcohol-sales-in-pineville.html" target="_blank">that post</a>. However, ultimately they were successful because they got <b>just enough signatures</b> to force a vote.<br />
<br />
In a nutshell, they made it sound like if you signed the petition <b>the only thing on the ballot </b>would be alcohol sales<b> in grocery stores.</b> The reality is that the December 8 election will actually have <b>5 different options on the ballot,</b> including options that would allow for<b> bars, strip clubs, drive-through daiquiri shops, and alcohol sales in convenience stores, gas stations, and even drive-through "beer barns."</b> Most who signed the petition had no idea how many options would be on the ballot - they simply thought they'd be voting on grocery store sales.<br />
<br />
Having said that, <b>my goal here is not to tell you how to vote.</b> I simply want to help <b>demystify the 5 options</b>, and tell you in plan language what each option would allow.<br />
<br />
Let's start with <a href="http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=84775" target="_blank">the actual language</a> that will be on the ballot regarding the 5 options, or "<b>Propositions</b>" as they are officially called, and I will <b>bold</b> the key phrases. Remember, Pineville citizens, you will vote Yes or No <b>on each one</b>.)<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u><i>Proposition 1</i></u></b>: Shall the sale of beverages of alcoholic content containing <b>not more than six percent alcohol</b> by volume be permitted <b>by package only</b> and <b>not for consumption on the premises</b> in the City of Pineville, State of Louisiana?</li>
<li><u><b><i>Proposition 2</i></b></u>: Shall the sale of beverages of alcoholic content containing <b>not more than six percent alcohol</b> by volume <b>for consumption on the premises</b> be permitted in the City of Pineville, State of Louisiana?</li>
<li><b><u><i>Proposition 3</i></u></b>: Shall the sale of beverage <b>alcohol containing one-half of one percent alcohol by volume and above</b> for <b>consumption on the premises</b> be permitted in the City of Pineville, State of Louisiana?</li>
<li><b><u><i>Proposition 4</i></u></b>: Shall the sale of beverages of <b>alcoholic content containing one-half of one percent alcohol by volume and above</b> by the <b>package only</b> and <b>not for consumption on the premises</b> be permitted in the City of Pineville, State of Louisiana?</li>
<li><b><i><u>Proposition 5</u></i></b>: Shall the sale of beverages of high and low alcoholic content be permitted <b>only on the premises of restaurant establishments</b> which have been issued an "R" permit as defined by law in the City of Pineville, State of Louisiana?<br /><i>(This language comes from <a href="http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=84775" target="_blank">LA Revised Statute 26:588</a>.)</i></li>
</ul>
There are several important terms being used in the legal language, and here's my attempt at a simpler explanation:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>"no more than six percent alcohol"</b> - this language is found in <b>Props 1 and 2</b> and reflects the sales of "low alcohol" beverages, i.e., beer, wine coolers, etc. This is currently what is available in Ward 9 <u>outside</u> the city limits of Pineville - for example, along Highways 28E and 107.</li>
<li><b>"containing one-half of one percent alcohol by volume and above"</b> - this language is found in <b>Props 3 and 4</b> and reflects the sales of ANY alcoholic beverage, no matter the percentage of alcohol contained.</li>
<li><b>"by package only and not for consumption on the premises"</b> - this language is found in <b>Props 1 and 4</b> and allows the sale of packaged alcohol at retail locations in sealed containers not to be consumed on the premises. Examples would be liquor stores, grocery stores, drug stores, gas stations/convenience stores, beer barns, drive-through daiquiri stores, etc..</li>
<li><b>"for consumption on the premises"</b> - this language is found in <b>Props 2 and 3</b> and allows the sale of prepared alcohol beverages in restaurants, bars, strip clubs, lounges, theaters, etc. because all of these sales are for the purposes of consuming them ON the premises where the sale occurs.</li>
<li><b>"only on the premises of restaurants"</b> - this language is found in<b> Prop 5</b> and is the current status in Pineville where alcohol is only available for sale in restaurants.</li>
</ul>
You can see the perplexity because there are <b>2 descriptions of the type of alcohol that can be sold</b> (low alcohol content and any alcohol content), and<b> 2 types of locations where alcohol could be sold</b> (off premises and on premises). And they're all mixed up! Then you have Prop 5 which allows all alcohol in <b>restaurants only!</b> Now you see the confusion.<br />
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In an effort to simplify how all the various options terms and definitions, here is a small table that hopefully explains it better:<br />
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<th class="tg-mfhl"><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">PACKAGE SALES</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Grocery & Convenience Stores, Liquor Stores, Drug Stores, Beer Barns, Daiquiri Shops, Etc.</span></th>
<th class="tg-ncd7"></th>
<th class="tg-mfhl"><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">CONSUMPTION ON SITE</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Restaurants, Lounges, Hotels, Bars, Private Clubs, Strip Clubs, Theaters, Etc.</span></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-xldj"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LOW</span> Alcohol Content</td>
<td class="tg-uys7"><b><i>Prop 1</i></b></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-uys7"><b><i>Prop 2</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tg-xldj"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ANY</span> Alcohol Content</td>
<td class="tg-uys7"><b><i>Prop 4</i></b></td>
<td class="tg-0pky"></td>
<td class="tg-uys7"><b><i>Prop 3</i></b></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>(<b>Prop 5</b> would only allow for alcohol to be sold in <b>restaurants only</b> without any of the expansions listed above.)</i><br />
<br />
There you have it! <b>It all boils down to what Pineville wants.</b> So here's what you do:<br />
<ul>
<li>If you want alcohol to be sold in grocery stores, drug stores, convenience stores, gas stations, stand-alone liquor stores, beer barns and drive-through daiquiri stores, etc, then vote <b>YES on Props 1 and/or 4.</b></li>
<li>If you want alcohol to be sold in restaurants, bars, strip clubs, lounges, hotels, theaters, etc, then vote <b>YES on Props 2 and/or 3.</b></li>
<li>If you want alcohol to be available in restaurants only, as it currently is, without any expansion of alcohol sales, then vote <b>YES on Prop 5.</b></li>
<li>If you want alcohol freely available in every form, then vote <b>YES on all 5 options.</b></li>
<li>If you don't want want alcohol to be sold in any form in Pineville, then vote <b>NO on all 5 options.</b></li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>On December 8 THE CHOICE IS YOURS!</b> And don't forget the <b>early voting is Nov 24-Dec 1</b> (excluding Sunday, Nov 25) which you can do at the Courthouse or at Kees Park Community Center! It's your decision. Choose well.</div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-10623020948326698392018-11-11T04:57:00.002-06:002018-11-11T04:57:41.249-06:00Honor to Whom Honor is Due<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6k82wNQEcNWXb5sqUheVpoHSjeyntVAKkJ9kD9UzscJTraMxW1txDBOrlrJ-ur4UcC3dfftxsKYEyxDBiLOl6IzIdSgZBfuPR96rqsLjtkv_kaaSR5HdYqkFHNOO2p09URhfNA/s1600/TTHonorToWhomHonor.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="515" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6k82wNQEcNWXb5sqUheVpoHSjeyntVAKkJ9kD9UzscJTraMxW1txDBOrlrJ-ur4UcC3dfftxsKYEyxDBiLOl6IzIdSgZBfuPR96rqsLjtkv_kaaSR5HdYqkFHNOO2p09URhfNA/s400/TTHonorToWhomHonor.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">(This column originally appeared in the </span><a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/11/11/nathan-martin-honor-whom-honor-due-guest-pastor/1929816002/" style="font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">Town Talk</a><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> on </span><a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/11/11/nathan-martin-honor-whom-honor-due-guest-pastor/1929816002/" style="font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">Sunday, November 11, 2018</a><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">.)</span></div>
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<h2>
Honor to Whom Honor is Due</h2>
One hundred years ago today, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the “war to end all wars” finally came to an end. “The Great War” mobilized over 70 million military personnel making it one of the largest wars in history. The following year <a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/november-11/" target="_blank">President Woodrow Wilson</a> issued a proclamation declaring the nation’s feelings about what the day meant to Americans. That was just the beginning of recognizing today, November 11, as a special day to honor our military veterans.<br />
<br />
We honor our veterans for their service. Whether they were drafted or volunteered, they served us and our country, fulfilling their obligation with honorable service. For that we are grateful.<br />
<br />
We also honor our veterans for their sacrifice. Many of us will never know the cost of their service. Boot camp alone is an incredible sacrifice! But long tours away from family, emotional hardship, physical danger, some were even wounded or injured – all of these are sacrifices that we honor.<br />
<br />
We also honor our veterans for their love. Soldiers learn to love in a very unique way, a way that can best be summarized by what Jesus said in <b>John 15:13</b>. <i>“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”</i> We honor our veterans because they exhibit the greatest love of all – the willingness to lay down their life for their friend.<br />
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The word veteran is generally understood to describe a former member of the armed forces. However, it comes from the Latin word <i>“veteranus”</i> which simply means mature, experienced or old. I believe that by extension all Christians are called to be veterans in our service of Christ. We’re not to be “flash-in-the-pan” Christians or “one-hit-wonders” but rather to develop a life of consistency as we serve Jesus.<br />
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Jesus talked about this in <b>Luke 9:62</b> when He said, <i>“No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”</i> Jesus called us to keep looking forward, not looking back over our shoulder at what we’ve left behind. He tells us to fix our eyes ahead. You don’t become a veteran over-night. And you don’t become a veteran by fixating on your past. Once you’ve committed your life to Jesus it’s time to follow through.<br />
<br />
And there are no guarantees that things will be easy. Sometimes people have mistakenly communicated the idea that when you accept Jesus life becomes a bed of roses. But the reality is that Christians enlist in a spiritual battle with unseen forces that war for our soul. Paul described this warfare in <b>Ephesians 6:12-17</b> when he urged us to <i>“take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day.” </i><br />
<br />
We can’t give up just because it gets tough. In <b>2 Tim 2:3</b> Paul urged young Timothy (and us) to <i>“suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”</i> And in <b>Gal 6:9</b> he calls on us to <i>“not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”</i> So press through and don’t give up, Christian, because you, too, are called to be a veteran – a veteran follower of Jesus!<br />
<br />
Today on this Veteran’s Day we pause to honor the veterans among us because it is proper to give honor to whom honor is due (<b>Rom 13:7</b>). Thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and your love. We are grateful for your example of setting others before self and pray that you will feel our appreciation and honor. And we never get tired of saying, “Thank you for your service!”<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-58766724214900072592018-10-26T00:27:00.001-05:002018-10-26T14:19:23.077-05:002018 Election Recommendations<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s1600/vote-1319435_640.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="640" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vXyCgEEwpsFADSQm9OCoQMLWOGXPU1HNzaIGMCdzb0avxjtxYSM59wzzY32g0UrA04mzQV0sf00uEwIpSZwgko2MxdnzGqplxYjAUptJUJ2ZvKPLmspQ_3B4vZXefvh-6IieA/s320/vote-1319435_640.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://pixabay.com/p-1319435/?no_redirect" target="_blank">Public Domain</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm honored that many of my friends ask for my <b>recommendations on elections</b>. Hopefully it's because they trust me, even though I am <a href="http://www.oversquozen.com/2016/06/politics-and-religion.html" target="_blank">involved in politics</a>! LOL! In previous years I would give my recommendations on candidates for specific offices, but I've largely <a href="http://www.oversquozen.com/2016/11/2016-election-recommendations.html" target="_blank">stopped doing that</a>. In the last few years I’ve essentially limited my recommendations to <b>Constitutional Amendments</b>, mainly because they are often hard to understand, and only occasionally have I spoken about a candidate or cause I feel strongly about.<br />
<br />
This year the main elective offices before us are the following:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>LA Secretary of State</b></li>
<li><b>US Representative in the 5th Congressional District</b></li>
<li><b>District Judge for the 9th Judicial District</b></li>
<li>Several <b>Rapides Parish School Board</b> members</li>
<li><b>Mayors</b> of <b>Alexandria</b>, <b>Ball</b>, <b>Boyce </b>and <b>Lecompte</b></li>
<li><b>Councilman-at-Large</b> and <b>District 2 Councilman</b> of <b>Alexandria</b></li>
<li><b>Aldermen/Councilmen</b> of <b>Ball</b>, <b>Boyce</b>, <b>Glenmora</b>, <b>Lecompte</b>, <b>Forest Hill</b>, <b>McNary</b>, and <b>Woodworth</b></li>
<li>Some area-specific taxes and propositions.</li>
</ul>
<br />
I'm going to <b><u>keep my mouth shut</u></b> in those races and just share some thoughts about the Constitutional Amendments. 😃<br />
<div>
<br />
There are<b> six amendments</b> on this ballot, plus a state-wide vote on the expansion of gambling for fantasy sports. I'll give my quick recommendation on each issue, and then a more detailed explanation for each one below. BTW, a GREAT resource is the <a href="http://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/PAR-Guide-to-2018-Constitutional-Amendments.pdf" target="_blank">Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana's excellent non-partisan guide</a>, which I highly recommend. And please note that the wording of some amendments can be <b>confusing</b> - sometimes you vote "YES" for something you DON'T want and "NO" for something you DO want! Whew! So without further ado, here are <b>my recommendations</b>:<br />
<br />
<hr align="center" color="blue" size="3" width="90%" />
<ol>
<li>AMENDMENT 1: Felons in Public Office. <b>YES.</b></li>
<li>AMENDMENT 2: Unanimous Juries for Felony Cases. <b>YES.</b></li>
<li>AMENDMENT 3: Allow Local Governments to Share Resources. <b>YES.</b></li>
<li>AMENDMENT 4: Diversions of Dedicated Transportation Funding to State Police. <b>YES.</b></li>
<li>AMENDMENT 5: Tax Exemptions for Property in Trust. <b>YES.</b></li>
<li>AMENDMENT 6: Large Tax Increases on Homes. <b>YES.</b></li>
<li>BALLOT ITEM: The Louisiana Fantasy Sports Contest Act. <b>NO.</b></li>
</ol>
<div>
<hr align="center" color="blue" size="3" width="90%" />
<br />
Now let's take a look at each amendment a little more closely:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>1. AMENDMENT 1: Felons in Public Office.</b></div>
<div>
This amendment would prohibit felons from holding or seeking elective public office for five years after completing a sentence. (This restriction would not apply to felons who are pardoned.) Voters in 1998 approved a similar constitutional amendment that prevented felons from seeking and holding public office for 15 years after completing their sentence. However, in 2016 the Supreme Court threw out the amendment because the wording on the ballot didn’t exactly match what was passed by the Legislature. This new effort continues the same philosophy of trying to clean up the reputation of Louisiana having <i>"the best politicians money can buy,"</i> but shortens the time that a felon can’t seek or hold public office to 5 years. In my opinion, this is needed if Louisiana is going to break its reputation for corruption in politics.<br />
<b>MY RECOMMENDATION: YES</b></div>
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<div>
<b>2. AMENDMENT 2: Unanimous Juries for Felony Cases.</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101065310607;view=1up;seq=383" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="395" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrSfDKoQmX7IqwzmGlHRSq9AZtNsMzxn5bqQ1vqm6Vf1uLH9ddiVYOI8TmJRgZlOtEtOBUNU_00ujX3vphOwCx7rieUovAdaZuAAAcoteIpPm_0CRs9xJIBcRH-sdsaoFJDZUhA/s320/UnanJury2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
US President <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-01-02-0830" target="_blank">John Adams wrote</a>, <i>"...it is the unanimity of the jury that preserves the rights of mankind."</i> However, Louisiana is one of only two states that allow for felony trials to be decided without a unanimous decision (Oregon is the other). Only 10 out of 12 jurors have to vote guilty for a person to be convicted. This was originally instituted in the 1898 Louisiana Constitution as 9 out of 12, and then revised in the 1974 Constitution as 10 out of 12. The reason appears <b>rooted in racism</b> of the past, as the Official Journal of the 1898 Constitutional Convention states, <i>“Our mission was, in the first place, to establish the supremacy of the white race in this State to the extent to which it could be legally and constitutionally done.”</i> (<a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101065310607;view=1up;seq=383" target="_blank">Thomas J. Semmes</a>, Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, explaining the rationale behind many of the proposals put forth and adopted in the Constitution. ) This is a stain on our state that needs to be reversed. <br />
<b>MY RECOMMENDATION: YES</b></div>
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<div>
<b>3. AMENDMENT 3: Allow Local Governments to Share Resources. </b></div>
<div>
The state Constitution prohibits donations or loans by governmental entities except in cases of emergency. This causes political subdivisions to duplicate resources, for example, having to purchase expensive equipment that they only occasionally need. The amendment would allow cities, towns, villages, police juries, etc to loan equipment to each other as long as they have a written agreement, making sure such loans are kept in the public eye for the public benefit.<br />
<b>MY RECOMMENDATION: YES</b></div>
<div>
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<div>
<b>4. AMENDMENT 4: Diversions of Dedicated Transportation Funding to State Police.</b></div>
<div>
In 1990 the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) was created to ensure that state fuel tax dollars would go to transportation projects. A portion of the fund was allowed to support the state police for traffic control purposes, but that amount ballooned to about $700 million since its inception, causing many people to “not trust the trust fund.” Since 2016 the current administration has NOT used TTF monies to fund the state police, trying to reestablish “trust in the trust fund.” This amendment would ensure that future administrations would not return to the practices of old, while having NO impact on the operations of the state police. <br />
<b>MY RECOMMENDATION: YES</b></div>
<div>
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<div>
<b>5. AMENDMENT 5: Tax Exemptions for Property in Trust. </b></div>
<div>
It is becoming increasingly common for people to place their home into a “trust” that will insure that their assets go to who they choose after their death. Current law allows for the homestead exemption to be applied to property placed in a trust. However, there are other exemptions passed by the voters (i.e., not increasing assessments for those over the age of 65, surviving spouses of military personnel killed in action, or the permanently disable, etc), that are not being applied to properties in a trust due to a 2017 opinion from the Attorney General. This amendment would allow properties placed in trust to continue to receive ALL the normal exemption as long as the the original owner continues to live in it, not just the homestead exemption. This clarifies and codifies the will and intent of the Legislature and public. (NOTE: This section was edited for clarity.)<br />
<b>MY RECOMMENDATION: YES</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>6. AMENDMENT 6: Large Tax Increases on Homes.</b> </div>
<div>
Every four years all taxable property is reassessed. In addition, property is also reassessed when it is sold. Sometimes the property owners can receive large increases in their property tax bill. This amendment would allow tax assessors to gradually increase the assessment of a property owner’s primary residence over four years whenever a properties reassessment is greater than 50% of the prior assessment. That means that if the tax assessor raises the value of your home over 50%, your tax burden would not increase immediately, but would be phased in over 4 years. <br />
<b>MY RECOMMENDATION: YES</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>BALLOT ITEM: The Louisiana Fantasy Sports Contest Act.</b></div>
<div>
Although not a constitutional amendment, this item will appear on ALL ballots statewide on November 6. This act would allow for the expansion of gambling in Louisiana by allowing betting on “fantasy sports” to take place. According to some research, Louisiana is the 5th most gambling addictive state in the United States. Do we need more gambling? <br />
<b>MY RECOMMENDATION: NO</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<hr align="center" color="black" size="2" width="100%" />
Well there you have it. For what it’s worth, those are my recommendations, which you’re free to accept or ignore. But no matter how you feel on the matter, please <b>don’t forget to vote!</b> It’s both a <b>right</b> and a <b>responsibility</b> of citizenship! And pleas note that <b><u>EARLY VOTING</u></b> is going on <b>Oct 23-30</b> (except for Sunday) from <b>8:30AM to 6:00PM</b>. And you can early vote at either the <b>Registrar of Voter's office</b> in the Rapides Parish Courthouse <b><u>OR</u></b> at <b><u>Kees Park Community Center</u></b> on Hwy 28E in Pineville!</div>
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</div>
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And wherever you live in Louisiana, you can get your custom sample ballot by simply going to <b><a href="https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Home/VoterLogin">https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Home/VoterLogin</a></b> - just input your info and you’ll find every option on your ballot coming up in the November 6 primary election! </div>
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BTW, if you have any thoughts or think I overlooked something, please don’t hesitate to comment and let me know. I enjoy the feedback and look forward to some good dialog!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS1w6nGl3C8hbnK4Sh4Rir9JWGi18N1DjEJd98e1SI8J5cf2Gn0GtC7LoxNkZaVvEKYghnAyziUtBkR0OlFhOo52qjfHvpp_kbuNjrx766BsYvUPLFsiwzA4mbzXOVGePm-HMng/s1600/KALB-Alcohol-Pineville.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="702" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS1w6nGl3C8hbnK4Sh4Rir9JWGi18N1DjEJd98e1SI8J5cf2Gn0GtC7LoxNkZaVvEKYghnAyziUtBkR0OlFhOo52qjfHvpp_kbuNjrx766BsYvUPLFsiwzA4mbzXOVGePm-HMng/s200/KALB-Alcohol-Pineville.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
And one more BTW - there will be <b>another election in December</b> for those races that end up in a runoff. <b>BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!</b> <b><u>December 8</u></b> is when the citizens of Pineville will vote on 5 different options regarding <b>alcohol sales</b> within the city limits. The story behind that upcoming vote is both <b>deceptive and intriguing</b>, and the options will be <b><i>CONFUSING</i></b>. I'll try to break it all down for you shortly after the November election. <b>So stay tuned!!!</b></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-64816591778341441732018-10-07T00:01:00.000-05:002018-10-07T00:01:15.154-05:00Beauty for Ashes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/10/07/nathan-martin-guest-pastor-column-beauty-ashes/1534370002/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="514" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71hiejaMA8evNhcLq6sXsXGTh9HMv7s_G2uLOu2Qbtff-tkPlOaANW_Bo2hHKXgYGPeAy7YZjkRYxxeIDqV0lrJR9Yna8si52Rwj0IgYqTs0YNPU7DM2XXNIWOxRqjhmhv3ni9A/s400/TownTalk201810.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/10/07/nathan-martin-guest-pastor-column-beauty-ashes/1534370002/" target="_blank">(This column originally appeared in the <span style="color: #771100;">Town Talk</span> on <span style="color: #771100;">Sunday, October 7, 2018</span>.)</a></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Many of us are familiar with the phrase <b>“beauty from ashes.”</b> It evokes a sense of comeback, of a phoenix rising from destruction, of finding something good in the midst of so much evil. Throughout history ashes have represented loss and mourning. So the idea of finding beauty rising out of the ashes strikes a chord of hopefulness within all of us.<br />
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Many people believe this phrase comes from the Bible. But they’re mistaken. However, there’s actually a very similar phrase found in the book of Isaiah. Looking forward to the coming Messiah, Isaiah wrote that the Redeemer would <i>“appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…”</i> <b>(Is 61:3 KJV)</b><br />
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Did you catch it? The prophet did not say that God’s promise was to bring beauty <b><u>FROM </u></b>ashes, but rather He would give beauty <b><u>FOR </u></b>ashes! There’s a big difference between the two!<br />
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We like the idea of God making something beautiful from something ugly. And He can certainly do that. But His promise in Scriptures is to actually replace our ashes with something else!<br />
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I believe this points to the salvation that God provided through Jesus Christ. When God saves us, He doesn’t simply improve us, He creates something new! Consider what Paul wrote to the Corinthians:<br />
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<i>“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”</i> <b>(2 Cor 5:17 KJV)</b><br />
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When you repent of your sins and confess Jesus as Lord, having believed that God raised Him from the dead, God doesn’t just “improve” you. He re-creates you! Salvation doesn’t make you a better version of your old self. It creates a whole new you!<br />
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This is why Jesus spoke of the “new birth” as being necessary to be part of the Kingdom of God. When He spoke with Nicodemus, a learned religious leader, Jesus said, <i>“unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”</i> <b>(John 3:3 NASB)</b>.<br />
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It’s not the amount of religious education you have, or even how often you go to church. The question is, have you experienced the new birth that Peter described when he said, <i>“for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.”</i> <b>(1 Pet 1:23 NASB)</b><br />
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While we may not understand all the nuances of this “born again” language, there is something within our hearts that cries out for a new beginning. We long for “old things” to pass way and for all things to become new! There’s something within us that cries out in our broken condition for a new beginning. Not for beauty to come out of our ashes, but to be given beauty in place of our ashes.<br />
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I’ve got good news for you! This is the hope of the Christian faith! And it’s something we cannot earn – it’s the free gift of God! There is hope for a new beginning!<br />
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That hope is the very message that many churches from many denominations across Central Louisiana have come together to present at the <a href="http://hope4u2018.com/" target="_blank"><b>Rapides Parish Coliseum</b></a> on <b><a href="http://hope4u2018.com/" target="_blank">Oct 14-17</a></b>. The event is called <b><a href="http://hope4u2018.com/" target="_blank">#Hope4U2018</a></b> and the goal is present this message of hope to every citizen of Cenla!<br />
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You don’t have to live in the ashes of your failure and brokenness any longer. There is <b><a href="http://hope4u2018.com/" target="_blank">#Hope4U</a>!</b> And it’s found in Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 63. In fact, He quoted from it when He taught His first ever sermon in Luke 4, and after reading the prophet’s words He simply said, <i>“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”</i> <b>(Luke 4:21 NASB)</b><br />
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How could He say that? <b>Because Jesus IS the Hope for you and me!</b> Please join me Oct 14-17 at the Rapides Parish Coliseum for <b>#Hope4U2018</b> and let God replace your ashes with His beauty! <b>Because there is hope!</b><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-50313595771130560072018-09-02T00:14:00.002-05:002018-09-02T00:23:35.100-05:00How to Pray for Your Pastor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQdIpSY86Dek56OFKyQCTAuZip35zTQSL1xL8EhAbxvWD1fdSV01pxmDa-5qqtAFG-LkFUspmS8rrrb1UUjqpcV7wtQw_ioU0WhqHVLhGzYfhcf5VEwUsb_qn-O_JeK7Aj36R-Q/s1600/TownTalk201809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="522" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQdIpSY86Dek56OFKyQCTAuZip35zTQSL1xL8EhAbxvWD1fdSV01pxmDa-5qqtAFG-LkFUspmS8rrrb1UUjqpcV7wtQw_ioU0WhqHVLhGzYfhcf5VEwUsb_qn-O_JeK7Aj36R-Q/s400/TownTalk201809.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<i>(This column originally appeared in the <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/09/02/nathan-martin-how-pray-your-pastor-guest-pastor-column/1154267002/" target="_blank">Town Talk</a> on <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/09/02/nathan-martin-how-pray-your-pastor-guest-pastor-column/1154267002/" target="_blank">Sunday, September 1, 2018</a>.)</i><br />
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Recently the news has carried disturbing stories of <a href="https://www.dailybulletin.com/2018/08/31/chino-church-mourns-after-pastors-suicide/" target="_blank">yet another pastor committing suicide</a>. Pastor <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1379928919"></span>Andrew Stoecklein<span id="goog_1379928920"></span></a> of <a href="http://inlandhillschurch.com/home/" target="_blank">Inland Hills Church of Chino, CA</a>, attempted to take his life at his church on August 24, and sadly passed away in the hospital the next day. He was just 30 years old, married, father of three, and the lead pastor of a “megachurch” that his father had founded 20 years ago.<br />
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I wish this were an isolated story, but a simple Internet search for <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=pastors+and+suicide&rlz=1C1GIGM_enUS742US742" target="_blank">“pastors and suicide”</a> will give you literally millions of results. <a href="https://briandoddonleadership.com/2013/04/10/pastors-and-suicide/" target="_blank">One laments that</a> <b><i>“the pastoral profession has one of the top 3 suicide rates of any profession.”</i></b> <a href="https://www.pastoralcareinc.com/statistics/" target="_blank">Another points out</a> how the vast majority of pastors feel like the ministry has had a negative impact on their family. And <a href="https://praisedc.com/1676312/why-are-so-many-pastors-committing-suicide/" target="_blank">yet another simply asks</a>, <i>“Why are so many pastors committing suicide?”</i> And that’s just on the first page of results!<br />
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Ministry today is harder than it’s ever been before. The pressures on a pastor are great and the expectations are high. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156643630612436&set=a.414171172435&type=1&theater" target="_blank">Paul Valo</a>, the lead pastor of Christ Church in Orlando, FL, summed it up well: <i><b>“In this generation, pastors are expected to be business savvy, Instagram quotable preaching celebrities, fully accessible, deeply spiritual, not too young, not too old, and if a pastor doesn't quite measure up to someone's expectation at any given moment, they are given a two out of five star rating on Google. Wow! We have reduced the ministry to star ratings on Google!”</b></i><br />
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I’m not claiming that a pastor’s job is more difficult than everyone else’s. Many professions deal with extreme levels of trauma and stress. But because of the unique role of pastors as role-models, and the high expectations of near-perfection placed on them, <b>many pastors don’t seek care or share their struggles</b>. So they suffer alone.<br />
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Your pastor needs your prayers! Even the great apostle Paul asked for prayer on many occasions in the Scripture (Rom 15:30-32; 2 Cor 1:11; Eph 6:18-20; Phlp 1:19; Col 4:3; 1 Th 5:25; 2 Th 3:1-3; Phlm 1:22; etc) And if Paul, with all his spiritual strength, needed prayer your pastor does, too!<br />
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So how can you best pray for your pastor? Perhaps by reading some of Paul’s prayer requests we can get a better idea. Here are just a few:<br />
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<b>Pray for God’s anointing when they speak.</b> In Ephesians 6:19-20 Paul them to pray that when he spoke he would communicate well the mystery of the Gospel. Every pastor I know wants to communicate God’s Word faithfully and accurately. And most feel like this is one of their greatest struggles. So pray for God to anoint them when they speak. And let them know when you’ve heard God speak through them.<br />
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<b>Pray for their protection, physical and spiritual.</b> In Philippians 1:19 Paul’s prayer request was for his “deliverance.” Some say this was to be delivered from prison, but others suppose it was from whatever spiritual oppression he was suffering. Pray for your pastor’s spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical protection. Pray that they be delivered from evil, from temptation, and from the snares that the enemy would set before them.<br />
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<b>Pray for their rest.</b> In Romans 15:30-32, after asking them to pray that he would be rescued from those who opposed his messaged, Paul asks them to pray that he would be able to find “refreshing rest” in their company. Most pastors work 55-70 hours a week and don’t know how to set boundaries. Pray that they will understand that even God rested from His labors, and so should they!<br />
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There are many other areas where your pastor needs your prayers. Go back through some of the scriptures I shared earlier and make a list of how to pray for your pastor. Or even more personally, <b>ask him</b> how you can pray for him. <b>And then do it!</b> Nothing will encourage a pastor’s heart more than a congregation praying for him!<br />
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Finally, understand that <b>depression is real,</b> and <b>pastors can struggle with it just like anyone else.</b> But if you are struggling with depression, whether you are in the ministry or not, <b>please reach out for help.</b> Talk to someone and let them in. Call the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Or call me. <b>You’re not alone.</b><br />
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P.S. <a href="http://myfaithfamily.com/how-to-pray-for-your-pastor/" target="_blank">Here's</a> a great article based on the Rom 15:30-32 passage that you might find interesting: <a href="http://myfaithfamily.com/how-to-pray-for-your-pastor/">http://myfaithfamily.com/how-to-pray-for-your-pastor/</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-61287866975919899812018-08-05T08:27:00.002-05:002018-08-05T08:27:56.700-05:00When We Mess Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxYelSUnWvbCPmY9MZJoTGVnKb8IOsTKxYYtS-jjFPJpPfHH_3JC4e83sd3KkO8XXdHUo8RjS5WCFAzblqEGlmZvZOQD86NgF2NoeJEERvz-ZCcjuHLY_zLVg0byXqBS30ouRUg/s1600/TownTalk201808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="519" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxYelSUnWvbCPmY9MZJoTGVnKb8IOsTKxYYtS-jjFPJpPfHH_3JC4e83sd3KkO8XXdHUo8RjS5WCFAzblqEGlmZvZOQD86NgF2NoeJEERvz-ZCcjuHLY_zLVg0byXqBS30ouRUg/s400/TownTalk201808.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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(This column originally appeared in the <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/08/05/nathan-martin-guest-pastor-when-we-mess-up/881024002/" target="_blank">Town Talk</a> on <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/08/05/nathan-martin-guest-pastor-when-we-mess-up/881024002/" target="_blank">Sunday, August 8, 2018</a>.)</div>
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Have you ever messed up? Have you ever made such a mistake you thought you could never get over it? Have you thought about just quitting? Then this message is for you!<br />
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One of the common occurrences of the human condition is that we mess up. No matter how hard we try, from time to time we just blow it! We miscalculate, we procrastinate, we overestimate – and the result is we let someone down in a big way.<br />
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The Bible doesn’t hide the stories of failure of even its biggest heroes. Rather than sugarcoat their lives with pretend perfection, the Bible paints vivid pictures of passionate, alive men and women who live life loudly, and sometimes mess up loudly as well!<br />
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Peter is one of those passionate protagonists whose story makes us all feel a little better about ourselves. If any of the apostles were going to put his foot in his mouth, it would be Peter! He was quick to judge, quick to offer an opinion, even quick to rebuke Jesus Himself when he thought Jesus was wrong.<br />
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But on the biggest night of history, the night Jesus was betrayed, arrested, tried, and condemned to die, Peter made his biggest screw-up of all! When given the opportunity to stand with Jesus, which he had so boldly declared he would do, he denied ever knowing Him. Not just once, but three times! (And the third time he included some choice words to get people off his back!)<br />
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That was when he knew he blew it! Luke 22:61 tells us that after Peter’s 3rd denial that Jesus turned and looked at Peter. And that’s when Peter knew he’d blown it. The next verse tells us <b>“he went out and wept bitterly.”</b><br />
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But thank God that Jesus doesn’t leave us in our failure! After Jesus rose from the dead Mark reports that He specifically sent word to Peter to meet Him in Galilee (Mark 16:7). And when Jesus met them on the seashore He made sure to get across to Peter a very important message – that not even his failures could separate him from God’s love!<br />
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The scene was carefully set. Just like the night that Peter had denied Jesus there was a charcoal fire. And just as there had been three opportunities to acknowledge Jesus, Peter is now asked three times, <b>“Do you love Me?”</b> (See John 21:1-19 for the full treatment.)<br />
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Serious students of the Scriptures recognize that Jesus used a Greek word for love (“agape”) and that Peter responded with a different Greek word (“phileo”). It’s as if Peter couldn’t accept the restoration Jesus was pouring out on him. So the third time Jesus asked the question, He used Peter’s word, “phileo” – fully coming down to Peter’s level in order to lift Peter back up again.<br />
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But there’s more to the story. Each of the three times that Jesus restored Peter back to love He reminded Peter that he was still useful to Jesus! Each time He reminded Peter of God’s call on his life to shepherd, feed and tend God’s sheep. Each time He reminded Peter that no matter how much he had messed up, God still loved Him and had a purpose for his life!<br />
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So let me ask the questions again. Have you ever messed up? Have you ever made such a mistake you thought you could never get over it? Have you thought about just quitting? Don’t do it! Jesus still loves you and has a purpose for your life, and even for your scars.<br />
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Paul understood this when he wrote about the <b>“God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”</b> (2 Cor 1:3-4 NASB)<br />
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Could it be that God will use your failure, and your recovery, to encourage someone else? Could it be that your scars will give someone else hope? Could it be that you’re still useful to God? Yes, it could be! In fact, it is! Just don’t quit!<br />
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How do you take back that lost ground? Do what Peter did. Run to Jesus. Talk to Jesus. Listen to Jesus. And tell Him you love Him! He’ll take care of the rest.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-10360563320481629482018-07-22T22:57:00.000-05:002018-07-24T19:26:44.448-05:00Alcohol Sales in Pineville???<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLLx5s_l8o8gemUL4pIu0i71X8B_onmMLIOO-CjX-2Ok9p3DRUzZ_qH0AQPDJYwsLZbWDHovZa8nR6FMyuThCaZtBAamnvyuyuinKk4ctEeGVoMFKvQ0OYuM_mJanwTiY1U3o1A/s1600/KALB-Alcohol-Pineville.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="702" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLLx5s_l8o8gemUL4pIu0i71X8B_onmMLIOO-CjX-2Ok9p3DRUzZ_qH0AQPDJYwsLZbWDHovZa8nR6FMyuThCaZtBAamnvyuyuinKk4ctEeGVoMFKvQ0OYuM_mJanwTiY1U3o1A/s320/KALB-Alcohol-Pineville.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I recently returned from vacation to the news that two local "big-box stores" (Walmart and Super 1) had combined forces in a common venture (as reported by <a href="http://www.kalb.com/content/news/Stores-in-Pineville-petition-to-be-able-to-sell-alcohol-488340551.html" target="_blank">KALB</a> and <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/local/2018/07/20/pineville-louisiana-alcohol-petition/800364002/" target="_blank">The Town Talk</a>). These normal competitors were working together to seek to put a petition before the registered voters of Pineville in order to allow them to sell alcohol in their stores. Their primary claim seems to be that Pineville is missing out on the sales taxes paid by customers who drive to Alexandria to purchase alcohol, and make other purchases while in Alexandria stores. While there probably is some truth to that, there is always more to the story. Allow me to share some perspective from my understanding.<br />
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<i>(If you want to skip all the history and perspective, jump down to the "Getting to the Point" section at the bottom.)</i><br />
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For many years Pineville has been a "dry" community, meaning no alcohol sales of any kind within the corporate limits. From what I"m told this dates back to the post-WW2 era as a reaction to the many bars that were located along Main Street to serve the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who were trained in Central Louisiana, many of them right here at Camps Beauregard and Livingston. Following the war the residents of Pineville chose to make Pineville a "dry" community, a decision that many communities across Louisiana also made in the interest of improving the quality of life.<br />
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In the early 1980's there was a "local option" petition for all Wards 9, 10 and 11, all north of the river. That local option election differentiated between "low" and "high" alcohol content, low being less than 6% (basically beer and wine) and high being greater than 6% (hard liquor). Initially it appeared that all options were defeated. However, some eagle-eyed observers noted that the small portion of Ward 9 OUTSIDE the corporate limits of Pineville had actually approved the sale of LOW alcohol content. And that's the reason that several convenience stores along Hwy 28E, Hwy 107 and in Wardville do sell beer and wine, because they are in the portion of Ward 9 that is outside the city limits. And because of the way Pineville's city limits have expanded the last 35 years, many Pineville residents now live and drive home every day past establishments that currently sell beer and wine.<br />
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Folks seemed fairly content with this setup, although the alcohol question raised its head at pretty much every election, and most candidates pledged to keep Pineville dry. When I first ran for election as City Councilman in 2003 the question of alcohol was the most frequently raised question I got. My consistent response was that I was opposed to the sale of alcohol in Pineville, specifically in bars and liquor stores, but that ultimately it was the decision of the voters. That still remains my position today.<br />
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The most consistent concern expressed during that first campaign, and through the years, seemed to be that people wanted nicer restaurants in Pineville and felt they were staying away due to Pineville being dry. Many people who didn't drink said they wished Pineville allowed alcohol in restaurants only, as several other communities had done (i.e., Ruston, Minden, Mansfield, etc), thinking that would entice the nicer restaurants to locate in Pineville. That continued to be a constant point of discussion among citizens and developers alike. However, no action was taken and it just remained speculation.<br />
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Fast forward a dozen years or so when I was contacted by a local businessman who wanted to open a drive-through daiquiri shop on Hwy 28E in Pineville. He told me that he was aware of the ground-swell of opinion regarding the desire for nicer restaurants in Pineville, and that he planned to capitalize on that to circulate a petition for another "local option" election. He had already purchased the list of registered voters and had run polls indicating that people would overwhelmingly sign the petition to call for the local option election because they wanted restaurants.<br />
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This raised all sorts of red flags for me. My concern with the local option election was that it didn't just let people vote on alcohol in restaurants, but opened up the possibility of bars and liquor stores in our community, something that had been rejected for over 60 years. Bars and nightclubs would bring their own set of zoning issues into our "bedroom community." And I hated the idea of liquor stores in vulnerable areas of our community providing easier access, because multiple studies show that there is a direct relationship between alcohol and any number of negative outcomes, including violence, crime, road incidents, negative health impacts, and for some, alcohol dependence (See <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3170096/" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh26-1/22-34.htm" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/alcohol.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/alcohol-consumption" target="_blank">here</a> among others).<br />
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According to <a href="http://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=84775" target="_blank">Louisiana Revised Statute 26:588</a>, a successful petition for the local option election requires that five options (paraphrased below) MUST be placed on the ballot:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Allow <b>LOW</b> content alcohol sales <b>by package only</b> <i>(Sale of beer/wine in grocery stores, convenience stores, liquor stores, etc).</i></li>
<li>Allow <b>LOW </b>content alcohol sales <b>for consumption on premises</b> (<i>Sale of beer/wine in restaurants, bars, nightclubs, etc</i>).</li>
<li>Allow <b>ALL</b> alcohol sales of any content <b>for consumption on premises</b> (<i>Sale of ALL alcohol in restaurants, bars, nightclubs, etc</i>).</li>
<li>Allow <b>ALL</b> alcohol sales of any content <b>by package only</b> (<i>Sale of ALL alcohol in grocery stores, convenience stores, liquor stores, etc</i>).</li>
<li>Allow <b>ALL</b> alcohol sales of any content <b>in restaurants only</b> (This is currently the standard in Pineville).</li>
</ol>
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I've paraphrased the options, but there they are. If that businessman had been successful in getting 25% of the registered voters to sign his petition, then the City Council would have been required by law to call for an election with all five options on the ballot. And this would open up a whole Pandora's Box of issues. And all because people wanting nicer restaurants were in favor of option 5.</div>
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There was another alternative to the local option. Several communities around the state had successfully petitioned the legislature to allow for their city council to call for an election with ONLY option 5 on the ballot. After much discussion, deliberation and debate, in 2013 the City Council and Mayor chose to pursue that option and asked the legislature for permission to call for such an election for restaurants only. I voted for that measure because I felt it would essentially prevent Pandora's Box from being opened. I knew many people, even those who didn't drink, were in favor of allowing restaurants to sell alcohol if that would bring nicer restaurants to Pineville.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6zHzknHHxk4NzpkHWSAbd9D35j7Bi1k4dFzhysCBeeAQWgkaseTQp4idkTzbD19rxRgFZUbOQOoo05-yrE3HBD2mWgRQfygzRBeaXXapiWFDgY-COwfwhyphenhyphenk6oeOuhUBjykmRKA/s1600/SOS-Alcohol-Pineville.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="1298" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6zHzknHHxk4NzpkHWSAbd9D35j7Bi1k4dFzhysCBeeAQWgkaseTQp4idkTzbD19rxRgFZUbOQOoo05-yrE3HBD2mWgRQfygzRBeaXXapiWFDgY-COwfwhyphenhyphenk6oeOuhUBjykmRKA/s640/SOS-Alcohol-Pineville.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: LA Secretary of State</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In October of 2013 the citizens overwhelmingly approved that option by a 78% to 22% margin, and since that time a number of alcohol licenses have been issued, some to existing restaurants, some to restaurants who annexed into the city, and some who built after the "restaurant only" option became a reality. In fact, there are about a dozen license holders right now, including Red River Steak and Seafood, El Parián Mexican Restaurant, Genghis Mongolian Grill...and most recently, new constructions in Buckets Seafood and RibFins Smokehouse & Seafood, among others. And while we haven't seen a "national chain" open in Pineville yet, I'm aware of at least 3 different national brands looking closely at Pineville because of the opportunity to offer their full menu. This seemed to be an acceptable compromise, giving people what they wanted (the option for nicer restaurants) without opening the can of worms of a local option election, which could conceivably open the door to bars and liquor stores in Pineville.<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Getting to the Point</h2>
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But now we find that two large, out-of-state retailers are pushing for the petition to allow them to sweeten their bottom line by selling alcohol. And while they tout the benefits of the sales tax collections on alcohol, they don't tell the whole story. They make it seem like the petition is only to allow the sale of alcohol in grocery stores, but the reality is the election will allow for the possibility of bars, nightclubs, liquor stores and other elements that Pineville's citizens have traditionally rejected.</div>
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To me this is significantly different from the "restaurant-only" initiative that the citizens asked for. This is not a grass-roots effort by citizens, nor is it the result of years of collectively expressed desire for the perceived quality of life improvements that nicer restaurants bring. This is largely an economic question, driven by the bottom line of multi-billion dollar corporations who don't really care about our community standards. They care about profits. They won't have to deal with the negative fallout that eased access to alcohol will have on the more vulnerable parts of our society. They'll simply laugh their way to the bank. At our collective expense.</div>
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Some would say that the citizens deserve a right to vote on the matter. And perhaps they do. If the high-dollar firm hired by these two conglomerates gets their way there will indeed be a vote. But it will be a somewhat confusing vote because of the 5 options. And the outcome might not be as neat and pretty as the signature gatherers make it out to be. If it passes, alcohol won't only be sold in the grocery stores - it might just be in a "convenience" store next door to you, with bars on the windows and traffic all night long. Or it might be in a nightclub/bar not far from you with music blaring until 2AM and all the other issues that come with the package.</div>
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Personally I will NOT be signing the petition and I urge my friends to NOT sign it either. I think the minor inconvenience of not having easier access to alcohol is worth maintaining our healthy community standards and quality of life. And I'm willing to sacrifice the "sales tax revenue" to not have to have the negative impact on our community that relaxed access to alcohol is sure to bring. I don't want to see an increase in juvenile drinking, spousal abuse, and alcohol addiction/dependency because we're hungry for a few more sales tax dollars.</div>
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But that's just my opinion.<br />
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<h3>
UPDATE:</h3>
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One 7/24/18 I posted the following on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NathanCCI/posts/10156611435112704" target="_blank">Facebook</a>:<br />
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
I received a lot of great feedback on my blog about the Walmart/Super1 alcohol petition at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NathanCCI/posts/10156605856647704" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.facebook.com/NathanCCI/posts/10156605856647704</a> and I appreciate everyone's feedback, whether you agreed with me or not.</div>
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Several folks have asked about what they could do to express their disagreement with the petition. Some have asked about setting up tables next to the petition folks, but those stores are private property and I don't think the managers would give permission for that. And I think protests and placards outside would give them more exposure and would ultimately be counter-productive.</div>
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However, there is something that those who are opposed to the petition can do. This afternoon I spoke to Shane McDaniel, manager of the Pineville <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=150038365021321&extragetparams=%7B%22fref%22%3A%22mentions%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/MacsFreshMarket/?fref=mentions" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">Mac's Fresh Market</a>, and son of Reggie McDaniel, the owner of the 18 Mac's Fresh Markets across Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. Shane told me that his father has a firm stance against selling alcohol, tobacco or lottery tickets in any of his stores, even where it is perfectly legal. Just look at the Mac's Fresh Market on Jackson Street in Alexandria - legally they could sell those products, but they choose not to. He said it is a company principle that will not change, event after his father is gone.</div>
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So, for those who are upset that out-of-state companies have initiated this attempt to change our community standards, here's a suggestion. Perhaps drop a line to their corporate offices to let them know your feelings. You can contact Walmart at <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcorporate.walmart.com%2Fcontact-us&h=AT1SZZkRvzfIy_Gkjm0T4eni3Xx6NktFsSAWt1yPOGBOznG9bnK0MJEj4IcTMzWd1rvCz7h8dbiTXkOXSQdfiSzMtNgp7b6pum18EBPJqJOMcacQJKiZbhBy-MtZeuwAYbyZBmsiZFpw5sOIOgY" href="https://corporate.walmart.com/contact-us" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://corporate.walmart.com/contact-us</a> and Brookshires (parent company of Super 1) at <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brookshires.com%2Fcontact-us%2F&h=AT3AqGx86g0Kqn2Od7Es7Ka9JC9oeLWXngarggHCI0bH-6iahgS9N3Ly16yv5JtOAfaAud2lEGL4jN34pqnoswby9SpZ9raTFvur0zsWm7TzlaakOjScLlRHfDzulLWHUXjfaDeWlHI9oy6SqzA" href="https://www.brookshires.com/contact-us/" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://www.brookshires.com/contact-us/</a> - be respectful, but let them know your feelings. Then, consider supporting a locally owned and operated business that agrees with your values - and make sure the folks at Mac's know why you're there. Thank them for choosing community well-being over profits.</div>
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Just my opinion...</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-46538023752927634492018-07-01T00:40:00.000-05:002018-07-01T00:40:04.243-05:00We Hold These Truths...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5kyaBDlu8zqCaamlUanDXrljk4ai0ECRfKmF38E0AvB2TvgXzuLn5IrNq8SGB40-QRS-oXB8BO_phYhyxj2UcPzOQBE60FWEh2x-r8ytLLPHH45QSNPpY2RRnk3nAtDowZbJRQ/s1600/TownTalk201807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="517" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5kyaBDlu8zqCaamlUanDXrljk4ai0ECRfKmF38E0AvB2TvgXzuLn5IrNq8SGB40-QRS-oXB8BO_phYhyxj2UcPzOQBE60FWEh2x-r8ytLLPHH45QSNPpY2RRnk3nAtDowZbJRQ/s400/TownTalk201807.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(This column originally appeared in <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/2018/07/01/nathan-martin-we-hold-these-truths-guest-pastor/745974002/" target="_blank">The Town Talk</a> on <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/2018/07/01/nathan-martin-we-hold-these-truths-guest-pastor/745974002/" target="_blank">Sunday, July 1, 2018</a>.)</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">One of the best-known sentences in the English
language is the second sentence of the Declaration. It opens by stating there
are times when one people must separate themselves politically from other
people and that when this happens, there should be an explanation. The second
sentence then establishes the core value behind the Declaration:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” are
held forth as being basic rights of all men, and the Declaration goes on to
explain all the ways that Great Britain had violated these basic rights. It
contained a whole list of charges against King George III, basically attempting
to show how he violated the colonists’ rights and was therefore unfit to be
their ruler.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">All of the stated reasons for declaring independence
from England were based in a core value held by our founding father. The
underlying belief of those brave signers of the Declaration of Independence was
that rights were given, not by men, nor by governments, but by the Creator!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">For the founding fathers, the most important core
value of all was a belief in a Creator God. That was a truth that was
“self-evident” – that is to say, universally accepted as true, just as we
accept that the sun is hot and rain is wet. No one has to prove these things –
they just are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">While it is fashionable among some to point to a few
of the founding fathers as “deists,” it is undeniable that the Judeo-Christian
faith and ethic had a tremendous impact on the founding of our country, which
we celebrate this week. Allow me to share just a couple of examples.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">John Adams, a signatory of the Declaration of
Independence, and the second president of these United States, wrote the
following to Thomas Jefferson: <i>“The general principles on which the fathers
achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow
that I then believed, and now believe, that those principles of Christianity
are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United
States, in reflecting back on an anniversary of the Declaration of Independence
said, <i>“The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government
upon the first precepts of Christianity.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">James Madison, another signatory of the Declaration
of Independence, and the fourth president of the United States, wrote these
words 2 years after signing that famous document: <i>“We have staked the whole
future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it.
We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to
sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This is the same James Madison who conceived the
three branches of government while reading the words of the prophet Isaiah who
said, <b>“For the LORD is our judge, The LORD is our lawgiver, The LORD is our
king; He will save us.”</b> (<i>Is 33:22 NASB</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">There are countless more quotes from our founding
fathers that demonstrate a foundation of faith that underscored their actions.
While not all were professing Christians, there was a common understanding that
God’s hands were involved in directing the affairs of men. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
point is simply this – we would not have this great nation if it had not been
for the core values of faith in God held by our founding fathers. So as we
celebrate the 4<sup>th</sup> of July this week, let’s think back to the
purposes God may have had for our nation and thank Him the faith of the
founding fathers. And may we hold dearly to the self-evident truths that they
enshrined in that amazing Declaration of Independence some 242 years ago this
week. Happy 4<sup>th</sup> of July, y’all!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-74383347898621678852018-06-03T05:00:00.000-05:002018-07-01T00:28:56.296-05:00Why Jesus Prayed for Unity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsp5JgMbX2Z71iPU5A9qHjWaUvXN3G3EeRhq99AkcIF7xOPYPWEWxRwoUZ7MTalF4_qyYu0ALV8LJIVxydc7GtpE375hIgBAN0V0rUB24Sxxd1glR5r99kGhjAhOIIVn219MN2aA/s1600/TownTalkUnityJuneGuestSermon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="520" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsp5JgMbX2Z71iPU5A9qHjWaUvXN3G3EeRhq99AkcIF7xOPYPWEWxRwoUZ7MTalF4_qyYu0ALV8LJIVxydc7GtpE375hIgBAN0V0rUB24Sxxd1glR5r99kGhjAhOIIVn219MN2aA/s400/TownTalkUnityJuneGuestSermon.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>(This column originally appeared in <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/06/03/nathan-martin-guest-pastor-why-jesus-prayed-unity/660306002/" target="_blank">The Town Talk</a> on <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/06/03/nathan-martin-guest-pastor-why-jesus-prayed-unity/660306002/" target="_blank">Sunday, June 3, 2018</a>.)</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Last month’s National Day of Prayer events that were
held nationwide carried a one-word theme: “Unity.” Several million people
gathered in thousands of events, large and small, across this land to pray for
our nation. Their prayer was sparked by Jesus’ last prayer on the earth. The
night before He was crucified He prayed these words: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for
those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even
as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that
the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I
have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You
in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You
sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” (<b>John 17:20-23 NASB</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Jesus prayed that the believers through the ages
would “be perfected in unity.” And the purpose of this unity was so that the
world would know that Jesus was indeed sent from God because He loved the world
that much!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Unfortunately it seems that we Christians have
demonstrated everything except unity. The witness we have given the world has
not been one of unity but rather of infighting, political posturing and selfish
ambition. Church splits have been the norm and Christians can’t seem to agree
on anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Or can we? While there are many things that we may
not agree on completely, there is much more unity in the Body of Christ than
you might imagine. Sure, we all have different styles of worship and various
preferences when it comes to the songs we sing, the instruments we use (or
don’t use), and many other external things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But when it comes to the essentials, there is
tremendous agreement among all believers. When Paul described the Gospel
message that he preached, he described what ALL Christian believers believe:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“For I delivered to you as of first importance what
I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and
that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas [Peter], then to the twelve.” (<b>1 Cor 15:3-4 NASB</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When you break that down, we all agree
wholeheartedly that Jesus died for our sins, that He was buried and then rose
on the third day and then appeared with many convincing proofs to hundreds of
eye-witnesses. That is the essence of Christian unity! Everything else is a
side-issue from this core message of the Gospel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">There are still many areas of disagreement in
church-life today. But when we focus on what Paul said was “of first
importance” we all agree. We experience unity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’ve been blessed to be part of a weekly breakfast
gathering of pastors from many different denominations that has met for 30
years. We are Assembly of God, Baptist, Church of Christ, Church of God,
Methodist, Nazarene, Non-denominational, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, and
just about every stripe in between. And while we have many different worship
styles, practices and beliefs, we agree that Jesus died for our sins, was
buried, rose from the dead on the 3<sup>rd</sup> day and appeared to many
witnesses! And because of that, we have unity!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">There’s another wonderful expression of unity that
God is raising up across denominational and racial lines. Pastors are
recognizing the need to demonstrate that there is <b>no room for racial prejudice in the Body of Christ.</b> So we are
joining forces to create conversation and dialog through a series of bi-monthly
Men’s Unity Breakfasts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The first one will be on Saturday, June 16 at 7:30AM
at Family of Grace Church, 4200 S. MacArthur Dr in Alexandria. Pastor Bryant
Sanders of Miracle Temple Ministries and Pastor Brad Webb of Family of Grace
Church are combining forces for this first one, and every other month two more
churches will cooperate to host these events. The goal is to break bread
together and build friendships – not in an attempt to create unity, but to
demonstrate the unity we already have in Jesus!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
invite all Christian men from Central Louisiana to join us! However, you must
RSVP to 318-542-2903 as seating is limited. Please join me. And together we can
see Jesus’ prayer for our unity answered!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">More information about the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/413049612503798/" target="_blank">Cenla Men's Unity Breakfast</a> is available on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/413049612503798/" target="_blank">at https://www.facebook.com/events/413049612503798/</a>.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-561040302900371312018-05-06T01:04:00.007-05:002018-05-06T01:09:32.650-05:00After the Resurrection, Now What?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/05/06/nathan-martin-after-resurrection-now-what-guest-pastor/581628002/"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="481" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7a7hwp0wsSaeZiQ8QpPISdIXyB7ZUBqYVZOlNJxGTZaRfBRfILNhK-6NqPqN2G9IFKuWfQMUBEHxMfML_7uiMArE2hI6LfoGEaFAAFdB-jFy9etyNDvcdJySxPaGHaN7E8yOjbg/s400/2018-0506.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>(This column originally appeared in <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/05/06/nathan-martin-after-resurrection-now-what-guest-pastor/581628002/" target="_blank">The Town Talk</a> on <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/05/06/nathan-martin-after-resurrection-now-what-guest-pastor/581628002/" target="_blank">Sunday, May 6, 2018</a>.)</i></div>
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Last month Christians around the globe celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the central tenet of Christianity. No matter what branch or what denomination, <b>all Christians agree</b> on this common belief, that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again to never die again, securing our salvation eternally!<br />
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The apostle Paul points to the centrality of the resurrection when he reminded the Corinthians of the Gospel he had preached to them. <i>“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, and then to the twelve.”</i> <b>(1 Cor 15:3-5 NASB)</b><br />
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Without a doubt, the resurrection of Jesus distinguishes Christianity from all other religions in the world.<br />
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<b>But what happens after the resurrection?</b><br />
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That was the dilemma faced by the apostles themselves. They had seen the risen Christ on several occasions. And He had taught them over a period of 40 days (Acts 1:3), opening the Old Testament scriptures to them to show them how He fulfilled the prophecies (Luke 24:45). And He told them that they were to go into all the world to teach all the nations the very things He had taught them (Matt 28:18-20).<br />
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And then, <b>He told them to wait!</b><br />
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That almost seems counter-intuitive! He gave them a Great Commission to change the world, to tell the greatest story ever told, but then He said to wait! What were they waiting for?<br />
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Jesus knew that<b> they could not fulfill His command in their own strength.</b> No matter how much enthusiasm, exuberance or excitement they had, that would all wane over time if they tried to accomplish the task in their own strength. So He promised to infuse them with<b> an internal power source</b> that would fuel their lives through the difficult days ahead.<br />
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<b>That power source was His own Holy Spirit</b> who would now live in them! It was prophesied throughout the Old Testament that God’s presence would one day not just rest on special individuals (prophets, priests, kings, etc) but would be poured out <b>on all flesh</b> (Is 40:5; Joel 2:28-29; Ezek 36:27, etc)!<br />
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And so it was that on the 50th day after the Resurrection that<b> God fulfilled the prophecies</b> and poured out His Spirit <b>on all who believed!</b> The Church was birthed in a moment, and all who believed received this precious promise to be <b>baptized by God’s Spirit into the Body of Christ</b> (1 Cor 12:13)!<br />
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What an amazing thing! In the Exodus from Egypt, God provided His people with<b> an external guide, the Law! </b>But in the Exodus from sin, God has now provided His people with<b> an internal guide, the Holy Spirit,</b> who <b>writes His law on our hearts</b> (Jer 31:33; Ezek 36:25-27; Heb 8:10; 10:16)! And gives us the power to live lives pleasing to Him!<br />
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So what’s after the resurrection? We have the command of Jesus to <b>tell His story in the power of the Holy Spirit!</b> And the good news is that God’s Holy Spirit can <b>fill us every day!</b> That’s why Peter wrote to the Galatians that they were to be<b> continuously filled</b> with the Holy Spirit! (See the original Greek of Eph 5:18.)<br />
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Every Christian can live filled with God’s Holy Spirit on an ongoing continual basis! As we <b>worship Jesus in community</b> (Eph 5:19), <b>develop an attitude of gratitude</b> (Eph 5:20) and<b> seek to live in right relationship with others </b>(Eph 5:20), we will find ourselves filled with less of us and more of Him!<br />
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<b>That’s my goal,</b> to live filled with the Spirit every day that I might be empowered by Him to tell His story. <b>How about you?</b><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-26118191584872842652018-04-01T00:00:00.000-05:002018-04-01T00:00:17.943-05:00Who's the April Fool?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/04/01/whos-april-fool/470065002/" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="659" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjv9pKvJBquoeu0JsJ-vI0PjMHsCz2h8vcIo9dKXG-AX1Iy3xOs016sNIdqMQK6Et8xHC9Uy_714NWv-yOnfHlVDwhadh6Zg_wn98BK-cD17k7Cmn3v1V90dr3larut7CMe7YDfQ/s400/TT2018-0401.JPG" title="Who's the April Fool?" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>(This column originally appeared in <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/04/01/whos-april-fool/470065002/" target="_blank">The Town Talk</a> on <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/04/01/whos-april-fool/470065002/" target="_blank">Sunday, April 1, 2018</a>.)</i></div>
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My daughter Hope absolutely loves April Fools' Day! It’s like a national holiday to her because she loves to pull pranks. Over the years we’ve learned to be on our guard around her this time of the year as you never know what she’s got up her sleeve!<br />
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A couple of years back she called me, telling me between sobs that she had gotten into an accident on her way back to a college class. After asking if she was ok and then checking the status of the people in the other car I told her to wait right there, that I was on my way and that everything was going to be OK.<br />
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That’s when she exuberantly declared, “April Fools!” Boy did she get me good! My heart was pounding and it took me a few minutes to get my blood pressure down before I was able to laugh at her most recent success in pranking me.<br />
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Today, April 1st, Christians around the globe are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Due to the way that Easter is calculated <i>(the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox – thanks Council of Nicea!)</i> the date changes each year, and for the first time since 1956 this year Easter falls on the first of April. But that’s not the April Fools’ prank! More on that in a minute!<br />
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The Resurrection of Jesus is a big deal! This is the core belief of Christianity – whether you’re Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, or any other flavor of Christianity, we all believe in the resurrection! That’s what makes us Christians! This historical event had over 500 eye-witnesses <b>(1 Cor 15:6)</b>, not one of whom ever recanted their testimony, even under penalty of death. And it stands at the center of our faith.<br />
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The core belief of Christianity is that God took on human flesh <b>(John 1:14)</b>, was tempted in every way that we are <b>(Heb 4:15)</b> yet lived a sinless life <b>(1 John 3:5)</b>. He then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin <b>(2 Cor 5:21)</b> and His resurrection is evidence that we have been justified before God <b>(Rom 4:25)</b>.<br />
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But in addition to those marvelous doctrinal truths, the Resurrection is one of the best April Fools’ jokes ever played, because it was played on the devil!<br />
<br />For quite some time Satan had been plotting to kill Jesus. He had failed to distract Jesus from His mission in his earlier temptation in the wilderness so he waited <i>“for a more opportune time”</i> <b>(Luke 4:1-13)</b>. All the while he was influencing the hearts of his hypocritical children who were in positions of religious leadership and they plotted to bring an end to this young upstart Rabbi.<br />
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Then Satan played his most strategic card by entering the heart of Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ trusted companions. Somehow he convinced him to betray Jesus. I’m sure Satan must have chuckled with evil glee as he saw Jesus arrested, convicted, beaten, and ultimately crucified.<br />
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Satan’s plan through the ages had been to destroy the promised Seed of the woman <b>(Gen 3:15)</b>. He tried to do it in Egypt by having Pharaoh kill the male Hebrew children. He tried again around the time of the birth of Jesus by having Herod kill all the male children under the age of 2. But now he had finally succeeded! How he must have celebrated as Jesus’ lifeless body was lowered from the cross and laid in a borrowed tomb. The serpent had bruised His heel as the earthly walk of Jesus came to an end.<br />
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<b>Or did it?</b><br />
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When Adam disobeyed God, Satan had been granted certain authority on the earth. And for thousands of years he had wielded the power of death over fallen mankind. But little did he realize that it was through death itself that Jesus would render him powerless! <b>(Heb 2:14)</b><br />
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Early on Sunday morning, to Satan’s surprise and chagrin, a <i>“severe earthquake”</i> ripped through that region and <i>“an angel of the Lord descended and rolled away the stone”</i> <b>(Matt 28:2 NASB)</b>. In grand fashion all of heaven witnessed the empty tomb declare that Satan had been played for a fool!<br />
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In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians he declared that if the rulers of this age had understood God’s eternal wisdom <i>“they would not have crucified the Lord of glory”</i> <b>(1 Cor 2:8 NASB)</b>. It’s almost as if they were tricked into accomplishing God’s purpose!<br />
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When Jesus was raised from the dead His body still bore the marks of Satan’s bruising. But ultimately the Resurrection was the final crushing of the head of the serpent of old <b>(Gen 3:15)</b>. And today Satan remains the April Fool!<br />
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The only question that remains is who else is the fool? In <b>Psalm 14:1</b> David wrote that <i>“the fool says in his heart ‘there is no God.’”</i> But the Resurrection provides a remedy even for the foolish heart! The New Testament declares <i>“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, you will be saved.”</i> <b>(Rom 10:9 NASB)</b><br />
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To not be the April Fool it all comes down to the heart. <b>What does yours believe?</b><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-4054489612794878282018-03-08T20:27:00.005-06:002018-03-08T20:27:58.427-06:00Keep Calm and Plod On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/03/04/keep-calm-and-plod/389360002/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="664" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPbihOgSJVoHvFcNk8gw1mn5pk2iai0cucoxjqHpF2tTUEJpUDLMg645qkHIf7f5MlSIHQc7tkDuKr3Xtod5Dc6XrojwM55LdrwhUc2Squ_JMPiALm_RHU9vIBxuOP75489szRQ/s320/TT2018-0304.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>(Originally appeared in the <a href="https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/03/04/keep-calm-and-plod/389360002/" target="_blank">Town Talk</a> on Sunday, March 4, 2018.)</i><br />
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Aesop was a Greek storyteller who lived about 600 years before Christ. You’ve probably heard of “Aesop’s Fables,” stories that use animals to communicate great truths. Some of the more well-known examples include “Boy Who Cried Wolf,” “Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs,” “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” among others.<br />
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Aesop was also known for coming up with so<span id="goog_1521610366"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1521610367"></span>me pretty tweetable quotes, like “After all is said and done, more is usually said than done;” and “It is easy to be brave from a safe distance.” One of my favorites comes from his story of the Tortoise and the Hare: “Plodding wins the race.”<br />
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You might remember this story of the boastful hare who challenged the tortoise to a race, confident that he was the fastest animal in the jungle. But the tortoise ended up winning because although the hare started well, in his arrogance he decided to take a nap thinking he could easily win. The tortoise simply plodded towards the finish line, crossing just ahead of the desperate hare whose flashy, yet intermittent speed couldn’t overcome the slow and steady pace of the tortoise.<br />
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“Plodding wins the race” was the moral of Aesop’s fable and is a lesson to Christians today as well. Some folks may start out well on a journey of faith, but how you start is not what wins the gold medal – it’s how you finish! Jesus told His own parable of seed that was sown. Although most of it sprang up quickly, not all of it became fruitful. Persecution, or temptation, or cares of the world stunted the growth and prevented the harvest. (See <b>Matthew 18</b>, <b>Mark 4</b> and <b>Luke 8</b> for the full treatment.)<br />
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Jesus called us to be faithful to the end. I call that “plodding” – the sustained faithfulness of someone who just won’t quit! And there are some secrets that the plodder knows about walking with God.<br />
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First, the plodder knows that every step counts. Every faithfulness counts. Every obedience counts. The plodder knows that every step matters. He doesn’t quit just because he doesn’t see immediate results. He doesn’t stop just because the seed he sowed 5 minutes ago hasn’t already born fruit. He recognizes there is a cost involved and the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step – and then has many, many more steps after that first one!!!<br />
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The plodder also knows that “this, too, shall pass!” No pain, no matter how intense, lasts forever! As David proclaimed, <i>“Weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning!”</i> (<b>Ps 30:5 KJV</b>).<br />
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There’s a very common phrase in the Bible that appears almost 500 times: “It came to pass…” While this phrase is a narrative tool to introduce the next part of the story, there’s also a hint of encouragement hidden in those words! Joyce McCollough (of the singing group The Martins) mined that gem for us when she penned these words: “It didn't come to stay; it came to pass. The Lord will move that mountain if you'll ask. The trials that we see today won't last. It didn't come to stay; it came to pass.” Plodders know this secret!<br />
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Finally, plodders also know that the prize is worth the plod! This is the plodder’s ultimate weapon! He recognizes that the <i>“momentary, light affliction,”</i> no matter how heavy and seemingly long lasting, pales when viewed in the light of the <i>“eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.”</i> (<b>2 Cor 4:17-18 NASB</b>) The plodder knows that what’s across the finish line is worth whatever the cost to get there!<br />
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This is why it’s so important that we keep our eyes on the prize. Or as the Bible writer said, <i>“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith”</i> (<b>Heb 12:2 NASB</b>). That passage says that Jesus “endured the cross” because of the “joy set before Him.” Jesus Himself was our example in setting His eyes on the prize. And so must we!<br />
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It’s imperative to keep God’s vision for your life, God’s calling, in view. When we lose sight of God’s vision we stop plodding and start trudging. But when we hold onto God’s plan, our steps have purpose and we can “Keep calm and plod on!”<br />
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Have you learned the plodder’s secrets? There are at least three: 1)Every step counts; 2)This, too, shall pass, and; 3)The prize is worth the plod! I hope you grasp these secrets and take them to heart. Just don’t quit! Plod on! And plod well!<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-20715389607686991382018-02-04T06:00:00.000-06:002018-02-07T11:01:21.603-06:00Season of Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/02/04/season-love/302739002/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="547" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhK0j4adYEr4mLM5bqg6tuKDQfd8BVVG6cYdMQW6OmQuLtNMm2t3uxZP3zRsfzl2sem_l7Cx6qc7qAnjqe8amyVGg3e8c5sCdRAHlUoUV2ZoPqqoPKF8UdOqJl8ZB16NvftA_71g/s400/TT201802-SeasonOfLove.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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February is known as a season of love! Because Valentines Day falls right in the middle of the month, the whole month gets wrapped up with the theme of love and relationships. Just check out the Hallmark Channel – just as the last month of the year is dedicated to every kind of Christmas movie you can image, February is dedicated to every sappy love story you could ever dream up! And some you never would have thought of!</div>
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The origins of Valentine’s Day are not completely known. The most common origin story traces its roots back to a priest named Valentine who lived in Rome in the third century AD. The Roman emperor of the day, Claudius II, had completely banned marriage for soldiers, thinking it was a distraction. Valentine violated Roman law by arranging secret marriages and when he was found out he was thrown in prison and sentenced to death. Supposedly he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and wrote her a note delivered to her on the day he was to be killed. That note was signed “From your Valentine.” And it was delivered on February 14.</div>
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Others trace the origins of Valentine’s Day to a Roman festival called Lupercalia that took place in the middle of February, which corresponded roughly to the beginning of their springtime. This festival included exchanges of gifts between those whose names were drawn from an urn, and sometimes that resulted in marriage among the young folk! It’s thought that some elements of this celebration may have been carried into the Christian celebration honoring St. Valentine.</div>
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Regardless of how it started, once the merchants got ahold of the idea it took off like wildfire! With the invention of the printing press it became easier to purchase read-made cards for people to express their emotions. And of course the postal service loved promoting anything that caused people to buy stamps!</div>
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But maybe, just maybe, the idea of celebrating love actually originated in the heart of God! The most famous verse in the Bible proclaims God’s love as the motivation for the greatest gift of eternity. <em>”For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”</em><span style="font-weight: 700;">(John 3:16 NASB)</span> God’s love motivated Him to do something for those who couldn’t do for themselves.</div>
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Love is a powerful motivator and it quickens amazing expressions. One of those expressions of love was demonstrated on the streets of Central Louisiana yesterday as thousands of people from hundreds of churches gathered together to declare their love for unborn babies and their mothers. But they don’t just march!</div>
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Over the past couple of years those same people have also put their money where their mouth is and privately funded the Cenla Pregnancy Center, which offers real help to mothers facing a crisis pregnancy. It’s love that motivates them to provide free pregnancy tests, free limited ultrasounds, free consultation by a pro-life nurse or doctor, free counseling by a trained pro-life advocate, and free resources to help moms and dads from the moment of their child’s conception until his or her second birthday.</div>
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Ask anyone involved in yesterday’s march or anyone involved with the Cenla Pregnancy Center and they’ll tell you it’s love for God and love for God’s creation, the unborn child, and that child’s mother, that motivates them to stand up and speak out. </div>
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Love is indeed a strong motivator! God loved the world enough to sacrifice something precious in order to save us from ourselves. He demonstrated love by not waiting until we were good enough or until we deserved to be saved. The great apostle Paul said it this way, <em>“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”</em><span style="font-weight: 700;">(Rom 5:8 NASB)</span></div>
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We didn’t deserve His love but He still freely gave it. And because He loved us we are able to love others. I pray that every reader of these words will come to know how truly loved they are in Christ. And that we will also learn to share that love with others. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><i>This article was written for the </i></span><i style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><a href="http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/02/04/season-love/302739002/" target="_blank">February 4, 2018 edition</a> of the </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><i>Alexandria Town Talk newspaper, and originally appeared online at </i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/02/04/season-love/302739002/">http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/02/04/season-love/302739002/</a></i></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-84173333495835551822018-01-07T01:16:00.003-06:002018-01-07T01:16:55.645-06:00New Year, Fresh Start<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/01/07/new-year-fresh-start/1007409001/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="660" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Jmp7JMx6XXvK9CodSK6xe9mSB30jCujoNYd6sOLaLGr4eHCftKO3qxcQh8qfdSZcrJKCybdwBd9_cYtvbEY060xu3wW_EJPkTjSouOVPYZJjWxMk5M8RMtiBYcve1UpYBIK8wQ/s400/TT2018-0107.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love the New Year!!! There’s just something about a fresh start, a new beginning, a clean slate, that fills me with hope for the endless possibilities that lie before me.<br />
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God is all about fresh starts! That’s one of the running themes throughout the Scriptures, that He gives new beginnings to what we thought were tired, worn-out endings! Let me give you an example.<br />
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Towards the middle of the Bible we find a book of sadness. It’s filled with so much sorrow that its actual name is “Lamentations,” written by a man who weeps over the condition of the nation of Israel.<br />
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Jeremiah knew that the fall of Jerusalem and the subsequent exile of its people were consequences of sinful behavior. The people had no one to blame but themselves for having turned their backs on God and having gone after false idols. And now they were reaping the whirlwind. So Jeremiah wept.<br />
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And yet, in the midst of this book of sorrow and tears Jeremiah remembers something! And as he reflects on a memory of the character and nature of God, his heart is overjoyed and sustained with hope. Listen to his own words:<br />
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<i>“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.” </i><b>(Lam 3:21-23 KJV)</b><br />
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Did you see it? God’s mercies and compassions are new every morning! Every morning! That means that no matter how much we’ve messed up the day, tomorrow morning He gives us another chance, a fresh start, a new beginning!<br />
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Unfortunately, we don’t always see it that way. We often go to bed so tired and bogged down, and when we wake up we just pick up yesterday’s burdens, struggles, guilt and sorrow. The morning feels like just another day.<br />
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That’s why the New Year seems like such a big deal! January 1 is not just the first day of a new month, it’s the first day of a new year! We have to learn to write the date differently, laughing at ourselves the first few times we forget and put 17 at the end. Everything about 1/1 reminds us of newness and freshness!<br />
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The New Year also brings up a fresh sense of resolution as we pledge to lose weight, get in shape, stop unhealthy habits and start new healthy ones in their place. We feel empowered to start again, even if we really blew it in the weeks of holiday parties, rich food and overindulgence leading up to the first day of January! The New Year means a fresh start!<br />
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So how do we apply that to our lives spiritually? How do we live in that fresh start every day? Thankfully the Scriptures give us that step as well.<br />
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In Acts 3 Peter speaks to a group of people who only a few weeks earlier were shouting “Crucify Him” concerning Jesus. As he shares the story of the resurrection of Jesus, and the miracles being done in His name, the crowd is grief-stricken. They are hearing how they had participated in the death of this innocent man, the Lamb of God. And like Jeremiah, there may have been some weeping among them as their eyes were opened to their spiritual lostness.<br />
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But rather than blame them for what they had done, Peter declares that a fresh start, a new beginning, is available to them! He declares, <i>“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…”</i> <b>(Acts 3:19 NASB)</b><br />
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“Times of refreshing.” Does that sound like a new start to you? Does it sound like something you need today?<br />
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As we enter 2018, don’t bring with you the brokenness, failures and heartaches from last year. Do what Peter said, “Repent and return” and allow the Lord to wipe your sins away! Then you can experience the fresh start God promises!<br />
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I hope you have a very happy new year! And I pray you will encounter the God of compassion who gives new mercies and fresh starts every day! Here’s to your Fresh Start in 2018!<br />
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This article was written for the Alexandria Town Talk newspaper, and originally appeared at http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2018/01/07/new-year-fresh-start/1007409001/<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22152330.post-33439677592914267832017-11-05T20:15:00.001-06:002017-11-05T20:15:47.938-06:00Kindness, the Overlooked Spiritual Fruit<br />
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<a href="http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2017/11/05/kindness-overlooked-spiritual-fruit/826842001/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsL4ziufOUPI_0uqC7mZ9VCzmh9P5X2BJRFy30JMJ5f0JvDPdKFWvG3qnskDeOMfVITe797ZCrWNjkFz416IPP1s4j8kJ8WaO0LSyl_cSPvVN-938lCEXcS_ULBd6Gax_NyCUWTA/s1600/KindnessTT.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>(Each month I write a column for the Town Talk's "Guest Pastor" column. Here is my November, 2017 contribution. I pray it blesses and encourages you to intentional acts of kindness!)</i></div>
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I'm a huge fan of kindness! I think it's the overlooked fruit of the Spirit, maybe because it gets lost in the middle of the list that Paul gives us in his letter to the Galatian believers:</div>
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"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, KINDNESS, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! " (Gal 5:22-23 NLT emphasis mine)</div>
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Paul lists nine different evidences of the Holy Spirit’s work in our life, and right in the middle of the list, with four before and four after, appears the word “kindness.” Unfortunately, it sometimes seems to get lost in the crowd!</div>
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Maybe kindness is overlooked because people view it as a sign of weakness. Or perhaps people think that if you're kind then you're a pushover, or a doormat. For some reason kindness is seen as being soft. But the reality is that God is kind! He's so kind that the Bible speaks of His kindness as lovingkindness! And while God is kind He's certainly nobody's doormat!</div>
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It was God’s kindness that motivated Him to rescue Israel from Egypt, according to Ex 15:13. That same teaching is carried forward into the New Testament. In Tit 3:4-5 Paul explains that God’s kindness and love were the reasons He did not turn His back on fallen man, but instead acted to save him by sending a Redeemer, namely Jesus.</div>
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In his letter to the Roman Christians Paul shared that it is actually God’s kindness that leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4). We should never mistake God’s patient kindness as a sign of weakness because we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10). There is a judgment coming. But God’s kindness calls us to repentance, that we might be rescued from the judgment to come!</div>
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God is kind, but He is not soft! He’s not a doormat or a pushover. He knows that the result of our ongoing rebellion against Him, and our selfish choices to sin, will result in our own suffering. So in His kindness He acts to save us from ourselves.</div>
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Kindness in action goes by another name – it’s called “compassion.” Often in Scripture we see that Jesus was moved with compassion and acted with kindness to heal and deliver people who were oppressed like sheep without a shepherd. Kindness is not an empty feeling, it is an expression of love.</div>
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Perhaps that’s why Paul described love as both patient and kind in the 13th chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians (also known as the “love chapter”). Love that is unkind is no love at all!</div>
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But kindness is also a choice! In Paul’s letter to the Colossians he said that kindness is something we “put on,” not unlike our morning routine when we go through our closet trying to decide what to wear (Col 3:12). Just as you chose the shirt you’re wearing today, reacting with or without kindness is a choice we make in every situation. </div>
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After Kind David was established in his kingdom he reflected back on his earlier friendship with his wonderful friend Jonathan and asked if there was anyone left from his family that he could show kindness to, in honor of that friendship. When told of Jonathan’s son who had been crippled in both feet during an accident, David reached out to Mephibosheth and brought him into his family, fed him at his table, and provided for him for the rest of his life. That was a choice David made, a choice to be kind, to show compassion and to put love in action.</div>
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Perhaps that’s a question we need to ask ourselves today. Is there anyone in my life that I can show kindness to today? What a wonderful way to start our day, asking God, “Who can I be kind to today?” </div>
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If we want the fruit of the Holy Spirit to be abundant in our lives, perhaps we shouldn’t overlook the opportunities to demonstrate simple acts of kindness each day.</div>
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<i>(This article appeared in the <a href="http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/life/2017/11/05/kindness-overlooked-spiritual-fruit/826842001/" target="_blank">November 5, 2017 edition</a> of the Alexandria Town Talk.)</i></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/Over-SquozenBrain</div>Nathan Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642294613587179447noreply@blogger.com0