Category Archives: Opinion

Beauty Secrets For Aging by Carolyn Tucker

My friend Vivian and I were visiting recently about the topic of aging. Some women  look 15 years older than they are, but some look 15 years younger than their age. Vivian and I shared our thoughts about what we will look like in heaven. We both agreed that we’ll look about 30, which is the prime of life. When I was 30, I felt like I had a tiger by the tail. I could efficiently multi-task, do things quickly, walk and chew gum, and rarely felt dumb. I had lots of energy and laughed a lot. Now that I’m older, some physical things have changed but I’m thankful I can still laugh easily.

 

When believers are in the last third of our lives, we can still continue to be living testimonies to the faithfulness of God. There are two New Testament Christians that are marvelous examples of how to age fruitfully. The stellar lives of Simeon and Anna inspire me to keep serving God and loving people as long as I have breath.

 

Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to Jerusalem to dedicate him to the Lord. As they walked into the temple, Simeon (an elderly man) was there waiting. He loved God, was righteous and devout, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. The Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before he saw the Messiah with his own eyes. For this very reason the Holy Spirit had impressed upon Simeon to go to the temple on this precise day and hour when Jesus’ parents brought Him to the temple.

 

Simeon nestled the Babe in his arms and praised God saying, “Lord and Master, I am Your loving servant, and now I can die content for Your promise to me has been fulfilled. With my own eyes I have seen Your Word, the Savior You sent into the world. He will be glory for Your people Israel, and the Revelation Light for all people everywhere“ (Luke 2:29-31 TPT.) Simeon was at the right place at the right time because He listened to God.

 

Anna was an 84-year-old prophetess from the Tribe of Asher. She’d been married only seven years when her husband died. After that, she worshipped God in the temple continually, serving Him with night-and-day prayer and fasting. “She [Anna] came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38 NLT.) When Anna laid her eyes on Jesus, she experienced the very presence of God. Although she had known sorrow, she was full of joy. Although she was no longer in the prime of her life, she had maintained contentment and hope.  Although she had some limitations, she never stopped worshipping God and using her prophetic gift. Although she had experienced disappointments, she never stopped believing and praying. Although she was no longer youthful, she remained useful.

 

When I’m around an older woman with a laughing smile and twinkling eyes, that’s all I see. I’m truly blind to any of her aging facial features. Her beautiful smile is a better cover-up than anti-wrinkle cream. Several years ago, my cousin Vicky and I were talking about getting older. She said that she planned to simply grow old gracefully. I loved her plan and I embraced her sensible philosophy as my own. I want to grow old lovingly. I want to be sweet and not cynical. I want to enjoy life, laugh at myself, and remain useful for God.

 

The Key:  Let’s be content to have a loving heart and use “Big Grin Beauty Cream.”

A Victimless Crime? by Patty LaRoche

Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”  Seneca

Pornography (inanely called the “victimless crime”) is one of the easiest, most toxic, temptations known to man.

The statistics are alarming. “Webroot” reports that every second, 28,258 users are watching pornography on the internet.  Every day, 37 pornographic videos are created in the United States, and 116,000 queries related to child pornography are received. Last year, the top-ranked porn site had 700 million more visits than Amazon.

Tragically, about 200,000 Americans are classified as “porn addicts,” and 40 million American people regularly visit porn sites. “Psychology Today” states that one-third of porn viewers are women.

For the last few years, our son Adam has fought against sex-trafficking.  He and his team talk openly about how most people engaged in the activity begin by looking at pornography,  some at the age of five, but most around 10.

The younger a man is when he first views pornography, the more likely he is to want power over women. As for young girls, 80% of 15-year-old females reported that they have been exposed to violent, degrading online pornography.

Philippians 4:8 reminds us of why porn is a sin. Pornographers struggle with lust, and those desires conflict with God’s holiness   Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

The antithesis of pornography.

Once that thrill ends, many viewers look for more and turn to prostitution.  He becomes the pimp.  The average pimp has 4-6 girls and can make between $150,000-$200,000 per year.  (Not bad, until they are caught and end up with 20 years in prison.)  Compare that to the prostitute who works 6-8 hours a day, 5-6 days a week and has 3-5 clients a might.  She makes about $35,000 a year but has her room and drugs paid for. (A McDonalds’ worker makes around $29,000, has no risks of getting an STD, being beaten or murdered.)

Think about it.  These girls were once in elementary school, swinging on the playground and practicing their tap dance moves.  Something goes terribly wrong for them to end up in this career, but “johns” (patrons) don’t care.

Last week, my son’s anti-trafficking team spent time on the West coast, working with local police.  They never left one road where dozens of prostitutes work.  Even though the evenings were cold, there the girls stood, in lacy underwear, most under the age of 14, soliciting johns by selling their bodies.  One twelve-year-old girl was recovered, reunited with her mother, and flown to the Midwest to a facility specializing in the treatment of these damaged girls.

So, what does prostitution have to do with pornography?

Pimps quickly learn that porn pays better and prostitutes are prime candidates to work in porn, and prostitutes quickly learn that they are in much less danger in that field.

I spoke to a former pornographer who referred to those engaged in porn as sex traffickers.  He explained that these men are staring at women, performing for the entertainment of men, so they are equally liable for the degradation of females.

Matthew 5:28 28 says that a man looking at woman with lustful intent “has already committed adultery in his heart.”

The good news is there is hope.  God is in the Forgiveness business, so anyone engaged in these behaviors can repent.  No different than any other sin.  But make no mistake.  Porn is a slippery slope, and the cliff at the bottom will not be a safe place to land.

The Busted Suitcase

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

 

The closest thing I’ve experienced to a knock-down-drag-out happened in eighth grade. I  take responsibility for instigating it although some of the details are blurry. Obviously, my mouth had gotten the best of me and I was blabbing some irritating things to one of my boy classmates. While I stood there with my little blue suitcase in hand, I irked him beyond control. I could tell he was fixin’ to punch me, so I lifted up my suitcase to ward off the blow and JG punched a big fist-sized hole in it. I don’t remember if either one of us apologized to each other the next day. But he did replace the busted suitcase with money for a new one. I was grateful I didn’t get a busted lip out of the deal, although I would have deserved it. I called Jonita to see if she recalled this incident. When I told her the story from 1972, she said she didn’t remember it, nor did she remember JG being a violent person. We both shrieked with unrestrained laughter.

 

It’s important that we get along with people and live in unity with one another. We’re familiar with the Old Testament story of Joseph. He was favored by his father who made him a special coat of many colors. This favoritism caused the other ten brothers to be guilty of jealous hatred toward Joseph. It was so severe that they couldn’t even speak a peaceful or kind word to him. They sold him as a slave to a caravan of Midianites traveling to Egypt. Then the brothers killed a goat, dipped Joseph’s coat in it and presented it to their father who assumed a wild animal killed him. This was exactly what the ten brothers schemed and wanted their father to think as they pocketed the 20 pieces of silver.

 

After more than 22 years later, Joseph had become Egypt’s supreme ruler, next to the Pharaoh himself. Due to the severe famine, his brothers had traveled to Egypt, met and done business with him (while not knowing he was their brother). He later revealed himself to them, wept with them, and forgave them. Joseph sent his brothers back to Canaan to bring his father Jacob and all the family so they could settle in Egypt.

 

As the brothers left Egypt, Joseph gave them a much-needed caution: “So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, ‘Do not quarrel on the way‘” (Genesis 45:24 MEV). Most translations use “quarrel,” but some use “argue, fight, disagree.” Joseph knew there was a colossal probability for them to become involved in  disunity on their dusty trip home. The brothers could certainly argue about the best approach to tell their father that they had actually sold Joseph. They were totally  responsible for all those many years that Jacob had pined away for him. Pointing fingers, playing the blame game, and having a knock-down-drag-out would serve no purpose.

 

Instead, Joseph wanted them to be joyful that family unity had been restored. The brothers had faced up to their wrongdoing and confessed their sins, so now they could experience freedom from guilt and fear. Releasing jealousy and hatred was surely a much-needed relief. Busted relationships cause us to lose our joy and feel burdened down.

 

No one in his right mind can argue with Peter‘s rich teaching of the importance of living in harmony with one another. “Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love of the brethren, a tender heart and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8 RSV).

 

The Key: Busted relationships cannot exist where there is unity.

The Transparency Illusion by Patty LaRoche

Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

“Andy, I will video you from the shower,” I told my son.

“Mom, do you know how weird that sounds?”  He answered.  He was right.  I was referring to an upcoming baby shower.  He couldn’t have known that. Miscommunication can easily become problem.

Is there a chance…

  • He didn’t mean to say what you think you heard?
  • She just might be innocent?
  • He was only kidding?

The chance for misinterpretation is greater now than ever, thanks to social media and a psychological phenomenon known as “the transparency illusion”—the belief that what we intend is crystal clear to others, no matter how poorly we communicate our thoughts.  “Why is she offended?  It’s obvious I was just messing around.  I even put LOL at the end of my text.” Or… “I bared my soul, hoping he would apologize, but he told me that I was being dramatic.” Or… “I expected her to meet me for dinner, but later she used the excuse that she thought I was just messing around.  How could it be any plainer?”

And speaking of misinterpretation, how about those online dating complaints?

  • Instead of 5’11” as he advertised, not even his three-inch orthotics made him close to her 5’7” height.
  • The picture she used was photo-shopped so drastically, the only thing even remotely resembling her were the earrings she wore.
  • “Respectful” included everyone except, apparently, this date.

Sometimes, however, social media is not to blame for misinterpretations.  In Mazatlán, our friends “Bill and Colleen” were asked by “Harry and Marge” if they (H&M) could move in with them for a few days because they (H&M) had an opportunity to rent their condominium and make a lot of money. Nervy, yes, but Bill and Colleen are kind souls and thought a few days couldn’t hurt. It turned out that “a few days” meant a month to the moochers who quickly took over their new abode without offering to help with cleaning or rent that B&C were paying for their unit.  When enough was enough, Harry and Marge were asked to leave (which they did only after bad-mouthing the generous couple and never speaking to them again.)

We all have had experiences dealing with misunderstanding, but I’m not sure there is any book more misconstrued than the Bible. These are a few untruths I have heard:

  • God never could send someone to Hell. (Side note: He doesn’t.  We make that choice.)
  • Jesus commands that we poke our eyes out if we lust.
  • There are many ways to Heaven. Jesus doesn’t mean it when he says that he is the only way.
  • All of the authors of the New Testament got together to write their stories to cut down on discrepancies.
  • Paul hated women. That’s why he told them to be quiet in church.

Let’s face it.  Communication risks misunderstanding.  If we took the time to ask for clarity instead of conjuring up what we think is meant, if we researched just a little deeper, if we did not succumb to the transparency illusion, we might have a chance of being on the same page as the other person.  Then again, if we don’t do those things, we might not even be in the same book.

 

Jethro’s Advice by Carolyn Tucker

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

 

 

I know of two people named “Jethro.” When I was growing up, one of my favorite TV  series was The Beverly Hillbillies. Jethro was part of the weekly cast who portrayed the silly enthusiastic son of Pearl Bodine. He was a champion crawdad eater who considered being a brain surgeon, but later changed his mind to be a double-knaught spy like 007. He had a huge appetite and would eat his cereal in a large mixing bowl. The truck tire blew to smithereens when he aired it up with his mouth, much to his Ma’s annoyance. His main goal was to meet perty girls. Jethro needed lots of advice and Uncle Jed often told him, “Jethro, one of these days, you and me is gonna have a long talk.”

 

The other Jethro was Moses’ father-in-law. Moses married Zipporah and they lived with Jethro, the priest of Midian. During those 40 years, Moses and Jethro developed a solid relationship of a high order. After Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, Jethro heard about everything God had done, so he came to Moses in the wilderness. Jethro was delighted to hear about all the miracles God had performed. As usual, the next day, Moses personally took the full load as judge for the 2 million or more people. When Jethro saw all that he was doing alone for the Israelites, he asked, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting by yourself while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?” (Exodus 18:14 MEV). Moses answered that the people came to him when they had disputes and he judged between the two parties.

 

Jethro wasn’t at all satisfied with Moses’ answer. What he really wanted to know was why in the world wasn’t Moses delegating this gigantic responsibility! Jethro warned Moses that what he was doing was “not good“ and said, “You’re going to wear yourself out — and the people too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. …Select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you.  If you follow this advice…then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.” (Exodus 18:18,19,21-23 NLT). Obviously, Jethro cared deeply about his son-in-law‘s well being and the future of his daughter and grandsons.

 

Although Moses didn’t ask for Jethro’s opinion, he listened to his advice and followed his suggestions. This speaks highly of their long-standing relationship. They could be transparent with each other and speak the truth in love. Sometimes a spiritual loved one can see unhealthy patterns and methods that the individual can’t see. Like Moses, we would do well to listen and consider wise advice. No one wants to see a loved one break down or burn out — especially when it’s preventable.

 

Jethro asked Moses two questions that we should ask ourselves periodically: What am I doing? Why am I doing it? When we get used to doing something the same way over and over, we’re not apt to consider if there’s a better way to handle it. We’ve heard the term, “Work smarter, not harder.”

 

The Key: Unsolicited advice is not always bad. It could even save your life.

How Little is Enough? By Patty LaRoche

Do you remember when “one” was enough?  When razors had only one blade, a single bathroom met a family’s needs, and one, shared car got us where we needed to go?  If we misplaced our eye- glasses or hair clips or pens and pencils, too bad.

Televisions entertained us with three stations. A handful of singing groups dominated radio stations, and we could name the dozen, famous movie stars by sight.  Closets held very few items of clothing, and we had two pair of shoes: one for school and one for church.  There were slim pickings for restaurants, and French was the only salad dressing available.  Simple was the only thing we knew.

No more.

Now, it’s all about amassing.  Bigger and better. Onward and upward.  More and more and more and more and more.

A while back, Dave and I were invited to a couples’ home for the evening. They are fun, caring, adventurous and love the Lord.   I was given a tour of their magnificent house and was astounded at the number of massive rooms devoted to “stuff.”  The wife said that she never could downsize because she wouldn’t know where to start to get rid of things that mean so much to her.  When her husband spoke of the dozen Christmas trees they put up each year, his wife claimed there weren’t “quite” that many.

On our way home, Dave, freshly inspired to declutter our lake cottage, commented on how we should start with our kitchen.  So, while he played pickleball this morning, I tackled the cabinet that holds our water bottles.  Check it out to the left.  This is the stash I removed from one cabinet…just in case, I guess, the water bottle fairy comes knocking and we, having the most in the universe, win a million dollars.

Removing the unnecessary ones was easy.  They were Dave’s.  I placed them in the “giveaway” pile.  Dave put them back and removed my “Grandma” one and my “Thanks for coming to my wedding” one and my “Apparently we’re trouble when we’re together…who knew?” one.  This was not going well.

In the end, we compromised.  Dave gave in, and so did I (somewhat).

Luke 12:15 tells us that Jesus spoke to his listeners, addressing how we hold on to our possessions: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”         

“More is better” seems to be the mantra for our country.  One more drink.  One more donut.  One more snort.  One more lost pound.  One more dollar.  One more eyelift.  One more trophy. One more hour on our phone. One more accolade.                                                           

Readers, take Jesus’ words to heart.  It’s not about how much.  In the end, maybe it’s about how little.

Letter to the Editor: Rick Mayhew

 

 

I recently purchased a financial education package to donate to a school.  It contains all the materials the school and instructor will need.

 

I offered it to both the Fort Scott college and high school but had no response.  My take is that the students of Fort Scott are receiving this kind of financial education and the program I offered is not needed.

 

Having financially literate students will be a big plus for the future of the community.

 

Rick Mayhew

Letter to the Editor: Lakyn Rucker

 

The bulletin board in Mrs. Rucker’s first-grade class. Submitted photo.

The Hearts Around the World project was brought to my attention by an amazing friend of mine.

I made the flyer and sent it out on Facebook.

People have shared said flyer more than 200 times
and then they shared it and it just exploded!

In a short amount of time, we started receiving
an abundant amount of cards and even gifts!

We ended up receiving cards from 48 states with Missouri being the most. Texas was the second runner-up. We even received postcards and letters from Italy, Canada, Bolivia, Australia, Ireland, Europe, and Puerto Rico!

The first-grade class was overjoyed with love and happiness. The excitement they experienced was unbelievable! There were even a few tears shed by a few of my students.

I would personally like to thank everyone who shared the flyer, or sent a letter, gift, or postcard.

You all were a huge part in making this project such a huge success.

 

From:

Mrs. Lakyn Rucker

West Bourbon Elementary School Teacher

Don’t Be Shy or Scared by Carolyn Tucker

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

When I know loved ones are coming to my home, I will often leave the front door ajar. This lets them know I’m expecting them and they can just walk right in. It’s important to me that they feel welcome, loved, valuable, and comfortable. I want our time together to be a warm-and-fuzzy memory the next day. If anyone needs something, it pleases me when they’re comfortable enough to either ask for it or simply get it themselves. My loved ones know they have open access to the snack cabinet and refrigerator. I encourage everyone to have an unreserved approach in my home.

 

Scriptures prove that God feels the same way about His children. Although God is to be revered, I deeply appreciate that He lovingly welcomes us into His throne room. He wants us to be unrestricted in our worship and prayers. “Because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear)” (Ephesians 3:12 AMP). God is ready, willing, and able to act on our behalf if we will only ask Him in confidence and faith.

 

I was reminded of the stressful fear Queen Esther surely experienced as she approached her husband/king on his throne. Prior to her entrance, she sent this message to her Cousin Mordecai: “All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter” (Esther 4:11 NLT). Even though Esther was the Jewish Queen of the Persian Empire, she did not have free access to her own husband. This strict law was actually frightening for king’s wives because there was absolutely no exception to this law. The wife could not enter the inner court whenever she pleased without first being invited by the king.

 

Esther sent another message to Mordecai: “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die” (Esther 4:16 NLT). At the risk of dying, Esther approached the king’s throne shrouded in fear from head to toe. For this was the same King Xerxes who furiously deposed his first wife Queen Vashti when she refused the royal summons to appear before the king, rulers, and nobles at a royal feast. (In a few days, we see that united prayer and fasting brought favor, not death, for Queen Esther because the king held out his scepter.)

 

God made a perfect way for us to come to Him through Jesus. “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him“ (Hebrews 10:19,22 NLT). We are welcome to come right into the very presence of a Holy God without fear. “I have courage in God’s presence, because I am sure that He hears me if I ask Him for anything that is according to His will” (1 John 5:14 GNT).

 

God loves us and He doesn’t want us to be scared to approach Him in Jesus’ name. “I fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that I may receive mercy [for my failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when I need it]” (Hebrews 4:16 AMP).

The Key: Fearlessly, we can walk right in, sit right down, and take a load off.

Lost Your Temper? Good! by Patty LaRoche

Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

“Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.” Benjamin Franklin

When my friend’s daughter, Erin, was three years old, she threw a temper tantrum in a California mall.  While the embarrassed mother begged her to stop, a well-dressed woman walked up to my friend and whispered, “Play along.”  She approached the toddler and said, “Little girl, you come home with me.  Tell your Mommy good-bye.  Let’s go.”  You can guess what happened next.  Erin stopped crying, jumped up and ran into her mother’s arms.

Since the beginning of time, tempers have flared.  From Genesis to Revelation, there are stories of those who could not contain their anger. Let me rephrase that.  They “could” have; they “chose” not to. This behavior plays out in every arena, from wars to sporting events to political debates to the workplace to freeways to abusive homes to churches.  At the root of it?  Selfishness.  My way or my way.  Choose anything else, and you will pay.

On Instagram last week, I posted something I read on line: “Losing your temper is no way of getting rid of it.”  My daughter-in-law, Jenn, and her husband, Adam, recently celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary.  She told me that Adam never had raised his voice at her. Dave and I tried to recall a time when Adam had lost his temper.  We couldn’t. (Like mother, like son.)   I wish!                                                                                                                                     Ephesians 4:31 brings us Paul’s writing about how to deal with anger:  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  No exceptions.  No matter how much your therapist advises you to “get it all out.”  No matter the injustice done to you.  No matter how much better you feel afterwards.  We are to “put away” those temptations, not in a drawer where we can pull them out whenever something provokes us or reminds us of how we were treated, but locked up and buried.

When our son Andy was nine years old and was catching in a Little League game in Texas, the batter hit a home run.  As he crossed the plate, Andy stuck out his foot and tripped the runner. He face-planted in the dirt.  Had Andy’s coach not gotten to my son first, I was prepared to jump the fence and do the disciplinary deed.  Coach took him by the back of his neck and marched him over to the opposing team’s dugout and made him apologize.

Where did that behavior come from?  Neither Dave nor I had instilled in our kids the “win at all cost” attitude. In F.B. Meyer’s sermon “Tempers, and What to Do with Them,” he addresses five kinds of tempers: “The hot temper, which flashes out with the least provocation. The sullen temper, which is a great deal worse to deal with, because it takes so long to come round. The jealous temper, which, in trying to keep all for itself, loses all. The suspicious temper, which is always imputing the worst motives. The malicious temper, which loves to instill the drop of poison, or make the almost imperceptible stab with its stiletto.”  Do any of those describe you?

The good news is that we Christians can muffle our anger. If we immediately recognize it as sin and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us control it, we have at our disposal help from the Prince of Peace who offers us victory over our sin.

All we have to do is ask.

 

Be Kind, Rewind by Carolyn Tucker

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

 

 

Years ago, it was considered a common courtesy to rewind the rented VHS movies before  returning them. And to remind us of this act of kindness, a label was placed on the cassette that read, “Be Kind, Rewind.“ It’s pretty much the same principle as returning the shopping cart to the proper spot. I was with my mother-in-law once when she returned her cart to the outdoor stall in the parking lot. Not only did she return the cart, she straightened out several others that were in disarray inside the stall. Her act of kindness made an impression on me. I will occasionally straighten them out too and I think of her.

 

My sister-in-law gave me a decorative sign that reads: Do the kindest things in the kindest way. It hangs close to another sign: “Do small things with great love.” Kindness is a priceless attribute that’s often ignored. There’s a New Testament scripture that always reminds me of my sweet mother: “Make yourselves beautiful on the inside, in your hearts, with the enduring quality of a gentle, peaceful spirit. This type of beauty is very precious in God’s eyes” (1 Peter 3:4 CEB.) Mom had dark sparkling eyes, an exuberant laugh, and a kind spirit that was a blessing to those who knew her.

 

Living like Jesus is living as kind people. Believers are to practice kindness every day. “Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other, in the same way God forgave you in Christ” (Ephesians 4:32 CEB.) Part of being kind is not holding a grudge by being quick to forgive. When we practice forgiving, we‘re practicing kindness and the beneficial result is personal peace.

 

“Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12 NLT.) Christ followers should have a desire to treat people with a sense of importance and respect. Encouraging one another with words of affirmation should be a daily goal for us. When we put others before ourselves we show them they are acknowledged, loved,  and valued. Giving kindness is like water to a plant, catnip to a kitten, or a bone to a dog.

 

The ability to listen is nearly nonexistent in today’s culture. However, really listening is an excellent example of kindness. A kind person doesn’t butt in to make themselves the topic of the conversation. Plus they’ll ask comfortable questions and turn their attention to the other individual. When we’re engaged in listening, sometimes the individual isn’t seeking a solution, but rather a kind person with whom to share their concerns. Wherever there are people, there are opportunities for kindness.

 

Here’s a great scripture if ever there was one: “…You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (James 1:19 NLT.) My favorite movie star, John Wayne, must have read his Bible because he’s been quoted as saying: “Talk low, talk slow, and don’t say too much.” It’s been said that because we were created with two ears and one mouth, we should listen twice as much as we talk.

 

When someone has a heartache, we’re being kind and wise when we empathize. “When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness” (Proverbs 31:26 NLT.)  Let’s be like Jesus and show more kindness to all who cross our path.

 

The Key: The positive effects of kindness are eternal.

Should We Be Alarmed? by Patty LaRoche

Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

Dave and I have two new houseguests.  In the beginning, I enjoyed their company, but recently I’ve become annoyed with them. Hubby finds them kind and cooperative.  Probably because his wish is their command. He makes a request, and they speedily comply. He’s loving it and appears overly grateful and mannerly when these womenfolk respond.

“Siri, please set my alarm for 6:30”

“Okay.  Your alarm is set.”

“Thank you.”  (Dave seriously thanks her.  He thanks a robot, and it responds with “You’re welcome” or “My pleasure.”)

The other night, when he asked her to set his alarm, he altered his request.

“Thank you, Sweetie,” he said, thinking himself funny.

She did not answer.  Dave waited, staring at his cellphone.

“Dave,” I said, “You ticked her off when you called her ‘Sweetie.’  You crossed a line.”

“I did not.  She appreciated me being nice to her.”

This scenario was repeated the following night.  Still no “Thank you” from Siri.

“Told you,” I said.

When Hubby tried it with Alexa, she, too, failed to appreciate his term of endearment.

“You haven’t earned the right to call her “Sweetie,” and you don’t live in the South where everyone calls everyone “Sugar,” “Honey,” or “Sweetie.”

When I realized I was lecturing him on how to talk to a robot, I knew that we both were in mid-stages of brain decline.

Dave decided to trick Alexa to determine if she really was listening to our conversations, whispering to me ahead of time what he was doing before saying loudly, “Patty, I think we should buy a new vacuum,” pointing his face towards our new friend. Within minutes, Dave’s iPad lit up with ads for vacuums.

Personally, I found that alarming.

We are entering a world where AI (Artificial Intelligence) is causing us to question where we are headed.  We appreciate that it directs our driving routes, screens job applicants and has tremendous potential in medicine and science, but we must ask where it all ends.

Today, I asked Alexa if we humans are special among other living things.  She said that we were because we can think and be creative. I was glad she didn’t lump us in with vegetables and animals.

In Linda Kinstler’s article “Can Silicon Valley Find God,” she wrote about Rob Barrett, a researcher at IBM in the ’90s.

One day, he was outlining the default privacy settings for an early web browser feature. His boss, he said, gave him only one instruction: “Do the right thing.” It was up to Mr. Barrett to decide what the “right thing” was. That was when it dawned on him: “I don’t know enough theology to be a good engineer,” he told his boss. He requested a leave of absence so he could study the Old Testament, and eventually he left the industry.

Recently, I read that AI writes sermons and that there is an AI Jesus app where the app speaks to you as if it’s Jesus talking to you.  “What is going to be created will effectively be a god,” engineer Andrew Levandowski forewarned and continued, “It’s not a god in the sense that it makes lightning or causes hurricanes. But if there is something a billion times smarter than the smartest human, what else are you going to call it?”

Certainly, not God, Mr. Levandowski.

My God is eternal, omnipresent and omniscient.  He created the person who programs the AI system, and He not only offers us eternity, He delivered it by sending His son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, something AI can only imagine doing.

He is the only god I will call “God.”  I am concerned for those who do otherwise.