This Blog Touches My Heart In So Many Ways

THIS BLOG TOUCHES MY HEART IN SO MANY WAYS  ~  Today, Feb 17, 2025, is my brother, Bob's, 91 birthday, which he is celebrating in heaven with our mom and so many, many other loved ones today. 

As a child growing up in the Shoals of Alabama I virtually had three moms ~ my mom, my Aunt Nina, and my Aunt Ola.  In 1993, living in Orange County, California, I knew that Aunt Ola was in the hospital in Alabama, but did not realize it was serious. 

One day I was at work and I had a strong feeling that I wanted to call Aunt Ola in the hospital.  My cousin, Bobbie Byrd, answered the phone and told Aunt Ola, "Billy Joe is on the phone.  Do you feel like talking?"  She answered, "No, just tell him that I love him."  An hour later she passed away.  My mom joined her in heaven in 1994.  Aunt Nina had preceded them in 1973.

Watching the video below touches special compartments of my heart reserved for them and other very special ladies - for I find myself in the Winter of Life, a time when I keep losing so many parts of my heart, so many friends, loved ones, and very special ladies who, each, own a piece of my heart - and are gone, for now. 

In the winter of 1955 I was in the Air Force Tech School at Lowry AFB, Denver.  During that time I met two very special women - Jacquie Lynn Dodge and Betty Martinez.  I married Betty, but never forgot Jacquie and our moments together.

In 1965, there was Pat Goodwin, an amazing woman I met while working at Boeing in Seattle for six months, then she followed me to Los Angeles where we had a very special three years relationship.  Later in the 1960s, there was Judy Seale with whom I shared many life experiences, traveling America and experiencing the wild, decadent 1960s decade of America.

Betty passed away in 2001, just a week before 9/11 - Jacquie Lynn in October 2010 - Pat and Judy both in 2024.  Dory and I have been together for 47 years and I daily ask God to give us many more productive years together.  My sister-in-law, aka, my sister, Mary Gray, in Florence, Alabama, is a couple of years older than me and seems to be in very good health.  Thank you, Lord.

About 15 years ago I discovered that I have a half-sister, Imogene Donaldson, who lived in Port Angeles, Washington.  After we discovered one another, we talked often on the phone, but due to my travel limitations, I never had a chance to meet her face-to-face. 

Yet I was amazed at her strong yet loving voice, even though she was a few years older than me.  She seemed to be ten years younger than me.  She was promoted to heaven in 2022 - but we will meet again and this time it will be for eternity.

I have read, and written, about the Winter Season of life - but have never admitted being there.  When anyone inquires about my age and if I am getting to be old, I declare, "When I get old, I will let you know!" 

While I may continue to ignore Father Time, so many of those close to me have not - and each one takes a piece of my heart with them.  There is a consolation to that ~ when I get to heaven it will be easy to find all my loved ones and and special friends - each will be holding a piece of my heart. 

Through the years there have been so many special people and if I try to include even a few sentences about all of them - I would be writing a book instead of a blog.  Yet when we meet again, I will recognize each one, as they will also be holding a piece of my heart.

For some reason this song popped into my head:

"I wish you bluebirds in the spring,

to give your heart a song to sing.
And then a kiss, but more than this,

I wish you love."

Until we meet again, in this world or the next - to all of you, My Friends and Loved Ones, "I wish you enough!"  God bless, Bill

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Bill Gray posted on Feb 17, 2017:

THE VIDEO BELOW DEFINITELY BROUGHT A MAJOR FLASH-BACK FOR ME ~ In February 1994, I was home in Alabama for my mom's funeral. I stayed a week and then had to come home to California.

My Aunt Anne wanted me to visit her before I left - but I ran out of time.  I promised her that I would be coming home again soon and would definitely visit with her then.  She was killed a month later in a car accident.

When Dory, Lana, and I left Alabama to fly home, my brother, Bob, was in good health and I had no doubt that we would be home often to visit.  But life has a way of changing even the best plans.  I was never able to go home again while Bob was still alive. 

We talked often on the phone and I was thrilled by his devout walk with our Lord - but the last time I saw Bob was at the Huntsville airport in 1994.  He was promoted to heaven January 12, 2016.

Yes, I will see him again one day.  I will see him, mom, and the many other loved ones who have gone on before me.  But I miss talking with him today - and I cannot tell you how many times I have reached for the phone to call mom or Bob - then realize that I cannot.

Why am I sharing this with you?  Watch this video and you will understand.  Every time we part - may be the last time.  Did you remember to say, "I love you"?  Three little words - but the most powerful words you can ever say - for they may have to last you a long time.

I Wish You Enough!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-rCB97IWGA

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

Click on the image to enlarge:

 

 

 

Nehemiah 6 Recitation By Chantelle Gibbs - Amazing! ~ 2014, And Today In 2025

Our daughter, Lana, is in a Bible Study Group at Harvest Christian Fellowship and they are studying the book of Nehemiah. 

That brought back a beautiful deja vu memory of our Fil-Am Church of Irvine (FACI) Home Bible Studies - and especially of a young toddler, Chantelle, who was always at our home Bible studies.  Of course she brought her mom, Nimfa, and younger sister, Gabrielle.

When Chantelle was a senior in high school, or maybe just entering Biola, she gave the recitation of Nehemiah 6 in church - and her mom, Nimfa, shared it with us. 

In 2014 I was so inspired by her recitation that I have shared the video a number of times over the years.  And because Lana's Bible study group is in Nehemiah, I am inspired to share it again.  Maybe Lana can share it with friends in her study group.

 

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NEHEMIAH 6 RECITATION BY CHANTELLE GIBBS - AMAZING!
Thu, 17 Jul 2014 16:17:42 -0700
Bill Gray <billdory@pacbell.net>

Back in the 1990s, our church, the Filipino-American Church of Irvine (FACI), had what I still view as the perfect Home Bible Studies.  I call them Family Bible Studies, for no one was excluded. 

In our Friday Night Home Bible Studies, we often had as many as 30, 40, or more people there to study God's Word.  And we had all ages, from toddler, to youth, to young adult, to mom and dad, grandma and grandpa - and all in between.

The kiddies sat on the floor in the middle of the room, we adults sat on sofas and chairs - and Pastor Sam Lacanienta taught us.  Being a kid at heart, sometimes I also sat on the floor.  I will admit that Pastor Sam has always been very adept at keeping the young ones interested, while not boring we who were a wee bit older. 

I have heard folks complaining that having children in the Bible studies with adults is distracting.  Not so, when they are included. 

So, what did we have?  We had youth hearing the Word of God, hearing our discussions, and most often able to be included in the discussions.  True, the toddlers cannot do that, but what they do see is mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, and all their friends sharing love, the love of God, and Christian love for one another.  That image will always stay in their minds. 

And as they grow older, they, too, can join in when we read and discuss God's Word.  In a Family Home Bible Study of God's Word, nothing is wasted - not the love, not the lessons, not the memories.

In that large Bible study group we had in the 1990s, I was blessed to watch the young people grow in knowledge of God's Word.  And I have been blessed to see them put that knowledge into action.  

At least four of our young men from those studies have become Godly pastors leading local fellowships.  All four married young ladies from our Family Bible Study groups - and are raising their own children up to be Godly children.  That is truly paying it forward.

Over the years, I have had the joy of watching all those young children who were in our FACI Bible study group in the 1990s go on to lead positive Christian lives, virtually all of them in some way involved in ministry - from mission trips, to becoming missionaries, to being active in local Christian fellowships, to being pastors and pastors' wives, and so much more.

I have even had the joy of seeing my own granddaughter, Elyssa, who is now a junior at a wonderful Christian college in Santa Barbara, going on several mission trips.

As are told in Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he (she) should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it."

My reason for writing this blog is my memories of a young child, Chantelle, who was in 1990s Family Bible Studies - who is today a perfect example of what I have written.   One of the families in those studies was my Christian sister, Nimfa Veneracion, and her two young daughters, Chantelle (left) and Gabrielle (right). 

The photo below is how they looked during those 1990s Bible studies.  Several years ago, Nimfa posted a video of Chantelle doing a recitation at church.  At that time, Chantelle was still in high school or maybe just entering Biola University.  But, that video totally blew my mind.

In this video, Chantelle is reciting, not reading, but reciting the full chapter of Nehemiah 6.   And, she does it so well that we get the feeling that Nehemiah is actually telling the story himself.   This is an amazing performance and I pray that you enjoy it as much as I always have - every times I have watched it.

Nehemiah 6 @ Celebration - Chantelle Gibbs Recitation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcFt_iXtqq4

My Friends, this family is a perfect example of paying it forward.   And, that is what Jesus Christ has instructed all Christian believers to do in His Great Commission:

Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. . . 

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. . . Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation."

My Friends, there can be no greater example of that Great Commission - than seeing Chantelle Gibbs reciting Scripture is such an exciting and inspiring way.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

Click on the image to enlarge:

 

 

 

Here’s Everything President Trump Did His First Week Back

PRESIDENT TRUMP IS OFF AND RUNNING  ~  Surprising all of us with his youthful vigor!  Just look at his schedule on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, a schedule that would have taxed a 30 year old did not seem to phase him at all. 

He started the day early with church service and then a full day of official events, speaking at multiple venues, normally ending his day after the multiple Inaugural Balls.  But then, as I understand it, President Trump went back to signing more Executive Orders in his heartfelt effort to start Making America Great Again.

This is what he has done for YOU and me during his first week in office:

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Here’s Everything Trump Did His First Week Back
DailyWire - News and Analysis
By  Mairead Elordi - Jan 25, 2025
https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-everything-trump-did-his-first-week-back

From the southern border to the federal bureaucracy, Trump swiftly delivered on a slew of campaign promises!

President Donald Trump Began His Second Term This Week With An Explosion Of Actions - spending his first few days in office going full speed on his agenda and reversing the work of his predecessor.  The dizzying march of executive orders, presidential pardons, firings of Biden appointees, calls with foreign leaders, and visits to disaster zones started immediately after the inauguration on Monday, and the breakneck pace did not let up for the rest of the week.

On day one, Trump signed more than three dozen executive orders: the southern border, gender ideology, American energy, the economy, and other issues.  In a flurry of orders on immigration, his signature issue, Trump took several drastic actions.

* * The President Declared A National Emergency At The Southern Border - deployed thousands of troops there - ordered construction of the border wall - ordered Homeland Security to remove illegal migrants AND go after the drug cartels, which he designated as Terrorists.

* * The Executive Orders Also Blocked All Illegal Entries including asylum seekers and refugees - shut down the CBP One app -  beefed up visa screening - and attempted to end birthright citizenship for the children of non-citizens who are already facing legal challenges.

~ ~ ~ Bill Gray Note:  The CBP One is an app to allow illegals to schedule asylum appointments at a port of entry.  The language of President Trump's action, more specifically, orders officials to cease using the application “as a method of paroling or facilitating the entry of otherwise inadmissible aliens into the United States.”

In his inaugural remarks after taking the oath of office President Trump declared, “All illegal entry will immediately be halted and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.” 

Trump also threatened to prosecute officials and strip funding from sanctuary cities and states that refuse to cooperate with his deportations, which have already begun.  Less than 48 hours after Trump was sworn in, ICE had already arrested more than 460 illegal migrants.

* * Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security reinstated the term “ILLEGAL ALIEN.”

* * One Of Trump’s Biggest Moves Of His First Day - and week - was granting pardons to nearly 1,600 people charged in connection with the January 6 riot at the Capitol.  Most of the defendants received full pardons, while 14 members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, most of whom were convicted of seditious conspiracy, got their sentences commuted. 

* * The Justice Department Was Directed To Dismiss Any Pending Indictments Related To The Riot.

On Thursday, Trump Pardoned 23 Pro-Life Protesters prosecuted by the Biden administration, including a woman in her 70s, and the mother of a two-year-old, both imprisoned.

* * Relatedly, Two More Executive Orders Ban The Weaponization Of The Federal Government against political opponents including censorship of free speech.  And They Direct Investigations Into Past Government Misconduct.

* * Another Day One Order Addresses Gender Ideology - which became a hot button issue during the election.  The Order Officially Recognizes “Sex” As Biological, Only “MALE” OR “FEMALE.”

The Order Reverses Allowing People To Change Their Gender On Passports - bans federal funds from promoting gender ideology - or paying for medical gender transitions for prison inmates, AND protects women and girls from trans-identifying men in women’s prisons, rape shelters, and “intimate spaces.”

* * Trump Also Took An AXE to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) initiatives with several actions.

In One Order He Scrapped ALL Government DEI Programs - and put their staff on leave. Trump also rescinded an executive order from President Lyndon Johnson that mandated Affirmative Action by government contractors.

And in another order he directed the Federal Aviation Administration To Stop DEI hiring practices - noting that it is responsible for the safety of nearly 3 million airline passengers every day.

* * In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Trump posted that his first day in office was not over yet.  He was busy FIRING more than 1,000 presidential appointees from the previous administration, “who are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again.”

Among those who got the boot from presidential advisory councils was retired Army General Mark Milley, who was fired from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council.  Milley has called Trump a Fascist and was granted a preemptive pardon by Biden just hours earlier.

~ ~ ~ Bill Gray Note:   +September 28, 2021 - Senate Intelligence Committee ranking member Marco Rubio called on Biden to fire Milley, stating that Milley had undermined "the sitting commander in chief" and "contemplated a treasonous leak of classified information to the Chinese Communist Party in advance of a potential armed conflict with the People's Republic of China."  Many Republicans accused Milley of treason and called for his resignation, firing, or court-martial.

“YOU’RE FIRED!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

* * Meanwhile, Trump’s State Department issued guidance that U.S. embassies should fly ONLY the American flag and not activist flags like the Pride and Black Lives Matter flags, both of which flew over government buildings under Biden.

In another spate of executive orders, Trump took action on energy.

* * He Declared A National Energy Emergency - withdrew from the Paris climate agreement, revoking any related financial commitments - directed the deregulation of domestic energy production, especially in Alaska - paused all new federal leasing and permitting for wind farms - eliminated the Electric Vehicle Mandate - and announced plans to get rid of regulations on products like light bulbs, water heaters, and washing machines.

* * On The Economy, one order aims to deliver emergency price relief to Americans by having executive agencies work to lower the costs of housing and healthcare - eliminate harmful climate policies - and create jobs, “drawing discouraged workers into the labor force.” 

* * Another order pauses assistance to foreign countries for 90 days as they are reviewed. 

* * The president also directed the Secretary of State to issue guidance on putting America First.

* * He issued an “America First” trade policy that includes exploring an "External Revenue Service" (as opposed to the Internal Revenue Service) to collect revenue related to foreign trade. 

~ ~ ~ Bill Gray Note: Funding America through foreign tariffs instead of taxing American citizens into poverty.

* * Several other Executive Orders took aim at the Federal Bureaucracy and directed a regulatory freeze - a federal hiring freeze with exceptions for areas like the military - and required federal employees to return to in-person work. 

* * More orders establish the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) - encourage federal hiring based on merit (instead of DEI) - and aim to restore accountability to federal workers who can influence policy.

In one fell swoop, Trump also revoked nearly 100 of former President Joe Biden’s executive actions on day one.

The Biden Actions Involved:  Advancing “racial equity” - preventing discrimination over “gender identity” - ensuring an “equitable” pandemic response - “restoring science” to tackle the “climate crisis” - immigration enforcement - “clean energy” - “accountable policing” - establishing an “African diaspora” council - withdrawing parts of the U.S. from oil or gas leasing - along with dozens more moves.

* * Trump also withdrew from the World Health Organization, citing its “mishandling” of the pandemic.  He called the move a “big one.”

* * In a hotly-anticipated move, the president suspended the TikTok ban and expressed hopes to strike a deal with TikTok’s parent company.

Trump also made several Anti-Abortion moves during his first few days in office.

* * He joined every Republican president since Ronald Reagan in restoring the Mexico City Rule - Which Prohibits Federal Funding to any overseas nongovernmental organization that performs or promotes abortions. 

* * He also restored the Hyde Amendment, which prevents taxpayers from being forced to pay for most abortions.

On Friday, Trump addressed the annual "March for Life" in a video message in which he praised their aim to “protect every child as a beautiful gift from the hand of our Creator.”  Vice President JD Vance addressed the march in person, his first speech as vice president.

* * The new administration also made a statement “strongly” supporting the "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" which passed the House, but was blocked in the Senate this week - and he shut down the Biden administration’s Pro-Abortion Government website.

On Thursday, Trump spoke virtually to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and accused the CEO of Bank of America (and the CEO of JPMorgan Chase) to his face of debanking Conservatives, saying, “What you’re doing is wrong.”

~ ~ ~ Bill Gray Note:   De-banking, more commonly spelled debanking, also known within the banking industry as de-risking, is the closure of people's or organizations' bank accounts by banks that perceive the account holders to pose a financial, legal, regulatory, or reputational risk to the bank - such as the enforcement of anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws, the closing of bank accounts of sex workers, and people considered to be politically exposed persons (aka wrong political party?). The closure of accounts is generally performed without giving a reason and without the prospect of appeal. Wikipedia

He spoke with several foreign leaders, including a “fiery” call with the Danish prime minister about national security concerns around Greenland - a call with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on illegal immigration - and a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who said he wants to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years.

* * The administration said it has already secured a total of over $1 Trillion in new investments in the country (America).

* * The president also re-designated Yemen’s Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization.

* * Trump also signed an order aimed at “Putting People Over Fish” in California - ordering federal agencies to work on routing more water from Northern California to the Southern California areas damaged by wildfires - and to stop prioritizing the Delta Smelt fish.

* * Trump declassified files related to the John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assassinations - a move praised by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

* * On Technology Innovation, Trump issued an executive order aimed at eliminating Biden policies “harmful” to America’s global Artificial Intelligence (AI) dominance.  He also set up special groups to focus on Science and Technology as well as Cryptocurrency regulation.

* * Trump also revoked the taxpayer-funded Security Details of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - his former National Security Adviser, John Bolton - and Anthony Fauci, who was the face of Trump’s White House pandemic task force.

* * Another order Revokes The Security Clearances Of The 51 Former Intelligence Officials - who signed a letter discrediting the Hunter Biden laptop story.

* * He also pardoned two Washington, D.C. Police Officers convicted in the death of a black man during a police car chase in 2020.

* * He directed the Attorney General "To Seek The Death Penalty" for federal crimes involving either the murder of Law Enforcement (Officers) - or an ILLEGAL migrant (who was) committing a capital crime.

* * Trump also directed the Secretary of the Interior to officially rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” and restored the name “Mount McKinley” to the country’s highest peak after the Obama administration changed it to a Native Alaskan name in 2015.

* * Other orders addressed smaller issues including withdrawing Biden’s menthol cigarette ban - getting rid of the Biden administration’s White House security clearance backlog - recognizing North Carolina’s Lumbee Tribe - and promoting beautiful civic architecture.

On Friday, Trump turned his attention to disaster zones, flying to North Carolina to view hurricane damage and then to California to survey wildfire destruction.  He is set to hold a rally in Nevada on Saturday, saying he wants to “thank” Nevada voters for supporting him.

Meanwhile, Trump’s Cabinet confirmations are working their way through the Senate. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the first to be confirmed on Tuesday, and Pete Hegseth was confirmed as Defense Secretary late Friday evening, with Vance casting the tie breaking vote.

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Folks, since this is only President Trump's first week in office, just imagine what he will do to Make America Great Again in the next four years.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

Click on the image to enlarge:

 

Let Me Introduce You To Your New MAGA Team!

LET ME INTRODUCE YOU!  ~  Just in case you have been hiding under a rock for the past month, let me introduce you to your new MAGA TEAM!  And I have no doubt whatsoever that they will indeed Make America Great Again.  Yes, America Is Back in business - and your team has hit the road running.

So lets pause a moment and have a brief review of the team which will be helping President Trump Make America Great Again.

THE 2025 ADMINISTRATION AND CABINET

Established in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, the Cabinet’s role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member’s respective office. Meet President Trump’s Cabinet Nominees Administrator of the

Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin  ~  Lee Zeldin is a former United States Congressman who represented New York’s First Congressional District from 2015 to 2023. Today, he continues his service as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, marking over two decades in the military. In 2010, Zeldin was elected to the New York State Senate, where he served until 2014, when he won a seat in Congress. 

Administrator of the Small Business Administration, Kelly Loeffler  ~  Kelly Loeffler is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and former U.S. Senator from Georgia who dedicates her life to growing businesses and advancing economic opportunity for all. Kelly served in the U.S. Senate in 2020, where she brought her private-sector experience to Washington.

Attorney General, Pam Bondi ~  Pam Bondi spent 18 years as a prosecutor, trying cases ranging from domestic violence to capital murder.  In 2010, she ran for Florida Attorney General, becoming the 37th and first female Attorney General in Florida’s history, serving for two consecutive terms from 2011-2019.  In 2019, Attorney General Bondi joined the White House as Special Advisor to President Trump in the Office of White House Counsel, working on the defense legal team throughout the unprecedented Impeachment Proceedings.

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Ratcliffe  ~  John Ratcliffe previously served as the Director of National Intelligence from May 2020 until January 2021, making him the first person to ever serve as both Director of the CIA and Director of National Intelligence.

Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard  ~  Lieutenant Colonel Tulsi Gabbard’s life is defined by her unwavering commitment to service and her love of country. From her earliest days in public office to her extensive military career, she has dedicated her life in service to protect the safety, security and freedom of the American people and our nation.

In the United States Congress she served on the Armed Services, Homeland Security, and Foreign Affairs Committees in Congress. A combat veteran with three deployments to the Middle East and Africa as part of a special operations mission to counter terrorism, LTC Gabbard has served in uniform since 2003.

Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought  ~  Russell Vought has been nominated to serve as the 44nd Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to serving in the Trump Administration, Russ spent 20 years working in Congress and with grassroots and public policy organizations.

Most recently, he was the President of the Center for Renewing America. He worked for seven years as Vice President of Heritage Action for America. Prior to that, he worked on Capitol Hill, serving as the Policy Director for the House Republican Conference, as the Executive Director of the Republican Study Committee, and as a legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Phil Gramm.

Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins  ~  Brooke Leslie Rollins proudly served as a Texas State FFA Officer and worked for the National FFA Organization. Rollins most recently served as the Founder, President and CEO of the America First Policy Institute.

Prior to that, she was Director of the Domestic Policy Council and Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives in the last White House under President Donald Trump. In these roles, she helped lead the transformational domestic policy agenda of the Trump Administration, enacting the President’s vision and leading to historic achievements for the American people.

Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick  ~  Howard W. Lutnick is nominated to serve as the 41st United States Secretary of Commerce.  During President Trump’s 2024 election campaign, he was the Co-Chair of the Trump-Vance Transition Team. 

Before entering public service, Mr. Lutnick was a prominent figure on Wall Street for over three decades, simultaneously serving as Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. and BGC Group, as well as Executive Chairman of Newmark. He joined Cantor Fitzgerald in 1983 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming President and CEO at just 29 years old.

Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth  ~  An Army combat veteran and advocate for America’s veterans, Hegseth was commissioned an infantry officer into the U.S. Army National Guard upon graduation from the ROTC program at Princeton University in 2003. His deployments include Guantanamo Bay, where he served as an infantry platoon leader; Iraq, where he served as an infantry platoon leader in Baghdad and Samarra with the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division; and Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard as part of a NATO Training Mission.

Hegseth also served in multiple staff positions in state National Guard units. Hegseth’s military honors include the Army Commendation Medal and Expert Infantryman’s Badge (EIB) for his time in Cuba; the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge (CIB), and a second Army Commendation Medal for his time in Iraq; and a second Bronze Star Medal and a Joint Commendation Medal for his time in Afghanistan.

Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon  ~  Linda McMahon most recently served as Chair of the Board and Chair of the Center for the American Worker at the America First Policy Institute. McMahon served in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet as Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright  ~  Chris Wright is the founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Liberty Energy (NYSE: LBRT). Chris completed an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at MIT and did graduate work in Electrical Engineering at UC Berkeley and MIT. He founded Pinnacle Technologies and served as CEO from 1992 to 2006. Pinnacle created the hydraulic fracture mapping industry and its innovations helped launch commercial shale gas production in the late 1990s.

Chris was Chairman of Stroud Energy, an early shale gas producer.  Chris founded and served as Executive Chairman of Liberty Resources and Liberty Midstream Solutions. In addition to his role at Liberty, he sits on the Board of Directors for Urban Solutions Group, OKLO Inc. (NYSE: Oklo), and EMX Royalty Corp. (NYSE: EMX). Chris also serves on the board of numerous nonprofit organizations, including ACE Scholarships, and as a founding board member of the Bettering Human Lives Foundation.

Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy, Jr.  ~  Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s career of public service began in 1985 as an attorney for the environmental nonprofit RiverKeeper. He eventually became one of the most influential environmentalists in the United States, receiving TIME Magazine’s “Hero of the Planet” and the Sartisky Peace Award.  

The son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, Bobby Jr. was a lifelong Democrat but became increasingly estranged from the party in the 2010s as it drifted away from its traditional values. He made his final break on October 9, 2023, when he announced his candidacy as an independent for President of the United States. Bobby has spent nearly 40 years fighting corrupt corporations and government agencies. During his tenure at RiverKeeper, he successfully sued dozens of municipalities to force compliance with the Clean Water Act.

He won cases against corporate giants too, including a suit against General Electric for toxic runoff from its corporate jet hangar and a court order against ExxonMobil mandating they clean up tens of millions of gallons of spilled oil in Brooklyn, NY.  Bobby co-founded the WaterKeeper Alliance and served as its President for 21 years. Under his direction, it became the world’s largest nonprofit devoted to clean water and now protects 2.7 million miles of waterways with over a million volunteers in the United States and 46 other countries.

Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem  ~  Governor Kristi Noem, in 2010 after serving in the South Dakota legislature for several years, Noem was elected to serve as South Dakota’s member of the U.S. House of Representatives.  During her time in Congress, in addition to many other successes, Governor Noem helped pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which put $2,400 back in the pockets of the average South Dakota family. 

In 2018, with the platform of protecting South Dakotans against tax increases, government growth, federal intrusion, and government secrecy, she was elected as South Dakota’s first-ever female Governor. In 2022, Governor Noem was re-elected with the largest vote total in the history of South Dakota.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Scott Turner  ~   As Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, Scott Turner led more than 200 policy actions to revitalize economically distressed communities. Turner served as Founder and CEO of the Community Engagement & Opportunity Council (CEOC), dedicated to revitalizing communities through mentorship, sports, and economic opportunity.  Turner served as a Texas State Representative for the 33rd District from 2013 to2017.

Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum  ~  Doug Burgum, in 1983 founded software startup named Great Plains. Doug led Great Plains through a successful IPO and grew the company to over 2,000 employees before its acquisition by Microsoft. 

Burgum remained with Microsoft for six years as the Senior Vice President of Business Solutions. Doug later co-founded Arthur Ventures and served as chairman for international software companies including Atlassian, SuccessFactors, and as a board member for Avalara.

In 2016, Burgum was elected to serve as North Dakota’s 33rd Governor. In 2020, he was re-elected in a landslide. As a testament to Burgum’s leadership, Forbes named him “America’s Best Entrepreneurial Governor.” During his tenure, North Dakota experienced the highest growth in real GDP and had the lowest unemployment rate in the country.

Secretary of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer  ~  Lori Chavez-DeRemer, in 2022, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, making history as the first Republican woman and one of the first Latinas elected to Congress from Oregon. She served on the Agriculture, Education and Workforce, and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees, championing practical solutions and securing critical investments for her constituents.

Secretary of State, Marco Rubio ~  Marco Rubio is the son of two hardworking immigrants from Cuba.  Born in Miami, Rubio was drawn to public service in large part because of his grandfather, who saw his homeland destroyed by communism. During his 14 years in the U.S. Senate, Rubio fought to protect the freedoms and opportunities that made America the greatest country in the history of the world.

Rubio also traveled to dozens of countries, met with countless foreign leaders, and saw firsthand how America’s enemies are weakening our nation. As America’s 72nd U.S. Secretary of State, Rubio will ensure U.S. foreign policy makes America stronger, safer, and more prosperous.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins  ~  An Air Force Reserve colonel, chaplain, and Iraq War veteran with more than 20 years of military experience, Doug Collins knows the complex issues facing veterans across the country.  As a congressman and attorney, Collins has a deep understanding of the federal government and the policy expertise to solve complex problems, cut through red tape, and get things done for those who have worn the uniform.

Over eight years in Congress, Collins helped scores of veterans solve their Department of Veterans Affairs problems, and he will put that expertise to work making VA more user-friendly, so veterans won’t need outside help to navigate the department’s bureaucracy.

Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy  ~  Sean Duffy served as Congressman from Wisconsin’s 7th District in the US Congress for ten years, serving on the House Financial Services Committee and actively leading on local transportation issues via his co-chairmanship of the Great Lakes Task Force.

Prior to serving in Congress, Duffy was the District Attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin, for ten years. There he brought over a hundred cases to trial with an over 90% trial success rate. 

Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent  ~   Scott Bessent served as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Key Square Capital Management, a global macro hedge fund focused on macro investing that he founded in 2015. His career has taken him to more than 60 countries with ongoing interactions with international leaders and central bankers. Bessent was formerly the Chief Investment Officer for Soros Fund Management from 2011 to 2015. 

From 2006 to 2010, Bessent was an adjunct professor at Yale University, where he taught economic history.  He previously founded and served as Chief Investment Officer of his own hedge fund, Bessent Capital, from 2000 to 2005.

United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Elise Stefanik  ~  Ambassador-Designate Elise Stefanik was proudly nominated by President Trump to serve in his Cabinet as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.  Elise Stefanik previously served in top elected House leadership as the highest ranking woman in Congress as House Republican Conference Chair. 

She represented New York’s 21st Congressional District for over a decade in the House of Representatives where she served as a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.  Ms. Stefanik also served on the Committee on Education and the Workforce where she set off a global reckoning in her leadership to combat antisemitism in higher education.

United States Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer  ~  A leading trade expert, Jamieson Greer served in the Trump administration as Chief of Staff to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Ambassador Robert Lighthizer.  During his time, he worked very closely with Ambassador Lighthizer and senior White House officials in executing historic trade agreements — such as the Phase One trade deal with China and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. 

Jamieson participated in every major Administration trade action initiated during his time at USTR.  These actions played a significant role in reshoring American businesses and leveling the playing field for American workers, farmers, manufacturers, and consumers.  Jamieson also served in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps, with a deployment to Iraq.

God bless our New MAGA Team and God bless America, Bill

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Suicide Is Not The Answer, It Is Only Passing The Buck To Others!

This blog may be a wee bit long.  But I have never posted a blog on a more important subject.  If this will help even one person make the right decision, it is time well spent.

Recently my nephew, Brad Gray, raised a two part question on a very sensitive subject, "Why do people commit suicide?" and "How do we help them?"

In my 37 years as a Christian believer I have discovered that the vast majority of pastors and church elders avoid that question like a plague.  And even with those who hear the question, most will dance around it, but never give a direct answer.

I vividly recall almost 20 years ago while listening to Pastor Chuck Smith on the KWVE Christian Radio talk show "Pastors Perspective" - a lady called in and asked him, "What happens to a believer who commits suicide?" 

Pastor Chuck danced around the question - but never gave the lady a direct answer.  Over the years I have heard Pastor Chuck address virtually every issue with a straight answer.  But not that day.  Why is that?  Let's talk about the issue of suicide.

I cannot blame them, for that question is a two edge sword: 

If Pastor Chuck had told her the truth, that the Bible assures us that a believers cannot lose our salvation, even if he commits suicide - the person may take that as permission to take his own life.

On the other hand, if Pastor Chuck had told her that the person committing suicide will be lost and go to hell - he would be lying to her, he would be deceiving her and denying the promises of Jesus Christ in the Bible.  :So what to do?  The easy way is to avoid the question at all costs.  And that is what most spiritual leaders do.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Brad Gray posted on Nov 13, 2024:

Heavy on my heart, so here goes! .  .  .  .   This is a real problem.  Twenty-two (22) Veterans each day surrender to their demons.  And its not just a Vet issue.  May I please get two friends or family members (out of all my Friends) to share this post?  Someone’s life may depend upon it.  #SuicideAwareness - CALL: 988 
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And I respond to Brad's post:

Hi Brad Gray, That is a subject which has been on my heart for many, many years, since I was saved 37 years ago. Not that I feared it for myself, but because it goes to the heart of the Gospel question: "If a person is a true believer and takes his/her own life - do they lose their eternal salvation?"

About 35 years ago I was in a Bible study and a young lady I did not know from our regular group was there. I am not sure if she knew of our study and came alone, or if she came with someone.

But as we were preparing to start our study and still chatting, she asked a question which seemed to weigh heavy on her heart, "If a person commits suicide, is that person lost forever?" The way she asked that question, I had a strong sense that the question was not for herself, but that she had recently lost a friend or loved one to suicide.

One of our college age members told her, "1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us, 'Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?' " And the rest of his comment I cannot remember accurately, but it was something like, "That person was not killing only himself/herself, but was destroying a temple of God, and is lost." Shortly after that the lady left and never came back. I often wondered about her and the burden she obviously shared and wanted help in understanding. And I felt that we as a Christian group - had let her down. Possibly a member of our group reached out to her, maybe the person who brought her - but I do not know what became of the lady. And that was a failure on the shoulders of our Bible study group. That young college student in our church went on to become a pastor in later years - and I have not found a time, or place, to discuss his response to the distraught young lady. I will say that he has become a very good pastor. Over the years I have considered her question. And I have found that is it a question which most pastors and Bible study leaders would rather avoid. Yet in going to the Bible we do find a positive answer. I do understand a pastors' hesitance to give an answer. If he tells the person, "Yes, that person is lost" that obviously adds to the burden of the person asking the question.
If he says, "No, the moment a person believes and receives Christ as Lord and Savior, that person has His immutable assurance that he/she will NEVER lose their salvation, but has eternal life." That would be the correct Biblical answer.

But I recognize the burden of the pastor in giving that answer directly. He has to wonder if the person asking the question will take his answer as permission to commit suicide? Or if the person is truly concerned about a friend or loved one. If the former, that is a question which can come back to haunt a pastor. So most avoid it. As a believer for 37 years, I have heard only one man of God who spoke the Biblical truth on that subject, the late Dr. Harold Sala, in one of his 5 Minute Devotionals which he shared on the radio and in person, around the world. Dr. Sala assured people of God's love and promise of eternal life - but also assured people that even when you feel that all is lost - God will still provide a way out of any of your problems - if you will let Him. These Bible verses/passages are God's absolute, immutable promises that a child of God, no matter how big your problem, no matter if a person who has believed attempts to walk away from God like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32) - God is always beside him/her and within, aka, indwelling, that person. And God, like the loving father in Luke 15, will always welcome the wayward son/daughter home:

John 3:14-15, "And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up - so that everyone who believes will HAVE eternal life in Him." John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but HAVE eternal life."
John 6:40, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will HAVE eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” 1 John 5:13, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you HAVE eternal life."

And the following passage is God's promise that NO ONE, not even the believer himself/herself, can snatch a believer from the hands of God:

John 10:27-28, "My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; (28) and I give them ETERNAL LIFE, and they will never perish; and NO ONE will snatch them out of My hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and NO ONE is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."

Over the years I have waited for some pastor to present the subject of suicide in a straightforward Biblical way.  I always had great respect for Pastor Chuck Smith, but that one time I was disappointed in him. 

When he was on the KWVE Christian Radio talk show "Pastors' Perspective" and the lady called in asking if a person who commits suicide is lost.  That is one time I heard Pastor Chuck dance around a question without really giving a Biblical answer.  I understand why he did, but I was still disappointed.

The one man who did not disappoint me was Dr. Harold Sala of Guidelines International.  The following is the answer he gave in a 2016 Guidelines 5-Minute Commentary.  

I share his 5-Minute Commentary in full so that you may see that Dr. Sala was speaking Biblically when he shared that the person will not lose his/her salvation - and yet Dr. Sala shares Biblically that this person will still have to stand face-to-face with God, Jesus Christ, and give answer from his failure to believe in God's healing love:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

WHAT DOES GOD THINK OF SUICIDE?
Dr. Harold Sala, Guidelines International Ministry
Series: Guidelines For Living - Date: June 23, 2016
https://www.guidelines.org/sermons/god-think-suicide/

"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). 

As (a) police chaplain, Dick Johnson is often called to assist families when someone takes his or her life. 

Johnson tells how he was summoned to help following a suicide-homicide.  As he walked into the home where the tragedy had taken place, the body of a young woman lay on a sofa, an unopened Bible on a table only a few inches away.

Johnson said, "What a tragedy!  There the Bible was laying on the table, with all the answers you would ever need."

For the person who takes his life, suicide has become an apparent solution to a situation that he or she believes is absolutely unbearable.  It is the ultimate and final act of despair.  To those who must pick up the pieces of shattered hopes and dreams, that act is a great tragedy.

There is one more viewpoint, however, which must be considered.  How does God view the taking of a life?  That question, obviously, must be considered because the taking of a life brings an individual into direct confrontation with God and a person's eternal destiny.

If there is no God, then that question isn't important.  But if God stands on the other side of the threshold of death, you need to face that question: "How does God view suicide?"

The Bible mentions eight individuals who committed suicide, with Judas being the most notable in the New Testament, and King Saul, who fell on his own sword in disgrace, being the most notable in the Old Testament.

Christianity and Judaism have uniformly condemned suicide, pronouncing it self-murder.  Roman Catholicism historically has viewed suicide as a serious sin which sends a person to hell.  Protestants, however, generally view it as a sin for which a Christian must give account but not one which keeps him or her out of heaven.

But how does God view suicide?  That's the real question.  What I'm about to say is conjecture, but I think that God would meet someone at the door of heaven and say something like this.

"Son, daughter, I wasn't expecting you just yet.  It's not your time.  Remember, I said in My Word, ‘It's appointed once to die,’ and this wasn't your time.  I had planned so much more for you, things for you to do, things to enjoy, things to experience.  I so badly wanted to help you, to show you a way out of your difficulty; but you wouldn't turn to Me, you wouldn't give Me a chance.  You gave up on Me before I could lead you out.  You didn't understand that with Me there is never a situation which is beyond My grasp."

I think God would add, "I'm saddened because of what happened.  I'm also grieved because of the pain your death has caused to your family and friends.  Oh, you didn't know there were so many people who cared, people who would grieve your death?"

"What you did was wrong - there's no justification for it.  The taking of a life, even your own life, is My right, not yours.  But I sent My Son who died for the sins of the world - even for the sins of My children who believed on My Son."

Would God slam the door of His heaven to a believer who takes his or her life?  Personally I don't think so.  There is a better way: trusting God to meet you at the point of your pain and show you (a way) out of your difficulty.  That plan is found in the pages of His Word, the Bible.  Don't leave it laying on the table.  Read it today.  Resource reading: Psalm 34

The excerpt below is from another resource on this subject from Dr. Sala: SUICIDE – THE CRY OF THE DESPERATE Dr. Harold J. Sala - Guidelines International Ministry Series: Guidelines For Living - June 20, 2016 https://www.guidelines.org/sermons/suicide-cry-desperate/

"Dear Dr. Sala,” begins a letter from a very discouraged friend of Guidelines, who neither gave his full name nor an address. Jason tells about a broken home and the heartache he has experienced as his dreams and hopes fell apart. He says, “Many times before I left, I cried to God and begged him to save my marriage. What happened? Where was He? Why didn’t he knock some sense into us?”

He described his ordeal as a long valley through which he was walking and then, thinking about taking his life, asked, “How long are valleys supposed to last? Would you address the subject of suicide?”

For many today like Jason, suicide seems to be the trap door that delivers you from the dark valley of depression and difficulty, but is it really?

Is suicide a problem-solving technique that puts an end to a bad marriage, or to suffering, or loneliness - or is it only the means of inflicting greater suffering on those who are part of the network of our lives – people we often don’t think really care, but who may care, far more than we know? . . . .

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Can I, Bill Gray, understand the desperation of a person who has reached bottom and finds it hard to see an open door or window anywhere? Absolutely! Let me tell you about my times in the valley of darkness which I tread several times, as a believer.

I began my computer career in August 1958, fresh out of the Air Force. Over the next almost 50 years I had great successes, as a Computer Field Engineer, as a Computer Sales/Marketing Engineer, even rising to the position of Director of Sales for a California computer company. But after about 40 years, I began to see the computer industry beginning to change, drastically. In the days of the expensive computers used in business, science, research, etc. - computer companies could afford to send technically qualified Field Engineers and Sales Engineers around the world and all across America selling and repairing those computers. Seemingly overnight I saw the sophisticated computer sales market dying and being replaced by telephone sales people who knew some technical terms and words, working on commission.

One company where I worked briefly, CMS Enhancements, had contracts with Seagate, a large disk drive manufacturer, to take one million dollars a month in new disk drives. Pallets of hard drives came in the front door - and had to be moved out the back door to customers - so that CMS could make room to take in the next month's million dollar in drives. I actually saw them sell pallets of disk drives for less that they paid for them - just to make room to meet their contractual commitment to take the next month's quota. It was crazy. I asked the president, Jim, how his sales people earned commission when the product was sold at a loss.

Commission was based upon a percentage of net profit - with net loss there is no commission. Yet the sales people were pushed to get the product out of the door, regardless of price. And when they did sell for a net profit - it was so small - which meant the sales person's commission was small. I was in a different division of the company. But my division was indirectly supported by the Volume Sales group - and eventually was closed. Even though in a number of companies over the years I had been successful, closing a number of million dollar sales - that world suddenly disappeared and was taken over by the net profit/net loss companies - and I had no place to go. I found periods between jobs beginning to grow longer and longer - at times up to a year of unemployment. During that time I would send out resumes, then follow-up with a phone call, but to no avail. Even though I had researched and found the right persons of authority in those companies - they would not even take my phone calls. Desperation time kept raising its ugly head, but I stayed persistent, even after a year.

Then in one week suddenly I had three companies responding and wanting to talk. I told Dory, "All three companies look good. Regardless of money offered, the first to offer gets me!" And I did find the right company, an Ireland based company with American headquarters in Atlanta - and they wanted to talk with me in person. I packed enough for a two week stay, for I was determined to close this sale - and I flew to Atlanta. I met with several officers of the company, then sat down with the president who happened to be there from Ireland.

I smiled when he asked, "I know in America we are not supposed to ask this question, but how old are you?" I told him, then he broached the question of the starting base pay I had proposed, saying, "We do not pay the sales people here that much." And I told him, "Georgia is not California."

That day I accepted their job offer to be Regional Sales Manager and thanked God for providing this opportunity after such a long dry spell of unemployment. As it turned out, the other two companies which had expressed interest in me - were not in business a year later.

Yes, God did guide my decision making, even though at the time one of those companies was offering more money, but had not made an offer yet. With His guidance, I chose the right company. But, what if in despair I had given up before that window of opportunity opened - and ended my life? Did that thought enter my mind? Yes, but what a waste that would have been, and what a burden for my family. Suicide is not the answer. Yes, you will be in His presence, yet with a few questions you must answer when you stand before Him. Do you really want to meet your Savior with your head hung low? God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day, Bill 

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Have You Experienced This?

HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED THIS? ~ I almost burst into laughter when I saw this cartoon, thinking, "Oh no, art imitating life again!" Not because I am dissing prayer - for that is the time we are speaking directly to God, thanking Him, praising Him, and asking for His continued blessings. So no, I will never speak bad of prayer.

But I have discovered a new kind of prayer. I call it Gen Z Prayer - and it is one of the negatives birthed by the advent of the iPhone generation. Forget going to church holding a Bible, or praying from your local church printed prayer list - no need, they, and many others, are in your iPhone. Forget praying from the heart - no need, a list of hundreds of prayer recipients has been sent to your iPhone by your pastor or prayer meeting leader.

Believe it or not, I experienced this phenomenon as early as 1990 - brought to us via e-mail and the internet. In 1990 I was a relatively new believer (1987) and seeking knowledge and leadership wherever I could find it. Brings to mind an old song "Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places." But besides my home church, the Fil-Am Church of Irvine - I discovered Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa's KWVE K-Wave Christian Radio. There I found Pastor Chuck Smith and many other great Calvary Chapel pastors.

Unfortunately I also found my way onto the CCCM Prayer List (Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa) which lists hundreds of folks to pray for - by name only. Once again I am not dissing prayers for our missionaries - but since I am not familiar with each of them personally, wouldn't a prayer for God to protect, provide for, and encourage "ALL our missionaries" as a group be more effective - for God does know each of them personally, while we do not. Then we could concentrate on praying for the needs of our local brethren, whom we do know.

And I have experienced this Gen Z phenomenon in more recent years. I was attending the combined Bible Study/Prayer Meeting of a local church and right away found that their prayer meeting was a Gen Z iPhone Prayer Meeting.

After a devotional, we would break up into small groups for prayer. I would seek out one particular group, for my blessed, intuitive, dear Friend/Brother, Danny, sensed my discomfort in trying to pray into an iPhone - and allowed me to only do the closing prayer. But still, sitting there listening to people read names (almost like reading from a telephone book, another blessing unknown to most Gen Z brethren) - could lull one into a short nap.

Once again, I am not dissing prayer, for prayer is like having God on your Speed Dial, always there. While I have been comparing the impersonal iPhone prayers to "let's hold hands and pray" type prayer - a beautiful memory came to mind. Circa 2000, Dory and I had gone to an evening service at the Fil-Am Church of South Orange County - and as was usual, Pastor Sam Lacanienta had a short devotional at the rear of the church before the service began.

Dory and I were in that group and when Pastor Sam asked us to choose a prayer partner for prayer - a young boy about 10 years old, Eduardo, asked if he could be my prayer partner and I was thrilled that this young boy would ask an older man to be his prayer partner.

Eduardo and I went to another pew and I offered an initial prayer, then Eduardo began to pray. He prayed for a while and then sat silent for a period of time which I took as time for a closing prayer. When I began, a blessed thing happened - I heard Eduardo saying, "I was not through yet!" And through a big smile, I told him, "Please continue."

Later the week, Dory and I attended a Youth Bible Study at Eduardo's home. Right away I noticed that Eduardo, the youngest in the group, was the one most actively leading the study. Talking with his dad later, I told him, "I believe you have a future pastor in your family."

Yes, all of these thoughts rolled out of my mind when I saw this cartoon. And the thoughts have blessed me.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

Click on the image to enlarge: 

 

 

 

My God Is Real, In My Life, In My Heart, In My Soul - Do You Know Him?

Mary Gray, My Sister-In-Love, Shared The Graphic Below ~  And not only did each of these affirmations resonate with me, I can name specific times when I know each occurred.

1. I Have Felt God's Loving Arms Around Me:  In 2020 Dory and I were helping our pastor hold Bible Studies at the Vintage Terrace Senior Apartments in Corona, California.  A number of the residents there were members of our Fil-Am Church of Corona (now CICF) and that gave us a good base for Bible studies in the apartment complex.

At one Wednesday Morning Bible Study, a gentleman, Frank, showed us black wart-looking growths on his face - and shared that they were confirmed to be cancer.  A couple of days later, I began to notice my comb snagging on something in my right temple sideburn.  When I looked, it was a black growth much like on Frank's face.  I had never noticed that growth before.  Yet here it was, snagging and bleeding when I combed my hair.

I showed it to Dory and we agreed that I should see a doctor right away.  That night as I lay in bed, I placed my finger on the growth and prayed that God would remove it.  Immediately I felt a warm glow wash over me, a peaceful feeling as though God was telling me that my prayer had been heard.  I rolled over and peacefully slept like a baby. 

The next day the growth was a little smaller, the following day a bit smaller yet - and on the fourth day - it was gone completely.  But God left a white discoloration where it had been, maybe to remind me to be thankful?

Atheists and other skeptics on the TimesDaily Religion Forum began to ridicule me when I shared my story, smirking such comments as, "Bill has a magic finger!" -  "Bill has been drinking too much of that Jim Jones cool-aid!" -  and on and on. 

A few years ago I shared this story with a Baptist pastor friend and showed him the white discoloration.  He said nothing, just turned his head and walked away - obviously questioning my sanity.

That is okay, for I realize this was a special moment between God and me - so if folks refuse to believe me, that is not a problem.  For when I see that discoloration, I just smile and thank God.

2.  I Have Heard His Voice: In 1993, my step-father moved my mother from her comfortable home of 50 years in Alabama - same phone number, same address, same neighbors - for 50 years.  Mom had previously, over a couple of years, had several strokes, but had recovered from all and was still able to function well.   But he used the excuse that her several strokes over the past couple of years left her confused. 

He sold her home and moved her to Little Rock, Arkansas, so he could be near his daughter.  I was angry, but said nothing.  A couple of months after moving her to Little Rock and using the money from selling her home to buy a mobile home - he and his daughter put her in a nursing home.  I was furious and it is probably for the best that I was not near him then.

While I was fuming inside, furious, I felt God reminding me, "You prayed for a way to make sure she is saved.  This is your opportunity."   Did the Holy Spirit speak to me audibly?  No, He spoke to my heart - and I heard Him loud and clear. 

For 20 years my step-father had her in the Herbert W. Armstrong cult church.  And even after 20 years she was shocked when I told her that Jesus would forgive any and all sins that a person commits - past, present, and future - even murder, if that person would believe.  Her response, "I didn't know that!"  After 20 years in the cult church, she did not know that Jesus died to forgive ALL our sins.

I called the nursing home in Arkansas and asked if there was a Baptist church in the neighborhood.  I was told there was one next door - and they did Bible studies at the home.  I called the pastor and told him about my mom.  He took her a Bible and got her involved in their Bible study.

A month or so later he and I were talking and he told me, "Bill, I led her in prayer to receive Christ, but I am not sure she understood."  I told him, "I know, pastor, that is why I have not tried over the phone."  So when my mom had a final stroke, was in a coma for several days, and then passed away, I had no confirmation that she was really saved - and that was a burden on my heart.

It was maybe a month after the pastor and I talked that she had a stroke and was in a coma.  I flew to Little Rock and after a few days when she did not wake up,  I went for a walk in the evening - and  as walked I was praying to God, "Lord, I am in a dilemma, I want to be with her if she awakens, but I don't know how long to stay.  Many folks stay in a coma for months or longer - and I have to go home, back to work.  But I do not want to fly home and then be told she passed away while I was traveling.  What am I to do?" 

I walked back to where I was staying - and ten minutes later the nursing home called to tell me she had just passed away.  That was God answering my prayer question.  He knew it was time for her to come home.  We transported her back to our hometown in Alabama on Wednesday - and on Thursday evening we had her Viewing. 

Before the people arrived, I went into the room where she lay to be alone with her.  As I was standing looking at her, I heard a voice as clear as if I were standing and talking to you.  The voice said, "Do not worry, she is with Me now!"

Friends who know me will tell you that I am a very conservative person, both in my personal life and in my Christian faith.  Yet I know, beyond all doubt, that the Holy Spirit spoke to me that evening - audibly.  Why was I so blessed?  Only God knows the answer to that question - but I am so blessed and thankful that He did give me that assurance. 

The next day when my Friend, Pastor Vince Arnaldo, called from California and I shared about that moment with him - his immediate response was, "Bill, that is His Blessed Assurance."  And I had to agree with him.

Later I asked my brother, Bob, if he had heard His voice that night, and he had not.  Never before and never since have I actually heard the Holy Spirit speak to me audibly.  But that night I did - and it was not that I was waiting for it, nor was I expecting such a miracle. 

I went into the room just to share one last quiet moment alone with her.  But we were not alone, He was with us.  That night God gave me a miracle of assurance that i will see my mom again some day.  And for that I am forever grateful to Him.

3. I Have Witnessed His Work In My Life:  I have had an exciting career in the computer industry, almost 50 years.  The first 12 years as a Computer System Field Engineer, most often the go-to guy when the local guy could not fix a problem.  Then I moved into Computer Sales as a Sales Engineer.  In both aspect of my career, I met many amazing people and was involved in many interesting applications of computers.

During those episodes of my career I would travel, meet with clients or prospective clients, to make their computer run again, or to talk face-to-face with them to understand their need and suggest the right computer product to fit that need.

Then one day I began to notice a major change in the computer industry.  Knowledgeable Sales Engineers who could visit clients, sit with the clients, and help solve their problem - became a thing of the past. 

Overnight all sales were done over the phone, often with sales people who knew only ten technical words and was working on straight commission and had to sell a volume of products to make a living.  And for repair forget the Field Engineer going to the client's site to solve a problem - ship it back to the dealer or the factory and wait until it could be fixed or replaced. 

Helping a client solve his problem by sitting down with him was gone forever.  Now it was, "How many can I ship you and how soon do you need them?"   Volume became the key word.

I worked for a while for a company in Orange County, California, which had a contract with disk supplier Seagate.  The company was obligated to take one million dollars a month in Seagate disk drives.  Each month, Seagate shipped them a million dollars of drives stacked on pallets.  It was up to the client company to have room for all those pallets of disk drives.  Basically it was push last month's pallets out the back door - to make room for more pallets coming in the front door - contractually.

The pallets received the month before must be out the door to customers - or the company would have no room for the new pallets.  I saw the company sell pallets of drives for less than cost - just to make room for the incoming million dollar order.  It was crazy. 

I asked the president of the company, "If you are selling products for less than cost, there is no net profit.  Your sales people work for a percentage of net profit.  When the net profit is negative, how are your sales people earning a commission?"  His answer, "Oh, we work something out."  What?  Increase the net loss?

During that period, I sometimes found myself being unemployed for long periods, at times as long as a year.  It was a new world for me.  But Dory and I never lost hope, for we knew that God was working in our lives.  How well I recall one Sunday when Dory and I drove down to Laguna Beach after church just to walk on the beach and relax. 

As we were leaving the beach I stopped to put gas in the car.  I pumped $5 of gas, which at that time was almost a full tank, not today.  After getting gas, all we had left was the change in my pocket.  But Dory and I were not stressed, we just put our faith in God and relaxed.

Sometimes God would provide our needs through our daughter, Lana.  Other times it seemed as though our needs were met - and looking back, we are not sure now where that came from, but we know it was God working in our lives. 

I remember one Sunday we were at our Fil-Am Church of South Orange County where Pastor Freddy Cortez was the senior pastor.  Dory and I had not said anything to anyone about needing money.  But as we were all getting ready to leave church after the service, Pastor Freddy's dad, Fred Sr., shook my hand and left a folded $20 bill in my hand. 

Just an act of goodness and Godness on his part, but it was really appreciated by Dory and me.  I will never forget that blessed handshake.   Thank you and God bless you, Fred Cortez, Sr.

4. NO ONE Will Ever Convince Me That God Is Not Real: I recall once when we lived in Orange County, I was in our family doctor's office waiting to have an x-ray.  Since I was alone in the room, I started looking around and noticed a chart of the wall which showed the muscular structure of the human body - not the organs, not the skeletal structure, not the massive number of nerves.  In other words the chart showed very little of the amazing human body - yet it was full showing only the muscular structure. 

I remember looking at the chart and wondering how any doctor could have that knowledge, and justify not being a Christian, not believing in God the Creator.  The level of complexity found in the human body could not happen by chance, no matter how many millions or billions of years Evolutionists and Old Earth Creationists might attribute to science.

And over the years as I have debated with atheist, agnostics, and vanilla-flavored non-believers - I am more convinced that even the atheist really knows that God is real.  But they deny Him for one reason, they fear they will not be in control of their lives if they turn to God.  When they say God is not real, they are really convincing themselves, more that we who share with them.

The beautiful hymn written by Kenneth Morris in 1944 says it best:  "My God Is Real"

There are some things I may not know,
There are some places I can't go,
But I am sure of this one thing,
My God is real - for I can feel Him in my soul.

I thank my beloved sister, Mary, for sharing this graphic, causing me to look inside, causing me to remember and Thank God for patiently proving His love for me through those long 50 years I was walking with the world before believing - and for reminding me that He has always been with me, even when I was running from Him. 

Like an earthly father, our Heavenly Father never gives up on us while we struggle in this mortal body.  I pray these thoughts and remembrances resonate with you as they have with me.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

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