HISPANIC VALUES

The Latest from Crocker Chronicle

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Current Insights Into The Values Of U.S. Hispanics Posted: 20 Aug 2013 07:05 AM PDT Photo Credit: Bread for the World From Barna:Hispanics: "After significantly influencing the 2012 presidential election, Hispanics captured the attention of the nation’s leaders and media. Now, as the debate over the future of immigration continues, political liberals and conservatives alike may be surprised to learn about the values and priorities of today’s Hispanics in the U.S.  Research from Barna: Hispanics, in partnership with the American Bible Society, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, and OneHope, reveals that the faith and social values of Latinos may be more conservative than many cultural observers realize. As America’s fastest growing demographic segment, Hispanics demonstrate high commitments to the Christian faith and to traditional concepts of family.  In fact, foreign-born Hispanics who currently reside in the U.S. are often more socially, spiritually, and politically conservative than are those Hispanics who are citizens. The implication is that the longer the Hispanic community experiences U.S. cultural norms, the less socially conservative its members become. In the broadest sense, this creates a fascinating paradox for policymakers and politicians: social conservatives stand to gain more allies by pushing for aggressive immigration reform, while liberals who advocate for reform are likely to find fewer allies on social and moral issues among foreign-born Hispanics who are given a path to citizenship.  Given their relationship-driven culture, it is perhaps not surprising that Hispanics in the U.S. place high value on the traditional family. Three-quarters of all Latinos in the U.S. say that the traditional family is the main building block of a healthy community (78%). Seven out of 10 believe it is best for children to be raised by parents who are married to each other (69%). In addition, Latinos remain markedly committed to preserving the traditional family structure. Half say they are “very concerned” about the breakdown of Hispanic families.  When it comes to typically hot-button social issues, homosexuality and abortion, most Hispanics embrace conservative points of view. On the issue of same-sex marriage, considered an important voting issue to many evangelical Christians, two-thirds of Hispanics say marriage should be defined as a relationship between one man and one woman (66%). And the majority of Hispanics in the U.S. (73%) believe that adoption or parenting are better choices than abortion for a woman who is not ready to be a mom." To read the rest of the Barna report please click here.

THE OLD PATHS

This came in as an email so I am passing it on.

THE OLD PATHS 

I liked the old paths,

When moms were at home.
Dads were at work.
Brothers went into the army.
And sisters got married BEFORE having children!

Crime did not pay; Hard work did;
And people knew the difference.

Moms could cook; Dads would work;
Children would behave.
Husbands were loving; Wives were supportive;
And children were polite.

Women wore the jewelry; And Men wore the pants.
Women looked like ladies; Men looked like gentlemen;
And children looked decent.

People loved the truth, And hated a lie.
They came to church to get IN,
Not to get OUT!

Hymns sounded Godly; Sermons sounded helpful;
Rejoicing sounded normal; And crying sounded sincere.

Cursing was wicked; Drugs were for illness.

The flag was honored;  America was beautiful;
And God was welcome!

We read the Bible in public;
Prayed in school;
And preached from house to house.

To be called an American was worth dying for;
To be called an American was worth living for;
To be called a traitor was a shame!

I still like the old paths the best!

PASS IT ON!

 

 

 

FORTY DIFFERENT MAPS

Crocker Chronicle has the most amazing blogs. Here's another great one especially for the high school senior who needs an unusual topic to write about.  Follow the link at the bottom and spend some fun time exploring the world.

Max Fisher of The Washington Post has created a sampling of forty different maps that demonstrate the differences in our world. The maps examine such things as religion, racial tolerance, economic realities, views on sexuality, population and languages spoken. Take a few moments to view the maps here and see the ways that people across the world are similar and which ways we are different.

(HT: Cody Lorance for the link.)

THIS YEAR'S COLLEGE STUDENTS

Photo Credit: Sterling College

Each year at the start of the new school year, Beloit College releases what they call the Mindset List -- a list of important facts and events which influence the worldview and perspective that this year's college freshmen class brings with them.

This year's list, which is made up for the graduating class of 2017, represents those students who were born in 1995.

You can read the complete list here but I've included some entries below that I found particularly interesting:

• As they started to crawl, so did the news across the bottom of the television screen.

• As their parents held them as infants, they may have wondered whether it was the baby or Windows 95 that had them more excited.

• As kids they may well have seen Chicken Run but probably never got chicken pox.

• Having a chat has seldom involved talking.

• Gaga has never been baby talk.

• They could always get rid of their outdated toys on eBay.

• They have known only two presidents.

• Their TV screens keep getting smaller as their parents’ screens grow ever larger.

• PayPal has replaced a pen pal as a best friend on line.

• Rites of passage have more to do with having their own cell phone and Skype accounts than with getting a driver’s license and car.

• A tablet is no longer something you take in the morning.

• Thanks to Megan's Law and Amber Alerts, parents have always had community support in keeping children safe.

• With GPS, they have never needed directions to get someplace, just an address.

• Java has never been just a cup of coffee.

• Olympic fever has always erupted every two years.

• In their first 18 years, they have watched the rise and fall of Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriquez.

• As they slept safely in their cribs, the Oklahoma City bomber and the Unabomber were doing their deadly work.

• There has never been a national maximum speed on U.S. highways.

• Their favorite feature films have always been largely, if not totally, computer generated.

• They have never really needed to go to their friend’s house so they could study together.

• Kevin Bacon has always maintained six degrees of separation in the cinematic universe.

• A Wiki has always been a cooperative web application rather than a shuttle bus in Hawaii.

• Their parents’ car CD player is soooooo ancient and embarrassing.

Found this on Crocker Chronicles. They have known only two presidents! Wow!

$86,400.00

Thought you would appreciate this.

Imagine that you had won the following ***prize*** in a contest:

Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your private account for your use.

However, this prize has rules.
The set of rules would be:

1.  Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away from you.

2.  You may not simply transfer money into some other account.

3.  You may only spend it.

4.  Each morning upon awakening, the bank pens your account with another $86,400.00 for that day.

 

5.  The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say, 'It's over', the game is over!  It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do?
You would buy anything and everything you wanted right?
Not only for yourself, but for all people you love.  Even for people you don't know, because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself, right?
You would try to spend every cent, and use it all, right?
ACTUALLY This GAME is REALITY!

Shocked?????YES
 

Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank.
We just can't seem to see it.
 

The MAGICAL BANK is ***TIME*** !!!

1.  Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life,
2.  And when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us.

3.  What we haven't lived up that day is forever lost.
4.  Yesterday is forever gone.
5.  Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time WITHOUT WARNING....
 SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?
Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars.
Think about that, and always think of this:
Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think.

So take care of yourself, be happy, love deeply and enjoy life !
Here's wishing you a wonderful and beautiful day.

Start spending.

Instead of worrying for the lost ones, enjoy those which you have.

I received this in an email and would like to pass it on to you, my beautiful friends. What do you do with you precious time that God has given you? We should tithe our time back to him so give him 2.4 hours at mass or bible study or meditation. You will in turn be blessed. Norma

RESEARCH ON PRAYER

Researching Prayer

 

Date:	08-03-13
Host:	John B. Wells
Guests:	Bill Sweet

John B. Wells was joined by prayer researcher, Bill Sweet, for a discussion on scientific laboratory tests he's conducted to measure the good and bad motivations of prayer and the effectiveness of asking for help from above. He opined that understanding the power of prayer can be difficult because humans live in a material world and often focus on effect rather than cause. To that end, he likened prayer to a "non-material metaphysical power" and used the metaphor of lifting a 500 pound box by way of a lever. He noted that, in this example, neither the person nor the lever actually perform the task, since leverage is the force which does the lifting. "It's in another dimension and it's operating in a way that we can see it in our dimension," he said, of both leverage and, ultimately, prayer.

Sweet detailed how his research has indicated that there are two distinct forms of prayer and that one is far more powerful than the other. The first type is "goal-directed prayer," which occurs when a person prays for a specific outcome. Contrasting this, he said, is "non goal-directed prayer," where the intended result is simply "what is best for the situation." According to Sweet, this second type of prayer sees stronger effects because it instills order into a situation rather than attempting to manipulate the outcome. He contended that "non goal-directing prayer actually sends mending effects out" and cause the situation to come to an ideal conclusion. When praying without an intended outcome, he observed, "it's the unexpected that you expect."

"It's easier to have a wrong thought in a prayer than a right one," Sweet suggested, "because a lot of people are praying amiss." To that end, he cited instances where studies of the effects of prayers on plants resulted in the targets being damaged by inadvertent, albeit well intentioned, thoughts. This accidental manipulation in the wrong direction, he said, is one of the dangers of goal-directed prayers. Additionally, Sweet revealed that his lab has studied the power of negative thought, which showed the ability to kill the plant. "This is scary stuff," he mused, "the power of thought." Sweet was so convinced of the immense power of prayer that he put forward the idea that "the really good prayers of the world are helping to hold a thin veneer on civilization" and, without it, society could collapse.

 

A friend sent this to me and I feel led to share it with others.  Norma

JONI EARECKSON TADA'S BOOK

From a blog by Crocker Chronicle <scottcrocker73@gmail.com>

I am currently reading  A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God's Sovereignty by Joni Eareckson Tada. In case you are not familiar with her, Joni became a quadriplegic in her late teens as a result of a diving accident in 1967. A committed follower of Jesus, she has become a noted artist, author and speaker and has been a tireless advocate for those with disabilities through her Joni and Friends ministry.

In A Place of Healing, she invites readers into her struggles that she has experienced late in life as a result of her physical challenges. Although I'm just a few chapters into the book, I'm finding her vulnerability refreshing. She is a living testament of how God can use suffering in the life of a believer to positively impact the lives of others.

In the first chapter, Joni shares how dealing with her disability all of these years has affected how she views Jesus. She says this:

"Here at our ministry we refuse to present a picture of “gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” a portrait that tugs at your sentiments or pulls at your heartstrings. That’s because we deal with so many people who suffer, and when you’re hurting hard, you’re neither helped nor inspired by a syrupy picture of the Lord, like those sugary, sentimental images many of us grew up with. 

You know what I mean? Jesus with His hair parted down the middle, surrounded by cherubic children and bluebirds. Come on. Admit it: When your heart is being wrung out like a sponge, when you feel like Morton’s salt is being poured into your wounded soul, you don’t want a thin, pale, emotional Jesus who relates only to lambs and birds and babies. You want a warrior Jesus. You want a battlefield Jesus. You want His rigorous and robust gospel to command your sensibilities to stand at attention. 

To be honest, many of the sentimental hymns and gospel songs of our heritage don’t do much to hone that image. One of the favorite words of hymn writers in days gone by was sweet. It’s a term that doesn’t have the edge on it that it once did. When you’re in a dark place, when lions surround you, when you need strong help to rescue you from impossibility, you don’t want “sweet.” You don’t want faded pastels and honeyed softness. You want mighty. You want the strong arm and unshakable grip of God who will not let you go—no matter what. 

For instance, I absolutely love that beautiful old hymn (a great favorite of my parents) “I Come to the Garden Alone.” Remember the verse that says, “He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet, the birds hush their singing”? It’s a nice sentiment, and I’m aware that a thought like that can provide comfort. But it’s really just a reinforcement of a romanticized nineteenth-century image. We have gilded the real Jesus with so much “dew on the roses” that many people have lost touch with Him—or simply turned away. 

Why do some people gravitate to a sentimental picture? Well, think about it: A sugar-coated Christ requires nothing from us—neither conviction nor commitment. Why? Because it’s an image that lacks truth and power. We have to try to change that picture. And the only way to do it is to think about the resurrection. Sure, romanticists try to color the resurrection with lilies and songbirds, but lay aside the emotions and think of the facts for a moment: A man, stone-cold dead—a cadaver of gray, cold flesh, really—rose up from His slab and walked out of His grave. Friend, that’s almost frightening. There’s nothing sugar-coated about it. And the powerful thing is that it accurately describes what Jesus did. That reality has power; it’s truth that grips you. 

Some people believe Jesus came to do sweet, pleasant things, like turning bad people into nice people. Not so. As someone once said, our Lord and Savior came to turn dead people into living ones—and there’s nothing sentimental about that. At different times in my life I’ve enjoyed the old pictures of Jesus cradling cute lambs or walking around with blow-dried hair, clad in a white robe looking like it just arrived from the dry cleaner. But these days, these warfare days, those old images just don’t cut it for me. I need a battlefield Jesus at my side down here in the dangerous, often messy trenches of daily life. I need Jesus the rescuer, ready to wade through pain, death, and hell itself to find me, grasp my hand, and bring me safely through. 

There will be a time very soon, I hope, when I will once again enjoy the casual stroll through the garden with Him, admiring the dew drops on the roses. But for right now, if I am to “endure hardship … like a good soldier” as 2 Timothy 2:3 mandates, I need a comrade in arms, a strong commander to take charge of my private war. And that is exactly who He is, and what He has done."

As one who has suffered in ways that few of us can relate with, Joni offers a compelling picture of a Savior that can withstand any attacks that may come our way. That's the kind of Jesus that I would like to know.

(A Place of Healing is currently available on Kindle.

ANGEL TROUBLED WATERS

From Brennan Manning's Abba's Child:

"God not only forgives and forgets our shameful deeds but even turns their darkness into light. All things work together for those who love God, “even,” Augustine of Hippo added, “our sins.” 

From:

Crocker Chronicle <scottcrocker73@gmail.com>

Thornton Wilder’s one-act play “The Angel That Troubled the Waters,” based on John 5:1-4, dramatizes the power of the pool of Bethesda to heal whenever an angel stirred its waters. 

A physician comes periodically to the pool hoping to be the first in line and longing to be healed of his melancholy. The angel finally appears but blocks the physician just as he is ready to step into the water. The angel tells the physician to draw back, for this moment is not for him. The physician pleads for help in a broken voice, but the angel insists that healing is not intended for him. 

The dialogue continues — and then comes the prophetic word from the angel: “Without your wounds where would your power be? It is your melancholy that makes your low voice tremble into the hearts of men and women. The very angels themselves cannot persuade the wretched and blundering children on earth as can one human being broken on the wheels of living. In Love’s service, only wounded soldiers can serve. Physician, draw back.” 

Later, the man who enters the pool first and is healed rejoices in his good fortune and turning to the physician says: “Please come with me. It is only an hour to my home. My son is lost in dark thoughts. I do not understand him and only you have ever lifted his mood. Only an hour.... There is also my daughter: since her child died, she sits in the shadow. She will not listen to us but she will listen to you.” 

Christians who remain in hiding continue to live the lie. We deny the reality of our sin. In a futile attempt to erase our past, we deprive the community of our healing gift. If we conceal our wounds out of fear and shame, our inner darkness can neither be illuminated nor become a light for others. We cling to our bad feelings and beat ourselves with the past when what we should do is let go. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, guilt is an idol. But when we dare to live as forgiven men and women, we join the wounded healers and draw closer to Jesus."

BEAUTIFUL WORDS

Beautiful Words....

  Someone has written these beautiful words.  Do read and try to

understand the deep meaning of it.  They are written to serve like the

ten commandments to consider and follow in life all the time.

 

1. Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble,

    but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.

 

2. So why is a car's windshield so large and the rear view mirror so

    small? Because our past is not as important as our future.  So, look

    ahead and move on.

 

3. Friendship is like a book.  It takes few seconds to learn, but it

    takes years to write.

 

4. All things in life are temporary.  If it's going well, enjoy it,

    that won't last long. If it's going badly, don't worry, that won't last

    long either.

 

5. Old friends are gold! New friends are diamonds! If you get a diamond,

    don't forget the gold! Because to hold a diamond, you always need a

    base of gold!

 

6. Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, God smiles

    from above and says, "Relax sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!"

 

7. When God solves your problems, you have faith in His abilities;

    when God doesn't solve your problems, He has faith in your abilities.

 

8. A blind person asked St. Anthony, "Can there be anything worse

    than losing eyesight?" He replied, "Yes, losing your vision!"

 

9. When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them;

    sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has     prayed for you.

 

10. Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles, it takes away

     today's peace. 

 

If you really enjoy this, please pass to others.  It may brighten someone's day.

     

I received this as an email. Sounds like something I would write so am sharing with you, my beautiful friends.