Commentary

Keep your pets safe throughout the hot summer months as soaring temperatures can be dangerous for pets.

Summer has officially begun, so it’s a good time to remember that pets require special care to avoid heatstroke. Dogs cannot tell us when they feel hot, and it is our responsibility to ensure that our pets have sufficient shelter from the sun, an adequate supply of water to drink, and a way to cool off as the heat rises. Be aware of these essential needs when leaving your pets outside during the day. Moreover, do not forget that at this time of the year, it is life-threatening to leave pets in hot cars, even if they are parked in the shade, and even for just a few minutes! Each summer, the LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital sees several heatstroke cases.

May the July 4^th Celebration be a day of hope, reflection, and prayers for the Nation. On July 4^th America will pause to celebrate the founding of the nation which occurred on July 4, 1776. The celebration will mark 245 years as a democratic republic. There will be the customary gathering of friends and families for picnics, singing of patriotic songs, a musical concert on the mall in the nation’s capital, with fireworks bursting and inundating the capital’s evening skies. Regrettably, many Americans, particularly people of color, will find it difficult to celebrate the founding of the nation. Why? Because they remember that at the time of its founding their ancestors were enslaved by those proclaiming and declaring freedom for posterity.

It’s what one gets when God “gives one up or turns one over to him/herself to selfdestruct.”

A “reprobate mind.”

Taken from the Greek word “adokimos,” the word “reprobate” also means “rejected, worthless, perverse, perverted, unacceptable, etc.” And, it’s clear from reading Romans 1:18-32 that’s the type mind that those who support “National Pride Month” have in God’s sight.

Yes, we don’t have to be a theologian or Greek scholar to understand Paul’s straightforward words in that passage: for we know what it means for “men to leave the natural use of the woman and to burn in their lust toward another, men with me” (v.27).

This past week the ‘ Woke’ NFL again demonstrated how asleep it is to the reason for its unpopularity and lost viewership.

Coach Jack Del Rio, defensive coordinator of the Washington Commandeers (formerly the Redskins) stated:

“A simple question,” Del Rio said on June 8. “Why are we not looking into [the riots at the protests], if we’re going to talk about [the Capitol riot]. Why are we not looking into those things? … I see images on the TV, people’s livelihoods are being destroyed, businesses are being burned down, no problem. And then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we’re going to make that a major deal.”

He had also tweeted on June 6 ^th “Would love to understand the ‘whole story’ about why the summer of riots, looting, burning and the destruction of personal property is never discussed but this is ?? #CommonSense.”

Can you blame God for what is happening to you, and yours?

Who told you, that now is the Kingdom of God, on this earth?

Adam and eve have elected Satan and trusted him, not God. Their unbelief and disobedience allowed Satan to walk out as the prince of this world. Thus, infinite evil entered this planet.

Blame the author of all evil, Satan, his demons and his people, for your troubles, do not blame a loving god.

What does it mean, to believe in God?

Trusting God, or believing in God, is very, very special to our Creator.

Remember the scripture where God led Israel to enter the Promised Land? A victory over superior force of giants was promised. People did not believe. What resulted?

This whole unbelieving generation of Jews died wandering the deserts for 40 years and could not enter the Promised Land.

Either you believe what God says, or you call God a liar.

Last weekend, my older son, Reece, came home for the summer after finishing his freshman year at LSU.

And even though his room is full of musical equipment and dirty clothes, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Reece is our musician, so he is often delighting us with jazz music that he plays by ear on the piano.

And even though Reece will soon be busy with a local internship, I’m so glad that his music will fill the house often until mid-August.

My son Bryce just finished tenth grade, and will soon be busy with football practice in the mornings and working the rest of the day. He’s always trying to gain weight, so I’ll be at Kroger twice as often so that I’m prepared when he raids the refrigerator all summer!

And Juliana, who just finished sixth grade, is a competitive swimmer, so we will be at swim practice or swim meets every single day in June.

Since 2006, one or more of my children have been in preschool through sixth grades at Calvary Baptist Academy.

But with four weeks left in this school year, I’ll soon be saying goodbye to “being the mom of an elementary student” as my last child completes sixth grade (which is considered elementary at Calvary).

There are so many things I’ll miss as I end this stage of parenthood.

I’ll look back fondly on things like Field Day, happily snapping photos of the sack race and tug-of-war competition. And I’ll miss actually being wanted there by my child.

I’ll miss the annual elementary Christmas and Spring Musicals.

I’ll miss the field trips to Safety Town, the Tyler Zoo, the Louisiana museum at the fairgrounds, the bowling alley, the trampoline park, and the skating rink. I’ll miss the picnics at Betty Virginia Park and the trips to SciPort.

And I’ll miss my child wanting me to attend those field trips.

They’re different; yet, in reality they’re the same:

Slaps and savage slaying.

The first one (a slap) refers to Will Smith’s smacking Chris Rock across the face at the Academy Awards on Sunday night, Mar. 27. And, the other one— the “savage slaying”—refers to the sinister, heartless killing and destruction by Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.

For sure, Will Smith’s unexpected (and uncalled for) slap was far less damaging than Putin’s bombing and killing of innocent civilians; however, in reality, they both sprang from a sinful nature and unbridled actions.

The difference was: one was spontaneous and the other was cold and calculated.

Yes, again, a slap is far different in damage and long-term effect than wholesale destruction and loss of life. But, both were unnecessary and could have been handled differently.

Not long ago, my middle son Bryce, who rarely gets sick and never complains about feeling bad, said, “Mom, I really need to go to the doctor.”

“What’s wrong?” I said, wide-eyed, sitting forward on the couch.

“My throat. It’s killing me. And I’m tired all the time. And there’s these two huge lymph nodes on the side of my neck.”

Away to Mid City Pediatrics we went as he slept in the front seat.

After nasal swabs, a throat swab, and a finger stick, we waited. “Well, it’s mono,” Dr. Cockrell said. Since it’s a virus, there’s not a lot that can be done for mono, but Dr. Cockrell agreed to a Celestone shot to help with Bryce’s throat pain. As we were walking to our car after he received the shot, Bryce suddenly said, “Mom, I’m gonna pass out.”

He suddenly went to his knees and then thankfully I was able to catch him and help him all the way down so that he avoided hitting his head.

It seems like they have nothing in common; but, in reality, they do:

Russian roulette and April Fool’s Jokes.

As you probably know, one (“Russian roulette”) is where someone will place a live round in the cylinder of a pistol, spin the chamber, point the barrel at one’s head and pull the trigger. And, hopefully, they’ll “get lucky” (as the ones playing this sick “game” put it).

Why? Who knows?

Maybe they get an adrenaline rush by doing so; but, as some would say, they’re “tempting fate” (whatever that is).

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like tempting God to me: and that’s exactly what the devil was trying to get Jesus to do that day when he “took him up into the Holy City and set Him on the pinnacle (highest point) of the Temple” (Matthew 4:5).

“Go ahead; jump off!” the evil one said with a fiendish tone in his voice.