Happily Divorced And After

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Ding… Ding….The battle is raging and there are no deferments, there is no going AWOL if you are a Christian. No, you are in the battle, automatically, and it is a fight to the finish, a life-or-death conflict. Heed the cry, “Prepare for Battle!” Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” For that’s the only way you will be able to stand in the day of battle, and at the end of the day stand victorious… Get Ready to R-u-m-b-l-e… This is the most crucial, most intense battle you will ever face in your life; it is a battle that will last your whole life long.  No matter how young or old you are, no matter how long you have been a Christian, man or woman, boy or girl, pastor or layperson—you are in a battle. It is a spiritual battle. Paul describes it like this: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly place.”  The fight is raging on the line between faith and unbelief, between reliance on God and pride in self, between hope for the future and despair of God’s mercy. Your enemy Satan will try to defeat you, destroy you, and get you to fall away from the faith. He will try to distract you or render you ineffective in the service of the Lord. He will tempt you; allure you, seducing you into great shame and vice. And if that doesn’t work, he may try to lull you into spiritual sleepiness and security, getting you to let down your guard.  Your adversary will attack your mind, attack your emotions, attack your body, attack your relationship, and attack your soul. In all of these attacks, his purpose is to get your eyes off of Jesus.

Needless to say, this is a battle not to stay alive but to stay strong against your spiritual enemies who are a trinity of evil; the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is about who shall have the supremacy, Christ or Satan. It is a struggle for the souls of men. It is a battle to keep people out of Hell. It is a struggle to get people saved. It is warfare, a conflict until the final finish. And every one of us is engaged in it. We are in warfare. That ought to keep us from folding our hands and taking it easy. That ought to make us sit up and take notice. “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion” (Amos 6:1). Your enemy supreme desire is to destroy your joy, your witness, your effectiveness for Christ, and your relationship with your Father. This is not WrestleMania either, this one is for real!  Your fight is not just to exist as a Christian, but to have a winning walk in all areas of your life. The victory assures you that you will live a life of spiritual depth and meaning. Jesus said, “I am come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10).

I want you to know that the Christian life is not a playground but a battleground. I want you to know that just because you are a church member and you attend church does not mean that you are going to win in life’s fight. I want you to know that you are not going to win just because your church happens to be a Word-preaching, tongue-talking, devil-stomping, deliverance church either. You have got to pay attention and apply yourself to spiritual truths. When you grasp the fact that you win in life’s fights ONLY when you fight the fight of faith, you will be on your way to enjoying victory that God meant for you to have.

The good news is that God has equipped you for the battle. He has given you a complete set of armor, especially suited for this conflict. Paul even lists the pieces of armor you’ve been issued: He says, “… stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for God’s people.” {Ephesians 6:10-18} God is guaranteeing that if you use His weapons, you will win. They are “mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” Use them, and things will fall before you, is what He is saying. Therefore, arm yourself with the Word of God and face your enemy with full assurance of God’s protection and love. No doubt this will be the most unusual wrestling match in your life.  Prepare for Battle! Put on the whole armor of God, and you will not only live to fight another day; but at the end of the day and on the Last Day, you will stand victorious…. Get Ready to R-U-M-B-L-E!”

WHO: Omnitrans, the public transit agency serving the San Bernardino Valley Event Partners: VA Loma Linda Healthcare System (host), San Bernardino County Department of Veterans Affairs, 211-Vetlink

WHAT: New Veterans Fare offers a 50% discount to US retired military personnel with ID. This includes those who served in the US Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy. Approximately 79,000 Veterans live in the San Bernardino Valley served by Omnitrans. Additionally Omnitrans will offer FREE rides to uniformed active duty military members, police and firefighters. Veteran Opportunities at Event:

• FREE 1-day Veteran Bus Pass for anyone with San Bernardino County Veterans Affairs ID.
• Contest Drawing for a 31-day Veteran bus pass for any Veteran with ID from San Bernardino County Veterans Affairs.
• Veteran ID Applications taken on site by San Bernardino County Veterans Affairs, FREE.
• Information on Veterans resources from event partners.

WHEN: Monday, January 5, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Ceremony approximately 30 minutes; event continues until 4 pm with information and giveaways.

WHERE: Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Medical Center, Loma Linda, California 11201 Benton Street, Loma Linda, CA 92354 (map link) Main entrance; Parking on site.

The Anaheim Ducks Donate $20,000 to Loma Linda University Health to Support Cancer Services. Pictured (L to R) from the Anaheim Ducks organization are Christian Young, Corporate Partnership Activation Coordinator, and Graham Siderius, Corporate Partnership Director. Joining them from the Loma Linda University Cancer Center are Judy Chatigny, Executive Director; Dr. Mark Reeves, Medical Director; and Lexine Thall, Director of Patient Care.

LOMA LINDA, CA- As part of an ongoing partnership, the Anaheim Ducks presented Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) with a $20,000 donation on Dec. 17 to support patient services provided by the Loma Linda University Cancer Center (LLUCC).  The funds were raised by the National Hockey League (NHL) club, Anaheim Ducks players, and fans through “Hockey Fights Cancer” night on Oct. 22, which included the sale of miniature hockey sticks signed by players and an in-game auction of Ducks memorabilia.

“We are thankful to the Anaheim Ducks for its continuing help in raising cancer awareness and providing valuable funding that will augment our efforts to provide quality and compassionate care to our cancer patients,” said Judy Chatigny, Executive Director of the LLUCC.  “We value our partnership with the Ducks and hope it will continue for many more years.”

The “Hockey Fights Cancer” night is part of the NHL’s ongoing initiative to raise support and awareness for one of hockey’s most important fights.

With lavender serving as the official “Hockey Fights Cancer” color (representing awareness for all types of cancers), the first 3,000 fans that arrived at the Oct. 22 game received lavender ribbons to wear for the game.  Fans also had the opportunity to obtain “I Fight For” cards, which they used to fill in the name of loved ones who have been affected by cancer.  During the game, there was a special moment of recognition, in which attendees held up their “I Fight For” cards to honor the person they knew battling the disease.

“Virtually everyone has been touched by cancer or knows someone who has been affected by it,” said Graham Siderius, Corporate Partnership Director for the Anaheim Ducks.  “We know about the outstanding clinical and support services delivered by the Loma Linda University Cancer Center.  The center has challenging work, and it is an indispensible resource for stricken patients.  The Ducks and its fans are pleased to do our part to assist the effort.”

COLTON, CA- As part of its commitment to creating a healthy environment for patients, visitors and employees, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) becomes tobacco free January 2, 2015. The tobacco-free initiative will be implemented throughout the entire campus including parking lots, sidewalks, and streets.

The policy prohibits tobacco use of any kind as well as e-cigarettes, and will apply to employees, volunteers, students, patients, visitors, vendors, contractors and other individuals who visit the hospital campus.

“We are in the business of providing quality health care and have a special responsibility to take a leadership role on this major health issue,” said ARMC Director, William T. Foley. “As health care professionals we are committed to setting a positive example in the community.”

The County of San Bernardino Board of Supervisors approved the non-smoking ordinance in November, and a task force was created at ARMC to help plan and implement the new tobacco-free policy.

Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than five million deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On average, smokers die 10 years earlier than non-smokers.

Kicking the habit can be challenging, but ARMC has smoking cessation classes and other resources already in place. Call the hospital’s Quit Clinic at 909-580-6167, or visit ARMC’s website at www.arrowheadmedcenter.org and click on the  “Let’s Clear the Air” link to learn more about what you can do to be tobacco free.

Together let’s clear the air!

ARMC, a university-affiliated teaching hospital, is a state-of-the-art acute care facility with a full range of inpatient and outpatient services including a Level II trauma center, mobile medical clinic, primary stroke center, and a regional burn center. For more information about ARMC, go to: www.arrowheadmedcenter.org.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

My friend, I want you to know that God hasn’t changed! He is still a God who keeps His Word! Everything God has promised, He will do! There are some verses in the Bible that confirms this – {Romans 4:21; Heb. 6:18; Num. 23:19; Titus 1:2.} But I’m not telling you anything that you don’t already know. God has proven Himself time and again to us. He is still coming through for His people. Look back over the years and remember the times the Lord has displayed His great power in your life. Hasn’t He parted the waters for you? Hasn’t He opened the heavens and dropped the manna of His glory on your life over and over? Hasn’t He moved in response to your cries of faith? He has proven Himself to you and me repeatedly! All I am saying is that we can TRUST the Lord for EVERYTHING in our lives. We have a God who has demonstrated His power, His grace, His love and His character many times over. Think of the times He has delivered you; when He saved you, and the times He moved mountains in your life. Remember His power and all that He has done. Let His past works remind you that He is able, no matter what you face in life. GOD IS ABLE and He will come through for you, EVERY TIME! Let the past be your reminder and learn to TRUST HIM no matter what! “I’m just a Nobody, trying to tell Everybody  about Somebody who can save Anybody!”

Unfortunately though, there are many of us who call ourselves “Christians,” fail to trust the Lord and fail to remember that GOD CAN! As a result, we live our lives defeated and discouraged. It doesn’t have to be that way! I challenge you to GIVE IT ALL to the Lord today and find out for yourself that GOD CAN! Psalms 34:8 says, “O taste and see.” The psalmist invites us to come and “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”  We are invited to experience God’s presence. The psalmist is a poor man seeking to taste what he believes about God. He is calling upon God. He is experiencing deliverance from all his fears. He is experiencing God’s salvation in troublesome times. His shame is covered despite his failures. He is experiencing refuge in God and feeling the presence of the angels encamping around him. Will you give your doubts, your fears and your questions to Jesus? For the omniscient power of God has not, nor shall it ever change! I tell you, the closer we engage with God the more we can know His goodness. In Psalm 34:8 the Lord urges you to “Taste! Sample and see. Find out for yourself that He is good.” God’s goodness is what He wants us to experience. He offers Himself to us. Psalms 100:5 says, “For the Lord is good, His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness is to all generations.” Every generation learns the truth – God goodness is something He wants us to experience. It flows to us as steadfast love and faithfulness and is present in everything He does. If you are a child of God, you will figure this out by the end of your life… God is good! Now there’s no telling what He will take you through to bring you that place. But eventually your value system will be set up in such a way that you say, “The Lord is good!” Everything he allowed; everything He withheld, every difficult season, and every stretching circumstance. God meant for your good. His disposition is kindness. His default action is for your benefit.  Oh magnify the Lord with me! “I’m Just a Nobody, Trying to Tell Everybody about Somebody Who Can Save Anybody!”  Somebody who can bring you from guilty, to not guilty. From death to life. From darkness to light. From hatred to love. From weakness to power. From bondage to freedom. From tribulations to triumph. From grief to joy. From gloom to glory. From defeat to victory. From failure to success. From fear to faith, from I can’t too I can.  Knowing all of this, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril. As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that love us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, no height nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let us all be a little like Zacchaeus {Luke 19:1-10} who was curious about Jesus and wanted to see with his physical eyes what all the commotion was about. When Zacchaeus heard about Jesus travel through town, a thought came to him, a thought from the depth of his soul, he just HAD to see who this Jesus guy was.  Is He who He says He is? Zacchaeus, a man on a journey to find something to believe in. He embarks on a quest to see who this Jesus was and comes away converted to the way of Jesus and forgiven of all his sins. Oh, give God some praise!

Listen; if your life lacks meaning, if there is no hope, if everything you have tried has left you defeated, discouraged, disillusioned and looking for more, then Jesus is your answer. You don’t have to climb a tree to meet Him, all you have to do is to respond to His call and come to Him . If you will do that and if you will receive Him, He will save your soul! “I’m Just a Nobody, Trying to tell Everybody about Somebody who can save Everybody!”

Hakim Hazim

“Justice is nothing more than the advantage of the stronger.” -Thrasymachus

 By Hakim Hazim

The grand jury decisions in Ferguson and New York should not surprise us. Justice is in the eyes of the beholder and the criminal justice system is not blind. It derives its power from the larger societal framework that simply has many preconceived ideas about Black males. We must work relentlessly to change this and hold the system accountable. We must also support the people who are doing that and exercise patience in the process. Keep in mind the two chief law enforcement officers in this nation are Black: Barack Obama and Eric Holder, and racial tensions are at an all time high. To their credit they are doing quite a bit, but they face an uphill struggle. We should follow their lead on criminal justice reform and we should do everything we can for the young Black men around us before and after tragedy strikes. We should also consistently deplore what we are doing to one another; it’s senseless not too. All of these things reinforce the notion, “Black Blood is cheap.”

Current law enforcement approaches toward us as a people and the tacit societal approval behind it must change. Society inherently nurtures the belief that justice is nothing more than the interest and the sustained advantage of the stronger, and it has played out that way for centuries. The rationale is, “If they did things the right way, they would get what I have and so would their children.”  Such self-righteousness obscures reality.  The fact is people do all they can to give their descendants an advantage in the system and they tilt the scales to their advantage. It’s true with race, power and wealth and gender. It’s simply a human trait of passing the best of your efforts, lessons and acquisitions to your children, but you also pass your biases on as well.

When we first arrived, justice was never considered for us as a people. It was an elusive concept for which we prayed, fought, bled and died for. To this very day, she seems a distant stranger to many of our people still in terms of access, resources, familial ties and fair treatment in terms of the criminal justice system. Although all black people have felt the sting of injustice, poor black folks feel it the most. Having little to bargain with or offer they are viewed as inferior, unworthy and an unnecessary, troublesome burden by many—even middle class and upper class blacks. Our inner cities are filled with Black-on-Black crime, fatherlessness and substandard schools. This fertile ground of dysfunction produces young men who think that they or their peers have little value. Feeling powerless, they prey on one another and lash out at the larger system. This crab in a bucket mentality is celebrated in the music of popular culture. The sad fact is this, many of us have not learn to value one another the way we should and King’s Dream falls on deaf ears to many of the younger generation.

Let’s face the facts: statistics show young people who do well often succeed because of the systems and programs that strengthen them. Things like a solid family structure and access to education, faith-based organizations, mentoring agencies, activity, athletic and interest development organizations and employment services, give young people a fighting chance. If not, their doomed from the womb. The deaths of so many young black males or own the hands of many. The Black-on- Black gang wars, stand your ground advocates and law enforcement officers have all contributed to this. Passivity is not an option. Let your voice be heard, or remain entrenched in hypocrisy. The choice is yours.

Hakim Hazim is the founder of Relevant Now and co-founder of Freedom Squared. He is a nationally recognized expert in decision analysis, criminality and security.

Dr. Mildred Henry

Lyrics of a once popular song said that “we should accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative”.  Many of our  youth are engaged in great humanitarian  endeavors, however, their good works are too often overshadowed in the news media by negative, sensationalized acts of barbarism.

The elementary school scholars at Henry Elementary School in San Bernardino are engaged in a Global Studies program. Recently, 4^th and 5^th graders  researched Global indigenous tribes around the world.  They studied tribes such as The Awa in Brasil, The Matses in Brasil, The Wichi in Argentina, The Bushmen in Botswana, The Ogiek in Kenya, The Aboriginal people of Australia, The Batak in the Philippines, The Dongria Kondh of India, and the Siberian Tribes of Russia, among others.

Each scholar presented a major power point film documentary of their research, complete with credits at the end of the film.  The young scholars filmed, narrated, and operated all of their equipment.  I was absolutely amazed!  During the research, scholars found that many native people were in danger of having their lands destroyed.  The scholars found a website on international tribal survival, and planned a “Tea for Tribes” to raise funds for tribes that are endangered due to deforestation and loss of resources. Donations were forwarded to help these less fortunate tribes around the globe.

Our youth were giving instead of taking, providing food instead of drugs, making friends and collaborating instead of  fighting.  The young scholars were smiling and excited rather than sullen and bullying.   Their skills and researched knowledge was absolutely “off the charts”!  They deserve Kudos for the great humanitarian activities in which they are engaged.

Congratulations to the young Henry Elementary School scholars for their sensitivity, to their superlative principal, Dr. Marcus Funchess, and to the great Henry staff, for truly Accentuating the Positive.   They truly live up to their artistic expression,  “We are smart, We are Intelligent, We are full of greatness!”

   Come on Adults, the children are leading the way.  Let’s get on board, reach out and touch, and make this world a better place!  We can!

                             -Mildred Dalton Henry, Ph.D.

The 1st place winner of The PAL Center 4th Annual Christmas Tree Essay Giveaway Contest, Joanna Ballesteros along with CEO, Dwaine Radden. Previously, before the picture was taken and winners were announced, Dwaine Radden gave an amazing speech with the closing statement, “We are very proud of you all. All essays were very wonderful and I just want to encourage each one of you to keep up the good work. I’m very grateful to have a group of students like this who seems to know so much about the true meaning of Christmas. We at The PAL Center love each and every one of you.”

Christmas isn’t just about presents or just a day to celebrate, but spending time with family and friends. Having laughs and memories; I love spending time with my family especially my nieces and nephews. Also the smell of Christmas, the pine cones, food and coldness.

Most importantly it gives us the opportunity to cherish relatives. When it’s Christmas it reminds me of my mother, stressing while keeping a smile on her face, her warm hugs and sweet laughter. Now when it’s this time of year I wrap myself and keep warm with my nieces and nephews.

Even if there’s nothing to give it’s being thankful for what you have. Not only is it just a present opening day it’s also an eye opening day. The day the Lord, Jesus Christ birth is celebrated. Even though you do get presents still thank the people who got you something.

Left to right: Salvation Army Major Daniel Henderson, Captain Anya Henderson; Tom Brickley, Salvation Army Advisory Board Chairman; Mindy Silva, Program Officer- Health & Economic Development, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; Attorney Wilfrid Lemann, Partner Fullerton, Lemann, Schaefer & Dominick, LLP .

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- A $30,000 grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians helps the San Bernardino area Salvation Army serve the needs of thousands of hungry, homeless and hopeless people in San Bernardino, Highland, Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace and Bloomington.

Bob Butler

By Bob Butler 

The second half of 2014 has been marked by the shooting deaths of four African-American males by local law enforcement — Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri; Eric Garner in New York, John Crawford and Tamir Rice in Ohio — that have attracted the attention of national media and the federal government, and shined a light on the issue of policing in minority communities.

It has also been marked by some exceptional journalism on the subject, as well as some alarming narratives from journalistic choices that, while not necessarily intentional, serve to perpetuate stereotypes of Black men as dangerous criminals.

Race is present in the dynamics around these stories and those who are involved in producing these stories. Put another way: while a diverse group of journalists has been on the ground reporting this story, the same cannot be said about who makes decisions about what will be covered and how.

Some of the coverage goes into great detail about how the victims’ actions may have contributed to their own demise: John Crawford should not have tried to buy a toy rifle at Walmart, Mike Brown should not have (allegedly) stolen cigars from a convenience store, Eric Garner should not have (allegedly) been selling loose cigarettes and Tamir Rice should not have been playing with a toy gun.

These cases are not the first, nor will they be the last, involving Black males and the police. It must be pointed out that Black males are not the only ones being shot. Dillon Taylor in Utah and Gil Collar in Alabama were White and also unarmed when police shot them. The difference is the media coverage of their cases does not imply that they deserved to die.

From the breaking news coverage of these events to the analysis that followed, and will hopefully continue, it is important to recognize the negative patterns that can emerge in such stories, and to discuss strategies for countering these patterns.

Two questions can help guide this process: Is this information relevant? And how will this affect the story?

A big part of how narrative is shaped in these stories starts with the photos of those involved. While availability of photos can be a challenge, especially in the early stages of a fast-moving story, efforts must be made to paint the fullest picture (pun intended) of the central figures. Images depicting black men solely as menacing, threatening or dangerous only fuel existing stereotypes.

Weighing whether to include details about a black victim’s criminal background or drug use also contributes to the narrative. Here, balance is important. Is there an attempt to report the officer’s history? Does the officer have a disciplinary history or a record of complaints regarding use of force? Is the victim’s background relevant to the specific incident that ended his life? If so, explain this to readers, lest it be interpreted as gratuitous or malicious.

In the case of Tamir Rice, why did the Northwest Ohio Media Group report on his parents’ criminal records? What did that have to do with Rice being shot by police?

Stories like Ferguson and the deaths of Crawford, Garner and Rice reaffirm the urgency of more diverse American newsrooms. Look no further than the membership of the National Association of Black Journalists to find many examples of responsible reporting.

NABJ was founded in 1975 in part, “to monitor and sensitize all media to racism.” Nearly 40 years later, NABJ still finds it necessarily to fulfill this role. It is our hope that those committed to a better approach to exploring issues of race and society will join us in examining how we can all improve.

Bob Butler is the President of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). NABJ is the largest organization for journalists of color in the nation, and provides career development as well as educational and other support to its members worldwide. For additional information, please visit, http://www.nabj.org