Resources
In this Section we provide a variety of different Thoughts and Resouces to help You in Your Personal Learning Journey; or One which You are helping another Person take.
The Information and References are provided to Strengthen your Learning of the Values, as you may desire to deepen and further enrich Your Knowledge and Understanding of Meaningful Life Principles.
We Encourage You to read on and discover what resonates to your interests.
Talk to Your Child
We are all faced with a whirlwind of pressures, distractions, & influences. In fact, today’s Youth are especially up against a deluge of mixed messages bombarding them through the Media, Music, Cellphones, TV, Radio.
The messages are unrelenting and many times wrong (drugs, sex, rebellion, buy things).
Talk to Your Child, Your Teen, Your Loved One.
Teach Them Values Now.
If you are not talking to them, Know Someone else Is.
1 Important Thoughts
Family First
Our Families are Crucial to a Healthy Development of Our Children and Future Generations.
Over the past four decades, the American Family has suffered a marked decline under the pressure of economic uncertainty, the dissolution of moral authority, and the preponderant emphasis on “self”.
The Result: Divorces, Cultural Secularism, Self Absorption, the Decline of Personal Responsibility, Out of Wedlock Births, Child Abandonment, Neglect, Abuse, and “Abortion”.
We must do all we can to reverse the onslaught and take a firm stand for the Sanctity of Family; By doing all we can in our Lives to Protect, Promote, and Perpetuate the Love and Safety of the American Family.
Leave The Baggage Behind
We all have made past mistakes: against Others, against Ourselves, against God. We are Not Perfect and we fail, sometimes frequently. However, to be human is to experience failure, to learn, and then move forward. God forgives Us and we must forgive ourselves. We need to leave our mistakes behind us, unhindered by the corrosive remorse of past actions, in order to start the Journey Ahead. Otherwise, the claws of self-guilt will rip apart Our chance for a future. Some days we will advance two steps, and others we’ll experience a step back. However, press onward !
We are in this Life to Learn; to Learn our Way Back to God by breaking free of evils’ bonds upon us. We are in this Life to Grow Love in this World and Overcome the Darkness of Hate and Death. We have an extraordinary chance to Achieve an Eternal Life; so let us Leave the Baggage Behind.
God is on Our Side. And We shall Win.
Do Not Judge
“Cast Not the First Stone”. We are not here to judge one another. Christ himself was not on earth to judge, but to Save. While we can’t Save as Christ does, we can help. Please do.
At times, when some people draw upon their knowledge of Values, mixed with their Religious Beliefs, community Norms, there may be a tendency to Judge Others, and Condemn Them through Gossip, Banishment, the “Scarlet Letter”, Loss of Freedom or even Loss of Life, as we see with Islamic Radicals.
We must resist the temptation to arbitrarily Judge Others from a vantage of “self-righteousness”, regardless of how we choose to justify our actions. We are All Brothers and Sisters and Our Bond is Love, only Love; And Judgment invariably suffocates Love.
We are Not Here to Judge; We are Here to Learn individually and from each other; We are Here to Find Our Way back to God’s Light from whence we Came.
Civilized Society needs rules, laws, and order to function and progress.
Society also requires Enforcement of those rules through Judgment and Penalty to protect the Common Good. Yet such judgment, when it does occur, is done in an organized, sanctioned process; by peers and people trained to weigh facts and fairness; not by judgmental disposition through arrogance of title or self position.
We are saying Discerning Guidance is Appropriate, when it is done with Love and the Aim is to Grow an Individual’s Mind and Soul. Patience, Forgiveness, and Balance should always be present when we Discern with Impact to Another. Our Bible, Our Christian Philosophy, Our Values should serve as inspiration to ensure we act according to dignity and respect for others, so as to avoid banishment, and hate. However, when Faced with the willful opposition of Anti-Value Conduct in another, and such conduct poses existential harm to Life: Judgment of the body human is both Necessary and Righteous.
God Shall Judge The Soul.
Mental Illness
Today, we know a great deal more about mental illness than we did just a decade ago. We recognize some form of mental illness affects millions of people in our society, and in many cases mental illness is the primary source to other related illnesses: like addiction to drugs, alcohol, and abuse towards others.
When we approach our individual Learning Journeys, let’s be mindful of how mental illness is afflicting many in society; and in a great many cases it is not the direct fault of the afflicted. Chalk it up to Genetics, DNA, traumatic brain injury; as the human body is prone to neurological and chemical imbalance; which in turn disrupts normal cognitive ability and the decisions and actions people make.
On the other hand, there are people who make willful choices to disrupt normative standards, flout the law, and put others in danger. There are also mentally disturbed people that have to be institutionalized for public safety and personal safety.
So, as we engage in our families, our communities; please be aware and patient with the issue of mental illness. It is easy at times to misinterpret another’s behavior as being more “anti-value” than “healthy value” like. Many mental illnesses carry depression, and those who suffer with depression will be distant, sometimes angry; yet they are alone and frightened; not always able to control their affliction. Our counsel is to be Patient, Caring, Loving, and Supportive to anyone who you know is suffering in this way.
Please refrain from Judgmental behavior. And whenever you are able to, please connect the afflicted with medical and psychological resources in your community.
May we Pray for them.
Let us All do what we can to extend our hands and hearts.
Teen Drug Abuse and Addiction
Free Will
Free Will gives us our Identity; Free Will Purposes us with Uniqueness; Free Will provides structure for our Life Experience.
Free Will is the basis for our Choices; our Decisions on what to do, or not to do; on what to say, or not say; on when to help, or not.
Free Will is integral to our Mind, our Heart, our Soul. Free Will is a gift from God, where God has chosen to limit his power, in order that we may be Free-Thinking and Self-Realizing.
We have been granted this precious gift, in order that we may choose how to Learn Our way back to God. In so doing, we will discover our true freedom in eternal existence with God. Our desired destiny is to consciously choose Soul over Body, Love over Hate, and thereby, God over Death.
May You be Prudent in your Choices, Wise in your Words, and Loving in your Actions.
Be forever Guided by Your Faith in God.
There are many worthwhile organizations for your charitable giving.
Reaching out and helping organizations that do good in the world, is an act of kindness.
Your donation is valued.
No matter how large or small.
Your act of generosity may help:
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A Young Child get a Meal this Day
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The Diseased, a Cure
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The Homeless, a Shelter
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The Depressed, Comfort
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The Desperate, a Safe Haven
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The Sick, Medical Help
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The Abused, Care
Some Charities to consider:
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Your Local Food Bank
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Your Local Animal Shelters
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Your Local Community Causes
Some people are at times hesitant to contribute to a cause, due to doubt they may have about how their donation maybe handled by the receiving organization. It is an understandable caution.
For that reason, we recommend checking with an organization called "Charity Watch", which is dedicated towards evaluating the financial efficiency of charities to help you determine those charities which spend a majority of their received donations on their stated cause, and not themselves.
2 Charity
There are Many Great Organizations for Volunteering Your Time and Services, both: Regionally and Locally.
Below are links for some:
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Your Local Food Bank
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Your Local Animal Shelter
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Your Local Community Centers
ALSO, Discover the Local Organizations right in Your Community where You can Volunteer.
Consult a Directory or do a search line and through Google.com or Bing.com
3 Volunteering
4 Leadership Principles
Leadership is fundamental to the person and the cultures they find themselves living within. Leadership is personal; as one sets goals and mountains to scale, ambitions to realize. Leadership is collective, where guidance and direction is provided to groups, to organizations, to communities, and to nations; always to energize and motivate towards an objective, which once accomplished, generates growth and well-being.
Like the Foundational Values, Leadership can be a positive force for the good, or contrary, a negative force for the bad.
The discerning judgment of the “led”, determine the quality and direction of the Leadership they will follow and honor with their lives. To recognize Quality Leadership, a summary of important Leadership Principles are outlined on the next two pages. These Principles shape and determine the mindset of Individuals and Groups, as they engage in productive endeavors, aim towards achievement, & focus upon accomplishment.
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Leaders Master the 25 Foundational Values
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Leaders Set Vision for the Future
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With Vision Leaders Establish Direction
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Leaders Live by Unquestioned Integrity
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Leaders Energize with Intellect & Enthusiasm
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Leaders Define The Strategy to Realize the Vision
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Leaders Build Thoughtful, Collaborative Teams
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Leaders Choose High Talent
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Leaders Build Diversity of Thought & People
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Leaders Acquire Resources Necessary for Success
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Leaders Inspire, Motivate, Teach, Mentor
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Leaders take Risks and Own Their Mistakes
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Leaders Stretch their Organizations and People
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Leaders Support and Encourage
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Leaders Challenge
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Leaders Pay Attention to the Little Things
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Leaders Embrace Change
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Leaders know how to follow
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Leaders Empower to the lowest level
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Leaders Listen to All Ideas and Debate
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Leaders are Clear and Decisive
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Leaders Instill Values, Ensure Quality Culture
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Leaders are Gentle Critics, looking to build up
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Leaders Balance Short Term with Long Term
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Leaders Treat Everyone with Grace and Dignity
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Leaders Demonstrate Constancy of Style
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Leaders Make Time for their People
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Leaders are Emotionally Intelligent with People
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Leaders Observe Social Intelligence at all times
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Leaders structure Accountability
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Leaders Ensure Proper Organizational Climate
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Leaders Are Liked, Trusted, and Not Feared
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Leaders Expect the Best
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Leaders Reward Achievement
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Leaders Push to the Summit
5 American Democratic Values
CORE VALUES OF AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY
Core democratic values are the fundamental beliefs and constitutional
principles of American society, which unite all Americans. These values
are expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the United States
constitution and other significant documents, speeches, and writing of
the nation. On the following slides you will find definitions of some core
democratic values.
Source: CIVITAS: A Framework for Civic Education, a collaborative
project of the Center for Civic Education and the Council for the
Advancement of Citizenship, National Council for the Social Studies
Bulletin No. 86, 1991. You can obtain a copy of “Civitas” by calling
1-800-350-4223
FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS
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LIFE: The individual’s right to life should be considered inviolable except in certain highly restricted and extreme circumstances, such as the use of deadly force to protect one’s own or others’ lives.
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THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS: It is the right of citizens in the American constitutional democracy to attempt to attain – “pursue” – happiness in their own way, so long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others.
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COMMON GOOD: The public or common good requires that individual citizens have the commitment and motivation – that they accept their obligation – to promote the welfare of the community and to work together with other members for the greater benefit of all.
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LIBERTY: The right to liberty is considered an unalterable aspect of the human condition. Central to this idea of liberty is the understanding that the political or personal obligations of parents or ancestors cannot be legitimately forced on people. The right to liberty includes personal freedom: the private realm in which the individual is free to act, to think and to believe, and which the government cannot legitimately invade; political freedom: the right to participate freely in the political process, choose and remove public officials, to be governed under a rule of law; the right to a free flow of information and ideas, open debate and right of assembly; and economic freedom: the right to acquire, use, transfer and dispose of private property without unreasonable governmental interference; the right to seek employment wherever one pleases; to change employment at will; and to engage in any lawful economic activity.
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JUSTICE: People should be treated fairly in the distribution of the benefits and burdens of society, the correction of wrongs and injuries, and in the gathering of information and making of decisions.
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EQUALITY: All citizens have: political equality and are not denied these rights unless by due process of law; legal equality and should be treated as equals before the law; social equality so as there should be no class hierarchy sanctioned by law; economic equality which tends to strengthen political and social equality for extreme economic inequality tends to undermine all other forms of equality and should there fore be avoided.
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DIVERSITY: Variety in culture and ethnic background, race, lifestyle, and belief is not only permissible but desirable and beneficial in a pluralist society.
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TRUTH: Citizens can legitimately demand that truth-telling as refraining from lying and full disclosure by government be the rule, since trust in the veracity of government constitutes an essential element of the bond between governors and governed.
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POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY: The citizenry is collectively the sovereign of the state and hold ultimate authority over public officials and their policies.
CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES
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RULE OF LAW: Both government and the governed should be subject to the law.
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SEPARATION OF POWERS: Legislative, executive, and judicial powers should be exercised by different institutions in order to maintain the limitations placed upon them.
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REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT: The republican form of government established under the Constitution is one in which citizens elect others to represent their interests.
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CHECKS AND BALANCES: the powers given to the different branches of government should be balanced, that is roughly equal, so that no branch can completely dominate the others. Branches of government are also given powers to check the power of other branches.
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INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS: Fundamental to American constitutional democracy is the belief that individuals have certain basic rights that are not created by government but which government should protect.
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These are the right to life, liberty, economic freedom, and the “Pursuit of happiness.”
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It is the purpose of government to protect these rights, and it may not place unfair or unreasonable restraints on their exercise.
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Many of these rights are stated in: Bill of Rights.
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FREEDOM OF RELIGION: There shall be full freedom of conscience for people of all faiths or none. Religious liberty is considered to be a natural inalienable right that must always be beyond the power of the state to confer or remove. Religious liberty includes the right to freely practice any religion or no religion without government coercion or control.
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FEDERALISM: Power is shared between two sets of governmental institutions, those of the states and those of the central or federal authorities, as stipulated by the Constitution.
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CIVILIAN CONTROL OF THE MILITARY: Civilian authority should control the military in order to preserve constitutional government.
CONSTITUTION - BILL OF RIGHTS SUMMARY
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Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
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Right to keep and bear arms in order to maintain a well regulated militia.
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No quartering of soldiers.
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Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures.
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Right to due process of law, freedom from self-incrimination, double jeopardy.
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Rights of accused persons, e.g., right to a speedy and public trial.
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Right of trial by jury in civil cases.
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Freedom from excessive bail, cruel and unusual punishments.
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Other rights of the people.
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Powers reserved to the states
6 Local Civic Values
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Read Your Local Newspaper for Events, Issues…
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Always Vote in Local, State, National Elections
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Participate in Local Government Meetings, Hearings
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Participate in Your School System, Sports, Activities
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Support Your Courts, Sit on a Jury
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Support Local Businesses
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Participate in Local Associations
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Attend a House of Worship each Sunday
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Support Community Concerts, Fairs, Events
7 Global Values
Our World is more Global now than at anytime in human history.
The worldwide internet has opened up communications between nations, diverse cultures, creeds, and people with nearly complete and instant information at one’s fingertips.
Language Translation Apps easily scale barriers to communication which once kept people apart.
Modern Transportation and friendly relations between countries has opened up travel and the free exchange of ideas, thoughts, and aspirations.
Education is Global.
The Economy is Increasingly International and continues on that growth path with greater integration and the development of financial systems, agreements, and cooperation.
Complementing the Globalization has been the vital development of common Global Values, which provide Guidance to us.
Although a complete and agreed to list of Global Values does not exist; there are some principles we can rally to and share for common good:
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Honor, Respect, and Protect the Sanctity of Human Life
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Govern by Democracy and Freedom from Oppression
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Be Judged by Laws of the People; for the People
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Ensure the Dignity of the Individual Person
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Keep the Internet Free and Open
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Protect Our Earth’s Precious Resources; the Waters we drink, the Air we breath, the Land we grow
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Protect the Diversity of Wildlife and Plants that enrich nature and provide our planet with its unique signature
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Whales, Dolphins, Coral Reefs, Rainforest, Lions, Rhinos, Tigers, Cheetahs, Gorillas, The Oceans, the Meadows, World Fish Stocks, Honey Bees,…
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Endeavor for Peace and the End to All Conflict
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Rid the World of Weapons of Mass Destruction
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Prevent Child Exploitation, Human Slavery, Prostitution
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Eradicate illness and disease on all continents
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Stop Pollution and Melting Glaciers
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Eradicate Hunger
8 About God
Glory to God
Our main inspiration in creating this Website is our desire to Glorify God and His Teachings for Humankind.
Foundational Values are derived from God’s Love for Humanity, as represented in the graced lives and revealed teachings of those God chose to message through, in Our Human History.
God Anointed Prophets through the Ages, to bring Humanity Truth and Direction to Us. And Despite Our Ignorance, Our Penchant to Forsake God’s Love for Worldly Desires, God has been Patient and Enduring.
God’s Love has brought to Us his Only Son, in Jesus Christ, Our Savior and Redeemer.
Through the Living Example of Jesus, Humankind has been Gifted a Clear Understanding of Our Forgiveness, Our Purpose, and the Path necessary For Us to take in order to Achieve Eternal Life.
Not All will Hear and Follow the Teachings, despite God’s Infinite Love for Humanity.
For as said in Matthew 7:13-14”
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Our Path to God Does Require a Few Things of Us:
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Faith in God, and Love God with All Our Being
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Love One Another, as we Love Ourselves
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Through a Free Will Decision, Inviting God into Our Lives, and Asking him to Transform Our Minds & Hearts and Grace Us with the Holy Spirit
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For Each of Us, to Live Every Day, in All Thought and Action, entirely in Faithful Understanding and Accord with the Value Teachings of Jesus Christ Almighty
Who Is Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is God made Man.
In order for an “Imperfect, Fallen Humanity” to be “Justified” in the Eyes of a Perfect God, Humanity Needed to be First Acceptable to Perfection.
God is Not going to Allow an Imperfection into a Perfect World.
It would Be like a person deliberately infecting a nursery of babies with a Virus.
God in his Perfection, shall Always Protect the Sanctity of Perfect Eternal Life.
Therefore, to Accept the “Human Spirit” as Worthy to Enter Eternal Life, God became Man, in Jesus Christ; and by His Infinite Perfect Love, was willing to be Crucified for Us, to “Justify” Us in his Perfection.
In so doing, God thereby made it Possible for Humanity to Gain Eternal, Perfect Life in Heaven.
Upon the Resurrection of Jesus after his Crucifixion, Christ was given Authority Over Humankind and to sit at the Right Hand of God.
Is There A Hell ?
Hell is Eternal Separation from God.
Is that possible ?
Unfortunately, Yes It Is.
If, as a Human Being in Our Earthly Lives, We make “Free Will” Choices to Scorn God and pursue the Opposite of God’s Love: We end up Choosing Death Over Life; and Death is Hell unending.
Know God Does Not Condemn Us; Rather We Condemn Ourselves.
It is not God’s Choice for Us to be Eternally Separated from Him. This is precisely Why He has Taught, Suffered, Died, and Lives For Us.
We However Must Make The Free Will Choice to Love God, And Invite him into Our Hearts; in order to Bring Us Into Eternal Love and Life Everlasting.
9 Reading Links
10 Other
Student's Prayer
Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding.
Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance.
Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally.
Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm.
Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion.
I ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer for Serenity
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it;
Trusting that you will make all things right
If I surrender to your will;
To that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next.
AMEN.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name;
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
Jesus Christ
