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A Mind Is a Terrible Thing To Waste

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Every year, New Year resolutions are made. And every year, losing weight is one of the top five on the list. We desire to be fit or to stay fit; so, we start the new year off with health & wellness. As we exercise, our body begins to tone and muscles begin to take shape and form. Bodily exercise is a good resolution; but, does anyone think about exercising their mind as a resolution? The mind needs to be conditioned just like the body. “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” is an educational slogan derived from the United Negro College Fund that should be a fact of life for everyone.

How a person thinks, remembers, and understands has a huge impact on their lives.  As we age, our brain begins to weaken. We need to keep our memory sharp and train our brain with regular exercises as well. Simple things such as reading, listening to music, and basic mind games can help stimulate different areas of our brain. A person can do math in their head, take cooking classes and learn a foreign language to help stimulate their brain as well.

We all need to work-out our mind daily to keep it in tip-top shape. Here are some additional tools that will help exercise the mind:

  • Crossword puzzles
  • Memorize scriptures
  • Play chess
  • Use Memory/Brain fitness apps
  • Tweak routines
  • (involve other senses like touch/smell)
  • Learn new things
  • Use the opposite hand throughout the day
  • Talk to yourself
  • Get vital sleep
  • Create word pictures
  • Take vitamins
  • (omega-3 fats, coconut oil, vitamin B12, vitamin D, probiotics),
  • and of course… Good ‘ole meditation

All of these exercises will strengthen your brain cells, sharpen your motor skills, and improve your decision-making abilities.

So for your 2017 New Year’s resolution, just don’t think about working out the body; but, work out your mind as well. Then, your soul will be strengthened in Jesus name.

 

 

Nevada Revised Statute (NRS 33.018), defines domestic violence as:

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  1. Domestic violence occurs when a person commits one of the following acts against or upon the person’s spouse or former spouse, any other person to whom the person is related by blood or marriage, any other person with whom the person is or was actually residing, any other person with whom the person has had or is having a dating relationship, any other person with whom the person has a child in common, the minor child of any of those persons, the person’s minor child or any other person who has been appointed the custodian or legal guardian for the person’s minor child:

(a) A battery. (b) An assault. (c) Compelling the other person by force or threat of force to perform an act from which the other person has the right to refrain or to refrain from an act which the other person has the right to perform. (d) A sexual assault. (e) A knowing, purposeful or reckless course of conduct intended to harass the other person. Such conduct may include, but is not limited to:

  1. Stalking.
  2. Arson.
  3. Trespassing.
  4. Larceny.
  5. Destruction of private property.
  6. Carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.
  7. Injuring or killing an animal.

(f) A false imprisonment. (g) Unlawful entry of the other person’s residence, or forcible entry against the other person’s will if there is a reasonably foreseeable risk of harm to the other person from the entry.

If you find yourself faced with any of the above scenarios, an order for protection may be for you or someone you love.  An order for protection is a written court order that is designed to stop violent and harassing behavior and to protect you and your children from the abuser. Orders for protection can also be known as protection orders or restraining orders.

There are three types of orders in Nevada: An emergency protective order is an order that you can request by telephone if you are the victim of domestic violence, and the abuser is arrested and put into jail. It lasts for up to one week until a court hearing can be held. To get an emergency protective order, you must call within 12 hours of the abuser’s arrest. Emergency protective orders are convenient because you do not have to appear in court. You can call a justice of the peace court or district court and they will issue the order over the phone and have the police serve the abuser with the order while s/he is in jail. A judge should be available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week in counties whose population is 52,000 or more; in a county with less than 52,000 people, it is optional (not mandatory) for the county to make judges available 24 hours per day.*

A temporary order for protection is an order that can be granted based on your testimony or any evidence you present to the court in your application for a temporary or extended order for protection. If a judge finds that you or your family are in danger of being harmed, s/he can grant a temporary order within 1 judicial day of receiving your application.  A temporary order can last up to 30 days.  However, if you file for an extended order at the same time that you file for the temporary order (or at any time while the temporary order is in effect), the temporary order will last until the date of your hearing for an extended order (which could be up to 45 days from the date you file for the extended order.

An extended order for protection is awarded by a judge only after a hearing in which you and the abuser each have an opportunity to present evidence and tell your different sides of the story.  An extended order lasts for up to one year.  The expiration date should be on the first page of the order.

Oftentimes, it is confusing understanding the differences between civil and criminal cases regarding domestic violence.  In a civil domestic violence action, you are asking the court to protect you from the person abusing you.  You are not asking the court to send that person to jail for committing a crime.  However, if the abuser violates the civil court order, he may be sent to jail for the violation.  In a civil case, you are the person bringing the case against the abuser and (in most circumstances), you have the right to withdraw (drop) the case if you want to.

The criminal law system handles all cases that involve violations of criminal law such as harassment, assault, murder, theft, etc.  A criminal complaint involves the abuser being charged with a crime.  In a criminal case, the prosecutor (also called the district attorney) is the one who has control over whether the case against the abuser continues or not.  It is the county/state who has brought the case against the abuser, not the victim.  It is possible that if you do not want the case to continue (if you do not want to “press charges”), the prosecutor might decide to drop the criminal charges but this is not necessarily true.  The prosecutor can also continue to prosecute the abuser against your wishes and could even issue a subpoena (a court order) to force you to testify at the trial.

To obtain an Order of protection, the correct forms must be filed with the appropriate Court. A Judge reviews the application for the Protective Order and does one of three things; the Judge 1) Signs the Order granting protection; 2) Denies the Order and does NOT grant protection; or 3) Orders a hearing to determine whether the Order should be granted.  Once a Judge signs an Order of protection and dependent upon the type of Order granted, the Adverse Party may need to be notified before the Order goes into effect.

For additional assistance please contact an attorney, The Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada or the Family Division of the District Court where you reside.

 

 

Trusting God with Finances

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Happy New Year!  The New Year marks a perfect opportunity to make a fresh start and do things differently in an effort to better ourselves.  That’s why so many people have New Year resolutions.  The beginning of the year is a convenient and, seemly so natural, a place to start when one wants to set new goals to accomplish for the New Year. We set all types of goals ranging from vows to get more exercise to doing something for charity and everything in between.  As Christians, we often set goals that sound like, “I’m going to take better care of my body this year”, or “I want to read the bible from cover-to-cover this year”.  I would think those are fairly common resolutions.  But when was the last time you heard someone say, “You know, this year, I want to trust God more with my finances?”

But what does that even mean?  What does it mean to trust God more with one’s finances?  Some would argue that it is a reference to one increasing their giving (i.e. tithes and offerings).  Some believe that if a person, simply, is more consistent with their giving of tithes and offerings, they are showing more faith and they will be blessed financially.  It’s that straightforward; right?  But I don’t think it’s that simple.  Here are a few reasons why…..

  1. Tithes and offerings are only a portion of the money God gives us.  God has declared 10% of our earnings are His and 90% of our earnings we are to manage wisely.  What are we doing with the 90%?  As the proverb reads, “a fool and his money are soon parted.”  If God is given His 10% and we waste the other 90%, can we expect God to bless us with more?
  2. Financial situations improve with a change in behavior or money habits.  For there to be a change in behavior, the old habits must be replaced with new habits.  How do we decide what habits are good and/or bad and what will replace the bad ones?
  3. There just is not enough money to do everything we want to do.  We are given a limited amount of money to steward.  So, if tithes and offerings are to be given, something else must be sacrificed.  But, how does a person choose what goes unpaid?  How is a person to prioritize their money?

My point is trusting God with our finances is more extensive than giving tithes and offering; there is more to consider.  Tithes and offerings are only a small part of our fiduciary responsibilities.  It is all God’s money and we are responsible for handling all He has entrusted to us and not just the portion we are to give to the church.  God will be faithful to His Word, but he expects us to do our part.

So if you are looking to trust God more with your finances, you have to evaluate all your finances honestly. Often, especially when it comes to money, we are afraid to see how bad things really look.  And sometimes we have no idea how bad thing really are due to our ignorance!  Either way, we have to face the truth and get help.  The bible tells us to seek wise counsel (Prov. 1:5, Prov. 12:15, Prov. 19:20), and at Mountaintop, we offer the Financial Peace classes to help meet the financial needs of the people.  There is so much we don’t know and it’s evident because we are not prospering!  There is help available, but we can’t let our pride stand in the way and block us from our future!  If pride caused Satan to fall from heaven, it will definitely keep you from financial prosperity.  Have a happy New Year and God bless.

 

I BELIEVE GOD

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Mark 9:24 

24) The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (NLT)

Have you ever found yourself, believing God and crying at the same time?  Standing between Faith and Failure, Doubt and Desire, Quitting and Conquering?  When you find yourself in the Faith cross road, you must remind yourself that you are in the perfect place for God to turn your situation around in your favor.  Most times, when we find ourselves locked in the middle of our circumstances and changes, we can link the dilemma to something that is dear to our hearts, i.e. our children, jobs, spouses, relationships, our ministries, etc.  When your heart is pressed with the decision to Trust God or not, somehow we find ourselves crying out …I Believe God, in spite of what it feels or looks like; our spirit man, will not allow us to faint in our days of adversity.  Just like this Father who was shattered by the condition of his child, Jesus asked him one question: “How long has this been happening? He was not questioning the parent because He did not know, Jesus wanted to hear how long had they been struggling in their Faith?   The Father replied, since he was a child!  Then he said, have mercy on us and help us if you can.  Jesus comment was life changing: “Anything is possible if a person believes.”  The scripture says the Father “Instantly” cried out!

I want to encourage you in your Faith walk that one instant cry of belief will shift your entire life.

Key #1 When you brought your problem to Jesus, you can Trust Him with it.

Key #2 Remove your emotions from the problem because it is delaying the process.

Key #3 Never be ashamed to bring your crisis to your God.

Key #4 Shift your perception, do not magnify your crisis larger than your answer.

Key #5 It only takes a decision to believe God.

Key #6 God only sees your life futuristically, so you need to confess the change you want to see.

Final Key:  Your belief in God should never be predicated on how you feel.  Often, when you are waiting for the circumstance to change it get worse before it gets better.

You must be determined that in 2017 you will Believe God, practice your daily confession, Matthew 19:26 “with God all things are possible” you are setting the standard for the rest of your year and the years to come, you are shifting your faith to another level. So put your hope in God and anchor your faith and say I BELIEVE GOD…

B.E.L.I.E.V.E ~ BECAUSE EMMANUEL LIVES I EXPECT VICTORY (in) EVERYTHING
Pastor Clinton House