2014 Jeep Compass

February 20, 2014

By Frank S. Washington

DETROIT – In the wake of almost one foot of snow, the 2014 Jeep Compass Limited 4X4 was a welcomed relief.
The test vehicle was equipped with the brand’s Freedom Drive 1 system. It was an all-the-time four-wheel-drive system with a lock mode. In other words, in addition to the regular snow, this Jeep had the capability of handling deep snow.
In the mush and the muck that was left from heavy snowfall that was followed by frigid weather, the test vehicle did not have any problems getting around the streets here. Not once was the lock mode used.
Remote start and heated front seats were much appreciated features when temperatures dipped below 20 degrees. A lot of effort went into creating a passenger cabin that was comfortable and visually pleasing. In other words, the interiors on all trim lines of the Compass have been upgraded.
The seats were comfortable, the UConnect screen dominated the interior but the template materials covering the dash could have been a little bit better but they didn’t look cheap. Gauges in front of the driver had a refined look; you could tell that the design staff gave them a lot of attention.
Saddle brown leather seats with accent stitching were part of the package on the Limited trim lines. Jeep said the armrest and center console lid are now wrapped in vinyl and the instrument cluster overlay graphics have been updated. A new satin chrome finish adorned the center bezel, shifter bezel and cup holders. And a new bin applique with badging round out the interior design upgrades.
The back seats were comfortable and the floor was deep enough to give the seats the feel of chairs. Legs went down to the floor seemingly in a 90 degree angle. The Jeep Compass could carry four full-size people in comfort for long distances.
The 110 volt socket was surprising. Though the USB and auxiliary jacks in the face of the control frame around the UConnect screen seemed a little pedestrian, there is nothing that can be done about it until the electrical architecture is changed with the next generation of subcompact Jeeps.
Powered by a 2.4-liter four cylinder engine that made 172 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque, the Jeep Compass Limited was a pragmatic vehicle. Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, the engine was relatively quiet for a four cylinder.
Transmission shifts were smooth and silent; we didn’t use the manual shift capability. Fuel economy for this variable valve timed engine was 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.
There have been subtle changes made to the sheet metal of the Jeep Compass.
The grille has been enhanced with a plated upper grille trim and mold-in-color Billet Silver grille texture. The Limited model had projector halogen headlamps with a black inner bezel and chrome fog lamp bezels.
The Compass also featured painted mirror caps, taillights with a new “smoked” inner bezel, a plated chrome insert on the tailgate trim applique, new available 18-inch aluminum wheels and a new plated chrome insert with recessed “Jeep” badge on the tailgate trim applique.
In addition to the heated seats and remote start, the test vehicle had a backup camera. There was also a navigation system, Bluetooth, satellite radio, voice commands and tire pressure monitoring were among the vehicle’s equipment.
With a base price of $27,795, the 2014 Jeep Compass Limited 4X4 was a very pragmatic buy. Add on options and freight charges and $30,075 seemed really reasonable for an all-weather utility vehicle.
Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.

ASU mourns loss of student

Birmingham Times

February 19, 2014

MONTGOMERY, Ala.—The Alabama State University Soccer team has lost one of its own when Alexandria Ayers passed away over the weekend from the effects of Lupus in her hometown of Atlanta. Ayers came to ASU in the fall of 2010 and spent the next two seasons as part of the Lady Hornets soccer team. As a junior she sat out the season due to the disease and continued to be a part of the program working with Head Coach Jodie Smith as a student assistant. She stayed home during the spring and fall semesters of 2013 as she continued to battle the disease. Ayers was able to make it back to campus during the fall as the Lady Hornets celebrated Senior/Alumni weekend.

“Anytime a young person passes away so early in life is sad,” Head Coach Jodie Smith said. “But to have it be a member of our team brings home the idea of how important those lifelong friendships and memories you make with your teammates are so precious. “Alex was a very outgoing personality that was all about enjoying life and making those around her smile. She chose to be a part of a growing program and helped build a team! We were better on and off the field for having Alex on our team.”

The family has requested in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Lupus Foundation

A Century of Expression in Life and in Art

Birmingham Times

February 19, 2014

Celebrating Black History

By Alice Bernstein

Inge Hardison, the American sculptor, actress, and photographer celebrated her 100th birthday on February 3, 2014. Her life and work embrace much of African American history, past and present-day, and her contributions to the arts have an energy that is big, thoughtful, and stirring. She is best known for a series of bronze busts, begun in 1963, of African American men and women who courageously fought slavery and led the struggle for civil rights, and who at that time had not yet been acknowledged in the National Hall of Fame in D.C.: Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Dr. Martin Luther King. One sees palpably in her work her great respect for those who helped change history, as in her series, Ingenious Americans, which includes Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) surveyor, clock-maker, mathematician; and Garrett Morgan (1877-1963), inventor of early traffic lights and gas masks, both of which inventions saved countless lives. She also sculpted large public works: a life-size bronze, Mother and Child (her gift to Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan after the birth of her daughter), and abstract figures such as “Jubilee” at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn.

As I considered how to be fair to her long, productive life in a brief article now – followed by a fuller one soon – I thought of these sentences from “Aesthetic Realism and Expression,” a lecture by the great philosopher Eli Siegel:

Whenever we do something, we show what we are and also what we want…. [I]n the same way as it is necessary sometimes to stir things to do a better job of cooking, so it is necessary to have ourselves stirred–because we have to be impressed before we can express ourselves.

As one learns of Ms. Hardison’s life, one sees her desire to express herself, variously, energetically, and also to be affected deeply. Wherever she went, she wanted to give form to an aspect of history which stirred her greatly, notably the suffering and achievements of African Americans. She was born in Virginia in 1914, and soon after, her parents fled Jim Crow racism and segregation, settling in Brooklyn. After graduating from high school, she landed the role of Topsy the slave child in the 1936 Broadway production of “Sweet River,” George Abbott’s adaptation of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Her portrayal of the slave girl whose brutal treatment doesn’t kill the deep kindness in her, won her rave reviews. She played again on Broadway including in “The Country Wife” with Ruth Gordon, and in the 1946 production of “Anna Lucasta,” co-starring with Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee.

In the midst of all this, Inge Hardison discovered clay and was swept by the beauty and power of this substance coming from the earth, and with it her own ability and passion to express herself in this art form. It changed her life. While performing in another play, “What a Life,” she sculpted the heads of the cast members, and the works were exhibited in the Mansfield Theater lobby. In 1942 she attended Vassar, majoring in music and creative writing. There she also gave a song recital and her lyric soprano voice and expressive power was highly praised.

As I must conclude for now, I’d like to mention that I interviewed Inge Hardison last year, while doing research for my oral history project, “The Force of Ethics in Civil Rights” — videotaped interviews with unsung pioneers across the country. The research centered on the very little known history of how Jewish Refugee Scholars, attempting to flee the Nazi Holocaust in the 1930s-40s, were saved by Black colleges in the South who offered them, jobs and safe haven – to the benefit of all. Hampton Institute in Virginia hired one of these refugee scholars, Viktor Lowenfeld from 1939-46. He established the art department and urged his students – among whom was Inge Hardison – to “let expression spring from your environment.”

And so opened a new chapter in the relation of impression and expression in the life of one important, productive, American artist, whose life I look forward to learning about further and having more known.

Alice Bernstein is a journalist, historian, and Aesthetic Realism Associate. “The Force of Ethics in Civil Rights” oral history is a project of the not-for-profit Alliance of Ethics & Art. To learn more: calll (212) 691-2978 or visit online: www.AllianceOfEthicsAndArt.org.

‘No Colors Allowed’ sign raises uproar

Birmingham Times

February 14, 2014

Ann Zaniewski , Detroit Free Press

TAYLOR, Mich. — A sign that hangs outside Beer Belly’s Bar & Grill forbids patrons from wearing motorcycle club and gang colors.
But some people have misinterpreted the words “NO COLORS ALLOWED” to mean the bar doesn’t want Black patrons.
The bar received about 40 phone calls about the sign on Wednesday, a day after a video of it appeared on a man’s Facebook page and spread online like wildfire, said Beer Belly’s co-owner Aaron Stevens. The video is narrated by a male voice that says, “Look at that there, no colored people allowed.”
“Everybody’s asking, ‘Do you guys not allow colored people in the bar, or do you not allow Black people in the bar?” Stevens said Wednesday night. “I keep trying to explain what it’s really about. …
“(A bartender) said she was getting people saying they were going to come in and mess up the bar. One said he was going to kill her and the owner.”
“We’re really the furthest thing from a racist bar. We have a mixed crowd. We have a lot of regulars that are African American.”
Stevens, who co-owns the bar with his dad, Jeff, said they put up the sign when they took over the bar more than three years ago. Other bars in the area have similar signs, he said.
“There’s a lot of bikers in this area, and that’s just to keep the biker gangs (from) getting into it with each other,” he said.
Stevens said Beer Belly’s, which is known for its cheap drinks and tasty food, like the $7.95 Thursday night porterhouse steak dinner, draws all types of people.
“We’re really the furthest thing from a racist bar,” he said. “We have a mixed crowd. We have a lot of regulars that are African American.”
Stevens said the video appeared Tuesday on the Facebook page of a man he doesn’t know. As of late Wednesday night, the post with the video had been shared 4,612 times.
The man talking in the video references prejudice and warns people to be careful, saying, “… they’re going to lynch your a** if you’re darker than me.”
Stevens said he might try to personally reach out to the man.
“It puts a bad image on us, and I hope it doesn’t hurt our business,” he said.

Positive Maturity, Inc. Receives Significant Renewed Federal Funding for Senior Volunteer Program in Four Counties

Birmingham Times

February 14, 2014

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Positive Maturity, Inc. announced the award of over $300,000 to support senior volunteer activities from the Corporation for National and Community Service (the “Corporation”) to be received over three years. Positive Maturity Inc. is a United Way Partner that serves older adults in four counties through civic engagement, social services and employment readiness.
The funds were awarded for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (“RSVP”), one of three Senior Corps programs administered nationally by the Corporation, which is a federal agency, and provided locally by Positive Maturity. RSVP engages older Americans in volunteer opportunities that serve the needs of the volunteer and the community. These volunteers are a critical resource for everything from hunger prevention to natural disaster response. RSVP volunteers provide over 450,000 volunteer service hours annually to their communities in Jefferson, Shelby, Blount and Walker County.

One of 175 competitive Corporation grants to RSVP programs nationally, the RSVP grant is awarded every three years and requires a 50 percent match. With the help of an annual grant from the United Way of Central Alabama, Positive Maturity has provided the RSVP program since 1972.

Positive Maturity will hold its first annual fundraising recognition event, The PM Awards, this July. Fifty individuals over the age of 50 will be recognized for their lifetime achievements, encore careers and civic engagement. The funds will be used to help match grants and to provide services to more seniors as this population grows rapidly.

As Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service stated: “Our communities need the talents and skills of all Americans as we continue moving this nation forward. The dedication of RSVP volunteers shows that service benefits not only organizations, but those who serve as well.”

Musical Notes

Birmingham Times

February 14, 2014

By Esther Callens

A remarkable recording of some incredible jazz is in retail by the fabulous jazz pianist Mike Longo. Live from New York! Mike Longo and the New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble featuring vocalist Ira Hawkins is a rare jewel. In entertainment today, this kind of music is priceless.
The album was recorded live in concert on July 23, 2013. The setting was the John Birks Gillespie Auditorium in the NYC Baha’i Center. Most importantly, when Mike Longo and the New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble took the stage – the atmosphere immediately was supercharged with electricity. Add to this Ira Hawkins’ magnificent vocals and the fireworks sky rocket and light up the night.
Out of the eight melodies on Live From New York, there are only three Mike Longo original compositions. They are ‘Afro Desia”, “Yoko Mama” and “Inner City Hues.” These are nice, not too complex with just the right amount of thunder to be considered classy. The ever so popular Judy Garland classic “Over the Rainbow”, takes an unexpected riff mid-stream – which is quite lovely. Ira Hawkins is featured on this track as well as the mellow “I’m Old Fashion” and the bluesy “Muddy Water.” The set closes on a high note as the upbeat track, “Wee” brings it all home. Only one word is needed to describe Mike Longo’s Live From New York – Fantastic!
Mike Longo was born in Cincinnati. His mother was the church organist and his father was a professional jazz bass player. During the mid-sixties to the early seventies, Mike Longo was Dizzy Gillespie’s pianist. He has performed with countless A-listers. He is one of jazz’s greatest.

Track listing: Whisper Not, Afro Desai, Yoko Mama, Over the Rainbow, I’m Old Fashioned, Muddy Water, Inner City Hues, Wee.
Track Personnel: Trumpets-Chris Rogers, John Replogle, Brian Davis, Waldron Ricks; Trombones-Sam Burtis, Nick Finzer, Nick Grinder, Earl McIntyre; Saxophones-Bob Magnuson, Frank Perowsky, Lee Greene, Mike Migliore, Matt Snyder; Piano- Mike Longo; Bass-Tom Hubbard; Drums-Mike Campenni; Vocals-Ira Hawkins.

Character Contents (conclusion)

Birmingham Times

February 14, 2014

by Electra Adams

Years ago when I was a teenager, a commercial was run on the television which portrayed a Native American Indian shedding a tear as he stood gazing at the new tenants and land owners of America throwing trash from the windows of their cars. America was becoming this largely populated country who was losing her clean air, natural wild life and natural wonders that the Indians once honored and protected. The tear, though it was small and subtle, spoke volumes to the viewers’ consciousness. When I am engaged in conversation concerning the possible views of Dr. King when it comes to the condition of the Black American community, my thoughts tend to slip back to this commercial: now that the Europeans have the land of America, what now? Where do we go now that the day he, Dr. King, saw has come and we have privileges purchased by the blood of many, even his. It brings mental despair; realizing that the times we are in places pressure on our standards, values and concerns, as it also reveals our true character contents.
Some shift the blame of our condition to slave mentality; others declare that we have abandoned our own values and cultures and stepped deeper into a nation’s system as misfits, now that our original purpose no longer exists.
Many are saddened by the fact that our young people slaughter each other in the streets of America; selling each other out and for the price of drugs, a quick dollar. Seeing our little children used as mules, realizing they have become slaves to the demon of greed. To think that precious lives were destroyed for the privilege to walk the streets at night. The new taskmaster still demands lives that he doesn’t own: this taskmaster isn’t necessarily the K.K.K.( a white man), but also a Black man, one among us.
We rose from a world (Africa) to be transplanted in a European culture: a land of religious differences and overtures; language barriers, and hate painted a different color. These are all facts, but WE no longer live on this page of America. Voodoo no longer flaunts itself as the power of the Black American. Many of us truly know the power of the Living God, His kingdom, and how it operates. We are no longer classified as just a religious people with no knowledge or understanding.
Finally, we are not afraid of the ghost of white sheets, we reverence the Holy Ghost. In Him there is no fear! So, what now! Why are we losing so many young people to the streets? Everybody is blaming Somebody. My opinion? Dr. King’s message of Character Contents would probably continue: “We are allowing an enemy from within to do what our enemies from the outside tried to accomplish. Mothers cannot raise children in the streets, and our fathers must retire as Rolling Stones. We must take responsibility for our own actions, and become accountable for the lack of morals and discipline among and in our African American seeds. The hearts of the fathers must return to the children; mothers who do not want to be mothers, who have turned to become abusive to their seed, must return to their knees with prayer, first for themselves in repentance (Malachi 4:6) . The world is not perfect, neither are people in the church; but, they are God’s ordained entities for developing Christian character. Fail not the assembly of yourselves. . For we be BRETHREN! Genesis 13: 8b )….
All said with great love. Until we meet again.
My book, “But, I’m a Mother, and, That’s my Child” is a must read. Get your copy today.
Electra.gethsemaneministries@yahoo.com or 1024 Ethel Ln, B’ham, Ala. 35235.

A Foundation for Living

Birmingham Times

February 14, 2014

Prize and Price of Discipleship

One thing we know about Jesus is He always speaks to us of love but in a few scriptures he uses the word “hate.” It seems contradictory. Let’s try and understand what Jesus meant when He used this strong word.
In Matthew 12: 46-50 of the Bible, the story is told of Jesus’ mother and brothers seeking Him out. The scripture says, “While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
In Luke 14: 25:-27 Jesus again uses the word hate. This scripture reads, “Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
The message of these two scripture references is what I call the Prize and Price of Discipleship. The Prize of discipleship lies within and is worth hating love ones, family and friends and the reward of discipleship is worth hating even oneself. The price of discipleship leads through the cross to our salvation. This leading through the cross is the price that many of us find hard to pay.
There is the story of a man who was staying with a friend. In the morning he saw him going to the garage. He asked him, “Where are you going?” He said, “We have built a small altar in the garage.” They lived in this four-story house but they put the worship of God in the garage! Many of us claim to be followers of Christ but our God lives in the garage or we worship Him Sundays only. It’s this way because we are not willing to sacrifice much for our soul salvation. We all say we want the prize of discipleship but when it comes to paying the price we fall short.
Here is the price. First, the price of discipleship is hating our love ones, family and friends…according to Jesus if they stand between us and eternal life. This is tough. Jesus is clear. Brutally clear! He says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters.” To be my disciple, we must “hate” members of our earthly family and adopt a new family. What does He mean? Jesus says, we must kill our worldly family ties to become part of our spiritual family. Does this mean we need to hate love ones to get into the Kingdom of heaven? When Jesus uses the word “Hate” He is not talking about “hatred!” He is saying to us that we must not become attached to love ones to the exclusion of God. God is love! To love ourselves, love ones and others, we MUST love God first! Again, God is the whole, the universe, the cosmos. How can we love our family without loving God? When we love God, the family and everything else IS included. If we love the family or anything before God, God is excluded. The price of discipleship is to love God beyond, above and before anyone or anything. What profit us to gain the whole world and lose our soul?
Second, the price of discipleship is to hate ourselves and get out of our own way. Jesus says, hate, “even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple. Again, this requires that we NOT be attached to anything in this world including who we see in the mirror, including our own life. This means our ego, arrogant, self-centeredness and selfishness cannot come between us and God. Being humble will not help. Humility can be taught. Renouncing everything will not help. We will die and leave it one day anyway. Losing my attachment to my family helps but “I” remain. The “I” must be dropped! When we become empty God comes in. This requires much prayer, meditation and putting God first.
Last, the price of discipleship, leads through the cross to salvation. We all have our cross to bear no matter who we are. Rich or poor, famous or unknown, powerful or weak, Black, white, blue or green we all must repent, be baptized and come to Jesus just as we are and surrender our life to Him. This is the only way to receive the prize of salvation. And what is that prize? Salvation is freedom from the bondage of death and the assurance of eternal life. Salvation is the freedom to know when our bodies die we have in Him a resting place. Salvation is the freedom to experience God as the anchor of our soul. Freedom to know a mighty fortress is our God. Freedom to know Jesus as our all and all! This is the prize! The price is steep! We must not be attached to anything or anyone. Yes, we love our love ones, the life we live and our stuff and all good things but nothing comes before God and we shall have no other God before Him. This is a small price because one day a man came into the world and gave His life for us. And at His name every knee shall bow and every mouth confess that He is Lord.
Surrender totally to Christ is the price and eternal life is the prize.

Birmingham Water Works’ Provide Tips for Protecting Pipes Utility advises how to prepare pipes for fluctuating temperatures

Birmingham Times

February 14, 2014

(BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – February 7, 2014) – Below are tips the Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB) suggests customers use in preparing their homes during the cold weather and freezing temperatures.
Tips for Protecting Pipes:
• To prevent frozen pipes, the BWWB recommends letting your hot and cold faucets drip overnight, and opening cabinet doors to allow heat to reach uninsulated pipes under sinks on exterior walls.
• Locate the water shut-off valve in your home in advance of a water emergency, so you know where to go if a pipe bursts.
• Disconnect garden hoses and, if practical, use an indoor valve to shut off and drain water from pipes leading to outside faucets.
• If you’re going away for an extended period of time, be sure to maintain adequate heat inside your home at no lower than 55 degrees.
• Don’t place a space heater within three feet of anything combustible.
• Program your local utility contact information into your cell phone now, before you need them.
Tips to prevent water pipes and plumbing from freezing at your home or business:
• Check your property for all exposed pipes that carry water. This includes outdoor faucets, bibs and valves.
• Use foam or wrap insulation (available from plumbing supply and home improvement stores) to protect pipes from freezing. Inspect your existing insulation, especially in areas that are exposed to the elements.
• Temporary insulation (towels, blankets, newspaper, etc.) is better than nothing.
• Seal all areas that allow cold outside air to get in where pipes are located.
• Newer homes may have poly piping in the attic which may also need to be insulated.
• Remove, drain and store outdoor hoses inside.
• Consider letting cold water drip from a faucet during times of extremely frigid temperatures.
• If your dishwasher has a timer on it, consider loading it and programming the cycle for the time of night prior to temperatures dropping below freezing. Similar efforts can be made with indoor washing machines, though these may require a
manual start.
Tips to protect your irrigation system:
• Consult your owner/operator manual for how to “winterize” your irrigation system.
• Insulate the main shut-off valve. Note: If there is none, consider installing a valve as a preventative investment.
• Insulate all above-ground lines and piping.
• Consider whether you wish to shut down automatic controller/timer and shut off water supply to system. This may include draining remaining water and reprogramming operations.
• Consult your owner/operator manual.
Tips for frozen pipes:
• Be patient. There is no quick remedy.
• Any area that is exposed is the likely point where a freeze took place. There may also be more than one frozen spot.
• Pipe(s) will need to gradually warm up. Use something to blow warm air (such as a hair dryer or vacuum cleaner canister) on the frozen section to begin the warming process. Wave the warm air back and forth on the pipe. Keep a faucet in
your home in the ‘on’ position during thawing to prevent a slug of water from going through and causing more damage.
• Do not pour hot water over a frozen pipe or do anything that would cause a rapid rise in temperature (the difference in degrees between that of the frozen pipe and the material used to try to thaw it).
• Do not use open flame torches to thaw due to risk of fire or further damage to pipes.
• If there is a burst or water is already leaking from plumbing, turn off the water at the main supply valve to the home or business.
Remember: When you wrap pipes, the water will be cooler in the summer months and warmer in the winter months. You are also conserving water because its running time is now lessened before it reaches the desired temperature.
If you have to turn off the water to your home or business, do so at the shut-off valve, not at the water meter.
If you need the water meter valve turned off, call the BWWB’s Customer Service at (205) 244-4000. Learn where your shut-off valve is located in case you need to turn off the water in an emergency situation.
Locate your water meter. Most are located at the front of a home or business near the sidewalk or at in the rear, such as an alley.
Remove the lid. Behind the meter, on the side closest to your home or business, you should find either a gate valve or a ball valve. To close a gate valve, turn to the right; to close a ball valve, turn 1⁄4 of the way to the right.
If you cannot see or turn the valve, call the BWWB. We will respond as soon as staff is available. Call our Customer Service number at (205) 244-4000.
Call a plumber for assistance if the break is on your property (between the meter and your home or business or if inside your home or business).
Sources: Environmental Protection Agency and various water utilities.
The Birmingham Water Works serves 600,000 people in Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, St.
Clair and Walker counties. For more information about your Birmingham Water Works
Board, please call us at (205) 244-4000 or visit our Web site at
www.birminghamwaterworks.com.

On Defeating Discouragement

Birmingham Times

February 14, 2014

Psalm 23:1-3

Do you ever feel discouraged? Welcome to the human race. All of us feel discouraged at one time or another. It doesn’t matter what type person we are, weak or strong, poor or rich, educated or uneducated, non-religious or religious. We all get discouraged.
Some are discouraged because they wandered away from God. Like Ruth, they can say, “I wandered away full, but he has brought me back empty” (Ruth 1:21). Some are discouraged because they are tired, some because of criticism, some because they feel unappreciated, some because they feel all alone, and some because they have lost loved ones. To feel discouragement occasionally with reason is normal. To live in discouragement is sick and not pleasing God.
Those of us who are Christians have invisible means of support and encouragement. We can read God’s Word, believe what it says, and act upon it. Psalm 23:1-3 tells us “The Lord is my shepherd,” which means He watches over us. We are like fearful babies tossing and turning in our cribs all the while our loving parents are only a few feet away. He loves us, protects us, and even lays down His life for us. He will lead us to better places.
“I shall not want” simply means that He will provide for all our needs. Not all our whims, wants, or desires, but all that we truly need.
“He makes me lie down in green pastures near still waters.” These are places of plenty and free from danger where we can rest. Jesus often took His disciples apart for rest and renewal.
“He restores my soul” means He will lift me up, strengthen me, and put me back where I was. He alone can, and will do this.
Remember, “. . . weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

Dr. Robert Wilkerson is a minister, writer, and founder of People for the Christian Way, an organization whose mission is to encourage all people to practice Christian principles in business, politics, and every area of life. drbobwilkerson@bellsouth.net, www.peopleforthechristianway.com

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