2014 Buick LaCrosse AWD

January 31, 2014

By Frank S. Washington

DETROIT – The LaCrosse was the first car that signaled Buick was serious about making a comeback in the U.S. market.
In 2009, the LaCrosse’s styling made a quantum leap forward that put it in line with the Buick Enclave crossover vehicle that resurrected the brand. And even though the LaCrosse’s styling hasn’t been changed significantly since 2009, the sedan is still a stunner.
For 2014, the styling has been tweaked a bit with winged shaped LED accent lighting in the front and wrap around taillights with LED lights in the rear. The interior has been spiffed up with new seats, four-way adjustable headrests and the car has the latest technology like the next generation of IntelliLink that included smartphone connectivity and voice controls.
Buick said: “In addition to easily identifiable icons covering everything from navigation to phone to music apps such as Pandora, next-generation IntelliLink is designed to accommodate new features and enhancements and be highly customizable. It also features natural language voice recognition, which allows customers to safely place calls, enter destinations, browse media, play music and control other functions simply by telling the vehicle what to do.”
But what really set the LaCrosse apart from other midsize sedans is the ambiance of quality that is part of Buick’s heritage.
The car was spacious with plenty of head and legroom fore and aft. With a wheelbase of 111-inches, the LaCrosse was sizable for a midsize sedan but not so big as to be cumbersome on the road.
In effect, the car could be comfortable on long haul trips or in the aggravating stop and go mess of rush hour traffic. And that holds true for up four passengers.
Equipped with a 3.6-liter V6, the engine made 304 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque and moved the 2014 Buick LaCrosse down the pavement with authority on surface streets or the expressways here.
What Buick has branded as QuietTuning meant that gear shifts weren’t heard or felt. Contributing to the ambiance of the car was the near silence of the passenger cabin. Indeed, the Buick LaCrosse felt like what it is – a premium sedan.
One of the few quibbles with the car was that the ambient interior lighting could have been used a little more liberally and it could have been more pronounced (read brighter) in a subdued sort of way.
It snowed during the weeklong test drive but it wasn’t enough to really test the 2014 Buick LaCrosse’s all-wheel-drive system. Capable of sending 90 percent of the car’s torque to the rear wheels, the 2014 Buick Lacrosse is front-wheel-drive, for the most part, under normal driving conditions.
Still, the car handled well, avoided the potholes and the divots of winter worn streets here and the LaCrosse was really easy to drive with its electronic power steering.
The test vehicle was chock full of equipment.
Its leather package included heated and cooled front seats and an eight-way power front passenger seat. The heated steering wheel, pushbutton lock/unlock as well as start and stop, and the remote start systems must really sell well in northern states.
Of course, the test model was equipped with OnStar which offers more services than will be listed here. But the live concierge in this day of automated and digitized voices is a person-to-person service that is becoming rare.
The car had two of what Buick called driver confidence packages. The first included forward collision alert, rear cross traffic alert and blind side warning alert. There was also a heads-up display and front fog lamps.
The second confidence package included adaptive cruise control, a sunroof with fixed second row skylight, navigation and select Bluetooth streaming. That means the audio system could play some of the apps on your smartphone including Pandora.
With a base price of $39,885, the 2014 Buick LaCrosse was reasonably priced. Add on $5K worth of options along with its $925 freight charge and at $46,670, the premium sedan was on the same tier as other quasi luxury brands and in some instances it was better.

Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.

Stark Exterminators Shares Their Top Five Most Lovable Bugs

Birmingham Times

January 27, 2014

Every Valentine’s Day our romantic spirit is rekindled and we are reminded to show our love and appreciation for those we hold dear. This year, Stark Exterminators wants to you save some of that love for a few special insects that are cute, romantic and even provide a few benefits!

“While our primary focus is protecting our customers from the very real threats that pests pose to both health and property,” said Shay Runion, Stark Pest Expert, “it is also important to remember that there are many beneficial insects that improve our quality of life as well.”

1.       Ladybugs: A perennial favorite, Ladybugs again top the list. Not only are they adorable and bring good luck, they provide a sustainable solution to keeping real pests out of your garden.

2.       Fireflies: Fireflies are the ultimate love bug, using their soft glow like candlelight to attract new mates and what could be more romantic than collecting them on a warm summer night. They are usually found in humid climates, especially near ponds, streams and marshes.

3.       Dragonflies: This beautiful four-winged flyer deserves a lot of love, especially if you don’t like mosquitoes! Unchanged since dinosaurs roamed the earth, dragonflies usually take up residence in common mosquito breeding areas and then they feed on them helping control the local population. Mother Nature definitely got this one right!

4.       Crickets: Crickets might be the most romantic insect of all. Only the male crickets chirp and in their quest to the perfect mate, they produce an orchestra of romantic ballads to woo female crickets and repel other males. Additionally, after a successful mating, they will chirp a song of celebration.

5.       Honeybees: There are many reasons to love this insect. They are social in nature and produce a yummy sweet treat we all enjoy! Additionally, they pollinate beautiful flowers, many that are given at Valentine’s Day and also more than 100 different crops across the United States, including apples, squash, soybeans and nuts.

Stark protects homes from infestations of real pests with the STEPS^® Total Protection System™, an industry-leading process that utilizes Integrated Pest Management. STEPS includes a full home and property evaluation to pinpoint pest control issues; identification of not only the pest, but the true cause of the problem; and treatment in the most environmentally responsible way to alleviate current issues and to help prevent future recurrences.

Consumers interested in protecting their homes from pests may obtain additional information at www.Starkexterminators.com. Additionally, consumers can contact Stark for a free whole home evaluation at 855-782-7566.

Waters, Brown Lead Hornets’ Comeback Over UAPB

Birmingham Times

January 23, 2014

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Jamel Waters tied his career-high with 27 points and Bobby Brown added 17 as Alabama State came from 12 points down to defeat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 77-64 in an important Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) game.
ASU (9-6/3-1 SWAC) trailed by 12 in the first half before using 22-9 run that ended the first half and went through the first four minutes of the second half to get back into the game. The Hornets took a 40-39 lead after an old fashioned three point play from Brandon Graham. It was ASU’s first lead since scoring the first basket of the game to lead 2-0.
“We knew they had a lot of veteran players coming back and they are a real seasoned ball club,” Head Coach Lewis Jackson said. “It was a great win for us because of the experience they have. They know what they are doing and run it very well and they do all their schemes on defense very well.”
“They had us rattled there in the first half. They had us in a hurry to do things and we had a talk at halftime to settle down a little bit and we got things going our way.”
Even though ASU fought their way back into the game, neither team led by more than three points over the next 10 minutes. UAPB’s Shawn Tingle scored with 5:46 left in the game to even the game at 58, but just like the end of the first half, ASU closed out the game outscoring UAPB 19-6 for the final 13 point win.
Waters and Brown energized the run with Waters scoring seven points during the run and Brown adding nine points on three consecutive three point field goals to put the game away.
“Bobby is our shooter,” Jackson said. “He is our best three point shooter and if he has an open look and it is within our offense he can take those shots. The thing about him is he believes he is going to make every shot he shoots and that is a good thing for us because with that type of confidence you will get shots to fall for you.”
DeMarcus Robinson struggled from the field but finished with 11 points joining Brown and Waters in double digits. Maurice Strong came close to his second consecutive double-double finishing the game with nine points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Not only did Waters score a lot of points, he once again got everyone involved in the game finishing with a game-high seven assists. He also played solid defense and had a game-high four steals. He was an iron man that night as he played all 40 minutes.
Marcel Mosley scored 18 points, all in the first half, as the Hornets held him in check in the second half. Davon Haynes joined Mosley with 18 points of his own and Tevin Hammond scored 10. Hammond was UAPB’s leading scorer coming into the game but only hit two of his 10 field goal attempts.
ASU shot 59 percent in the second half to off-set their struggles in the first half and finished shooting 47 percent from the field for the game. The Hornets also connected on nine of their 22 three point field goals for 41 percent and hit 21 of their 28 free throws for 71 percent.
ASU’s defense held UAPB (4-11/2-1 SWAC) to 41 percent shooting in the second half and 44 percent for the game. They were able to force 17 turnovers and turned those into 21 points.
“They had us back on our heels and it seemed everyone was in foul trouble so we were just putting guys in,” Jackson said. “We told them to just play hard and make good decisions with the basketball and it would work for us, and guys got into it and put their body on people and got rebounds and we made some small runs. Everybody has a job to do when they hit the floor so we expect everyone to do that when they get an opportunity to play.”
UAPB came out on fire to open the game with hitting four of their first five shots and all four were three point field goals. UAPB went on to lead by as many as 12 at 30-18 with 5:48 left in the half.
The Hornets were able to fight their way back into the game by halftime out- scoring UAPB 13-6 from that point on to only trail 36-30 heading into halftime.
ASU struggled shooting the ball against the taller Golden Tigers and finished the half only shooting 38 percent from the field and hit 23 percent of their three point attempts. ASU also struggled at the line only hitting five of their nine attempts.
Waters led ASU’s scoring effort with 10 points and Robinson had seven.
Mosley, who came into the game averaging 9.7 points per game, scored 18 in the opening half and Haynes added 11.
By comparison, UAPB hit 46 percent of their field goals in the opening 20 minutes, and hit 40 percent from beyond the three point line. They were also able to get to the free throw line 16 times where they hit 10.
The Hornets will host their final game of the three game home stand when they host rival Alabama A&M Saturday, Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. The game can be seen live on HornetVision and can be heard live on WVAS 90.7.

Alpha Phi Alpha Founder’s Day

Birmingham Times

January 23, 2014

At the 107th Founder’s Day program held Dec. 4, 2013, Birmingham City Councilor, Brother Steven W. Hoyt (l) and Brother Heager L. Hill, LHD, (middle) received a “Certificate of Recognition” for Excellence in Public Service.
Brother Michael German, Director, Bham Field Office, U.S. Dept HUD® presents the award.

Creflo Dollar’s 2014 Annual ‘Change Experience’ Tour Goes International Comes to Birmingham Soon

Birmingham Times

January 23, 2014

Michael Smith to join Dollar in two cities to ignite life-change in thousands

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. – Creflo Dollar, pastor, teacher and founder of Creflo Dollar Ministries (CDM), has announced that his annual “Change Experience” 2014 schedule will expand beyond U.S. borders. The conference series that has drawn thousands in previous venues will be offered next year in Tallahassee, Fla.; Birmingham, Ala.; Dallas, Texas; Montego Bay, Jamaica and Toronto, Ont., Canada.
Dollar, pastor of the 30,000-congregation World Changers Church International in the Atlanta area, will be joined in Tallahassee and Birmingham by guest speaker Michael Smith, founder and senior pastor of THE CHURCH Group Worldwide.
“Change Experience” conferences are free and open to the public.
“The critical component missing in the lives of searching people is a willingness to embrace and experience true change that only Christ can bring,” said Dollar. “The time is now for people to forsake worry and fear, rise above their problems and step out in faith that God imparts to those seeking a better way.”
The 2014 “Change Experience” was held January 9-10 in Tallahassee; is scheduled May 1-2, Birmingham; June 11, Montego Bay; August 14-15, Toronto; and October 16-17, Dallas.
Dollar, nationally known preacher and motivational speaker, founded World Changers Church International in College Park, Ga., in 1981. In addition, World Changers Church-New York is home to 6,000 weekly worshippers. More than 25 WCC fellowship churches are established across the nation. Creflo Dollar Ministries sponsors a “Change Experience” tour annually and began its first “Grace Initiative” earlier this month in Montgomery, Ala.
With more than 25 years of ministry service, Smith began at age 16 at World Changers Church International, where he eventually served as youth pastor, associate minister, chief of staff and director of International Covenant Ministries. In December 2002, he and his wife planted the first community church of THE CHURCH Group Worldwide in Jacksonville, Fla., a ministry that is shared globally through worldwide television and media, leadership development and I-CHURCH, the Internet congregation of THE CHURCH Group Worldwide.
“Change Experience” conferences are designed to inspire people to rise above problems common to all through the wisdom of the Word of God. The conferences feature inspirational music, worship and teaching to encourage those who attend to power through trials and find the path to triumphant living.
In each “Change Experience” venue city, Creflo Dollar Ministries is dedicated to presenting a major financial gift to a local nonprofit ministry that is benefiting people in the community on this road to changing lives.
Each of the 2014 conferences, with the exception of the conference in Montego Bay, opens with an evening session of worship and teaching on Thursdays and a full day of morning, afternoon and evening sessions on Fridays.
To reserve seats or receive more information, visit www.creflodollarministries.org or call (866) 477-7683.
Creflo Dollar is founder and senior pastor of World Changers Church International (WCCI) in College Park, Georgia, which serves over 30,000 members, and World Changers Church-New York, which hosts over 6,000 worshippers each week, as well as many fellowship churches located throughout the U.S. With over 30 years in ministry, Dollar is committed to bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to people all over the world, literally changing the world one person at a time.

Justin’s Story: Finding A Partner For The Journey Of Recovery

Birmingham Times

January 23, 2014

(NAPSI)—Justin McKinley thought he was holding it together, even as he battled delusional thoughts and paranoia. In 2009, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but Justin had a difficult time accepting his condition—he was depressed, angry and didn’t want to listen to his family, friends and doctor, or take his medication.
“There was just a lot of turmoil going on in my life,” recalls Justin, 28, who had left college and had become homeless. His life had hit rock bottom.
Justin, who is known to family and friends as a jokester with a contagious laugh, loves to express his imagination and creativity through art and music.
He especially values his friendships and is grateful that his friends stayed by his side even when his illness interfered with doing the things they all enjoyed, such as playing video games, shopping, and making music.
After his diagnosis, his friends noticed that Justin was not himself when he didn’t take his medication and had a heart-to-heart talk with him. They were afraid that if he did not seek help, their relationship would deteriorate. This frank conversation helped Justin come to terms with his diagnosis and recognize the importance of following his doctor’s orders.
Today, Justin lives independently. And while his friends have made a huge difference in his journey of recovery, so, too, has his nurse.
Fredrico James, RN, is certified in crisis intervention and prevention and as a medication assistant supervisor. He currently works as the clinical assistant to the medical director at Birmingham’s Jefferson-Blount-St. Clair Mental Health Authority in Alabama, where he educates patients and caregivers on symptom management, medication, recovery and community resources.
Fredrico, who goes by Rico, met Justin four years ago through a homeless services program. Over time and as a result of Rico’s warm and open demeanor, Rico became a key member of Justin’s treatment team.
Justin says of his nurse, “He’s very down-to-earth and caring. I feel lucky to have been introduced to Rico. People with schizophrenia don’t always have a health care provider who sees them as more than a patient or who talks about more than medication or symptoms.”
Rico sees himself “as a cheerleader.”
“I believe Justin and all patients should know that there are people who care about how they are doing—both in recovery and in their personal lives,” he says.
Justin and Rico have worked together to make decisions about Justin’s recovery, such as choosing a long-acting injectable (LAT) medication to treat Justin’s symptoms. This conversation was then brought to Justin’s psychiatrist, who agreed to review the risks and potential benefits with Justin.
“Patients and their health care providers should have a dialogue to choose—together—the best treatment plan. I’ve heard from some patients that they hadn’t been offered certain treatment options or weren’t given a choice in the decision—that was the case for Justin,” Rico says. “It is so important for patients to talk to their health care providers to learn about all available treatment options and find the one that is right for them.”
Their relationship has enabled Justin to become an active participant in his journey of recovery and to accept his diagnosis. Since meeting Rico, Justin says he is happier and takes comfort in knowing someone is rooting for his progress, understands his struggles and won’t judge him on those days when he feels he has come up short.
For more information on Justin’s story, visit www.TreatOnceMonthly.com. The site also provides resources for individuals living with schizophrenia to help them understand treatment options and choose a medication that is right for them with the help of a health care professional.
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., provided the content for this article.

From the sidelines

Birmingham Times

January 23, 2014

2014 Range Rover Sport V8: Pure Luxury

Birmingham Times

January 23, 2014

by Cheryl Eldridge

I really enjoy the finer things in life. As the Bible says: For there is no respect of persons with God.
My one-week ride with a Fuji white and black 2014 Range Rover Sport V8 was like a dream come true. Not only does it drive well, it’s very attractive and my son loved it. He enjoyed his weekly pickup in front of his peers and also enjoyed watching the DVD which is inside of the driver’s and passenger’s headset from the rear.
The 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is completely redesigned.
Although off-road capabilities have always been part of the Range Rover Sport’s appeal, owners of this midsize luxury SUV typically spend more of their time driving in town than they do fording streams or climbing over rocks. The first-generation Sport catered to that reality, as it was more on-road-focused than its bigger brother, the Range Rover.
But the original Range Rover Sport was also heavy, even by SUV standards, and that dragged down fuel mileage and kept it from feeling truly sporty around turns. Moreover, while its interior was nice enough, it wasn’t as richly furnished as some rivals in this class. The company has addressed all these issues in the fully redesigned 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. It should be right up your alley if you’re looking for a do-it-all utility vehicle loaded with high-end ambience.
The improvements on the 2014 Range Rover Sport begin with a significant diet. Thanks to a new all-aluminum chassis shared with the standard-size Range Rover, it has lost more than 700 pounds by Land Rover’s estimates. This, along with a new eight-speed automatic transmission, results in higher fuel economy ratings. And if the supercharged V8 is still too thirsty for you, there’s a new supercharged V6 that uses less fuel.
Land Rover has also applied many of the Range Rover Evoque’s design cues to the Sport, which now looks sleek, attractive and expensive. Looks do not deceive either, as the 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport costs quite a bit more than either the BMW or Lexus, or the Mercedes-Benz M-Class. Only the X5 will keep up with the Range Rover Sport on a curvy road, though.
The 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is a midsize five-passenger SUV with an optional third-row seat that increases capacity to seven. It’s available in two trim levels: SE and Supercharged. Within each trim, there’s a major option package (HSE and Autobiography, respectively), and certain other options are only available when this package is equipped.
Standard features on the SE trim include 19-inch alloy wheels, automatic xenon headlights, power-folding heated mirrors, a self-leveling air suspension, front and rear parking sensors, a power liftgate, keyless ignition/entry, 14-way adjustable power front seats, front seat memory settings, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, leather upholstery and dual-zone climate control. Also standard are a voice-controlled navigation system, an 8-inch touchscreen display, a rearview camera, Bluetooth and an eight-speaker sound system with a 10-CD changer, auxiliary audio jack and USB/iPod integration.
The HSE option package adds 20-inch wheels, foglights, a panoramic sunroof, upgraded perforated leather upholstery, wood or metal interior trim and heated front seats.
My tester, the Supercharged trim level includes all of the standard SE and HSE equipment, plus a V8 engine; a more sophisticated four-wheel-drive system (with low-range gearing and a rear limited-slip differential); an upgraded suspension with both adaptive damping and roll stabilization; and steering-wheel paddle shifters for the transmission.
Adding the Autobiography package provides 21-inch wheels, adaptive headlights with automatic high-beam control, 14-way adjustable ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, an upgraded instrument panel, three-zone climate control, a front-console cooler compartment, a surround-view camera system, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, auto-dimming exterior mirrors, and a 19-speaker Meridian sound system with satellite and HD Radio.
Many of the items in the Autobiography package are available in smaller option packages on other Range Rover Sports. The Climate Comfort and Visibility package for the SE bundles the adaptive headlights, heated front and rear seats, and heated steering wheel. A more elaborate version of this package for the HSE and base Supercharged trim has all of the above equipment, plus 14-way adjustable power heated front seats and the front-console cooler, while the Luxury Climate Comfort and Visibility package provides all of that plus ventilated rear seats and four-zone climate control (these items can purchased separately for the Range Rover Sport Autobiography). The 19-speaker Meridian audio system is available on all these trims as well, and HSE, base Supercharged and Autobiography models are also eligible for a 23-speaker Meridian surround-sound system.
The Vision and Convenience package for the SE, HSE and base Supercharged model combines the surround-view camera system, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts and an automated parallel-parking system. The parking system is a stand-alone option for the Autobiography. Base versions of the Supercharged model can be equipped with the Dynamic package, which includes 21-inch wheels, perforated leather upholstery, upgraded instrumentation and various cosmetic upgrades.
A third-row seat is optional on all versions of the 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, and on the base SE, it’s paired with 20-inch wheels. Stand-alone options for all trim levels include 22-inch wheels, all-speed adaptive cruise control with emergency braking, a rear entertainment system and a towing package (late availability).
The 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is available with two supercharged engines. Standard on all SE models is a 3.0-liter V6 rated at 340 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. Range Rover Sport Supercharged models come with a 5.0-liter V8 that develops 510 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque. Both engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
All Range Rover Sport models also come with full-time four-wheel drive, hill descent control, hill start assist and Land Rover’s Terrain Response system. The SE comes standard with a light-duty, single-speed 4WD system, while the Supercharged model is equipped with a two-speed transfer case that provides high- and low-range gearing for more serious off-roading. This system is optional on SE models. Terrain Response features driver-selectable modes and optimizes the vehicle’s powertrain, suspension and electronics for increased traction in gravel, snow, mud, sand and on rocks. Supercharged models have an additional dynamic mode that optimizes handing on pavement.
Land Rover says the V8-equipped Range Rover Sport can sprint from zero to 60 in 5.0 seconds, while the V6 covers the same ground in a claimed 6.9 seconds. EPA fuel economy estimates for the V6 version are 17 mpg city/23 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined, while the V8 is rated at 14/19/16 mpg. These estimates are average among comparable V6- and V8-equipped midsize luxury SUVs. A properly equipped Range Rover Sport with either engine can tow up to 7,700 pounds, according to Land Rover.
Safety for the 2014 Range Rover Sport comes standard with antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, front-seat side airbags, and first- and second-row side curtain airbags. Also standard are front and rear parking sensors and a rearview camera.
Available safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera system, blind-spot monitoring system and rear cross-traffic detection. The adaptive cruise control includes an emergency braking feature that automatically applies the brakes if a collision appears imminent.
Overall, the interior feels much higher-end than the previous Range Rover Sport’s cabin. Land Rover has eliminated the questionable plastic pieces, and the abundant leather surfaces and wide variety of interior customization options make the 2014 Range Rover Sport feel more sophisticated and worthy of its lofty base price.
The highly adjustable front seats are comfortable and provide plenty of support. You sit lower than you do in the standard Range Rover and the center console is higher, too, adding to the “cockpit” feel, but visibility is still excellent for an SUV. The pop-up gear selector knob from the previous Sport has been replaced by a conventional shifter on the console, and V8 models have paddle shifters mounted on the back of the steering wheel.
The third row of seating is only intended for use by small adults or children, as the legroom is quite tight. And when you don’t need the space for passengers, folding the rear seats flat is an easy one-button affair. Cargo capacity remains low for this class, with 27.7 cubic feet of space behind the second row and a maximum volume of 62.2 with the second-row seats folded.
My tester was $92,285. Now that’s loaded!
Until next week, drive safe, buckle up, don’t text and drive and be kind to one another.

MY FRIEND JESUS – PART II

Birmingham Times

January 23, 2014

“You are my friend if you do what I command” (John 15:16).

“Let me out at the next corner,” the boy said, as he was riding with four of his friends. Several of them asked why he wanted to get out of the car. “Are you chicken?” The 15-year-old ignored their questions, and said a bit more forcibly, “Please let me out!” The car pulled over to the curb. He climbed over one of his friends and got out. “See ya’ later,” he said to them, turning and walking away as the car sped off. The group was going to a party where teenage boys and girls would be drinking beer and whisky, dancing, and eventually pairing off for sex. As he rode with them, an inner voice said to him, “This is wrong. You’re a Christian. Don’t do this.” That’s why, in spite of peer pressure, he got out of the car.
As verse two in the old hymn, ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus” tells us, He can help us in our trials and temptations. Jesus helps us by warning us. Temptations don’t sneak up on Christians. We recognize them when they come.
In addition to the inner voice, the Bible tells us how to avoid being overcome by temptation. Surprisingly, it doesn’t tell us to confront it, take it on, or fight it. It simply says run from it, avoid it, don’t go near it. The inner voice we have as Christians will warn us, but it is up to us to avoid it.
It may help us also to remember what God tells us in I John 3:4, “Greater is he (Jesus) that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

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

Got Soul Food?

Birmingham Times

January 23, 2014

by Electra Adams

Man was created to live forever. Adam lost his right to eternal life as a natural man, thus giving up his soul. Jesus, becoming our Ransom, redeemed the right, restoring the soul of man; by his choice of course (John 3:16)!
The following excerpts are great food for the soul….And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? The soul, housing the mind, will and emotions is truly the last great, unexplained realm on earth. Its fertile soil is enriched with divine substance, which is far more precious than all the wealth in the world. It is the essence of who you really are. “Though man has traversed the earth, built the most impressive buildings to protect himself from most foreboding mountains, fought the greatest battles, defied the most devastating natural disasters, harnessed electricity and fired rockets into outer space, we are still on a quest to find answers that are locked only within the soul of himself.
“It is not what goes in a man that defiles him, but what comes out, ( T.D. Jakes).” People all around the world are trying to find out just who they really are; to get to know who God has designed them to be. Many are seeking their authenticity and originality. There can be look-a-likes, sound-a-likes and even duplicates, but never another original you. If you sometimes feel you are not fully using your strengths and talents, or that your work is no longer meaningful or challenging, you may be facing a crossroads of life.
Taylor Caldwell wrote, “The most desperate need of men today is not a new way of life, vaccine, or religion. Man needs none of these… His real need, his most terrible need is for someone to listen to him, not as a patient, but as a human soul.
Mohandas Gandhi stated, “To deprive a man of his natural liberty, is starvation of the soul.”
The soul is not the body, but is contained within a physical body, a body created from the earth to interact with and function in the physical realm. The body is tempered and earth-bound, the spirit is eternal and heaven-bound, the spirit is eternal and heaven-bound. These two planes of existence come together in the human soul. The great battle of heaven and earth, kingdom of darkness and kingdom of Light are for the souls of humanity. These battles not only waged in our souls, but for our souls. The word soul comes from the Hebrew word [nephesh] which refers to a breathing, thinking being with passion, appetite, and emotions. The soul gives us a sense of individualism so that we can distinguish ourselves from other souls.
Dr. Cindy Trimm’s book The Soul Fast has enlightened many. I found it to be amazing that many of us are soul winners, but are not sure as to what we are saving or winning. Man has but one soul; he can house many spirits, which by authority of the Holy Spirit can be cast out. No one can cast out a soul.
This has been food for the soul.
Get your copy of my books today! Synagogues of Satan, and ‘Broken Pieces’ electra.gethsemaneministries@yahoo.com. Visit at 1024 Ethel Lane, Trussville, Al 35235…Until the next time…Good health, great wealth and the wisdom to keep both in 2014!

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