Love shouldn’t hurt – ever: – 05/06/20
- Love Shouldn't Hurt - Ever
- Wednesday, 06 May 2020 08:43
Domestic Violence during COVID-19 Pandemic: When Home is not Safe
by Christina Hays
During this time of global pandemic our nation’s leaders urge citizens to stay at home.
Thoughts from The Bible: – 05/06/20
- Thoughts from the Bible
- Wednesday, 06 May 2020 08:39
“Are You A Disciple Of Jesus?”
by Terry Broome
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mt 28:18-20).
Fishing tip of the week: – 04/29/20
- Fishing Tip of the Week
- Tuesday, 28 April 2020 13:46
Bass love edges
by Mike Gerry
As we progress into the post spawn bite nothing can be simpler than locating fish on edges along structure. It is a pattern that has held up for many years once the bass come off the bed. Your knowledge of where to fish and what type of structure can be limited to just finding edges. Doing this gives you a chance, on every cast, to catch a bass. It puts you in position to find bass feeding. Add in edges with a little current, and you can have a great day on the water.
When you have current, structure, grass and the edge of a hump or drop, you have the best opportunity to catch fish and put some really good bass in the boat. It is easy fishing. You do not have to search much. Fair electronics with sonar showing drops and the edges will pay dividends that will put you on the fish. It is bass fishing 101, and the most inexperienced bass fisherman can have some fun, catch some fish and leave the lake with some great memories of their day on the water. Regardless of age, fishing experience or time on the water, you can be a successful bass fisherman by just locating edges and looking for bass. Sometimes the type of edge makes a difference.
One tip I can give you is to be observant when you catch a fish on an edge. Is the edge a steep drop, a gradual drop, does it drop into deep water or into a flat? These are keys to look for that should determine what type of edge you should choose in order to get your next bite. On lakes like Guntersville often the type of grass edge is also a good indicator for you to get the next bite.
Guntersville has several types of grass, milfoil, hydrilla, coon-tail, eel grass and star grass, and many times bass prefer one over the other. It also should be noted that this preference can change daily, so don’t be stuck on one grass type for long periods of time, or many days in a row, as bass will relocate when pressured and change the structure they adhere to. Edges, structure and current are all parts of an easy way to locate bass.
Thoughts from The Bible: – 04/29/20
- Thoughts from the Bible
- Tuesday, 28 April 2020 13:43
A man’s growth toward God
by Terry Broome
One of the great needs of the day is a vision of the possibilities of the soul and how to attain those possibilities. Too many of us are satisfied without growth, blind to what we may become and ignorant of the means of growth. We often fail to visualize the marvelous power God has given us: “The Power To Become The Sons of God!”
This power to grow, to develop, to become, is one of the great characteristics of man as created by God. It elevates him above a brute creation. A monkey will never be anything but a bigger monkey. A tree becomes a larger tree, but mankind has been given by God the power to become more than he or she is. A young bungling surgeon can become the greatest in his field. A young musician can become an artist. Sinners can become sons of God. A babe in Christ has the power to become a spiritual giant in the service of God. John was guided by the Holy Spirit to tell us in John 1:11 – 12 (KJV) 11 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
A world of discovery awaits those who begin and continue this journey with the Lord!! Growth – becoming more than we were yesterday – is designed and intended by God for His children. We’re not speaking of just growth out of sin into salvation. That’s just the beginning. There’s a whole world of possibilities awaiting us in Christ Jesus. Our growth should be toward spirituality maturity.
Ephesians 4:15 (KJV) 15 “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”
Colossians 2:6 – 7 (KJV) 6 “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV) 18 “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
The frustration of not growing, not improving, has its toll secularly and spiritually. This does not have to be the life of the Christian however: 2 Corinthians 4:16 (KJV) 16 “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
It begins when we hear and answer the Gospel Call, “Come unto me…” (Matthew 11:28-30). That’s where it always begins. It’s the discovery that life is more than working in a store, keeping house, or making money (Eccl. 2:1-13). It’s to see that life is a divine vocation. Ephesians 4:1 (KJV) 1 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.” It’s to see that a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things he possesses: Luke 12:15 (KJV) 15 “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” This may be the reason many have made no progress. They have not learned, nor taken this first step. Many haven’t even gotten into the game yet so they’re not running the race.
The author can be reached for comments at 256-574-2489
Love shouldn’t hurt – ever: – 04/29/20
- Love Shouldn't Hurt - Ever
- Tuesday, 28 April 2020 13:39
Child Sexual Abuse
by Teresia Smith
In addition to April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month, it is also recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month. The statistics on the sexual abuse of children are shocking. Some estimates place the prevalence as high as 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys that are sexually abused before their 18th birthday (Aust. Institute of Criminology, 1993). And these are only the reported cases. It is highly likely that you know someone who has been abused. It may have been you.
We teach our children “stranger danger,” but statistics tell us 95% of sexually abused children will know their abuser (Child Protection Council, 1993). The abuser will often be an immediate family member, a close family friend or someone the child has regular contact with.
So how can we protect our children? The most important thing we can do is raise awareness about what comprises child sexual assault and talk to our kids to make sure they feel comfortable telling someone they trust. Just as with adults, child sexual assault covers many things. According to Rainn.org, “Child sexual abuse does not need to include physical contact between a perpetrator and a child. Some forms of child sexual abuse include: Exhibitionism, or exposing oneself to a minor, fondling, intercourse, masturbation in the presence of a minor or forcing the minor to masturbate, obscene phone calls, text messages, or digital interaction, producing, owning, or sharing pornographic images or movies of children, sex of any kind with a minor, including vaginal, oral, or anal, sex trafficking, and any other sexual conduct that is harmful to a child’s mental, emotional, or physical welfare.”
Child sexual abuse isn’t usually something easy to see. Clues that a child is being sexually abused are often present, but they are often hard to identify apart from other signs of childhood pressures. “Explicit physical signs of sexual abuse are not common. However, when physical signs are present, they may include bruising, bleeding, redness and bumps, or scabs around the mouth, genitals or anus. Urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases and abnormal vaginal or penile discharge are also warning signs. Sometimes a child who is being abused will suddenly display signs of depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, express suicidal thoughts, inappropriate sexual knowledge or behaviors, nightmares or bed-wetting” (https://www.d2l.org/education/5-steps/step-1/).
It’s also not easy to recognize a perpetrator. If only they were easy to identify. People who abuse children usually look like everyone else. The majority of perpetrators are someone the child or family knows and trusts. A perpetrator does not have to be an adult to harm a child. They can have any relationship to the child including an older sibling or friend, family member, a teacher, a coach, a babysitter, or the parent of another child. Sometimes, an abuser will choose a single mom and work to gain her trust to be left alone with her children, offering to babysit or take the kids on outings. Sometimes the grooming starts right in front of the mom with rough-and-tumble play or tickle games that make it appear the person is bonding with the child but in fact, these games allow an abuser to sneak in bad touches. It is imperative that we remain vigilant and not allow our children to be in dangerous situations.
Childhood sexual assault impacts everyone and the impact of the abuse continues to affect survivors well into adulthood. It is a root cause of many health and social problems we face in our communities. “Seventy to eighty percent of sexual abuse survivors report excessive drug and alcohol use. One study showed that among male survivors, 50% have suicidal thoughts and more
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