The first presidential debate took place Tuesday, October 3, but fifty-seven cities were unable to watch the debate on their local NBC affiliates. The debate conflicted with the first game of the American League divisional series between the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics. NBC left the decision of which event to broadcast to its local stations. 133 out of 190

carried the ball game rather than George W. Bush and Al Gore's first face to face meeting.

A 53-year-old California woman fired nine shots from two handguns to scare away an intruder. The Sacramento County Sheriff's office says they arrested 47-year-old William Kriske on suspicion of burglary and resisting arrest after he smashed through the woman's sliding glass door following the shooting. Kriske was also treated for a gunshot wound to the arm.

The woman was at home with three friends when Kriske broke into her home. Though her guests fled, the woman grabbed a .357 revolver and opened fire. The woman told a local paper, "He was like a mosquito hitting the window. Every time he turned around, powee." She emptied the first handgun as the intruder crashed through a window attempting to escape. She got the second revolver as the man broke into her garage, and as he fled the garage heading toward the house again, she wounded Kriske. He tried to escape by stealing a motorcycle from the house across the street, but was chased away by neighbors coming the woman's aid. A highway patrol officer stopped Kriske nearby, and then Sheriff's Deputies arrested him.

Police say the woman, who once worked as a correctional officer, won't be charged for defending herself with properly registered firearms. Afterwards the woman said, "I like to be prepared. She said she fired carefully to avoid hitting her furniture with the stray bullets.” She said, "Priorities right? It was one of those nights. I have a few holes in my glass out front."

—www.foxnews.com, February 11,2004, Every Burglar's worst night mare. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

While I would support this woman's right to protect her belongings, I have to question her effort to avoid damaging her furniture while using a weapon that could have killed either the intruder or anyone else that got in the way.

Philippians 2:3-4 NIV "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

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Apparently America's love affair with the automobile runs deeper than any of us ever imagined. In a recent, non-scientific poll at the automobile insurance web site, progressive.com, twenty per cent of respondents said they loved their cars more than their in-laws. Among those who were married, forty-five per cent chose their car as the most important thing in their lives from a list that included spouses and children. No word yet on how many of these people remained married after their spouses learned of their response.

Isaiah 40:19-20 As for an idol, a craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. A man too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple.

Condoleezza Rice is the first woman to serve as the President's top adviser on National Security. But this isn't her first "big job." With a PhD in Russian studies in hand, she landed a job as a professor of political science at Stanford University when she was just 26.

But she hasn't lost her perspective. "Ultimately what matters when you leave this earth is the relationships you leave behind… Your religious faith is all there is to sustain you. Getting too focused on anything else is a problem."

Matthew 6:33 NIV "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Dan Rhodes is the pastor of two rural churches in Colorado and stays busy. Like most pastors, he has plenty to do, but by being the pastor of two churches, he has twice the committee meetings, and twice the worship services.

As Dan tells the story, his daughter's third grade teacher requested a parent teacher conference with him. His wife usually took care of those conferences, but the teacher wanted to see him, not his wife.

At her insistence, he made an appointment to drop by the school in the afternoon. "I wanted you to see this drawing your daughter made of your family." She said. Dan looked at the drawing and asked, "Where am I?" "That's why I called you down here today, I asked your daughter the same question and she said you're never home so she left you out of the picture."

A Mike Tyson punch couldn't hurt any more than her words. Dan made some radical changes in his behavior and found that he could do his job and be a good father.

Faced with his own mortality, Michael J. Fox is rearranging his schedule to match his priorities. Fox is battling Parkinson's disease, a degenerative neurological disorder. Though he is still physically able to fulfill his obligations on the ABC sitcom "Spin City" he wants to spend his time and energy on more important things.

What's more important than the spot light he's enjoyed since playing "Alex" on "Family Ties?" Well, his own family and his health.

In the end, most people come to understand what is really important. It is refreshing when someone discovers it in their prime.

Oprah Winfrey recently said, "This is the defining question of my life. How do you use your life to best serve yourself and extend it to the world."

From all accounts it appears that Oprah is doing both. Though her words sound noble, and probably reflect the majority view in today's world, the Bible teaches a different standard. Jesus said, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33 KJV

A new study conducted by the Barna Organization found that most Americans consider themselves to be not only "religious", but also "deeply spiritual." When the commitment of America was examined further, results question the meaning of being "deeply spiritual." Further research found that when adults were asked to identify the single most important priority in life, their commitment to their faith placed second, while only one in six people even listed faith as a priority.

Barna's study found half of the population said their top priority was family. This was especially true for families with children under age 18 at home, married couples and adults in their twenties and thirties. Faith was second, listed by 16 percent of adults as top priority. This included a wide-ranging set of commitments such as connecting with God, living consistently with one's faith principles, having peace with God, being a committed church member, and growing in faith.

Barna says the relationship between a person's perception of their religious commitment and their unwillingness to make faith their top priority, point to a serious disconnect. Barna notes "Spirituality is in vogue in our society today. It is popular to claim to be part of a "faith community" or to have a spiritual commitment." He says the research indicates, "Many Americans are living a dual life—one filled with good feelings about God and faith, corroborated by some simple religious practices, and another in which they believe they are in control of their own destiny and operate apart from Him." Barna notes, "It seems as if God is in, but living for God is not."

—http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=226. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Luke 14:26-27 (NLT) "If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. [27] And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple."

A husband and wife in China reacted differently when fire broke out in their Beijing home. Neighbors noticed the flames about 3:00 in the morning, alerting the family to the danger. The husband immediately grabbed the television and ran outside, found an electric socket to plug it in and continued watching the World Cup Soccer match between France and Spain. His wife took the couple's young child and ran outside in her nightclothes.

—http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/2946/2006/06/29/48@108504.htm. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Luke 21:34-35 (CEV) "Don't spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day will suddenly catch you [35] like a trap. That day will surprise everyone on earth."

The four members of the Leon family of New York has seven TV sets in the house, plus an eighth they have not set up yet. They include sets in the parent's and kid's bedrooms, the family and living room, and one in the kitchen which is usually turned to a news station. Teresa Leon says, "No one ever sits down for more than a few seconds in this house. This way you can watch TV while you're moving from room to room, folding laundry or taking care of the kids."

Nielsen media research says America has crossed a new threshold. The nation now has more television sets than people. According to Nielson there are an average of 2.73 TV sets in the typical home and 2.55 people. TVs are appearing everywhere including buses, elevators, airport lobbies, department store aisles, and even restaurant bathrooms. The popularity of flat-screen TVs has made it easier to put sets where they had never been before.

Nielsen's research reveals half of American homes have three or more television sets, and only 19 percent have just one.

—http://www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/21/tv/main2032136.shtml. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (CEV) "Some of you say, 'We can do whatever we want to!' But I tell you that not everything may be good or helpful. [24] We should think about others and not about ourselves."

Results of a recent Pew Research poll suggest today's young people are obsessed with becoming rich and famous. The organization surveyed 579 young people between the ages of 18 and 25, and found 81 percent of the young people said getting rich is their generation's most important life goal. Fifty-one per cent said the same thing about being famous.

—http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-01-09-gen-y-cover_x.htm. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

2 Timothy 2:22 (GW) "Stay away from lusts which tempt young people. Pursue what has God's approval. Pursue faith, love, and peace together with those who worship the Lord with a pure heart."

For decades, teachers have graded student's papers by giving examples of better answers for pupils who make mistakes using red ink. At Daniels Farm Elementary School in Trumbull, Connecticut, parents began complaining about the use of the color red to grade papers, so the school has put red on the blacklist and has begun using blue and other colors instead.

School principal Gail Karwoski defended the practice, saying teachers were just giving constructive advice and the color of the ink used to convey the message did not matter. The parents disagreed, claiming that red has become so symbolic of negativity that red writing was "stressful" for students.

Other schools are following the trend. Justin Kazmark, a 25 year-old a teacher at Public School 188 in Manhattan says he prefers to use purple which has emerged as a new color of choice for educators. Kazmark says, "My generation was brought up on right and wrong with no in between, and red was always in your face. It's abrasive to me. Purple is just a bit more gentle." Kazmark added, "Part of my job is to be attuned to what kids respond to, and red is not one of those colors."

—Associated Press, Red ink falling out of favor with teachers, April 7, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Purple is nice. I like purple. I'm all for teachers using purple to grade papers. No problem. But deep down inside, I'm convinced that there are greater issues that need to be addressed.

Luke 11:42 (AMP) "But woe to you, Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every [little] herb, but disregard and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone."

When New Hampshire Governor Craig Benson was picked to serve on a jury trial in a child-sexual assault case he said, "Everybody is busy and has stuff to do, but we should all take our time to do what we need to do to make the process work."

Time should be our servant, not our master. We must give important things the time they deserve, especially in light of eternity.

2 Peter 3:8 (NASB) "But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."

In 1997, after Tiger Woods won the Masters, President Clinton asked Tiger to participate with him in a ceremony honoring Jackie Robinson in New York. Tiger said "no." Why would he turn down the request of the President? Well for one thing, he'd made a commitment to some of his friends to go on a vacation with them to Mexico. Tiger chose to keep his word instead of accept an invitation from the President.

—http://www.nationalreview.com/flashback/flashback-nordlinger041502.asp Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Economic growth in China has more and more Chinese living life in the fast lane these days, challenging the traditional concept of a leisurely existence. The Chinese news portal Sina.com reports that many Chinese people do not believe there are enough hours in the day. A survey conducted by Sina suggests more Chinese are working and studying more hours than ever before. Fifty six percent of people who responded to the survey said they did not have enough time.

The report published in a Beijing newspaper went on to say that 75 percent of the people surveyed felt that Chinese had little idea of how valuable time was, indicating that a large number of people valued and want to pursue a more time-efficient lifestyle. The report said 73 percent of the Chinese said they were busy most of the time, and 56 percent said they spent most of their time either working or studying. The report summarized the results of the survey saying, "The answers showed a big gap between the Chinese people's ideal life and reality. Their concept of time has changed partly because of mounting pressure to earn more."

—Reuters, October 28, 2004, Workaholic Pull Out Into the Fast Lane. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Each person receives the same number of hours each day. When we allow our priorities in life to be driven by the desire to get ahead and earn more, we lose touch with the things that are most important in life and end up losing time in the rush.

Psalms 90:12 (NIV) "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

When times get hard economically, families are forced to consider what they can do without to make ends meet. A survey conducted by BIGresearch found that most people said they would not be willing to live without their Internet service, cell phones, and cable television. 81 percent of the people who responded said they could not give up the Internet, followed by 64 percent who said they needed to keep their cell phones and 60.5 percent who could not part with cable.

The study found also uncovered changes in shopping habits. Most people said they could not live without shopping for discounted clothing, haircuts and color, eating at fast food, or new shoes. Most said they would be willing to forego luxury handbags, high-end cosmetics, satellite radio, maid service, and facials. Phil Rist, executive director of Strategic Initiatives at the research firm said, “Today’s economy has had an impact on every American, and retailers are dealing with very different shoppers than they were one year ago.”

People just can’t give up cell phones, http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=ACBJ&date=20090203&id=9571849; February 3, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Reading this makes me think our priorities are still a little messed up. Proper financial priorities make good sense in tough economic times. Proper spiritual priorities make sense all the time.

Mark 8:35-37 CEV “If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it. What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What could you give to get back your soul?”

On August 8, 2009, a small plane and a tour helicopter collided over the Hudson River in New York. Nine people died. Reports obtained by the Associated Press indicate that the air traffic controller, who should have been paying attention, was instead talking on the phone.

Instead of watching out for the aircraft and the people aboard, the controller was joking with friends about a dead animal.

That could serve to remind us of the necessity to keep our priorities in the right place. How many times are we concerned with little things while allowing the important things to suffer? How many churches get involved with minor activities and neglect the weightier responsibility of the Great Commission?

--USA Today August 20, 2009; p. 3A Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Luke 10:41-42 (NIV)(41) "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, (42) but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

The FAA revoked the licenses of two Northwest Airlines pilots after their airplane flew for 91 minutes out of contact with the ground and overshot their destination city by 150 miles. The revocation took place because of recklessness caused by “inattention.”

Airline pilots must direct their aircraft safely from Point A to Point B, however, these pilots had their personal laptops on in the cockpit and were researching job conditions and scheduling rules brought about by Northwest’s recent purchase by Delta Airlines. They wanted to know how their job situations were changing.

While that is understandable, that was not their assigned task. They took their eye off their primary responsibility while giving their attention to something of lesser importance.

Keeping the most important thing a priority is important for everyone, not just airline pilots.

--USA Today, October 28, 2009 p. A1 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Matthew 6:33 (NIV) “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Glen Coffee, a San Francisco 49er Running Back, has decided that one year in the NFL is enough. Football is no longer his dream. “Coffee told Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee that he is headed back to school to complete his undergraduate degree and pursue a master’s degree, a decision rooted in his deep religious beliefs.”

Coffee said, "Football was no longer my dream. I found Christ in college. It changed my views on everything. But I still was a football player because it was expected of me, it was something I did all my life. I was basically wasting the [49ers'] time."

http://blogs.sacbee.com/49ers/archives/2010/08/coffee-ive-alre.html Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

One suspects Coffee discovered the same truth that Paul discovered 2000 years ago. Nothing is as important as doing God’s will and living for Him. Coffee’s reason for retiring from the NFL; “His (God’s) will wasn’t football.”

Philippians 3:7-9 (HCSB) But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. (8) More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ (9) and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.

In Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, Richard Swenson writes: “Saying No is not an excuse for selfishness, rudeness, or insensitivity. Instead, it is an invitation to listen carefully to the Spirit's voice, adhering closely to a system of wise priorities that inform our Yes and our No.”

1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (CEV) "Some of you say, 'We can do whatever we want to!' But I tell you that not everything may be good or helpful. [24] We should think about others and not about ourselves."

In Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, Richard Swenson writes: “Everything we own owns us. We must maintain it, paint it, play with it, build space in our house to put it, and then work to pay it off.”

In Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, Richard Swenson writes: “We need to develop a new depreciation of things and a new appreciation of people. Things are to be used, and people are to be served.”

1 Peter 4:10 (NASB) "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

The separation of church and state may be a hot topic in many areas, but in Colorado personal priorities has taken precedence over everything else. The El Paso County Commission has decided they will include prayer in their meetings every Tuesday and Thursday. Commissioner Peggy Littleton opened the meeting for the New Year by asking that she and her colleagues have prayer together and expand it to other interested persons. The appeal was not a policy item, so it only took the informal agreement of three commissioners to enact it. Since the commission chair Amy Latham also agreed, the prayer became a policy.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that legislative bodies can start sessions with prayer without violating the Constitution, and the commission had opened with prayer for years. They practice had decreased over the past several years because it was hard to find clergy to available to lead the prayer. Lathen says prayer helps her get centered, and said they would get commissioners, staff, and other community leaders to pray if a clergy member was not available. Lathen told reporters the decision came down to a issue of priorities. She said, “I account to God first. I can’t do this by myself; it’s a big job we’ve got. We have the invocation, then the pledge. God, then country.”

--‘God first,’ new commissioner says, urging prayer at all meetings, http://www.gazette.com/articles/say-111047-littleton-says.html ; January 12, 2011. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Matthew 6:33 (HCSB) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

What do you have in your life that you are sure you just could not do without? The London Science Museum, in a project regarding clean water, took a survey of 3000 British adults. The question regarded what they could not live without. Sunshine received the highest number of votes, and clean drinking water was third. The surprise was what came in second, fifth, eighth, and tenth; Internet, Facebook, email, and mobile phone in that order.

--The Week, September 23, 2011, p. 6
(for a complete list of the top 50 items see: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2035634/Facebook-vital-flushing-loo-say-Britons.html) Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Misplaced priorities result in toys and entertainment being higher on our list of necessities than real necessities. Jesus said we could get worried and concerned about many things but only one thing is necessary. That one thing was not sunshine or internet, but a personal relationship with Jesus.

Luke 10:38-42 (HCSB) (38) While they were traveling, He entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. (39) She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what He said. (40) But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.” (41) The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, (42) but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”

“Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but many of the things they make it easier to do don’t need to be done.” –Andy Rooney

We are guilty of Andy Rooney’s charge in other areas of our lives as well. We live in danger of being satisfied with doing the easy tasks and leaving the complicated ones alone. How many times in the church do we do the same thing?

Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV) “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

As the nation watched and prayed, the 2012 fires devastated the Community of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Though he was not immediately impacted, the President of Focus on the Family, Jim Daly, who lives in the area, had an opportunity to reflect on what it mean if he and his family had to evacuate suddenly. Daly said in a matter of minutes the sky went from sunny blue to red, with ashes and cinders raining down everywhere. He told of a good friend who had been painted their house when the evacuation order came. With the help of some neighbors, these friends gathered a few pictures, their wedding album, some keepsakes, and a box of records. Their lives had been reduced to what they could put into their cars.

Listening to the stories of the thousands who had to leave their homes, Daly said it was a reminder that we must prioritize and always be prepared for whatever may happen. He asked for prayer for the community and the tens of thousands impacted by the devastating fire. Daly said when we face difficulties; we can find hope remembering that Jesus is by our side at every step. He said he would never forget the words he heard from an evacuee. “You’re reminded again what’s most important. Life can change in an instant. We might think we know what lies beyond sight, but we don’t.” --Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

When Fire Forces You From Home, http://www.christianpost.com/news/when-fire-forces-you-from-home-77429; June 29, 2012,

James 4:13-15 GNB Now listen to me, you that say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to a certain city, where we will stay a year and go into business and make a lot of money." You don't even know what your life tomorrow will be! You are like a puff of smoke, which appears for a moment and then disappears. What you should say is this: "If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that."

Authorities arrested Petra Zaragoza and Bulmaro Reyes for leaving their little girl in their car. Why would the couple do such a thing? They wanted to gamble in a casino. A passerby discovered the girl as she was searching for her parents 10 minutes after the couple left her.

It makes me wonder, if this couple loved money more than their child.—Jim L. Wilson and Brian Vogelesang

Matthew 19:21-22 (ESV) (21) Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (22) When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

In a special report on football in America, Sports Illustrated conducted a survey that included questions regarding how important football is to Americans. Only 1.4% said that football was more important than family but 20.1% admitted that football was more important than their jobs and 26.7% agreed that it was more important than religion.

Christian leaders have long believed that many people care more about their football team’s standing than their spiritual standing before the Lord. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Greg Bishop and Michael McKnight “Football in America,” Sports Illustrated, November 21-28, 2016 p. 43

Philippians 3:19 (HCSB)“Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things,”

In 2016, 108-year-old Hazel Nilson watched the Cubs win the World Series for the second time in her lifetime. Since her birth in 1908, there have been two world wars, the conflicts in Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. She has been around long enough to see the first T.V. and now, she could have watched the Cubs games over a live stream on the Internet. When she was twelve women gained the right to vote, and when she was a teenager alcohol was banned due to the prohibition. —Jim L. Wilson & Miles Hansen

Matthew 6:19–21 (HCSB) “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

On April 17, 2018 a Southwest Airlines plane lost an engine and experienced extreme damage when a part of that engine penetrated the passenger cabin killing one passenger and creating great fear among the rest of the 142 passengers on board. The Dallas Morning News sent a reporter to learn more about the former navy pilot, Tammie Jo Shults, who deftly landed the heavily damaged jet. Most of her friends told the reporters about the Christian wife and mother of two who taught Sunday school at her church, volunteered at a school for at-risk kids, and used the guest-house on her property as a home for refugees from Hurricane Rita and for widows. She is an excellent pilot but what her friends know most about her are her relationships.

In the passenger cabin, during the panic, passengers bought the in-flight Wi-Fi to send what could have been their final message. No one sent an email to a boss with an important file, or a notice of an upcoming meeting. They sent messages to friends and families expressing their love. “Pastor Timothy Bourman, who was on the flight with his wife, texted his dad with a message for the couple’s daughters, ages 6, 4, and 2: ‘Tell the girls we love them and that Jesus is with them always.’”

Shouldn’t what is important in the final moments be a priority in all the moments leading up to the end. Perhaps we could use a rearrangement of priorities. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

A Somalia-based militant group, al-Shabab, has announced a ban on plastic bags in its territory because the bags pose “a serious threat to well-being of both humans and animals.” While we can certainly understand their concern about plastic bags, al-Shabab has massacred thousands of civilians over the last few years. I suspect most citizens would rather take their chances with plastic bags.

Sometimes our priorities can get misplaced. This is just an obvious example of the many ways we do the same thing. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.

Stephen Covey says, “As a longtime student of this fascinating field, I am personally persuaded that the essence of the best thinking in the area of time management can be captured in a single phrase: Organize and execute around priorities.” —Jim L. Wilson

For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? What can anyone give in exchange for his life?

The amount of freedom current technology allows with phones is astounding. In fact, some statistics show that people only use our smartphones to talk with others by voice 22% of the total time they spend on the devices. The same research shows that users spend almost 5 hours per day on their Smartphone, swiping through rows of notifications and scrolling through endless social media feeds. And this is by design.

App developers and tech behemoths spent years making consumer technology addictive – the time we spend with smartphone products reap them large monetary profits.

Some developers, however, recognize the enormous time wasted on smartphones and currently work to change how software is designed. Creating new features in our software to curb phone usage and assist us better manage our time with our smartphones is their aim. —Jim L. Wilson and C. Foster Payne

Kim, Allen. 2018. “How tech companies are addressing screen addiction.” CNN, October 15, 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/10/tech/apple-google-facebook-tech-screen-addiction/index.html.

Hebrews 13:8–9 (CSB)“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by food regulations, since those who observe them have not benefited.”

Is it possible to be too rich? When the Good’s daughter left for college, her parents inherited her cats. Their San Jose, Calif., apartment complex doesn’t allow animals. Rather than abandon the felines, the Goods found a studio apartment and hired the landlord to tend to the animals. The studio costs $1,500 per month. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Proverbs 21:21 (CSB)²¹ The one who pursues righteousness and faithful love will find life, righteousness, and honor.

Residents of the Welsh town of Llandudno reported a herd of 122 Kashmiri goats overran the town during the lockdown, overrunning neighborhoods and eating plants. Locals said the goats wandered away from their home in a nearby country park and found a new habitant in city streets due to a reduction of human activity. They said the goats feasted on hedges and other garden plants as they roamed the town. A police spokeswoman said they think the goats will eventually leave on their own and police had not planned to respond to non-emergency calls about the trespassers. –Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Sometimes we may get our priorities messed up. Police are targeting some beachgoers in Czechoslovakia for not wearing their face masks during the Coronavirus lockdown. The interesting thing here is that the sunbathers are wearing nothing at all. “Citizens can be without clothes in places designated for this purpose, but they must have their mouths covered.”

According to the law, clothing optional doesn’t mean face mask optional. Sometimes we too might be guilty of majoring on the minors while letting go of the important things. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up. No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.

Even during a global pandemic, it is possible to avoid being Chicken Little without becoming Pollyanna. Yes, there is lots of pain and suffering in the world, but there is also some good that came out of the 2020 disruption brought about by COVID-19.

Walter J. Matweychuk, a clinical psychologist says “There can be something useful in the timeout imposed on our busy lives, like bringing into focus what truly matters, reconnecting with loved ones even from afar, and having a greater appreciation for human life . . .” —Jim L. Wilson

https://www.phillymag.com/be-well-philly/2020/05/11/coronavirus-coping-strategies/

For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? What can anyone give in exchange for his life?