A strange irony has risen from the decision of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision regarding the Pledge of Allegiance. The 49 year-old emergency room physician, atheist and lawyer who filed the case, Michael Newdow admitted to Fox News that his 8 year old daughter voluntarily says the pledge along with her classmates.

Newdow told the Associated Press he filed the case on behalf of his daughter, whom he was raising as an atheist. However, Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel announced on his radio program Sunday, June 30th that the girl and her mother are Christians who attend Calvary Chapel in their home town of Elk Grove, California.

According to CPI, a news site run by homeschoolers, the mother and daughter pleaded with Newdow not to file the case. Court records show that Newdow is in the middle of a custody battle with the girl’s mother. The couple reportedly now shares custody of the second grade girl. The New York Times has reported that Newdow’s motives may stem from this custody dispute and that his real desire is to change family law in this country. The Times says Newdow plans to challenge the use of “In God We Trust” on currency and the inclusion of prayers at presidential inaugurations.

—www.worldnetdaily.com, July 3, 2002, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Philip. 2:3 NASB “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;”

We all struggle with self-adsorption, but most of us are more successful than Ricky Martin at containing it. The Grammy Award-winning artist a book , with the one-word title: Me.

--USA Today August 19, 2010 p. D1 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Philippians 2:3-4 (HCSB) “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. (4) Everyone should look out not ?only? for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Neel Kashkari says, “Our me first culture could bankrupt us.”

-- The Week, August 6, 2010 p. 34. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Kashkari said this in response to the national debate over Social Security. Social Security is on a path of insolvency and raising taxes will not be able to overcome it. According to the report, the only hope for younger people to collect any social security is by reducing the benefits of those closer to retirement.

Because of our “me first” attitude, however legitimate it might be, Kashkari says we are in danger of our National economy collapsing.

Philippians 2:3-4 (HCSB) Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. (4) Everyone should look out not ?only? for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

According to University of Kentucky psychologist Nathan Dewall, today’s young people “love themselves more today than ever before.” By analyzing the top songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 songs over the past three decades Dewall found a steady increase in self-centeredness and hostility toward others.”

The study found a marked increase in the prevalence of the words “I” and “me” in song lyrics, and fewer instances of “we” and “us.” Angry words about hating and killing also surpassed positive words like “love” or “sweet.”

--The Week, May 13, 2011, p. 21 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB77) Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; (4) do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

--The Week, May 13, 2011, p. 21 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

It seems as if a generation that has moved away from God, has also forgotten Paul’s admonition to think others more important than self.

Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV) (3) Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (4) Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The movie Titanic reveals something about human nature, some people follow the natural tendency to be selfish and others rise above it and are selfless. For example, as the ship was sinking, Cal Hockley, Rose’s selfish fiancé lied to her saying that he would make sure him and Jack, the boy she really loves, would get on a lifeboat safely. Cal didn’t care about Jack’s life. Rose’s love for Jack was so strong that she leaped out of her lifeboat midway back onto the sinking ship just so that she could be with Jack. In the end, Jack sacrificed his own life to save Rose. Jack valued Rose so much that he allowed her to have a better chance of survival even when all hope was lost. .-- Jim L. Wilson and Joshua H. Chen.

Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Street children in New Delhi are taking some of the money they earn and sending it to help children in Nepal who have been affected by the recent earthquake.

“I know what happens when an earthquake strikes,” said 14-year-old Rani (name changed). “I am not only collecting money from others but I will donate some amount from my daily earnings as well,” she said.

Rani is one of many children in the area who are working hard to help others. They talk to shop owners and strangers asking them for money to help not themselves, but others in need. These kids are members of an NGO Badthe Kadam – a federation of street and working children in Delhi.

“This gesture of children is very inspiring. We have special connect with Nepal, and many children become victim of trafficking when such calamities held. We hope citizens of Delhi will take lesson from these children and contribute wholeheartedly,” said Sanjay Gupta, Director of NGO Childhood Enhancement Through Training and Action. -- Jim L. Wilson and Gay Williams

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/475178/street-children-chip-their-daily.html

Luke 21:1-4 (HCSB) He looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury. (2) He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins. (3) “I tell you the truth,” He said. “This poor widow has put in more than all of them. (4) For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

The growth of social media has created an increase of self-portraits or “selfies.” Google estimates that millions of selfies are taken every day, and the majority of them are taken by women. A Mashable report said that there were more selfie related deaths than shark-related deaths in 2015. Samuel Jay, professor of communications, arts, and sciences at Metro State University in Denver researched digital media and believes that when people spend too much time focusing on their looks that they can be oblivious to what is happening around them. He said that parks and wildlife officials in Colorado urged people not to take selfies with elk last fall after frightened animals injured several people. Jay added, “I guess it kind of blinds us that we’re putting ourselves in danger.”—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell

Proverbs 31:30 (HCSB) “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.”

Sara Tucholsky was a college softball player who had never hit a home run in high school or college. During one of her last at bats of her career, she hit a home run over the centerfield fence, but during her run around the bases she missed first base. Realizing that she missed it, she turned back to touch it. That’s when it happened. She fell to the ground, with a knee injury, and crawled back to first base unsure of what would happen. The umpire explained that nobody from her team could help her out and if they subbed in a pinch runner the hit would only count as a single.

Then something unbelievable happened. The first baseman of the opposing team, Mallory Holtman, the conference home run leader, asked the umpire if she could help Sara around the bases. There was no rule against it so Mallory and her teammate, Liz Wallace, carried Sara around the bases helping her touch each base until her home run counted and the game was won.

By doing this, Mallory and Liz, cost their team the game, but showed what true unselfish sportsmanship looks like. —Jim L. Wilson and Brian Hicks

John 6:35–36 (CSB) “‘I am the bread of life,’ Jesus told them. ‘No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again. But as I told you, you’ve seen me, and yet you do not believe.’”

Some criticize young children today as growing up rather selfish and inconsiderate of others. Not so for Jackson Champagne, an 8-year-old boy from Gambrills, Maryland. While out trick or treating on Halloween in 2019, the young boy came across an empty candy bowl at one of his stops. The doorbell camera then caught his surprised reaction: “There aint no more candy!” Aware others were following him to an empty bowl, rather than turning on his heel and going to another house, he proceeded to dip into his bag, not once, but twice, to leave some candy for those that followed. After the homeowner posted the video to Facebook, with the comment, “What a selfless act from this little guy!” the video went viral across social media.

This little boy, rather than keeping what he had to himself, selflessly gave of what he had received to bless others. —Jim L. Wilson and Derick Wilson

Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

Love and care of family is an important responsibility for parents. We are to take care of the children entrusted to US. That does not give us excuse to disregard the rest of society. Lou Munilla moved from California to Idaho when California passed a law that virtually all school children are to be immunized. In Idaho parents can exempt their children purely on the basis of personal belief.

One cannot fault Lou for wanting to do the best for his family. But his comments show a distinct lack of love for everyone else. He told lawmakers in Idaho that he moved to the state because, “I don’t care about the herd, I care about my family.” That is a reference to the belief that every child that is not vaccinated presents a danger to other children.

I am thankful that God not only cared about his Son, but he loved the rest of us too, enough to allow his only Son to die in our place. –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.