Ripe for the Giving

Our nation is facing a financial hardship we have not seen in decades. If it's not glaringly obvious to you, come out of your rock that you have been hiding under, and turn on a TV, get on the Internet or read a newspaper! You cannot escape the headlines these days whether it be an auto manufacturer going under, a CEO we are stringing up to blame, or thousands losing their homes. People are hurting.

Many, heeding good advice have tightened their financial belts to be better stewards with their own finances during this recession. People are cutting back financially, hoping to wait out the storm. While this is a very responsible way to make it through this time, the news media are missing part of the story.

The time is ripe for the giving.

With so many people hurting financially, an opportunity is present for us to put Christ's words into action! Initially, a knee-jerk reaction to this proposal may have you reaching to protect your wallet. Aside from Christ needing to do some molding and making within us to be cheerful, selfless givers of our money, there are many other ways for us to help those in need. Homeless shelters demands are rising. Soup kitchens are serving record numbers. The help we can offer goes beyond dollars. Offer your time and volunteer a few hours where your help is desperately needed.

This isn't to say you can't help with your dollars too, and it doesn't have to be large sum checks written out to charities. You can be a blessing in many other ways with your finances. Do you know of someone struggling to make ends meet? Buy some groceries and leave them anonymously at their door. Offer to watch a friends children for free so they can get out of the house for a cheap date! Send an anonymous letter with cash for someone that is strapped. You can go as far as to buy the meal or coffee for the person behind you in the fast food lane. Of course there are also great charitable foundations that really feel the crunch during these times as regular donors scale back their giving. Contact your church and see what ministries they have reaching out into the local community, and if they currently don't have one...start one!

Make effort to give to someone. Remember, acts of giving often spurs further acts of giving by those who have received or by those witnessing the act! Not only should our hearts already be compelled to give through Christ who lives in us, but sometimes a little encouragement is all it takes to get us into action. Use this opportunity to show the love of Christ to those around you and make an impact on your community!

“...It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35)

Criminals Welcome Zone

Criminals prefer gun free zones. Why wouldn't they? It is almost guaranteed that the victims within the GFZ will be unarmed, and easy targets. High schools, colleges, public buildings, and even some private businesses are GFZs depending on your state laws. So what purpose does a Gun Free Zone serve? One purpose only, to keep law abiding citizens from carrying a gun in that area. Does a GFZ sign make a criminal stop and think to themselves, "Gee, I guess I am not allowed to carry my gun here, so I'll have to find another place to commit a crime."?

By examining the facts, it is clear that the ability to conceal carry actually has lowered crime rates. In states that allow their citizens the right to carry guns for self defense, total violent crime is 13% lower, homicide is 3% lower, robbery is 26% lower and aggravated assault is 7% lower. Statistically, the right to carry a firearm is even more beneficial to women. When a woman carries a gun concealed, it reduces the murder rate for women by about three to four times more than an additional man carrying a concealed handgun reduces the rate for men.

The ability to conceal a handgun legally should not stop on the campus of a college. Independent researchers and state agencies agree that concealed handgun license holders are five times less likely than non-license holders to commit violent crimes. Eleven U.S. colleges/universities that currently allow concealed carry report no incidents of gun violence, gun accidents, or gun thefts.

We need to fight for this right and to expand the number of places that legally licensed permit holders can carry. Expansion of the carry right will only serve to decrease the amount of crime in areas such as high schools, colleges/universities, and other places currently considered "sensitive areas" that criminals target as defenseless zones.

If you have a fear of those who carry concealed, just remember that more than likely you have run into the trained, licensed adults in locations such as churches, office buildings, movie theaters, Wal-Marts, grocery stores, shopping malls, restaurants, banks, and more. Have you had any negative impact from your unknown encounter? No.