Oct 12, 2016

Fear Not, for He is With YouBy: C4i

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

That's from Isaiah 41:10, a verse that every Christian should engrave upon their heart.

There is no fooling anyone, we live in a dangerous, scary world. All you need to do is open up the paper or check the news. Every day it's suicide bombings, rocket attacks, mass shootings, kidnappings, human trafficking, the list goes on and on.

Terror is like a rock tossed into a pond, creating ripples of fear across the entire body of water. People close themselves up, harden themselves against a world that frightens them. They become distrustful of their neighbours, looking for someone to pin the blame on, to try and make sense of what is inherently senseless. Look around, antisemitism is on the rise in France, xenophobia in the States, brother turned on brother with no reason to it - all around the world people are gripped with fear.

But God says "fear not.”

Fear not because He is with you. Fear not because he will strengthen you. Fear not because he will help you. The King of Kings is watching out for you - he sees your struggle, the forces aligned against you, the terrors of sin and hatred that have infested this world, and He will protect you.

These are words of comfort of course. Words of support and mercy - anyone can see that. But do you realize they're also a commandment?

God isn't asking us to "fear not,” he's telling us to.

Fear is one of the sharpest knives in Satan’s arsenal. An insidious force that doesn't just weaken our faith, question our resolve, and distance us from the Lord, it goads us into sin. It creates a panic that blinds good men towards evils in their midst, that twists them up into thinking they are doing the right thing when really they are going against the teachings and desires of the Lord.

As Christians, it's not enough for us to fear not, we have to actively fight fear. We need to root out the symptoms of fear in our society and cast a light on them for what they are. Bigotry, the fear of others. Impatience, the fear that we've been forgotten or abandoned. Hatred, the externalization of fear, an attempt to silence dread by inflicting it on other.

When you're confronted with the evils of this world, the daily bombardment of hatred and horror that pierces your heart and strangles your spirit, fear not. The Lord is with you, and he wants you to do your part as a Christian to take fear and turn it into hope. To take bigotry and turn it to love, hatred to forgiveness.

Fear not.

[Comment]

Oct 7, 2016

5 Things You Need to Know to Keep Your Marriage HappyBy: C4i

Relationships are hard. You can be with the perfect spouse, a person you consider to be a true soul mate, your best friend, the one person you'd want with you if stranded on a deserted island, and you'll still find a way to get on each others nerves once and awhile.

Keeping a relationship healthy and happy isn't something that just happens, and friction isn't always a sign that there is something wrong. Relationships take work, there are always going to be some bumps here and there. It's up to both partners to respect each other and work on smoothing out those rough patches while building up the best in each other.

1. Unplug and spend some quality time with each other

This may seem like hackneyed advice from another era, but it really is important to spend some downtime with your spouse as real downtime. No TV, no Netflix, no two-player games, just two adults having a conversation and enjoying each others company. It's so easy to be distracted and allow modern entertainment and media consume every free second of our lives - and that starves our relationships.

Put the phones away and have dinner at the dinner table instead of the couch. Go out for the evening and forget about checking Twitter every ten minutes. Even just taking the dog out together for a walk around the block and getting outside with each other can do wonders for your relationship. You can't know who your partner is if you spend every minute together staring at a screen.

2. Speak openly and honestly about problems

When there are problems, you need to be able to address them openly and directly. Nothing is more corrosive in the long run than passive-aggressive sniping and innuendo. When you have a problem with your partner, don't skirt around it by dropping snide sideways references to what is bugging you or by making a vague post on social media you hope they'll read. This is your spouse, your partner in life, you owe it to them to be up front and honest when there is a problem.

If you or your partner find you just can't be direct without things devolving into a fight, that is likely a sign of a deeper problem. Relationships are serious, you need to be open to criticism and concerns from your partner. When your spouse comes to you with an issue, being defensive or trying to reflect the blame back on them is the worst thing you can do. Instead, listen carefully, don't cut them off or try to jump in, and think about the situation before you respond. None of us are perfect, and it's entirely possible that you've been thoughtless or selfish in some way that you never even considered. We need to trust our partners to check that behavior and keep us on track, not try and deny that it's an issue in the first place.

3. Know your limits, and make sure your spouse does too

Healthy relationships aren't built by being super-human. There needs to be some boundaries in place to make sure you're not running yourself ragged trying to be all things to all people. If your exhausted from work, burned out from stress, and just need some downtime, you're not being a good wife or husband by agreeing to go to some event you're going to be too tired and annoyed to enjoy (and likely going to become frustrated and snippy during), or being dragged to some movie you're going to hate. Relationships are built on give and take and mutual respect. Boundaries, and the ability to say "no” without being hurtful is part of that compromise.

4. Make your marriage a priority

Yes, there are only so many hours in the day, and you can't do everything you want. Between our careers, social obligations, hobbies, and other commitments, it's so tragically easy to give your marriage the short shrift. It's so easy for patience and commitment to each other warp into neglect and taking each other for granted.

Make your marriage a priority in your life. Take time to give it the care and respect it deserves, even if that means pulling time and focus away from other areas of your life. You're career, friends, and hobbies are important, but nothing is as crucial as the person you've pledged your life to.

5. Forgive each other and grow together

You are going to goof it up. You're going to make mistakes, be a jerk, and hurt the person you love. And they're going to do it right back to you. Humans are frail and fallible creatures, and no matter how good our intentions are, there are always going to be cases where you and your spouse just blow it and screw up.

That's okay. As long as we're able to recognize that no one is perfect and have the capacity and love to extend forgiveness openly and readily, we can get through these occasional stumbles and set-backs.

In a marriage it is both spouses responsibility to be the best they can be for their partner. That means being willing to ask for, and give, forgiveness.

[Comment]

Oct 6, 2016

PRINCE CHARLES SECRETLY VISITED GRANDMOTHER’S GRAVE WHILE IN JERUSALEM:By: Colin Wingfield

Britain's heir to the throne, Prince Charles of Wales, quietly visited his grandmother's grave at a Jerusalem convent last week following his attendance at the funeral of former president Shimon Peres. His paternal grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, is buried at the Mount of Olives' Church of Mary Magdalene. Alice was recognized by Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial as a "Righteous Among the Nations" and by the British government as a "Hero of the Holocaust." In September 1943, members of the Cohen family, a Jewish woman and two of her children from the Greek town of Trikala, had appealed to Princess Alice for refuge. An acquaintance of theirs, she took them in and hid them in her Athens palace for 13 months until the Nazis withdrew in October 1944. (Times of Israel) [Comment]

Oct 6, 2016

BANK SHUTS DOWN BDS ACCOUNT IN IRELAND: By: Colin Wingfield

Advocates for Israel have struck a blow against the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement in Ireland, as they have recently managed to convince the Bank of Ireland, that nation's oldest financial institution, to shut down the account of BDS group Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC). Ireland is considered a BDS-friendly country, but recent anti-boycott legislation in the USA has discouraged Bank of Ireland from cooperating with the movement. As a result of the decision, the organization's accounts in Northern Ireland have been closed as well. The decision by Bank of Ireland follows those of other banks in the UK, Austria, Germany, France, and other countries. The Irish BDS movement is one of the most hostile towards Israel in the world. (Ynet) This report is truly one of many victories against the Boycott, Divestment And Sanctions (BDS) movement that viciously targets Israel’s reputation and economy. Prayers are being answered! Please continue to intercede until this movement is utterly defeated, globally. [Comment]

Oct 6, 2016

TRUMP VP WINS DEBATE SAY VIEWERSBy: Colin Wingfield

After a week of declining poll numbers following the first presidential debate of the 2016 season, Republican nominee Donald Trump received a welcome boost Tues. night 4 Oct. 2016, following the only vice presidential debate of the election. Trump’s VP, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, faced-off against Virginia Senator and former Governor Tim Kaine, sparring on illegal immigration, law enforcement, the economy, Clinton’s email scandals, religious freedom, and foreign policy. Pence ripped Kaine over his boycott of Israeli PM Netanyahu’s address to Congress last year and the Democratic ticket’s support of the Iran nuclear deal. "You keep saying that Hillary Clinton started the deal with the Iranians, prevented them from getting a nuclear weapon,” said Pence. "That is not what Israel thinks. I know you boycotted PM Netanyahu's speech. When I was in congress, I fought hard on a bipartisan basis with Republican and Democrat members to move forward the toughest sanctions literally in the history of the United States.”

According to a scientific CNN/ORC poll conducted immediately after the debate, a narrow plurality of viewers say Pence came out on top. Forty-eight percent of respondents say Pence won the debate, compared to 42% who say Kaine performed better. After Tuesday night’s debate, 29% of voters said the VP match-up would make them more likely to vote for Trump, compared to just 18% who said it would make them more likely to vote for Clinton. Pence also scored well in an Ohio focus group conducted during the debate. Participants in the focus group said the Republican vice presidential nominee praised him as being "calm”, composed”, "effective”, "polished”, and "eloquent.” (Arutz-7)

[Comment]

Oct 6, 2016

EX-PORTUGUESE PM ON COURSE TO BECOME NEXT UN CHIEF:By: Colin Wingfield

Portugal’s former prime minister Antonio Guterres was poised to become the next secretary-general of the UN following a sixth straw poll by the Security Council, diplomats said on Wed. 5 Oct. 2016. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters that Guterres was the "clear favorite” and announced a formal vote by the council on Thurs. 6 Nov. to confirm the choice of nominee. Guterres, who would succeed current general secretary Ban Ki-moon on 1 January 2017, served as Socialist prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002. He was president of the European Council from January to July 2000 and UN High Commissioner for Refugees between June 2005 and December 2015. Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon welcomed Guterres’s likely nomination, saying Israel hoped and expected that the UN under his leadership would "act in the spirit of its founding principles as a fair body able to differentiate between good and evil” and would "end its obsession with Israel.” He added, "I hope that this change in leadership will bring an end to the organization’s hostility towards the Jewish state.” Danon called on the next general secretary to appoint a special envoy to combat anti-Semitism. (Times of Israel) [Comment]

Oct 3, 2016

How Keeping the Sabbath Can Save Your Life By: C4i

How many of us actually keep the Sabbath these days? Do we really set aside the whole day for prayer, relaxation, and communion with our fellowship and families, or do we try to sneak in a few errands? Maybe we get a little extra work done during the weekend, or catch up on chores that were left undone throughout the week. Maybe we don't take any time off at all, skip church, and make it a regular day.

In these hectic modern times where we're always trying to do more with fewer hours, it can be hard to keep the Sabbath. But you should. Not only is keeping the Sabbath one of the Ten Commandments handed down from God (which should be good enough reason right then and there), but scheduling real time for rest and relaxation with your family might be one of the best things you can do for your health and mental well being.

Many of us, most of us, live in a perpetual state of low-to-moderate stress. Our 24/7 society has many of us working odd hours, long hours, and trying to cram every other obligation into an increasingly crowded schedule. It's too much.

Chronic stress isn't just an annoyance that leaves us exhausted and snippy towards each other, it's a health concern. When under stress, the body produces the same hormones that trigger the fight-or-flight response, momentarily spiking our adrenal systems. But, adrenaline is supposed to be for clutch situations where a sudden boost of energy is necessary to avoid harm. When you live with that switch turned on all the time, the body doesn't know what to do with it.

Under chronic stress conditions, the body begins to produce other hormones that throw our natural rhythms into chaos. These hormones are linked with health issues as varied as digestive problems, acne, and weight gain, and as grave as heat disease, diabetes, and depression. Our "always on” lifestyle is literally working many of us into the grave.

The Sabbath is the cure to that. A solid day where you finally switch off and reconnect with what's important, what you're working for in the first place. Block off the Sabbath for a day of celebration with the lord. Join with your brothers and sisters in Christ at Church and take the rest of the day off to spend with your family and friends.

Resist the urge to peek at your inbox or run a quick errand. Don't take calls or talk shop on the Lord's day. Go for a hike with your spouse, read a new book, play with the kids, and enjoy living.

While we might take pride in our work ethic, it's important to remember that the Bible takes play seriously as well. Not only is the Sabbath intended by God as both a means of deepening our relationship with Him and recovering ourselves physically and spiritually from week to week, the Bible also outlines other days of relaxation and celebration. Look at Numbers 10:10, Israel was supposed to have days of gladness, celebratory festivals designed to reflect on their fortune and blessings. Then there is the Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

These were times God specifically set aside for the Israelites to gather together and celebrate. God takes celebration seriously and wants us to nourish ourselves spiritually and emotionally by enjoying the gift of life He has given us.

Turn it off for the Sabbath. Tell your employer you can't work Sundays, plan ahead and do any necessary chores or errands ahead of time, and keep your mind from wandering back to work. It might seem impossible with the breakneck pace of things these days, but taking a solid day of real rest each day of the week might just be the best thing you've ever done for your spiritual, physical, and metal health.

[Comment]

Sep 28, 2016

5 things your children will learn from youBy: C4i

Parenthood is one of life's greatest joys. But, it is also a parent's heaviest responsibility. While you may not realize it, nobody will study you harder than your children. To a young child, their father and mother is their world. They set the standards by which they will base their own life, the attitudes they will adopt, the relationships they'll enter. Including the relationship they'll have with Christ.

You're children are always learning from you, make sure they're picking up the right lessons.

1. How you listen to them, and your spouse

When you talk to your family, are you really listening? It's one thing to sit there and passively absorb the sounds coming out of your child's mouth, but are you making an effort to actually hear what they're saying? What about your partner? When your wife or husband asks you something, do you just respond with a non-committal "yup” or are you paying attention?

This can be more difficult than it sounds. When you're burning the candle at both ends between work, home, and the million other responsibilities you have, it's easy to drift into auto-pilot. We're all guilty from time to time to letting our attention lapse, especially when what is being said might not seem particularly important to you. But, you need to remember that it IS important to the person saying it, and when that person is your spouse of child, you need to focus up and treat them with the same attention and care you would want to receive.

2. What your word is worth

The role of a parent is one of trust. Children need to be able to depend that what their parents say one day will hold up the next. This is why it is so important to maintain the value of your word with your children. You need to keep your promises, practice what you preach, and avoid hypocrisy.

Children need to learn from example that honesty and integrity matters, and that comes from the top down. If you scold them for doing one thing and then turn right and around and do it yourself, what are you teaching them? If you make a promise than skip out on it later, what will they think the value of your promises are in the future?

3. How you treat other people

The way you treat other people will directly influence how your children treat people in their own life. And this doesn't just apply to your spouse, family members, and close friends (although those certainly matter). It also applies to the strangers and random people you bump into while out and about. The other parents in line at the grocery store, the squeaky-voiced teen in the drive-thru window, or the weird lady feeding pigeons in the park.

Most of us are pretty on the ball when it comes to treating the obvious and important people in our life well, but how do you deal with the rest? Are you showing your children that you should treat others with kindness, respect, and decency? Or, are you showing them that it's okay to be rude, hostile, or short with the "little people” who make up the daily grind? They'll take whatever lesson you teach them forward in life.

4. How you handle the rough patches

It's easy to be a role model when everything is smooth sailing. The real example comes when you are really tested. When you take some hard knocks, some disappointments, when the sadness of life comes. That's when you step up as a parent and show your children what Christians are made of.

When things are bad, how to you respond? Do you give into discouragement and despair? Or, do you turn your troubles over to the Lord? Do you take strength in faith? When responding to a tragedy or hardship, you don't need to be able to fix it right away, but you do need to be the calm rock your family can take reassurance from in trying times.

5. Your relationship with Christ

While you may tell your children about the importance of a walk with Christ, what are you showing them? Do you pray? Do you regularly celebrate community with your fellow Christians at church? Do you live up to the ideals of a Christian life when nobody else is watching?

Everyone's spiritual journey is different, but your children will take their cues from yours. They'll see when you followed God, and when you stumbled. They'll learn from you what is important, and what you just pay lip-service to.

If you want your children to learn the right lessons from you, make your spiritual walk a priority. Lead from example and make your Christian life something you would be proud for your children to emulate.

[Comment]

Sep 26, 2016

Celebrating Jewish Icons: Ada YonathBy: C4i

Growing up as the daughter of Zionist Jewish immigrants who worked as grocers in Jerusalem, Ada Yonath did not lead a privileged life. Her family may have been poor, their living conditions were sub-par, but their aspirations were undaunted.

From those humble beginnings, Ada emerged as one of the most brilliant scientific minds of our age, spearheading research into some of our deepest questions about the building blocks of life and becoming the first Israeli woman to win the Nobel Prize.

As a child of limited means, young Ada poured herself into reading. Books became her entertainment and her education. Even as a child, Ada displayed the natural inquisitiveness, intellectual curiosity, and endurance in the face of hardship that would define her adult life. When she was five, Ada wanted to take exactly height measurements of their home, so she undertook an experiment using stacked pieces of furniture. Climbing up on the wobbly stack, Ada fell and broke her arm. But did that dissuade her intellectual thirst? Not in the slightest. Even with a cast on, she was never content to leave a question unanswered or brush off the unknown.

Her family recognized and nurtured this attitude. Despite their poverty, her family fought to see her sent to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to pursue higher education. Her parents work ethic rubbed off on her. While working towards a Bachelors in chemistry, a Masters in biochemistry and later a PhD degree in X-Ray crystallography, Ada supported her own studies by tutoring younger students in math, scraping together enough money to pay for her expensive tuition.

Following the successful conclusion of her studies, Ada would go on to research and teaching positions in a variety of prestigious laboratories abroad. She held a post-doctoral position at the Carnegie Mellon University in 1969 and would later work with alongside Nobel laureate William N. Lipscomb at MIT. She grew professionally and academically, coming into her own as a scientist.

Ada would return to Israel in 1970 to establish the first protein crystallography laboratory in the country. This is where she would develop many of the ideas that would direct her career and guide her research. She studied the process of protein biosynthesis, looking specifically as the structure of ribosome, the process by which genetic code is translated to the protein that makes up a being's physical form.

Suffering a serious bicycle accident that resulted in a concussion and prolonged period of immobility, Ada found herself confined to bed rest. Not content to simply let that time slip away, she used it as an opportunity to learn more about her field. Voraciously consuming scientific literature while bed-bound, Ada was struck by an idea, a strange observation about polar bears. Specifically, how polar bears are able to compress and preserve their ribosomes during hibernation and if the same process could not be applied elsewhere. When she finally got back on her feet, she pursued the idea eagerly.

However, what she was doing was widely considered impossible at the time. The specific nature of what she was after was considered too small and fast to study or quantify, but she pressed on. Ada, in her typical humour and humility, credits her concussion. That perhaps the knock to the head let her see possibility where others saw a dead-end.

From that point forward, Ada poured herself into her work, dedicating over 40 years to the field of ribosome studies. It was this was ground breaking research that led to Ada being awarded the Nobel Prize in 2009. Her insights into protein biosynthesis have had an impact across multiple scientific and medical fields, an impact she plans to take it even further.

Still actively researching and teaching at the age of 77, Ada's current goal is to apply her knowledge of the structure and function of ribosome to improving the effectiveness of existing antibiotic drugs as well as develop new ones that have become resistant to current methods of treatment. "New drugs for old bugs” so to speak.

Another example of Jewish perseverance and ingenuity, Ada Yonath is a true pioneer in the scientific community. An an inspiration for inquisitive minds everywhere that yes, you can make a difference in the world no matter your circumstances.

[Comment]

Sep 21, 2016

Great things are growing in Jerusalem's botanical gardensBy: C4i

Sometimes, people have an inaccurate idea of what it's like in the Holy Land. They remember movies and painting that depict the whole area as an arid desert, a place of sand, sun, and heat. While it's true that the area certainly contains its share of those conditions, they aren't the whole story. There is also a staggering richness of ecological diversity to explore in Israel. It's a place where beautiful things can grow when they're treated right.

Nowhere is that more evident today than in Social and Environmental Hub at the Jerusalem botanical gardens. A social activism movement where gardening initiatives are helping to cultivate healthy communities as well as plants. The initiative operates under the maxim "plants grow people” and seeks to connect various social-environmental programs together under one organization to maximize their collective effectiveness.

The gardens are supported by various Jerusalem nonprofits, serving interests as diverse as adults with mental illness, veterans with PTSD, and Holocaust survivors. Gardens are tended to by people of all walks of life with the goal to make each garden self-sustaining, a way of generating both meaning and income for the people involved.

Speaking to ISRAEL21c, co-founder Lior Gottesman explained the project.

"I’m really passionate about connecting the environment and people in a sustainable way... A lot of people, when they think about green issues, imagine tree-hugging hippies. For me it has to do with social justice and social inclusion, food security and other super important issues in cities.”

As we know all too well at C4i, food insecurity is a major issue facing an enormous number of Israeli citizens. One-fourth of the population live beneath the poverty line and an estimated 18% of Israelis face the terrifying prospect of not knowing where their next meal will come from everyday. While income disparity and deep-rooted economic issues lie at the heart of these problems and must be addressed, it is community initiatives such as these that are making the difference in the interim. Directly assisting the most vulnerable of Israel's children on an immediate basis.

While self-sustainability and nurturing profitable gardens is the structural goal of the initiative, that is only one piece of the puzzle. The other goal is to help the people doing the growing themselves. To collect those living in risky or insecure conditions and give them structure, purpose, and a sense of accomplishment.

One of the earlier success stories from the program includes the Kaima hydroponic greenhouse. The garden is notable for producing high-quality organic greens, while being staffed by high-school dropouts and other youths on the margins of Jerusalem's social safety net. The garden provides teens, many from troubled backgrounds or recently landed immigrants, with a way to earn an honest hourly wage and feel a measure of responsibility and trust. The idea is to rebuild their confidence in themselves through so called "farm therapy” reaching out to the disenfranchised and showing them that there is a place for them in their community.

The results so far have been stunning. Not only is the Kaima hydroponic greenhouse already 50% self-sustaining (and climbing), but the effects on the participants have exceeded expectations. 80% of the teens who work with the program go back to school within a few months. That is a real, positive impact in the lives of kids that might have otherwise gone down a self-defeating track.

The Jerusalem botanical gardens plan to replicate that success in other initiatives, providing funding, administrative support, and training to dozens of separate small scale projects. The idea is to provide networking opportunities and a foundation that will allow small initiatives to grow faster and larger than they could have on their own.

The ongoing success of the Jerusalem botanical gardens is just another example that community action works. By joining together, combining our efforts, and helping people establish resources they can use to help themselves, we can feed the hungry, help the needy, and protect the vulnerable. When we all pitch in, we all grow together.

[Comment]

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