Tip #2: Protect Your Home

Stan White, the chief security officer of Praise Covenant Christian Center, continues to offer security tips and vital information in the upcoming months. Therefore, please take note and stay alert as it relates to safety, especially when it comes to protecting your home.

TIP # 2: Protecting Your Home
•  Most homes contain valuables that are very attractive to burglars; televisions, stereos, cash, computers, etc.
•   According to the FBI, most burglaries occur in July and August than any other month.
•  Never leave an answering service message indicating that you are not home. Instead, just say that you cannot come to the phone.
•   Most burglaries occur between 8:00am and 5:00pm, so get in the habit of locking all doors and windows whenever you go out
•   Get to know your neighbors. They can be a valuable resource to keep an eye on your home when you are away.


It’s Time for a Transformation

Romans 12:2 says, and be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Let’s take a look at this passage of scripture and discover the true meaning of transformation.

God has formed

Genesis 2:7 reads, God formed man of the dust of the ground and man became a living soul. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air. Mankind was the crown jewel of God’s creation; so much so that God created man in his own image… male and female (Genesis 1:27). He was given dominion over all God’s creation; beast, fish, and fowl.

Sin has deformed

The scripture says that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Man was removed from the Garden of Eden because of his disobedience to God. Sin marred man’s image and brought sorrow, suffering, and death to the human race. However, Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, died for all the sins of the human race.

Religion has reformed

True religion is based on Bible principles which can’t be improved upon. God’s Word is the authority on theology, philosophy, and psychology. Religion that offers reform alone falls short of its real potential and purpose. The saving, cleansing, redemptive power of Jesus Christ is the basis for truly effective religion. We must not have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.

Education has informed

We live in the most educated society in history. Scientific achievements and medical discoveries have made tremendous contributions to our world. But mankind sis still frustrated and searching for fulfillment. Education can meet our mental and physical needs, but to meet our spiritual needs we must be changed by a spiritual new birth.

Jesus Christ can transform!

According to Webster’s dictionary, to transform means to change in nature, disposition, and heart. Also, it means to convert. That’s exactly what Jesus Christ does for those who come to Him. When we repent of our sins and believe, we are forgiven. As we commit our lives totally to Christ, He cleanses and fills us with God’s divine love. Have you ever been transformed? If not, it’s time for a transformation. Only when the Holy spirit renews, re-educates, and redirects our minds are we truly transformed.


August is National Peach Month

Peaches are a multi-million dollar cash crop that bolsters the economies of over 32 states. Also, the United States is the world’s largest peach producer, providing more than 20 percent of the world’s peaches and exporting approximately 250 million pounds each year.
Here’s some history on the origin of the peach. The scientific name persica, along with the word “peach” itself and its cognates in many European languages, derives from an early European belief that peaches were native to Persia (now Iran). The modern botanical consensus is that they originate in China, and were introduced to Persia and the Mediterranean region along the silk Road before Christian times. Cultivated peaches are divided into “freestone” and “clingstone” cultivars, depending on whether the flesh sticks to the stone or not; both kinds can have either white or yellow flesh. Peaches with white flesh typically are very sweet with little acidity, while yellow fleshed peaches typically have an acidic tang coupled with sweetness, though this also varies greatly. Low-acid white fleshed peaches are the most popular kinds in China, Japan, and neighboring Asian countries, while Europeans and north Americans have historically favored the acidic, yellow fleshed peaches.
In recognition of the role peaches play in our food supply and our economy, via a July 1982 resolution, former President Ronald Reagan proclaimed that every August will be observed as “National Peach Month”. Additionally, President Reagan called upon the people of the United States to incorporate this nutritious fruit into their diets and to celebrate this month with appropriate programs and activities. This holiday is for honoring and enjoying the great flavor of juicy peaches.
You can eat them right off the tree, sliced in cream, make peach cobbler with ice cream or you can even blend them and make smoothies. It doesn’t matter how you eat them just as long as you celebrate National Peach Month by eating them in as many ways as you can think of.


August is National Immunization Month

August is designated as National Immunization Month to spotlight the importance of keeping your immunizations up to date. The Center for Disease Control has put together a number of charts to help you keep on top of the vaccines that you and your children need. It’s gotten rather complicated over the past few years, as many additional shots have been added to the requirements for kids. 
 
As an adult you may be in need of some shots as well. Many of the immunizations that kids now take for granted, didn’t even exist when many of us were children. It’s worth checking out what is available and what you need. The diseases that these vaccines protect against are pretty nasty and better off avoided.
Vaccines became a required part of childhood in the early 1950s, when four vaccines were introduced: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and smallpox. Luckily for kids back then, three of the four were combined into a single injection. This meant that kids only had to receive five shots by the time they were two years old, and they never had to receive more than one per doctor’s visit.  
 
Kids are not as fortunate on that score nowadays. By the time kids are two, kids now receive as many as 20 vaccinations, sometimes receiving as many as five shots in one visit! Ugh! The good news is that kids today are protected from a long list of dangerous diseases. The bad news is that there are just too many shots. This will hopefully change in the next few years in two ways; there are more vaccinations being added each year, which unfortunately means more shots, but they are also working on a number of combined vaccines which means less shots. Hopefully the final outcome will mean more protection from disease with less shots. Kids hate feeling like pincushions.


Tip #1: Stay Alert

Churches should be the safest and most secure places on earth. However, recently there have been many instances which make the aforementioned statement somewhat questionable.
Stan White, the chief security officer of Praise Covenant Christian Center will be offering security tips and vital information in the upcoming months. So, please take note and stay alert as it relates to safety especially in the church environment.

Tip # 1:

Stay alert and tuned in to your surroundings, wherever you are. Always be aware of what and who is around you. Especially when you are in unfamiliar environments, take the time to notice your surroundings. When going inside buildings, take notice of exit areas and look for postings of evacuation procedures. The few minutes that these observations take could make the difference in safety for you and your family during an emergency.


The Danger In Plenty

It is often most difficult to follow God when life is easy because we can fall prey to temptation and fall away from God. This is very apparent in the book of Deuteronomy 6:10-12 which reads, “So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, when you have eaten and are full then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”
Let’s look at a few examples of people who had problems with the danger of having plenty then going astray. First, let’s look at Adam, who lived in a perfect world and had a perfect relationship with God. His needs were met, he had everything, but he fell to Satan’s deception. Second, Noah and his family had survived the flood, they were prosperous, and life was good. However, Noah shamed himself by becoming drunk and cursed his son Ham. Finally, Solomon had power, wealth, fame, and wisdom. We can say that he had plenty but his very abundance was the source of his downfall. He loved his pagan, idolatrous wives so much that he allowed himself and Israel to copy their repugnant religious rites. So, we need to be very careful and cautious when we have been blessed with plenty because the danger is right around the corner.