Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 11-29-19

Editorial/Column
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It Could Be You
A while ago I received a letter from a homeless man who wanted me to write about the abuse that he claims is being perpetrated upon the transient popula- tion by members of law en- forcement. According to him, police officers routinely ha- rass vagrants by assaulting them verbally, at times phys- ically, and destroying what little belongings they may
have accumulated.
After reading this man's
troubling accounts, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for what individuals in his situa- tion go through on a daily basis. And, if what he wrote to me was truly accurate, it was even more disturbing to discover that, along with all of the other horrors that come with living on the streets, those in that environ- ment also have to contend with being mistreated by the very civil servants whose job it is to protect them.
What makes this issue one that we all should be concerned with is the fact
that homelessness is one of the biggest underreported epidemics facing this country today. Right now, there are an estimated 2 million peo- ple living on the streets across 50 states. And, with the cost of real estate rising in almost every major metro- politan area (mostly due to mass gentrification) that number is projected to dou- ble over the next 10-15 years.
One of the reasons why this problem doesn't get the kind of attention it deserves is due to the misconception the average person has about those who they consider "bums" or "hobos." People tend to believe that those who find themselves in that condition are there because they fell victim to their vices or entered the life by choice.
While this could ring true for some street dwellers, the reality is that there are a large number of individuals who were thrust into their unfortunate circumstances through no fault of their own.
What most people don't
realize is that the average person is only a lost job, a de- nied government benefit, or a loss of generosity from a friend or relative away from being in the exact same predicament.
Without any of those crutches to lean on, there are more than a few people read- ing this right now who could one day find themselves in a similar desperate need for food and shelter. It won't be because they did anything wrong. It will simply be the result of them not being able to handle one of the curve balls life tends to throw from time to time.
This is why, for those of us currently not in such dire straits, a holiday like Thanks- giving should be used as an occasion to recognize our true blessings. This is be- cause it's only by the grace of a higher power that we're able to look at people less fortunate and say to our- selves, "If not for His mercy, there go I...."
Just a little something to think about when you're en- joying your turkey.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbar- ronice@gmail.com.
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Keep Your Eyes On The Bribe!
ry being stopped by a police officer and offering
the officer $500 not to write you a ticket. Or, try being told that one of our county commissioners told the county administrator he will not vote for him or her to get more than a one percent pay raise unless he finds some dirt on candidates who are going to run for his or her seat in the 2020 Election.
Do you think the police officer will arrest you for bribery? Do you think either of these scenarios is legal or ethical? Of course, not. Then why is it that govern- ment employees are being treated like criminals by Congressional Republicans for saying they heard President Trump asking Ukrainian officials to find dirt on Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, in order to have the millions of dollars they should receive released.
No matter how many irrelevant questions Repub- licans ask government staff, the issue is – did Presi- dent Trump say what the whistle-blower said he heard Trump say on the telephone? By the way, Republicans are masters at convincing you that you didn’t hear what you thought you heard, and are now throwing whistle-blowers under the bus.
Whether Biden and his son did something illegal or unethical is a separate issue, has yet to be proven, and should be addressed separately. A bribe is a bribe re- gardless of the reason or regardless if the person who is bribed actually does what the bribe request hap- pened to have been. The point is, the minute you ask someone to do something in order to get what that person is entitled to receive, the action is a bribe.
If the bribe is withholding government taxpayer funds, then the governing body and taxpayers should be informed of such action. Just think about Trump asking Russia, North Korea or some other foreign country to do the same thing about dirt on Republican Congressional representatives who don’t support his program?
The thought is scary. Trump’s actions are sympto- matic of “wheeling and dealing” in the unethical busi- ness world.
Our American government is no place for “wheel- ing and dealing.”
You Have The P.O.W.er
If you’ve ever doubted the power of words, I pray this column helps you to understand how to speak life to your circumstances through
mpowered Greetings. You have the power! To have power is to have the ability to do something in particular. When God created you, He gave you delegated authority, which equates to power.
Oftentimes people don’t recognize the level of the power they possess until they are faced with adversities. Even then, they sometimes stay stuck, instead of tapping into their inner power and untapped potential. Today, I want to encourage you to activate your P.O.W.er.
Here’s how.
1. If you are a believer, you have to first utilize the power of your prayer. When you pray say what God has already said through His written word. Why?
The Bible says that if you remain in Christ and His
words remain in you, then you can ask for what you want and it shall be granted. God answers the prayer of believers.
2. Know that you are created in the image of God. God made man from the dust of the ground, but everything else He spoke into existence. Therefore, man was also created with the capacity to speak things that are not yet seen into a visible existence. This is the P.O.W. in power and stands for the Power Of Words. If you can think, speak or write down words, you have power.
3. Lastly, there is power in what you do. Once you use the power of your prayer, it will be time to get up off your bent knees; stand to your feet and get busy developing the power of your habits. Habits are the things you do on a routine basis. Small things done daily can lead to big results. The catch is you need to do the right thing on a regular basis to see the power of your efforts. Take inventory of the habits that aren’t beneficial to you and
start to replace them with new actions that will lead you to where you’re trying to go.
These three steps revolve around manifesting your power by prayer, words and actions. You can pray and use the P.O.W. When you speak what you want, you set things into motion and activate the P.O.W. If you create a habit of doing the first two, the possibility of your power to have, do, or be anything is endless.
I pray this message has
EMPOWRED, EDUCATED and ELEVAT- ED you to your next level of SUCCESS.
Selphenia is available to speak at churches, schools, universities, business organi- zations, retreats and conferences.
To request Selphenia to speak or train at your upcoming event call 813-603- 0088.
Get connected. Join Selphenia on Social Media for some daily motivation.
Facebook: Selphenia Nichols Success Coach To Women; Instagram: @Selphenia; and Twitter: @queenofsuccess1.
For more inspiration, tips tools and strategies for success in life and business sign up for Selphenia’s FREE Success Made Simple E-zine at http://bit.ly/successmadesim plenews.
Ehe P.O.W!
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PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019