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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s the hottest day of the summer so far. The mercury is way up there, and all you want to do is stay in your nice air-conditioned home until it cools off after dark. But alas, you have a life, and you have to go outside. The second you open your door, the heat blasts you so hard it feels like a physical blow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s exactly what it\u2019s like online right now, no matter where your politics lie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Except instead of heat, it\u2019s a blast of hostility, hatred, and rage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Death of Civility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the most tumultuous election many of us have ever personally witnessed, the animosity still hasn\u2019t waned three months after the shocking (to some) results were announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, it\u2019s gotten even more heated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ll try to lay this out without divisiveness because taking sides isn\u2019t my goal here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One side is unwilling to accept that the election didn\u2019t go their way. Their rising and noisy discontent has enflamed the opposite side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The result is ugly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s all-out verbal war on social media, as people spew hate-filled, destructive things to one another. There is hardly any attempt for understanding on either side. Instead, there are threats, mockery, name-calling, and spite. If you call anyone out on their behavior, you are instantly named a supporter of \u201cthe other side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Basic civility seems to be dead, as people laugh at the fate of innocents, blithely plan violent events, and fan the flames of rage. They insult others and laugh at their misfortunes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rage level just keeps inching up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, those flames are fanned by the media. Left. Right. It doesn\u2019t matter which side. From both biases, there are breathless denouncements of \u201cthe enemy\u201d that just tick people off more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Politicians certainly aren\u2019t helping either, using their platforms to stoke the anger levels even higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While there are some genuine hard feelings out there, these entities are throwing gallons of gasoline on the fire on a daily basis \u2013 and they\u2019re making a ton of money doing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t know about you, but I\u2019m sick of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not just annoyed. Not just a bit tired. Sick to my very soul to see how low so many people have plummeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s times like these when you see the true nature of the people around you. And sometimes what you see isn\u2019t pretty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can only imagine that if the situation was truly dire, and the last bit of food was involved, that these are the people who would be out there fighting for it. Terrible picture, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lot of people are feeling hopeless about the future right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are the things you really can\u2019t control.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, let\u2019s talk about the things that are completely out of our control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can\u2019t change what is reported in the media.<\/strong><\/em> Heck, half the time we can\u2019t even decipher whether it\u2019s true or false. But here\u2019s what we can do:
\u2022 We can refuse to be gullible.
\u2022 We can cross-check our facts and try to get an idea of the real picture, but we have to keep in mind that the media on both sides is biased and that the truth usually lies somewhere in between.
\u2022 We can support outlets we perceive to be more honest, but we must always remember that nearly everyone has an agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWe can\u2019t change the hearts of people who have descended into hate. <\/strong><\/em>They\u2019re going to have to dig themselves out of that pit. But here\u2019s what we can do:
\u2022 We can offer a helping hand up when they\u2019re ready, but until they want to climb out, that\u2019s where they\u2019ll be, regardless of our actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWe can\u2019t do a whole lot about the major policy decisions being made. <\/strong><\/em>Getting sucked into angry debates that descend immediately into ad hominem attacks is a waste of time and energy. But here\u2019s what we can do:
\u2022 We can (and should) voice our opinions of these things in places where it matters. (Hint: Twitter and Facebook aren\u2019t places where it matters.)
\u2022 We can make our points with facts and logic, rather than emotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\nYou do not have to participate in the current climate of incivility. This is optional, and you can opt out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No matter where your political beliefs lie on the left-to-right scale, there is something you can do to make life better instead of bitter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Focus on the things you can control.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can concentrate on the way we spend our days.
\u2022 We can be productive.
\u2022 We can be kind.
\u2022 We can spend our time with people who are also productive and kind.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you spend all of your time wallowing in the mire, you\u2019re going to get dirty too. It isn\u2019t your job to tell people who aren\u2019t going to listen that they should be nicer. Trust me; I\u2019ve made plenty of those fruitless efforts myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m not saying that you need to live in a bubble, oblivious to the world around you. As someone who lives a preparedness lifestyle, it is essential to stay informed of current events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your take on things will make someone angry. It\u2019s inevitable these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But don\u2019t get sucked into the ugliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Walk away when you see incivility because you are not a referee, the official arbiter of right and wrong, or the person responsible for the behavior of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can control what is in your own heart, the actions you take, and the company you keep. You don\u2019t need to get in lockstep with a political party, an angry group, or a movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You need to focus on what is right, and you know that being cruel and wishing horrible things on people with whom you disagree isn\u2019t right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These things are certain.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the future of our country looking so uncertain, some things are certain.
\u2022 You and your family will want to eat wholesome, healthy food.
\u2022 You will want fresh, pure water.
\u2022 You want to be safe in your own home.
\u2022 You want your children to be happy, kind, and secure.
\u2022 You want a roof over your head.
\u2022 You want your bills to be paid.
\u2022 You want to feel happy, healthy, and peaceful.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThese are all things that you can control, at least to some degree. These are the reasons we prep and probably why you are here, reading this website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The place you spend your time, your energy, and your passion is the place where things will grow. Do you want to grow something beautiful or something ugly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Focus on nurturing that which you want in your life because therein lies peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stop fertilizing the weeds. If other people want to fight it out online, will it really benefit your life to join the verbal battle?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we add our voices to the hostile din, we just make it louder. Opt out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be a peaceful person in a hostile world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….<\/p>\n\n\n\n
KIDS PRAY FOR THE FUNDING OF A CONTAINER<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
One of the things we have been privileged to do, because of the love and concern of so many others, is to ship Christmas Joy Boxes to children and Christmas Joy Bags to the elderly in Romania for Christmas each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We try to load this container on the first Saturday in November in order to assure that it will be in Romania in plenty of time for our coworkers to deliver all of these before Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I tell people that one of the benefits of the Lord allowing us to help others is that it gives the children here at Fairhaven a chance to be on on the \u201cgiving end\u201d instead of always on the \u201creceiving end\u201d. Also, it enables them to see the Lord work firsthand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One year, we were getting ready to ship our \u201cChristmas Container\u201d, of which the shipping cost was $10,368. Now, we have to confirm our shipping date a few weeks ahead in order to be sure that our container has a place on the ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was about the first Monday morning in October and I was having devotion with the kids before they went to school. After devotion, I told them what the cost was going to be for the container and that we only had $3.000. I told them that we needed $7,368 in the next 7 days in order to be able to confirm shipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, they prayed, off and on, for that container all week. Nothing happened. Then, the following Sunday afternoon, a friend of mine came by for he needed me to help him move some livestock. As we sat and talked, he asked me when we would be loading the Christmas Container, for he always enjoys coming and helping. I told him that I was not sure and explained the situation to him and that the kids and I had been praying about it all week. He asked me how much we needed and I told him. He thought for a moment and said, \u201cI can do that.\u201d And he did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As soon as he left, I went down to the house where the kids were in the kitchen with Sissie, making sandwiches before church. I walked in and said \u201cHey kids, guess what the Lord just did?\u201d Allie, who was about 9 at the time, said \u201cHe gave us the money for the container?!\u201d I told them that He had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is always great when they can see His faithfulness in these things and I pray that it will be something that will stay with them all their lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
John 16:33–These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 14:27–Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1729,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hopeforothers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1736"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hopeforothers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hopeforothers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hopeforothers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hopeforothers.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1736"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/www.hopeforothers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1755,"href":"http:\/\/www.hopeforothers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1736\/revisions\/1755"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hopeforothers.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hopeforothers.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hopeforothers.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hopeforothers.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}