Man survives bear attack in his kitchen: How to fight your “bears” in faith

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Man survives bear attack in his kitchen: How to fight your “bears” in faith

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers debrief after successfully tracking and euthanizing a bear at an abandoned mine Friday, July 10, 2020 in Aspen, Colo. An Aspen-area homeowner is undergoing surgery after being attacked early Friday morning by a bear that broke into his house through the front door, according to officials with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife department. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times via AP)

Dave Chernosky heard a commotion early Friday morning in the Aspen, Colorado, house where he’s staying with his twelve-year-old twins. “I laid in bed thinking, ‘I really hope this isn’t a bear,” he told CNN. “I figured it probably was, but I was sure hoping for something else once I got into the kitchen.”

It turned out, his worst fears were fact. The large black bear, estimated at four hundred pounds, was standing at the refrigerator when he entered the kitchen. The animal had opened drawers and cabinets and thrown stuff around the room.

Chernosky was able to keep the kitchen island between them as he tried to coax the bear into the garage to get it outside the house. His plan worked, but the bear became spooked when Chernosky hit the garage door opener and came back into the house. Chernosky was worried that it would head downstairs where his kids were sleeping.

That’s when he encountered the bear face-to-face. “We looked at each other, and he just smacked me in the side of the head and spun me around and got me again on the back,” he said. “I literally heard it crack on my head. A bear paw is not soft and cushy.”

Despite his injuries, he was able to scramble away and scream at the bear to leave. “Fortunately, he was done at that point and just left,” he said.

Officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife were able to find the bear and euthanize it. “We never like to have to put an animal down, but the protection of the public is paramount once a bear begins entering homes and responding aggressively…

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Why John Onwuchekwa, A Black Pastor and Rising Star, Gave Up on Southern Baptists

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Why John Onwuchekwa, A Black Pastor and Rising Star, Gave Up on Southern Baptists


Why John Onwuchekwa, A Black Pastor and Rising Star, Gave Up on Southern Baptists

(RNS) — For years, John Onwuchekwa was a rising star in the Southern Baptist Convention.

He attended a Southern Baptist seminary, spoke at the convention’s national pastors conference, was befriended by SBC leaders, started a new SBC church in the west end of Atlanta and helped recruit other Black pastors to do likewise.

Onwuchekwa was part of the family and destined for great things.

Then he wasn’t.

Last week, concerned about support for President Donald Trump among Southern Baptists and a lack of urgency in dealing with racial inequality, the pastor and his congregation decided it was time to leave.

“The SBC liked me,” he wrote, in announcing his decision to leave. “But I feel like they’ve failed people like me.”

In recent years, evangelical groups have invested heavily in helping start congregations among communities of color, hoping to reach new people at a time when the United States is becoming more ethnically diverse. More than half of new congregations started by the SBC’s North American Mission Board are diverse, according to an agency spokesman. But the nation’s current political climate and national divides on matters of race may make it difficult for pastors like Onwuchekwa to ever feel truly at home. Yet financial ties to their denominations make it complicated to leave.

Onwuchekwa, who grew up in Houston, the son of Nigerian immigrants, said the…

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CEO faces boycott for appearing with President Trump: Explaining and responding to ‘cancel culture’

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CEO faces boycott for appearing with President Trump: Explaining and responding to ‘cancel culture’

President Donald Trump listens as Robert Unanue, of Goya Foods, speaks during a roundtable meeting with Hispanic leaders in the Cabinet Room, Thursday, July 9, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Why is a social media campaign trying to boycott a company that is donating two million pounds of food to food banks during the pandemic?

Last Thursday, Goya Foods CEO Bob Unanue was invited to a ceremony at the White House where President Trump signed an executive order creating the Hispanic Prosperity Initiative. Unanue announced his company’s food donation and stated, “We’re all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder. And so we have an incredible builder. And we pray. We pray for our leadership, our president, and we pray for our country, that we will continue to prosper and to grow.” 

Backlash was immediate and severe.

Working with two presidents 

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro condemned Mr. Unanue’s statement on Twitter, claiming that he praised “a president who villainizes and maliciously attacks Latinos for political gain. Americans should think twice before buying their products.” 

Chrissy Teigen stated on Twitter that she would no longer buy the company’s products. Lin-Manuel Miranda, writer and star of the Broadway musical Hamilton, added this tweet: “We learned to bake bread in this pandemic, we can learn to make our own adobo con pimienta. Bye.” 

This reaction is especially ironic given Mr. Unanue’s earlier work with the Obama administration. The Goya Foods website notes that “in 2011, President Barack Obama honored Goya for its continued success and commitment to the Hispanic community, the only company to ever be honored by the President. In 2012, Goya collaborated with First Lady Michelle Obama and the USDA” to launch a healthy eating initiative. 

In response to the uproar last week, Mr. Unanue stated, “So,…

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Leading When You Are Not the Leader

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I love learning about history, particularly about WWII. I find the stories of the greatest generation inspiring and extremely thought-provoking. Some of the greatest leaders in the last century came out of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Recently, I finished two fascinating books about Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1944) and Harry S. Truman (The Accidental President). 

One of the most striking observations of both presidents was their ability to lead when they weren’t the leader. Of course they were the clear leaders of the United States, but they were equals during negotiations with other world leaders. Both FDR and Truman knew they must be disciplined to listen and be personally fit to lead.

As disciplined listeners FDR and Truman took the time to clearly understand the explicit and implicit goals of their peers.

  1. What are the explicit goals? In most churches this is the mission statement posted in your bulletin or the words posted on the walls around your building. It is important to have explicit goals giving your church purpose. Many of the people visiting your church will be drawn to a place that has clear purpose for them and their community.
  2. What are the implicit goals? Sometimes these goals aren’t as easy to communicate. Implicit goals are not plainly expressed and could take a staff member or regular attender months to uncover. Often implicit goals are a reflection of your culture. In some cases the implicit goals overrule the explicit goals.

Leading personally means…

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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Thom Rainer.

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‘The Leader We Need’: Planned Parenthood Launches Pro-Biden Ad in $45 Million Campaign

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‘The Leader We Need’: Planned Parenthood Launches Pro-Biden Ad in $45 Million Campaign


‘The Leader We Need’: Planned Parenthood Launches Pro-Biden Ad in $45 Million Campaign

Planned Parenthood launched the first summer – Monday in its $45 million campaign to elect Joe Biden as president, telling voters he would guarantee legalized abortion and “codify Roe v. Wade.”

The two-minute digital ad will run across nine battleground states, according to Axios: Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

“What do you want to see from your leaders?” a female narrator asks at the beginning of the ad, which criticizes Trump on health care and his responses to the pandemic and the racial injustice protests.

“I would veto any legislation that weakens pro-life policies,” the ad shows Trump saying.

The ad then transitions to what Biden would do.

“Imagine a leader who builds us up – not tears us down … who seeks thoughtful solutions to complex problems,” the narrator says.

Biden is seen saying, “Pregnancy can’t be a pre-existing condition. I would codify Roe v Wade.” Viewers see media headlines of Biden supporting Roe and opposing the Hyde Amendment, which prevents taxpayer funding of abortion.

The ad also includes Biden’s comments on health care and racial injustice protests.

“Joe Biden is the leader we need,” the narrator says. “Don’t just imagine this world. You have a voice, a vote, and the power to decide your own future. This November, we decide the…

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Hillary Clinton Warns That Trump May Not ‘Go Quietly’ if He Loses Re-Election

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Hillary Clinton Warns That Trump May Not ‘Go Quietly’ if He Loses Re-Election


Hillary Clinton Warns That Trump May Not ‘Go Quietly’ if He Loses Re-Election

In an interview on Monday with The Daily Show’s host Trevor Noah, Hillary Clinton claimed that if President Trump fails to be re-elected in November, it is possible he will not leave the White House quietly.

“Well, I think it is a fair point to raise as to whether or not, if he (President Trump) loses, he’s going to go quietly or not. And we have to be ready for that,” the former Secretary of State asserted, according to Fox News.

In making this statement, Clinton cited Trump’s claims that mail-in voting could result in widespread fraud and undermine the election. Clinton added that she assumes these claims by the President are his way of tailoring the election in his favor.

“There have been so many academic studies and other analyses which point out that it’s just an inaccurate, fraudulent claim,” Clinton said.

“There isn’t that problem. All the games that are played … to try and keep the vote down – that’s the real danger to the integrity of our election, that combined with disinformation and misinformation and all the online shenanigans we saw in 2016,” she continued.

Clinton went on to voice concerns that Republican politicians would aim to eliminate mail-in voting in an effort to create long lines at polling stations and in doing so, make voting more difficult for young people and minorities.

“I want a fair election. If people get to vote and…

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‘Prayer Works’: Rush Limbaugh Gives Update on Cancer Treatment

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‘Prayer Works’: Rush Limbaugh Gives Update on Cancer Treatment


‘Prayer Works’: Rush Limbaugh Gives Update on Cancer Treatment

Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh updated listeners on his battle with cancer this week and testified to the power of prayer. Limbaugh had not provided his fans with an update in a while because he said he “did not want to be a cancer patient here on the radio” because cancer “takes over your life if you let it.”

Limbaugh used a baseball analogy to explain where he was in his treatment. “My first two at-bats were horrible. My first two at-bats struck out. Nothing to show for it.” He explained that the first was a round of clinical trial drugs which were effective but “nearly killed me in the process.” He said that the second was a total failure.

However, Limbaugh’s third attempt at treatment has provided some hope. To continue his baseball analogy, he said, “I hit a solid single and managed to steal second. I am currently on second base hoping to slide into third and eventually make it all the way home.” He said they are in the bottom of the ninth, but “if I get all the way home, we get extra innings.”

He said that he had expected to feel terrible for 10 days after his most recent treatment and did not. He said he felt bad for two days and then had several really good days. Then he added, “I believe prayer works.” He also said the progress made in his most recent treatment is a “blessing.”

Doctors diagnosed Limbaugh with advanced-stage lung cancer in January. A few…

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Burning of Churches, Defacement of Religious Statues Is Rooted in ‘Hatred of God,’ Eric Metaxas Asserts

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Burning of Churches, Defacement of Religious Statues Is Rooted in ‘Hatred of God,’ Eric Metaxas Asserts


Burning of Churches, Defacement of Religious Statues Is Rooted in ‘Hatred of God,’ Eric Metaxas Asserts

Conservative radio host and best-selling author Eric Metaxas said in a recent interview that he believes attacks on churches and religious statues are aimed at God and not a result of civil unrest.

As Christian Headlines previously reported, multiple churches were burned in arson attacks and statues were vandalized across multiple U.S. states over the weekend.

On Monday’s broadcast of “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Metaxas addressed a recent tweet by former DNC Chairman Howard Dean who considers Christianity to be a religion of hate.

Metaxas likened Dean’s post to how Emperor Nero blamed Christians for burning Rome in 64 A.D. and added that the underlying motive behind the attacks on churches and statues is likely rooted in a hatred of God.

“I think a lot of the nastiness that is being directed at these statues, it really has to do with something deeper, Tucker,” Metaxas noted. “I hate to say it, but there’s something very dark.  You saw this in the French Revolution. There was a hatred at the bottom of it of God, of any kind of authority.”

“These people are drunk with the idea that they can…

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Naya Rivera saved her son before she drowned: A fact about sacrificial love

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Naya Rivera saved her son before she drowned: A fact about sacrificial love

Naya Rivera and son attend “The LEGO® Movie 2: The Second Part” Los Angeles Premiere held at Regency Village Theatre in California.

Naya Rivera became famous for her role on Glee, a musical comedy-drama that aired on Fox for six seasons. Her body was recovered on Monday, five days after she went missing at Lake Piru in California. A medical examiner confirmed that she died from accidental drowning.

The thirty-three-year-old actress had gone on a swimming excursion with her four-year-old son, Josey Dorsey. The boy told investigators that they were swimming when he last saw her as she “boosted him” onto the deck of their boat from behind. Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said at a press conference on Monday, “He told investigators that he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water.”

Ayub stated: “We believe it was mid-afternoon when she disappeared, the idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting—it was unanchored—and that she mustered enough energy to get her son back on to the boat, but not enough to save herself.”

A fact about sacrificial love

Here’s a fact this terrible tragedy makes clear: Josey Dorsey will never have to wonder whether his mother loved him.

Let’s bring his story into our story. We live in a transactional culture that measures us by what we have done and can do. As Frederick Buechner noted, we live in a community built on grades rather than grace.

My work as a writer is measured by the degree to which it is appreciated by those who read it. Your work today is measured by its results.

As a consequence, we are what others say we are. I am a good writer if you think I am. You are a good teacher, or student, or lawyer, or doctor, or business professional to the degree that your students, teachers, clients, patients, or customers agree that you are.

This consumeristic, capitalistic system is foundational to the economic success of our society. We are far more…

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Christian Groups Applaud Trump Admin. for Reversing Policy on Int’l Students

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Christian Groups Applaud Trump Admin. for Reversing Policy on Int’l Students


Christian Groups Applaud Trump Admin. for Reversing Policy on Int’l Students

Christian leaders are applauding the Trump administration for reversing course and allowing international students to remain in the United States if they only take online classes.

The controversy began earlier this month when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that students with visas attending colleges that are fully online due to the pandemic “must depart the country” or transfer to a school with in-person instructions.

The policy sparked a diverse outcry, including from members of both parties and faith-based campus groups. A coalition of more than a dozen Christian ministries, including InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, urged the Trump administration to reconsider.

It also led to lawsuits against the federal government.

According to Politico, on Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs said the Trump administration had reversed its policy. Burroughs was hearing a lawsuit against the government.

“We at InterVarsity are very pleased that ICE dropped its plan to deport international college students who only use online courses,” said Tom Lin, president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. “Their proposal lacked compassion and fell short of American ideals. And because of our faith, we felt it important to speak out publicly about the fact that it violated the tenets of our faith to ‘not mistreat the foreigner’ (Lev. 19:33) but to…

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