Beech Tree News Network

Since hurricane season began, I’ve been thinking about the impact natural disasters have on people. A natural disaster is defined as a natural event such as a flood, earthquake, or hurricane that causes great damage or loss of life. Some natural disasters mentioned on the Internet include: tornadoes, hurricanes, cyclones, floods, drought, extreme heat, wildfires, volcano eruptions, earthquakes, swarms of locusts, and epidemics or pandemics. Natural disasters are simply outside of our control.

I’ve told you before how I enjoy watching survival shows like, “Naked and Afraid” and “Alone.  I’m drawn to the test of inner strength and determinations, as well as to the skill set of the competitors.  It amazes me what people can find to eat in those situations.  On a recent show, the competitors were digging up cattail roots, which I learned are loaded with starch.

There is much religious confusion today. One area where men are confused concerns how we can be saved. Some have been taught that faith alone saves a man. Is this what the Bible teaches? Please read the verses below. The Bible teaches that:

 1)      People saw salvation when John preached (Lk. 3:6).

Once upon a time, there were only three channels: ABC, CBS and NBC.  It was that way for decades.  Then came FOX in 1987 but I already told you about all that in past columns.  The three soon became 300 with the advent of cable and so on and so forth.  

BELTON, KY—Included on the bottom of the ballot for the General Election this fall are two Constitutional Amendments for “the People” of Kentucky to vote on. In recent conversations with constituents, it has been apparent that many voters are not aware of either of the amendments or what the goal of each of them is.

You know how you get a feeling that you should or should not do something, and you ignore the feeling and tell yourself it will be alright if you do or don’t do something, then it’s really not alright?  I’m sure you’ve done that, right?  Well, I can guarantee you haven’t done that as many times as I have.

In Romans 8:1, we read, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” This passage is one that is misused and abused by many in the religious world. Some read this passage and suggest that this is teaching the “once-saved-always-saved” philosophy. After all, since there is no condemnation for those in Christ, then once you’re in Christ, you can never be condemned! Isn’t that right?

Today I Learned

The title of this week’s column is a takeoff of a segment from The Late Late Show with James Corden called Tonight I Learned.  I’ve got some random facts that some might’ve already known; some you might be learning for the first time.  Even still there are some you might’ve forgotten.  Let’s begin!

Recently, I’ve thought about characteristics that make people stand out. William Shakespeare said, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Among the characteristics that can make a person great are charity, courage, and duty.

If, as Assistant Principal Kevin Crosby claimed when the new $84.5 million Tates Creek High School opened in Lexington on the first day of school, “students deserve a building like this,” then didn’t Fayette County taxpayers also deserve a better case from their local board of education before it voted to raise property tax rates again?  

Simply claiming current revenues are insufficient to meet the district’s educational and capital needs doesn’t cut it. Solid verification is needed.