God

It is the first week of 2006. Take a moment to consider this. Another year of our lives has come to a close. I myself prayed about what to write in today's column. How can God use me to encourage you all? It is with this prayer in mind that I type. The beginning of every new year brings with it a time to reflect, a moment to renew, an occasion to resolve issues in our lives; hence the new year's resolutions. The close of any year brings with it an instance to pause and wipe the slate clean, to gain encouragement that you can perhaps do better this new year.

Adam and Eve knelt before God, their hands clasped together and heads bowed, on stage Thursday evening in the John Burroughs High School auditorium. In the first act of the choir's summer presentation, "Children of Eden," God, Christian Salazar, 18, of Burbank, had just created the heavens, the Earth, night, day and man. First-time summer choir directors Sam Saletta and Kim Hidalgo tried to create some harmony between the orchestra and the actors. It had been only four weeks since rehearsals began on the musical, based on the story of Adam and Eve, creation and the great flood resulting in Noah's Ark. The 35 cast members, all in high school or entering high school, had 43 songs to learn for the production, along with choreographed dance moves in just a month.

In a recent study, 57% of randomly surveyed adults said God’s intervention could save a deathly ill family member even if physicians said treatment would be futile. However, just under 20% of doctors and other medical workers said God could reverse a helpless outcome. Given this gap, how can someone discuss God with their physician?   Talk to your doctors with confidence. They are experts in medicine; you are an expert in what you believe and what God has done for you. As you “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” you will develop boldness and trust in the Lord that will direct your decisions and flow out in your conversations with others.

Several years back, I found myself being led to pray for a couple who are dear friends of ours. We had worked for several years together in the ministry. I could not shake the feeling that they were going to go through something likened to in the Old Testament book of Hosea. I kept getting this picture that the husband was going to have to love his wife like Hosea did. Shortly thereafter, the husband described to us some marital problems. Since we were so spiritually intimate with this couple, I shared the vision I was getting during my prayer time for them.

What is a Christian to do when it seems that evil men are consuming them? Let me give some examples. Are you working faithfully at a job only to have a non-Christian boss constantly find fault with you? Does it seem harassing? Do you have an unbelieving spouse who ridicules your faith or good deeds? Is there a more serious issue such as even the law not protecting your children in the way they should and you are left helpless, without recourse? In moments like this, we may feel that God is not there, that He is not defending us.Sometimes all we have is prayer, and those prayers can feel weak when no help is in sight.

What matters to you most in life? For many, including some Christians, it is a career, the love of material possessions, the striving to make more money, or even success. But I would say that for those people I know who truly devote themselves to God, it is the will of the Lord and those He has entrusted to us that matter. When all is said and done, our children, parents, friends and extended family are the most vital components of our life. But all of these are a backdrop to what God has called us to do in life.

Jews are most likely to marry outside their religion, while Mormons are least likely, according to the results of a 2010 survey of interfaith marriage . The study found that the rate of interfaith marriage in America is around 42%. But, says writer Stanley Fish, many couples of different faiths who decide to marry don't know what they're getting into. "Interfaith couples tend to marry without thinking through the practical implications of their religious differences. They assume that because they are decent and tolerant people … they will not encounter difficulties being married to someone of another faith," he says.

"It's a jobs creator, and thank God we got it," Gov. Jerry Brown said of funding for high speed rail, narrowly approved by the Legislature last week. He and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood were at the Port of Oakland on Monday to take a victory lap. The state Senate barely passed $8 billion in state and federal spending on the bullet train and related transportation projects on Friday, sending the bill to Brown for his signature. The federal funding was contingent on the state allocating money.

Brigham Young University recently suspended its star basketball center, Brandon Davies, for violating the college's strict Honor Code. Davies admitted to officials that he'd had pre-marital sex with his girlfriend, an Arizona State University freshman. Although he currently remains a student, there is still a chance the 19-year-old will be expelled from the school. He has publicly apologized to his teammates and fans. The Honor Code, which students are obligated to abide by, requires them to be honest, live a chaste and virtuous life, obey the law and all campus policies, use clean language, respect others, abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee and substance abuse, participate regularly in church services and observe a dress and grooming standard.

The "I'm spiritual but not religious" community is growing, according to a blog post by CNN writer John Blake. It is growing so much, the blogger writes, one pastor has compared it to a "movement." In a 2009 survey by the research firm LifeWay Christian Resources, 72% of people 18 to 29 consider themselves "more spiritual than religious." Some say the phrase hints at egotism: "If it's just you and God in your room, and a religious community makes no demands on you, why help the poor?"

Across from me is Roberta Medford. We?re sitting in front of an open window at her Montrose residence. ?What is it about atheists that people just don?t like?? I ask. ?You would have to ask them that. I don?t know!? Medford says with a good-natured laugh. I visited Medford on Monday evening to get her take on another vandalization of the Adopt-A-Highway Atheists United sign on the Glendale (2) Freeway. This time, the sign on the southbound side had been defaced. The ?

A nation of desperate and grieving people showed the fervency of their faith this past weekend. Haitians mourned an archbishop, prayed in an open-air revival and, later in the day, witnessed a miracle. But some have said that the fate that has befallen Haiti is the ire of God. Others, like Archbishop of Santo Domingo Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, “has firmly rejected the idea that the tragedy in Haiti was a punishment from God,” according to an article in Catholic News Agency.

To the city of Burbank, On Nov. 3, at the City Council meeting, I was privileged to once again lead the invocation. On the docket were many issues, both mundane and meaningful. One that captured the emotion and heart of many was the acknowledgment of Burbank Police Sgt. Neil Thomas Gunn’s death. The sorrow, anger and conflict were manifest. This is a horribly difficult time for the Gunn family, who I do not know, for our officers, some of whom I do know, our City Council and for our city.