21 people injured after explosion at shopping center

Explosion at Plantation, Florida, shopping center leaves 21 people injured: 'It just looks like an apocalypse'

ABC News
By EMILY SHAPIRO
Jul 6, 2019

Police and fire crews are looking for answers after an explosion at a shopping center in Florida, officials said Saturday.

First responders at the scene of an explosion in Plantation, Fla., July 6, 2019.

Twenty-one people were injured, including two seriously, in the blast in Plantation, just outside of Fort Lauderdale, said Joel Gordon, Battalion Chief for Plantation Fire.

Video shows windows blown out of an LA Fitness while a building next door appeared completely destroyed, with debris strewn in all directions.
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The power inside of you is stronger than anything they can say against you

Why give them power over you

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 6, 2019


Do you believe you made the choice to risk your life for others because you were called to do it? Was there a tug to enter into a job you knew could kill you?

There was always something very different inside of you. Plenty of times in your life someone said something proving they did not understand your decision to choose that kind of job.

You did not let them stop you then. They had no power to prevent you from doing what you knew you needed to do. Then why listen to them now when you need to heal because of that job? 

Point Man International Ministries

The only power people have over you, is what you allow them to have. If you hear someone say something stupid because you need help now think about it and you'll see they are not making any sense at all.

First, your job required you to help others and so did theirs. If they are turning against you needing help from them...they should not be on that job.

Next, think about how you would have died to save them and supposedly they would have died on the job to save you too. Would it be too much to ask them to listen to you to save your life now or you to listen to them to save theirs?

Come out of the dark and fight like you served...side by side.

Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version (NIV)

You may feel lost and alone right now

and wondering what you did wrong.

You may think you are now weak instead of strong.

Why believe what others say about you

when you always knew what was true?

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

 He had plans for you and put what you need inside of you

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you"

He had

"plans to give you hope and a future."

 You had everything you needed to do your job already inside of you and that includes healing because of your job.

Over 7 million Americans have PTSD and most, ended up hit by the one time that could have killed them. You responded to those times. For you it was not one time but the one time too many saving them that hit you the hardest.

You proved you were brave when you took your job and trained hard to be able to do it. What is stopping you now from being brave again so you can train to heal because of your job?

If you cannot find the right words to explain what PTSD is, then you may not understand it totally. Time to learn what it is so you can explain what it is not.

It is because of your job that you grieve

It is not God punishing you

"The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say at the moment when you need them." Luke 12:12 The Voice (VOICE

And when you understand what it is, then you can become a hero after you begin to fight this war against the people who have no power over you anymore.

VA got it right on religious freedom fight and faith won!

update History does not change just because people say it did.

This is the headline from The Washington TimesVA secretary rejects Obama religious expression rules:

That is not what actually happened. This is what happened.

But this issue had nothing to do with the Obama administration, Snopes.com found. The VA chapel in Iron Mountain had been found to be in noncompliance with Spiritual and Pastoral Procedures that were established by the Department of Veterans Affairs and most recently revised in July 2008, six months before Obama became president. Those procedures require chapels at VA facilities be maintained as “religiously neutral” whenever they are not being used by chaplains for services associated with a particular faith: The rules state that no permanent religious symbols are to be incorporated in the construction or renovation of chapels.

Back to the headline from The Washington Times VA secretary rejects Obama religious expression rules: 'They did not know the makeup of the force'

Robert Wilkie, the soft-spoken and managerial-minded secretary of Veterans Affairs, went public in a big way this summer when he said he refused to be “bullied” by a federal lawsuit claiming a Bible on display at a New Hampshire VA hospital violated the separation of church and state. In an interview with The Washington Times in his office at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Mr. Wilkie said displaying a Bible in a VA hospital is a matter of liberty and that the Obama administration erred in trying to eliminate religious symbols from the veterans health care system.

Not so much on reliable reporting on that one!

VA secretary moves to permit public display of religious symbols

STARS AND STRIPES
By NIKKI WENTLING
Published: July 3, 2019

In addition to permitting public displays of religious symbols, the changes allow VA facilities to accept donations of religious literature and symbols, which can now be provided to patients and their families.

WASHINGTON — Citing a need to protect religious liberty, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie issued new policies Wednesday permitting displays of religious and spiritual symbols in VA facilities.

A Bible is part of a memorial table display at the veterans hospital in Manchester, N.H. KRISTIN PRESSLY/MANCHESTER VA MEDICAL CENTER VIA AP

Religious symbols will now be allowed in public areas of VA facilities, including lobbies, public entrances, security and information desks and nursing stations. In directives sent to VA facilities nationwide, Wilkie clarified that displays “should respect and tolerate differing views” and “should not elevate one belief system over others.”

“We want to make sure that all of our veterans and their families feel welcome at VA, no matter their religious beliefs. Protecting religious liberty is a key part of how we accomplish that goal,” Wilkie said in a statement. “These important changes will bring simplicity and clarity to our policies governing religious and spiritual symbols, helping ensure we are consistently complying with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution at thousands of facilities across the department.”

An official announcement about the new rules cited a recent Supreme Court decision in which a 40-foot “Peace Cross,” a tribute to World War I dead, was permitted to remain at a public intersection in Maryland. The court rejected the argument that the cross was an unconstitutional endorsement of Christianity, but justices didn’t reach an across-the-board consensus about how to handle religious imagery on public property.
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Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Veteran suicide rate in Alabama is 60% higher than the rate for civilians

Reducing Alabama’s high veteran suicide rate

Rocket City News
Posted: Jul 5, 2019

More than 16% of all suicide deaths in Alabama are veterans.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — The veteran suicide rate in Alabama is 60% higher than the rate for civilians and 9% higher than other southern states.

It’s estimated that 20 veterans take their own lives each day in the United States. That’s the purpose behind this task force is to provide help to those who need it.

“Anytime you put a human into a high level stressful situation like combat, it does take a toll,” said Kent Davis.

Alabama is home to roughly 400,000 veterans many of them go on to fight the battle aboard but unfortunately come home to fight another battle.

“One of our missions it to handle those hot button issues and veteran suicides is certainly one of those that we’ve identified as something that needs special attention.”

Kent Davis, the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, recently selected Paulette Risher, chief executive officer for Still Serving Veterans and a retired Army major general, to lead the new Task Force on Veterans’ Suicides.

The task force will study ways to reduce veterans suicide as well as the causes of suicides among returning Alabama veterans. The task force will then make recommendations to the Legislature.

Rep. Neil Rafferty submitted the House resolution to create the task force. House Joint Resolution 151 noted that the veteran suicide rate in Alabama was 60% higher than the rate for civilians and 9 percent higher than other southern states. More than 16% of all suicide deaths in Alabama are veterans.
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Want to prevent suicides? #BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife so you can help others to heal too!

Fireworks started fire, Colorado woman rescued from house by strangers

Good Samaritans rescue woman from fireworks-sparked fire in Montbello

Denver Channel
By: Jaclyn Allen
Jul 05, 2019

DENVER – Denver Fire is investigating a fire in a Montbello home that was reportedly sparked by fireworks Wednesday night.

Dramatic dash cam and cell phone video captured the moment a bush caught fire, spreading to a car and a house on Atchison Way.

William Birkett was shooting the video after he saw the firework shoot into the bush, and pulled over to help.

"I tried my best to put it out with the water bottles that I had in my car. The neighbor was using his garden hose," said Birkett, who said the fire quickly grew out of control, and that’s when they heard a woman screaming. “Myself and two other men, we just started running towards the house. And the two men pulled her out while I held back the bushes and I ran back inside to make sure no one was inside.”
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