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Remembering Those Who Gave Their Lives for the Cause of Freedom |
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Dr. Lonnie G. McCowan
Pastor of Miracle Center of Ventura
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By Pastor Lonnie G. McCowan
This coming weekend, we Americans will be remembering those who gave their lives for the cause of freedom - in the service of humanity - in the name of justice and liberty for all. Memorial Day honors generations of heroes who stepped forward to prevent evil from thriving unopposed.
On the US Army Special Forces insignia you will see inscribed “De Oppresso Liber,” which roughly translated means, “to free from oppression” or “to liberate the oppressed.”
This reminds me of why Jesus came to the earth -- and what the Spirit is upon us through Him to do. In Luke 4:18, Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” In Ezekiel 37:14, God says, “I will put My Spirit in you.” Paul told the Colossians, it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).
There are oppressive forces at work we are called to war against - fighting on behalf of those unable to do so for themselves. St. Augustine wrote, “The proud must be put in their place, the desperate set on their feet, those engaged in quarrels reconciled; The needy have to be helped, the oppressed to be liberated, the good to be encouraged. All must be loved.”
I believe this is what we stand for as a nation, what we fight for as a military, and what we are called to give our lives for as followers of Christ. Through the prophet Isaiah, God told Israel, “Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Is. 1:17).
Someone said “that no good cause shall lack a champion, and that evil shall not thrive unopposed.”
How will you be remembered? As we honor the heroes who gave their lives opposing evil and championing good, take a moment to reflect on how you want your life to be remembered.
Luke 4:18: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. The first choice we can make is to be less than we have the capacity to be; to earn less, have less, read less and think less. We try less and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension instead of a life of wondrous anticipation.
So what is the second choice? To do it all! We can choose to become all that we can possibly be. Read every book that we possibly can. Earn as much as we possibly can. Give and share as much as we possibly can. Strive, produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can. All of us have the choice to do or not to do, be or not to be. We have the choice to be all or to be less or to be nothing at all.
Why not do all that we can, every moment that we can, the best that we can, for as long as we can? Our ultimate life objective should be to create as much as our talent, ability and desire will permit. To settle for doing less than we could do is to fail.
Lonnie G. McCowan is pastor at The Miracle Center of Ventura, in Ventura. He can be contacted through email at lonnie100@msn.com or by visiting www.miraclecenterventure.com.
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VONS Donates More Than 8,400 Canned Goods to FOOD Share
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Lori Raya, VONS president, presents a $2,500 check to Joe Schroeder, Vice Chair of the FOOD Share Board of Directors.
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VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – VONS, one of the largest grocery chains in the nation, held a successful charitable “construction” competition on May 3 in which 20 teams created California landmarks using more than 8,400 canned goods that were then donated to FOOD Share, Ventura County’s regional food bank.
The competition, held at San Buenaventura State Park, included Vons president Lori Raya, VONS executives and the company’s 278 district and store managers. All employees, assigned to one of 20 teams, had two hours to use canned food items to replicate a recognizable California landmark. The competition was judged by FOOD Share board members and management staff.
Canned structures included Disneyland’s enchanted castle, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Alcatraz, the Queen Mary and the Golden Gate Bridge. Teams used their creative skills to create the biggest and best display with the winners, who created the Queen Mary, taking away bragging rights and the great feeling of knowing they were giving back to the community.
In addition to the canned goods, VONS also presented a $2,500 check to FOOD Share.
Since 2003, FOOD Share has received 2,995,950 pounds of food from VONS, which is equivalent to 2.5 million meals.
For more information: call (805) 983-7100 or go to http://www.foodshare.com.
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(Photo Credit: Isabel Atkinson)
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By Isabel Atkinson
The Green Chef sustainable food competition, sponsored by University of California Santa Barbara’s Environmental Affairs Board, drew a small crowd of health food enthusiasts to the Santa Barbara Hillel courtyard Sunday, May 13. Contestants concocted a vegetarian or vegan food item that incorporated the secret ingredient of the day, zucchini, provided by the Isla Vista Food Co-op.
While making the rounds to sample each dish, audience members who paid to taste the dishes and actively participate in the event voted a first and second place winner for each of the three categories- creativity, tastiness and sustainability. Utilizing the most environmentally sound ingredients held the most weight in the competition, as EAB’s primary goal for the event was to promote and celebrate local, organic foods.
Tom Lehmann, Cassidy Green, Liz Camilo and Marissa Diebolt, the EAB organizers of the event and UCSB students, emphasized the importance of living a greener lifestyle, particularly in regards to food and agriculture. Lehmann, a fourth-year Chinese major and EAB’s Sustainable Foods co-chair, maintained that Santa Barbara’s uniquely abundant agricultural focus made eating sustainably especially valuable.
“We have a farmers’ market every day of the week in Santa Barbara county; this kind of food is quite accessible,” said Lehmann.
One of the main aims of the Green Chef contest is to show a wider multitude of people the benefits and availability of local, sustainable food sources.
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Avoid a Roadside Mayday This Summer |
(NewsUSA) - The temperatures are rising, and so are the numbers of vehicles on the road. Summer is right around the corner, bringing with it a number of road trips to the beach for many families.
Avoid putting a damper on your travel plans by following these summer vehicle maintenance tips from your loyal friends at Firestone Complete Auto Care.
* Check your air conditioning system before the summer heat hits to make sure that it seems to be cooling effectively. An annual full-vehicle inspection, including the air conditioning system, may help avoid costly repairs.
* Check your vehicle’s fluid levels. Check the engine oil and coolant level when the engine is cold. Once your vehicle is warmed up, check your transmission fluid and power steering fluid. If any fluid is low, add only enough to bring the indicator to “full” -- never overfill. Have your Firestone Complete Auto Care automotive technician regularly check your vehicle’s brake fluid level and condition.
* Do not overload your vehicle. Overloading creates excessive heat inside your tires and can cause tire failure, which could result in vehicle damage and serious injury. Remember that you and your passengers count toward the total recommended vehicle weight.
* To get the best fuel economy while traveling, be aware of the following:
1. Due to vehicle aerodynamics, it can be more economical to run your air conditioner than to cruise with windows open.
2. When possible, maintain a constant speed to reduce strain on your vehicle’s systems. If it’s safe to do so and traffic is not too heavy, use the cruise control setting per your owner’s manual directions.
3. Do not let your vehicle idle for extended periods; restarting your engine uses less fuel than keeping your vehicle running.
4. Keep your tires properly inflated; under-inflated tires can lower fuel economy.
5. Use the recommended grade of gasoline specified by your vehicle manufacturer. Mid-grade or premium fuels are unnecessary unless they are recommended.
Nobody wants to be stranded in a broken-down vehicle on a hot, stuffy day. Avoid a “mayday” this season by taking all precautions and following these important summer vehicle maintenance tips.
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Rubicon Theatre Company Announces Honorary Chairpersons for 2012 Annual Fund Drive |
Ventura, CA – During its fourteen-year history in Ventura’s Downtown Cultural District, Rubicon Theatre Company has introduced the community to classics by William Shakespeare, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams and George Bernard Shaw; presented surprising environmental productions of audience favorites like Fiddler on the Roof and Songs for a New World; and developed twenty World Premieres.
Three respected members of the community have just been announced as Honorary Chairs of Rubicon’s 2012 Annual Fund Drive: Trudy Arriaga, Doug Halter and Jim Monahan. The campaign continues through July 15.
Contributions to Rubicon Theatre’s 2012 Annual Fund Drive may be sent to: Rubicon Theatre Company, 1006 E. Main St., Ventura CA 93001. Donations may also be charged over the phone at (805) 667-2900, or made online at www.rubicontheatre.org. Donations to Rubicon Theatre are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Those who donate $250 or more will be entered in a drawing to win a one-of-a-kind piece of ocean-inspired fine art by glass sculptor Fran Elson.
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News from the D.A. |
District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced that on May 4, 2012, the Ventura County Grand Jury indicted Joshua Graham Packer (DOB 9-21-89), of Ventura, on additional charges relative to the Faria Beach murders that occurred on May 20, 2009. Packer is now additionally charged with commission of the crime of forcible oral copulation against Davina Husted, in violation of Penal Code section 288a(c)(2) and with using a knife in the commission of that crime, in violation of Penal Code sections 12022(b)(1) and 12022.3. The Grand Jury also indicted Packer on an additional special circumstance allegation that the murder of Davina Husted was committed while Packer was engaged in the commission of forced oral copulation, pursuant to Penal Code section 190.2(a)(17)(F). This special circumstance allegation makes Packer eligible for either life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Packer had already been indicted by the Grand Jury in July 2010 for the murders of Brock Husted, Davina Husted, and their unborn child Grant Husted, as well as three special circumstance allegations. The special circumstances alleged at that time were that the murders were committed in the course of a burglary, robberies and that the crimes involved the commission of multiple murders. |
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Jose Martinez of Oxnard was arrested on or about May 15 in Riverside County on suspicion of petty theft.
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Edaena Barajas of Oxnard was arrested on or about May 15 in Ventura County on suspicion of assault, assault and battery, driving under the influence.
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Richard R Lopez of Oxnard was arrested on or about May 3 in Ventura County on suspicion of other drugs.
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Cynthia Rizalla of Oxnard was arrested on or about May 15 in Ventura County on suspicion of unknown.
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Adolfo Perez of Oxnard was arrested on or about May 15 in Ventura County on suspicion of other drugs.
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Gustavo Munoz of Oxnard was arrested on or about May 15 in Ventura County on suspicion of misdemeanor offenses.
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Melissa Goudeau of Oxnard was arrested on or about May 15 in Ventura County on suspicion of other drugs.
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Catarino Mendoza of Oxnard was arrested on or about May 15 in Ventura County on suspicion of driving under the influence.
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Juan Hernandez of Oxnard was arrested on or about May 15 in Ventura County on suspicion of other drugs.
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Rafael Montes of Oxnard was arrested on or about May 15 in Santa Barbara County on suspicion of dangerous drugs, other drugs.
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Severiano Ortiz of Oxnard was arrested on or about May 15 in Ventura County on suspicion of driving under the influence, driving offenses.
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