2/16/2020
1/26/2020 Buddhism and Panhandling
Here is a document from the Union Gospel Mission about giving to panhandlers.
Here is our downtown's Give Real Change initiative
A pretty thorough description of Buddhism from a Christian perspective
Here is an article about the dangers of Buddhism, from an athiest's perspective.
Here is our downtown's Give Real Change initiative
A pretty thorough description of Buddhism from a Christian perspective
Here is an article about the dangers of Buddhism, from an athiest's perspective.
1/19/2020 Protect yourself and your family!
We all agree there are many corrosive influences on the Internet. But you can avoid most of them with a filter! Here are a few to try. They cost money in most cases, but isn't it worth it to live a purer life? Using programs like this is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of humility and spiritual strength. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
And a special note to parents: If your minor child is accessing pornography or some other harmful content on the Internet, YOU have the ultimate responsibility. They are under your control. If they can't handle a phone, don't give them one, or get the appropriate blockers. If they can't trust a friend, don't let them sleep over at their house. YOU are the parent, YOU are the boss! God bless you in this difficult but rewarding responsibility.
Seven simple steps parents can take to enforce mobile and internet safety
So far, password protecting phones, blocking new apps, and blocking web browsers seems to have worked for us. They can text friends and play a few games, but not much else. If they want to surf the Internet, they have to get us to type a password and stay where we can see them. We have to remember to log them when they are done. But if you need help with that, or more secure options, just do a search for "control kids phone". You'll get tons of advice and software suggestions. Here are just a few:
VidAngel lets you censor out language, nudity, violence, or other categories from movies and shows in Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.
There are a lot of good porn blockers, here is a review of the top 5 in 2019, allegedly. Here's a similar list of the best parental control apps.
Over the years I've often heard Covenant Eyes touted as the best app to help quit pornography.
I have BlockerX on my phone and have used the free SPIN safe browser in the past (I'm not sure how to link them because they are apps). As my kids get older I'm thinking about a more comprehensive option that a teenager can't find a way around, but I don't have one yet. Here are 10 options to filter devices for a whole household.
Some of these require an accountability partner. Feel free to use my pastor@stmatthewspokane email address, and I can serve that way for you. I won't ask you about it unless you request to talk about it. Even for someone who doesn't struggle with pornography, it's wise to have one of these filters, especially if you have kids, so I won't make any assumptions.
And a special note to parents: If your minor child is accessing pornography or some other harmful content on the Internet, YOU have the ultimate responsibility. They are under your control. If they can't handle a phone, don't give them one, or get the appropriate blockers. If they can't trust a friend, don't let them sleep over at their house. YOU are the parent, YOU are the boss! God bless you in this difficult but rewarding responsibility.
Seven simple steps parents can take to enforce mobile and internet safety
So far, password protecting phones, blocking new apps, and blocking web browsers seems to have worked for us. They can text friends and play a few games, but not much else. If they want to surf the Internet, they have to get us to type a password and stay where we can see them. We have to remember to log them when they are done. But if you need help with that, or more secure options, just do a search for "control kids phone". You'll get tons of advice and software suggestions. Here are just a few:
VidAngel lets you censor out language, nudity, violence, or other categories from movies and shows in Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.
There are a lot of good porn blockers, here is a review of the top 5 in 2019, allegedly. Here's a similar list of the best parental control apps.
Over the years I've often heard Covenant Eyes touted as the best app to help quit pornography.
I have BlockerX on my phone and have used the free SPIN safe browser in the past (I'm not sure how to link them because they are apps). As my kids get older I'm thinking about a more comprehensive option that a teenager can't find a way around, but I don't have one yet. Here are 10 options to filter devices for a whole household.
Some of these require an accountability partner. Feel free to use my pastor@stmatthewspokane email address, and I can serve that way for you. I won't ask you about it unless you request to talk about it. Even for someone who doesn't struggle with pornography, it's wise to have one of these filters, especially if you have kids, so I won't make any assumptions.
