I pray everyday that the Governor of New Mexico and her supporters will come to realize that legalized pot is bad. They call it “recreational pot” I thought recreation was playing softball, fishing, golf, not getting stoned!… It is just plain bad to legalize this stuff. I have reports of so many people getting very sick for smoking pot NOW in New Mexico. Listen, we have so much evil here in New Mexico, abortion, drunk driving deaths, parents and boy friends murdering children, homicides, and other very violent crime and you want to feed pot heads, and have them drive and kill???!!!!
It looks like the opposition to the Governors push to legalize pot is getting stronger ABQ Journal Story
You could call this my STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS:
KEEP YOUR EYE ON THIS STORY, AS MONEY STILL HAS A CHANCE TO GREATLY INFLUENCE THIS DEAL AND PUSH IT OVER THE FINISH LINE! ALWAYS FOLLOW THE MONEY!!! There are plenty of rabbit trails…..
Legalized pot is all about the MONEY for the state and peoples pockets, it is not about the well-being of people and the future of our children. Money rules in this world we live in, not whats best for God’s people!
People of God, you must take to your knees during this session.
I wonder how many POT HEADS are driving in New Mexico today?
How many in New Mexico are driving drunk? or drunk at home, or at the bar?
How many ABORTIONS in New Mexico today?
How many children are being abused today in New Mexico?
How many children are hungry today in New Mexico?
How many children are homeless in New Mexico?
How many are high on drugs in New Mexico today?
How many violent crimes will be committed in New Mexico today?
Where is the moral code for New Mexico?
Where are The Ten Commandments placed and upheld in New Mexico?
Are we a state of DEATH?
From July 23rd of 2019 from Chuck Akeley of Albuquerque:
In our country and yes, our state, it has become almost fashionable to support the growth and use of marijuana, whether for medicinal use or recreational use. So much so, that even our state executive and many legislators consider government sanctioned and controlled distribution of marijuana to be a worthy effort as means to acquire tax dollars. Let’s consider some of the well-established issues facing New Mexico. For many years, we’ve been rated at the bottom or almost the bottom for quality of education, children living in poverty, drug use (e.g., opioid use), drug trafficking (I-40, I-10, I-25 and the southern border corridors) and DWI offenders (including the associated deaths). Is there really wisdom in enhancing these issues by creating a culture of “legalized” use of marijuana here in New Mexico?
A wise man once told me that if you have any doubt as to whether to do or say something, then ask yourself, would you look to Jesus and say “Lord, I do this thing as unto You” or “Lord, I give You thanks for this which I am about to do.” If the answer is no, then why are you doing it? Would you ask Jesus to bless your firing up of a joint or bowl or eating of a laced edible so that you would experience a high? The scripture says we should seek His wisdom. According to Proverbs 4:7, “[w]isdom is the principal thing; [t]herefore get wisdom [NKJV].” Ephesians 5:15-21 instructs us to walk in wisdom: “[s]ee then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ [NKJV].” Just because we CAN do something doesn’t necessarily mean we SHOULD do something.
My background includes a few years as a Special Agent with the USAF Office of Special Investigations, during which much of the training involved drug enforcement. I spent the first year after completing the initial academy leading the Travis AFB, CA Joint Drug Enforcement Team and subsequently worked for several years at Holloman AFB, NM participating in drug enforcement operations with the other agents. Once you have strapped on the equipment and executed a few warrants, you tend to develop a very different perspective about “low level drug use,” as the small amounts of drugs came from someone who was probably not your next door neighbor, and that person’s drugs came from a trafficker – a very dangerous person. The perspective that I’m not hurting anyone is a big lie. It is not surprising to me that the military and local or state police have had to lower standards in order to acquire acceptable cadets. Today, our children and youth often do things as a result of cultural or peer influences which can devastate future employment opportunities. How much worse it is when our children’s parents are the ones modeling this behavior? I thank God that our Lord is forgiving and merciful, and am reminded that we are called to forgive others and to help guide our friends, family and others unto salvation and into their God-given destiny!
It’s interesting to hear discussions about “legalizing” recreational use of marijuana at the state level. If a state allows something that is forbidden at the federal level, it is not really legal, but what is happening is that the federal government has elected, as a matter of enforcement discretion, to refrain from seeking prosecution under certain circumstances and the state has elected to ignore existing federal code or statutes. The federal Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”), 21 USC 812, establishes five schedules of controlled substances, identified as Schedules I, II, III, IV and V. Schedule I lists substances that have been determined to have: 1) a high potential for abuse; 2) no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States; and 3) a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or substance under medical supervision. The psychoactive substance in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”), remains to this day a listed Schedule I substance. Because of this, many states have struggled with the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana and declare legality, when in point of fact, what is occurring is simply enforcement discretion at the federal level and a glaring lack of willingness of the federal government to take a solid position one way or the other.
There is MUCH remaining to be said about this issue, including the increasing levels of THC in modern-grown marijuana plants provided by dispensaries and technologically-advanced illicit grows, the lack of clear means for law enforcement to easily determine the degree of driving impairment compared to determining alcohol impairment, the effect that such has or may have on us developmentally, mentally and physically, the wisdom and procedure for assuring sound regulatory controls at the federal and state level – and assuming this issue isn’t going away quickly, the spiritual implications of encouraging, yet another mind altering substance for use by our residents, demonstrating yet again, the wisdom of man in the face of the wisdom of God.
Father, in the name of Jesus, I ask that You would speak to the hearts of those in a position to encourage, allow, regulate and/or spend tax dollars on marijuana matters in our beautiful State of New Mexico (and across this nation). Give us ears to hear and eyes to see what is the will of God. May wisdom guide our discussions and determinations, with a mighty hedge of protection over all who are doing Your will and serving Your people, in light of this challenge. But regardless, help us to always love. Always. Amen.
Chuck Akeley
Albuquerque, New Mexico
From Jan. 10th, 2019
NM’s Rise in Homelessness Highest in U.S., 3,000 APS Children Are Homeless
This is just not a New Mexico Problem, it is an American problem that continues to worsen Albuquerque Journal Report
2019 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress 2019 Report Here
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PRAISE GOD FOR PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR THE HOMELESS!!!!!!!!!! PUT JESUS AT THE CENTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
America’s largest health insurer is giving apartments to homeless people
A radical fix for the U.S. health-care crisis.
Read in Bloomberg Businessweek: https://apple.news/Ac9xSGNHySIOjHPRNu_1ddQ
Shared from Apple News
From October of 2019:
I met Danny Whatley (pictured at very top) years ago when he appeared on ‘Ask The Pastor’ with Marvin Capehart on KKIM Christian Radio in Albuquerque. I have the highest regard for this man of God! I asked him to give us an update on the homeless situation in Albuquerque. Danny is the Executive Director at The Rock at Noon Day.
The current homeless situation in the Albuquerque metropolitan area is a mirror of what every major city in the country is experiencing. Over the past eighteen months to two years we have seen a steady increase in the homeless population. The last six months the numbers have taken another jump, where currently we are experiencing an unexplainable increase in those experiencing homelessness.
Every major city in the country is required by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to conduct a Point in Time count. This count, nationwide was conducted in February of 2019. It counts the homeless, those literally on the streets of the city and gives us a thumbnail sketch of how many and who the homeless are. The number from this count is not reflective of the total number of homeless in our city, but does provide us with good data as to ages, gender, and racial and ethnic makeup of those experiencing homelessness. In the 2019 count the number counted was 1,525. While this number sounds small, especially if you spend any time in the downtown area and have seen the tents, panhandlers and those in line at the shelters that provide care for the homeless, you would see immediately that this number is low. Comparing it to past years, the number has increased over 200 from the 2017 count which is a significant increase.
How do we address the homeless issue in our community is the million dollar question. I often tell my colleagues who also care for the needs of this segment of our community that we need to dig Solomon up and get his wisdom on this issue. While this is meant in jest, Scripture most certainly should be our guide as to how we deal with others and the foundational truth in God’s word is love, comfort and hospitality. Seeing this in the Word of God and put it into action is the real problem. We need to realize that had we made some of the bad choices that some of those who find themselves homeless or had the same circumstances that some of these folks have encountered, we also may be facing the same situation as it relates to homelessness. People often ask me who are the homeless and my response is one that God has shown me through the eleven years that I have been the Director at the Rock at Noon Day and that the homeless are us. They are our neighbors, they are our family, they are our friends, they are part of our community. Followers of Christ need to remember who Jesus associated with and ministered to during His short time on the earth and that are those who are poor, sick and lonely, we need to tear a page out of the life of Jesus and show these folks the compassion they deserve.
With that said, I think there is a better way. We at the Rock at Noon Day are exploring ways in which we can empower and not enable. We want to provide those who find themselves in this situation the opportunity to better themselves and not just give them a hand out. Again, we don’t know what that looks like, but we want to start the process of discovering how we can provide a better God honoring, empowering service and ministry to those who come through our doors. IN the book by Dr. Robert Lupton, Toxic Charity, Dr. Lupton provides the progression of providing aid to someone who is in need:
- Give once and you elicit appreciation
- Give twice and you create anticipation
- Give three times and you create expectation
- Give four times and it becomes entitlement
- Give five times and you establish dependency
We want to be a ministry that provides appreciation and in the process provides opportunities to start the process of becoming self sufficient and becoming a productive citizen. We will always have the poor with us and there will always be needs for ministires like the Rock at Noon Day, but we need to do a better job of providing that out, that avenue of escape, that road to success.
People often ask how can we help, first and foremost pray and ask God to guide you, to lead you on how you can use your God given resources to honor Him and provide some aid. I feel strongly that the answer you will receive is to come alongside a ministry or service that you can agree with and partner with in the way they do things and with whom they minister and serve.
If I can be of further assistance or you would like to talk about this issue I would love to talk with you. Call or text me at (505) 220-6036 or you can email me at danwhatley@aol.com. The Rock at Noon Day Website
We will end with some great news from Frank Haley:
Schools and other public buildings in New Mexico would have to display the national motto – “In God We Trust” – under legislation proposed by four Republican lawmakers.
The proposal, House Bill 115, calls for the motto to be displayed along with a representation of the U.S. flag.
Rep. David Gallegos, a Eunice Republican and co-sponsor of the measure, said the motto would be a reminder of Americans’ shared heritage and values.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico said the proposal would divide New Mexicans, not bring them together.