Writer, Journalist
The Most High God, fulfills His purpose,
For me,
His good, perfect and pleasing will,
On me.
So I’m avenged, saved, empowered.
My heart is steadfast in my Rock of Christ Jesus,
To speak, sing, praise His worthy name. (refer to Psalm 57:2)
May I look to Christ Jesus’ commands and present His way to life. (Proverbs 10:17a)
Temptation could aim at eliciting wrong execution of legitimate desires.
Jesus was willing to wait to see God’s will, accomplished in God’s ways and at God’s time.
God ensures that everything He has promised us will be fulfilled.
He will do it.
Our part is to wait patiently, in alert,
And let God work it out all the way to its conclusion.
Crucify self-aggrandizing on the cross,
Release God-glorifying soul to free.
Because I trust in God,
He fills me up completely,
With joy and peace. (Romans 15:13)
As a result, Holy Spirit powers up,
The confident hope within me,
Overflowing freely like fragrance,
Permeate wherever I go.
Where God’s Spirit is flying,
I, the wheels, follow.
Never go backward,
But press on forward.
As God’s glory always rise above me,
I shall speak His message,
With the authority He grants me,
Bring down Heavenly reality to the earth.
With the Holy Spirit of wisdom,
I store up the knowledge of God,
Proclaim healing and victory.
(refer to Ezekiel 10:22, Proverbs 10:14)
Why are husbands told to love their wives?
Because God knows they need to be reminded.
Why are wives told to submit to their husbands?
Because God knows they need to be reminded.
The marriage is God’s good design,
No one is under the other.
Not about the inferior should submit to the superior,
Or the superior to give love to the inferior.
But one may be created to run ahead like stepping on the gas pedal,
And the other one may be created to reduce speed like stepping on the a brake.,
Both gas pedal and brake are needed for keeping the driving safe.
As a result both may cooperate to go to their dreamland.
Both of husband and wife are under God, who created them unique in His image:
Righteous and mercy,
Power and gentle,
Courageous and kind.
God’s daily forgiveness
Cleans my evil tongue,
So I ought to forgive others,
As soon as I receive His love.
I’m planted and flourishing
Like an olive tree in the house of God,
I shall praise Him all my life,
In the presence of your saints.
For I live His life as long as He gives.
(refer to Psalm 52:8)
滑雪是中西部漫長冬季的最佳活動。由於蘇必略湖的「湖泊效應」所帶來的水氣，使沿岸地區累積相當可觀的雪量，因此在威斯康辛州與密西根州邊界和基威諾半島(Keweenaw Peninsula)沿岸，有許多滑雪度假村。
當中有廣大斜坡、長程滑雪道、樹林間的空地滑雪或具挑戰性的地形，垂直落差從300呎到900呎都有，適合初學者或滑雪高手造訪。以下幾個著名滑雪度假村，按照從芝加哥出發的距離排列：
●密西根州鐵河(Iron River) 附近的布魯爾滑雪區(Ski Brule)，距離芝加哥343哩，垂直落差為500呎，並提供越野滑雪、雪鞋健行和寬胎自行車(fatbike)道。官網：skibrule.com。
●密西根州韋克菲爾德市(Wakefield)附近的雪河山度假村(Snowriver Mountain resort)，距離芝加哥400哩，由兩個總面積達400畝的滑雪區組成：Jackson Creek Summit(之前名稱為Indianhead)和Black River Basin(之前名稱為Blackjack)。今年八月由明尼蘇達州的史金納(Charles Skinner)家族買下並更名。官網：snowriver.com。
●威斯康星州阿普森(Upson)附近的白帽山度假村(Whitecap Resort)，佔地250畝，距離芝加哥 409 哩，距離蘇必略湖僅有15哩，因此每年降雪量通常高達17呎，預計在 12 月初開放。官網：whitecapresort.com。
●密西根州漢考克(Hancock)的里普利山滑雪區(Mont Ripley)，在芝加哥以北 417 哩處，垂直落差為 440 呎，佔地超過 100 畝。官網：mtu.edu/mont-ripley。
●密西根州庫柏港(Copper Harbour)地區的波希米亞山度假村(Mount Bohemia)，距離芝加哥 455 哩，佔地585畝的地形有懸崖峭壁，以及位於Lac La Belle 湖上方，號稱中西部最陡的垂直下降900呎的滑雪道。雪場預計聖誕節左右開放，周末滑雪需要購買季票，售價99元。官網：mtbohemia.com。
●明州靠近大馬瑞市(Grand Marais)的路森滑雪度假村(Lutsen Mountains)，有2哩長與垂直下降 825 呎的滑雪道，距離芝加哥561哩，佔地1000畝，是中西部最大的度假村，可以坐纜車俯瞰蘇必略湖。餐廳今年大翻新。詳情請上官網：lutsen.com。
The day I was contacted by a saint,
Who is ministering for a broken husband.
God’s word came to me:
Let His mercy rule.
So I know God is drawing this man to Him
For He has given him new mercy each morning,
Another day for another second chance,
And God has been protecting all His saints and growing their faith.
So I pray for the man:
May God restore to him the joy of His salvation,
And grant him a willing spirit to sustain Him,
As he listens to God alone and obey.
I thank God for answering my prayer,
To send the saints to minister this poor man,
Along with many other saints’ prayer support.
By His wisdom,
Each saint is sent according to God’s command,
Together to act and see His glorious victory to save.
But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?” (Jonah 4:10-11)
I am from God,
For I belong to Him.
He is greater,
So I’m an overcomer.
I’m under no men, but God alone.
He made me more than a conqueror.
I willingly let Him guard my lips,
And He opens my mouth,
To declare His praise in the Spirit.
Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)
You are from God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
芝加哥第一家賭場將由Bally’s公司經營，預計耗資 17億4000萬元在西河(River West)地區興建，即將由市議會進行最後投票表決。
市長萊特福特(Lori Lightfoot)任期內的目標之一就是在芝市開設賭場，藉此提供市府養老基金與振興經濟活動，如果市議會批准該計畫，最後一步就等伊州博彩委員會(Gaming Board)通過。
萊特福特在今年5月宣布賭場將蓋在目前芝加哥論壇報自由中心印刷廠(Chicago Tribune’s Freedom Center printing plant)的所在處，並由總部位於羅德島的 Bally’s公司經營。該公司在全美擁有並管理著十幾家賭場，芝加哥賭場將成為該公司的旗艦店。
委員會以10-4通過賭場興建的計畫：包括一個展覽廳、 一家500間客房的酒店、一間容納3000個座位的劇院、11 家餐廳和4000個遊戲台，像是老虎機和桌面遊戲。
代表賭場公司的律師喬治( Meg George)表示，Bally’s將會雇用 60% 的少數族裔和 45% 的女性，興建賭場預估將提供3000個營建工作和3000個全職工作。
賭場興建計畫一旦通過，明年將會先在麥地那神廟大樓內(Medinah Temple building)作為臨時地點開設。
然而，反對者則對公共安全和交通感到不安，包括第二區區長霍普金斯(Brian Hopkins)、第九區區長比爾(Anthony Beale)、第15區區長洛佩茲(Raymond Lopez)與第42區區長賴利(Brendan Reilly)。
臨時賭場的位置落在賴利所負責的區域，他說他對公共安全計畫感到憂心，「我們需要制訂一個堅如磐石的計畫來減輕這些潛在威脅」，並說不管這個賭場在哪裡落腳，他仍會持續反對。
伯內特則為公共安全議題辯護說，Bally’s正在與芝加哥警方合作。 伯內特認為芝市應該對興建賭場感到自豪，因為該地區正在被振興為他所說的「芝加哥市最具活力的社區之一」。
新冠疫情爆發以來，許多人使用線上看診服務，醫生透過MyChart的入口網站與病人線上溝通。但現在全美和芝加哥地區的許多醫療院所開始對透過MyChart某些複雜醫療訊息收費，民眾的自付額通常低於35元。
芝加哥的北岸大學醫療系統(NorthShore University Health System)月初開始，與西北醫療(Northwestern Medicine)和羅瑞兒童醫院(Lurie Children’s Hospital)對透過NorthShoreConnect入口網站諮詢病情的患者收費。
醫療系統負責人表示多數訊息仍然免費，院方只針對一些醫生花較多時間回覆的情況收費，而這些多半是到醫院看醫生比較能有效率溝通的狀況。
根據醫療保健財務管理協會副主席甘德林(Richard Gundling)說，在疫情之後，醫生和民眾不想整天待在醫院裡，因此大家習慣了遠距醫療。但是過去要用電話或面對面諮詢才能解說清楚的複雜訊息，現在則透過Mychart來回答患者，所以院方針對這個趨勢酌收費用。
然而，一直關注這個趨勢的麻州「患者權益倡導組織」(Patient Rights Advocate)的創辦人兼主席費薛爾(Cynthia Fisher)批評這是醫院貪婪的賺錢方式，她更擔心有些人會因為害怕被收費而不敢向醫生詢問自己的病情。
北岸醫院本月透過電子郵件對患者宣布說，透過Mychart上收到的大部分訊息仍保持免費，但某些諮詢需要患者付費，像是新病徵、藥物調整、新處方、慢性病發作等問題。
北岸醫院發言人厄本 (Colette Urban) 說，在北岸醫院，持有Medicare的患者收取網站訊息的自付額在3到10元之間，而有私人保險和 Medicare Advantage 的患者所付的金額可能與實際到醫院或線上就診的費用類似。而對沒有保險的患者所收取的費用為35元。而且，患者在醫生回答問題之前，必須先同意付費。
西北醫療的發言人金(Christopher King)說他們在MyChart上收費的訊息不到1%，每次收費為35元。
同樣，數位健康副總裁帕泰爾(Ravi Patel)說路瑞兒童醫院在過去一年MyChart上收費的訊息僅300次，占全部的訊息的千分之一。他說，MyChart是患者獲得醫療服務的另一種方式。
健康保健成本研究所數據戰略主管哈格雷夫斯(John Hargraves)說，醫療系統應尋找平衡點：要補償醫生回覆患者的時間，對病情輕微的患者也不要收取過高的費用。