“Thus Saith the Lord!”

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

“Although I should have vomit you out of My mouth, because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked [Revelation 3:16], and because of your sinfulness and disobedience, know that I have loved you with an Everlasting Love, and because of My Love for you, welcome to the New Year, 2018. But, hear me and hear me good; DO NOT continue to take My Grace for granted, for there will come a time when I will not hear you, and it will be too late! You better ask Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. [Hebrew 12:16-17]. Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds. [Zechariah 2:4]. Return to Me and I will return to you. [Malachi 3:7]. For it’s time to make up your mind, “Choose Whom you will serve this day…” Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away…” [James 4:14]. Repent NOW I tell you, for tomorrow may be too late!

You know in the [Book of Hosea], Hosea didn’t try to hang on to Gomer by overlooking her affairs, manipulating her with guilt, or making empty threats. He simply said to her, “If you want to stay, I want you to stay, but with the understanding that you take whatever steps are necessary to end these affairs. If you want to go, you may go, but things cannot continue as they are. I want you to know that I’m not giving up on you, but I am willing to give you up if that is what you want.”

Hosea, after the manner of God, was to show Gomer that a relationship was still possible, not on the terms of her character, but on the terms of his commitment, “According to the love of the Lord.” Hosea’s solution to Gomer’s shameful past was to give her a brand new, secure start in their marriage. He was telling her that the past didn’t matter. They were going to begin working on their future, and there was only one rule – she had to let Hosea love her exclusively. She had to depend upon him for ALL her love needs. He ALONE was to be the source of her security in their relationship. That is God’s desire for all His people.  

Don’t be like the foolish virgins who when Christ came like a thief in the night, they were not ready. This is a call to repentance. “Now therefore, says the LORD, turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness and He relents from doing harm.” [Joel 2:12-13].

I set before you today the choice of Life or Death: “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it? Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it? But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statues, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.” [Deuteronomy 30: 11-18].

This Weeks Job News

Jobs for This Week:

  • Freight Handler needed 3rd shift – in Fontana, CA. (877) 246-2855
  • Forklift Operator needed – in Chino, CA. (951) 808-5405 ext. 120
  • Auto Detailer/Porter needed – in Ontario, CA. Call (888) 230-6606 ask for Mike or Adam
  • WarehouseOrder Pullers-General Labor needed – in Ontario, CA. Call (909) 937-6028
  • Part Time Day Porter needed – in Corona, CA. Call (949) 237-2849
  • Auto Mechanic needed – in Murrieta, CA. Call 696-0343 * Text 775-0894
  • Yard Worker/Concrete Contractor needed – in Lake Elsinore, CA. (951) 471-1200
  • Construction Workers and Helpers needed – in the Inland Empire, CA. Call (951) 760-7100
  • Rialto Tree Company – is seeking a Helper in Rialto, CA. Call (909) 782-5958
  • Drivers’ Helpers/Moving Appliances needed – in Perris, CA. Call (888) 854-6455
  • Coronado Stone Products, a Second Chance Employer – is seeking General Labor in Fontana, CA. Call (909) 357-8295
  • Daylight Transport, LLC – is seeking a Freight Handler/Forklift Operator (P/T) in Fontana, CA. indeed.com
  • Boley Corporation – is seeking a Shipping Operations Clerk in Chino, CA. $36,000.00-$38,000.00k/yr.  indeed.com
  • Dobalie Pro – is seeking a Shipping and Receiving Clerk in Claremont, CA. $11.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Geodis – is seeking a Shipping/Receiving Clerk in Rialto, CA. indeed.com
  • Lowe’s, Inc. – is seeking an LTL Stocker in Highland, CA. indeed.com
  • The Home Depot – is seeking a Freight/Receiving Worker in Redlands, CA. indeed.com
  • Seldat Staffing – is seeking a Receiving Clerk in Riverside, CA. $12.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Ardent Mills – is seeking a Warehouse Pack Operator in Colton, CA. indeed.com
  • Insurance Performance, LLC – is seeking a Labeling/Pick & Pack Worker in Redlands, CA. indeed.com
  • CHROldcastle – is seeking a Laborer in Perris, CA. indeed.com
  • Kimco Staffing – is seeking a Forklift Operator in Redlands, CA. $13.00-$15.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • On Trac – is seeking a Day Package Handler in Fontana, CA. $12.50/hr.  indeed.com
  • Mission Inn – is seeking a Shipping & Receiving Clerk in Riverside, CA. indeed.com
  • PetSmart – is seeking an Early Morning Stocker in San Bernardino, CA. indeed.com
  • Lineage Logistics – is seeking a Warehouse Forklift Operator in Riverside, CA. indeed.com
  • Fed Ex Freight – is seeking a Dock Worker (P/T) in San Bernardino, CA. indeed.com
  • Pacific Structures – is seeking a Laborer-Storm Drain Structures in Riverside, CA. $18.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Capstone Logistics – is seeking a Road Crew Selector in Rialto, CA. $19.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Johasee Rebar – is seeking a Shipping and Receiving Clerk in Corona, CA. indeed.com
  • Martinez & Turek, Inc. – is seeking a Shipping and Receiving Associate in Rialto, CA. indeed.com
  • Resource Building Materials – is seeking a Yard Stocker/Order Puller in Chino, CA. indeed.com
  • Employment Solutions – is seeking a Receiving Clerk/Steel Company – 2nd shift in Fontana, CA. $13.00-$13.50/hr.  indeed.com
  • Bunzi – is seeking a Picker/Packer in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. indeed.com
  • Mapei Corporation – is seeking an Operator I in San Bernardino, CA. indeed.com
  • Associates Direct Services, LLC – is seeking a Warehouse Packer/Empacadores in Industry, CA. $11.50-$11.75/hr.  indeed.com
  • Lineage Logistics – is seeking a Sanitation Worker Night 3/11 in Riverside, CA. indeed.com
  • Corona Regional Medical Center – is seeking a Warehouse Materials Clerk Per Diem in Corona, CA. indeed.com
  • Penske – is seeking a Diesel Tech/Mechanic III in Industry City, CA. $20.75/hr.  indeed.com
  • Saladino’s Foodservice – is seeking an Order Selector-Up to $17.00/hr. plus productivity incentive in Ontario, CA. indeed.com
  • TeamQuest Staffing – is seeking a Shipping and Receiving Clerk in Ontario, CA. $11.50/hr.  indeed.com
  • Americold – is seeking an Intern in Ontario, CA. indeed.com
  • United Natural Foods, Inc. – is seeking a Selector in Moreno Valley, CA. indeed.com
  • Compass Group – is seeking a Clerk Mailroom (F/T) in Irwindale, CA. indeed.com
  • Kuehne + Nagel – is seeking a Shipping/Receiving Clerk in Rialto, CA. indeed.com
  • Matter-Hackers, Inc. – is seeking a Warehouse Shipping and Receiving Clerk in Foothill Ranch, CA. $13.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Berry Plastics Corporation – is seeking a Packer/Machine Operator in Chino, CA. indeed.com
  • ICI Services Corporation – is seeking a Warehouse Specialist in Corona, CA. indeed.com
  • Roku Creation – is seeking Warehouse Receiving/General Labor in Walnut, CA. indeed.com
  • VWR International, LLC – is seeking a Material Handler in Claremont, CA. indeed.com
  • Catalyst Forward – is seeking a Warehouse Packer in Industry, CA. indeed.com
  • Lineage Logistics – is seeking a Human Resources Generalist in Riverside, CA. indeed.com
  • Claremont Graduate University – is seeking a Business Analyst in Claremont, CA. indeed.com
  • Elite Leather Company – is seeking a Shipping-Logistics Supervisor in Chino, CA. indeed.com
  • Master Recycling – is seeking a Warehouse Supervisor in Pomona, CA. indeed.com
  • True Green – is seeking a (F/T) Lawn Applicator/Laborer in Riverside, CA. indeed.com
  • H & M – is seeking a Replenishment Specialist in Chino Hills, CA. indeed.com
  • Pratt Industries – is seeking a Warehouse Coordinator in Ontario, CA. indee.com
  • Strataforce – is seeking a Material Handler/Forklift Operator in Ontario, CA. $11.00-$13.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Target CW – is seeking a Warehouse Package Handler in Chino, CA. $14.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Golden State Foods – is seeking a Warehouse Selector in Industry City, CA. indeed.com
  • Rio Home Fashions – is seeking a Warehouse Associate in Santa Fe Springs, CA. $11.00-$12.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Core Staffing Solutions – is seeking a General Laborer/Forklift Operator in Riverside, CA. indeed.com
  • Key Skilled Personnel – is seeking a Material Handler in Highland, CA. $12.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Manufacturing and Production – is seeking General Labor in Norco, CA. indeed.com
  • Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling – is seeking a Warehouse Manager in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. indeed.com
  • PetSmart – is seeking a Pet Products/Stocker Associate in Redlands, CA. indeed.com
  • Affluent Staffing – is seeking a Material Handler/Forklift Operator in Fontana, CA. $12.00-$13.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Whynter, LLC – is seeking a Warehouse Clerk-Shipping/Receiving in Brea, CA. indeed.com
  • Gibson Overseas, Inc. – is seeking an Office Assistant in San Bernardino, CA. indeed.com
  • Anaheim Hotel – is seeking an Executive Housekeeper in Anaheim, CA. indeed.com
  • San Bernardino County – is seeking a Health Education Assistant in San Bernardino, CA. $19.36-$26.64/hr.  indeed.com
  • California State University San Bernardino – is seeking an Administrative Support Assistant II/Campus wide (Pool) in San Bernardino, CA. $30,468.00-$48,000.00k/yr.  indeed.com
  • First Transport/REM Services, Inc. – is seeking a Bus Driver-Transit Bus Driver in Anaheim, CA. $13.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Managing Personnel Services – is seeking Movers in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. $10.50/hr.  indeed.com
  • MCS – is seeking an Office Assistant in Riverside, CA. $15.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • City of Riverside – is seeking a Police Officer Trainee in Riverside, CA. $58,032.00k/yr.  indeed.com
  • Department of Defense – is seeking a Quality Assurance Specialist in Ontario, CA. $67,845.00-$88,194.00k/yr.  indeed.com
  • Totalcare Physical Therapy, Inc. – is seeking a Physical Therapy Aide in Grand Terrace, CA. $10.00-$15.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County – is seeking a Program Coordinator in San Bernardino, CA. $19.77/hr.  indeed.com
  • Larry H. Miller Nissan San Bernardino – is seeking a Cashier/Receptionist in San Bernardino, CA. indeed.com
  • Redlands Community Hospital – is seeking a Radiology Clerk/Admitting Rep-Scheduler in Redlands, CA. indeed.com
  • Travelers – is seeking a Claim Operations Specialist in Diamond Bar, CA. indeed.com
  • California Traffic Safety Institute – is seeking a Customer Service/Clerical in San Bernardino, CA. $12.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Currency Exchange International – is seeking a (P/T) Customer Service Teller in Ontario, CA. indeed.com
  • California State University San Bernardino – is seeking a Library Service Specialist I (Campus wide Pool) in San Bernardino. $32,880.00-$50,000.00k/yr.  indeed.com
  • My Beauty Mark Makeup Academy – is seeking an Admissions Counselor in Anaheim, CA. indeed.com
  • San Manuel Casino – is seeking an Assistant Manager, Food & Beverage in Highland, CA. indeed.com
  • The Ark Church – is seeking a Babysitter in Church Nursery in Redlands, CA. $12.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Global Vision – is seeking a Public Relations Assistant-Entry Level in Upland, CA. $35,000.00-$60,000.00k/yr.  indeed.com
  • City of Hope – is seeking an Administrative Analyst in Duarte, CA. indeed.com
  • Modem Nuclear, Inc. – is seeking a Front Desk Receptionist in La Habra, CA. indeed.com
  • So Cal Custom, Inc. – is seeking an Administrative Assistant in Loma Linda, CA. $13.00-$15.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Harrison Pastoral Services – is seeking a Personal Driver in San Bernardino, CA. indeed.com
  • SunNest Services, LLC – is seeking a Customer Service/Call Center Agent in Redlands, CA. $12.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Wingstop/Jack Elite, Inc. – is seeking a Cashier in Highland, CA. indeed.com
  • Fast Auto and Payday Loans – is seeking a Branch Manager in La Habra, CA. indeed.com
  • Superior Grocers – is seeking a Grocery Night Clerk in San Bernardino, CA. indeed.com
  • Consumer Products – is seeking a Data Entry Clerk/Temp/3-4 months in Ontario, CA. $11.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Metro PCS – is seeking a Sales Associate in Fontana, CA. $10.00-$10.50/hr.  indeed.com
  • Foothill Animal Hospital, Inc. – is seeking a Veterinary Receptionist in Lake Forest, CA. $11.00-$15.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Precision Ceramics Dental Labs – is seeking a Dental Treatment Coordinator in Montclair, CA. indeed.com
  • CSF, Inc. – is seeking a Customer Service Person in the Inland Empire, CA. $12.00-$16.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Mission Inn – is seeking an In Room Service Agent in Riverside, CA. indeed.com
  • GAI – is seeking an Office Assistant in San Dimas, CA. indeed.com
  • City of Hope – is seeking an Administrative Support in Duarte, CA. indeed.com
  • AOCE, Inc. – is seeking a Scheduler in March Air Reserve Base, CA. indeed.com
  • 2020 Mobile, Inc. – is seeking a Customer Service Rep in Riverside, CA. $14.00-$17.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Great Western Leasing & Sales – is seeking an Inventory Control Clerk in Irvine, CA. indeed.com
  • Inland Valley Recovery Services – is seeking a Child Development Specialist in Upland, CA. $16.00-$18.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Western Dental & Orthodontics – is seeking a Receptionist in Loma Linda. CA. indeed.com
  • Waxie Sanitary Supply – is seeking a Night Warehouse Worker in Ontario, CA. $15.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Redlands Community Hospital – is seeking a Food Service Worker I (Runner) in Redlands, CA. indeed.com
  • Performance, SLC – is seeking an IT Support-Entry Level in Irvine, CA. $16.00-$18.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Epic Management – is seeking an Appointment Clerk in Colton, CA. indeed.com
  • Key Point Government Solutions – is seeking a Background Investigator in Riverside, CA. indeed.com
  • County of Riverside – is seeking a Supervising Research Specialist-Adult Services in Riverside, CA. $63,924.00-$100,914.00k/yr.  indeed.com
  • San Bernardino County – is seeking a Library Page-Fontana Branches in Fontana, CA. $10.75-$11.69/hr.  indeed.com
  • Scale Leadership Academy – is seeking a Marketing & Graphic Design Asst/Associate in Chino, CA. $13.00-$16.00/hr.  indeed.com
  • Under Armour – is seeking a Warehouse Teammate-Active Pick in Rialto, CA. indeed.com
  • Jurassic Quest – is seeking a Jurassic Quest Event Staff in Pomona, CA. $11.00/hr.  indeed.com

To Receive This Flyer on Line Email Q Doswell, II at: qdd25@verizon.net

Test Your Home for Radon, CDPH Offers Free Test Kits

January is National Radon Action Month and the cold winter months are the best time to test for this odorless and colorless gas. CDPH is offering free test kits to households in California throughout the month of January, or until supplies run out. 

Radon, a naturally occurring gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, according to the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Testing for radon in your home is a simple process,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. “Taking steps for remediation, if needed, can be critical for indoor air quality, and improving the safety of your home.”

The kits are provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s State Indoor Radon Grant fund, and are limited to one free test kit per household. The aggregated information from the test results will be used to update statewide Radon Potential Maps, which show the likelihood of radon in a specific region.

Test kits can be ordered through the CDPH Indoor Radon Program webpage or by calling the program toll-free at 1-800-745-7236. Options for remediation of radon in the home are available at the CDPH Indoor Radon Program.

Additional information about National Radon Action Month is available on the EPA National Radon Action Month website, or at www.cpdh.ca.gov.

Trans Activist Ashlee Marie Preston Plans to Run for 54th District in State Assembly

NATIONAL- Civil rights activist and journalist Ashlee Marie Preston announced her bid to run for district 54 of the California state assembly on December 30 after the resignation of Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas.

Preston plans on taking her activism to the next level by fighting for those who need it the most as an assemblywoman. 

Many people became familiar with Preston when she confronted and criticized trans celebrity Caitlyn Jenner at Trans Chorus of Los Angeles event in August for supporting President Donald Trump.

Jenner has been a longtime Republican whose support for Trump was not surprising but she quickly backtracked when his administration rescinded legislation protecting transgender kids using public school restrooms and issued a trans ban in the armed forces. The heated moment was captured on video and seen 530,000 times. Preston’s criticism echoed the sentiments of other Jenner critics who view her as a powerful person who could be a strong voice for the trans community but has squandered that by cuddling up to Republicans. 

If she wins the seat, she will be the voice Jenner could not be. She will represent Century City, Westwood and a number of other Los Angeles neighborhoods, according to HuffPost.  

“As someone directly impacted by the issues that often diminish the quality of life, I have an acute understanding of which policies must be put into play in order to move progress forward for the constituents of the 54th district and beyond. I believe in prioritizing people over politics,” Preston, who previously served as the editor-in-chief of Wear Your Voice magazine, said in a press release cited by The Advocate. “We are more than poll percentage points; we are real people with real stories.”

The new platform will also give her the chance to fight against rampant police brutality and stand up for the rights of trans people and immigrants looking for hope in America.

What It Do with the LUE: Guns Down!

Guns Down

By Lue Dowdy

Guns Down is What it do! For the entire month of February LUE Productions will be posting several Public Service Announcements against gun violence and Black-on-Black crime. This will be an online campaign to help bring awareness to the situation. Please get involved! We ask that you help support our efforts by simply sharing our message of peace.

We’re also looking to interview individuals that use to be about that life and have changed. Let your voice be heard on video. For more information, please text (909) 567-1000 if interested. Remember, reach one teach one and together we can.

Arts and Music Festival Catering to Teens Comes to Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA- Bungalow Music & Arts Festival will bring LA’s best artistic teens to the stage for a festival curated just for them. Whether it be music, dance, or interactive art, the main goal of the festival is to create a safe space for teens to express themselves. The festival is slated to come this summer at the Echoplex and Echo in Los Angeles.

In addition to music and art, there will also be speakers and mentors from the community that will offer advice, tips and opportunities on topics ranging from being an artist in the city, health, college and more.

This festival will definitely be interactive and hands on featuring art pieces, college admin representatives, food trucks, and more. There will also be an exclusive area for all the parents to kick back and chat while the kids enjoy everything that the festival has to offer. 

Your teenage cannot miss this opportunity of a life time. However, to ensure that the festival will be a success, the creators have an crowdfunding campaign up where you can learn more information, and of course donate!

For more information, visit kickstarter.com/projects/1947194560/bungalow-music-and-arts-festival or follow them on Instagram @bungalowmusicfestival.

 

Economic Development, Civil Rights Pioneer, Frances Grice, Leaves an Imprint in the Community

Frances-GriceRe-written by Naomi K. Bonman

Frances Grice, Civil Rights and Economic Development pioneer, passed away on December 31, 2017. She was 84 years old.

Grice came to San Bernardino, California from Detroit, Michigan in 1962. Shortly after arriving on the West Coast, she started working as a secretary for the Precinct Reporter under Publisher Art Townsend. There she became very instrumental in the development of Townsend’s sons, Brian and Michael.

“The most important thing that Frances did for me and later my brother Michael was to let me provide leadership at an early age,” Brian Townsend explains. “I was 20 years old and she let me run the summer youth program unimpeded. She had us sit in the meetings with the presidents of corporations and interface with them. She put us in those realms.”

Grice later founded the Operation Second Chance, a high-tech training and educational facility for disadvantaged youth, welfare recipients and workers displaced by plant closures, of which there were several in the early 1970s throughout the Inland Empire.

“She was just an awesome person,” he said. “She understood the importance of providing opportunities to minorities in our community.”

Operation Second Chance came about after Grice along with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) fought for seven years to wage for school desegregation in San Bernardino.

“She taught me that anything is possible. We should stick to it and keep fighting for what is good for our community,” Bobby Bivens, national board member of the NAACP, stated. “She taught me that I can really make a difference through civil rights advocacy and that I must reach back and train the young people. As a result, I have the best NAACP Youth Council in the region.”

During her life, Grice was a leading advocate for diversity where she promoted civil rights and equal opportunity in education, employment, housing economic and community development. She created and implemented community outreach programs for local, state and federal government agencies to meet the needs of targeted audiences.

“She never quit,” said San Bernardino City Unified School District Board Member Gwen Dowdy Rodgers. “Frances always pushed us to continue and reminded us what we were fighting for.”

Grice also developed and managed employee training programs to promote academic achievement and employability in local water districts. Other accomplishments that she did include, but are not limited to: becoming the President and CEO of ADF Networking Consultancy Inc., National Small Business Advocacy Award recipient; member of Martin Luther King Jr., statue maintenance, and several others.

Funeral service dates on forthcoming. 

“Let Us Hear the Conclusion of the Whole Matter!”

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

Lou Coleman-Yeboah

By Lou Coleman-Yeboah

“Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” [Ecclesiastes 12:13-14]. So get rid of all evil, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all slander. For the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance [2 Peter 3:9]. 

Just imagine…. dying lost, without repentance and facing eternal sentence to the pits of Hell, and all because the plan of salvation had been given to you and you rejected it. You crossed over that spiritual deadline and took “one more chance” for the last time and found yourself facing God’s eternal judgment. I tell you, repent now while it is still day! For a decision to live outside the fear of the Lord, that is, living as you please and for yourself, will bring not the blessings of God, but His judgment to bear in your life. And trust me; you don’t want that to happen.

Because according to [Deuteronomy 28: 12-68; Leviticus 26:14-46] there are Curses on Disobedience. “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statues which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: Curse shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me. The LORD will make the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess The LORD will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish. And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. The LORD will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed. The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth. Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth and no one shall frighten them away…. Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever…..” [Deuteronomy 28: 12-68].

But on the other hand if you decide to obey the voice of the Lord there are Blessings on Obedience. “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you…The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens; to give you rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend too many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.” [Deuteronomy 28:1-14, Leviticus 26:1-13; Deuteronomy 7:12-24].

Now, it’s all up to you…. Whatcha gonna do?

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live…” [Deuteronomy 30: 19].

May God mercies be anew to you in 2018!

Letter to the Editor: Trump Tax Plan Passes Congress, Californians and African Americans Most at Risk

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States House of Representatives voted 224-201 to pass the final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Amongst broad unpopularity, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will add more than one trillion dollars to the federal deficit by cutting taxes on corporations and capping the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction at $10,000. Assemblymember Chris R. Holden (AD-41), Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus released the following statement:

“The tax bill that passed today is a Christmas gift to the top 1%. It’s no tax break for the middle class and poor, it is simply a rushed Frankenstein of a bill that only helps the rich get richer. Is this what makes America great again?

The California Legislature made much progress this year in passing a housing package that provided funding, relief, and resources to many in need of a home in this great state. The Trump Tax Plan runs contrary to this progress and will further exacerbate the affordable housing crisis in California. Californians are hit hardest by the caps on the mortgage interest deduction and the State and Local Tax Deduction.

This debacle of a tax reform bill strips away many of the essential safety nets that the low and middle class depend on including Pell grants, Medicaid, food stamps, rental assistance, and child care assistance. African Americans have the most to lose as America plummets into a racial and economic apartheid country as a result of this bill.

Passage of this bill is a sad day in America!”

UC Riverside to Host 41st Annual Writers Week

RIVERSIDE, CA- California’s longest-running free literary event, Writers Week, will return to the University of California, Riverside for its 41st installment February 12 to February 17, 2018.

Feminist icon and National Medal of Arts recipient Maxine Hong Kingston, best-selling novelist Janet Fitch, and Haitian-American essayist and New York Times columnist Roxane Gay will headline the event, joining an additional 17 authors for an on-campus series of presentations and readings.

In keeping with the event’s emphasis on showcasing diverse voices, this year’s lineup of featured writers reflects a range of perspectives from around the country and world, said Tom Lutz, a professor of creative writing at UCR and the event’s director.

“The writers work in very different genres as well: realist novels, historical novels, slipstream, science fiction, graphic novels, memoir, autofiction, poetry, prose poetry, spoken word, fantasy, and creative nonfiction,” Lutz said.

The series is free and open to the public, and all events will take place in Room 1128 of Interdisciplinary Building North. Complimentary parking permits will be available at the kiosk on West Campus Drive at the University Avenue entrance to the campus.

Writers Week is presented by UCR’s Department of Creative Writing, with additional support from African Student Programs, the LGBT Resource Center, The Well, and the Women’s Resource Center.

This year’s participating writers are: Hadara Bar-Nadav, Sherwin Bitsui, Christ Buckley. Micah Chatterton, Charmaine Craig, Nanette Deetz, Josh Emmons, Janet Fitch, Tee Franklin, Roxane Gay, Myrian Gurba, John Jennings, Maxine Hong Kingston, Krys Lee, James Luna, Marco Maisto, Gina Nahai, Tess Taylor, Justin Torres, and Vickie Vertiz.