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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

We are to be like Jesus – intent on finding the lost

By Jeff Ginn It was an exciting day when I got my high school senior ring. Not long afterward I was riding with my friend in his new pickup truck. We were headed to play a basketball game. I decided to take off my ring and lay it on the dashboard of the truck. As we rounded a curve in the road, the ring slid along the dash and promptly dropped into the AC vent. We tried to fish out the ring but with no luck. My friend took his truck to the dealership but they said that it would cost more to take out the dash and retrieve the ring than it was worth. As far as I could see, there was nothing to be done. Months went by and my friend sold his truck. For all I knew, I had kissed that ring goodbye forever. Years later my family and I were living in South America as missionaries. The phone rang and my mom said that someone had returned my ring! I could scarcely believe my ears. Here’s the story of how it was returned. The truck had ended up in a junkyard as scrap. Someone had taken out the dashboard to salvage a part. In doing so they spotted a ring. They saw that it was from West Memphis High School and the year was 1979. My name was carved into it as well. Armed with that information (and a good dose of old-fashioned … [Read more...]

Louisiana abortion rate continues to fall

By Louisiana Right to Life NEW ORLEANS – The number of abortions performed in Louisiana dropped 8 percent from 2017 to 2018, and the abortion rate is at a 10-year low, according to numbers provided by the Louisiana Department of Health. Unofficially, 8,048 abortions were performed in Louisiana in 2018. In 2017, 8,706 unborn babies were killed by abortion. This is the fourth consecutive year abortion numbers have fallen in Louisiana. While the total number of abortions has been made available, breakdowns on things such as gestational age of the baby, age of the mother, and race of the mother have not yet been released. "Every baby lost to abortion is a tragedy, but we can celebrate the 658 babies alive today who might have been aborted in 2017," said Benjamin Clapper, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life. "We believe our nation is waking up more every day to the injustice of abortion, and these numbers show the continued statewide and national trend toward life. We celebrate all those in the pro-life movement who offer support to pregnant moms before and after birth and those who help them choose life. We will continue to work until every baby is protected by law and welcomed with love." … [Read more...]

Are you miserable?

By Steve Horn I ran across an article that ranked states according to the “Most Miserable” and “Least Miserable.” To my surprise, Louisiana was ranked second as “most miserable.” That’s funny, because a few years ago Lafayette was touted as the “Happiest City in America.” So, which is it? Are we indeed the happiest city in the most miserable state? Or, are all of these things in the eye of the beholder? I mean, after all, what other states can you, at certain times of the year, eat boudin for breakfast, a shrimp poboy for lunch, boiled crawfish for dinner, and have king cake for dessert? Now, I know that I am biased and have limited experience living in other states, but I love the state in which I live. Besides, the same report claims North Dakota tops the well-being list. No offense to North Dakotans, but really? The report does cause me to think about a few things that even have some spiritual significance. Things are rarely as bad as they seem. Yes, to somebody, Louisiana might look miserable, but to many more of us, we are full of faith, full of life, and consider Louisiana paradise. In life, what might seem bad, upon reflection is not all that bad. Conversely, things are rarely as good as they seem. Just … [Read more...]