By John Kennedy, Louisiana Treasurer Winston Churchill said that "for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle." It's no secret that many parts of Louisiana's economy are sluggish right now, especially the oil patch. Times are tough, and there is talk about making them even tougher by raising revenue through tax increases. Yes, the state, as usual, is strapped for cash. Yes, we're facing, as usual, a large shortfall in the state budget. But do you think the average oil industry worker is washing down his caviar with the finest magnum of champagne right now? If you do, let me introduce you to "George." George is a hard-working landman with a wife and a mortgage. He's got a roof that needs replacing, a truck that rattles instead of purrs and a baby on the way. As a landman, George works in the oil and gas industry, which is experiencing more twists and turns right now than a "Game of Thrones" episode. The industry is bleeding jobs. Businesses are closing. More workers are joining the unemployment line every day. They just hope they don't have to join the bread line. George devoted more than a decade to a company that folded last … [Read more...]

By Pat Ennis FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) - A blond-headed, blue-eyed daughter, I looked like the perfect blend of my mother and father. As others commented on the likeness, my parents smiled inwardly knowing that it was their heavenly Father who had chosen the custom matching of their adopted daughter as He had "made a home for the lonely" (Psalm 68:6 NASB), or as the King James Version puts it, "God setteth the solitary in families." Oliver and Mary Ennis were older when they commenced the adoption process and were willing to commit to nurturing a child. Eventually they welcomed an abandoned child with pneumonia to their home. She had lain so long on her back that the back of her head was bald. I was that abandoned child. Many children spend many years with one or both parents. My parents knew they likely wouldn't enjoy the normal number, so they maximized each to its fullest. Celebrations were important in the Ennis home. I recall well the January 31st when I arrived at home and found the dining room table set with Mom's best linen and china. Lying across my bed was a new "fancy" dress, and my favorite black patent leather shoes were awaiting my feet. I was 10. Without giving extensive details -- my parents explained … [Read more...]

By Melanie Lenow Sunday, Jan. 17, is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday in the Southern Baptist Convention. FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- It was the beginning of the summer when I first heard of the horrendous videos about Planned Parenthood. For months, I would see them posted and mourn for the children affected, for the moms who were so grievously deceived. I would cry for the atrocities and then my mind would go to the facility that is literally across the street from the hospital where my own children were born. It grieved me that on the days when I gave my children life, the lives of other babies were being brutally taken away. Finally, I realized that my mourning, although justified, was doing nothing to save any children. It was at that moment when I began praying that God would give me direction in how I could help my community be a city of life and not death. God places each believer in a particular location, not for them to hide their light in the security of their own home, but so they can greatly affect those around them. A city where there are Christians should be better off for it. However, the problems seem too big, so many of us stay silent, frozen by lack of direction. At the end of this summer, God placed … [Read more...]