PRAYER – I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and
for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life
in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight
of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto
the knowledge of the truth. I Tim 2:1-4

• Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
• Protection of the unborn, Ps 139:13-16
• Angel Tree gifts for children of the incarcerated
• Armed forces serving overseas for the holidays
• Definition of marriage (MA Supreme Court ruling)
  Will NM recognize same-sex marriage from MA?
• Supreme Court review of "one nation, under God"
• Community Marriage Policy signed by churches in your community
• Presidential Prayer Team - www.presidentialprayerteam.org
  Presidential Prayer Kids - www.presidentialprayerkids.org
• Prayer Warrior for America - www.visionamerica.org/-support/prayer.htm

ENCOUNTER – And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. Luk 19:13

Dec 7 - Pearl Harbor Day
Dec 25 - Christmas Day
Dec 31 - New Year's Eve (PRAYER!)

Jan 15 - Jan 27 - ICR NM Loop Tour
Speaker: Mike Riddle, former Olympic athlete and Microsoft communications expert
Contact Kerri Lambert at (619) 448-0900, x6020
Jan 15 - Gallup NM, OPEN
Jan 16 - Grants NM, OPEN
Jan 17 - Albuquerque NM, OPEN
Jan 18 - Rio Grande Baptist Church, Albuquerque NM
Jan 20 - Cedar Crest Baptist Church, Cedar Crest NM
Jan 21 - Santa Fe NM, OPEN
Jan 22 - Santa Fe NM, OPEN
Jan 23 - First Baptist Espanola, Espanola NM
Jan 24 - Los Alamos NM, OPEN
Jan 25 - Socorro NM, OPEN
Jan 25 - Las Cruces NM, OPEN
Jan 27 - Deming NM, OPEN

Ongoing
1st Thur, 8-9:30am - Rio Grande Pastor's Alliance, 821-1993

UNDERSTANDING - And of the children of Issachar, which were men
that had understanding of the time, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads
of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
I Chron 12:32

• Contents:
  Pearl Harbor Day
  NM Education
  FCC Approves F-Word for Network TV
  Pledge of Allegiance
  Financial Accountability
  Christmas Gift Ideas
  -
• Pearl Harbor Day. A story from Focus on the Family reminds us of our vulnerability and gives a message of forgiveness. Now we have a second memorial to reflect on an attack to our homeland. We sustained similar loss of human life from both attacks. www.pearlharbor.org
  
  Glory From the Ashes by Tom Neven
  Sixty years ago this month, Japan launched a surprise attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbor. The immediate effect was war between the two countries, but that day also carried eternal consequences for two men on opposite sides.
  
  The time was 7:49 a.m., Dec. 7, 1941. Cmdr. Mitsuo Fuchida was admiring the billowing white clouds and brilliant sunrise as he led a squadron of 360 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes over the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Just four days after his 39th birthday, Fuchida was in charge of a bold gamble by imperial Japan: knock out the U.S. Pacific Fleet in one crushing blow, which would give Japan free rein to continue its conquests of Asia and the Pacific.
  
  Seeing the fleet peacefully at anchor 3,000 meters below his plane, Fuchida smiled as he ordered, "All squadrons, plunge in to attack!" He then radioed back to the Japanese fleet 230 miles away: "Tora, tora, tora!" The attack had begun!
  
  For the rest of the story, see: www.family.org/fofmag/cl/a0023936.cfm
  
  PIGEON HERO! (an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award Winner)
  by Shirley Raye Redmond
  Based on the true story of a carrier pigeon named GI Joe, who braved enemy fire and other hazards to deliver a crucial message that prevented the bombing of an Italian town during World War II. Is now available in bookstores and online from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble and Walmart.com
  $3.99 paperback and $11.99 hardcover (cheaper through Walmart.com)
  -
• NM Education. (Special thanks to Millie Pogna for her article this week. See her follow-on note regarding homeschooling.)
  
  Alan Morgan, the Interim Cabinet Secretary (and long time Superintendent of Schools) called to visit with me and I questioned why we needed to have a meeting in August, that it was such a farce as there was going to be a Special Election in September. Basically, it was because 89 school districts were waiting for board action on the Instructional Materials. We had some housekeeping duties, and then farewells because it was the final meeting for the soon to be ousted Governor's state board appointees, and for some of the staff who were still present.
  
  The department was like a morgue--so many of the top staff were already gone--some had taken early retirement or found jobs elsewhere in the state, or had been hired by state government and legislative offices in Santa Fe. It was very sad. These were long time good employees.
  
  Actually, there is no Department of Education. It may be called Public Education Department.
  
  As far as the Public Education Commission is concerned--we are in LIMBO! The final meeting of the State Board of Education was held on October 9th--shortly after the voters approved Amendment 1, which was the final meeting of the five appointed members. Our first official meeting of the Public Education Commission was held on October 16th, with Alan Morgan, Acting Secretary, and Bill Hume, Chief Advisor to the Governor, (remember he was editor of the Albuquerque Journal but quit his job to work for Bill Richardson). Hume gave a lengthy presentation about Amendment 1 but admitted he did not have the slightest idea of the amendment's requirements for the new structure of the Public Education Commission. He kept saying he did not know, but he did say that the Governor said we will serve "a function that will remain of high importance" and that we will "focus on rural education" and "role of a collective sounding board for all of New Mexico" but that we will not make policy, but will be only advisory. He insisted that the amendment "was not about criticism of the State Board but for the system" and that "there are no silver bullets to make education better."
  
  We were told that "the difference is that you were a board but now you are a commission." The fact is, that as a board we made policy for 89 school districts. As a commission we will not have any authority for anything. In response to the questions "What is the difference?" we were told that has yet to be determined. They absolutely do not know how the role is to be defined. Hume said it was a "tug of war" between the legislative committees and the Governor's committees.
  
  The Governor has appointed 120 people to his GPA Task Force (Governor's Progress Agenda), which has been subdivided into numerous sections: Structures and Governance, School Readiness, Quality Educators Workforce, Rural Education, Indian Education, Higher Education, Districts and School Leadership, Accountability and Data Systems, Assessment of and Funding for Professional Development Programs, School Finance, Charter Schools, Student and Family Support Programs.
  
  Each working group's charge is to gather, analyze and select applicable data and information on the working groups' subject matter.
  
  The Governor also has steering committees, and cabinet selection committees.
  
  Meanwhile the legislature also has committees and task forces attempting to develop the role and duties of the new Public Education Commission which is to form the basis for a bill in January as lawmakers prepare to rewrite school laws. The subcommittee's report reinforces that the elected commission's role would be advisory, which concerns many people, especially in the rural areas, who believe that they will not have any representation in education because their duly elected board member is no longer their representative but an advisor directly answerable to the Governor. Apparently there are adversarial opinions between the legislature and the Governor's office about our role, that the legislature wants to preserve some of our duties and functions, but the Governor wants total control.
  
  I do want you to know that at our October meeting, we held election of officers. We will no longer have a "president" or a "vice president" but we are designated a "chairman" and a "vice chairman." I was elected "secretary." I was being congratulated at a luncheon I attended shortly thereafter and I explained, "We don't know what our function is, we don't know what we are going to be doing, we don't know who is going to tell us what we are going to be doing and where we are going in education. We don't have any responsibilities. We don't have any rules or regulations. We don't have any authority or governance. We don't have any expectations, and there are no meetings scheduled." I said "Yes, I believe I can handle that."
  
  We held our meeting last Wednesday, November 19th, for the purpose of their presenting the new Secretary of Education, and an address by the Governor. Our productive, 3-day meetings lasting often till midnight on the 3rd day, have been reduced to a simple one-half day function. And it will continue to be such until there is legislation concerning the Public Education Commission.
  
  It is very sad for me because I have always been very active in representing the parents in my district. That responsibility has been taken from me. It is a terrible loss for concerned parents. They will no longer have the representation of their board member.
  
  We were told that the Governor will have the opportunity to influence the education agency. He has appointed the deputy "assistants" to the Secretary. Personnel has always been the responsibility of the state superintendent. But no longer.
  
  We were told that the Governor knows exactly where he wants to go with education but that he doesn't know how he is going to get there.
  
  I strongly believe that in order to satisfy his need for total power, he has dismantled education and destroyed the education process for New Mexico for many years to come.
  
  MILLIE POGNA
  
  FOLLOW-ON NOTE. You asked about Veronica Garcia (the new cabinet secretary) and her views on homeschooling. There has never been any discussion. But truthfully, NOTHING IS GOING ON! Everything and everyone is in limbo, most definitely the new Public Education Commission, until they (Governor and Legislature) DEVELOP our role in this mess.
  
  I believe that Veronica's role and responsibilities have to also be developed. So we won't know what our responsibilities will be until the end of the next legislative session.
  
  At the time of the proposed Amendment 1, my fear was for homeschoolers because throughout my 20 years on the board I countered, again and again, the state board members' "concerns" for homeschooling, that there must be more restrictions, more socialization, etc. I alerted the homeschool leaders about our discussions.
  
  Now, under this new role, we will probably not be informed about anything until after the fact. I also believe that with the pro-union Governor, we have to be doubly alert. For example, the Governor's Progress Agenda Task Force is composed almost entirely of educators and union representatives, not the most friendly to homeschoolers. They will prioritize issues and set a detailed timeline to re-engineer the Department of Education and New Mexico's education system as a whole.
  
  But I assure you and the homeschoolers that I will remain vigilant and keep you informed!
  
  Millie
  -
• FCC Approves F-Word. (See link below to submit your opinion.) Noting that its own rules and precedents, limited by the First Amendment and the Communications Act of 1934, require that actionable speech in radio or TV broadcasts meet strict definitions of "obscene, indecent or profane," the FCC ruled that although the f-word may be "crude and offensive," its "fleeting and isolated use" in this instance was not indecent, because it did not "describe sexual or excretory organs or activities," nor obscene, because it did not "appeal to prurient interest," and therefore did not violate the law.
  
  Previously limited to cable or satellite access, this ruling allows a multitude of profanity on public airwaves. The FCC has declared that words do not have an absolute meaning but depend on context - context determined by the FCC. Remember the controversy over the meaning of "is?" A former president is now infamous for asking "what is is?" Notice the connection between the Pledge of Allegiance "one nation under God" and the approval of profanity. With the absence of absolutes, society is in chaos and capriciously endorses evil and outlaws good. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isa 5:20)
  
  Backlash and Industry Reaction
  The American Family Association and the Parents Television Council, among others, have voiced outrage at the FCC ruling, predicting it will open floodgates of indecency and obscenity on radio and TV. Entertainment industry executives insist otherwise. "We have an incredibly stringent broadcast standards and practices department," an ABC spokesman told the Denver Post. Roland McFarland, Fox Television's head of standards and practices said, "We try to be very judicious; we look at context, audience composition, all of that." Radio broadcasters concur. "There's still a code of ethics that I think broadcasters live by," New Radio Group general manager Wayne Ripp told the Stevens Point Journal in Wisconsin, "and for the most part, I think most broadcasters abide by that." Some broadcasters even expressed disappointment in the FCC ruling.
  
  Contact
  Consumers who wish to contact the FCC on this matter may send email to fccinfo@fcc.gov or snail mail to:
  
  Federal Communications Commission
  445 12th Street, SW
  Washington, DC 20554
  
  More FCC Contact Info
  
  ACTION: Keep a close eye & ear on the TV around kids for more of the same.
  http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_fcc_f_word.htm (send your opinion)
  It's a travesty - 63%
  It's weasely - 11%
  It's right - 19%
  I don't care - 5%
  -
• Pledge of Allegiance. Status of Supreme Court: www.restorethepledge.com. Oral argument will be sometime next year (i.e., in early 2004). Read the CNN article. Add your comments to the Washington Post debate: http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/03/r_outlook_mooney101703.htm/?nav=pledge_o
  
  World Pledge proposed for Human Rights Day - Dec 10. Keep your eyes and ears open for public school teachers who may ask your children to recite this pledge. www.angelfire.com/in3/liberalcredo/pledge.html
  
  Pledge of Allegiance by Red Skelton: http://home.att.net/~poofcatt/july.html. Could Red have foreseen the Supreme Court today? "Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country and two words have been added to the pledge of Allegiance... UNDER GOD. Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer and that would be eliminated from schools too?"
  -
• Financial Accountability. If you are donating to or planning to donate to a charity or Christian organization, carefully consider these principles to practice good stewardship.
  www.ecfa.org/ContentEngine.asp?Page=wanttogive
  
  Is the charity or organization a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability?
  Remember to tithe to your local church before donating to a charity or Christian organization.
  -
• Christmas Gift Ideas. Give something that will last throughout the year.
  - Buy a gift for Angel Tree (contact your local church)
  - Focus on the Family Christmas Gift Ideas
  - Focus on the Family Magazines
  - Creation Magazine or Creation Journal
  - Guideposts Magazines
  - Christian Heritage Series by Nancy Rue

LOCAL
Albuquerque Bible College
Ask Jesus Now
CareNet Pregnancy Center of Albuquerque
Christian Assoc of Parent Educators
Creation Science Fellowship NM
Educate NM
Free Indeed Ministries
Greater Southwest Council BSA
Habitat for Humanity
Hope Christian Schools
Joy Junction
Parenting Teenagers
Rio Grande Enrichment Studies
Shepherd's Guide
Tijeras Foundation
Trinity Southwest University

NATIONAL
America Bless God
American Christian History Institute
American Family Association
Center for Reclaiming America
Center for the American Founding
Christian History Institute
Early Church Fathers
Faith Facts
Family Research Council
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family Pastors Weekly Briefing
Foundation for Biblical Government
Frontline Fellowship
Pilgrim Institute
Principle Approach International
Providence Foundation
Summit Ministries
Vision America

Community Impact News is authored by:
Mark Burton, Foothills Fellowship, 294-0016
Pager 971-2053
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