By the Numbers

     $953 

     Estimated cost to purchase a new electric water heater when DOE environmental regulations take effect in 2029. With many Americans concerned about affordability, government policies provide a clue for why prices keep going up. 

     36% 

     The share of American households that have put off large purchases like cars or appliances, citing discomfort with their financial situation. 

     7 

     The number of times regulators have imposed tighter environmental requirements on washing machines, beginning in 1988 and most recently in 2024. Regs have increased costs while reducing cleaning capacity and creating reliability problems. 

     99%

     The share of LED light bulbs currently on the market that will not meet Biden-era regulations when they take effect in 2028. The DOE estimates that light bulb prices will increase from $2.98 to $5.68 per bulb.

Buy them now? Jimmy

The above by John Dawson 

Can they put the betting genie back in the bottle?

    conclusion

     The SAFE Bet Act would ban sportsbook marketing during live sporting events. Preserving the reputation of leagues has motivated some to push back on sports betting. Ohio Governor DeWine announced intention to crack down on wagering based on certain actions rather than the end result of the game. 

     This came after Cleveland pitcher Luis Ortiz threw first pitches well out- side the strike zone in two games, so bettors could wager on the pitches being balls. The FBI investigated Terry Rozier who allegedly told a friend that he would leave a game early, allowing (his friends) to wager more than $200,000 on his under stats. 

     A professor at Cedarville University believes it will be difficult to put the entire sports betting genie back in the bottle. Even Christians have mixed views about it. Over half of pastors believe sports betting is wrong, but only about 7% discouraged the practice from the pulpit last year. 

     "You'll have churches that are running March Madness pools," said the professor. He acknowledged that while many members don't play for money, it still legitimizes the practice. 

     "And that's just, I think, setting people up for failure." 

            Jimmy

 

Betting the House - #2

     Now, where were we? Oh, yes. Connecting sports and mobile wagering can easily become "enslaving," says an economics professor. Young men are susceptible to addiction. 

     Less than 5 percent of bettors make a consistent profit, meaning the sports books make most of their revenue on losers. A survey found that about 1 of every 4 betters said they couldn't pay a bill. About 15% took our loans to fund wagers.  

     Many needs people should be saving money for are being spent on gambling or gaming. Roughly 20 million Americans report "Problematic gambling behavior." And roughly a quarter of them think their habit is out of control. The majority of addicts likely don't report their symptoms. Not everybody is forthcoming about their problem, due to guilt and shame.

     Is anyone doing something? Two bills introduced last year could force the federal government to get involved. The Gambling Addiction Recovery Investment and Treatment (GRIT) Act would set aside 50% of federal gambling tax revenue to fund addiction treatment and research grants. The government took in about $150 million in taxes for money wagered on gambling in 2024. 

     We bet I can find enough information to extend this article one more day. Wanna bet? 

Jimmy

    

Our Mentality

"I'm not smart enough."

"No one in my family has ever done that."

"My past disqualifies me."

     God isn't saying those things to us. Our history, our insecurity and our enemy, maybe. We're not being humble, but limiting...limiting what God wants to do through us.

     Well, it's always been this way. It'll never change. I'm just being realistic. Jesus says: With God all things are possible - Matthew 19:26. Possible not with our resume or excellent record...but with God.

     Our past does not define our future when God is involved. "They" might not do what we wish. But God can open a door. - Rev. 3:8. When He opens a door, no one can shut it. 

     There are giants, obstacles, roadblocks. Do we see ourselves in light of the giants or the light of our God? He delights in his children. He has plans we won't know until we reach out to him in prayer.   

Our pastor

Helen Keller lost her sight and hearing when she was 19 months old. Talk about giants, obstacles and roadblocks. She is known for 454 quotes, 14 books, lectures, political activity and more. She received a college degree. She was an "ardent believer" in a Christian denomination.   

Jimmy

 Betting the House 

Really?

     Before there was TV, yours truly was addicted to sports on the radio, or in person. In football season, I kept records on four teams - two high schools, one college and one professional. Forty wins was satisfying and expected.

     I never knew the word "betting." 

     Today, there are those who put their home up for sale to pay for a gambling debt. A counselor says, "It's all so accessible, now that you don't have to get in your car and drive to a casino. Sports betting has come under high profile FBI investigations. It is too tempting for players as well as fans." 

     "But fans are the ones who suffer most. Thanks to the rise of mobile sportsbooks, many Americans have found they just can't quit," the counselor says. "A few dollars leads to three-figure losses. Many don't even realize they are addicted."

     "Today, 39 states and the District of Columbia permit gambling. Mobile sportsbooks are legal in 32 states. Using prediction markets, even gamblers living in states that don't allow betting can wager on events. Gamblers wagered more than $148 billion last year, about 45 percent online. Nearly half of men under 50 have an account with at least one sportsbook." 

     What does this say about husbands, fathers, male teachers and voters, etc? We may follow up with this on Monday.

                Jimmy

Help in Difficult Times  

     Paul dealt with "much trembling." Soloman said, "I am but a little child." Gideon pleaded, "I am the least in my father's house." Moses moaned, "I am slow of speech. Please send someone else."

     We're needy during difficulties, but God assures us:  

                              "I will be with you" (Exodus 3:12)                                                                         "I will help you speak and teach you what to say" (Exodus 4:12)                                                "I will make a way in the wilderness" (Isaiah 43:19)                                                                   "I will supply all your needs" (Philippians 4:19)                                                                            "I will fight for you" (Exodus 14:14)   

                                     "I will rescue you" (Jeremiah 1:8)                 

              "I will restore you to health and heal your wounds" (Jeremiah 30:17)                                                        "I am a shield to you" (Genesis 15:1)                                                                 "I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten" (Joel 2:25);                                               "I will not leave you as orphans" (John 14:18)      

                              "I will not fail you" (Joshua 1:5)                    

                     "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). 

     By Whitney Williams, a nurse in Dallas 

 Broken bonds

     "Cutting contact with parents won't heal children's wounds.

     "Idealization of the self will not heal emotional emptiness. Young people determined to forge their own identities forget (or don't know) that we are made and shaped by others as much as by individual personality traits.

     "It's only by seeing ourselves reflected in close, sometimes difficult, unions that we understand who we truly are. God, a relationship in himself, means to shape us in relationship, beginning with our mother's arms and father's voice. 

     "'Honor your father and mother' is a weighty command. To break that bond for self-centered reasons makes us weightless."  

Janie B. Cheaney, WORLD magazine