This is written by our cousin Gary Randell who his Mother and my mom were 1st cousins. I have followed and even worked to support his talk show out of Portland in the eastern part of our State in the 60's so appreciate his ministry. This is his latest article.

The New York Times pointed out this week that we have a "reality" crisis in America, quoting a number of "experts," and is calling on President Biden to form a group of intellectuals to help America rediscover "reality."

These steps, they say, "could prod more people to abandon the scourge of hoaxes and lies."
If this "prodding" sounds vaguely familiar, it is. George Orwell called this group the "Ministry of Truth" in his book "1984."
Be informed, not misled.
The Times begins with this: "Last month, millions of Americans watched as President Biden took the oath of office...and called for unity."
Continuing, the Times said: 
"But plenty of other Americans weren't paying attention to Mr. Biden's speech. They were too busy watching YouTube videos alleging that the inauguration was a prerecorded hoax that had been filmed on a Hollywood soundstage."
"Or," the Times continued, "they were melting down in QAon group chats...or maybe their TV's were tuned to OAN, where an anchor was floating the baseless theory that Mr. Biden wasn't actually elected by the people."
The Times notes that "70% of Republicans believe Mr. Trump legitimately won the election, and 40% of Americans---including plenty of Democrats---believe the baseless theory that COVID-19 was manufactured in a Chinese lab."
"In the past year alone," the Times says, "we have seen conspiracy theorists cause Covid-19 vaccine delays, sabotage a wildfire response, and engineer a false election fraud narrative."

 
The NYT says, "The experts agreed that before the Biden administration can tackle disinformation and extremism, it needs to understand the scope of the problem."
And the scope is extensive. In fact, the Times continues to cover a long list of  "untruths" that must be eradicated before the masses can be effectively "prodded" toward the truth. 
So, who are these experts?
William Braniff is a counter-terrorism expert and professor at the University of Maryland. He says we have to have a  "holistic understanding of what the spectrum of extremism looks like in the United States, and then allocate resources accordingly."
Is he suggesting that everyone is interviewed or studied to determine if their personal beliefs could possibly lead to some kind of disruption in the culture? And who would the interviewers be?
And what kinds of beliefs would qualify a citizen to, say, be "reprogrammed" or "reeducated" as some elites are already calling for in regard to conservatives.

8 ways to fix your discouragements
It seems like discouragement is one of the areas in our lives that causes a lot of frustration, for we are surrounded by lies that we can’t control, for the simple reason we take our eyes of the Lord and only think of who we can blame. There is only one person in my life that is making choice that blesses us our curse us. I need to cast my gaze upon Him for He cares for all His creation. John 3:13 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believeth on Him would have everlasting life. That is you and me who believe.
1. Look forward to 2021 it is a new year. The Message in 2 Corinthians gives us a picture of looking forward 7-12 If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!
We have to make sure we are in training to look forward to the next situation and circumstance we are facing knowing God is in charge of our future.
2. Never give up, you on trial in this big garden called earth note 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye.
We have never been faced with such a paralyzing Pandemic in our lives as Coronaviruses has affect our total world preventing us for assembling ourselves in the house of the Lord. Yet we are doing all we can to comfort and pray for one another to be healed in body, soul and spirt sop we do not. give up. We can’t, but God can, as we let Him rule and reign in every area of our lives.
 
3. Stay in the Game 2 Corinthians 4:18 The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.
Thank the Lord we are living in His created world and need to understand we live according to His rules and need to stay in the game and not quit and start playing in Satan’s court. Satan’s here to keep us off guard so we need to resist his plans and seek Gods plan for our lives,  that we can be a blessing to all we meet by practicing His commands and rules. 
4. Look in- What make’s you angry and disappointed needs to be analyzed and only you know? What do you do to get rid of the anger that boils up and destroys your ability to be in control. Ephesians 4: 26  says Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.
Anger is the greatest tool God has given us to protect our selves from evil doings for it allows us to be in control of it without maiming and killing one another’s physical and spiritual will being. When love is controlled by God’s empowerment we are able to be angry and sin not, for we are abiding in the loving arms of the Lord and He knows how to protect and provide all we need to be peaceful in controlling of the situation. Love covers a multitude of sins. That is the reason we ae able to love the person who is angry, for God gives us the ability to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to not give our anger away, it is yours to keep yourself safe and secure.
5. Look around- Isolation is real and it prevents us from being transparent, we can’t see the expression and the smile of agreement or disapproval. We are not supposed to gather together in large gathering and to wear mask. Look around we look like bandits.   
Let’s look at Hebrews 10:25 in The Message So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.
Are you seeing imagination time vividness equals reality as the truth? You’re watching the news what do you see everything out of order and you get mad and wonder the reason why? Or are you able to see the lies and evil that has over taken us and see the lawlessness but pray that people will see the way, truth and life that is found as they become sensitive to the word of God. The people that are forced to go underground and being blessed in communistic countries and people force to believe anything can’t be free in our world. Lord help us to see the need for gathering together as a Church so we can have positive relationship that are build for up lifting one another in Prayer as we Fellowship together for the purpose to pray and instruct one another on the playing field of life activities!
6. Look Out- Satan is going to decisive you- Mark 6:31-34 The Message ^30-31 The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat. ^32-34 So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.
This is the reason we are in a game good vs. evil, right over wrong every day of or lives. God does not rest and we can afford to rest In wrong but abiding in the vine Jesus, so we can produce good fruit all the time.