This blog post goes along with Episode 15 on the Arise & Build podcast.
how does this happen?
I often get asked, "Jodi, How is this happening? It feels like it's coming from higher up the chain somewhere." And then, of course, we have the uni-party comments.
I hear things like, "It doesn't matter. They are ALL corrupt. It's the uni-party vs people like us."
These comments and feelings aren't exactly wrong. But let me bring a little bit of clarity to a tiny piece of the picture.
the associations
And the list goes on.... and on.... and on. There's an association for everything and every group you can think of and some you never knew existed.
Associations are PRIVATE non-profit organizations. They are not government agencies even though many of them are named, "Missouri Association of..."
They are funded primarily by dues and donations of their members along with additional fundraising efforts as needed. One of their primary purposes is to protect the interests of their members in regard to public policy.
They employ their own lobbyists or contract with larger lobbying firms for representation inside your local, state and federal governments.
These lobbyists make up a huge portion of what you hear called special interests.
legislative associations
There are also associations & foundations for legislators.
They are PRIVATE associations and organizations. This means they are created and operated by individuals or groups of individuals that have their own mission and purposes.
Here are two examples:
- National Governors Association (Check out the list of partners)
- State Legislator's Leadership Foundation
uni-party, rinos, & gaga republicans
There's a lot of talk about RINOs and the Uni-Party among people involved with politics. A great friend of mine likes to call many of them GAGA Republicans, because they Go Along to Get Along.
Is there really a uni-party? Well, I believe there is and although it isn't an official legal organization, at the levels of leadership we are talking about here - legislative leadership from across the country - they have their own think tanks in these associations and their priorities are not staying true to party platforms. I believe their priorities are, unfortunately, in most situations very self serving.
It would feed any ego to be at the tables with lawmakers across the nation. When hearts who sit at those tables are not in alignment with God's heart, you can see how things could quickly take a turn for the worst in regard to Missouri policy.
Let's say our state leaders are rubbing elbows at dinner with the Illinois leadership and CEO of the big drug company that has tons of business interests in both places. A situation like that could be exactly how we came to have a Department of Health & Senior Services Director straight from Illinois who loved the idea of vaccines & vax passport apps right smack in the middle of a pandemic.
We could very well end up with legislators and executives who have more of a heart to wine & dine with the CEOs of companies like FaceBook and Pfizer along with their new BFF from Hawaii or New York at the association conventions as they get on board the freight train of destruction screaming across the tracks through our nation instead of protecting Missouri's sovereignty and the rights of the people.
The associations are not fighting for individual freedom of the people. They are pushing their own priorities & agendas, many of which come from the elite crowd across nation and even the world.
what can you do?
#1. The first thing to start with on every To Do List from me is PRAY. We will ONLY win these battles with the Holy Spirit and divine strategy. I do not believe we will win any other way.
Pray & focus on your own personal revival.
Fast & pray like Nehemiah.
Pray He will give you the heart to chase after HIM and the Kingdom more than anything else.
This truly is how we win & it's how we survive through the battle.
#2. Obey Him and His direction above all else.
#3. Get connected & start learning. If He's calling you to this "government mountain" you can't push back tyranny alone. We all have a lot to learn, there's a lot to accomplish and it's going to take a team effort to get it done.
I'd love to invite you to join me and our tribe!
If you are interested in learning what we are doing - check out The Sword & Trowel or reach out to me.
If you aren't interested in joining me, pray about locking arms with another effort. Missouri needs you!
sustainable development
The United Nation's definition of sustainable development is,
Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
I know, it sounds wonderful and responsible to take care of our planet for future generations. I agree that is and should be an effort we all undertake to a certain degree. Scripture calls us to be good stewards of what we are given.
However, what the United Nations means by 'needs' in the above definition is meeting the physical needs of the worlds poorest populations. It has NOTHING to do with preserving America or the American way of life.
It's truly an 'America Last' policy.
Even the poorest of the poor in America do not hold a candle in regard to the poorest of the world. Sustainable development is not only about preserving natural resources for America's future. It's about redistributing ALL resources across the globe. In other words, redistribution of wealth.
The UN's Sustainable Development Goals will "equalize" the world on very low level for the masses while the world's elite jet set across continents and control it all.
Federal dollars start flowing
After a gathering in Rio at the Conference on Environment and Development, 179 countries including the United States. Sustainable development was pushed through our federal government through the Presidential Council on Sustainability, which was created by President Clinton in the early 1990's. The Council consisted of 12 cabinet members (Directors of federal departments), CEOs of major private corporations (such as SC Johnson & Enron), and non-government organization think tanks (NGOs).
This created a system of funding by the feds which flowed through every federal agency, the private & non-profit sector all the way through state and local governments. This is how globalism has reached and continues to reach into state and local communities. Take the money & comply with the agenda.
the real globalist goals
When we see policy being developed that centralizes, standardizes, inventories, tracks, or monitors we need to pay attention and deep dive into whether or not those policies are ultimately a good practice or not.
The ultimate goal of the globalist agenda is to control human behaviors and activity. Before they can control, they need to know what they have (inventory) and track it (monitor). Before they can affect behaviors and activity, there must be a control mechanism.
This is their path. Centralize and standardize in order to INVENTORY - MONITOR - CONTROL.
one piece at a time
Sustainable development, in the United States and in Missouri, is being accomplished by the building of a framework of policy one tiny puzzle piece at a time. In and of themselves, each piece seems harmless. In totality, when the framework is complete, it will be the destruction of our freedom and everything we know American life to be.
These are a few things our future holds if we don't push back on the agenda and put Missouri & America first...
- Your use of electricity is monitored and rates are hiked at times when you need it most which forces you to change your usage
- You are unable to have a car and will be required to walk, bike or use public transportation
- Your movement will be controlled because we need low emissions so you'll work, live, shop and play within 15 minutes of your home
- Travel will be controlled by digital id
- Your health records will be included in that digital id which means with a quick scan, businesses or employers will know your personal health information, including your vaccine status
- Your personal rights will be hindered & you'll have very little if no way to redress your grievances within the courts
- Your food supply will be controlled because they want the ag industry destroyed
- And the list goes on
There's so much more to talk about on this topic, but I'll leave you today with this graphic that represents individual policies that inventory, monitor, centralize & standardize. This doesn't necessarily mean each of these pieces are evil, but they are just the tip of the iceberg in regard to policies that contribute to the framework of sustainable development.
what can you do?
1. Seek God FIRST. He has a perfect plan and calling for your life. Part of your responsibility to steward well is stewarding the government you were blessed with. Pray about how He wants you to be involved.
If you don't know how to seek God or if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus - please connect with me if you'd like to talk.
2. Follow Him. He'll lead and show you. He'll bring every resource provide every need and relationship you need to fulfill what He's asking of you.
3. Get connected. I'd love for you to connect with me and our mission here at Jodi Grace Ministries to inspire, educate and activate Believers in Missouri! We have a private membership, weekly Zoom calls, private conversations and so much more. We are building relationships with the Lord, with each other, being educated and taking action together. We are creating a network of Believers who are serving one another in practical ways through these challenges we are facing. Please pray about joining us in The Sword & Trowel!
If not us, find a different community to be involved with. You weren't made to do it alone. I'll even go so far as to say you can't do it alone. We need each other.
Episode 3 - Abortion petitions in Missouri
This blog is a supporting document for Episode 3 of the Arise & Build podcast, which is about the petitions already filed with our Secretary of State's office which would protect abortion in Missouri.
Please listen, subscribe & share!
take action
1. Call your legislators and let them know you'd like them to support Concurrent Majority Ratification by House District at every opportunity available to them.
2. Comment on the abortion petitions via link below. These comments are considered during the process and are helpful, especially if the ballot language ends up in court.
Points to consider for your comments:
- Missouri has a history of protecting babies at all stages of life as well as women through programs like MoHealthNet and Show-Me Healthy Babies.
- We value ALL life.
- All human life has intrinsic value - at every stage of development.
- These petitions allow for abortion to be performed up to the birth and possibly beyond
- If we can murder babies at birth or just after birth - where does this stop?
- These petitions deny women the right to sue for malpractice.
- These petitions nullify laws already in place.
LINKS & RESOURCES
episode 2 - Arise & Build podcast
This blog is a list of resources and details related to Episode 2 of the Arise & Build podcast.
Episode 2 is the first in a series about making changes to our state constitution and the measures that you can expect to see on a ballot in 2024 - legalizing full term abortion and gun control.
I highly encourage you to check it out, subscribe and follow along!
map of ratification results in nov '22 - legalizing marijuana
This map shows the results of the Nov '22 election by county. You can see that only 13 counties out of 163 in the State of Missouri wanted to make this change. Because only a simple majority of popular vote is required for ratification, it passed.
2024 Ballot Measures
Issues we will see on the ballot in 2024 will be abortion & gun control. Missouri voters need to understand this issue and do the work it takes to bring and keep righteous statutes in Missouri.
I'll be explaining more of the specifics of these measures on future podcasts, so be sure to subscribe.
take action
1. Call & email the governor. Ask for a special session to pass Concurrent Majority Ratification. 573.751.3222
2. Call & email your representatives & senators. Ask for their support in a concurrent majority ratification resolution that would be based on House districts.
3. SUBSCRIBE & SHARE this information with your friends and family! Our Arise & Build podcast is on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts & other podcast platforms. Arise & Build Podcast
4. DO NOT sign ANY petitions that would enable ANY measures to be added to the Missouri ballot.
5. Vote NO on ANY change to the Missouri Constitution in 2024.
sB 681 & SB 662 (2022) by Senators cindy o'laughlin (R) & Lauren Arthur (d)
SB 681 & SB 662 were combined to create an education omnibus bill in the 2022 legislative session. It's what we call a "Christmas Tree Bill" because there are several different sections of Missouri statute addressed. It was a large bill that ended up being 166 pages long, repealed 30 sections and added 50 brand new sections of statutes. It was all pertaining to elementary and secondary education. This was the brainchild of Senator Cindy O'Laughlin, republican from northern Missouri (Majority Floor Leader in 2023) and Senator Lauren Arthur, democrat from Clay County (KC area).
It contained everything from testing kids for lead poisoning to creating additional pathways for high school graduation to changing the state learning standards and MANDATING mental health training for high school students.
The latter is what we are going to be talking about today.
Here's the statute created by SB 681 & SB 662:
the result of rsmo 170.307 is ADDED social emotional learning standards
Based on this new statute, on Tuesday, August 15th, the Missouri State Board of Education approved a rule change to add Social Emotional Learning (SEL) standards for K-12 mental health training.
It's ALWAYS a problem when we see in statute that our legislators are abdicating their authority to the unelected bureaucrats with NO way of knowing what the outcome will be. The overreach of bureaucrats into every part of society is a primary reason government has grown to the extent it has, and it's a huge problem in our education system.
This should be a primary concern to conservatives, especially Christian conservatives across Missouri. Promulgated rules are nearly always written to expand progressive government in one way or another.
what is SEL?
Social Emotional Learning is a broad umbrella term that encompasses several things, but the term is pretty self explanatory. In a nutshell, it's the teaching or training of students in regard to social and/or emotional issues.
This is the proposed rule change:
SEL can include, but is not limited to:
- any mental health related topic such as depression, suicide, anxiety, etc.
- communication skills
- motivational skills
- racial & social justice issues
- diversity & equity
- civic engagement
- affirming LGBTQIA+ student behavior
- giving students a "safe" private space with counselors without parental knowledge or consent
- comprehensive sex education
- SEL related student surveys that collect student data related to their beliefs
SEL learning objectives will most likely come through health or PE class by way of the school counselors, who are NOT trained psychologists. Honestly, I don't prefer my own student to have ANY mental health instruction at school - SEL or otherwise.
These new standards will most likely be largely driven by the American School Counselor's Association and organizations such as CASEL and American Federation for Teachers (AFT). These organizations are the opposite of conservative. POLAR opposite.
It doesn't take much to see why it would be a problem for these large progressive organizations and bureaucrats to be running the show in relation to social and emotional learning.
vague standards & local control
The standards are vague. When you read them, there is no clear danger if you aren't familiar with specific terminology or the bigger picture of SEL. Of course we want our children to be empathetic, good problem solvers and happy, productive kids.
Isn't that what this is about??
Well, for some districts and teachers - yes. But for others and maybe most at this point because of the American School Counselors Association - there is a bigger agenda involved.
A marxist agenda. An agenda that divides our kids, pits them against one another and destroys the fabric of patriotic Christian family values all unbeknownst to parents while our kids are in school.
The standards DO allow for individual districts & teachers to adopt their own curriculum and lesson plans as they pertain to these specific standards. It IS possible that your school and your student would not be exposed to the progressive woke agenda. This is why if you ask your administration or school board member, they'll likely tell you that the standard doesn't really matter and that the local school controls the curriculum. That is true.
But here are a few of the problems:
How will you know what your student's teacher is saying or teaching regarding SEL?? You won't. Most likely, you won't even know the questions to ask your student or when to ask them.
How will you know if your student is talking to your school counselor about LGBTQ, sexual identity, gender identity or even suicide? You won't. They are not required to disclose. They are "safe" spaces for students and your students have privacy privileges there. You will know NOTHING if the school counselor doesn't want you to know. The School Counselor's Association wants it this way and they are lobbying legislators to keep it this way.
Do you want your school counselor, PE teacher or health teacher or any teacher - none of whom are trained psychologists - to be teaching mental health topics to your students anyway? I don't.
Do you want your student to be surveyed without your knowledge? I don't.
Do you want your school district to be forced to do MORE teaching that is NOT core classes? I don't. Our schools have more than enough requirements forced onto them by DESE as it is.
Are you familiar with the American School Counselor's Association and what they are pushing into your school counselors offices? Probably not. There are a few resources below & I'll continue to talk about it here.
what can you do?
- Submit public comment to DESE, via survey below, rejecting SEL standards being MANDATED to our schools. You can simply enter "I reject all SEL standards, definitions, and implementation in any format, whether recommended or mandated, in Missouri public schools" in the appropriate text boxes.
2. Share this blog with your like-minded family & friends!
3. Use the resources below to learn a little more and be sure to subscribe to the blog!
resources
Please spend some time learning about SEL if you aren't already aware.
- Pay attention to her language in the video above. She want's school transformation - bringing joy & justice to schools by bringing together SEL, restorative practices & racial equity. They have a NEW definition of SEL. "Culturally affirmative SEL". Race conscious, justice oriented & everything that happens in a classroom cannot be neutral.
