Today is Martin Luther King, Jr Day.  It’s a national holiday celebrating the birthday of the civil rights leader who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.  No mail. No banks. Most schools are Closed today.  City, County and State offices closed today.

Sing-A-Long Tour with Phil Wickham, Matt Maher, Leeland, Taya

Friday @ 7pm at Westover Church in Greensboro

SOLD OUT…but listen to the WBFJ Morning Show tomorrow for TIX.  https://transparentproductions.com/events/singalong-phil-wickham-greensboro-nc-january-20-2023/

IRS: Tax filing season will begin next Monday (January 23, 2023).

After you file, the IRS said it is likely to deliver your refund within 21 days of receiving your return – its typical turnaround time – but only if you fill out your return accurately and completely, file it electronically and opt to have your refund delivered through direct deposit. BTW: The IRS advises against filing paper returns.

*And for those who might be dreading this task, it may help to know that the majority of tax filers every year are typically owed a refund. Last year, the average refund issued was around $3,100 dollars. www.irs.gov

*The official due date for returns this year will be Tuesday, April 18.

(That’s because April 15 — the traditional due date — falls on a Saturday; and Monday, April 17 is Emancipation Day — an official holiday in DC).

www.cnn.com/2023/01/12/success/day-tax-filing-season-starts/index.html

Update: Samaritan’s Purse has relief teams on the ground in Selma, Alabama, and Griffin, Georgia, after violent storms that brought death and destruction to the Southeast last Thursday evening (Jan 12). Their mission: clearing trees and debris from yards and homes AND tarping damaged roofs. In both Alabama and Georgia, staff members are working with local emergency management and with local church leaders to determine the greatest needs.  *Two Disaster Relief Units—tractor trailers stocked with equipment and supplies—have been deployed from North Wilkesboro to serve in Alabama and Georgia. To donate, or volunteer check out a link on the News Blog…

https://samaritanspurse.org/article/samaritans-purse-rushing-help-to-storm-torn-southeast/

Looking for snow?  Travel west to our northern mountains!

Most of the lower elevations of the High Country received up to 3 inches over the weekend. Banner Elk recorded 7 inches and Beech Mountain received 10 inches, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). NOTE: The southwestern mountains got the most snow. 23.5 inches was recorded for Swiss (located in Yancey County). *Snow drifts of at least 2 feet were reported in Faust (located in Madison County, NC).

https://wataugaonline.com/weekend-western-north-carolina-snowfall-reports/

Study: ‘Spice containers’ tend to have the ‘most germs’ in your kitchen?

Residents in Wake and Johnston counties (in NC) allowed ‘researchers to ‘swab’ kitchen surfaces checking for ‘cross-contamination’ during meal preparation. They discovered that spice containers had the highest degree of cross-contamination of any of the surfaces analyzed in the study. This includes surfaces like cutting boards, countertops and even trash cans.  Hand washing, sanitizing, and separating raw meat from produce are some of the best strategies for reducing the risk of catching foodborne illnesses.

https://www.today.com/food/news/germiest-surface-kitchen-spice-jars-rcna65753

Triad events honoring the late Dr Martin Luther King, Jr (Monday)…

High Point University

MLK Day Worship Service from 11- noon at Hayworth Chapel on HPU campus

43rd Annual MLK Noon Hour Commemoration

Union Baptist Church on North Trade Street in Winston-Salem.

Mount Tabor UMC – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: The Life and the Legacy

4pm at Mount Tabor United Methodist Church on Robinhood Road Winston-Salem

Wake Forest University – 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration

7pm at Wait Chapel on campus.

Evening Worship Service sponsored by High Point University from 6 – 8:30 p.m.

Location: Williams Memorial CME Church on Triangle Lake Rd, High Point

The service will be live-streamed on Williams Memorials’ website

https://www.highpoint.edu/servicelearning/mlk-day/

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”  MLK, Jr

Dr. Alveda King (niece of the late Dr Martin Luther King, Jr) recalls her uncle’s message of God’s love…

“Every year, our country takes a day to honor the legacy and memory of my uncle, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  A few days later, we March for Life, and it’s perfectly fitting that the two occasions coincide.

At a time of widespread conflict and mutual distrust, it’s more vital than ever for us to reflect on the message of faith, love, and toleration that (Dr King) shared with the world. His faith informed his commitment to his community and was the source of his calling to the great mission of uniting men and women of different ethnic groups.

My uncle viewed love as the power that would redeem mankind. God’s love is the power that rules the cosmos, and His grace gives us the power to make brothers and sisters -out of men and women, boys and girls.

                 “Of one blood, God created the human race…” Acts 17:26

Today, hate still retains its grip over too many human hearts — but we can change that if we follow my uncle’s example and choose agape love. Hate is truly a tremendous burden, and we as a nation need to remember that there is a better alternative.

In order to prevent hatred from corrupting our hearts, we must allow God’s love to flow through us. Only through love can we become what God intended us to be, brothers and sisters of one human family.

     “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” MLK, Jr

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2020/january/remembering-gods-love-on-martin-luther-king-day

“The Lord gives strength to his people;

 the Lord blesses his people with peace”   

                          -Psalm 29:11 NIV