I know I am, sometimes I'll spend hours just talking, reading, and listening to it all. I heard this song yesterday and though wow, once again, God speaks through His people, and I hear Him. You don't have to believe in God, or church to know it "does" have to start right here, right now. Get off our butts, and not even literally since we have keyboards/touchpads, whatever. I wrote a letter yesterday to all 5 of the council members in our county. I asked for help in finding out what we can do to get Dental care for Medi-cal, Californias "poor peoples" insurance. We have a town full of people, homeless, and toothless because we have zero dental care for adults. A lot of dentists, but only one clinic that in 6 years has not taken a new, adult patient. I'm blessed with good teeth, but I would have to drive over 300 miles to see a dentist that would even give me a cleaning. I was shaking writing the letter because I'm afraid they'll tell me to show up at the council meetings. But I'll do it with God's help if I have to. I'd be scared to stand up in public and speak, especially with my tremor. But others do it, and I can too. It's one, small step to help my community, and yes, it has to start with us, right where we are:
It seems to me that your Medi-Cal is similar to the Medicaid that we have here. They offer a choice of medicare advantage plans for low income people. I have Humana, and they include both vision and dental plans, as well as chiropractors. We get an OTC allowance to get things like vitamins, bandaids, and cold medicines (all kinds of over the counter meds are included with this program), and this year they just added a healthy food benefit. It is not much, just $35 a month, but every little bit helps. Humana also has a program called GO365, which gives you points for activity tracking. For just walking at least 500 steps a day for 16 days each month, I get a $10 Amazon gift card, and there are also points for other medical appointments, like annual checkups, bone density, etc. Last year, I got well over $200 in Amazon gift cards, just for things that I do anyway. You might want to check your program and see if you can switch to a different plan ?
Denise, sometimes all a person can do is talk about problems and that's something that everyone is very good at. There are those, like some homeless, that have the "I don't care" attitude, when it comes to medical/dental. If offered low cost dental service, which, for obvious reasons, many dentists will not do, there are those that wouldn't go anyway. Some would even say, "you can wish/want all you want to, but if the city council members say "sorry", end of story". You can always think about others in your community, as well as how far you have to travel, but the city council members might tell you things that you really don't want to hear. You could easily say to yourself, "why in the heck did I write the letters and come here". I don't do stuff like this. Only two people I really think about and take care of...........myself and my wife. Neither of us have dental insurance, only dental discount cards. We each get a free eye exam yearly since we are both Diabetic II. As for myself, I have both VA Medical and Medicare A/B and a Humana Drug Plan. People are always wanting to change something and, more times than none, it just doesn't happen.
Yvonne, we don't have dentists that take Medi-cal. There is excellent insurance available here in CA, but no dentists. We do however give free dental care to the children, which is wonderful, and the prisoners at Pelican Bay Highest security prison. They won't take new patients, the one Clinic we do have, not adult patients, and the regular dentists won't take Medicare/Medi caid, nothing less than the full amount Dentist's can get. Yes, I can check around, but I'm not just out for me, I can even pay full price if I have to, co-pay whatever, but those I'm trying to help don't have anything. And @Cody Fousnaugh that "lumping all homeless" or "poor" into one basket is just wrong. imo. We do NOT know their circumstances and I for one am not going to judge them. If you listen to the song, it mentions "walking in their shoes".
Well, Denise, I've been homeless twice in my life, so, since I lived around them, I can judge. I wasn't lumping all into one basket, but there are those that do choose to be homeless. Finances got me homeless, but l was able to get out of it both times by doing my resume at a local library, using a friends address and renting a pager for any calls about jobs. And, I was taking a "sink bath" in a courthouse right after it would open. Anyone I talk to were completely/absolutely stunned when I told then I was homeless, sleeping on a bench across from a courthouse/jail. It has been very documented how many homeless folks don't want any help at all and will even stay outside in freezing cold weather so they don't have to follow a Homeless Shelter's rules, like "no smoking".
Our dentists here only take low income when you have a medicare advantage program, like Humana. I think that most medicare advantage programs offer both vision and dental, plus the over-the counter meds , with their plans. You might just look at Humana.com and see what free plans they have for your area, Denise.
Like it or not, Denise, in one way or another, we all "judge" somehow. President Biden, our local/state/federal government, relatives and friends and many folks we don't even know. This forum is really full of "judging" in threads/posts.
Everyone judges, that's truth Cody, that's not what the God of bible tells us to do though, once we are saved. Yes we do it, but imo, we best ask for forgiveness when we do. Pointing fingers is no good for our salvation because when we are judging other's we are, or will be judged. Matthew 7 :: NIV. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? There is a "righteous" way to judge, and a hypocritical way, big difference: New King James Version Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
There is a difference between judging someone and discernment. We are told to use discernment. As an example, since we live in a crime-filled area of town, I use discernment and do not go out walking around alone after dark here. A Judge is someone who listens to the evidence and then pronounces someone guilty or innocent, and then sentences them when he finds them guilty. When we say something like “that person is not going to heaven”, then we are judging them, because we decided they were guilty of something, and pass a sentence. As @Denise Happyfeet stated, we are not to judge and pass sentence on someone, that is something that only God can do. We are instructed to watch our actions around these kinds of people (discernment), but also we are told to pray for them, rather than condemn the person.
Ok, ladies, enough. To me, "judging" is "judging", right or wrong. We might think a young person with a neck, face, arms, legs, back full of tattoos is absolutely insane, of which is considered "judging". When I began rodeo, back in the mid 80's, I was judged and, based upon where I lived, could totally understand why. Anyway, now back to the thread.
I do have Humana Yvonne, but finding a dentist that will take that insurance, I don't think so within 300 miles. I will try again though because you tried to help me out with this information. I do appreciate it
If you do not already have it, download the My Humana app, then from the dashboard, scroll down to “Find Care” and it will give you access to all of the providers for doctors and dentists in your area who take Humana. Also, if you click the little wrench/tool icon at the bottom of the page, you can use that to go to GO365 and sign up so you can get points for your steps each day. The Humana pharmacy app will also show you how much you have available for your OTC allowance. We also have a new thing called Healthy Benefits , and there is an app for that, too. It comes with Humana, and gives you a small food allowance each month. Humana has a whole lot of benefits, you just have to browse the website or the apps.
Ok, I found this earlier but didn't post it @Yvonne Smith , but I thought it was pretty good how they explained the different type of "judging" in the bible. There may be errors but I admit I haven't read the whole article But for anyone interested, this might be a good read: https://medium.com/@jerikiahunter/w...ompared-to-hypocritical-judgment-29c3c86f0feb and back to my topic as well, I've really been convicted lately of trying to live with one foot in the world, and one foot in God's Word. I mean I know christians are to live "in" the world, but not be "of" the world. I want to please God, not people. If people are pleased that I am pleasing God, lol, than I get a bonus sort of. I hope people get what I mean. I'm 69 now and have wasted so much precious time (God's time He's given me) so now, I realized, again, it's starting with the small things I can do to follow Jesus' example. That letter I wrote to the council is one, small thing, took me 10 minutes!! God says if I do the small things well, than He'll give me bigger things to do, I pray God keeps me busy. I am believing what He says, and that means I can still follow Jesus at my age, I'm not too old and helpless to do anything for this fallen world through Christ Who strengthens me, and arms me with everything I need. I'm tired of living in the past, and worrying about the future. I want to live in today, but with Christ. Nkjv Matthew 25:21 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.
We are to examine ourselves, first and foremost. If we want to be "fruit inspectors", we should examine our own fruit! We are the only person we can change.