{"id":1277,"date":"2019-01-21T14:26:43","date_gmt":"2019-01-21T14:26:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/safeplacewithruthgraham\/?p=1277"},"modified":"2019-01-21T14:26:43","modified_gmt":"2019-01-21T14:26:43","slug":"the-shutdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/safeplacewithruthgraham\/2019\/01\/the-shutdown.html","title":{"rendered":"The Shutdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Well, I guess I finally have to weigh in on the shutdown&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>This is a difficult time for so many. I pray it will end soon. Many are working without pay. Why can&#8217;t Congress forgo their pay during this time in solidarity with the Federal workers? If they had to feel the pinch, they&#8217;d soon get to negotiating in good faith. <\/p>\n<p>I got an email from my bank and it was offering special consideration to those furloughed by the government.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If you are an employee of the federal government who has been furloughed due to the partial government shutdown, City is here to help. Contact your local branch to discuss your individual circumstances and find out what options may be available to help you during this unexpected financial challenge.<\/p>\n<p>If you have a loan with City and would like to request a payment deferral, call us to discuss your options.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, we\u2019re happy to offer a special Furlough Relief Loan* to help meet your financial needs during this time. Details include:<\/p>\n<p>Borrow up to $5,000 at an Annual Percentage Rate of just 4.99%<br \/>\nNo fees<br \/>\nNo payment for the first 120 days<br \/>\n24-month repayment period<br \/>\nTo apply for this loan, please provide a federal employee ID or other proof of federal employment, such as a pay stub.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re here to help when you need us, and we&#8217;re happy to work with you to find solutions that help ease the burden of any financial hardships. Call or stop by your local branch to discuss your options at any time.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you for banking at with us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>I for one, thought that was a good example of Americans coming together to meet this terrible situation. I called my bank to tell them of my appreciation. (Yes, I know the bank still make money on this deal but it is a break for the folks who need it and they will receive back-pay when the shutdown ends so that they can pay the loan back.) <\/p>\n<p>I have seen news reports of food banks springing up to help those caught in this mess. <\/p>\n<p>As Americans that&#8217;s what we do &#8211; help each other. As believers we should be leading the way.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s pray for those suffering. And especially in this cold spell&#8230;those who are homeless. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Well, I guess I finally have to weigh in on the shutdown&#8230; This is a difficult time for so many. I pray it will end soon. Many are working without pay. Why can&#8217;t Congress forgo their pay during this time in solidarity with the Federal workers? If they had to feel the pinch, they&#8217;d soon&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":466,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[343,342,344,340,341,339],"class_list":["post-1277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-cold","tag-congress","tag-food-banks","tag-loans","tag-money","tag-shutdown"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Shutdown - Safe Place with Ruth Graham<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/safeplacewithruthgraham\/2019\/01\/the-shutdown.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Shutdown - Safe Place with Ruth Graham\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Well, I guess I finally have to weigh in on the shutdown&#8230; This is a difficult time for so many. 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No stranger to heartache, she seeks to provide a Biblical perspective to her journey of faith. She is warm and talks openly about her own need for a safe place as she journeyed through her husband\u2019s infidelities, her subsequent depression, her divorces, her teenage daughter\u2019s two unplanned pregnancies, another daughter\u2019s bulimia, her son\u2019s battle with drugs, grandson's special needs and returning to school at age 40. Although born into the \"famous\" Graham family Ruth did not feel she had a safe place to unburden the secrets of her life. She felt she had to project and image and wear a mask that she \"had it all together\". She had to meet others' expectations of her. It was not until a mid-life crisis did that she fully discover the unconditional love and grace of God. Her life's passion is to connect people to that same grace and love she found, no matter who they are or what sin. Ruth is an experienced conference speaker and Bible teacher. She has appeared on a variety of radio and television shows including: Good Morning, America, The Hour of Power, Focus on the Family, Moody Broadcasting, Fox &amp; Friends, CBN, Life Today and CNN. She has worked in publishing for over 14 years and is the founder of the Ruth Graham &amp; Friends Ministry. Ruth has three grown children and nine grandchildren. She lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. 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