{"id":64,"date":"2011-04-28T10:17:37","date_gmt":"2011-04-28T14:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simpletruths\/?p=64"},"modified":"2011-04-29T19:59:10","modified_gmt":"2011-04-29T23:59:10","slug":"wild-hogs-and-wolf-wars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/04\/wild-hogs-and-wolf-wars.html","title":{"rendered":"Wild Hogs and Wolf Wars"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Wild hog and wolf wars are raging across the US.\u00a0 In Central Florida, we understand the wild hog problem that is plaguing the South.\u00a0 A good friend bought what seemed like an idyllic, secluded piece of acreage about five years ago.\u00a0 They built a wonderful group home with an equestrian bend.\u00a0 However, they didn’t understand that their land\u2013like much of the Southern woodland\u2013is overly populated with wild hogs.\u00a0 Because of the vigilance of the owners of the home, the hogs have not terrorized the family of mentally challenged individuals living in the house.\u00a0 Yet, the potential exists.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the western part of our country, the US Fish and Wildlife Service repopulated the northwestern states in the late 1990\u2019s with gray wolves hoping to improve the eco-system.\u00a0 \"\"<\/a>As a result the wolf population has thrived and there are currently approximately 1,645 gray wolves and 217 packs roaming the region.\u00a0 They, too, have become a problem to the ecology. In the article published in the March 2010, entitled, \u201cWolf Wars,\u201d National Geographic<\/em> reported that the return of the wolves has changed everything in the northwestern states, including the microbiology of the soil. \u00a0Killing coyotes, the wolves are altering the existing eco-system in ways that may not be beneficial.\u00a0 Wolves are again a threat to humans; they have killed several hikers in the past years.<\/p>\n

At times, people don\u2019t understand what harm we are doing by our actions.\u00a0 Humans killed off all the wolves, which was a bad thing.\u00a0 However, their protection has caused perhaps even greater damage.<\/p>\n

Using abortion, many people assumed that we would soon eliminate the birth of people who are mentally challenged.\u00a0 This appeared to be a good thing to many medical professionals and others who had fought for the right to have an abortion.\u00a0 Twenty years ago, when Cheryl\u2019s baby was found to have a clef lip, she was severely pressured by her doctors to have an abortion because developmental disabilities often accompany a clef lip.\u00a0 The family resisted and even had to change doctors three times before finding an MD who would deliver their child.\u00a0 As it happened, the young man is brilliant and the lip was surgically repaired at a young age.<\/p>\n

Because of fetal alcohol syndrome, AID\u2019s-related disabilities, and disabilities within the autism spectrum (ASD), developmental disabilities have not disappeared.\u00a0 In fact, it is estimated\u00a0and reported by National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke a part of\u00a0 National Institute of Health <\/a>\u201dthree to six children out of every 1,000 will have ASD.\u00a0 Males are four times more likely to have ASD than females.\u201d\u00a0 This is a much larger portion of the population that those children carrying the Down\u2019s syndrome gene.<\/p>\n

Parents and those who work within the mentally challenged community understand the amazing blessings our population brings to the world.\u00a0 Whether you are a Christian or not, the blessings of our population have been chronicled again and again.\u00a0 Of course, there are adjustments and great grief when a child is born with disabilities.\u00a0 At times, life is harder than parents could ever imagine. \u00a0However, the blessings overwhelm the\u00a0obvious harm.<\/p>\n

As a minister within the mentally challenged community, I repeatedly emphasize to our members how much they can be used by the Lord.\u00a0 The important fact that God can use all of us gives each of us permanent value in who we are.\u00a0 Christianity is unique in our approach to the Lord.\u00a0 Jesus taught us that all people have great value to God and He loves us unconditionally.\u00a0 This Holy Week teaches us God great sacrifice for us.<\/p>\n

Photos: \u00a0Wild Boar by Sivio DSouza and Wolf by Arrr!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wild hog and wolf wars are raging across the US.\u00a0 In Central Florida, we understand the wild hog problem that is plaguing the South.\u00a0 A good friend bought what seemed like an idyllic, secluded piece of acreage about five years ago.\u00a0 They built a wonderful group home with an equestrian bend.\u00a0 However, they didn’t understand…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5,20,3,10,16,11,28,12],"tags":[690,21,688,7,18,691,13,694,19,689,6,33,34],"class_list":["post-64","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autism-spectrum","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-inspirational","category-intellectual-disability","category-intellectually-disabled","category-mentally-challenged","category-religion","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-discipleship","tag-inspirational","tag-intellectual-disabilities","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mental-retardation","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-wild-hogs","tag-wolf-wars"],"yoast_head":"\nWild Hogs and Wolf Wars - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wild Hogs and Wolf Wars - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Wild hog and wolf wars are raging across the US.\u00a0 In Central Florida, we understand the wild hog problem that is plaguing the South.\u00a0 A good friend bought what seemed like an idyllic, secluded piece of acreage about five years ago.\u00a0 They built a wonderful group home with an equestrian bend.\u00a0 However, they didn’t understand…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/04\/wild-hogs-and-wolf-wars.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-04-28T14:17:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2011-04-29T23:59:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/files\/2011\/04\/Wild-boar-by-Savio-DSouza.jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. Howard\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Wild Hogs and Wolf Wars - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"nofollow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Wild Hogs and Wolf Wars - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","og_description":"Wild hog and wolf wars are raging across the US.\u00a0 In Central Florida, we understand the wild hog problem that is plaguing the South.\u00a0 A good friend bought what seemed like an idyllic, secluded piece of acreage about five years ago.\u00a0 They built a wonderful group home with an equestrian bend.\u00a0 However, they didn’t understand…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/04\/wild-hogs-and-wolf-wars.html","og_site_name":"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","article_published_time":"2011-04-28T14:17:37+00:00","article_modified_time":"2011-04-29T23:59:10+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/files\/2011\/04\/Wild-boar-by-Savio-DSouza.jpeg"}],"author":"Linda G. 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