On the Hunt

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18 NIV)

One thing that quickly won over my affection for people in Cedar Key is the way that some folks used to give nicknames to everyone. Now that we have all been enlightened during this age of political correctness, I know this is likely not a very sensitive habit, and may cause some people who receive a bad nickname to have an inferiority complex or worse.

So, do not worry – I am not about to start giving out nicknames to everyone. However, I will share a memory with you from my boyhood days in North Carolina. We had one tall, lanky person that walked and stalked the streets with his head always down looking for cigarette butts that someone had thrown away. It is interesting that people do not always burn all the tobacco even though they pay such high prices for it. They just throw away this precious commodity, and someone else comes along and picks up the imagined treasure. I don't know which is more repulsive, the one who pays the big price for something to burn, or the one who picks up the residue. Anyway, my young buddies and I called this guy "Scoop" - because he was always scooping up ducks. Scoop was on the hunt, 24/7 to feed his addictive habit.

"24/7" – a husband and father living in another state was arrested for committing a crime of stealing property from a retail establishment and for possession of narcotics. In a telephone conversation with this man who was brought up in a good home, he explained to me that he had been living a lie, and had been "on the hunt – 24/7" for drugs for a long time. We prayed on the phone, and he shed many tears over the terrible prospect of going to prison and leaving his wife and children alone. He knows he has been doing wrong, and expresses sorrow over his behavior. He even expressed disgust for thieves, even though he became one to support his addiction.

Our region of Florida is not immune from problems associated with substance abuse. People who are addicted to these drugs are involved in more crime and this causes problems for all citizens. We would all do well to pay close attention to what is going on around us. When we see young people "on the hunt", we can surely understand that we have a much bigger problem. Please pay attention to this Threat Abstract issued for North Florida by the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

"Cocaine and marijuana are the primary threats to the north Florida region. Cocaine/crack and marijuana remain the most widely used and distributed drugs in the NFHIDTA (North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area). Cocaine is predominantly transported from south and central Florida to north Florida and cooked into crack for resale in the NFHIDTA. Several areas in the NFHIDTA are plagued by open-air crack markets and violence attributed to its abuse and distribution is evident in the region. Both imported and domestic marijuana pose a continuous threat to the NFHIDTA. Domestic marijuana production continues, with both indoor and outdoor cultivation being significant problems. Domestic marijuana is becoming more expensive to purchase than marijuana imported from the southwest border. Imported marijuana comes mostly from the southwest border, and is usually transported over land often by way of I-10. There is an increased use of parcel delivery services in the smuggling of marijuana from the southwest border to the NFHIDTA. Methamphetamine abuse and production is emerging as a significant threat in the NFHIDTA. The production and availability of methamphetamine in the north Florida region are increasing at an alarming rate. Intelligence indicates that methamphetamine is predominantly "cooked" in rural areas of north Florida by low income Caucasians. The red phosphorous method of manufacturing methamphetamine is the most widely used in north Florida. Violent crimes, such as robbery and murder are attributed to methamphetamine abuse and production in the NFHIDTA. MDMA continues to be a significant problem, with a proliferation of all-night clubs that provide an atmosphere conducive to its sale and abuse. Intelligence indicates that large quantities of MDMA continue to be imported from south Florida, Belgium and the Netherlands. Diversion of pharmaceuticals, particularly OxyContin, is an emerging problem. Reports of pharmacy burglaries and prescription fraud are up." If interested, read more at: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/hidta/nfla-content.html

Jesus promises: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6 NIV) Dear friends, please turn that 24/7 burning desire toward God and find true and lasting peace. Find joy this week. Come home to church.