ASSOCIATE Magazine FBINAA Q1-2025

Continued from "A Message from Our Chaplain", on page 28

Lord, I pray that You will grant me the ability to understand that which I do not know of so that I may share Your strength to those who cry out. Open my heart Lord that I may hear Your com forting voice and that I may follow You in all that I do. Bless me Lord as I seek Your approval and that I may rejoice in the name of the Lord, knowing that I am never alone and that You are with me. Lord. We pray to You, our God, for peace during this Holy Season. Amen

crops harvested in the fall are a reminder of God’s goodness and miraculous protection when they were wandering in the desert. But the actual word “holiday” is not referenced until the Book of Esther—Purim is a two-day holiday, a celebration com memorating the deliverance of the Jewish people from a plot to exterminate them. We all are aware of the Christmas holiday and its meaning celebrating the birth of Jesus. But there are many other holidays celebrated in December worth recognizing: Immaculate Conception — Catholic In the lead-up to Jesus’ birthday celebration on Christmas, Catholics celebrate the day of Immaculate Conception to honor his mother Mary, who they say was preserved from original sin. Rohatsu (Bodhi Day) — Buddhist This holiday celebrates the historical Buddha’s decision and vow to sit under the Bodhi tree until he reached spiritual enlighten ment. It’s celebrated through meditation and is embraced similar to how Christians celebrate Christmas to honor Jesus Christ. Posadas Navidenas — Christian This is a primarily Hispanic Christian holiday that commemo rates Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem to give birth to Jesus. Often, the pilgrimage is recreated on this day. Hanukkah — Judaism This is the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights, which celebrates the miracle that occurred after a small army of Jews rebelled against religious persecution by foreign invaders and regained control over the Temple. When they went to reconsecrate the Temple, they only had enough oil to keep the flame burning for a single day, but miraculously, the flames lasted for eight nights. Hence, eight nights of candle lighting. Fatemiyeh – Muslim A holy day that commemorates the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, Lady Fatima. Ashura – Muslim Sunnis remember that the Prophet Muhammad fasted in solidar ity with Jews observing Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. For Shiites, it is a day of mourning for the death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson in battle. Kwanzaa– non-denominational A week-long cultural holiday that honors African-American heri tage. There are seven key principles for the holiday: unity, self determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. As our family traditions and our religious and spiritual beliefs may differ, let us recognize, appreciate and allow our religious differences as an opportunity to share our faith with others as we all are blessed to have the wonderful opportunity to be thankful for all the God has provided us. Our holiday season is a time to remember, a time to pray, a time to forgive, a time to ask God for forgiveness, and a time to reach out to those we have missed during the year. It’s a time of great celebration with family and friends and a time to slow the pace and reconnect our hearts with each other. It, too, is a time to honor and pray for those who have passed and for those we know who are ill. Let us pray together for this holiday season--that we will find peace throughout the world, and there will be no more wars, and as difficult as it sounds, we cannot stop asking God through His grace and mercy to find a way for all mankind to live in harmony.

FBINAA.ORG | Q1 2025

Suggested reading: • The Jewishness of Jesus , by Rabbi Evan Moffic • Jews and Christians , by Michael Goldberg

God bless,

Mike Hardee Chaplain

Continued from "The Historian's Spotlight", on page 25

also there. David reports they had a very strange relationship. They did not speak to each other as far as David knew. They sat at opposite ends of the head table. David was honored to speak to each of them and shake their hands. By the time you read this we will have the November 2024 election behind us. As David reported, politics will always be part of the American way. I sincerely hope and pray our nation moves in the right path under the strong leaders we expect and deserve. God bless America!

Continued from "Maximum Benefit", on page 27

Here’s to a future of more informed, effective, and efficient responses! References 1 Based on Intel data comparing the Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 165H processor to Intel® Core™ i7-1370P. 143% is based on Adobe Premiere Pro (Color Grade + Scene Edit + Export) data calculated as 1.7/0.7 = 2.43.

About the Author : Since 2005, Alex Nollmann has been delivering Panasonic mobility solutions to the public sector. He currently serves as Director of Government at Panasonic Connect. Alex is responsible for establishing and managing an effective sales team that builds and maintains relationships with customers and channel

partners as well as collaborating with a variety of business groups to create market-specific end-to-end solutions. With previous roles at Insight Public Sector and Havis, Alex has had the privilege of continually sup porting the law enforcement community for 15 years, establishing himself as a subject matter expert in the design, procurement, and deployment of technology solutions that enhance officer efficiency and community engagement.

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