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When God rewarded the faithfulness of the three Jewish boys by delivering them from the fiery furnace (Daniel 3), little did they know their stand and God’s actions would transform, albeit temporarily, the Babylonians’ worship practices.

According to the narrative, after the boys’ miraculous deliverance, “Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore, I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this’”(Daniel 3:28-29, NKJV). In addition, like an afterthought, we learn that the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, in the province of Babylon (v. 30).

Have you ever wondered what transformation would take place in our homes, our schools, our churches, our businesses, and our nations, if Christians everywhere stood firm on their convictions? Being a Christian can sometimes feel like swimming upstream while everybody and everything else is going downstream. It would be great if God would somehow steer us away from those situations that require having to make those seemingly tough decisions to be fair and honest; to stand up for what is right, just, and true. As societies become more secular and unashamedly opposed to absolute values of right and wrong, Christians are called upon to stay the course, to lift Jesus even higher. To sacrifice all, even one’s life if necessary.

However, God does not always steer or deliver us from challenging situations. As He did with Shadrach and his friends, He allows us to walk these difficult paths to demonstrate His power and His glory in and through us. As someone so rightly puts it, “Sometimes God calms the storm.  At other times, He calms the sailor. And sometimes He makes us swim.” One thing we are assured of is that when He makes us swim, as the fourth man in the fiery furnace was with the boys, we are never alone.

Indian social reformer Pandita Ramabai was right when she said, “A life totally committed to God has nothing to fear, nothing to lose, nothing to regret.” The Jewish boys’ unwavering faithfulness produced results – their deliverance, their promotion, and a change in Babylon’s worship practices. What changes does God have in store when you and I take a stand in our sphere of influence? Do you trust Him enough to find out even if you are the only one left standing?

The post WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL – Standing Firm for God appeared first on Jamaicans.com.

Jamaican American Arianna Woolcock won the 200-meter event for her age group at the 2023 Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics for Track and Field held between 29 July and 5 August 2023 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. Woolcock, who lives in Miramar, Florida, has been guided thus far in her athletic career by her coach, Haile Hoo, whose family is from Jamaica. At the meet, Arianna also made her mark in the 100-meter dash and is ranked 8th among the junior Olympics participants.

New to the Sport

Arianna, who ran the distance in 24.87 seconds, is only in her second year of running track, which makes her victory in the 200-meter event even more remarkable.  According to her coach Haile Hoo, she received the nickname “robot girl” from her team in the first year because “she ran pretty funny” and was not the fastest runner on the track. Sometimes, she wanted to quit altogether, but her family, coach, and team just tried harder to inspire her to continue her efforts. Their support paid off as became a national champion just a year later.

Inspiration Runs Both Ways

While Coach Hoo was focused on inspiring his talented young runner, she also served as an inspiration for him. Before Arianna’s 200-meter win, Hoo, the founder of Five Star General Athletics, had almost given up his profession and retired from track and field coaching, but after she won the national competition in her age group, he again believed that he still had contributions to make and that he had what it takes to create winners.

Jamaican Influences

Coach Hoo’s family is Jamaican, and he notes that track and field sports have a large following there. Hoo added that the City of Miramar’s large Jamaican population is also very supportive of track and field and that the sport actually serves as ‘’the glue” that helps to hold the community together.

Arianna’s Goals

Arianna has said that it is her dream to become a professional athlete when she reaches the age of 16 and then compete at the Olympic Games. While her time at the Junior Olympics was fast enough to win the heat, her personal best time over the distance is 24.40 seconds. At the competition in Des Moines, the runner participated in a total of nine events over the week but said that she was ready to handle the pressure because of her training. She also said that her goal was to do her best, help her team do well, and “have fun.”

Pride in Her Accomplishments

Woolcock’s mother, Felicia, and her coach have both celebrated her accomplishments and praised her for making them proud. Coach Hoo said Arianna has always listened well, worked hard, and as a result, came a long way as a competitor. Her family has also enjoyed her success, with her mother expressing considerable pride in her daughter’s achievements. Both mother and daughter attributed Arianna’s success to their faith in God.

Photo – Facebook

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Jamaican entrepreneurs Khary Sharpe of HeadOffice, Dylan Brennan of CYPHR, and Jermain Morgan and Rory Richards, the co-founders of GroceryList, have received funding for their startup endeavors from TechStars Atlanta and New Orleans, Entrepreneurs Across Borders, and Kingston Beta Network Effect. Each of the startup firms will receive a US$120,000 investment in exchange for a six-percent to nine-percent interest in their business.

The Right Connections at the Right Time

The four Jamaican entrepreneurs and their three startup companies have seen their passion, persistence, and patience pay off via their link to “super-connectors” Ingrid Riley and Melissa Pegus who collaborated through their Accelerator program and provided access to their global investor network, which led to more funding, expertise, and additional connections.

The Value of Networking

The founder of Kingston BETA, Ingrid Riley, formed a partnership formed by the technology billionaire Martin Babinec’s United States organization, Entrepreneurs Across Borders, for the purpose of hosting an event, Beyond the Beach, at the AC Hotel Kingston. The event brought together several investors and super-connecters from the US with individuals who were instrumental in transforming Jamaica’s digital economy and technology ecosystem. It was at this event that Riley met Melissa Pegus, the managing director of TechStars Atlanta and New Orleans, an organization run by JP Morgan. This organization, in turn, became a major sponsor of startup firms in their early stages, and Riley and Pegus were introduced to members of the community in Jamaica that had early-stage startups. This is where they became acquainted with the startup GroceryList, which is one of the three firms to receive the recent funding.

The Funded Entrepreneurs and Their Startups

GroceryList, founded by Jamaicans Jermain Morgan and Rory Richards provides a consumer platform that lets people in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the US send groceries as remittances to friends and family throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. It received funding due to its initial connection with DBJ, another sponsor of Kingston Beta. Morgan and co-founder Richards have created the platform to connect 150 local stores throughout the 14 parishes in Jamaica and allow Jamaicans overseas to buy the items and have them delivered to island recipients in just minutes. They were inspired to create the startup after illness prevented Richards’ mother from being physically able to go shopping.

The HeadOffice app was showcased by entrepreneur Khary Sharpe at the Beyond the Beach event. The app is designed to aid businesses in underserved markets, handle local taxes and manage customers and teams. Three US investors at the event also expressed interest in his app, but TechStars offered him the best deal. The app targets the market of accountants and entrepreneurs operating throughout the Caribbean and Latin America that need localized help to support the management of taxes and payroll in non-US denominations.

The CYPHR app, developed by CEO and co-founder Dylan Brennan, was introduced to Melissa Pegus when she was a featured speaker at Riley’s Kingston Beta in July 2023. Brennan’s app makes it easier for songwriters and musicians to record themselves, enter into collaborations with other artists, and raise their income. It facilitates entry to a musical career for those who lack access to resources due to location, funding, or gatekeeping barriers. CYPHR allows musicians to create their music, participate in collaborations, and earn income directly through their smartphones.

Photo – Instagram 

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Jamaican long jump athlete Wayne Pinnock used his first attempt in the qualifying round for the event final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest to secure his place in history with a world-record jump of 8.54 meters (28.01837 feet) on 23 August 2023.  22-year-old Pinnock said he just followed his coach’s instructions and jumped like he does in training. He added that he was “trying for this moment and it happened so I am grateful.”

Here are seven things to know about long jumper Wayne Pinnock.

New Personal Best

His qualifying jump for the 2023 World Championships finals was an improvement over his personal best jump of the current season of 8.37 meters, which ranked fifth in the world.

Number 9 World Ranking

In 2022 at his World Championship debut at the tournament in Eugene, Oregon, he was ranked Number 9 in the world.

World U20 & NCAA Medalist

His previous honors include a bronze medal in the long jump at the World U20 Championships at age 18, a bronze medal at the NACAC U23 Championships, named NCAA champion, NCAA Indoor champion, and twice named National Champion.

Breaking Records in High School

In 2019, Pinnock broke a 26-year record at Vere Technical High School in the Class One long jump at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships with a jump of 8.05 meters; breaking the record twice in successive jumps and becoming the first athlete to break the 8-meter mark in the event at Champs.

World Record Time in 110-M Hurdles

On the final day of the 2019 U20 Championships, he also ran a world-record time of 13.06 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles.

Inspired By His Father

He attributed his successful experience in making the finals while competing at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, to his father, who encouraged him to make his senior debut after he suffered an ankle injury that he thought would keep him from the tournament.

NCAA Triumph

Pinnock won the national title in the men’s long jump at the 2022 NCAA outdoor track and field national championships with a jump of 8 meters (26 feet, 3 inches).

Photo – Instagram

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