February 15, 2022

Dear Friends, 

After an extensive statewide search, Louisiana Family Forum is excited to announce Louisiana’s Longest Married Couple and LFF’s Marriage Hall of Fame!

This year, we celebrate Gail and Patsy Richardson of Gonzales, Louisiana who were married on September 1, 1940, an extraordinary 81 years ago. 

What an incredible witness to marriage. When asked about the key to a long and happy relationship, “communication is key,” said 100 year-old Patsy. 

This year, another couple married 81 years came in a close second with only months separating these unique 81-year contenders! Lauris and Earline Broussard of Abbeville, Louisiana just celebrated their 81st Anniversary, having been married since January 25, 1941! 

Our celebration includes 13 additional couples who have been inducted into LFF’s 2022 Marriage Hall of Fame. 

LFF is committed to building a culture of strong marriages. We want the next generation to know that marriage brings better health and greater happiness. The best way to do this is by highlighting incredible examples of faithful covenant keepers that should inspire us all.

Click here to meet these precious couples and learn more about their stories.

As we all know, inflation is at a record high and many families are suffering. Senator John Kennedy recently explained on the Senate Floor how inflation is specifically harming Louisianans. 

“It’s hurting the least among us the most," said Kennedy. "We’re seeing inflation more in terms of goods, and low-income Americans, as you well know, spend proportionately more of their income on goods than they do on services." Inflation grew by a staggering 7% in December of last year alone, and it’s still on the rise. Kennedy noted that most Americans are spending an extra $3,500 or more per year. 

He also pointed to gas prices in Louisiana as the most evident indicator of crippling inflation. “From December of 2020 to December of 2021 . . . gasoline is up 49.6 percent. In my state, in Louisiana, it costs Louisianians $27 more than it did last year to fill up the tank of a Chevy truck. That’s every time they fill up the tank.”

Kennedy went on to blame the inflation on President Biden’s policies. He claims that until these policies change, Louisianans will continue to suffer from skyrocketing prices. 

Social media is causing teens to miss out on formative experiences and the development of vital skills. Most importantly, they aren’t actually connecting with one another. Their excessive use of social media, in combination with the pandemic, has stunted relational growth. Here are three ways that we can help teens kick that habit and reconnect with those around them. 

First, we should show teenagers how to prioritize ‘Community.’ One way that families can do this is by going to church together weekly. “Only in the church—in the pew, in the classroom, in the choir practice, in the missions meeting—will our teens experience God’s design for his family,” says author Anna Meade Harris. She also urges adults to show teens “the joy of embodied community” and encourage them to engage in meaningful relationships. This means we should open our homes and make sure there is time in our schedules for community involvement. Click here for the full article. 

Teens form the next generation of leaders and decision-makers. It is our duty to ensure that they are well-equipped to lead Christ-centered and community-focused lives. This means we need to lead them away from their screens and into the real world, and show them by our own example how to foster meaningful relationships centered in Christ.

Special Counsel John Durham filed an explosive report revealing that Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign funded an attack on President Trump. Clinton’s lawyers paid a technology company to hack servers in the White House and Trump Tower to make it appear as though Donald Trump was connected to Russia. 

This is completely outrageous and unacceptable. Clinton and her team should be punished to the full extent of the law, especially after Americans were erroneously encouraged to believe that President Trump was acting on Russia’s behalf during his presidency. Big Media, too, should be held accountable for their part in this deceit.

Friends, thank you for remaining committed to promoting faith, family, and freedom in Louisiana. While the corruption within our government and other societal ills threaten to discourage us, we must remain hopeful that God will prevail in the end. He is in control and He will never fail us. 

Please pray that the next generation is formed by Christ-centered families, not by this world. 

In His Service, 

Gene Mills
President, Louisiana Family Forum

P.S. Mark your calendars for LFF's annual Legislative Briefing on March 15th from 9:30am to 12:30pm! Click here to register.