thougths on the news of the day: Egypt's internet

hmmm…..

            Last night the internet died.  The Egyptian government shut down the country’s internet a little after midnight in an effort to curb protests against President Hosni Murbarak’s nearly 30 year rule.   Experts say that this amazing feat could never happen in the United States because we have so many internet servers; but it makes you think, what if the internet suddenly disappeared?

            My dependence on the internet has caused me to pretty much get rid of my dictionary, my thesaurus, my phone book and most of my research library.  Facebook is my favorite form of communication and email is second.  Even this blog exists because I check the news each morning on the internet and then write a few paragraphs that are distributed through my blogsite, our church website and several online newspapers.  But that’s me.

            Our church is thinking about sending our newsletter electronically.  Most churches have done it that way for years; but our folks have kinda dragged their feet.  Amazingly, we have a few church leaders who don’t even have internet; it’s not because they can’t afford it, they just choose not to use it.  I expect we will have a little opposition even now to going paperless but mailing the newsletter has just become cost prohibitive.

            So, while some protesters in Egypt are forced to curtail the information flow of their opposition to their leaders rule, some of our folks object to being forced to use the internet to communicate with our church.   It’s a crazy world we live in.

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: Challenger

hmmm…..

            Today is the 25^th anniversary of the Challenger disaster which took the lives of 7 astronauts including Christa McAuliffe, a teacher and mother chosen to fly the mission.  I remember the day, as most of us do, watching the rocket go down in smoke, moments after takeoff. 

            Time flies, doesn’t it?  My daughter was about two years old, Ronald Regan was president and I was a single mom.  It was unusual for me not to be working; I have worked since I was a preteen when babysitting was my mode of income.  But in 1986, my sales job disintegrated before my eyes and I had the opportunity to stay at home for a while, thanks to unemployment pay, child support and the generosity of my folks. 

            I can’t say that what I was doing at the time was as meaningful or ambitious as flying into space, but being a full time mom to a precious toddler had its rewards.  Nowadays, it’s nearly impossible to be a stay at home Mom.  Even in two income families, economics usually just doesn’t allow that luxury.  I know I was fortunate and so was my daughter.

            I see moms today, trying to juggle jobs, children and housework – nothing new about that really, it’s been going on for years.  Whether they are day long luxuries or a moment or two before bed each night, I pray that moms can rise to the Challenge and cherish the moments they have with their kids.  Tragically for some, it’s sad to say, those moments go down in smoke.

            hmmm…..

             

thoughts on the news of the day: ethics

hmmm…..

            Oklahoma uses a sedative called pentobarbital to execute death row inmates.  “This goes against everything we’re in business to do”, claims a spokeswoman for Lundbeck Inc., the manufacturer of the drug.

            I am not sure what the manufacturer plans to do about the dilemma but I am grateful that physicians do promise to uphold certain principles.  The modern oath taken by medical students upon graduation has some beautiful ethical tenets. One says that they will “… tread with care in matters of life and death.  If it is given to me to save a life, all thanks.  But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty.  Above all, I must not play God.”

            A member of our church has a great granddaughter who is days old and is clinging to life. The baby has multiple physical ailments and has already had surgery to alleviate some of the problems. Countless medical procedures face this tiny infant, if she survives.  I am sure that the family has struggled with the issue of letting the baby go.  It’s easy to argue the ethical points of saving lives or not when it’s not your own life at stake; it’s nearly impossible to say goodbye to a tiny one.

            So above all else, we must not play God.  Sometimes it comes down to placing our trust and our decision in the hands of a power much greater, wiser and stronger than ourselves.  Probably some of the time, it’s the only way we get through the day.

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: state of the union

hmmm…..

            Last night during his State of the Union speech, President Obama made a statement that has stayed with me.  It went something like this: “We need to teach our children that success is not a function of fame or PR, but of hard work and discipline.”

            Sure, the media has a big effect on our children; hopefully parents do, too.  But who teaches our children the value of education and the success that comes with learning?   Teachers do.

            Some people say that teachers have it easy.  They think that teachers only work 6 hours a day and have weekends and summers off.  I used to think that, too.  That is, until I took a part time job substitute teaching at a junior high.  I learned then that teachers are some of the hardest working professionals on the planet.  Teachers work long after the school bell rings at the end of the day.  They attend continuing education courses in the summer to keep up with the latest technology.  Many times, they also choose to take a summer job to supplement their income and make ends meet.

            Our teachers are one of our country’s greatest resources.  Teachers care for and influence our dearest treasure – our children.  So today, hug a teacher.  Say thank you for the hard work they do each and every day.  Give them your gratitude for the risks they take in the classroom.  And teach your children – and your grandchildren to hug a teacher, too.

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: funerals

hmmm…..

            When Michael Jackson’s memorial service was held as a media event, I sort of cringed inside. Even after the service held for the victims of the shooting in Tucson, remarks were made about the political rally atmosphere of the event.  We have webcast seminars, weddings and even birthday parties, but funerals?  I’m not so sure about it, but the news for today is that the funeral industry is now offering web cam services for those who can’t attend the actual event. 

            On the one hand, if the technology is available, why not?  My 90 year old father is no longer able to travel long distances, so as his siblings and close relatives and friends pass on, he won’t be able to attend their services.  Would it be so bad if he were able to view a funeral from the comfort of his own home?

            Maybe not.  But what if it becomes the habit of many to gawk from afar at those grieving during a service to satisfy their own needs?  That is the danger.  Memorial services and funerals allow attendees to gather together to celebrate the life and mourn the loss of their loved one.  Feeling the support of those surrounding us as we said goodbye to Mom could never have been replaced by a camera.  Yes, it was an effort for many from a distance to attend, but it honored my Mom and it touched our hearts at a difficult time.

            I’m not sure how I feel about funeral services being broadcast, but I know that when I walk through the death of a loved one, I want you there.

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: taxes

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            Death and taxes – the only two things you can count on – I think it was Benjamin Franklin who first said that.  There is an article today that explains the new laws for 2010 tax returns and the change in the filing date.  Apparently, this year the deadline for filing taxes is April 18 because April 15 is a holiday in the District of Columbia.  Pretty much anyone in our country who earned income last year must file a 2010 tax return; so taxes are inevitable. 

            Will Rogers said that the income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has ... and Herman Wouk wrote that income tax returns are the most imaginative fiction being written today.  Tax returns evoke all sorts of emotions and attitudes.  We are tempted to cheat – so that we can get more money back.  We resent paying taxes because we feel like we are paying more than others.  We rationalize our questionable deductions thinking that everyone does it, so why not me?  Then there are the risk takers who don’t pay taxes at all. 

            Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s”.  In other words, pay your taxes.  This year when you file your tax return, offer a prayer for all the programs it will benefit.  Thank God for good schools, fire fighters and police officers, the roads we travel on every day.  Sure, there are flaws in our system but going it alone is not an option.  We all have to give our fair share to help run our government.  God has blessed us with a great country, let’s be grateful instead of resentful.

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: clutter

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            What clutters your house?  What clutters your workplace?  An article I just read lists 18 things you can get rid of today.  They are things like odd kitchen utensils and coffee mugs, old electronic gadgets like cell phones, and unused clothes and toys.  Doesn’t take a brainiac to figure that out, huh?  We all have stuff we probably don’t need anymore: books we never read, magazines gathering dust, vases once filled with valentine bouquets we have little use for now.  I try to de-clutter my home every once in a while, it simplifies my life and I like that.

            But I also ask myself what clutters my spiritual life.  Do I have a drawer full of resentments smoldering somewhere?  Has that left over guilt got me going again?  And what about all that sadness that seems to gather dust in the recesses of my mind?  I need to go through all that every once in a while and let it go.

            Getting rid of guilt and resentments is a good thing; especially if it’s been around awhile.  Like a can of expired condensed milk, it can sour and make life pretty miserable when it’s opened back up. So I try and take a spiritual inventory of all that stuff; I decide what I will let go of and what I need to work on.  If I need to say I’m sorry, I try to do it as quickly as possible.  And I pray.  That always seems to help. 

            But then …. maybe I’m oversimplifying?

            hmmm…..