thoughts on the news of the day: super bowl

hmmm…..

            Looks like the Super Bowl is going to happen tomorrow in Arlington, TX.  Steelers and Packers fans will be able to make it to the game in spite of the snow and ice that has covered the Dallas- Ft. Worth area for the past week or so.  Fans paying fantastic amounts for tickets will sit in relative comfort under the retractable roof of the stadium and may even indulge in a beer and a hot dog or two.  They will go back to warm hotel rooms or toasty homes to a good nights sleep, whether the Packers or the Steelers prevail.

            But another “Souper Bowl” takes place tomorrow.  Our church, along with thousands of churches all over the country will collect cans of soup and dollar bills to provide food for those who cannot afford their own meals.  The “Souper Bowl” has been taking place on Super Bowl Sunday since 1990.  It began when a simple prayer: “Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those who are without a bowl of soup to eat,” was delivered by a seminary intern serving the Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC.  Since then, youth and churches have gathered money and food to send to the soup kitchen or food pantry of their choice. 

            Chances are, the church that you attend tomorrow will be collecting, too.  If they are, give generously.  If they aren’t, you can always contact your local food pantry to give soup or dollars to help them to feed the hungry.  Some day, there will be a day when no one in our country ever has to go hungry again.

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: tax deductions

February 4, 2011

hmmm…..

            Tax news for 2011 popped up today on my server.  As in, the most overlooked tax deductions missed by tax payers.  Some deductions on the list included: writing off state sales tax, student loan interest, moving expenses and job hunting costs.  When these legal deductions are overlooked, the taxpayer foots a steeper tax bill.

            Overlooking deductions on our taxes is not a good thing.  But there are lots of other things we overlook that make our life costly, too.  For example, overlooking our physical health can result in serious illness.  Overlooking dental care can result in lost teeth.  Overlooking our financial wellbeing can result in bankruptcy. 

            But what about those other things we overlook that cost us in not so material ways.  Overlooking the gleam in a loved ones eye can result in a missed opportunity to be appreciated.  Overlooking the assistance given by a stranger opening a door for you can result in a missed opportunity to practice gratitude.  Overlooking the panhandler on the street corner can result in a missed opportunity to be generous with the abundance given to you. 

            Overlooking God’s blessings can be the most dangerous missed opportunity of all.  It’s dangerous because it then leads us to the conclusion that we don’t need God and can make it on our own. And going it on our own is not the way to go at all.   Look around you today, find those tax deductions, but find God's blessings, too.

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: snowbound

hmmm…..

            Rolling blackouts – it’s a term I hadn’t heard before.  I was in Austin, TX yesterday visiting my old seminary and learned of the practice. Rolling blackouts are intentionally-engineered last resort measures used by electric companies that prevent total blackouts of power systems.  In Austin yesterday they lasted about 45 minutes at a time at different random locations all over the city.  They were rather disconcerting for the victims of the morning power outages. Discovering lack of electricity during a wet hair drying session can be almost hair raising if the room you are standing in has also become devoid of heat. 

            In more northern reaches, power outages of another kind are occurring.  Because of blizzards and ice storms, over half of the country is snowed-in.  So it’s a time for a warm fire in the fireplace, hot chocolate and a good book.  First responders are wisely recommending that we stay inside until the snow melts or at least gets plowed away. 

            It’s a time to relax, really.  There’s not much else we can do.  We stay so busy that being forced to slow down is almost distressing.  Having “found” time on our hands is new and different.  I say, put your feet up (after wrapping them in a blanket!) and take a break.  All those millions of have-to-get-done things will be there when you get back.  I promise no fairies are going to come in the middle of the night and take your work away from you; it will be there when you return. 

            Chill out; unwind; take it easy; lighten up; slow down …..

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: groundhog day

hmmm…..

            Oh! No! Groundhog Day has been cancelled!  Well, at least the 2011 Woodstock, Illinois Groundhog Day Prognostications Event scheduled for this morning has been called off due to heavy snowfall.  I suspect Groundhog Day events all over the country are being cancelled today because of the weather.

            In the USA and Canada, Groundhog Day is celebrated on February 2.  If the day is cloudy and the groundhog rises up out of his burrow and leaves, it signifies that winter is almost over.  If it’s sunny and the groundhog sees his (her?) shadow, supposedly the ground hog will be frightened by it and go back down into the burrow, signifying six more weeks of winter.

            Actually, the most famous of the groundhogs is Punxsutawney Phil from Pennsylvania.  But Phil only has an all-time accuracy rate of 39 percent.  It’s probably not much better than most weather forecasters, but then again it’s not much worse.

            We have high expectations for our weather predictors and assume them to be 100% accurate all of the time.  My favorite weathercaster isn’t on TV at all.  He is a member of our church who watches the weather and is correct about 85% of the time.  He usually always knows when and how much it is going to snow and when and if it will rain.  Maybe he has missed his calling.

            I am glad that my job is not predicting outcomes, like weather forecasters and finance experts.  The pressure would be enormous.  But then, again, maybe I am because I can tell you what Jesus said: “As you sow, so shall you reap.”  In other words, what goes around comes around.  What we do today affects the consequences for tomorrow.  You can count on that 100% of the time.

            And maybe, if we repeat ourselves enough times, like Bill Murray in the movie, “Groundhog Day”, we might get it right.

            hmmm…..

           

thoughts on the news of the day: focus

hmmm…..

            Here I sit, waiting to write my blog, but the words won’t come.  I checked the news as I do each morning when I begin my writing.  Today there are pictures of volcanoes in Japan, stories about young athletes badgered by recruiters on facebook and an article about protests against Chick-fil-a for supporting an anti-gay marriage group.  All are good stories but none are inviting me to engage with them. I don’t feel compelled to share my thoughts about any of them.

            Sure, volcanoes in Japan, especially volcanoes with lightening are a spectacular sight.  News about abuses of social networking is definitely worthy of note and gay marriage? Now, there’s a controversial topic.  But I don’t want to be spectacular or interesting or controversial today. I want a connection; I want to be s-p-i-r-i-t-u-a-l.  

            I’ve lost my focus a little lately; I have left God out of the equation.  It’s not a good thing and it doesn’t feel good.   We do that occasionally, though. We get distracted and we separate from the reality of God in our lives.   It is said that even the saints among us lose touch with their Maker every once in a while.  And just realizing the error brings us back to the awareness that God is God and we are not -- never will be.  Thank God.

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: bubble wrap

hmmm…..

            Did you know that today is National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day?  Bubble wrap is a wonderful thing – it insulates and protects your most precious items and it makes a great toy.  Who cannot help but get addicted to the satisfying result of popping the little bubbles on the wrap over and over again.  There are even virtual bubble wrap games you can play on your computer.

            A radio station in Bloomington, Indiana started the national bubble wrap appreciation day (BWAD) in 2001.  Holding the first annual Bubblympiad, they staged events like a bubble wrap popping relay and sculpture and fashion design contests.  Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes invented bubble wrap in 1957.  Their original plan, to invent a plastic wallpaper was a failure, but they discovered that the material was great for packing.  Today bubble wrap comes in many colors and in addition to functioning as the best packing material in the world, you can make toys and clothes and all sorts of things out of it. 

            Bubble wrap cushions the blow, softens the fall and is fun to play with – kinda like a best friend.  Also, bubble wrap doesn’t talk back – a quality we often wish our friends would acquire.

            But bubble wrap isn’t warm and fuzzy, can’t give you a hug and – as I said – doesn’t talk back.  Those are qualities we nearly always demand of our friends.  Maybe the thing to do today is go buy some bubble wrap and have a bubble popping contest with your best friend. You’ll kinda have the best of both worlds!

            hmmm…..

           

thoughts on the news of the day: foreclosure

hmmm…..

            There is a law that protects servicemen and women from foreclosure while they are away at war.  But agents of the Deutsche Bank foreclosed on Sergeant James B. Hurley’s home anyway, forcing his wife, Brandie and their two young children to find another place to live.  This happened in 2005 and Hurley is still fighting the judgment.  He can only drive by his old home and grieve the loss he will never recover because the home has since been sold to another buyer.  Sergeant Hurley, who is 45 years old was disabled in Iraq and is now unemployed. The whole ordeal has even taken a toll on their marriage.  “We’re trying to piece it together,” he said.

            How would it feel to be half way around the world, serving our country and to know that we were powerless to protect our home and our family? 

            What were the banks thinking?  Could they not have at least listened to the claims of the family that they were protected from foreclosure?  Why was the bank in such a hurry?  Is the financial world that desperate and greedy?

            Maybe it was just an oversight; but if so, someone should make it right.  Our service men and women make great sacrifices to protect our country.  Don't our troops deserve our support and our thanks?

            hmmm…..