So much for keeping up

It is impossible to keep up with the blog. I will update when possible. I am curious if anyone else has had a similar experience. On January 31 my wife and I purchased 9 tickets to Brasil (z for Americans) through Travelocity. We waded through the lengthy process of picking seats, etc only to find they would not accept our credit cards, invalid number is what the site reported. We spent another 35 minutes making a second attempt, failure again, called the help line and were told to try again. We carefully entered all information a third and fourth time getting the same response, invalid credit card number. We called back to the help line and had to book through an operator, for this service we were charged a total of $249, I made it clear that this was theft, the same credit cards that were invalid on-line magically worked when they could charge us the extra fee. Protests have been filed with my credit card companies who both felt this fell under the word theft. I do wonder if others have had this happen. Let me know.

Random Thoughts

Do the majority of evangelicals in America want a theocracy? Is it really true that gay marriage and abortion "require government action" while poverty can and should be addressed "locally." Are not all of these products of a fallen world? Are they not all situations that require believers on a local level to become involved? If this post makes no sense please go back and read the comment posted in response to my Random Thoughts on 2007. They are great thoughts and cause us to pause and reflect. Did Christ attempt to legislate anything? Did Paul circulate petitions for laws to stop the carnage of the Roman games as he made missionary journeys?
As Micah writes, "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" How much prison time for an abortion? In the case of abortion, what is justice? What is kindness? Do my answers reflect a humble walk with my God?
I love this, musing, questions, and thoughts. This I believe, God is not Republican or Democrat and those who believe He is, are missing the point. Islam is a theocracy, is that really the direction we should go?

NCLB Conference 2008

Just returned from the 2008 NCLB conference in Chicago. Great conference, only have time for some quotes.

"your future view determines your future" roekle
"if the horse is dead, get off" roekle
"if we could teach by telling, it would be wonderful, but they don't stay told" andrews
"it takes a bucket full of knowledge to teach a thimble full of skills" andrews
"you don't learn by doing, you learn by thinking about what you are doing" andrews

I will attempt to get back to a somewhat regular posting schedule if I ever get caught up with my daily job.

2008

Home from visiting family in North Carolina. O and Huck have won the Iowa caucus contests. I have learned that my frustration with politics is that no one in recent years has provided a "vision" for America. I believe the O man won because he discusses vision. Hillary discusses more programs that we all know can't be paid for no matter how good they may be but she never provides a "vision" for America. She is of the "us vs them" generation that our nation cannot allow to continue for another four or eight years. We will have had sixteen years of that type of leadership and it must end. O discusses it, Huck alludes to it, can either pull it off? We need a president that is willing to sit down with world leaders and discuss solutions, how do we get fresh water and electricity moving throughout Africa, how can we work together to reduce tensions in the Middle East, how can we get fundamental education available to all people, how can we work together to reduce the number of preventable disease deaths, how can we reduce American dependence upon oil. . . and the list goes on. The big question is how do we move away from conflict and war and work for peaceful solutions to disagreements? Anyway, our visit to North Carolina was wonderful. . .the video is from the parks just outside of Hendersonville. Enjoy.

Random Thoughts as 2007 draws to a close

I'm reading, Why the Right is Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It by Jim Wallis. Highly recommended book and I'm only on page 50. He has me wondering why the religious right is so strong on abortion and gay marriage but doesn't breathe a word about the poor. Or for that matter about social justice. Micah writes about social justice, Matthew records the words of Jesus dealing with the poor but it seems the only issues that matter to Christians who are Republicans are the two mentioned earlier. Is it possible that neither party is right and we need to hold both political parties to a higher standard? Is it possible we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard? We like the good life, don't bother us with difficult details. Abortion and gay marriage are easy opponents, we don't like to kill the innocent, except in wars (just and unjust); Scripture talks of homosexual sin so gay marriage is easy but how to treat the poor, that may cost us in the wallet.

A Christmas family gathering left a group us talking about about current issues. One guy sits on the board of the local grain elevator and was telling us about wheat trading for $10 a bushel and they are sitting on 400,000 bushels so the manager started calling his usual clients to sell. Not one needed a single bushel of wheat . . . . how can wheat be selling for $10 a bushel if the supply is exceeding the demand? Is our whole commodities trading a farce? Is our stock market a farce? Does the constant profit taking distract us from real problems at home and abroad? Do I spend more time worrying about my meager investments than how my government treats the poor?

Stuber Christmas 2007

My love to all for tolerating the attached video. Since I took the clips you must endure the "Super 8" effect used to create the final product. Our family concluded the night with the final Advent Service conducted at FUMC Peoria. "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name Him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

I also found the following prayer from our service particularly meaningful: "Christ Jesus, humble shepherds found You in a stable. Come to us, so that we may advance towards the brightness of Your Presence, hidden within us. And our hearts can say to You: Jesus, my joy, my hope, my life. Amen!" Merry Christmas to all!

Schurter Christmas

December 22, 2007 It was nearly 60 today and we are gathering the Henry Schurter central Illinois family together for Christmas. Tim and Angie have traveled 12 hours to be with us. The oldest is my 90 year old dad and youngest is a great-grandchild who is in fourth grade. What a wonderful season, as our world fights various conflicts, dad fights to zip a zipper on a new coat. My sister-in-law graciously helps dad get the coat on in the midst of a group of people waiting to open their presents. I think Jesus arrived in a world full of conflict, He arrived in a stable setting and was so feared that many youngsters were put to death to try and eliminate who He would become. May all your families have a wonderful Christmas season. May Jesus bring peace and reconciliation to your family.