TESTING

Here is a picture of St Paul's United Methodist Church in Manchester, NH. My church is also called St. Pauls....and is a place of refuge for pastors, who need a time to get better. What a great honor to be a part of a church that is labeled for healing...especially when we play "How Beautiful" by Cindy Berry.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA.. and Budget Issues

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Ia. — Centers and institutes located at the University of Iowa face severe cuts and possible closure if their main focus has little to do with student learning, research or economic development, President Bruce Harreld said Thursday during the Iowa Board of Regents meeting. Harreld declined to name the centers or institutes but was blunt on why leaders of at the University's 12 colleges are conducting a thorough review of the cost to operate the programs: “Since the state is no longer providing the same level of support it did a generation ago, we can no longer perform various activities the state asked us to perform in the past,” Harreld told regents. “We cannot let student tuition subsidize the various activities the state of Iowa no longer funds.” Harreld’s comments came after discussions about raising tuition rates for the 2018-19 school year and the need to provide students with additional financial support. Bolton, Kathy. "University of Iowa officials consider closing centers, institutes in reaction to state budget cuts" Des Moines Register April 12, 2018 Web 24May 2018 Although it is sad, it is comforting to know that there are other people going through what I am going through in education. And I cannot leave now. I get to shelve by myself on Fridays.

Poverty...In A Place That Is Green...and Humid

It is said that New Mexico is the poorest state in the nation currently, and with our university tuitions rising along with our temperatures, it is refreshing to see some sources that say New Hampshire is at the top. However, it might be nice to see some solutions for poor states. 1. Create jobs. 2. Raise the minimum wage. 3. Raise the Earned Income Tax Credit for people who do not have children. 4. Support pay equality and provide sick days. Vallas Rebecca and Melissa Boteach. "Top 10 Solutions to Cut Poverty and Grow the Middle Class" Moyers and Company http://billmoyers.com/2014/10/03/top-10-solutions-cut-poverty-grow-middle-class/ October 3 2014 Web 8 June 2017

Here is a picture of Catalina United Methodist Church in Tucson, Arizona, and a piece about giving. it is sometimes disconcerting that at my paradise, where the music calms me down and I started singing with the early birds, there are people that I respect that do not see my paradise, but a place of politics and fighting, and a leader with a power problem. Catalina has this to say about giving. "The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." And yet they use Scripture and talk about faithfulness, while they are just planning their church budget. I give because I love them dearly, not because of any politic....should I have been paying attention to the red tape?

GOING PUBLIC

Here is a quote from First United Methodist Church in Santa Barbara, California. The heart of our Christian faith is Christ’s ministry of outreaching love. We are all called to minister wherever Christ would have us work to heal and free others. United Methodists believe in God’s grace, which means the unearned and loving action of God in our daily lives

A new minister was assigned at my church, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where it is brown. he is extremely passionate about "Going Public--" doing church in a park, singing at the downtown Farmer's Market, etc. This is his passion, and my calling as a Christian is to take the gospel to all nations...and my question is...why have we not done this before? Why did St. Paul's wait for him to..."go public?"

BACKPACK PROGRAMS

This post is being handcrafted while on vacation in new Hampshire. It is difficult, with all the immigrants taking advantage of our borders, to know if I am being used. However, since this is a blog that specializes in good news, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed shopping for school supplies for someone who could not. It is difficult, though, because I will buy supplies for a stranger, but not lunch for someone who considers me a friend but complains about her kid when we hang out.

The Changing Face of Technology

Went to Best Buy today and was told that yes, CD players are fading out, in favor of digital music on flash drives. My new CD player is stuck, and so all my music is on a flash drive and plays perfectly. Should we avoid the change in technology? Is there anything we could do to slow it down? This was a question faced in Consumers and the law. Happy Summer from NH, and it is said that we might not have to do penance, as LSB is too busy. But he did have a new portrait up, and looks quite mature. We'll see how he feels when he gets to college. Having a cassette player in your car was once the height of sophistication. But now it would appear the future of listening to music on the road is to have no in-car machine at all, putting an end to scrabbling around the glove compartment for a new album to listen to. Ford has signalled that it is doing away with the CD players from its cars and wants drivers to access their libraries of digital music via the internet. Wallop, Harry. "Ford to Scrap CD Players in Cars" the Telegraphwww.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/8660870/Ford-to-scrap-CD-players-in-cars.html