What Is On My Mind

I quiet Saturday is a perfect time to just jot down a few things that are on my mind.  No particular order or significance to this stuff.  These are just some things brewing that I want to note.  I may come back and amplify them at a later time.

• I am a middle aged white guy, and as such I really have little frame of reference to what it is like to be a young black in America.
• Hoodies do not cause social unrest and crime, sorry Geraldo.  If they do, I teach 60+ 11-12 felons since they all wear hoodies.  So do their parents and some of their grandparents.  I happen to own at least three, one of which was purchased by my employer as a Christmas gift for the staff.  So I guess 45 teachers are thugs and felons as well.
• I will voice no opinion on what happened to Trayvon Martin.  I am troubled by the media investigation of the tragedy.  The fact is that a young man is dead, and the police should be conducting a careful and thorough investigation.
• I find it hilarious as a Virginia taxpayer and a vested stakeholder, that the General Assembly's solution for their own continual underfunding of their share of the Virginia Retirement System, along with borrowing from the fund to balance the budget, is to mandate that employees pay more into the fund.  It is also ironic that the no tax increase majority party is mandating that local employers give a raise to offset the increased employee burden, thus setting up a scenario where local governments across the Commonwealth may have to raise local taxes to solve the dilemma.
• Folks who have never lived in the Commonwealth of Kentucky can not imagine the kind of hoopla and hysteria there has been around the UL - UK Final Four match up.  In a basketball crazy state, a game of this magnitude, with a week's worth of build up sets the stage for some serious excitement.  I just hope the game matches the fan's emotions.
• There are times in life that we are required to do things that we have qualms about.  Yet do them we must. (In my case to not would lead to contempt of court and job issues.)  In these instances, we do what we have to knowing full well that life is filled with these kind of things.
• Churches and the day to day operations there of are not for the squeamish and weak.  Last week we learned that or minister of 9 months is being moved in June, in part due to complaints from members of the congregation to the District Superintendent.  The decision to move him is coming from the Bishop and is leading to divisions in the congregation.
• Several years ago, I withdrew from any position of leadership in the church.  My reasons were that I was uncomfortable with the previous minister and the way he operated.  At the time I withdrew, I told the minister that these positions were putting me in situations that were affecting my worship and that my faith needed to come first.  The time may be at hand where my talents at uniting a divided congregation may be needed again.  I am now going to sit patiently and wait for the Lord's direction.