Random Thoughts about the world around us

Rather than daily musings about my own life, my husband's life or our daughter's life, I wanted to make some comments and - perhaps - insights about the world around us.

*I know the economic 'downturn' is hard for almost everyone. But could prices really continue on the way they had been going without something like this eventually happening?
*It really irritates me that some of the people in 'foreclosure' were those who KNEW they couldn't afford the homes they bought. Meanwhile, we lived in and made improvements to our sweet little 1300 sq. ft. Cape Cod style 1920s home. Where is our huge home? Our entertainment system? Our Wii? Our stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and island? Our quiet home on a cul-de-sac? Oh, right. We couldn't afford it so we didn't try. We stayed in the home we could afford at the time.
*On a tangent, it also irks me when family on 'scholarship' have the money for cable tv and video game systems and bowling league and vacations but can't pay their tuition bills. Or help their children with homework.
*I think it's ridiculous to think of our 1300 sq. ft. home ever being worth $200,000. But if it were in S. Mpls or Edina, MN it's very possible it could be worth that much. Location, location, location.
*It's so frustrating that prices shot up so quickly this past spring and summer in the wake of high fuel prices...and yet now that fuel prices are 40-50% less than they were, the prices of groceries, clothing and other household items still remains higher. I understand there is a 'gap' between when fuel prices rose and when they could pass that cost on to the consumer, but this is unacceptable now.

Now on to the world...
*Rev. Dr. Harry Wendt of Crossways International (Bloomington, MN), an Australian Lutheran minister and teacher, has remarked over and over again that the only way there will be true, lasting peace in the Middle East (which, for all of you who are/were challenged in social studies, is technically 'southwest' Asia) is through Jesus Christ.
*He's not being some 'Bible banger'. When two groups are fighting, they often need a mediator to step in and work with them.
* Jesus offers forgiveness and peace. Both sides need to forgive each other. Both sides need peace. Instead of making their own interests the top priority, they could see the other side's needs and place them above their own. It requires a selflessness that our sinful nature makes it impossible to achieve on our own. Yet the Holy Spirit can work faith in the lives of both sides to make it happen.
*Don't 'pray for peace' in a generic sense. Pray for hearts to turn to Jesus and for His love and forgiveness to work in lives all around the world.

Next item: Fuel and the "green" movement
*Why is everyone acting like the 'green' movement is a brand new thing? Because now we're supposed to put our money where our mouths were, say, 30 years ago? I remember being in Girls Scouts, circa mid-1980s, and having it drilled into us that running water while brushing your teeth was bad for the planet.
*School House Rocks from the 1970s and early 1980s had a segment about the taking care of the earth. Of course, back then the earth was shivering because it was getting COLDER.
*When I was in the 5th grade (1984-85) we had to design and build an "earth friendly" home which included 1) a home built mostly underground, 2) solar panels, 3) greenhouse, 4) trees placed according to which direction/what function they were needed (ie evergreens to the north to block the wind, etc). As a FIFTH grader I did that. 20+ years ago.
*Note to self, it's not "global warming" per se. It's global Climate change. Just you watch -- that will be the new 'buzz phrase'. Remember you heard it here first.
*As a very wise scientist from my church/school has said, "If you study rocks, you will see cycles of cooling periods for thousands of years and that wasn't caused by 'man-made' activities. The earth does what it does with or without our help." She's awesome.
*The next 10-20 years, if the Lord grants it to our world, could be disasterous for places like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. As technologies change, I believe we'll get to the point where we no longer depend on fossil fuels. At all. Solar and geothermal power, along with some wind and possibly hydrogen/water (although it's always 'dicey' to depend on water because you never know the quality, condition or amount of it that you can depend on) will fuel our world in the next 15-20 years.
*What, then, does Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have to offer the world? Or Venezuela? Anywhere that is thriving because of fossil fuels needs to think about the impact of the 'green' movement. I am not saying that it will break many hearts, perhaps, when their 'cash cows' dry up or aren't in demand (as the current slow down in fuel consumption is a preview) but it makes me wonder how the lack of money pouring into those countries will destabilize them (potentially). Not that we should feel responsible for that or obligated to get involved when it does.
*There comes a point where we need to mind our own business. Unfortunately, fanatical people rob us of ignorant, isolationist peace. We find it heartbreaking and unacceptable when Americans are killed for someone else's 'cause' but we can't remain ignorant or isolationist and pretend that people aren't out to hurt us.
*Again, if the world has Jesus as their mediator...and were actually able to put another's needs above their own, we could mind our own business and not wonder or worry about what is going on in another part of the world.
*But we're sinful so even if we had Jesus as a mediator, someone would screw it up eventually because unless you work on love, forgiveness and selflessness every.single.day it just doesn't happen on its own. The sinful, natural self and the Holy Spirit-infused self wrestle night and day. As St. Paul wrote, (my own paraphrase, of course) "The good I want to do, I don't. The evil I don't want to do, I keep on doing." Wrestle, wrestle.

Moving on...
*When I feel like life is crazy, disorganized and chaotic you can see it two places - my vehicle and my home. My vehicle will have papers and all kinds of other stuff everywhere. Of course, all it takes to 'fix' that is to put a small laundry basket in the vehicle & put all that stuff into the basket before getting out of the vehicle each day.
*Naturally, though, that stuff ends up in my home. Right now I have the bare minimum of furniture because we're in limbo -- the house in WI hasn't sold so most of our 'stuff' is in storage there. They say if you have your stuff in storage and can live without it, you don't really need it. Well, I NEED that stuff! Most of it, anyway. So I have a folding table and chairs for us to sit at. A hand-me-down (basement) couch that some wonderful friends lent us. A rocker/ottoman that someone else lent us. Second or third hand dishes from my mom. A new bookcase that serves as a tv stand. You know, though, it's OK. It makes it harder to 'organize' things because it really doesn't FEEL like there's a place for everything...but it works for now. I also have a toddler who lives to 'un-do' all the things I've done, like folded laundry and books on the shelf. That's life.

Enough randomness for now. We'll wait and see how much was insight and how much was rambling.