Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Kentucky treasurer pushes for Sudan divestment - November 20, 2006 - Pensions & Investments

Kentucky treasurer pushes for Sudan divestment - November 20, 2006 - Pensions & Investments

This article is probably restricted, but the important message is that the Treasurer of Kentucky's Retirement system has fired the first of what I hope to be many shots at the Sudanese government.

This is hopefully history repeating itself. The pressure put on by US financial institutions in South Africa ultimately contributed to the no violent changes final instituted and an end to Apartheid.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Finding God in Unexpected Places

Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/19/2006 | They're learning life's rules

The title is from a book by Philip Yancey. The story is part of what I hope to begin keeping track of. Pockets of life where God can be found among the people seeking Justice for all.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

In praise of 'Local Heroes'

Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/15/2006 | In praise of 'Local Heroes'

Reading this story makes me proud to have made the same decision, and tells me I need to do more for my sons school

Kevin and Nancy Peter. Ben was in preschool when the Peters faced the question that bedevils middle-class city-dwellers: public school or private?

Many in their Mount Airy circle had chosen private, and probably assumed the Peters would, too. But Nancy had attended the neighborhood school, C.W. Henry, as a child - before transferring to private school - and decided to check it out.

"My big 'Aha!' was that it was a great school," she said. "The only thing wrong with it was perception: Middle-class families didn't consider it, so it became less of a viable option for other middle-class families."

The school was largely African American in a largely white neighborhood.

To encourage others like them - people with resources and contacts - to look at Henry, Nancy and Kevin began hosting monthly meetings in their living room. Four years later, Ben, 8, is a trumpet-playing, sports-loving Henry third-grader and the Peters are slowly winning converts at their gatherings.

"We want to help them make informed choices," said Nancy, 50. "We also want to make the school better for people who don't have a choice."

One family that switched to Henry took their private-school tuition money and bought sports equipment for the school. Other parents landed grants for a music program and a lunchroom overhaul.

Such involvement, said Kevin, 42, "is going to strengthen the school for all the kids."

Nancy, a doctoral student at Penn and director of the university's Out-of-School Time Resource Center, and Kevin, who helps under- and unemployed Philadelphians at the Metropolitan Career Center in Germantown, have been accused of putting their politics ahead of their son's education.

"People say to us, 'You're sending your kid to public school? How could you?' " Nancy said. "We couldn't be happier at Henry."

Monday, November 13, 2006

Money doesn't buy Happiness

SI.com - Writers - Monday Morning QB (cont.) - Monday November 13, 2006 12:40PM:

Reading this statement from Rutger's fullback puts money in the right perspective. We have been studying money and tithing at church for 40 days, and I can think of nothing that has been said or verse that has been repeated that says it any better than this


"'The NFL's good. Money's good. But I never had money growing up. My family didn't have money. My mom's an accountant. My dad's a cable guy. They don't care that they weren't rich. They're the two happiest people on the planet. They live life the way it should be lived and passed that on to their kids. Money doesn't buy happiness. "

Money doesn't buy Happiness

SI.com - Writers - Monday Morning QB (cont.) - Monday November 13, 2006 12:40PM:

Reading this statement from Rutger's fullback puts money in the right perspective. We have been studying money and tithing at church for 40 days, and I can think of nothing that has been said or verse that has been repeated that says it any better than this


"'The NFL's good. Money's good. But I never had money growing up. My family didn't have money. My mom's an accountant. My dad's a cable guy. They don't care that they weren't rich. They're the two happiest people on the planet. They live life the way it should be lived and passed that on to their kids. Money doesn't buy happiness. "

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Friday, November 03, 2006

Drawn Together in Life, Held Together After Death - washingtonpost.com

Drawn Together in Life, Held Together After Death - washingtonpost.com

This story is mind blowing. This is true Grace and forgiveness. Any time you feel someone wrongs you, and you need to seek revenge or hold a grudge you should read this story.

No mention is ever made of faith in this article, but the parents of Matt Stoffel show an enormous amount of faith in their reaction to the tragic death of their only son in a car driven by his best friend.