Beech Tree News Network

“Mind your own biscuits and life will be gravy”.  Every one of us gets offended every now and then.  It just happens.  I understand that.  What I don’t understand, however, is the moment in time where people would get so easily offended. 

We’ve been hearing for a while that our environment is in danger. On June 18, Pope Francis officially agreed: he called for decisive action to stop global warming and environmental ruin. He wrote, “We may well be leaving to coming generations debris, desolation and filth” (http://ncronline.org/news/theology/pope-francis-encyclical-urgent-call-p...).

As we recently witnessed in our United States Senate race, ordinary voices were silenced by the spending of corporations. And now a Florida-based corporation wants to bring this same evil to Kentucky’s campaign finance laws.  The Kentucky AFL-CIO believes that business corporations should be limited in their political influence and continue their role as commercial institutions. Corporations are not people!

In New Orleans, there is an insectarium dedicated entirely to the research and cataloging of bugs.  I know this because my daughter, Nikki, and I paid a visit to the place three weeks ago.  I have always been a fan of worlds not my own.  I’ve toured planetariums and space museums with my granddaughter, and I’ve gone to aquariums with Nikki since she was a little girl.  For me, the take-away has always been the same.  There is so much going on out there that has so little to do with me.  The insectarium gave me a very different impression.

The Louisiana Purchase was one of the largest land deals the United States has ever made! While this deal was made in 1803, the story begins in 1800. French dictator Napoleon Bonaparte forced Spain to cede the region between the Mississippi River and Rocky Mountains, called Louisiana, to France. He planned to build a French Empire in Louisiana with New Orleans as his imperial capital. By 1802, Napoleon tried to cripple the U.S. economy by closing down the Mississippi River to trade.

Last week, we began a study of love in marriage. Specifically, we began studying what the Bible says about love from I Corinthians 13 and made applications to the marriage relationship. Why write about this subject and remind men and women of love in marriage? For one reason, it is because the Bible talks about such things. Certainly, this ought to be reason enough for the one who respects God’s word! At the same time, another reason for studying about love in marriage is because of all the practical lessons we learn from marriage. Consider the following:

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy.  When Main Street does well, so do American families.  But if we don’t fix the next round of Obamacare regulations before they take effect, small businesses will be forced into larger group insurance markets that have dramatically different rates, which means business owners, employees and their families will be the ones on the hook for the increased costs that result.

Being that summer is prime movie watching time, I found it appropriate to talk sequels.  This is especially timely with the release of the latest Jurassic Park movie Jurassic World.  Obviously a “best/worst of” topic of any kind will spark endless debate.  This will more or less be personal takes. Nothing scientific here. 

Next Sunday is Father’s Day. I haven’t truly celebrated the holiday since I lost my husband. My dad had died the previous year. But, we can’t over-recognize the contribution of fathers.

Notes to myself; some otherwise.
It’s good to remember, time and again how much one can lose and how much we can surrender voluntary without being the poorer for it. (Margot Benary Isbert- The Vintage Years)
Lord, remind me at my age I cannot go-up against Hell with a bucket of water, but I can brighten the corner where I am- prayers, a note or phone call to a friend, not to given an organ recital about my own ills, but to ask of his /her well-being.