Wednesday, August 26, 2009

R.I.P. Senator Ted Kennedy

Ordinary Americans, like me, are deeply saddened today by the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy. I consider myself a middle class ordinary American. I have never known government without a Kennedy.

Ted Kennedy was only one of a handful of politicians whom I would trust to use government for helping the us - the middle class. I fear that his passing will cause us to be far worse off than when he was watching over the laws that passed.

And, will bipartisanship ever be? Although Obama and McCain both bellowed about their bipartisanship during their campaigns, it was Senator Ted Kennedy who demonstrated it throughout his political life.

President Obama said it well: "Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time."

My sincerest and deepest sympathies to the Kennedys, Teddy's extended family and the country. R.I.P. Senator Kennedy.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

National Football League's 90th Season

September 10 kicks off the National Football League’s regular season this year. This will be the league’s 90th birthday. Another birthday being celebrated this year is the Dallas Cowboys - the team has been around for 50 years. The Cowboys are trying to set a National Football League attendance record when the team starts playing in its new stadium. $29 party passes are being sold to fans who won’t have seats - the party pass tickets are on sale now for the Cowboys’ first two pre-season games and two regular season contests in the new stadium. The home opener is Sept. 20 against the New York Giants. “More fans can be at the stadium and, although they won’t all have a seat, they will definitely be a part of the action and experience on game day,” team owner Jones said.

According to the league’s website, the league drew its biggest U.S. attendance at Super Bowl XIV on Jan. 20, 1980 with 103,985 spectators at Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

For tickets to the games, including preseason games, click on this sentence.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Mission Trip to South Florida


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This was written by a member of the Teens in Action youth group at the New Smyrna Beach United Church of Christ, where I am a youth leader. I was with them for a week on this trip and am always amazed at how loving, kind and hard working these teens can be - and their parents are more amazed when I tell them about it!!

Another mission trip down and we still can’t seem to get enough! This year, 10 teens and 4 chaperones attended the TeamEffort mission camp in St. Petersburg, Florida. We worked at the Good Samaritan Mission. They collect and distribute food, blankets, sleeping bags, and clothing to low income residents, most of whom are from the migrant farming community of Wimauma.As well as the food and clothing, Good Samaritan is now providing a day care, well child exams, immunizations, computer classes, woodworking classes, and a place for all to worship. One of their main missions is to help the workers between growing seasons and for the family members who do not travel. Along with the woodworking classes, they are starting new sewing classes, in hopes of giving them a skill that they may use at the mission and throughout their lives by learning how to mend and alter clothing - and learning to make clothing using patterns. They are hoping to reach out to even more who are in need.Many of the people they serve are detached from our society – they come here simply to work, send money back home and do not become part of our society. It is Good Sam’s intention to teach these people that they too can contribute and make a difference. They are taught to give back to the community - to become an active and contributing part of the Family of Man to which we all belong.We had plenty of bonding time on this trip, because we were rained out every day – usually not until after lunch, but we did have one full day of being with each other, teaching each other and we felt more love for each other every day.While at the Good Samaritan our group built a deck and a wheelchair ramp. Although it rained for much of our trip, we did what we could to help make life a little easier for the owners of the mission. Our group worked together cutting boards, hammering nails into the deck, carrying materials, keeping our group hydrated, swatting flies, and encouraging others to keep it up!Each night we attended chapel where we sang worship music, played games, and listened to the counselors as they shared their personal testimonies. Every night we focused on a different word of TeamEffort’s motto, “Pray as you go”. Each counselor has something to add to the week, and we were lucky to be able to hear what they had to offer. The overall goal of the trip was to encourage the attendees to be servants of God, with Jesus being the example we should look up to. There were moments that were surreal during the final day as we gave countless hugs, remembered the moments we shared together throughout our lives at the UCC, laughed, cried, and spoke openly. By the end of our trip we grew much closer to each person in our group, whether it was chaperone or teen.One of teens told me that when they started on the trip, they thought it would be cool because we were going to make a huge difference by building something for someone who needed it, but after getting there, it was more about spirituality and bonding with our group.

The bond built during the trip with ourselves, our friends, our family (for many), and with God especially, is stronger than ever. And, we did help build a wheelchair ramp, sorted books to be given away and cleaned bathrooms.

From Me: I want to brag a little about our teens. One of the groups there was asked to clean the bathrooms by someone at the mission. This group asked if they could just go sort some clean books instead. But several teens in our group rolled up their sleeves and got to work scrubbing floors, toilets and a baby changing table, so that both rooms were totally disinfected and shining when they were done.