Just Some Miscellaneous Thoughts on a Spring Day in Early March

Believe it or not Spring has actually arrived early here in the Twin Cities. Shirt-sleeves is almost unthinkable for the 14th of March, yet with temperatures into the 70's, shorts are commonly seen. This really was the year without a winter - or at least a winter as it has been known in recent years. Minimal snowfall. Moderate temperatures. Amazing! Of course the downside is that unless we can get some rainfall in the coming weeks, the drought that began last fall will continue. So, is the glass half-full or half-empty? Guess it depends upon with whom you talk, but I have liked not having to shovel snow or endure bitter temperatures. So, I am not complaining.

So where are we in the world today? Well, I guess it all depends upon which day of the week Greece is having a financial crisis. One can almost get dizzy watching this drama unfold. First there seems to be a resolution with the Greek government ordering severe austerity measures with the assurances of capital infusion from the European Central Bank. Then, the crisis reappears and world markets teeter once again. So, more severe austerity plans are put into place with even stronger assurances from the Central Bank. So now, at least for the moment, Greece has been taken out of the picture. Yet, you know that another financial crisis is just a few liabilities away from being the next crisis that threatens all of us.

The Middle East continues to be a very troubled place. This past week insurgents within the Gaza Strip launched dozens of rockets into Israel. Israeli warplanes responded quickly killing at least two major militant leaders. Of course that necessitated more rockets. The Egyptian government brokered a cease-fire which lasted about as long as a snowman on the Fourth of July. There was an interesting story on the IsraelInternationalNews.com website today that intimated that Iran is using this recent crisis to ascertain the Israeli resolve. I guess we could say that through Hamas, their proxy, they are trying to determine if the Israeli government really means what it says. Perhaps this might be the prelude to an even greater crisis on the horizon.

I know that many of you were in prayer last week when Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was here in the States. His speech before the AIPAC convention was powerful. You can hear it by going to their website. It is under the heading of AIPAC Policy Conference. We need to keep praying for this man and for his administration that they know the wisdom of God. We also need to pray for our President.

I was reminded of Paul's words to Timothy: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Now you must remember that Nero was the Roman emperor as Paul was writing these words. We would hardly say that he was a man worthy of prayer. But Paul prayed for him. Did he agree with Nero's administrative practices? Absolutely not! But, nonetheless, Paul prayed for him. We may not agree with either the President or the Prime Minister's position, but we are still encouraged to pray for them. May we do this with diligence as unto the Lord. Perhaps if we prayed more and criticized less, God might accomplish greater things. Just a thought!

Well, March Madness begins this week. By now your brackets have been filled out. Come Sunday evening most of us will just sit back and watch as our teams will have fallen by the wayside. Nonetheless, enjoy some great basketball. By the way...Go ISU Cyclones!