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That’s what they call Thursday at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor - for obvious reasons.  It’s the official beginning of party time on the weekends.  The local establishments advertise, and the students “unwind” from the rigorous studies.  Well, some students do.

That got me thinking about thirst in general.  It’s a desire to quench the dryness.  There are only certain liquids that really quench thirst.  Years ago, there Lipton Tea advertised as a thirst quencher.  Now we know that caffeine doesn’t replenish lost fluid, which is probably why true iced tea fans drink several glasses a day. 

We can thirst in other ways - deep longings for connection, lust for riches or things, desires for fulfillment or recognition.

Jesus talked about thirst several times in his ministry, often pointing out that most people who had a “soul” thirst were trying to satisfy it with iced tea.  Okay, he probably didn’t know about Lipton’s back then, but you know what I mean. 

Remember the good old country song - “lookin for love in all the wrong places”?  Or how about the adage “all that glitters isn’t gold”?  Those are examples of society’s acknowledgement that weoften try to find our satisfaction in non-thirst quenching manners.  Somehow we know it won’t provide a deep quenching, but we try.  And we keep trying.

I live in Michigan.  The automotive industry has driven our state’s economy for many years.  And the industry is hurting, so our state is hurting, too.   

I just read an AP article about Tata Motors of India.  Wow, if their plan isn’t blocked by environmentalists across the world, it could mean even more trouble for an ailing US Automotive industry.  US manufacturers are having difficulty selling in their own country.  But it will be more difficult to manufacture and sell globally when they have a competitor who’s planning to sell a car for $2500. 

Of course, that car will be a stripped down model, but it will accomplish the goal of getting someone from one destination to another.

I think when Americans started treating their cars more like their homes (all the modern conveniences money can afford), we made it more difficult for the US Auto industry.  Could you imagine GM, Ford or Chrysler selling any car for $2500?  Could you imagine any American buying a $2500 car?

Experts on pollution are concerned, too.  India’s economy is booming, which means more people will have the money to purchase a car.  And offering one that’s affordable will dramatically increase gas consumption and pollution. 

Like it or not, the US is impacted by global changes.  As other countries become more industrialized, our comfortable way of life becomes less comfortable.    Pollution increases, gas prices rise . . .

An excerpt from Barack Obama’s Iowa Caucus victory speech.  I may not 100% agree with his stand on political issues, but his speech was certainly stirring.  

Years from now, you’ll look back and you’ll say that this was the moment, this was the place where America remembered what it means to hope. For many months, we’ve been teased, even derided for talking about hope. But we always knew that hope is not blind optimism. It’s not ignoring the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path.It’s not sitting on the sidelines or shirking from a fight. Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it and to work for it and to fight for it.

Hope is what I saw in the eyes of the young woman in Cedar Rapids who works the night shift after a full day of college and still can’t afford health care for a sister who’s ill. A young woman who still believes that this country will give her the chance to live out her dreams.Hope is what I heard in the voice of the New Hampshire woman who told me that she hasn’t been able to breathe since her nephew left for Iraq. Who still goes to bed each night praying for his safe return.

I hate the political election season, and I love it.  I love that we have the opportunity to participate in the process, and I try to do so, even though there’s rising frustration within me over the too long campaigns that focus on everything but what needs to be done.

The latest campaign ad by Hillary Clinton prompted me to dig.  According to the ad, the millions of people uninsured are invisible to the current administration.  I’m sure it seems that way to those who are uninsured.   What about the millions of uninsured during the eight years her husband had a crack at the problem?  Let’s look at some facts:

In 1998, the census bureau reported that the percentage of uninsured Americans reached an all time high of 16.3%.  That was six years into his administration.  The most recent reports are that the percent of uninsured is at 15.61%.  Those who oppose the current administration like to refer to the numbers, as they are higher.  So is our population.  I prefer to look at the percent of population.

Please understand that I have apathy for the uninsured.  My family carried catastrophic health insurance (covering only major illnesses, and that only at 50% of hospitalization charges) for most of the time my daughters were young.  We didn’t rush them to the doctor’s office for every sniffle.  We learned how to monitor and medicate them with home remedies and over-the-counter.  There were things we gave up during that time.  They didn’t participate in sports at their schools - how could you pay for the inevitable broken leg or arm?  But I’d say they had decent childhoods.

We always found a doctor who was willing to work with us by giving us samples of medicines, allowing us to pay for visits on a plan, etc.  I’m not saying it was easy, and we were blessed with overall healthy children.

There’s a great deal of talk about universal health care, with news reports always comparing our health care to that of France.  What they fail to mention, while supporting France, is the difficulty the country has in finding doctors, the wait times for special procedures, the 50% or higher taxes, and that France’s number one employer is the federal government.

I hope we can find a solution that will cover the poor, make things more affordable for all, and most certainly help the children, but I’m not betting on Hillary making it any better than she did the 8 years she and her husband had the chance to do something about it, but failed.

I was having problems with Vox this morning and last night, so I’ve put my updates on Xanga. www.xanga.com/AuntAgnes.

Put your comments here, if you don’t have a Xanga account, and I’ll let everyone know you said hey.

We arrived in Lakeshore, Mississippi at 7:30 a.m. CST. After a 19 hour bus ride, we were happy to be standing on solid ground. So far, all the team is doing fairly well. It was 76 degrees this morning at 7:30, and it’s very humid, but we’re thankful for air-conditioned sleeping rooms.

My initial assessment to what I’m seeing is - I cannot believe it. I’m a perfectionist by nature. I know Mike would disagree, but I am a perfectionist. And the perfectionist in me, when confronted with what seems like an insurmountable task, throws my hands in the air and wants to walk away. There is so much to do around here. Everywhere I look there’s a need, and it seems almost impossible to accomplish anything.

The ministry focus Don and his team have is amazing. They know what needs to be done in the moment. I’m sure they look down the road and have a vision, but the immediate needs are great, and the needs seem to change often. Each day brings them closer to completing part of the big dream. So, unlike me, they keep their eyes set on what today’s goals are, they don’t seem to be looking at what’s impossible, and they have a positive and faith-full attitude.

We’re down here with a group from Jacksonville, North Carolina, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Between the three groups, we have about 120 people total.

The teens worked on some of the housing today as well as sorting out a supply tent. Most of the donated supplies were being stored at the local elementary school gym, but the school district is beginning construction, so the gym had to be emptied. While the supply tent isn’t the most glamorous job, it’s what’s needed. I’ve seen several people respond with the type of attitude that Mike’s been talking about in his messages in Philippians recently. We’re servants, and we’re here to serve - in whatever way we need to.

The group took it a bit easy this afternoon, as most of us weren’t really prepared for the heat. They’ll make up for it tomorrow.

I’m so proud of our group. Some of the teams are helping finish housing for an elderly man in the community, and others are digging holes for posts (I don’t know what they supposed to be called, but they’re the “stilts” a new house will be built on). The kids are trying hard.

If you’re a parent, feel free to leave a comment for your kids. I’ll give them the message, and who knows, they might answer!

You have to give him credit.  He’s a passionate man.  But Michael Moore isn’t going to change the world.  At least not from my point of view.  He’s lacking in diplomacy.  He may be right in some areas, but his approach is a turn off to many, lessening his ability to impact.

I find him to be rude, sometimes dishonest, and in his attempt to help the common man, a bit disingenuous.

But that’s just me.

Sitting in Dean and Tina’s living room, listening to four or more conversations.  Dean’s talking about DMX and technology, Mike is talking to Stacie Joy about Kenya, someone else talking about organic milk.

And I’m recording it all on the internet.

Trip to California is almost over.  We leave tomorrow afternoon.  I’ll be glad to get home, but wish I could live in this moment just a bit longer.

Peace out.

I often wonder about the labels we apply to people based on their ethnicity, background, preferences, or social class.  A few years ago, we had a family attending our church who lived in the “rich” neighborhood near us.  He was a financial planner and she was an attorney.  They had memberships at swanky tennis club and golf clubs.  They lived on a lake in a big house.  She had the degree from law school. 

She had asked me if we could get together, and all I could think about was the huge disparity in our backgrounds.  She had it all together.  What could I possibly offer her?  I was intimidated by the thought of a relationship with someone whose life experience was so different from mine.  So, I kept my distance.  For a variety of reasons, they didn’t stay at our church. 

Fast forward to last weekend.  I had the experience of interacting for several hours (at my home) with people who grew up in Detroit.  This, too, intimidated me, but in a different way.  After the event, I received a phone call thanking me.  In the conversation, I was told that one of the family members was nervous about being around “white people.”  They thought we’d think they were “thugs” because they were African American.  I laughed and told her that I was afraid they would think ill of me because I was white. 

I guess I typed all that to think aloud about the labels we wear and the labels we put on other people.  Will we ever get to the point where we’re ready to shed them and just look at the person for who they are and who God intends them to be?

we tried to teach our daughters that as they were growing up.

In America, it’s difficult to completely live that as a value.

We’re having company next week.  Pastor Julius from Kenya will be in town.  I’m really struggling with this.  I feel like taking every luxury we have and sending it to someone else’s house.  How do I reconcile having so much when he’s fighting to keep his tribe, the Pokot people alive?

How do I look him in the eye, knowing what he and all the people living in West Kenya are enduring, and not feel guilty about my own lifestyle?

“looks like you’ve got some light fiction reading,” I said as I sat down next to the young man.

 He laughed and said it was a fascinating book - Assassin’s Gate by a New Yorker writer. 

I didn’t bring up what I knew would be a controversial subject until later in the flight.  We went down the road of tabo subjects - politics and religion.

“I don’t always follow the party line on political issues,” I said.  “I’m against the death penalty as a deterrent to murder, but I’m also against gun control.  I believe if someone wants to kill, it’s not because of the weapon they hold in their hand, but because of the condition of their heart.  If they want to kill, and they don’t have a gun, they’ll find another way to do it.” 

It’s odd that I said that on the day that someone killed 32 people with a gun.  Perhaps stricter gun control would have saved more lives.  Perhaps he would have found another way. 

I’m not sure that I’m as against gun control today as I was yesterday. 

I live in the state of Michigan

• Where unemployment exceeds the national rate
• Where major companies like Pfizer, Comerica, and KMart moved their national headquarters
• Where Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler are cutting jobs
• Where major Tier One automotive suppliers are declaring bankruptcy at a staggering rate

So what do Michigan people do when there’s a declining economy?

If you live in my county, you’d think that you’re supposed to go out and buy a newer, bigger SUV (in spite of continually climbing gas prices and long commutes), larger house, and spend massive amounts of money on entertainment and other luxury items. Even our own state government got into the mood a couple of weeks ago when, in the midst of trying to solve their billion + dollar deficit, they announced a plan to provide every school child in the state with an iPod.

I don’t get it!

No, not the car, although there’s one a couple of houses up the road, and I was tempted to ask them how much they’d sell the car for.  If you don’t know, the Reliant K was one of the cars built by Chrysler on the “K-car” platform.  It was an innovative concept - platform building, compact car with front wheel drive - but an ugly car.

Back to Relient K.  They are a band my girls have listened to for years.   And I really like to listen to them.  They’re fun, and somewhere in the middle of those fun songs, they manage to say something important.  And their newest album has a song that hit me between the eyes.

 Lyrics from the song “Bite My Tongue” on their new album:

I said I’m always close-minded, With an open mouth
And the worst of me seems to come right out
But I’ve never broken bones
With a stone or a stick
But I’ve conjured up a phrase
That can cut to the quickAnd sometimes I say things that
I wish that I could take back
And the smartest thing to say
Is to tell myself to keep

Years ago, I used to listen to Imus in the Morning. He was acerbic even then. After a while, I decided that while there was some humor, the bad outweighed the good, so I turned him off. In a recent show, his description of the predominantly African American Rutger’s women’s basketball team created quite a stir.

While he used a term that is commonly found in today’s contemporary music, many found it offensive and the normal group of protestors - Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and even Barack Obama - demanded he be fired. I read a comment by someone that said, I can call my brother ugly, but if you do it, then you’re in for a fight.

But the captain of the Rutger’s b-ball team said hurtful words are wrong, no matter who’s saying them.

Another person thought it was wrong to protest Imus’ words, since it was a double standard to do so. This brought a long group of people agreeing with him and commenting about how tired they were of the double standard that allows black people to get away with bad behavior while demanding whites to live up to a different code of ethics.

Sigh. The playing field hasn’t been even for minorities. And life isn’t fair. And we don’t make choices about our behavior based on whether someone else does it or not.

Double standard or not, calling young women on a basketball team “nappy-headed ho’s” isn’t nice.

I was reading the April 2 edition of Time Magazine.  I usually start with the short, easy to read articles, then move on to the larger ones.  This edition’s cover was “why we should teach the Bible in public school.”  I still haven’t read the article.  Mainly because I started at the back and read an essay by Bono on the West’s responsibility toward its neighbors.

“There’s an Irish word, meitheal.  It means that the people of the village help one another out most when the work is the hardest.  Most Europeans are like that.  As individual nations, we may argue over the garden fence, but when a neighbor’s house goes up in flames, we pull together and put out the fire.  History suggests it sometimes takes an emergency for us to draw closer.  Looking inward won’t cut it.  As a professional navel gazer, I recommend against that form of therapy for anything other than songwriting.  We discover who we are in service to one another, not the self.

 Today many rooms in our neighbor’s house, Africa, are in flames.  From the genocide in Darfur to the deathbeds in Kigali, with six AIDS patients stacked onto one cot, from the child dying of malaria to the village without clean water, conditions in Africa are a affront to every value we Europeans have ever seen fit to put on paper.  We see in Somalia and Sudan what happens if more militant forces fill the void and stir dissent within what is, for the most part, a pro-Western and moderate Muslim population.  So whether as a moral or strategic imperative, it’s folly to let this fire rage.”

The rest of the essay is an interesting read, providing some thought-provoking challenges.

Interesting commentary from Roland Martin found at cnn.com.

Some of the responses were surprising.  I wonder, sometimes, what Jesus would really do?

I like the new layout, but my comments don’t show up.  I keep getting the same two comments on each post.  Any suggestions on how to get that fixed?

The picture in the header is a giant Lego spider.  It was huge.  We saw it in Chicago when I was there.  I love Chicago.  I love cities in general.  Can’t wait to go to NYC!