A new Blog to watch

Early in March, our daughter Brynn went on a missions trip sponsored by the university she attends in Ohio - Cedarville University. She went with about 30 other students to Puebla, Mexico to work a camp for elementary and junior high kids.

On one of the last days the group was there, one of the young men was injured and broke the C2 vertebrae. Long story short is that it was a severe and life threatening injury.

Because I am a Christian and I do not believe in coincidences, I believe God put a number of people on that site that day with equipment that normally wouldn't be there. The people who helped keep him alive were incredible. One fellow "bagged" the young man for 1.5 hours. That meant he pumped air into and out of his lungs for that time. You can read about those situations in the Blog.

Listening (actually reading them) to the stories makes one really appreciate the level of medical care we are able to provide. What they had to do to get him back to the USA was incredible.

Which leads me to tell you about the new Blog my family reads. www.checkinondan.blogspot.com

The young man's name is Dan Knudsen. He is a junior at Cedarville University. Today he is paralyzed from his ears down and getting all sorts of therapy to get him back breathing on his own.

I encourage you to read his family's Blog about what is going on. Take time to read the comments, which are many, and get the perspective of how precious life really is. Start at the beginning and get current. Get a box of Kleenex, you will need it. When you are finished you will see life as it really is and how positive you can be.

This is a challenge I hope you will take. It has reminded me of situations Susan and I have been through and the sustaining power Christ gives to us each day. LP

Sales Tax Continues

I wrote earlier about the attention I pay to Sale Tax receipts the city receives. It is a barometer for me to see how business is doing.

Today the March distribution was forwarded to us. We will see it in the bank probably Thursday. The nice thing to report is that March revenue out paced the year to date mount from 2006.

The total received last year was $366,645. Received so far is $386,049. This amount puts us 5% more than 2006. I don't have a feel for the sales tax growth in other rural markets beyond a comment I heard from Secretary of Revenue Joan Wagmon in January 07 when she said that most of Kansas has flat or less sales tax growth.

Remember that next Tuesday is the election. As they say in Chicago "vote early, vote often."