June 22, 2014 Sunday

Sermon -  Today was about, how much are you worth?  We have our standards in this life, its what is in your bank account, how many assets you have.  What are we worth to each other?  Does it depend on how much that person needs you?  Financially or physically, for care and love?  Sometime we don't realize what someone means to us until it is too late.  You are worth a lot in God's eyes, so much that he has counted every hair on your head and saved your future by sending Jesus Christ to die for your sins.  To God you are worth everything.


On this day:
1981 - Sometime keeping a journal is not all its cracked up to be. On this day in 81 my kid brother, Mark, came over for dinner, in the evening I made a call to a kid I was working with from the probation department.  My friend Tony called and told me a friend of his was coming up from Florida with his race boat and maybe I would like to meet him, I did and we dated for years.  All four of those have passed on, at not very old ages.  Life is fragile,  call your friends today.
1981 - Mark David Chapman pled guilty to killing John Lennon.  This was a senseless loss.


Parenting - What is your child worth to you?  What is their health, happiness, education and future worth to you?  Most of us would give it all to make sure our children have what they need.  There are a million heroic stories of parents that have gone they extra mile (S) for their children.  It is worth it to us.


Book Club - King and Kingdom by Danielle Bourdon.  This is a story about a prince with great wealth and a poor girl photographer, of no worth.... well you have to read on.


Abidjan - Economy:

Abidjan which was initially a fishing coastal village, developed economically after the construction of the Vridi Canal in 1951. The canal which connected the port and the lagoon to the sea led to many economic and commercial changes, making Abidjan a major trading sea port for European inland goods. This development also led to a tremendous growth in the city’s population which doubled up after erection of the canal.
A developing country, Côte d’Ivoire's main source of income comes from its export of crops such as coffee, cocoa, and timber. But a major drought in 1983-1984 and a decrease in prices of these crops led the country into an economic turmoil. The country has tried to come out of its dependency on agriculture by diversifying into other sectors, yet 60% of the population is reliant on agriculture.
The people of Abidjan have benefited from the Urban Master plan which has failed in many other African countries. But the migration of rural people and those from poor neighboring countries continue to bend the city’s economy.