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AT INCOURAGE, KNOWING BETTER MEANS DOING BETTER
We all have that picture in our head … 4th of July fireworks, parades, picnics, and the resulting mess left after these events that blows in the wind or drops into the river for turtles, ducks, or fish to consume and suffer. They leave bags upon bags of garbage, at least the stuff that made it into the overflowing garbage cans.
That was the unplanned scene from Incourage Community Foundation’s first community picnic in 2012. We had planned for up to 500 people and 1,000 showed up! We struggled to keep up with the overflowing garbage cans and recycling containers. ...
Flag Day – June 14
“The Ragged Old Flag,” by Johnny Cash, speaks of the flag and all she’s been through as a symbol of our nation. The lyrics remind us of our history.
“You see, we got a little hole in the flag there,
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
and it got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it,
writing “Say Can You See”
It got a rip in New Orleans, with Packingham and Jackson
tugging at its seams.
and It almost fell at the Alamo
beside the Texas flag,
But she waved on through.
She got cut by a sword at Chancellorsville,
And she ...
Wisconsin’s Outstanding Women
Please enjoy this presentation:
The Wisconsin Outstanding Women PDF
Lenten Thoughts
During this time of year, 2,100,000,000 Christians think about the life, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as they have over the last 2000 years. It is echoed in many cultures and in as many languages. What is the essence, the heart, the main point of His sacrifice as the Christian religion teaches about during Lent? What are the most important things? Christ was asked this by a scribe as written in Mark 12:30-31 who gave this insight:
30 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and ...
The Community of Man
We seem at a pivotal point in history - a time of moment, of decision making. This was eloquently captured by Aldo Leopold in his classic “A Sand County Almanac,” when he wrote of human paradox: “man the conqueror versus man the biotic citizen; science the sharpener of his sword versus science the search-light on his universe; land the slave and servant versus land the collective organism.”
Leopold was speaking of our vision of ourselves: egocentric users in a game of “survival of the fittest” and “every man for himself,” or responsible members of a ...
Somewhere near Detroit…
…a World War II veteran lies in a nursing home. Thoughts brighten and fade. The war predominates. “Jimmy and I made friends right away when we met in basic training. We ended up going to Europe together. Jimmy was always there by my side. We liberated Dachau. All that death. They told us we were fighting for democracy, our rights and freedoms. It seemed right. It seemed just. Besides, we had to do it.”
“I’ll never forget that morning. It was cold, real cold. I said ‘morning Jimmy!’ There was no answer. I said good morning again. Jimmy didn’t answer. I ...
New Year’s Resolution: Be Involved
Good government requires more than just voting. As any good manager knows, employees have to be supervised and their performance monitored. Our political representatives are no different. They must be held accountable. Citizens have to stay informed on issues. They have to know enough to sort through misleading sound bites and talk show bombast. They have to communicate with their representatives.
Yes, politics is dirty. There is too much money and mudslinging. But maybe politics would be more civil if citizens were more involved. Maybe our belief that we can't discuss ...
