News: something good and bad to think about

I don't watch the news channels much but the last two weeks I have been for some reason.

There's so much news about bad weather and natural disasters, around the world, and now here: tornadoes, fires, and floods. I wonder what else the year has in store (as we enter the hurricane season)?

My Mom went to school in Iowa and I have visited the area around Cedar Rapids twice. Once was as a child with my family, and later as an adult. My heart goes out to the people there and I want to go just jump up and go help them. I really enjoyed visiting there both of my visits. I thought the city of Cedar Rapids was charming, having both a city and a small town feel to it. It would be nice to go up there again.

Unfortunately, I don't think I am up to doing anything very helpful just now. When my shop closes in two weeks, I will have free time, but I think I need to be focusing on getting healthy and feeling better. But that's another subject.

Yesterday, I went to a website of a pastor who's church I visited in Cedar Rapids and I was encouraged to hear about the positive things that God is doing there. His church and others are working together to help and to pray for their community. Again today I heard on Chris Fabry Live, (Moody Radio), about the same topic and there were similar tales. I do like to hear the good news!

I myself tend to wonder, as I have noticed that others do too (from reading blog posts and comments on youtube), things like: Is this God's judgment? Are Americans too materialistic and self-focused?

And I wonder how is this fitting into the pattern of the "end times" that the Bible describes?

Yet I don't like to see people saying self-righteous stuff and blaming people for what has happened to them. Maybe Americans are too materialistic. Maybe God does want us to ask ourselves such questions, to examine our own lives. But perhaps it isn't very helpful to try to judge others and point fingers. IDK

What has happened in Iowa will affect the whole country economically. Reporters have been saying there will be an agricultural impact from the destroyed soybean and corn crops. I haven't heard it discussed, but I imagine such large scale disasters affect the cost of insurance across the country. (I wonder if we all should just expect increasing instances of disasters, back to that end times question). There are the costs of transportation interruptions, and... Somehow will it affect the cost of gas? I suppose it will affect the cost of eggs or something in China too! (lol) But should I worry about that?

I think I need to think about the good news some more!