CONFESSIONS OF A STARBUCKS PASTOR

Or, should I title this "The Importance of Testing"? The failure of the Obamacare computer system to function has been a media highlight since its clumsy launch date. Every few days, we learn even more about the money spent and problems to fix. There are so many lines of older (not cutting edge) code written, IT gurus have been brought in to read it line by line and make corrections. They have found Beta test code still in there taking up space. That is like saying after the surgery, "doc my tummy hurts" only to find - sorry - they left a towel in there when they sewed you back up. Not only are they bringing in more guys to fix it, they are keeping the originals to work alongside them. The contract to develop America's most notable software for the most important presidentially sponsored mandate in her history was quietly awarded to a Canadian company. At a time when our country was still reeling/ recovering from the worst recession since 1929, jobs were ...

We've all heard the saying about not knowing what goes on in other people's homes. For some, we are the story no one sees. Yesterday I was flipping TV channels and stopped on the cable channel ID . A show was profiling true crime stories. I watch those once in awhile and began listening as I crocheted. First I heard the name of the town I had lived in 10 years ago. Interesting.  Then I heard the last name of some former neighbors. Coincidence.  When I heard their first names I looked up. What?  Staring back at me was an old family photo of our neighbors and former small group members with the children my daughter once babysat. We lived a bike ride away on the other side of the hill from their palatial home and watched the elaborate gardens, pool and landscaping be installed over a summer. They were the glamorous family most people in our church fawned over - always looking like they stepped out of a magazine and doing something exciting that cost more money than we ce...

A few weeks ago I was watching one of my favorite cable TV shows - House Hunters International. I love seeing what everyday life looks like in other climates. This particular episode infuriated me because the young woman had the new job causing the big move, and brought along her boyfriend who was not going to work. He had more housing demands than she did, and the place on the beach he wanted would double her commute time. So would the other house that suited him. This poor woman kept wistfully saying what a long drive she would have and all he did was smile and talk about how much he would enjoy those locations. What a modern woman. Where is the modern man? Oh. Wait. He's the one who takes the girl for granted. His deep brown eyes and a wink cause her to give up her job as a second grade teacher in Wisconsin near friends and family to follow him across the world to "live" with him. They pretend they are serious because after all now they live together, but deep down...