Food Waste

 

Food Waste

By 2030 some of the largest food suppliers

Have pledged to cut their food waste in half

Companies like Rice Krispies cereal, Hellmann’s mayonnaise,

And Spam have joined the 10x20x30 initiative

An effort to slash the amount of food discarded yearly

 

The process will involve companies to make annual reports

They will center on the sharing of information about food waste

As a Dannon executive stated that this would explore all options

The goal is to turn wasted foods into animal food or compost

 

Food waste has always been a sore point in the industry

And Walmart, Kroger, and Giant Foods have embraced similar pledges

They have enlisted their suppliers to commit to their plans

These food companies hope to accomplish such objectives set

By the United Nations General Assembly by 2015, to halve food waste

 

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization

The supply chain throws away about 30 percent of the world’s food

This waste is a great contributor to the world’s climate change problem

This produce amounts to about 10 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions

So the food manufacturing industry is a player in climate change

 

It has been reported about 80 percent of waste food comes

From homes, manufacturers, grocery stores, and restaurants

These sources can do more by limiting such productions

By having consumers not toss out the excess in their daily lives

There should be a system that will enable them not to act badly

 

“Divine Provider, help food producers to curb their waste.  And let consumers realize that they have a responsibility in making more sensible decisions by the way they use their food.”

Amen   

Visitors in National Parks

 

Visitors in National Parks

Park visitors are stricken

By the pandemic that’s causing havoc

In fall the temperature is cooler

And there’s the annual ritual

Of trees displaying their colors

Leaves change to different shades -

Of red, brown, yellow, and purple

 

This is the time to visit the national parks

Be it Acadia, Shenandoah,

And the Great Smoky Mountains

But remember to wear your mask

Be prepared to practice social distancing

You can never tell who you’ll meet on a trail.

 

Be sure to plan your visits to avoid crowds

There’s usually congested traffic

On stretches of the roadway

Of the Great Smoky Mountains Park

But the park campsites sites are adequately spaced

And the facilities are cleaned regularly

 

By using lesser known trails

Visitors will have the peace of mind

Of enjoying an environment of beautiful trees

And the many trails wherever they go

It’ll be pretty and relaxing this time of the year

Although there’ll be less park attendants

Taking care of critical resources

That park goers have come to enjoy

 

“Great Provider, be with park attendants during this pandemic.  Help visitors so they will be able to enjoy the peace in the parks amidst the flowering leaves of trees.”

Amen

The Serenity Prayer

 

The Serenity Prayer

Reinhold Niebuhr was author of this prayer.

Since its inception in 1943,

The prayer itself has had an interesting history

It was hijacked in Germany,

The country where Niebuhr’s parents were born

Before settling in the United States

 

Niebuhr’s life was as a preacher, writer, professor,

And ambassador to European countries

Especially Germany and England

He interacted with the World Council of Churches

And shared his thoughts on ecumenical ventures

Of various denominations – Episcopalian, Methodist,

Congregationalist, Reformed, and Evangelical Lutherans

 

For 40 years Niebuhr was a pastor, and professor

At the Union Theological Seminary in New York

He ruffled feathers with his opposition to American neutrality

During World War Ⅱ, beliefs in racial equality,

And his outreach to the poor in the ghettos

 

Niebuhr was a guest on panels, was welcomed internationally

On the lecture circuit, known for his correspondence

With Church leaders, and lived to see Europe liberated

The serenity prayer captured life’s vicissitudes

By how Niebuhr responded to the challenges of his era

 

“Loving God, you have blessed mankind with the kind spirit of Reinhold Niebuhr.  Grant that his legacy will live on as we utter the serenity prayer known worldwide through the Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) meetings, and its many renditions on postcards, placemats, and souvenirs.”

Amen    

Paralympics Games 2020

 

Paralympics Games 2020

Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games

Are set for August 24 to September 5, 2021

This postponement resulted

From the coronavirus pandemic

That’s sweeping through nations

 

Paralympic athletes compete in different sports.

These range from archery, athletics, Badminton

To team sports like Football, Basketball, and Rugby

Paralympic Football is an adaptation of association football.

Wheelchair Rugby is a contact sport for players with disabilities.

 

These disability athletes compete in groups –

Amputee, cerebral palsy, visual impairment,

Spinal cord injuries, intellectual disability,

And those disabilities that don’t fit the previous categories

It’s similar in grouping athlete by age, gender or weight

 

Paralympic athletes train with a coach.

They are geared to meet the standards of their group

And are taught about their competition requirements

These basic procedures make them eligible to compete

 

“Omniscient One, you have created each person with a unique potential.  Help the disabled during summer and winter to compete, and bond with other competitors in the spirit of these sports.”

Amen

 

  

Faces of God

 

Faces of God

God is a paradoxical figure.

This Being isn’t a person

But the Creator of the world

God isn’t only anthropomorphized

But a multiple of personalities

 

God is a Creator, Destroyer, Advocate,

Deceiver, Trickster, Father,

Woman, Protector, and Friend

In these combinations God often acts

Indecisively, erratically, and moodily

 

God destroyed his descendants

In a flood that consumed the entire world

This Creator-God saved Noah and animals

Before showing a rainbow in the sky

Promising not to flood the earth again

 

Later God showed up as a warrior

Leading the Israelites out of Egypt

Across the Red Sea from Pharaoh

But God was vindictive

When He caused the Israelites

To wander for years in the desert

Bringing death and destruction

To those who disobeyed Him

 

“God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob you present believers with a polytheistic worldview of who you are.  Yet the faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam attest to being monotheistic.  Why did you tell mankind to be fruitful and multiply but you went back on your own promises? Help us to understand your nature.”

Amen  

Lasting Peace

 

Lasting Peace

Let prayer be the light of your life

It’s the only way to live under God’s protection

It’s wise to pray for divine guidance

Live triumphantly and shout for joy

Let “Shalom! Peace!” Be your battle cry.

 

Accept that you might not always succeed

You may do your best and still not win

But with prayer just persevere

Set high goals to do what’s right

It’s your pleas on high for help that counts

Sooner or later your prayers will be answered

 

Prayer warriors should visualize the results

You should work at illuminating your goals

And always direct your beliefs to Allah, Brahma, or Dao

Have the peace that takes courage to bear fruits

And you’ll receive an olive branch of tranquility

 

The most certain way to succeed to pray without ceasing

Peace is what believers should always pursue

This is the basic truth about life’s journey

Believers will be blessed with justice and secured hearts

And transient peace will pass them by

Love and compassion will triumph in the end.

 

“Great Spirit, open our hearts to lasting peace.  Help us as we journey down the long and winding road that leads to personal fulfillment.”

Amen   

Wildfires in the West

 

Wildfires in the West

In the summer months of 2020

Hot weather has renewed

Dangers of wildfires in the West

Extreme heat is causing

Many trees to burn

And the West Coast is experiencing

Intense cases of fires

Sweeping over millions of acres

 

Some 170,000 firefighters in California

Are battling 25 of these blazes

But there isn’t much they can do

For these fires are just sweeping across the landscape

Of Washington, Oregon, and California

Where dozens have been killed

 

Scientific evidence shows

Increasing air temperatures and drying soils,

With dead vegetation, and climate change

Increase the frequency for extreme fire risks

Homes built near forested areas

Have also been a very big problem

For wildfires engulf all these buildings

As they are swept along by strong winds

 

“Ultimate Provider, be with the firefighters in having the tools and know-how to fight such wildfires.  Help people so that they will play their part by not building more homes near forested areas.”

Amen