A lawsuit filed Tuesday by Texas and six other states may finally result in the long-overdue termination of the DACA program, which was created without legal authority by President Obama in 2012 to allow children brought into the U.S. illegally to temporarily remain here under certain conditions.

Here’s a link to the editorial at FOX News.

REPORT: Illinois Needs $21 Billion Per Year To Fix State Building Facilities and Transportation Systems

For Immediate Release: May 2, 2018 Contact:  Mary Craighead, mcraighead@illinoisepi.org, 708-375-1002 Ext. 2

Illinois’ leaders and policymakers have failed to provide adequate funding for crucial capital maintenance and construction projects La Grange: The deteriorating condition of Illinois’ transportation systems, state owned facilities, education buildings, and veterans’ homes have resulted in residents across the state experiencing pothole filled roads, overcrowded schools, and poorly maintained university buildings and state facilities. The annual cost of needed repairs and investment currently stands at $21 billion per year, according to a new study released today by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI). Read the study, “Passing the Buck: An Assessment of Capital Funding Needs in Illinois.” Click here to read an Executive Summary. Illinois’ state facilities occupy over 8,700 buildings and 100 million square feet of floor space, ranging from prisons and mental hospitals to universities and state parks. Despite the importance of state facilities – with students, patients, and staff depending on safe buildings and conditions – funding to provide proper maintenance has faltered. Historically, transportation, education, and public service agencies throughout Illinois could depend on a capital bill approximately every 10 years. However, Illinois’ last capital bill, “Illinois Jobs Now!,” was passed in 2008. “The state’s transportation systems and building facilities are deteriorating and will only continue to get worse,” said study author Mary Craighead. “The failure to adequately fund maintenance undermines the state’s economic success and increases both financial costs and safety risks to Illinois residents.” In making the case for urgent capital funding, Craighead notes that deferred maintenance needs of state buildings and facilities total over $7 billion for fiscal year 2019. The Departments of Corrections and Health and Human Services alone account for over 50% of deferred maintenance needs, at about $2 billion each. Both of these departments operate facilities 24-hours a day, thus making improvements vital for the residents and staff. “The Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy is a tragic example of the extreme hazards that deferred maintenance can have on Illinois residents,” Craighead added, explaining that the state-run facility has been battling Legionnaires’ disease since 2015 as a result of its 132-year-old plumbing.  A total of 13 people have died and at least 61 residents and staff have been infected between three separate outbreaks over three years.  The Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs has stated that the facility will likely never be rid of the disease as long as the original plumbing remains in place. The report also notes that of the $21 billion per year, over $9 billion can be attributed to education facilities.  Local school districts are using over 750 temporary classrooms due to needed building additions and repairs.  Additionally, more than $4 billion per year is required just to address backlog needs for Illinois’ roads, bridges, and transit systems. “Capital investment in Illinois’ infrastructure systems is crucial to promote a thriving and economically successful state,” Craighead concluded.  “Illinois’ transportation, education, and public facilities are too important to allow continued neglect. It is time for lawmakers to seriously discuss viable funding options and sustainable, adequate capital funding to address these severe shortfalls.”

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Daniel 4:37 (Read all of Daniel 4:37) New International Version

Three Mistakes to Avoid When Seeking God’s Will

By Rick Warren

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord . . . When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand” (Psalm 37:23-24 NASB).

You may think you’re at a dead end in your life. “We’re never going to get out of debt!” “I’m never going to have a baby.” “My dream is never going to come true.” “How is it ever going to work out?”

Right now it may look dark and you may feel defeated and things may seem like a mystery to you. But one day you’re going to see in the light of eternity how it all fits together in God’s plan. Until then, there are three errors you need to avoid as you seek God’s will — and as you avoid these errors, you will develop deeper trust in God, even when you don’t understand.

1. Don’t be fatalistic. The idea of fatalism — the idea that everything is out of our control and we are powerless to do anything about it — leads to self-pity. It causes us to blame God for everything bad in our lives rather than accepting responsibility when we cause problems. And fatalism leads to passivity. It makes us think, “I’m waiting on God to bring me a spouse” or “I’m waiting on God to get me a job.” God’s saying, “I gave you a brain! I gave you two feet! Get out and do something about it!”

2. Don’t be frustrated. If you try to figure out everything in your life, you’re going to be very frustrated. Sometimes you’re going to do what you think is God’s will, and it’s going to fail. “I thought God was leading me to start this business, but it failed.”

What do you do when there are no answers? You keep trusting God, knowing that he’s working on your character through all of your circumstances and that he has good plans for you.

3. Don’t be fearful. What is behind the fear of God’s will? The root problem is that you doubt God’s love. The Bible says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18 NASB). We always get into trouble when we doubt God’s love, because when we don’t trust him, we don’t obey him.

Psalm 37:23-24 says, “The steps of a man are established by the Lord . . . When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand” (NASB).

God’s will is an expression of his love. When you don’t understand what God is doing, have patience. God knows what’s best for you. You can’t see the end result, but he can. God’s path might be a path of pain, but all those delays and difficulties and problems are building character in your life.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

• How would you respond to the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
• What have you been waiting on God to do in or bring into your life? What do you think he wants you to do about it?
• What do you think this statement means: “God’s will is an expression of his love”?

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Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.

By Walter Wendler

Student satisfaction and customer satisfaction are not equal. Students are not customers except when they spend a night in their dorm room or buy a meal in the cafeteria, a book at the bookstore or a shirt with the school logo. The remainder of the time, students are aspirants. They work diligently to become something they are not. They pay universities to help transform them from whatever they are into something they aspire to be, such as a teacher, nurse, engineer, historian or rancher. If they knew how to think and act as these professionals do, they would not need to pay the university anything.  Students do not buy a product, but a transformational opportunity. Universities irreparably harm themselves when they sell opportunity as a product. Opportunity is difficult to measure, and even more difficult to communicate to an aspirant.

College to Life, a recent study by Strata/Gallup, catalogs why students choose various educational pathways and their satisfaction with those choices. A cacophony of concerns regarding the high cost of university attendance and the value of a college degree fills newspapers and airwaves regularly. A few basic observations from the study are worthwhile.

Six in ten students choose to attend college for the prospect of a better job. University faculty yearn for students who study for the joy of learning, but only two in ten indicated that as the reason for attending. Of course, the joy of study and the potential of employment can be mutually reinforcing—even indistinguishable. Excellent faculty are essential for academic excellence:  Energized faculty integrate the joy of learning and the application of what is learned in the work world.  Strata/Gallup have separated for reporting polling results that which must be integrated.

Demographic classifications change the findings little.  Men and women, first generation students, income level, racial and ethnic groupings hold the same educational goals within a few percentage points. Jobs are the central consideration.

Over 30% of those who failed to complete a degree said their interests were on general learning, rather than vocational choices. Yet students who did not complete their degree said if they could take a “do over,” they would choose another area of study.  Career choices are central, but location and affordability are the number two and three concerns respectively.

In response to these findings, universities that want to improve institutional attractiveness to potential students have two major priorities.

First, attend to the transition from college to work. Internships, practicums and other work and study combinations have great value to the preponderance of students. Remember, nearly 60% of the 87,000 participants in the Strata/Gallup poll said jobs were first priority.

The casual reader may say, “Where is the news in that?” With universities focused on enrollment growth, economic development, campus life experiences and a multitude of other considerations, the essence of securing employment might be overshadowed by interference of competing forces that are at work in the study environment.  Thoughtful universities will focus on how sound technical expertise, powerful critical thinking skills, knowledge of history and the importance of good citizenship in a free society lead to a productive work life. In addition, the ability to accept responsibility and work with others as a team can take center stage and simultaneously help a student gain employment in their chosen field of study.

Second, after the prioritization of the study experience related to employment opportunities, the most important consideration is location. In the first priority, universities have control over how learning experiences lead to success in the workplace; however, universities typically have little choice in their location. In response, many rural institutions create branch campuses in more densely populated urban areas to foster access through proximity. For universities located in very rural areas or areas with declining population, sometimes the stretch will be A Bridge Too Far.

Distance education programs provide opportunity to learners by virtually eliminating geography as a concern. This can also help create sustainability. Another approach is recognizing that rural locations possess defining characteristics. Here the issue becomes how to make a unique setting a “destination” university, appealing to people far and wide. The study experience at a rural institution can be an “international study opportunity” for many urban and suburban students. The way of life, the culture and the decision-making apparatus at work in the lives of people all can be an unintended but powerfully important learning experience—a hidden curriculum—if properly developed and implemented.

The calculus of these two forces implies that thoughtful leadership, faculty and staff guide the transition from study to work and create attractiveness through distinctive location. These investments of energy and intellect lead to satisfied students.

Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.

Isaiah 61:7 (Read all of Isaiah 61:7) New International Version

How Do You Find God’s Will?

By Rick Warren —

“God . . . invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, even Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 TLB).

God isn’t playing games with you. He wants you to understand his will, his purpose, and his plan for your life.

You may say, “I want God to guide me, but I still get confused. I don’t know what to do.” Often the problem is we’re looking for the wrong thing. You need to know what you’re looking for before you can find it.

So, what is God’s will?

God’s will is not a feeling.

Maybe you are looking for a feeling or a supernatural sign. You want God to pull your heartstrings so you’ll know exactly what to do.

The problem is that feelings are unreliable; they will often guide you the wrong way. Feelings can come from fatigue, hormones, or an event you’ve just experienced. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful” (NIV). Even your heart plays tricks on you. Even the Devil can create a feeling. If I had listened to my feelings, I never would have married my wife, Kay. The day before the wedding, my feelings said, “Run!” But that wasn’t God’s will. That was fear!

Don’t wait for a feeling when you’re trying to figure out God’s plan for your life.

God’s will is not a formula.

In our culture, we want everything to be easy. We want things to follow a simple formula that will instantly change our lives. We want a step-by-step guide.

But there’s a problem with this approach: There’s no room for mistakes. If God’s will is a recipe, what happens if you leave out one ingredient? Leaving baking soda out of a recipe is the difference between a birthday cake and a pancake. What if you have “52 Steps to Knowing God’s Will,” and you skip step 37?

God’s will is not a closed system. It is dynamic! It is not always an issue of choosing A or B. In fact, many times you can choose from A to Z, and any of them will be okay. It’s your choice. Why would God give you a brain and not expect you to use it? He lets you make choices, and he gives you second chances.

If God’s will is not a feeling or a formula, what is it?

God’s will is a relationship.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:9, “God . . . invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, even Christ our Lord” (TLB).

We find very little in the Bible about the technique of knowing God’s will. But we see thousands of verses that talk about developing a loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Why? Because God’s will is a relationship.

The better you get to know God, the less confusion you’ll have about what his will is. Get to know God, and everything else becomes secondary.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

• If you experience a feeling that you believe is telling you something about God’s will, what is a right, appropriate response?
• Why do you think God allows us to make choices and even mistakes when we are searching for his will?
• How well do you know God — and how can you get to know God better?

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Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.

By Gay Bowlin
Another week when not many farmers are farming.  I hear that if anyone has planted anything it is mostly beans and not corn. With rain scheduled for the end of this week it looks like not much will be planted this week either.

With that said – this Saturday is the Rend Lake Water Festival Parade and that means that the 7th Annual Farmers Memorial Antique Tractor Drive will be happening.  We will be at the beginning of the parade and then continue on with our route over the lake.

If you have not registered for the Tractor Drive yet we will be at the old Toler Cinema on West Washington Street at 8:15 and a $25 registration fee is required.  You will receive a t-shirt and an amazing fish dinner.  Or if you just want to enjoy seeing all of the old tractors we will see you on the parade route.
Last Tuesday evening I was very proud to attend the Honors Awards Night at Sesser-Valuer High School and present Marissa Lamczyk with a scholarship for $500 from the Franklin County Farm Bureau and a $910 scholarship from the Young Leaders.  Marissa is the daughter of Melissa Lamczyk, Ag in the Classroom Coordinator and Mark Lamczyk who works at the U of I Extension.  Marissa is planning on becoming a Veterinarian and we wish he the best.

Farmers Markets around the County begin this week. Check out your local market and enjoy home-made items and some fresh foods as well.

Melissa was busy last week setting up incubators and I will keep you posted as to the outcome in each classroom of the number of chicks hatched plus ducks as well.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service  (NASS) is reminding farmers to complete their questionnaires and get them in. The numbers are down this year and by turning in your questionnaire it saves in-person and phone conversations to gather this information.

On the legislative side – SB486, Amendment #1, and HB 5284 both establish a standardized method of assessing commercial solar energy systems for property tax purposes. IFB policy supports a standard method of assessing solar energy systems and supports providing protection for landowners should a solar conversion system owner fail to pay property taxes. IFB is nearing an agreement with representatives of the solar energy developers, County assessors and other interested parties on the t cynics, aspects of the assessment process.  Stand by for more information as it becomes available to me.

Looking for more information on the 2018 Farm Bill? You can go to farmdoc.daily where they have released an initial review of cost estimates of the bill, farm programs and crop insurance, conservation programs and nutrition programs.

Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.

My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.

Isaiah 26:9 (Read all of Isaiah 26:9) New International Version

By Rick Warren — April 27, 2018

“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT).

The Bible tells us three things about the importance of faith.

1. God is looking for faithful people.

God is physically, visibly, actively taking the initiative to look for faithful people that he can bless. Second Chronicles 16:9 says, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (NLT).

This has been one of my life verses, and I’ve learned that if you make yourself usable, God will wear you out. If you get “blessable,” he will bless your socks off! (That’s why I don’t wear socks.) God is looking for faithful people that he can use.

2. Faithful people are hard to find.

The Bible says in Proverbs 20:6, “Everyone talks about how faithful he is, but just try to find someone who really is!” (GNT). A lot of people talk the talk, but they don’t really trust God. They trust their credit card instead. They say they believe in God, but they don’t really trust him when it comes to their finances, health, or job.

Psalm 53:2-3 says this: “God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!” (NLT).

3. Faithfulness is the key to blessing and victory.

First John 5:4-5 says, “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God” (NLT).

The Bible says in Proverbs 28:20, “A faithful man will have many blessings” (HCSB). I want your life to have many blessings. But to have those blessings, you have to learn faithfulness. God tests your faithfulness in different ways. Will you let him grow you in this area so that you can be a person of faith?

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk About It

• What are some ways that God has tested or is testing your faithfulness?
• What people do you look up to because you consider them faithful — people who are full of faith for the Lord? What attributes do they have in common?

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Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.