Tory Farina

Fuel crisis

I received this as many of you did from the airline industry. Somewhere our process for buying oil went wacky. Take a read and maybe we can help the process in the short run. I am still convinced that the long run solution is getting off oil. Maybe natural gas or methane... Imagine throwing your bio trash in your car like in "Back to the Future". That is the ticket!

An Open letter to All Airline Customers:

Our country is facing a possible sharp economic downturn because of skyrocketing oil and fuel prices, but by pulling together, we can all do something to help now. Visit www.StopOilSpeculationNow.com.

For airlines, ultra-expensive fuel means thousands of lost jobs and severe reductions in air service to both large and small communities. To the broader economy, oil prices mean slower activity and widespread economic pain. This pain can be alleviated, and that is why we are taking the extraordinary step of writing this joint letter to our customers.

Since high oil prices are partly a response to normal market forces, the nation needs to focus on increased energy supplies and conservation. However, there is another side to this story because normal market forces are being dangerously amplified by poorly regulated market speculation.

Twenty years ago, 21 percent of oil contracts were purchased by speculators who trade oil on paper with no intention of ever taking delivery. Today, oil speculators purchase 66 percent of all oil futures contracts, and that reflects just the transactions that are known. Speculators buy up large amounts of oil and then sell it to each other again and again. A barrel of oil may trade 20-plus times before it is delivered and used; the price goes up with each trade and consumers pick up the final tab. Some market experts estimate that current prices reflect as much as $30 to $60 per barrel in unnecessary speculative costs.

Over seventy years ago, Congress established regulations to control excessive, largely unchecked market speculation and manipulation. However, over the past two decades, these regulatory limits have been weakened or removed. We believe that restoring and enforcing these limits, along with several other modest measures, will provide more disclosure, transparency and sound market oversight. Together, these reforms will help cool the over-heated oil market and permit the economy to prosper.

The nation needs to pull together to reform the oil markets and solve this growing problem. We need your help. Get more information and contact Congress by visiting www.StopOilSpeculationNow.com.

Robert Fornaro
Chairman, President and CEO
AirTran Airways

Bill Ayer
Chairman, President and CEO
Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Gerard J. Arpey
Chairman, President and CEO
American Airlines, Inc.

Lawrence W. Kellner
Chairman and CEO
Continental Airlines, Inc.

Richard Anderson
CEO
Delta Air Lines, Inc.

Mark B. Dunkerley
President and CEO
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc.

Dave Barger
CEO
JetBlue Airways Corporation

Timothy E. Hoeksema
Chairman, President and CEO
Midwest Airlines

Douglas M. Steenland
President and CEO
Northwest Airlines, Inc.

Gary Kelly
Chairman and CEO
Southwest Airlines Co.

Glenn F. Tilton
Chairman, President and CEO
United Airlines, Inc.

Douglas Parker
Chairman and CEO
US Airways Group, Inc.

Plagued by CSED

We just finished connection group and now I am sitting down to finish my message. I am talking about how going green is good vertical... in the things we do. But truly Going Green should draw us into a horizontal expression of worship to God. A few days ago we were enjoying the warmth and the green was about to show. Now we have had blizzard conditions and ice and cold and I am suffering from CSED- creative seasonal effective disorder. I need green and sun and warmth and God to shine his creative grace on me. It took me a couple days to figure out why I was having a creative drought. Now that I realize it i am thinking and dreaming about next week.  60's, fresh grass growing, animals coming out and frolicking, people outside all of it sounds so inviting.

I see in nature a physical expression of something that God is trying to show us spiritually. Like the transition from winter to spring is the transition from a heart out of worshipful connectivity with God and a heart responding to the Son and his glory. The grass reaches to the sky to catch the life giving sun and right now my soul is trying to reach out to God.Look through the bible and notice how many times it says that nature or creation responds to God. The trees clap their hands, the stones will cry out, the stars proclaim the glory of God. Nature is in a constant state of worship. We are apart of nature but I think we can find ourselves effected by so many things that worship is really not a constant in our life.

This week as the snow melts and the grass greens lets respond to the glory of God... Get in his creation and call out to the lord, Pray, sing, lift your hands, laugh, cry, shout for Joy, make a cheer Do something to respond to the glory of God.

You may feel far from God... he is not far from you. You may feel tired or worn out... He refreshes. You may feel like life has beat you down... He wants to give you a new life.

Live Green... Worship God.

Going Green Saves a lot of GREEN...

I am trying to encourage you to be a better steward with your environment. I also hope to help you be a better steward with your pocketbook. Going green often can save you money in the long run. Take a look at what Prestonwood Church came up with and how it has effected their Green. They saved so much money with the savings they launched a second campus. A church exists where one had not because they saved GREEN. What if you gave your savings to God? How many more people could be reached with his love, touched by his spirit and needs met?

      Prestonwood Energy Conservation Program 

In following Jesus’ command to his disciples in John 6:12, “…… Let nothing be wasted,”
we implemented an Energy Conservation Program in July 2006. By doing so, we’re not
only being good stewards of our church’s energy use, we are saving money that is then
used for ministry work. Since then, we have saved more than $1.5 million. (Updated
March 2008)

Although we were always energy conscious, we began looking at everything at
Prestonwood that uses energy – electricity, natural gas, water and sewer – and developed
a plan to use it in the most efficient way possible. 

• Implemented software program that tracks energy usage 
• Installed approximately 300 compact florescent light bulbs in office desk and
table lamps throughout the church
• Installed approximately 140 motion light sensors in bathrooms, meeting rooms
and offices throughout the church
• De-lamped 22 beverage vending machines
• Installed timers on 22 beverage machines to limit the compressors
• Disconnected the water cooler compressors from running during the fall and
winter season
• Installed a well and pump to fill the lake north of the Upper School without using
city water
• Installed timers on all kiosk units throughout the church to limit the lighting each
day
• Installed timers on all interior Christmas light displays so that lighting was limited
during the holiday season
• Installed 28 Weathermatic Irrigation Controllers to more efficiently irrigate the
500 irrigation zones around the church and Prestonwood Christian Academy
(These intelligent controllers determine on a daily basis how much water is
needed to keep the grounds appropriately irrigated, thereby eliminating
over/under watering.)
• Converted Time Clocks from Mechanical to Digital Astrological on several
Exterior Lighting zones, the Prayer Garden, and Lake Fountain
• Hold seminars and classes for members and guests to learn how they can be
energy efficient at home

We continue to tweak our plan regularly, always looking for additional ways to
conserve energy.

Notes from sunday

I wanted to give you access to mu notes from Sunday. I realized today as i was about to post that I didn't have all of the sources that I used on the document. I will work on adding that to my notes in the future.

Download waste_management_wk2_web.doc

Our wake of waste is a direct reflection of our fallen state away from Gods ideal and best. I wonder what it would be like to want for nothing? I think about the Garden State and wonder how advertisers would sell anything.
"You cant get a girl unless you use this body spray."

"drive this car and you will get the corner office."

"Eat this sandwich and your boss will like your presentation."

"Drink this Soft Drink and you will be lean and athletic like this athlete."

"No thanks I am satisfied... I have more than I NEED."

What a thought? Our pre-fallen, in the garden with God and Adam, state was this way and our post-fallen, sin having separated us from God, state will be this way. I can not fully grasp what that would actually be like. We will live and have meaning and a job like Adam did, we will just do it from a different motivation. That messes with me in a good way.

Water...

I wanted to give you a link to an article in Fast Company that I used on Sunday about water.

What to recycle and what not to...

http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/EnvironmentRoads/GreenGuide/default.htm

Check out this link to see what to do with your trash and find out if it is recyclable or not. I just found out that egg cartoons are not? What is with that... how it is different than other paper? This is very helpful and useful. Click on the trash you want to find out about and it will give you instructions on what to do with it.