In a speech in Potsdam, she said the so-called “multikulti” concept – where people would “live side-by-side” happily – did not work.

Mrs Merkel’s comments come amid recent outpourings of strong anti-immigrant feeling from mainstream politicians.

A recent survey showed that more than 30% of Germans believed Germany was “overrun by foreigners”.

The study – by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation think-tank – also showed that roughly the same number thought that some 16 million of Germany’s immigrants or people with foreign origins had come to the country for the social benefits.

You can follow the ‘via’ link above to go to the source and read the rest of the article if you’d like to dig a little deeper. What can/should we learn from the Germans?

The Pizza Bowl in Algoma was one of seven businesses that had an employee cited for serving underage patrons during a special Algoma police operation Sept. 18, which happened to be the same weekend as the Wet Whistle Wine Festival.

Though Pizza Bowl owner Jim Anderson doesn’t think it was right for the Algoma Police Department to do an underage drinking sting during one of the busiest nights in the city, it’s not the operation that has him up in arms.

“The sting is not the concern,” Anderson said. “The concern is the overall way they patrol. They constantly drive around the bars; they circle the parking lots and stop anyone with a headlight out. The sting was the final straw. They’re putting us out of business.”

Business organization is Patrick Lencioni’s game. He is a well-respected leadership consultant and the president of the management consulting firm The Table Group Inc. He is the author of nine best-selling books, including Getting Naked, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Three Signs of a Miserable Job. Lencioni is a popular keynote speaker and meets regularly with Fortune 500 CEOs and executives across the country. In addition, he is a husband and the father of four young boys. His life is busy; his family’s schedule is hectic. But by practicing the principles he teaches in his book The 3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family, he and his wife are able to create a life that is both productive and enjoyable. In this one-on-one interview, Lencioni shares how the same organizational strategies that make businesses more effective can help families go from frantic to focused.

After your son has learned to read, he needs to learn to enjoy reading.  Here are some ideas to motivate boys to read.  First, it’s important to know that boys usually like non-fiction books – books about sports and adventure.  Next, you can encourage your son by giving books as gifts.  When you give your son a soccer ball for instance, you can also give him a book on the sport.  And, finally, make reading a regular part of your household activities. If your son is young, read to him. If he’s outgrown story time, let your son see you reading.  Boys and books, a winning combination! Check out this list of great books for boys based on their ages.

Which God is yours—authoritative, benevolent, critical or distant?  USA Today and other news sources are headlining a new study by Baylor University sociologists Paul Froese and Christopher Bader which concludes that Americans see God in these four ways.  I found their research to be so interesting that I purchased their book yesterday and want to do a larger study of its conclusions in the near future.  For this morning, let’s think about the practical implications of their report.

Around 28% of Americans believe in an Authoritarian God who is directly involved in human history and punishes those who don’t obey him.  When Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin warn that our country will lose God’s favor unless we get right with him, they’re referring to this view of God.

About 22% of us believe in a Benevolent God who is engaged in our world but seeks to help and support us.  One of the Baylor scholars describes this deity as “a force for good who cares for all people, weeps at all conflicts and will comfort all.”

Around 21% of Americans believe in a Critical God who keeps an eye on this world but is waiting until the next to get really involved in our lives.  The authors illustrate by quoting a pastor who tells his people that “our cars that are breaking down here will be chariots in heaven.  Our empty bank accounts will be storehouses with the Lord.”

Some 24% of us believe in a Distant God who created the universe but is not personally engaged in its operations or our lives today.  The authors quote one proponent of this view who says, “There’s no one that can fix things if I mess them up.  God’s not telling me what I should do.”

Of course, our beliefs about God do not change his reality.  The person who doesn’t believe in heaven or hell doesn’t affect their existence.  What does the Bible say about our four views of God?

Jesus is “authoritarian” with those who reject his deity and message: “I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Matthew 21:43).  He is “benevolent” at the grave of Lazarus (John 11:35) and with his grieving sisters (vs. 25-26).  He is “critical” with his frightened disciples, promising them a heavenly reward and home (John 14:2).

However, the Bible makes clear the fact that God is not “distant”—he is with us to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20), holding us in the palm of his hand (John 10:28) so fully that nothing can separate us from his love (Romans 8:35-39).  Your Father considered your eternal life worth the death of his Son—never wonder if he loves you today.  That’s not my view of God—it is his.