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As a writer, I enjoyed reading this article about the cliches that made this year's bad English list.
Choosing from among 2,000 submissions, the public relations department at Michigan's Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie targeted 19 affronts to the English language in its well-known jab at the worlds of media, sports, advertising and politics.
The contributors gave first prize to the phrase "a perfect storm," saying it was numbingly applied to virtually any notable coincidence.
If you're in the habit of saying "30 is the new 20" or "the Wii is the new Xbox," you're also in hot water.
List-makers complained about the absurd comparisons commonly phrased "x is the new y," as in "(age) 70 is the new 50" or "chocolate is the new sex." "Fallacy is the new truth," commented one contributor.
Other words and phrases brought to light by the cliche-catchers, included Webinar, organic, post 9/11, surge, decimate, give back, random and sweet. The article hit close to home at the end.
And finally, any self-respecting writer would groan at being labeled a "wordsmith" who engages in "wordsmithing," the list-makers said.
Point well taken. I've never liked the title. It calls to mind images of a hot fire, anvil and sweaty biceps -- a world too far removed from my G4 Powerbook. It's the perfect storm for a bad analogy.
"Our learning must be seasoned before it can be put to use in full effectiveness. Experience has its lessons to impart and we will profit by them. Struggle and stress and strife will give the fiber which is the basis of character, and that we my not be lacking in humility less adversity come upon us. So we set forth for our work in the world not blindly, but hopefully, not carelessly, but with seriousness of purpose, resolved to give our best to the struggle which is life. Each in her own particular task will render service in accordance with her natural endowments plus learning."
Those were the marching orders given to Mercy Hospital's graduating class of nurses in 1933 by the valedictorian. It's a visionary statement of purpose the likes of which fill books of famous quotations. But this quote wasn't uttered by a statesman or actor or author. It was written, and delivered, by my grandma. And until my uncle worked with an archivist at Mercy Hospital to pull together an alumni display, I'd never seen it before. I didn't even know she was valedictorian.
"Born in Toledo, August 22, 1912, Helen Marie Weissenberger was the youngest of six children. In 1930, she entered nurses training at Mercy hospital. After graduation, she went on to work for two OB/GYN physicians. She was also a nurse with the American Red Cross."
These facts and more, part of an exhibit at the hospital, made their way to me via email from my Dad. Reading through them I realized how little I know about my grandma. And they're all I have left. She died when I was a young woman.
How I wish now that I had taken time to ask her about her life. She was always just grandma. The loving woman with the immaculate house and wonderful tin of cookies in her kitchen cupboard. I didn't appreciate till just last week that she was once a woman like I am now: a mother of three young children with dreams and aspirations, some realized, some shelved for the greater good of her family. It's a gift to have this memoir of her life. I see much of myself in her story and am reminded how much I am a product of my family.
If your grandparents are still living, don't miss another opportunity to ask them about their youth. What was it like to date and marry back when they were in their 20s? What were their kids -- your parents -- like when they were babies and little kids? What's changed since then? What's the same? If you can get it, their story, your heritage, is one Christmas gift worth asking for.
Why'd the chicken cross the road? (Warning: Extreme political incorrectness follows.)
DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.
OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.
BILL O'REILLY: The folks don't want the chicken crossing the road. It's clear to any clear-thinking American who thinks clearly and doesn't obfuscate or bloviate. But the secular Left, who continue their war on Chickenmas, want to let all sorts of chickens cross the road, but the folks just won't stand for it. Now stop drinking the Kool-Aid.
ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die. In the rain. Alone.
JAMES JOYCE: Slush. Chicken thought "cold" as he stood on the curb, a vehicle roaring past like a lion, sweltering, savanna radiating heat, acacia trees shimmering in the distance. Picnic. Tree. Pie crumbs. Ants. She was lovely, in her own pert way, doctor's office steps yawning, maw gaping, before him, remembering the dreaded meeting. Bad news. Serious look furrows his brow, his hairy eyebrows coming together. Her hair tossed casually aside, giving him that impertinent look as she stepped off the curb. Oh, yes, Chicken remembered, I need to cross the road. But why?
GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road or not. The chicken is either against us or for us. There is no middle ground here. The last thing we need is a chicken with nookyular weapons crossing the road.
PAT BUCHANAN: Chickens shouldn't cross the road! Our chickens should stay on our side of the road, and their chickens should stay on their side of the road. Important American chicken jobs are being stolen by their chickens.
MIKE HUCKABEE: Chicken!? Where? Let me shoot it!
HILLARY CLINTON: At first I supported the chicken crossing the road, and would have voted for it, but then I realized that it's probably, you know, not a good idea for the chicken to cross the road. I mean, I understand why Gov. Spitzer wants to legalize having chickens cross the road, but upon further evaluation, I think, you know ... um, that chickens should be free to choose to cross the road, but that ... um, next question.
BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of chicken?
AL GORE: I invented the chicken!
JOHN MCCAIN: I guess everyone had a pretty good time when the chicken crossed the road. I'm sure it was a cultural and pharmaceutical event. I was tied up at the time.
JOHN EDWARDS: The chicken wants to cross the road, but the special interests on the other side of the road are determined not to let him. They want to rob the chicken of his dream of a simple middle-class life, but I'm going to fight the special interests. I'm going to take them on, because I identify with the common chicken. Just give me a minute.
BARAK OBAMA: I'm sure, if we all just work together, that we can, as a people, help the chicken cross the road. It's time to end the cynical politics of the past that says chickens should stay on their side of the road. It's time to take a principled stand for what we believe.
RUDY GUILIANI: On 9/11 I was well aware of a lot of chickens wanting to cross the road, and because of my steadfast leadership, those chickens were able to cross the road safely. And at Ground Zero, which I visited, you know, a bunch of times, in between attending Yankees games, I continued to provide the leadership to allow the chickens to cross the road. (I just didn't tell my then-present wife about it.)
DENNIS KUCINICH: They just want you to believe the chicken wants to cross the road. I know in fact that there is no chicken. But a UFO abducted it, if there was a chicken, that is.
BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2007, the idea for which I stole from Apple. It will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra... (Unknown Error 231)
COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?
I rarely tackle anything of a political nature on this blog, but when Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday, the event felt significant. As my family watched the news reports, I told my dad, "This seems like a news report you'd see in a movie about the end times." And indeed, I wonder if we'll look back on this particular event as a catalyst to what follows in world events.
A controversial figure, Bhutto had been living in London in a self-imposed exile since 1996 but returned to Pakistan in October to run for prime minister in the January 8 elections. She had served in the position twice before: from 1988 to 1990 and 1993 to 1996.
In a Christianity Today article, Jay Smith, who debated Bhutto at the Oxford Union several years ago and knew her as a "a great woman and honest friend," says: Thursday's tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan who returned to her country two months ago, is a staggering loss. Worldwide, Christians who are passionate about reaching Muslims should mourn her murder.
In a Parade interview with Bhutto that is set to appear as the magazine's January 6 cover story, she explained why she was a target for Al Qaeda. “I am what the terrorists most fear,” she tells me, “a female political leader fighting to bring modernity to Pakistan. Now they’re trying to kill me."
Unfortunately, they succeeded -- although there is controversy surrounding the details of Bhutto's death and whether Al Qaeda or the Pakistani government is responsible. Prior to Bhutto's death, the Parade article considered the implications of her political success or failure: Why should this election matter so much to America? That answer is simple. Pakistan has nuclear weapons. Also, the most dangerous place in the world is Pakistan’s lawless border with Afghanistan. It is a Ho Chi Minh Trail of terrorism where Osama bin Laden is believed to enjoy sanctuary.
Despite controversy surrounding Bhutto's personal integrity (the Pakistani government claims she and her husband stole 1.5 billion dollars during the years she was in power), her political views offered hope for keeping the "extremist Islamic tide" at bay in Pakistan.
Best-selling end times writer Joel Rosenberg suggests Benazir's death matters because, "Pakistan is just one coup d'etat away from Osama bin Laden or one of his fanatical, murderous allies suddenly gaining control."
Bhutto hoped to give Pakistan another chance at democracy. A chance, sadly, she will not be able to deliver. Still, it's yet to be seen what the ultimate impact of her life and death will be. We can only hope her bravery will inspire others to stand up against terrorism.
As editor of Boundless, I'm very familiar with the articles we publish each week. There've been a lot of great ones, and some exceptional ones. During this last week of the year, I wanted to highlight some that you may have missed when they first hit the stands:
I'm Just Not Attracted To Her
Author Michael Lawrence recognizes that while a lot of single guys may admire the women around them, they're not pursuing any of them because there's just no spark with any of them. He explores this "problem of attraction," going on to address the purpose and promise of beauty. This article could radically change the way you think about your feelings toward the opposite sex.
Following My Heart
I appreciate how vulnerable Nathan Zacharias was when he wrote this article. He talks about how he fell for a woman, how he gave so much to the relationship, how he followed his heart despite all the red flags. "Romantic!" some might say. In retrospect, Nathan sees his blind passion as foolishness.
How Not to Lose Your Faith in College
Half of our readers are in college, and will be returning to the campus in a week or two. It's a great time to make some changes, to start something new that will improve your walk with the Lord. If you're a bit disappointed with how your spiritual life suffered during the Fall semester, why not resolve to turn things around during the upcoming semester? This could very well be your best semester yet!
I'm interested to hear how these articles have affected you. I'd also love to hear how anything else we've published on Boundless has touched you.
I have seen the Lord's hand move in my life in obvious ways over the years. Often in my prayers the Spirit will lead me to recount them one-by-one with my heart overflowing with praise and thanksgiving. And now, at the end of the year, I plan to remember them anew with my family.
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses does a lot of recounting for a new generation of Israelites. As they stand ready to take possession of the Promised Land, he commands that they remember the Lord's wonders in Egypt so that they will not be afraid of "nations greater and mightier." "If you say in your heart, 'These Nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?' you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. So will the Lord your God do to all the people of whom you are afraid." -- Deuteronomy 7:17-19 ESV
But Moses, knowing that God would bless them with a land in which they lack nothing, also commanded them to remember the Lord in their time of plenty lest they become prideful. "Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who give you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day." -- Deuteronomy 8:17,18 ESV
As you reflect on the goals achieved in 2007 and consider the ones you'll set for 2008, remember God's providence in your life. God has allowed you to see his hand move so that you'll be encouraged in times of trials and humbled in times of plenty.
 Here in Colorado Springs, we had a perfect combination of snow. We had the white Christmas that so many songs pine for this time of year -- with beautiful swirling flakes throughout the day. Then on Wednesday we had a blue sky that made for ideal sledding.
It's snowing again today. I'm watching the cars in the parking lot slowly get covered in a blanket of white. But as the flakes dance around outside my window, I have to admit I have mixed emotions.
As a North Carolina native living in Colorado, I appreciate the opportunity to see snow more often. We had a white Christmas in North Carolina back in the 1990s that was the first in a hundred years. I like that the precipitation we get here during the winter is more likely to be snow than rain. Snow is more comforting than rain in the winter and it's a lot more fun to play in -- but then again you don't have to shovel rain. Shoveling snow can feel festive in December, but oppressive in April and May.
How do you feel about snow? Love it? Hate it? Ever seen it?
Everyone loves a feel-good story at Christmastime. And my favorite feel-good stories have to do with adoption. The New York Sun reports this story of the unlikely adoption of an Iraqi orphan by a U.S. soldier. Captain Scott Southworth first met Ala'a four years ago: On September 6, 2003, halfway through his 13-month deployment, Captain Southworth and his military police unit paid a visit to the orphanage. They played and chatted with the children; Captain Southworth was talking with one little girl when Ala'a dragged his body to the soldier's side.
Black haired and brown eyed, Ala'a spoke to the 31-year-old American in the limited English he had learned from the sisters. He recalled the bombs that struck government buildings across the Tigris River.
"Bomb-Bing! Bomb-Bing!" Ala'a said, raising and lowering his fist.
"I'm here now. You're fine," the captain said.
Over the course of 10 months, the two developed a relationship, and Ala'a, who suffers from cerebral palsy, secretly began calling Captain Southworth "Baba," which is Arabic for "Daddy." Even though he was a single man with no wife and children back in the states, Captain Southworth felt compelled to adopt the boy. Captain Southworth's decision was cemented in spring 2004, while he and his comrades watched Mel Gibson's film, "The Passion of the Christ." Jesus Christ's sacrifice moved him. He imagined meeting Christ and Ala'a in heaven, where Ala'a asked: "Baba, why didn't you ever come back to get me?"
"Everything that I came up with as a response I felt ashamed. I wouldn't want to stand in the presence of Jesus and Ala'a and say those things to him."
Captain Southworth was able to adopt Ala'a and bring him to the U.S. in January 2005. Today the boy is 13 and thriving. It's apparent Captain Southworth has embraced his unexpected calling. Ala'a — who picked out his own name, which means to be near God — knows he's where he belongs. Captain Southworth always says Ala'a picked him, not the other way around. They were brought together, Captain Southworth believes, by a "web of miracles."
HT: Justin Taylor
It was Christmas break and the campus was closing down, so I went back home for a few weeks. As the days passed, I grew restless and bored. I missed spending time with friends between classes. I missed the mental stimulation. I found myself increasingly eager to leave the emptiness of small town Upper Michigan and return to the normality of college life.
It's been over a decade since that particular Christmas break, but the memories of that time are still there. I imagine many of our readers are finding themselves in the same place: restlessness, boredom, loneliness. Maybe there's some family conflict, maybe the gifts you received for Christmas were lame, maybe things have changed too much (or too little) from the last time you visited home.
Let me encourage you to spend a few minutes reading "Making it a Merry Christmas," an article we published a few days ago on Boundless, something Suzanne had written a couple of years ago. I'm confident it'll help you make the best of your time back home.
Does this article resonate with you? Are you anxious to get back to college, with its routine and friendships?
We obviously celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25, but is that really when He was born? Well, I'm not sure. But there are a few ideas out there.
We know that Jesus was conceived six months after John the Baptist (Luke 1:24-27, 36). So, if we can figure out when John was born, we can figure out when Jesus was born.
John the Baptist's father was a man named Zacharias. Zacharias was from the tribe of Levi, which meant that he was to serve in the temple each year. The Jews kept a record of temple service, and people much smarter than me have figured out when Zacharias would have been serving in the temple during that year. From what we can deduce from the biblical accounts, John the Baptist would've been born in the spring -- around Passover. This, in itself, is pretty cool because during a Passover meal, the Jews always leave a cup for Elijah in case he returns. Who did Jesus say John the Baptist was? (Matthew 11:7-15)
Anyhoo, if John was born at Passover and Jesus was born six months after that, it puts His birth in the fall -- during the festival of Sukkot. Here's why I think that's cool:
Sukkot is a holiday that was commanded by God in Leviticus 23:33-44. It is one of the most joyful of all Jewish holidays -- God commands them to rejoice before Him for seven days. It also comes during the harvest -- the time when you thank God for His provision. (What better provision than a Messiah to save us from our sins?) Also, according to this site, during Sukkot is when the Jews finish their cycle of Torah readings and begin again. This time is considered to be the "fulfillment of the Torah" -- quite symbolic, since that is what Christ came to do.
During Sukkot, Jews build Sukkahs, which are temporary shelters that they live in. It is to remind them of the time they lived in shelters during their wandering in the wilderness once they left Egypt. To the Jew, the Exodus is the most pivotal event of their faith -- and if you study Jesus' life, He does much to compare Himself to Moses, the leader of the Exodus. It seems only right that Jesus would come at a time they remember the Exodus from Egypt. (And don't forget that Jesus dies during Passover, another very symbolic holiday about the Exodus.)
There are also arguments for Jesus being born around December 25, although I'm more likely to believe that the early Christians replaced a pagan holiday by celebrating the birth of Jesus instead.
Either way -- I don't think it's a huge deal when we celebrate Jesus' birth. I do think it's really cool to understand some of the significant things about Christ's timing when we study Jewish culture and holidays.
But the most important thing is taking time to really be joyful and thankful for the God who came to earth as a baby to redeem all of creation. He kept the promise He made so long ago. And that is something to celebrate.
This week I blogged about holiday blues brought on by annoying circumstances, but many people suffer a different kind of pain at Christmas ... the pain of remembering a lost loved one. This is the case for Jennifer Napier who wrote the article "Birthdays with Jesus." Since my sister's death, December and March have been two particularly difficult months for me. When December draws close, I tend to cry thinking of how old my sister would've been. I've often imagined what a joy it would've been for our kids to grow up together. And I miss the conversations we would have had. There are some things I know that only she would understand.
Last year, in an effort to remember and celebrate my sister's life, I had a type of party for her. My daughter and I made her a cake and I spent the day thinking of how blessed I was to have her in my life. This year, her fourth birthday with Jesus, I wanted to do the same thing.
When plans went awry on December 7, Jennifer describes how she felt God had even taken away her time to grieve for her sister. Did God really love me? At times I felt like He must be a big monster simply smirking at me. I knew it wasn't true, but why would He let me have so much pain, loss, and hardship? Why did my life sound more like a soap opera or some crazy tragic movie than a song of victory? And then there was today. Could I let go of the day I had planned and let it be the day that God wanted to give me?
Christmas is difficult for those who have lost someone. As I draw near to my happy, healthy family today, this fact is humbling. How can I be sensitive to those who are tender this time of year? Jennifer recounts how God provided an extra blessing on a day that seemed bleak. (You'll have to read the article to find out what it was.) I didn't get to do anything I planned on my sister's birthday. We didn't buy a tree. I didn't eat ice-cream for breakfast (one of her die-hard habits). But I did get a taste of God's goodness and I did worship Him with a grateful heart. My sister would have definitely approved. In the end, I guess I did do something she did, I loved God. I worshiped Him. I surrendered myself and my life to Him again.
If you are hurting this Christmas, I pray He will give you grace to do the same.
I like to think of Christianity as the "Who'd a Thunk It?" faith. In so many ways it defies man's expectations, and yet it is so perfect and obvious.
There was the fact that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, something that really should not be in doubt but which makes so much sense after you think about it -- Rob Bell to the contrary.
That he would be a unassuming servant and not a conquering king also makes so much sense after the fact, born, not in a king's palace, but in humble conditions.
And that he was born to die would not have been guessed in a million years, yet it becomes so clear after the fact.
When you look at the efforts of man in all the other world religions to somehow earn their way into God's favor and compare it to Christianity, it becomes clear why I always say, "Who'd a thunk it!?"
So what better way to remember the birth of our Savior than to call on His name.
Merry Christmas!
There's a link at the bottom of one of this week's articles to download free Christmas music from Sovereign Grace. A number of authors published on Boundless are affiliated with Sovereign Grace (e.g., Carolyn McCulley, Bob Kauflin, Eric Simmons, C.J. Mahaney, Joshua Harris) -- I think you'll enjoy their music as much as you do these authors' articles.
I love pretty much everything these guys produce; this song is no exception. After you download it and add it to your MP3 player, listen to some of the other songs they've recorded. This album (iTunes link) may be my favorite, I had a hand in producing some of the songs on this album (iTunes link), and I'm actually playing keyboard on a few songs included on this one (iTunes link).
Enjoy the early Christmas gift!
The kids wanted to finish watching "It's a Wonderful Life" this morning. One of the last scenes I caught before coming into the office was George Bailey jumping off the bridge after contemplating suicide.
 At the office, I came across a Los Angeles Times article saying that scene "could well have given birth to the media myth that Christmas is a trigger for increased suicides and episodes of depression."
But then it went on to say: It is a baseless notion, according to a body of published studies by statisticians who have examined hundreds of thousands of suicides in the United States and around the world. The number of suicides goes down, not up, over the holiday season, by as much as 40%.
During the season of good cheer, there are certainly those whose blue mood stands in stark contrast to the season's bright lights and festivities. But pointing to the Christmas season as a cause of increased depression and risk for suicide is just wrong, says Dan Romer, director of the Annenberg Adolescent Risk Communication Institute at the University of Pennsylvania.
While disputing the suicide myth, the article affirmed that the holidays can be tough to face. This is not to say that the holidays are easy for everyone. "Some people have unreasonable expectations -- the holidays have to be happy," says Dr. Ian Cook, director of the UCLA depression research program. If in-laws are sniping at you about your home, your food and your lifestyle; your 2-year-old has already broken his new toys and is wailing; and your sister's teenage daughter is sulking in the family room, happiness can be a tall order.
But the same holiday traditions that can bring headaches can also bring comfort: No matter how bad it may seem, holiday rituals add up to more good than bad, buffering adults and children against depression and anxiety.
Barbara Fiese, chairwoman of psychology at Syracuse University, reviewed 32 studies done over 50 years and concluded that holiday family rituals may be annoying, but they're good for us. People with strong family routines and rituals at holiday time reported more marital satisfaction, better academic achievement among children and better overall health among family members, she found.
May your Christmas traditions (and the birth we celebrate) be a source of great comfort to you regardless of whatever headaches or disappointments you may be facing this time of year.
* * *
Focus on the Family has a staff of more than 20 licensed Christian counselors available to talk with you. If you are struggling with depression and would like to talk with one of them, please call (719) 531-3400 Monday-Friday 9-4:30 (Mountain time), and ask for the Counseling department at extension 7700. One of the counselors' assistants will arrange for a counselor to call you back at no charge to you.
Hooray for Christmas!
In Jason Boyett's latest TrueU article, he talks about his very favorite Christmas story. (He also mentions his favorite Christmas movies which include Charlie Brown, The Grinch and good old Rudolph.) Boyett's favorite is not found in Luke 2, though. It comes from Luke 15 -- the parable of the prodigal son.
Boyett loves this story because it reminds him of how completely amazing the incarnation is. God came to earth -- as one of us -- in order to redeem us, forgive us, make us whole. It's a story of a son and a father -- a sinner and a Savior. As far as parables go, the title is misleading. Somewhere along the way, it got named after the son who leaves his family, squanders his money, and returns home a failed wreck of a man. But I wonder if maybe the story isn't so much about the son as it is about the father. When the son left home, requesting his inheritance in advance, what he was symbolically doing was telling his dad to drop dead. He humiliated his father. The son's actions would have stunned Jesus' listeners, and they wouldn't have been surprised had the family immediately disowned the boy and moved on as if he never existed.
But that's not what the father did. In fact, when he saw his son coming down the road, he ran to him and gave him a hug, forgave him and brought him home. It shows us what God did for us when He sent His Son to earth. By coming to Earth in the person of Jesus, God doesn't wait for us to approach Him. He comes to us. He puts on flesh and blood, and in doing so, He redeems what it means to be human. He wraps all of Creation in his hug, restoring us to fellowship with Him. Through the example of His love, He restores us to fellowship with each other.
How grateful we should be this Christmas as we remember the God who redeemed what it means to be human. Simply put: It's beautiful.
It's almost impossible to not to give away some plot lines when describing I Am Legend so if you haven't seen it, be warned.
I found the movie both entertaining and disappointing ... if that's even possible. The visual of an apocalyptic New York City was cool, the pace was right on and Will Smith was enjoyable to watch. But then there were those computer-generated (CG) "night feeders" Smith's character had to battle for the second half of the movie. I mean, I've seen better CG effects in 1995's Jumanji; and more convincing zombies in Michael Jackson's Thriller video.
And that's not my only complaint.
I simply did not have enough will power to suspend my disbelief to fancy that virus-infected mutants could have the strength of Superman, the speed of Flash, the wall climbing ability of Spiderman and the sun allergy of Dracula. After a while, I half expected to see them turn invisible or stretch like Elastigirl from The Incredibles.
Still, I enjoyed it in a campy-zombie-popcorn-munching sort of way. What about you?
It's that time of year again.
Time to go home for Christmas. Or stick around and make Christmas traditions of your own. Either way, the events surrounding such a wonderful and emotional holiday can create stress. Today, Boundless is featuring an article I wrote two years ago about overcoming holiday blues. I also talked about it for a Focus on the Family TV short.
A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from Pamela, who wrote: I just wondered -- this is Christmas 2007 -- how have the situations you described evolved? I just wanted to hug each of you!
Thank you, Pamela. I am very glad to report that since writing that article, each Christmas has been better than the last. An others-focused game plan makes all the difference. It doesn't allow you to feel sorry for yourself. (I also send out a little gift list with appropriate gift ideas instead of expecting family members to read my mind.)
Last year, I spent a lot of time in the days leading up to Christmas cooking, wrapping presents and cleaning the kitchen. This kept me busy, provided quality time with my family members and alleviated household stress. By Christmas Eve, duties were done and we were able to drive to my brother's town in Oregon to attend the Christmas Eve service he'd put together.(Note the picture of me and my nephew Ben taken that night.)
The improvement in my Christmas experiences could be maturity, but I also notice a huge difference when I don't let my time with the Lord slide. That is something I have absolute control over. I wish each of you a Christmas full of joy and laughter -- and most importantly, full of Christ!
The U.S. Senate released a report today proving that there is no "consensus" among scientists on the issue of climate change. These scientists are neither Holocaust deniers nor moonlanding deniers or round-earth deniers, but are legitimate scientists engaged in the scientific process.
(Let me insert here that I am strongly in favor of wise stewardship of the planet. God gave us the responsibility to care for the environment, and those who violate it are expressing a disdain for the Creator. We are to respect that which He lovingly provides us. The reason I'm again bringing up the issue of "global warming" is to challenge our readers to reject fear and to think critically and faithfully, a practice that honors God.)
Below is a list of a few of these scientists, along with their qualifications, and what they have to say about global warming/climate change.
Israel: Dr. Nathan Paldor, Professor of Dynamical Meteorology and Physical Oceanography at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has authored almost 70 peer-reviewed studies and won several awards:
"First, temperature changes, as well as rates of temperature changes (both increase and decrease) of magnitudes similar to that reported by IPCC to have occurred since the Industrial revolution (about 0.8C in 150 years or even 0.4C in the last 35 years) have occurred in Earth's climatic history. There's nothing special about the recent rise!"
Russia: Dr. Oleg Sorochtin of the Institute of Oceanology at the Russian Academy of Sciences has authored more than 300 studies, nine books, and a 2006 paper titled "The Evolution and the Prediction of Global Climate Changes on Earth":
"Even if the concentration of 'greenhouse gases' double man would not perceive the temperature impact."
Spain: Anton Uriarte, a professor of Physical Geography at the University of the Basque Country in Spain and author of a book on the paleoclimate, rejected man-made climate fears in 2007:
"There's no need to be worried. It's very interesting to study [climate change], but there's no need to be worried."
Netherlands: Atmospheric scientist Dr. Hendrik Tennekes, a scientific pioneer in the development of numerical weather prediction and former director of research at The Netherlands' Royal National Meteorological Institute, and an internationally recognized expert in atmospheric boundary layer processes:
"I find the Doomsday picture Al Gore is painting — a six-meter sea level rise, fifteen times the IPCC number — entirely without merit.... I protest vigorously the idea that the climate reacts like a home heating system to a changed setting of the thermostat: just turn the dial, and the desired temperature will soon be reached."
Brazil: Chief Meteorologist Eugenio Hackbart of the MetSul Meteorologia Weather Center in Sao Leopoldo - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil declared himself a skeptic:
"The media is promoting an unprecedented hyping related to global warming. The media and many scientists are ignoring very important facts that point to a natural variation in the climate system as the cause of the recent global warming."
France: Climatologist Dr. Marcel Leroux, former professor at Université Jean Moulin and director of the Laboratory of Climatology, Risks, and Environment in Lyon, is a climate skeptic. Leroux wrote a 2005 book titled Global Warming – Myth or Reality? — The Erring Ways of Climatology.
"Day after day, the same mantra — that 'the Earth is warming up' — is churned out in all its forms. As 'the ice melts' and 'sea level rises,' the Apocalypse looms ever nearer! Without realizing it, or perhaps without wishing to, the average citizen in bamboozled, lobotomized, lulled into mindless acceptance.... Non-believers in the greenhouse scenario are in the position of those long ago who doubted the existence of God ... fortunately for them, the Inquisition is no longer with us!"
Norway: Geologist/Geochemist Dr. Tom V. Segalstad, a professor and head of the Geological Museum at the University of Oslo and formerly an expert reviewer with the UN IPCC:
"It is a search for a mythical CO2 sink to explain an immeasurable CO2 lifetime to fit a hypothetical CO2 computer model that purports to show that an impossible amount of fossil fuel burning is heating the atmosphere. It is all a fiction."
Finland: Dr. Boris Winterhalter, retired Senior Marine Researcher of the Geological Survey of Finland and former professor of marine geology at University of Helsinki, criticized the media for what he considered its alarming climate coverage:
"The effect of solar winds on cosmic radiation has just recently been established and, furthermore, there seems to be a good correlation between cloudiness and variations in the intensity of cosmic radiation. Here we have a mechanism which is a far better explanation to variations in global climate than the attempts by IPCC to blame it all on anthropogenic input of greenhouse gases."
Germany: Paleoclimate expert Augusto Mangini of the University of Heidelberg in Germany, criticized the UN IPCC summary:
"I consider the part of the IPCC report, which I can really judge as an expert, i.e. the reconstruction of the paleoclimate, wrong.... The earth will not die."
Canada: IPCC 2007 Expert Reviewer Madhav Khandekar, a Ph.D. meteorologist, a scientist with the Natural Resources Stewardship Project who has over 45 years experience in climatology, meteorology and oceanography, and who has published nearly 100 papers, reports, book reviews and a book on Ocean Wave Analysis and Modeling:
"To my dismay, IPCC authors ignored all my comments and suggestions for major changes in the FOD (First Order Draft) and sent me the SOD (Second Order Draft) with essentially the same text as the FOD. None of the authors of the chapter bothered to directly communicate with me (or with other expert reviewers with whom I communicate on a regular basis) on many issues that were raised in my review. This is not an acceptable scientific review process."
Czech Republic: Czech-born U.S. climatologist Dr. George Kukla, a research scientist with the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at University of Columbia expressed climate skepticism in 2007:
"The only thing to worry about is the damage that can be done by worrying. Why are some scientists worried? Perhaps because they feel that to stop worrying may mean to stop being paid.
India: One of India's leading geologists, B.P. Radhakrishna, President of the Geological Society of India, expressed climate skepticism in 2007:
"We appear to be overplaying this global warming issue as global warming is nothing new. It has happened in the past, not once but several times, giving rise to glacial-interglacial cycles."
USA: Climatologist Robert Durrenberger, past president of the American Association of State Climatologists, and one of the climatologists who gathered at Woods Hole to review the National Climate Program Plan in July, 1979:
"Al Gore brought me back to the battle and prompted me to do renewed research in the field of climatology. And because of all the misinformation that Gore and his army have been spreading about climate change I have decided that 'real' climatologists should try to help the public understand the nature of the problem."
Italy: Internationally renowned scientist Dr. Antonio Zichichi, president of the World Federation of Scientists and a retired Professor of Advanced Physics at the University of Bologna in Italy, who has published over 800 scientific papers:
"Significant new peer-reviewed research has cast even more doubt on the hypothesis of dangerous human-caused global warming."
New Zealand: IPCC reviewer and climate researcher Dr. Vincent Gray, an expert reviewer on every single draft of the IPCC reports going back to 1990 and author of The Greenhouse Delusion: A Critique of "Climate Change 2001":
"The [IPCC] 'Summary for Policymakers' might get a few readers, but the main purpose of the report is to provide a spurious scientific backup for the absurd claims of the worldwide environmentalist lobby that it has been established scientifically that increases in carbon dioxide are harmful to the climate. It just does not matter that this ain't so."
South Africa: Dr. Kelvin Kemm, formerly a scientist at South Africa's Atomic Energy Corporation who holds degrees in nuclear physics and mathematics:
"The global-warming mania continues with more and more hype and less and less thinking. With religious zeal, people look for issues or events to blame on global warming."
Poland: Physicist Dr. Zbigniew Jaworowski, Chairman of the Central Laboratory for the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Radiological Protection in Warsaw:
"We thus find ourselves in the situation that the entire theory of man-made global warming — with its repercussions in science, and its important consequences for politics and the global economy — is based on ice core studies that provided a false picture of the atmospheric CO2 levels."
Australia: Prize-wining Geologist Dr. Ian Plimer, a professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Adelaide in Australia:
"There is new work emerging even in the last few weeks that shows we can have a very close correlation between the temperatures of the Earth and supernova and solar radiation."
Britain: Dr. Richard Courtney, a UN IPCC expert reviewer and a UK-based climate and atmospheric science consultant:
"To date, no convincing evidence for AGW (anthropogenic global warming) has been discovered. And recent global climate behavior is not consistent with AGW model predictions."
China: Chinese Scientists Say C02 Impact on Warming May Be "Excessively Exaggerated" — Scientists Lin Zhen-Shan's and Sun Xian's 2007 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics:
"Although the CO2 greenhouse effect on global climate change is unsuspicious, it could have been excessively exaggerated." Their study asserted that "it is high time to reconsider the trend of global climate change."
Denmark: Space physicist Dr. Eigil Friis-Christensen is the director of the Danish National Space Centre, a member of the space research advisory committee of the Swedish National Space Board, a member of a NASA working group, and a member of the European Space Agency who has authored or co-authored around 100 peer-reviewed papers and chairs the Institute of Space Physics:
"The sun is the source of the energy that causes the motion of the atmosphere and thereby controls weather and climate. Any change in the energy from the sun received at the Earth's surface will therefore affect climate."
Belgium: Climate scientist Luc Debontridder of the Belgium Weather Institute's Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) co-authored a study in August 2007 which dismissed a decisive role of CO2 in global warming:
"CO2 is not the big bogeyman of climate change and global warming. Not CO2, but water vapor is the most important greenhouse gas. It is responsible for at least 75% of the greenhouse effect. This is a simple scientific fact, but Al Gore's movie has hyped CO2 so much that nobody seems to take note of it."
Sweden: Geologist Dr. Wibjorn Karlen, professor emeritus of the Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology at Stockholm University, critiqued the Associated Press for hyping promoting climate fears in 2007:
"Another of these hysterical views of our climate. Newspapers should think about the damage they are doing to many persons, particularly young kids, by spreading the exaggerated views of a human impact on climate."
USA: Dr. David Wojick is a UN IPCC expert reviewer, who earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Science and co-founded the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie-Mellon University:
"In point of fact, the hypothesis that solar variability and not human activity is warming the oceans goes a long way to explain the puzzling idea that the Earth's surface may be warming while the atmosphere is not. The GHG (greenhouse gas) hypothesis does not do this.... The public is not well served by this constant drumbeat of false alarms fed by computer models manipulated by advocates."
Lynne Spears (mother of Britney and Jamie Lynn) is writing a book about parenting. Apparently this book has been put on hold ... indefinitely. The publisher declined to comment about why, but I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the fact that Britney Spears is constantly in the news for her antics, and now 16-year-old Jamie Lynn has announced that she's pregnant by her boyfriend.
Maybe it's a good idea to wait on the book.
Although it doesn't directly affect me, the situation with the Spears family is disheartening. I don't know why these kids turned out the way they did, but there's certainly room to speculate. Both Britney and Jamie Lynn were entered into show business at a young age. Not all childhood stars drive on the freeway with their children in their laps or get pregnant at age 16, of course. But everything I hear about Britney lately seems to indicate that she has serious problems, and now her sister seems to be following along.
This is not to say that those raised under the best conditions always make wise choices either. It looks as though the shooter who killed people at YWAM and New Life Church was raised in a Christian home. I know rebellious people who grew up knowing what the Bible taught and how to live lives that were glorifying to God.
There doesn't seem to be any foolproof way to raise kids. Although I am nowhere near being a parent yet, hearing stories like the Spears' just makes me realize that once I have children, I need to be in prayer for them every single day.
All of us make our own decisions. Britney has chosen to become a partier. Jamie Lynn chose to have sex. Matthew Murray chose to take the lives of innocent victims.
I can only hope that my life will be a model of mainly right choices to my children, and that they will choose to follow in those footsteps.
Right now, I must try my hardest every single day to model what it means to love Him and love others -- and continue that into parenthood. I think I'll try that and maybe skip Lynne Spears' parenting book.
Whew. I shipped the last of nine boxes yesterday, the last possible day for getting it to my aunt in Maine for a reasonable price. (Overnighting it on Friday would have run upwards of $50.) Now if I can just finish the 100+ cards that are spilling over my nightstand and drop them in the mailbox by 2 p.m. today, bake another batch of biscotti for friends here in town, clean the house for Saturday night's party, finish wrapping all our gifts for the kids, write this blog, finish Monday's Q&A, run on the treadmill, go to the bank, and water the pear tree ... Well, you get the idea. And chances are most, if not all, of the readers of this blog are similarly swamped at this late hour.
What are we to make of this season; the time of year when followers of Christ have so much to celebrate and yet seem just as harried as the people wishing everyone they see "Happy Holidays"?
I was reading Walter Wangerin's advent devotional, Preparing for Jesus, and found some help. He writes, What sort of advent is this imminent Advent for you? If you are consumed by one more Christmas (one mere Christmas among two thousand) your Advent is fleeting, time-bound, and likely self-absorbed. Desperate preparations often indicate an anxiety about the opinions of others regarding ourselves. But if your participation in this temporal Advent truly signifies preparations for the final Advent, you are Christ-absorbed.
Wangerin's book is a blessing in the midst of busyness; a daily reminder of the cosmic explosion that was the first Christmas. It leads me to pray, Lord, may my heart be aligned with your gift. May all our activity signify preparations for your second coming. May we -- your followers -- have hearts set on your return.
Even the busiest of lives, so aligned, can't help but point observers to Jesus. God the Son who entered history in human flesh; a baby among us to save us. Emmanuel.
It's not often that I disagree with Suzanne. But in this case, I do. And vehemently.
In an article published on Boundless back in 2004, "Surviving Christmas Without the Lord of the Rings," Suzanne bemoaned her first Christmas break in three years that didn't include a new release from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
She listed a number of things those who love the movie could do to get through the Christmas season. Among them:
- Read the books
- Play a Lord of the Rings-inspired board game
- Make memories with family
- Talk about the movie with others
- Watch another fantasy movie
Ugh. Nothing personal, but you really missed it, Suzanne.
I admit that Suzanne hints at the correct answer in her fourth section, but let me come right out and explain the correct course of action for those of us who correctly understand the Lord of the Rings trilogy (which includes The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King) to be the greatest "movie" of all time: Watch them again.
This is the third year in a row that my wife and I'll be enjoying the journey back to Middle-earth during Christmas break. We'd love to meet you there.
Think Christmas movies and what comes to mind? Certainly Miracle on 34th Street. Or It's a Wonderful Life. There's always Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Or how about A Christmas Story?
Well, as they used to say on Sesame Street, "One of these things is not like the others." And according to this recent story in Time, it's becoming the nation's favorite Christmas movie. According to the article, "In a 2006 Harris poll, respondents from 18 to 41 years old named [A Christmas Story] their favorite holiday movie, while their parents and grandparents picked Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street.
What's going on here? Time's movie critic, James Poniewozik, seems to think it reflects a cultural turn toward the cynical and snarky over the sincere and schmaltzy. But I don't think so. I no longer fit the 18-to-41 demographic, but A Christmas Story is still my favorite Christmas movie. The tale of little Ralphie's quest to get a Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle matches my own life story much more than the more traditional Christmas fare. I heard multiple variations of "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!" as I grew up. In fact, I almost did once -- with an air rifle, no less.
Like most kids my age -- okay, make that like most boys -- I built models for only one reason: to turn them into fiery shards of molten plastic as soon as possible upon completion. What better thing to do to a painstakingly assembled model of the U.S.S. Constitution than to strategically plant firecrackers throughout its hull and then watch it go kablooey -- after dousing it with gasoline, of course. Better yet, why not send it into oblivion with your friend's father's 30.06!? Those sides weren't quite so iron when dealing with hot lead from a hunting rifle!
I'd built a model of Neil Armstrong stepping off the lunar lander onto the moon's surface, which called for a special treatment with my friend's air rifle. (Sorry, I no longer remember which model, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle.) My first shot missed, but the second hit Neil smack in the middle of the smoothly curved visor of his helmet, which provided the perfect ricochet surface to send the pellet straight back at the center of my forehead, about 50 feet away. At first I was just stunned as a little red welt rose up on my forehead. But did I cry? Was I scared? Did my friend run for help? No, no and no. We laughed uproariously. It was a great time to be a boy.
I suspect that the popularity of A Christmas Story reflects nostalgia for a time when you didn't have to be so serious all the time. When there was nothing politically incorrect about boys wanting to behave like boys. (Maybe that might be the solution to the growing problem of mama's boys.)
If your family Christmases were like mine, your mom and dad squabbled from time to time. You really wanted something desperately badly for Christmas, and you also got some presents you just hated. (I think there must be a secret society of elderly aunts who conspire to send little boys horrible presents like underwear.) But in the end, Christmas was about family, and being thankful for what you had and for the presents you'd just received, just like the family in A Christmas Story.
I mean, the New Deal idealism of It's a Wonderful Life just gets a bit cloying at times. A Christmas Story is refreshing in its willingness to state what so many people know and experience, with no need to sugarcoat it. As the essay says, Christmas Story lampoons holiday greed but delights in it too -- there's no platitudinous ending about how Christmas isn't really about presents. That's perfect for a society of people who tell pollsters that Christmas has become too commercial yet spend north of a grand on it on average.
So I don't read any earth-shattering meaning into the Time essay. I think it's just a case of movie viewers tired of Hollywood telling them life should be a certain way when they know that it's really not.
Or maybe it's just a great fun movie to watch.
Today is the funeral service for Stephanie and Rachel Works, the sisters murdered in the shootings at New Life Church in Colorado Springs two Sundays ago. Their dad, who was also shot, was just released from the hospital on Tuesday, and today he will be attending his daughters' funeral.
Also in attendance will be a group from Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church. They sent an announcement to a local TV news station which read:
"Thank god for sending this tragedy," going on to include, "God hates New Life Church," before including Biblical references and anti-gay language.
We've mentioned Phelps before -- these tactics of his aren't new. But they are extra frustrating on a day when two teenage girls in my community are being honored. We prayed about it today in our devotions at work -- one of my coworkers said she had to do the praying, otherwise her anger would get the better of her.
I pray that the plans of the enemy will be thwarted today. And my hope is that all who attend the funeral service for those girls will be able to celebrate the lives they lived, find forgiveness and leave with the peace and the joy that only the Lord can bring. If you think of it, pray along with me.
A study published yesterday in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health (JECH) reports that abortions increase the risk of low birth weight in future pregnancies by a factor of three, and of premature birth by a factor of two. Though the data contained in the study is 40 years old (I wonder why it didn't see the light of day sooner), it is the most thorough and conclusive U.S. study of its kind. According to Time: The study not only found a link between abortion or miscarriage and low birth weight, but it also found that the risk appears to increase with every subsequent miscarriage or abortion. The accruing risk, says co-author Tilahun Adera at Virginia Commonwealth University, suggests that termination of pregnancy is a true cause of low birth weight and preterm birth rather than a variable associated with such conditions. "It's not just an association," he says. "The risk of premature birth increases with the increasing number of abortions."
Women who had had one, two or three prior abortions or miscarriages were three, five and nine times more likely, respectively, to have a low-birth-weight child, the data showed.
The last two paragraphs of the article seek to discredit the findings of the report because of their age. However, Adera believes the word should get out: Indeed, the public-health implications of the JECH study may be more suitable for developing countries, says Adera -- places where abortion is still illegal, and where prenatal care may be similar to what was offered in the U.S. half a century ago. Still, he says, all over the world, "Women need to be informed about these risks."
The Line is hosted by TypePad. For the most part we're very happy with their service.
They've recently reconfigured our comment spam filter, however, and it's wrongly stopping a lot of legitimate comments. Hmf.
I've submitted a help ticket with them, and am awaiting their reply. Thanks for being patient as we work our way through this problem. Please know that we don't consider you to be spammers.
Resurgence blogger Anthony Bradley is calling on pastors and small group leaders to give "mama's boys" their masculinity back. He says women, children, the church, and the world are desperate for it.
Bradley writes that mama's boys typically come from mothers with passive, abusive or absent husbands. He says that without a father to keep the natural affections of a mother in check, women can actually become too close with their sons. And a son's unhealthy closeness with a mother can be emasculating. In order to satisfy her own needs many mothers keep their sons from entering the world of men claiming that, "he'll get hurt," "he'll get dirty," "it's not safe for him," and so on. She may even continue to call her son an emasculating nickname, like "my sweet little boy." For many moms, sons are easier to relate to than grown men. She can be intimate with her son without experiencing conflicts she might have with the man she can't manipulate or control: the boy's father.
When the boy gets hurt, is rejected by other males, is disciplined by the father, and so on he runs to the mother for sympathy. Her desire to meet her own needs instead of the boy's discourages the boy from ceasing to look to women to solve his problems. This may actually encourage the boy to stay isolated from his male peers when he is hurt by them instead of learning how to exert himself or depend on a healthy community of men for encouragement and affirmation.
And this sort of mutual dependence is devastating when "boys" try to form healthy relationships with women. Here's the testimony of a son whose mother looked to him as a "surrogate spouse": "My parents never divorced; they just lived separate lives under the same roof. But as the older son, I became my mom's surrogate spouse. It took me years to figure out what I had gone through.
I'm 36, am a solid Reformed Christian, have a good job as a big-firm lawyer, and generally enjoy life. But I'm absolutely ruined as far as relationships are concerned. I give time to my church, work a lot, and use my spare time to travel the globe. I don't even bother dating anymore." -- anonymous
Beyond recommending a couple of books, Bradley doesn't tell us exactly what to do with mama's boys. But I think pastors and other leaders need to be very intentional about investing in the lives of the young men in their church, particularly the ones who exhibit mama's boys tendencies. The very thing that they shun, a healthy community of men, is exactly what they need.
Our fall 2007 Focus on the Family Institute students just graduated. It's very quiet around the office now. Sad.
It's so fun to watch a semester at the Institute progress. When the 88 students first come, no one knows each other and all you hear are the same small-talky questions over and over again: "Where are you from? What school do you go to? What's your major?" We go on a retreat in the mountains the first weekend the students are here, and it's fun to watch relationships slowly begin to form. People begin to recognize one another or figure out common interests. We share our stories, eat meals together, and play volleyball and cards. The bonding begins.
The semester progresses and I daily walk by chatting students in the halls. They share stories of their thought-provoking classes with Del Tackett, the reading they're doing for their family and marriage classes, and the beautiful mountain hikes they did last weekend. Evenings are spent working on homework, chatting with new friends and exploring Colorado Springs.
At the end of the semester, we go on a final retreat and it's amazing to see the difference in the students. They are more confident about what they believe and why they believe it. They are excited to go back and be world changers. And they are grateful for the amazing community they've experienced and the life-long relationships they've formed.
Our fall students have just finished this process. They have been equipped and are ready to go. Our spring semester starts in the middle of January. I'm excited for it to start over again.
The Institute really is a life-changing experience. You should come see for yourself. Our summer 2008 deadline is March 1 and our fall 2008 deadline is April 1. Think about it. It just could be the best decision you ever make.
Apparently, growing up is out of style. (And in case you haven't gotten the memo, so are mullets.)
A recent article highlights a study about adulthood published in the December issue of Journal of Family Psychology. In the study, 18-25-year-olds and their parents agreed that adulthood had not yet come. Most of these young people are just as irresponsible as they were in high school, and now that they're in college and away from home, they have more opportunity to get away with it. Only 16 percent of 18-25-year-olds considered themselves adults, which was just fine with them. They know that adulthood requires responsibility, and they're just not there yet: Most kids agreed with parents that one must take responsibility for one's actions and have good emotional control to be considered an adult. But parents were far more likely than students to see not becoming drunk and driving safely as vital to adulthood.
Umm, right.
Tim Challies recently blogged about a new book that recognizes this issue as well. The Death of the Grown-Up by Diana West highlights the fact that people just aren't growing up (sticking with jobs, buying houses, getting married, having children) until their late 20s or early 30s. West posits that adolescence reaches well into what used to be considered adulthood. We created the "teenage years" and now that has extended into our 20s as well.
Adulthood and maturity are no longer noble things to strive for. Instead everyone wishes to be young again. It's young people who are admired -- the wisdom that comes with age is somewhat scorned: After the idea of adolescence became popular, it took only a generation before popular culture, and particularly the medium of television, began to portray age as "square" and youth as "hip." The dignity of age was replaced with disgust. Where children used to orbit around their parents, today the opposite is true. Parents orbit around their children, "abdicating their rights and privileges by deferring to the convenience and entertainment of the young." No wonder, then, that people wish to avoid adulthood.
This "failure to launch" concerns me because I really think it will affect my generation in the long run. I see lots of college students and even my 20-something peers who are just kind of floating through life. Many people aren't reaching their goals (if they even have any), they aren't moving on, they just aren't doing much of anything -- besides entertaining themselves. I am a part of this generation as well, and I see myself having a lot of fun, but not always being challenged to grow toward the lifestyle that Christ has called me to. Ah, but seeking to be more like Christ involves being responsible to something, and responsibility is just for adults, right?
So, what do you all think? Do you see this as a problem in our generation? If not, why not? If so, what do you think can be done to begin to fix it?
I only remember two college all-nighters—uh, make that three. One I spent in the journalism house getting out the next issue of the student newspaper. A second I spent trying to memorize 1 Corinthians 12-13 for a final project (I should have chosen the option of writing a 15-page paper instead). And the third I spent compiling a hermeneutics project.
In each situation, I was left with too much to do in a short amount of time. Not sleeping seemed like the only option. My sister-in-law never pulled an all-nighter. The editor before me pulled them regularly (He also drank a lot of diet Coke). MSNBC reports that a new study reveals that those who pull all-nighters get slightly lower grades than those who don't. A survey of 120 students at St. Lawrence University, a small liberal arts college in northern New York, found that students who have never pulled an all-nighter on average have higher grades than those who have. The survey found those who did not study through the night had a grade point average of 3.2 compared to 2.95 for those who have.
Pamela Thacher, the clinical psychologist who conducted the study sees the results as significant: "It's not a big difference, but it's pretty striking," Thacher said. "I am primarily a sleep researcher and I know nobody thinks clearly at 4 in the morning. You think you do, but you can't."
Of course, this was a fairly small study and I can think of exceptions, as I'm sure you can. But the bottom line is sleep is healthy and improves concentration and performance. That's good for me to remember during this busy time of year where I'm tempted to burn the candle on both ends.
A bit of coding ... and now we've got an RSS feed for comments, something a few of you have requested over the past few months.
Scroll down the left column -- you should see the RSS feeds below our search box.
Now, if we could only get RSS configured for our Web site, Boundless.org....
Enjoy!
Seems there's some confusion about these two abbreviations.
The first -- e.g. -- is short for exempli gratia, which means "for example." Here's an example: I like Italian food (e.g., spaghetti, lasagna, gnocchi). Note the comma before the first item in that parenthetical list.
The second -- i.e. -- is short for id est, which means "that is." An example: I like Italian food (i.e., food from Italy).
That is all.
The journal Sleep (now where can I get a subscription to that one?) recently published a study affirming what we already know deep in our hearts: napping makes us better people.
OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration. Here's what the study concluded, though: Coffee significantly improves performance in young and middle-aged participants. Napping (that bwessed awwangement, that dweam wiffin a dweam*) is more efficient in younger than in older participants. Countermeasures to sleepiness should be adapted according to the age of drivers.
Got that? While coffee is clearly of benefit, during your young adult years (that's most of you), a quick nap further improves your driving skills. Because young adults tend to be able to drift off quicker than older adults, and because they go "deeper" in their sleep, the nap augmented the benefits of a cup of joe.
According to a UPI story on the study, if you're getting ready to head out for a road trip, and you're a "young adult," it's probably best to add 30-minutes of shut-eye prior to that Starbucks run.
My wish for you during the forthcoming Christmas break: May your naps be oft and effectual.
*Parenthetical statement added by the author of this blog post.
HT: Threads e-newsletter.
Dr. Al Mohler reports that Richard Dawkins, well-known atheist and author of The God Delusion will be singing Christmas carols this year. According to the BBC: Prof Dawkins, who has frequently spoken out against creationism and religious fundamentalism, replied: "I'm not one of those who wants to stop Christian traditions.
"This is historically a Christian country. I'm a cultural Christian in the same way many of my friends call themselves cultural Jews or cultural Muslims.
"So, yes, I like singing carols along with everybody else. I'm not one of those who wants to purge our society of our Christian history.
"If there's any threat to these sorts of things, I think you will find it comes from rival religions and not from atheists."
This is shocking to me, considering Dawkins' assertion that belief in the God of the Bible is immoral. From The God Delusion: The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all of fiction. Jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic-cleanser; a misogynistic homophobic racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal….
If this is what you believe, why would you want to partake in celebrating such a God? We don't sing songs about other evil beings simply because they are part of our history. Is Dawkins simply trying to "go with the flow" and boost the image of atheists everywhere? Or does he really enjoy singing songs about the God he hates? Mohler writes: We can only wonder which Christmas carols are Richard Dawkins' favorites. The sight of an avowed atheist joining in the Christmas chorus is a bit hard to imagine. At the same time, there is something comforting about the idea that even the world's most famous atheist will move his lips to the songs that celebrate Christ's birth. Perhaps those words will move from his lips to his head and his heart. We should pray that it might be so.
Merry Christmas, Mr. Dawkins!
I've been at home sick for the past three days. The first day was definitely the worst -- I won't go into too many details, but let's just say that my crackers and Fresca didn't stay in my stomach. I had a fever, aches, nausea -- the works. I'm doing much better now -- mainly just trying to get my energy back.
I've spent my time at home sleeping, pouting about missing my department's Christmas party and watching the first season of Lost. I've also spent some time thinking about how much I appreciate the fact that my body keeps me well most of the time.
It's not until we end up sick or injured that we realize how amazing it is that our bodies normally function so well. Somehow my body usually regulates its temperature, fights off viruses and keeps me going every day. It's not until I'm really sick that I realize the huge difference between just being tired in the morning and actually not having enough energy to get out of bed. It's not until I'm really sick that I take the time to appreciate what God has created. He did a really good job.
So, I'm sure I'll be good as new pretty soon here. I'll be glad to eat (and keep down) normal food again, to be able to get dressed without running out of breath and even to get up early and feel well enough to put in a full day's work.
Until then, I have got to figure out what's going on on that crazy Lost island!
We keep some very basic statistics about who visits The Line. We don't know anything personal, but we are able to see where our readers come from, for example. Countries represented in the past month include:
Botswana
Micronesia
Rwanda
Latvia
Samoa
Aruba
Monaco
Myanmar
Albania
Madagascar
Albania
Gambia
Brunei
Guatemala
El Salvador
Syria
Nepal
Oman
Balarus
Luxembourg
Tanzania
Cyprus
Zimbabwe
Mongolia
Yemen
Iraq
Sri Lanka
Macao
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Malawi
Fiji
Estonia
Cambodia
Ethiopia
Lebanon
Slovenia
Namibia
Guam
Moldova
Qatar
Morocco
Vietnam
Ivory Coast
Zambia
Kuwait
Hungary
Croatia
Lithuania
Iran
Egypt
Ghana
Ukraine
Uganda
Malta
Pakistan
Jordan
Romania
... and 83 other countries.
If you're from one of these countries, or if you're from another non-U.S. country not listed above, please leave a shout-out below, telling us just a bit about yourself and your blessed country. I'm honored that you've visited, grateful that we're not a U.S.-only Web site, and intrigued by what drew you here, and what you'd like to see more of. Please know that you're very welcome!
If you'd rather send a private e-mail to us, please feel free to do so: editor@boundless.org is our e-mail address. We will not share it with anyone outside our little team unless you explicitly give us permission to do so.
Today, if singles can't find potential mates among their acquaintances -- or among their family's and friend's acquaintances -- all they need to do is go online. I mean, it seems that out of millions of profiles you could at least find one that matches your 29 dimensions of compatibility, right?
But what do you do if even that fails? Well, you get matched by your DNA, of course.
An ABC affiliate in Boston reports on a new dating service that launched this week using DNA to help singles find that "perfect someone." Here's how: ScientificMatch.com promises its technology will use DNA to find a date with "a natural odor you'll love, with whom you'd have healthier children and a more satisfying sex life."
How does it work?
In analyzing DNA, the company said it looks at immune system genes and identifies compatible mates from people with different immune systems.
"Nature attracts us to our genetic matches with our noses. The fact is, we love how other people smell when their immune systems are different from ours—they smell sexier," the company wrote in a release on its Web site.
That's right. For a fee of only $1,995 you too can receive a kit of cotton swabs and cheek swabbing instructions so you can find a mate with an odor you'll love.
How in the world did people mingle, meet and marry before the age of technology? I guess people back then just "settled." Or maybe they just believed something we don't anymore -- that "love is much a question of the will as it is of the emotion." Or odor, I should add.
A new study by BYU has found that today's college women are growing more permissive about pornography -- with 49 percent of the female college students surveyed finding pornography acceptable. The key question asked of students and their parents was if they agreed or disagreed that viewing pornography is an acceptable way to express one's sexuality. Lead author Jason Carroll, a BYU family life professor, offered two explanations for high acceptance among college women and men, 67 percent of whom agreed.
"One is that this is a life-course finding," Carroll said, "that we captured them at a high point in time and their acceptance will decrease and they'll be like their parents. The other argument is that because of the proliferation of pornography, this generation has a unique acceptance of pornography different from their parents, and that it will last. I think there is a compelling argument that is the case."
...
"This is a hugely important issue," he [Jeffrey Arnett, editor of the Journal of Adolescent Research, which published the study] said, "given that pornography is so massively popular on the Internet. There are questions about how will it affect people's sexuality and their views of gender roles, and how is that going to affect relationships between men and women. Maybe it will just be a form of entertainment. We just don't know yet."
My hunch is that the mainstreaming of pornography is making it easier for both men and women to cover over their hunch that something's inherently wrong with porn with the fig leaf that it's just entertainment. For every problem we'll come across in life, there will be two camps -- one camp that says we just don't know how bad the problem really is and another camp that says the problem is really not a big deal and in fact the real problem is those prudish people who think it's a problem.
It's my perspective that the "porn is not a big deal camp" is clearly beginning to win the day -- and we just don't know how bad that problem really is. No woman is going to experience meaningful sexual intimacy by expanding her tolerance of material that "educates" men to treat her like an object of their self-centered fantasies. It might seem sophisticated for some to tolerate porn as mere entertainment, but it's a lot like saying, "oh, it's just a cute little kitty" while letting a fox into your house.
 Remember those? When you were a kid you'd scoop up a handful from the gutter and watch in amazement as they spiraled to the ground? I do.
The years have squelched the hours when I'd be filled with wonder at the falling of maple seeds. For all their showiness, only a select few ever accomplished their goal of growing into a tree. Instead, most ended up ground into the pavement or choked in the tall backyard grass. I find myself wondering how much of what I do is like those spinning seeds: quite a show, but of no ultimate worth.
The words of Shakespeare's Macbeth come to mind: "Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
I'm also reminded of Ecclesiastes 9:9: "Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun — all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun."
Boundless author George Halitzka asks in a sobering narrative whether the things in our lives that we marvel at are like those helicopter seeds. Or maybe God is more like our youthful selves, and takes joy in the beauty of the seemingly fruitless activities that make up our days. You'll want to set aside a good 10 minutes to read "Helicopter Seeds."
In Part I of this series I raised the topic of Christians in Hollywood. Based on responses to that, I promised to follow up with how Christians in Hollywood should behave, and here I asked what makes a good movie. Finally, here, let's look at what kinds of movies Christians should make, and what kinds should they watch.
Let's first look at two types of stories that get made into movies: the Platonic and the Aristotelian. (HT Ron Austin of Act One.) If you remember your Philosophy 101, Plato postulated an ideal world of "forms," the purest manner of existence for things we perceive day to day. We see a tree in this world; in the world of forms, an ideal, perfect tree exists. Therefore, something Platonic can be seen as idealized. A Platonic story seeks to teach and impart a moral lesson.
On the other hand, Aristotle, in his Poetics, says the purpose of story is to bring about catharsis -- to allow the reader or viewer to re-cognize (literally, to re-know what he already knows) the particulars of his life in the universal truths being revealed in the story. Aristotelian stories are very big on archetypes, whether it be Hercules or Rocky.
Two examples from the same historical event -- the Nazi Holocaust -- will help illustrate this point: Schindler's List, with its tagline "Whoever saves one life, saves the entire world"; and Sophie's Choice, with its tagline "There are some things we have yet to imagine." Both are Oscar-winning films, but Schindler's List is Platonic in telling the story of courage and self-sacrifice. There are great ideals to learn from this story. Sophie's Choice, on the other hand, is tragic, with no real lesson to learn other than, perhaps, sinful man's predisposition to incredible cruelty. But the powerful film is very Aristotelian because it provides catharsis. We experience shock, horror, pity and empathy as the story of Holocaust survivor Sophie Zawistowski (Meryl Streep) unfolds before us, and we recognize those same emotions in ourselves.
The problem is that many Christians seem to believe that the only form of storytelling is -- or should be -- Platonic. All stories should convey a positive message or some kind of Aesopian moral. And there's nothing wrong with that -- some of the time. After all, the story of Oskar Schindler is a strong example for us to stand up for the weak and downtrodden and to fight injustice in any way we can. The problem arises when the need to preach a message overwhelms the more basic need to tell a good story. Instead of having the positive message emerge naturally from the story, à la Schindler's List, it's pasted on or shoehorned in. Such stories, if they're not careful, tend to be peopled, not by three-dimensional human beings, but by two-dimensional characters mouthing platitudes. Their actions don't grow out of their character; they result from the need to have certain things said or done to help teach the lesson. As Thom Parham said, they're little more than high-tech flannelgraphs.
On the other hand, Aristotelian stories such as Sophie's Choice allow us to experience Sophie's life and the horrible choice she is confronted with. We experience horror, fear, outrage, empathy, pity and a range of other emotions as this story unfolds, and this makes us more aware of such things as we re-cognize them in the world around us. It allows an outlet for these feelings in the world of the story instead of in the real world. In such stories dialogue and actions grow naturally out of the situation and the characters' life stories, not out of any need to impart a lesson.
As Ron Austin writes in an essay called "The Hollywood Divide": Christians have tended to be more comfortable with Platonic dramas. You often hear religious commentators criticize what seem to them to be excesses of the Aristotelian tendency: "Why do you want us to see such ugly things?" they ask. Or, "Why do you have to use such bad language?" They are asking, not unreasonably, for a story that presents a model of good behavior, particularly for a young audience. What they don't understand is that Aristotelian drama needs to confront us with the ugly and unpleasant if it is to take us to those dark places requiring purgation.
But whereas Platonic movies can tend to be preachy, Aristotelian stories can tend to dwell too much in the dark and ugly solely for the sake of being dark and ugly. A perfect example of the latter is the recently released No Country for Old Men. The Coen brothers have been among my favorite filmmakers -- Fargo and The Big Lebowski are simply brilliant -- but the brothers' tendency has always been toward the dark and ugly. No Country is brilliantly made with standout acting, but in the end it is just a hopelessly dark, nihilistic fable with an especially cynical ending.
My personal taste is towards the Aristotelian, mostly because such stories tend to be truer, but there are plenty of Platonic stories among my favorites, including Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List. And then there are films like A Simple Plan, which is profoundly Christian and Platonic in illustrating 1 Timothy 6:10 while also being profoundly Aristotelian as we watch families and friendships destroyed by greed.
So what's the answer to the question that opened this? Christians should make and see both types of stories if they're excellent and true. If they have these two crucial factors, everything else should follow.
In "The Hipper-Than-Thou Pastor," Time Magazine profiles Rob Bell, the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, Mich. Describing Bell and his "geeky-hip glasses, black pants, black shirt and polyester white belt," the article makes the point that Bell isn't your average pastor.
The fact that Bell is making a significant impact on Evangelicalism is undeniable. His books Velvet Elvis and Sex God have enjoyed wide audiences in Christian circles. And he has created a form of video message he calls Nooma (phonetic Greek for spirit or breath) that may make him to YouTube what Graham was to the arena. "He could be one of the most important 21st century Christian leaders," says Bible professor and evangelical blogger Ben Witherington.
In 2002, Bell went to video. Attempting a sermon for a standard 21-min. TV slot, he and three friends came up with just 10 strong minutes. These morphed into the Nooma -- a 12-min., high-end short melding Bell's spoken narrative and a seemingly unrelated visual into a compelling homily. The format is unique in the world of Evangelicalism or, really, anywhere. If the father of a young child can watch Rain, a divine-love parable featuring Bell and his son during a storm, and not fight tears, he is Christopher Hitchens. The 18 Nooma DVDs have sold 1.2 million units.
Motte has written several blogs about Bell, his avoidance of the biblical doctrine of human depravity and his controversial views on homosexuality.
Upholding sound doctrine is a priority for believers (2 Timothy 4:3). However, disagreement with some of Bell's views may hinder us from seeing something else: his skillful use of creativity. If Bell is to YouTube what Billy Graham is to the arena, Christians should take note.
In Nooma, Bell created a new and compelling art form to communicate truth about God. Such things are rare in Christendom where shoddy knock-offs reign. I would like to see more quality, original art generated by gifted individuals drawing near to the heart of God. The fact that any father would watch Bell's Nooma short Rain and understand the heart of God more clearly is incredibly beautiful.
Another example of compelling art produced by a believer is the recent movie Bella. God is compelling, and art coming from those He has gifted should reflect that. We need to encourage Christians who find themselves in a place of influence because of their creativity to embrace correct doctrine and use their innovation for God's glory.
HT: Justin Taylor
Some of the most engaging debates among Boundless commenters have been over how to engage as Christians with culture. Many of our readers believe passionately that Christians need to get out of their gospel ghettos and be engaged with popular music, books, TV shows, movies, Web sites and more in order to stay relevant to non-believers.
Other readers believe Christians live out the call to be "in the world but not of the world" by being distinctly set apart in their cultural consumption.
Gary Thomas offers a fresh perspective on this discussion in his new book The Beautiful Fight. In chapter 2, he writes: In my view, the contemporary church is severely tempted to compensate for its lack of spiritual weight with reliance on cleverness and cultural awareness -- as if these two qualities can overcome a lack of God's empowering presence. While I applaud the God-given desire to engage our culture, how much better it would be if we were transformed. Then we could demonstrate to the world true, God-breathed creativity instead of cleverness, and familiarity with the Trinity instead of an obsession with proving how well we can read the latest cultural trend. We cannot compensate for being strangers to God by becoming friends with the culture. On the contrary, we become our culture's truest friend by becoming more aware of the God who not only engages our culture, but also inspires, critiques and transforms it.
I appreciate Gary's commitment to engaging our culture, but I especially value his emphasis on doing that by focusing on transformation over trend management. I worry that I've wasted too much energy on the latter and failed to see the fruit that can come from pouring myself into the former.
Thanks to my friend Hunter for alerting me to GoodSearch.com, a search engine that gives 50 percent of the revenue it receives from your search business to the charity of your choice. Plus, the search results are powered by Yahoo!, a trusted name among search engines.
Close to 50,000 charities, schools and Christian organizations (e.g. Focus on the Family) are already listed on GoodSearch.com, and more are being added each day. An "amount raised" button shows you the overall amount that has been raised for your charity. Hunter writes: My selected charity is The Children's Tumor Foundation which is actively searching for a cure for neurfibromatosis a genetic disorder that I've had since childbirth. So far this year searchers just like you and me have raised over $900 for this worthy charity.
If searching the Web is a daily part of your life, you might consider using an engine that gives something back -- to the organization you choose.
Under Roe v. Wade, which of these are allowed to perform abortions?
a. Licensed physician
b. Nurse practitioner
c. Resident assistant
d. Registered nurse
e. All of the above
That's one of 12 questions from Roe IQ designed to "measure the current awareness of Roe and its effects, as well as to provide detailed information about the ruling." I only got 10 out of 12 (83.33%) and I worked for a pro-life ministry for five years.
I don't know who's behind the website but it's probably a safe bet they're pro-life. The pro-abortion crowd typically don't want these issues brought to light. Because sin loves the anonymity darkness provides.
What's your Roe IQ?
HT: Joe Carter
I just heard a little about Matthew J. Murray, the shooter who died yesterday during the incident at New Life Church. He was 24-year-old, former home school student. Neighbors described his family as religious. He and his 21-year-old brother lived at home.
Sounds a little like my family and maybe yours. It's not the profile I'd expect of a killer. The troubled foster child who opened fire in an Omaha mall last week is a little easier to understand. And perhaps more details will emerge about Murray that will lend some explanation to a senseless act.
It troubles me on several levels to discover that the shooter was someone raised similarly to me. First, there is betrayal. How could he hate those in his own tradition enough to murder them? Second, there is deep sadness. Sadness for the results of sin and death in the world. Sadness that Murray did not experience Christ's love. Sadness that Murray was deceived into destroying his life. And then there is anger. Anger that the enemy got away with this.
And yet there are also the fingerprints of grace all over this thing. My coworkers who attend New Life say the female security officer who ended Murray's rampage was not on duty but felt the Holy Spirit urge her to take her gun that day. A former police officer, she knew just what to do. Though Murray wore a bulletproof vest, this woman's aim was accurate. We often question why God allows certain things to happen. We rarely question why He holds back even greater tragedy. Given the position of the gunman and the thousands exiting New Life yesterday, it is astonishing more life was not lost. While we pray for those who are suffering pain and loss, we can also thank our Lord for grace.
Noviana was walking to school with a few of her Christian friends, chatting about this and that. Out of the blue, three men savagely attacked the group of girls, beheading three of them. They put the girls' heads in plastic bags and left one at the steps of a church, pledging in handwritten notes that there would be more such murders. Noviana barely escaped the attack with wounds both physical and emotional.
This was two years ago in Indonesia. The attackers have finally been sentenced to prison for a decade or two.
Meanwhile, the surviving girl is struggling to do the right thing. She recognizes that these men are enemies, that they were motived out of pure hatred for Christ, that they'd love to see more Christians killed on behalf of their Muslim faith.
They are enemies of Christ and of her, but in the midst of her loss she is intent on honoring Christ by forgiving them.
According to One News Now, Noviana is praying for her friends' killers: "It's hard to forgive what they did, very hard. The Lord taught us we need to forgive.... I can still feel anger sometimes but it helps me to pray for the killers. I pray that their hearts would be open to God and they'd repent from their sins to never kill again."
May we share Noviana's struggle to do the difficult thing and pray for the salvation of those who would gladly see us dead.
By now most readers should know about the murders at a dormitory for Youth With a Mission in a Denver suburb and at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. As of this writing, details are still sketchy, but the victims at YWAM and at New Life have been identified. The motive of the killer or killers -- the shootings may be related -- remains a mystery at the moment.
Someone on the radio this morning, citing the recent shootings at the mall in Omaha and now here in Colorado, asked if the world has gone crazy. Of course it hasn't. We are seeing merely the natural results of a society that has chosen to live without God. Sure, maybe the most recent shooters suffered bad childhoods or struggled with depression or other mental illness (and that remains to be determined), but these are age-old problems. So why are we seeing growing instances of young people walking into public places and murdering people who had nothing to do with their problems?
We really shouldn't be surprised. In addition to cleansing God from our culture, our schools have emphasized the therapeutic over the educational, self-esteem over learning, self-expression over self-control.
C.S. Lewis, writing more than 50 years ago, warned of the consequences of this trend in The Abolition of Man: We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful.
Pray and mourn, but don't be surprised. After all, we've been warned.
I've recently been receiving some letters from guys telling me that they want to be intentional but that women they know have not been receptive. In my article "What Girls Wish You Knew," I laid out some of the things that catch a woman's eye -- for good and bad. Among these are a man who is consistently kind, shows signs of a vital relationship with God, respects women and takes initiative.
I know there are guys out there who say, "I'm doing all this, and women still walk the other direction when I approach." As I discussed in "You're a Great Guy, But..." sometimes this is just a lack of chemistry. If this is the case for you, don't be discouraged: Keep in mind that unique aspects of you that she's not responding to may be the very things your future spouse loves. Instead of wasting energy thinking about what you might lack and trying to correct it, engage in the supreme form of self-improvement: Submit yourself to God (James 4:7). Then trust Him to do the rest.
However, it's possible that your method is flawed. From my experience, there are several approaches guys should avoid:
The shotgun approach. I've mentioned this before, but a guy who acts like it's a contest to see how many women he can ask out in a space of time does not make any woman feel special. Always put some thought and prayer into the woman you approach. This may even save you investing in the wrong relationship.
The too-fast approach. Many of my friends have been scared off by someone they were initially interested in because he moved too fast. Intentionality is good, but the "I know we just met, but God told me we're going to get married," tact may cause women to feel threatened. Slow down and take it easy.
The won't-give-up approach. Guys, if a girl says no or seems to be withdrawing from you, move on. If she's interested she'll initiate conversations, e-mails, text messages, etc. There's a saying about beating a dead horse -- don't do it.
Several months ago, when I went on a date, my dad offered me some advice that I think applies to this situation:
- Relax.
- Have fun.
- Show him how fun and cool you are.
In the early stage of a relationship, being relaxed and having fun are key ingredients. If you realize you're consistently having fun and feeling relaxed with the same person, you may have the beginnings of a successful relationship.
Another new TrueU article is from J. Budziszewski's "Ask Theophilus" column. The professor responds to a student who is wondering about what success looks like in the eyes of God. The student wants to be successful, but is wondering exactly how to go about that, since the Bible doesn't clearly define what success is.
Budziszewski/Theophilus begins by pointing out a few Bible verses that specifically link actions with consequences: "A wicked man earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward." He points out that we often read these verses materialistically. We absorb these verses and see something like this: The righteous will end up with a reward that must look similar to a big salary, nice cars and great houses. We probably have the wrong idea.
Budziszewski goes on to define success as "living well" but then says we must figure out what the definition of "living well" is. It can include a lot of things, he says, even some things we might automatically think are bad: We are so mixed up about what is really good and bad. The child thinks medicine worse than being sick; we are all a bit like the child. Even misery is good if it prompts me to reflect on a life ill-spent. Even suffering is good if I use it to become more like Christ. Jesus scandalized people by saying that the poor are blessed, but living precariously is surely good if it keeps me from trusting wealth instead of God. What we call wealth and comfort themselves can be a form of poverty. "It is a poverty that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
Success is looking for (and finding) the good in life -- the true good, the constant good. Budziszewski sums it up this way: To learn that love, and follow it; to draw ever closer to the Good who makes all good things good — that is the meaning of living well. It isn't something that will earn you God, because it lies in God and comes from God. It isn't something that will bring you success, because it is success. It is the very thing itself.
This is the success we are to search for with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strength.
The last time something like this happened, I blogged about how we all look for some sort of "reason" behind mass killings. Now I find myself thinking about what I would do if I found myself in the middle of such a heinous act.
It's not so strange, is it? To think that something like that might happen to us in this day and age of seemingly annual young-white-male-shooting-sprees?
This report from KETV News provides some detail of what witnesses did. Witness reports vary widely. Jennifer Kramer said she and her mother were hiding in a men's department at Von Maur. Kramer's mother said she "just kept hoping God would spare us."
Kramer and her mother said they heard 35 to 40 shots as they were taking cover inside the mall.
Matthew Waddell said he was on a scaffold at the store when he heard at least 20 shots. He got down and helped shuffle shoppers to safety.
Another witness said she saw the shooter, who she described as very tall. She said he was shooting in the air. She said she ran.
I don't think anyone knows what they would do if it happened to them. If you're like me, you hope you'd be courageous enough to sacrifice yourself for others. I hope that I'd be the one who shuffles others to safety or has the opportunity to wrestle the gunman to the ground.
But I can't say for sure. And that bothers me.
Maybe self-preservation is our first instinct in such situations. I had similar thoughts as I processed the Virginia Tech killings. I mean, why weren't there any Flight 93 reports of guys getting together to take the gunman out? Is time an issue? Do you need time to be brave?
Is it possible for men to cultivate a heart of sacrifice to ensure appropriate, split-second reactions when faced with death?
I do know that the eight who were shot to death, and the others who were wounded, should be considered heroes. We don't know if any of them intentionally put themselves in harm's way for the sake of others. But their deaths did save lives simply because they were the ones who took the bullets and the time of the killer before he turned the gun on himself.
Maybe that's enough.
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