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So two weeks ago during announcements at church the pastor mentioned that they were still looking for people to help out at Vacation Bible School, something our church does two weeks per year.
In that moment I felt something I've felt before: a sense that settles into my thoughts that, yes, this is something I should do. So without mulling things over too deeply, without examining my qualifications or whether I really wanted to help at VBS, I quietly agreed to do it.
I asked Steve Watters if I could take mornings off from Boundless during one of the VBS weeks, filled out the volunteer application form at church, and that was that.
So here I am, obligated to be a VBS "crew leader" all next week from 8-something till noon. The reality of it hit me last night, during our orientation meeting: I'm going to be responsible for perhaps 10 kids, to help them engage in what's going on, to help get them from activity to activity, to walk them to the bathroom if they need to go potty, to model joyful Christian life for them.
To be honest, I found myself a bit scared last night. I'm unprepared, unsure what to do, not confident that I'll be in a happy mood, lost about the motions that accompany the songs.
Someone said something last night, though, that I think will help me through this. They said something like, "The Lord has called you to this."
Hm. And if He's called me to volunteer with VBS, to be a crew leader over 10 kids, then He'll enable me to carry out my responsibilities just fine. I'll be fine, and the Lord will bless these kids through the seemingly unqualified one He has called: me.
So here I am today, still a bit fearful about next week, kind of incredulous about what I've gotten myself into. But I do have a hope grounded in truth, that the Lord will enable me to serve these kids well. I believe that by the time Monday morning rolls around, my confidence will be in the One who called me to serve this way.
OK, I'm going to come right out and say it: I'd love it if you would become our Facebook friend and if you'd follow us on Twitter.
First, it's a great way for us to get to know more about you. I enjoy reading your profile updates, seeing what you're interested in and what you're doing. That helps me when it comes to determining what our authors write about, and what we blog about.
Second, it's a great way for you to keep up with what Boundless is doing. We'll let you know when the latest articles or blogs have been published, we'll give you a heads-up on contests and give-aways, we'll ask you for your input on something we're working on.
Third, when you submit a friend request, you are showing us that you appreciate our ministry. That encourages us, and shows our bosses that Boundless is worth having around. Just saying.
So, here's my shameless appeal: Befriend us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Maybe "share" Boundless with your friends by clicking on the "Share on Facebook" link below, or on one of the social network links on the bottom of each Boundless article.
Your one little click could lead to, in the words of Rick from Casablanca, the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Summertime Hospitality -- 00:00
Motte wanted this segment to be named "Summer, Summer, Summertime" after a Will Smith lyric. I'd never heard that particular tune, so I went with Summertime Hospitality. Just out of curiosity, have any of you heard it?
For this week's roundtable Steve, Motte, Lisa and I talk about summer parties and the art and heart of hosting. It seems Lisa and Motte have a flair for theme parties. So if you're missing your weekly TV shows now that the season's over, don't be sad. Motte will give you tips on how to host a TV show themed party that will tide you over until the Fall season premiere.
Everlife Music -- 21:26
The ladies from Everlife join Lisa via speaker phone (the sound on this interview is surprisingly good for speaker phone). They talk about everything from beef jerky to faith to life on the road. In addition to being our guests for the culture segment they are also our featured musical artists. You can listen to more of their music here.
A Girl's Guide -- 46:12
It's almost here! We picked the cover art and sent it to the designer last week. Thanks to all of you who wrote in your comments and suggestions for the content. For the inbox this week I sit down with Lisa to give her and you the scoop about what to expect from this upcoming Boundless production.
What do you do when you have several little mini-topics bouncing around in your head -- none of which is worthy of an entire blog? Why, you just stick them all in one. Let's jump in, shall we?
National Spelling Bee: Congrats to 13-year-old Kavya Shivashankar, of Olathe, Kansas (shout out to a fellow Bible Belter!) for becoming the new national spelling champion. She won on the word "Laodicean." After looking up the word here and here, I thought that would be a great word to ponder today. Far too many of us, me included, have grown far too Laodicean.
Cell Phones Beat Out Land Lines: For the first time, more American homes have cell phones only (20 percent) than land lines only (17 percent). Huh. There are still a ton of us in the middle with land lines and cell phones. I'm not sure why. Perhaps so when your charger breaks (as mine did yesterday) and your cell phone is dead (which mine was) and you are freaking out a little too much for the situation (Me: "My cell phone is dead. What do I do? Can I leave the house? What if I get in a wreck? What if ... ad nauseum.."), then you can still get a hold of someone on your land line to talk you down.
I really have no biblical insight on this topic. It just seems to me that two things are going to be happening more. One, more public five-second pauses. You know, when you are sitting in church or a movie or someplace that is supposed to be quiet and where people are supposed to have turned their cell phones off, and then you hear one. Then everyone waits patiently for five seconds until you hear the "Oh! That's me! Sorry!" Then everyone resumes said sermon or movie or whatever.
Second, I'm going to feel more judged for not having that oh-so-clever personal ring tone. It's getting downright depressing to hear someone's ringtone and watch them heaped with praise for how doggone cute/clever/hip it is. Yeah, they don't do that for me.
Hardcover Dictionaries: I just realized that I don't have a hardcover dictionary anymore. I always look up words online. This can be bad when you are trying to come up with a word that starts with an "F" and goes with "Friday" for the title of your blog. Foibles? No. Fancies? No. This is when an actual, physical dictionary would have come in handy. Anyone have one and want to improve on my title? Or just having a slow Friday like me and want to talk about Laodiceans or cell phones?
Boundless,
I love your website and your blogs!! Your podcasts are great too. I like to look up the verses you site in your articles afterwards from the Bible and then read the chapter. It helps me set time apart for prayer and my daily devotional. I love, love, love your articles on relationships; I read them almost everyday! It keeps me focused on what our, my sweet boyfriend Matt and I's, relationship is founded on. I also forward them to my friends and family if I think they would like it! I am in nursing school and live in Melbourne, Florida!
Monika
"Can you read me a story, Papa?" my daughter asks as I tuck her in for the night. Of course I've got time to read VeggieTales or The Velveteen Rabbit or Boz or Belle or something from her Children's Bible.
I try to take my time reading to her, pausing and inflecting words just so to make the story more engaging.
And sometimes we put aside the books and just tell each other stories we've made up from our imaginations. Her favorites: the fairies' magic bouncy house and the mysterious rooms beneath our home that you can only access through a hidden trap door behind the stove.
In our neighborhood, parents are doing the same thing for their kids: giving them a pleasant narrative before they drift off to sleep. Indeed, it's not just our neighborhood, but all around the world, and for as long as people have existed on this planet. Old Testament prophets told stories, Jesus told stories, medieval playwrights told stories.
And it's not just kids who enjoy a good night-night story. I remember reading the missionary biography Bruchko, where the Amazon tribe would gather together in their hammocks at night and tell each other stories by firelight. What great times enjoying creativity, enjoying community, enjoying a story.
If nobody is around to tell you a story, whether a parent or fellow tribesman, you can always pick up a book and read by night light.
Or you can flick on the TV and have someone far away unfold a story for you.
Yeah, all this went through my mind as I read Motte's recent blog post, "Entertainment Cravings." Motte felt embarrassed for having watched three movies over the course of three nights. Though it's likely that his having watched "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" was, as he said, a "waste," I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with watching TV. It's simply another medium through which to engage a story.
I affirm the Boundless articles that encourage godly media discernment, such as "Like to Watch," "Discriminating the Movies," "Minding Our Media" and "It's Never 'Just a Movie'." It's probably wise to avoid a lot of what you'll find on TV, programs that pollute and inure.
While we've published a few articles challenging us to watch less TV, and to use wisdom as we decide what to watch and how to interpret what we watch, you won't find anything on Boundless saying that TV -- an electronic audio-visual medium -- is by nature shameful.
It's true that too much passive watching can dull our senses. It's true that at times we may find ourselves addicted to it, craving relief from the TV rather than looking to the Holy Spirit for comfort. And it's true that having a friend share a story with you is much more personal and relational. But here's the thing: A story told by the cold tube in the corner is at its most fundamental level simply a story.
So tonight, as you curl up in front of the TV with your chicken wings or Pad Thai, consider that you're engaging in a tradition that spans the globe and spans all of history. You are enjoying a good story before bedtime. And that's something for which to be thankful to our Creator, the greatest storyteller of all.
Several years ago I discovered an uncomfortable pride within myself. This pride was associated with my church...my church. With its professional, yet casual, worship and relaxed, yet in-the-know of Greek and Hebrew, pastor, I felt my church reflected my great taste. With this discovery of pride came contemplation. I began to consider my generation's trend of choosing a church based on personal taste: The type of church I attend says something about me. If I go to a conservative church, I like structure and tradition. If I attend a charismatic church, I prefer experiential worship. If I attend a small church, I have a heart for being a part of something intimate with the promise of growth. But is choosing a church based on personal style and preference biblical? I'll admit it. My tendency is to look for a church that makes me feel good — a church that "fits me." It's the same way I choose other things in my life — my clothes, my apartment, my furniture. But should that be the way I choose my church?
I suppose the answer is yes and no. In "Designer Church," I consider how early Christians picked a church: geographic location. Let's face it; they didn't have much of a choice. However, these intimate yet diverse communities of Christians thrived based on a single commonality: shared faith in Jesus Christ. In addition, the early church promoted sound doctrine, prayed for persecuted Christians, grew as a result of evangelism, commissioned its members to go out and serve, utilized a variety of spiritual gifts and demonstrated submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. When I wrote this article, I realized I cared more about how my church reflected my personality than how it embodied those biblical principles. And I had a hunch why: All of the characteristics of the early church required commitment — living and breathing God's Word in community. It takes time to establish a solid prayer ministry or build relationships with missionaries. As part of a generation that often abandons something the moment it goes out of style or ceases to interest us, we face the temptation to leave a church simply because it doesn't perfectly reflect us.
At that moment I made a commitment not to switch from church to church based on personal taste but to invest, as the early Christians did, and watch how God would use that investment. After all, the church is His, not mine. And four years later, I have not been disappointed. I have watched fourth graders enter middle school and helped new leaders transition into their new roles. I've eaten dinner with families in my church, gotten to know college students and helped form a young adult Bible study. These opportunities would not have been possible had I chased after the next "big thing." Perhaps not coincidentally, I also met my boyfriend when he was hired for a children's ministry position at my church last summer. "Bloom where you're planted" may not be a biblical adage, but it is certainly appropriate when it comes to the church. When you bloom, church life becomes more than a passing fad.
I found this top ten list (and I love top ten lists) while reading Tim Challies' blog. It's about "types" of church people. You know, like the guy who is always referencing some John Piper podcast.
10 People a Pastor Should Fear
1. The guy who "subtly" reminds you how much he gives to the church.
2. The young guy who likes it when you rant against stuff or preach angry.
3. The guy or gals who doesn't like it when you rant against stuff or preach angry.
4. The lady with the unbelieving or spiritually unsophisticated husband who emails you a lot.
5. The person who finds you right after the message to point out something you got wrong, quibble over a minor point, or mention some other criticism.
See if you can guess which one of the above best describes me?
Go to The Gospel-Driven Church blog for the rest. And while you're there, check out his 10 Church People You Shouldn't Trust. See anybody you know?
I appreciated Lisa's recent post on photo fear.
This is an affliction I suffered from for years. My "awkward stage" lasted from age 11 to my junior year of college. Yes, it was painful.
I suppose I don't regret those missed photo ops. After all, a dad who loves his camera ensured much of the awkwardness would be captured for posterity. But now when I look back, I realize my appearance was not as grim as I imagined at the time.
As Lisa pointed out, Facebook has a way of exposing (no pun intended) some of the worst moments captured on film. Google image, too. Take, for example, this photo from my junior year, that haunts me on google image. (To be honest, this photo is not as bad as the one I attempted to post. But legally I couldn't post a photo with other people in it.) I had those bangs for years. Now I wonder why I didn't grow them out sooner ... much sooner.
I'm reminded of these words from Ecclesiastes: "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" (3:1). Me feeling insecure in front of the camera was reflective of a season of timidity as God was shaping my identity. I eventually grew into myself and became less worried about what others thought of me or looking bad in a photo. I've even been a model for some of my friends who are amateur photographers.
My photo journey reminds me of how far the Lord has brought me in the areas of security and finding my identity in Him. One thing I've realized is that as I become less self-conscious (self-focused), I have a greater capacity to reach out to others. I'm thankful for the ways I have changed in the almost 10 years since I graduated from college. Yes, I still occasionally cringe at a picture someone posts of me on Facebook. But I also know where my beauty comes from—God's work in my life.
I have a confession. Sometimes Twittering feels a little silly to me. I have a hard time caring that Joe Schmo is cleaning out his car, drinking french press coffee or picking his nose. But other times I think it's a great tool for social networking. Like last week for example.
One of our readers sent me a little message on Twitter asking if Boundless was on the Focus tour and if she could meet the team. We aren't on the tour and most of the team was out of the office. I tweeted her back that if she called my extension I would bring her down a copy of the Guy's Guide.
When I got down to the lobby I could tell she wasn't part of the Boundless Target audience. Hint one: baby in sling across her chest. Hint two: toddler in stroller. I got a little bit of her story on video.
I've been thinking about modesty a bit.
Partly, it's the season. With summer arriving here in America, so arrive the summer clothes and summer questions. What is modest? Does a tank top qualify? How short makes shorts too short? What about swimsuits? Although I'm eternally grateful for whoever figured out that swim shorts weren't just for men, are my swim shorts and tankini top really modest?
Sometimes I get frustrated on the lack of agreement among believers about what is modest and what is not. Can't we just develop the "Seven Simple Rules of Modest Dressing" so that I can shop and be done with it? Instead, it feels like the Christian attitude towards modesty often mirrors Justice Potter Stewart's Supreme Court argument about pornography: "I know it when I see it." In our case, we can't tell you what's necessarily modest, but we know immodest when we see it.
But I found some clarity on this issue when I read a recent article titled "The Single Woman and the Modesty of Personal Restraint" by Lydia Brownback. In the article, Brownback encourages us to examine the modesty of our actions:
"... [I]mmodesty deals with a lot more than revealing too much skin. We are just as prone-if not more so-to overexpose what's under our skin. Revealing too much about ourselves is immodest too.
Sharing confidences and personal experiences with someone forms a bond... If we share a little bit with someone and all goes well, it seems safe to share more, and before we know it, a bond has formed. This can be a great blessing, but when we allow it to happen in the wrong context, it is unwise, and great hurt can result."
Brownback goes on to offer some practical advice on how single women can relate to single men, to married men and "modesty of speech."
My real take-away from the article, though, came from this section:
"There is a time and place to open up and share our sin struggles and personal concerns, and if we are careful to apply Peter's words about the modesty of personal restraint, we will be wise not only about the time and the place, but also about the people we choose to share our hearts with."
A time and place. That's really, I thought, what modesty is about. It's about a time and a place.
Rather than rules and regulations, that phrase sums up an attitude. An attitude of waiting until appropriate. There is a time and a place for intimate conversation between a woman and a man. There is a time and a place to share the intimacy of our bodies. For both, it's marriage.
Modesty, then, isn't about prudishness or hang-ups or an aversion to sex. It's not about, though I'd still love to have them, rules.
Modesty is an attitude that acknowledges and affirms that intimacy and sex are wonderful in their God-given context. It's women and men who are willing to wait for that time and that place and who refuse to "hint" and "flirt" with that intimacy prematurely.
Hey friends,
I'm here in Moreno Valley, CA. This is my corner in the master bedroom where I download the podcast, listen to it while doing laundry or cleaning the upstairs of my room ... and of course where I read and comment on the blog.
Here's a shout out to all my socal peeps and hello to the rest of you guys :)
DannieA
Here's a sneak peak at the pilot of our new movie review video featuring Plugged In Online's Bob Waliszewski. We'll change the background and add movie clips for the final. Some of Bob's rating terminology will change too, but this will give you a good feel for what it could be.
Also, we've put up a new poll on the Boundless homepage so you can cast your vote between "The Big Picture" and "Reel Discernment," which was a write-in that seemed to gain some momentum.
As more "information worker" jobs get the axe in a recessionary economy, jobs that tend to put dirt under your fingernails are getting a second look from young workers. Last week, the New York Times Magazine ran a lengthy article on this topic by Matthew Crawford called "The Case for Working With Your Hands." I read quite a bit over the course of a week and I haven't read anything this engaging or provocative in a long time. Here are some appetizers:
Many of us do work that feels more surreal than real. Working in an office, you often find it difficult to see any tangible result from your efforts. What exactly have you accomplished at the end of any given day?
...The imperative of the last 20 years to round up every warm body and send it to college, then to the cubicle, was tied to a vision of the future in which we somehow take leave of material reality and glide about in a pure information economy. This has not come to pass. To begin with, such work often feels more enervating than gliding. More fundamentally, now as ever, somebody has to actually do things: fix our cars, unclog our toilets, build our houses.
...One shop teacher suggested to me that “in schools, we create artificial learning environments for our children that they know to be contrived and undeserving of their full attention and engagement. Without the opportunity to learn through the hands, the world remains abstract and distant, and the passions for learning will not be engaged.”
...The trades suffer from low prestige, and I believe this is based on a simple mistake. Because the work is dirty, many people assume it is also stupid. This is not my experience.
...So managers learn the art of provisional thinking and feeling, expressed in corporate doublespeak, and cultivate a lack of commitment to their own actions. Nothing is set in concrete the way it is when you are, for example, pouring concrete.
...Why not encourage gifted students to learn a trade, if only in the summers, so that their fingers will be crushed once or twice before they go on to run the country?
...For anyone who feels ill suited by disposition to spend his days sitting in an office, the question of what a good job looks like is now wide open.
I suspect this article will hit home with anyone who has looked for purpose among cubicle walls and failed to find anything quite as rewarding as their hands-on projects of days gone by.
A rare afternoon on the deck after training at the Coast Guard station, reading the Line on my iPod.
Marc
Last Friday, I became a member of Blockbuster for the first time in five years. Then, over the long weekend, I went on a movie watching binge, renting three movies in three nights.
I'm not proud of it. In fact, I'm quite embarrassed by it. But it happened. Now I'm left to wonder why.
It could be that I really don't watch a lot of movies throughout the year, whether at home or in the theater. So a lot of (seemingly) good ones pile up that are on my radar for one reason or another.
Or it could be that we're fresh off season finale week and all of our television shows are over. So we're going through some entertainment withdrawals.
And I do think I am going through some sort of withdrawal. Which is why this John Piper article caught my attention today. It's an audio transcript with someone asking, "How do I break this hold that entertainment has on my heart?"
Pastor Piper gives some very practical advice involving prayer, immersing yourself in the Bible, joining groups that talk about serious things, and sharing your faith. But this final thought was most helpful, at least to me:
One last suggestion: think about your death. Think about your death a lot. Ask what you'd like to be doing in the season of life, or hours or days, leading up to meeting Christ. I do that a lot these days. I think about the impact of death, and what I would like to be found doing, and how I would prepare to meet him and give an account to him.
Sobering advice. Especially after wasting an hour and a half last night with Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Somehow, I don't think Christ would be amused. I sure wasn't.
I love Memorial Day. I love remembering the soldiers who sacrificed everything, dying to protect the freedoms I too often take for granted. I think that's why I get choked up thinking about all the people who forgot why yesterday was a holiday. Living in a military town, it's a bit harder to forget. Though not impossible by any means. I suspect a lot of you did the typical Monday holiday thing yesterday. We cut our grass, grilled hot dogs, took a long nap, and imagined that it was summer. But we also stopped to read a tribute to two of the most famous American soldiers, Audie Murphy and Alvin York. In discussing these two decorated heroes, Peggy Noonan wrote, I thought of these two men the other night after I introduced at a
dinner a retired Air Force general named Chuck Boyd. He runs Business
Executives for National Security, a group whose members devote time and
treasure to helping the government work through various 21st-century
challenges. I mentioned that Chuck had been shot down over Vietnam on
his 105th mission in April 1966 and was a POW for 2,488 days. He's the
only former POW of the era to go on to become a four-star general.
When I said "2,488 days," a number of people in the audience went
"Oh!" I heard it up on the podium. They didn't know because he doesn't
talk about it, and when asked to, he treats it like nothing, a long
night at a bad inn. Warriors always do that. They all deserve the "Oh!" If you're among those who discount Memorial Day, I recommend Kevin DeYoung's post about all the reasons Christians should celebrate it. He did a great job. But I think he left out one very important reason: We live in a world prone to atrophy. And that's no less true in the realm of liberty. I'm always disheartened when I hear of churches who don't do anything to celebrate, or even acknowledge, our patriotic holidays. It's because we have the form of government we do, that such churches operate without fear of reprisal. And our military has done much to defend that freedom, not only for us, but for oppressed people's in far away lands. If you didn't do anything yesterday to remember fallen soldiers--those who have so selflessly fought to defend our liberties--take a minute today to read "Those Who Make Us Say 'Oh!'". And if you've never seen the old black and white film, Sergeant York, you should. York left his pacifist ways behind only after studying everything the Bible had to say about war and the power of the sword. If anyone should remember the exploits of brave and patriotic soldiers, it's those of us who, without their defense, have so much to lose.
I was so busy getting ready for my Dad's visit last week that I kept putting off my Q&A deadline. Alas, the final extension came and went, and even though Ted is exceedingly patient with me in such situations, he was headed off to the Next conference, so this time, it really was too late to get a new column done in time.
I asked him to run a classic. And he did. But because I was so busy enjoying my Dad, and watching him teach our kids how to play Whist, and going to the zoo, and dodging uncharacteristic rain storms, I didn't realize till this morning which column he chose. And the reason I realized it was that you all are writing to say, "I'm shocked to see that the 'Guys just know' statement was published AGAIN."
Ugh.
So again, I'll apologize for ever writing that. ;)
Apparently guys don't just know. ...
And so, to Michael, and all the other men who wrote [and wrote again] to challenge my assertion about men, thank you. I'm sorry for diminishing the nature of the risk you have to take when you act biblically in relating to women. Though this doesn't change my advice about what women should do, it's worth noting that in the dance of courtship, men are indeed taking a huge risk when, even in the face of possible rejection and with no hint of success, they ask women out.
To the men who overcome their anxiety and fear of possible failure to do so, it is no small act of courage. Thank you.
You can read the whole mea culpa here.
My wife Ashleigh and I are at the NEXT 2009 conference here in Baltimore. Great music, great speakers, great people, great food, and great presenters. Including Boundless, of course, whose copies of the Guy's Guide to Marrying Well mini-book are going fast. Wish you were here!
Check out some NEXT videos that I've uploaded to the Boundless Tangle page. Here's one of them:
Ted Slater
Hi! I'm an avid reader of the Boundless Line Blog and Webzine. Where am I? I'm 8 months married, a year into my fulltime job as an RN in labor and delivery, and closing on a house next week (I guess I'm answering to more of my station in life rather than location. But since you asked, I'm a proud Texan). So far, marriage has been the sweetest *earthly* blessing the Lord has given me, and I have many thanks to give to the writers at Boundless. Before Ryan and I were an item (I knew he had his eye on me), I poured over the resources Boundless had to offer on dating and courtship as I waited patiently for Him to pursue me. I can't give thanks enough for the wisdom and protection the Lord gave me through taking heed to much of your biblical advice as a woman being pursued by a godly man. Though I'm no longer single, I still love Boundless and am encouraged in my walk with Christ and in my marriage as well. Perhaps the road I'll be on soon is motherhood!
In Christ,
Ashley
A friend of mine sent me this link a couple of weeks ago, accompanied by the comment, "When I was in high school, I thought I was so ugly that I never was in pictures and I totally regret it." She hated camera lenses. She hated the way she looked.
The men reading this post are probably already perplexed by it, while the women are even now bursting into tears. It is so true. Many of us have lost huge chunks of our history due to "photo fear." We see ourselves in photos and think, "Ugh. I look terrible. I'll lose 20 pounds, cut my hair, wait for my acne to clear up, get braces, wait for the next solar eclipse, ___________ [fill in the blank], and then I'll start being in pictures again." We promise ourselves, pinky-swear, cross-our-hearts-and-hope-to-die, but the next thing we know, we're ten years older and not a bit bolder. And as the above blogger notes, guess what? We look ten years older to boot. Double whammy.
I have almost nothing from my college years documented on film. In part this was because I ran around like a madwoman, living the life of an overachiever and overcommitter, only to wake up one day, diploma in hand and future before me. But vanity and photo fear came into play, too. I think I only had about four months of my senior year where I felt somewhat pretty. Four months out of four years -- what an unbelievable tragedy. I loved my college experience. But I have no photos to prove it.
I've taken (and been in) more photos in recent years thanks to digital photography and a newfound posing prowess. Any woman who has staged her own photo shoot for the purpose of online dating sites or Facebook photo albums knows what I'm talking about. We've learned how to stand with one foot forward, one hip turned and one arm bent to streamline our silhouettes. We have doctorate degrees in how to suck in, twist, elevate and hide any number of body parts for maximum presentation. Trust me, Annie Leibovitz has nothing on us.
But the fact remains: we need to get a grip. We need to reclaim our photo opps, both for our sakes and the sakes of our grandchildren. Ladies, I need a witness here! And guys, we need support! Or do you suffer from photo fear as well? Please let us know.
Thanks to Facebook, I've reconnected with some college friends who have shared their photos. In a spirit of reckless abandon, I'm posting a photo of me in my college glory days.  I look positively ridiculous (I'm surprised I didn't start a fire with those glasses), but I am so grateful to have this photo in my stash. There are tons of memories associated with it.
So guys and gals, let's not be afraid to jump in the picture. And when you do, pull someone along with you. Here's a start: this weekend as you're out and about, take a photo of yourself in action. Then send it to us and we may post it as a declaration of freedom.
Let's take back our history, folks, and shed our photo fear. Start snapping!
Our featured musical artist this week is Heather Mangum. Her husband Matt and I had some trouble trying to get her permission form faxed. (I'm pretty sure faxes are the moodiest machines ever.) But let me tell ya, it was worth it. I love Heather's music and I'm moved by the passion I hear in her voice.
Sex and Violence in Movies -- 00:00
One of our East Coast listeners called in to ask some follow-up questions to our inbox in episode 63 about men and media discernment. Her Sunday school class listened to the segment (how cool) and the fellas didn't think it was very fair to have two women talking about men's media choices. So we brought the question to the Boundless roundtable to get the male perspective.
Holy Available -- 21:40
Back in February when Gary Thomas was in town for the Focus on Marriage simulcast Steve and Candice were able to snag a half hour with him to talk about his book Holy Available which is available in stores this month. I heard Gary Thomas speak at the marriage simulcast the day after they taped this interview. I hope I never forget something he said. He said that we should view God as our Heavenly Father-in-law. I had been engaged for less than a week at the time and as I've written before I wasn't in the running for the fiancee of the year award. I remember being so ashamed before my (soon to be) Heavenly Father-in-law for how I was treating his son. I'm thankful for the times when God brings that illustration, that eternal perspective, back to mind in the middle of a fight. Like Gary's talk at the marriage simulcast, his interview is also full of humbling and gaze-altering insights.
Pick-up Lines -- 44:06
Between Lisa and Tom there's been a whole heap of talk about pick-up lines on the blog this week. You guys had so much to say about them that we decided to continue the conversation on the podcast. If you listen to the inbox segment you'll figure out pretty quickly that I'm not a fan of pick-up lines. I'm a bit partial to the good ol' "Hi, my name is ______. What's yours?" It's like a little black dress. Never goes out of style. Even though I don't think it's a great way to get to know someone, I do have a favorite pick-up line. Wanna hear it? Okay, here it is: Are you from Tennessee? 'Cause your the only ten I see. Gets me every time.
Hi Boundless!
I am currently in America but for ages I've been reading and listening to Boundless in Christchurch, New Zealand!
I took this photo of a 'kiwi xing" sign when I was driving to my parents house from Christchurch, one week before I flew out for America. I didn't see any real Kiwis but this one has reminded me of home while I'm away.
This is a photo of me in Times Square, NYC. I came to the US as an au pair and I am living and working with a Jewish American family. It has been an experience! I've been here for eight months which seems incredible. Just this morning I found a journal entry from when I first arrived and I was pouring my heart out to God because one whole year seemed impossible.
Boundless had encouraged, supported, and cheered me up countless times over the last few years but especially the last eight months and I love listening to the Boundless podcast when I'm out walking or on the train into NYC.
Emma
![IStock_000001580608XSmall[1]](http://boundless.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451c4ae69e201156fa7852f970c-200wi) My heart sank when President Obama announced new fuel economy standards for auto makers for models to be built between 2012-2016. And it wasn't because our government is forcing regulations on us to curb greenhouse gasses to "prevent' unproven man-caused global warming. It was because I have a family of eight.
Let me explain.
The new standards will force auto makers to build smaller cars. The auto makers complain that Americans do not want smaller cars and worry no one will buy them unless the government helps push gas prices above $4 a gallon. President Obama has said in the past that he wants to "help people make the adjustment" to $4 a gallon fuel prices.
$4 a gallon gas prices will mean my monthly fuel bill will go from $200 to $400 or more. That's $200 more a month that I can't put toward food, clothing, school supplies, health care, or housing. For a family of eight trying to live on one salary, it's substantial.
And what happens when my big Suburban gives out and I need another big car? Is it possible for the auto industry to make eight+ passenger vehicles that meet the new emissions standards of 35.5 mpg?
I wonder if by "help people make the adjustment" to higher fuel prices, what President Obama really means is forcing them to have smaller families.
Our blog is hosted on the TypePad platform.
They have recently introduced a bug that disallows you from using any HTML in your comments. I've submitted a bug report, and am hoping they fix this error ASAP.
I'll hold my tongue on what I think of their developers, and their policy of using paying customers as their beta testers. Hmf.
Sorry for the inconvenience. Hope to see it fixed shortly.
I remember the first time I started rooting for professional golfer Phil Mickelson. It was the 1999 U.S. Open. Mickelson was in serious contention to win his first-ever major championship, but insisted on wearing a pager throughout. You see, his wife was expecting their first child (expecting any moment, in fact) and was to page him if she went into labor. Mickelson made it known that if the pager went off, he was off as well.
There's a man, I thought, who knows his priorities. I was hooked (or sliced).
Today, I rooted for Phil and his wife again. Mickelson announced that his wife Amy has been diagnosed with breast cancer and that he will be taking an "indefinite leave" from the PGA Tour.
Jack Nicklaus commented, “No one, especially Amy, deserves to have to face the battle that accompanies cancer. But we know that Amy has this amazing inner strength and spirit, and with Phil’s unwavering love and support, they will fight and overcome this.”
With his unwavering love and support. They will fight. Wow.
In his book, The Christian Husband, Bob Lepine tells a story about Robertson McQuilken. McQuilken served for years as the president of Columbia Bible College and Seminary until his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Lepine quotes him: "I approached the college board of trustees with the need to begin the search for my succcessor. I told them that when the day came that Muriel needed me full-time, she would have me ... So began years of struggle with the question of what should be sacrificed: ministry or caring for Muriel ... When the time came, the decision was firm. It took no great calculation. It was a matter of integrity. That was no grim duty to which I was stoically resigned, however. It was only fair. She had, after all, cared for me for almost four decades with marvelous devotion; now it was my turn."
Lepine writes how McQuilken is "a reminder that it is often harder to live for your wife than it would be to die for her...In the end, sacrificial love involves a willingness on the part of a husband not only to prefer his wife as more important than himself (see Phil. 2:3), but a readiness to lay down everything he holds dear to care for her. It is a decision on the part of a husband that nothing will supersede his marriage covenant. It's the kind of love that never gives up."
It's an amazing and mysterious truth that he who loves his wife loves himself. But a truth, it is. I just want to honor those husbands who lay down their lives, those who are willing to and those who aspire to be that kind of husband.
I remember sitting in the back of the Tom and Kathleen Elam Center. I didn't know any of the people sitting around me.
The guy on my right was kind enough to put my car keys in his pocket since I was wearing a dress and didn't have the forethought to give my keys to my folks. Now that I think about it, it might not have been the best idea to give a stranger the keys to my Honda. The girl on my right smacked her gum through the entire ceremony and make snarky comments about the speaker. The guy behind me insulted my degree, saying it was the easiest program at our school. I was offended, but mostly hurt. Leave it to a stranger to confirm your worst fears about yourself.
After we threw our caps and I got my keys back from what's-his-name, my parents followed me back to my apartment to pick up some of my furniture. No sooner than I opened the door my stepdad started in about my driving and cited both rolling stops I had made in the fives miles from campus to my place.
My graduation day was a letdown. And looking back I see why. I had bought into the entitlement mentality of many college grads. The speech I heard was a lot like the Post- Everything University speech in J. Budziszewski's article today. I wish I had heard something more like the unofficial Christian commencement instead. Something that would have drawn me out of my self-centered expectations and toward the beginning of "something that will never end."
For those of your who recently graduated, what was your commencement speech like?
I sat down at the computer this evening and then I told my daughter that I wanted to post a picture of where I sit and read Boundless. So she set up the picture looking out the window to the east, toward the big red barn. We just got 60 baby chicks last week, and they are right on the other side of the north window on the barn. Yes, I know after all the bad mouthing of chicken (yard fowl), you're probably surprised to hear that we have chickens. We got them so that my children have some chores. Every kid needs some chores. And home grown chicken tastes better as well, or at least it seems that way. Had to work kind of hard to hide most of the clutter on top of the desk. I'm having to use the laptop because the PC behind it won't boot up, got to call the computer guy, except he's busy planting corn. It's been a slow week this week, only able to do field work, planting corn and beans for two days, because of rain.
Two weeks ago, I put in 85 hours in 6 days, that makes for a long week.
farmer Tom
Dr. Albert Mohler wrote a delineative article last week about Christians respecting other religions. It's something I struggle with, particularly regarding Islam.
There's a teacher in my church from Egypt who's a expert on Islam. He speaks with great passion about his love for Muslims and desire to see them come to know the Lord. He grieves about the events of 9/11, both the loss of innocent life and its effect on evangelizing the 10/40 window.
The stories he tells of Muslims loving Christians who work and live alongside them in Muslim countries are powerful. There's one testimony in particular that I'll always remember (though not in enough detail to recount here).
But even while he's providing me with a foundation of respect through the power of story, in the back of my mind, I can't help but also remember that large percentages (40-70 percent) of Muslims in Muslim countries agree with terrorism. And in the west, it's as high as one in five.
So how do I respect a religion whose followers want to kill me? Or the Muslims who support those that plot and plan to?
What's interesting about Dr. Mohler's article is that he never goes there. The fact that large percentages of Muslims may think it perfectly acceptable for someone to kill him seems perfectly beside the point. His sole focus is on their need for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
As for respect, Dr. Mohler says we should respect Muslims, but not Islam.
Thus, evangelical Christians may respect the sincerity with which Muslims hold their beliefs, but we cannot respect the beliefs themselves. We can respect Muslim people for their contributions to human welfare, scholarship, and culture. We can respect the brilliance of Muslim scholarship in the medieval era and the wonders of Islamic art and architecture. But we cannot respect a belief system that denies the truth of the gospel, insists that Jesus was not God's Son, and takes millions of souls captive.
This is the view (at sunset) just down the road from where I live in Monsourieh, a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. I am currently here serving as a counselor/social worker with Kids Alive International at Dar el- Awlad. Among a day filled with counseling, playing with kids, meetings, paperwork, and completing my apartment I don't have a lot of time to browse the internet or catch up with the sites I used to when back in the States. When the internet is up and I have some down time I do try to catch up on recent posts and comments.
Khalil
There's a lot to like about the conference formerly known as New Attitude, now going by the short, Twitter-friendly moniker Next. Engaging speakers who'll be right there, in the flesh: Joshua Harris, D.A. Carson, Kevin DeYoung, C.J. Mahaney, Sinclair Ferguson. Some great bands (who've been featured on our podcast) to facilitate worship. Boundless contributors Carolyn McCulley and Tim Sweetman and Ricky Alcantar and Bob Kauflin and maybe Stephen Altrogge and maybe others will be there. There'll be time to chill with old friends, and new ones. And who can forget the famous Baltimore clam chowder? Not me.
But perhaps most exciting is this: Boundless will be there. OK, it's just my wife and me sitting at a folding table alongside a few other ministries in the ad hoc bookstore. But what's really exciting is that we'll have 500 copies of our new Guy's Guide to Marrying Well mini-book.
Yeah. Not just a virtual PDF or Flash file. The real deal with real paper held together with perfect binding. Yeah, that's sweet.
We'll also have some info on how you can pick up additional copies, as well as on our forthcoming Girl's Guide to Marrying Well. Or maybe I'll just have a sign-up sheet on which you can write your name and e-mail address and I'll get you the info once we get it.
If you're going to be at Next this weekend, please stop by, say hi and pick up a copy. I'm planning to take and share some video from the conference, so if you want to be famous, that's another reason to stop by. I don't think we'll have any chocolate this year, so don't stop by for that.
Check out the video below of us opening a box of mini-books:
All I wanted was a parking space.
It was Saturday afternoon, and I was driving home with two hungry kids. Despite my status as a thoroughly modern and enlightened father, I knew there was little chance of me preparing a healthy, balanced dinner for the three of us before we all fainted from starvation, so I naturally began the time-honored hunt for a quick meal that wouldn't deplete my retirement account.
I pulled in to the parking lot of the nearest strip mall, settled on a dining establishment we could all agree on, and quickly discovered that there wasn't an empty parking space within 200 feet of the entrance. Actually, there was one available space, but it wasn't fully available. You see, what we encountered that day was a case of, well, I can't use the popular term on a family friendly blog, but you've all seen it before: Someone who thinks their car is so nice, so new, so ... special ... that they deem it worthy of occupying not one but two parking spaces.
As I circled the lot one more time just to see if another spot opened up, another option came to me. Though the inconsiderate driver in question had obviously meant to occupy multiple parking spaces, I noticed that he or she was a bit lacking in execution. The driver had left just enough room on one side for me to squeeze in my modest sedan.
Sensing that it was my duty, my mission, to teach this lout a lesson in inconsideration, I carefully navigated my car into the available area, with barely enough room for us to actually exit our vehicle.
Needless to say, this did not go over well with all my passengers. My nine-year-old daughter was able to slither out easily enough, so she was fairly oblivious to the vital message being conveyed. Yet my oldest son, the one barely out of elementary school, knew exactly what was going on.
"Dad, what are you doing? Don't do this!"
I calmly explained through clenched teeth that people who intentionally occupy multiple parking spaces are akin to criminals and need to be shown the error of their ways. I'd had enough, and I wasn't going to take it anymore.
But my son knew better. Whether he was afraid of the offending car's owner or some other threat yet unseen, or whether he just thought I'd gone temporarily insane, I don't know, but he continued his protestations all the way to the door of the restaurant. Since he was just as hungry as the rest of us, I could tell that he felt very strongly. I could also hear the distress in his voice.
"Dad, no, please don't!"
"But I'm teaching them a lesson," I explained. "People just can't do this!"
My son was now almost in tears.
"But Dad, God can take care of him!"
Please forgive the cliche, but his words hit me like a ton of bricks. It was my turn to hold back tears, as I came to a sudden halt in the parking lot. I looked at this boy who rarely reads his Bible without prompting and who would rather sleep in rather than get up for church most Sundays, and I knew that God was speaking through him.
How many times had I taught my kids that revenge wasn't up to them, that they should resist the urge to tattle on their classmates and siblings, that God would make things right in the end? And now my son had shamed me with my own words, basically citing Romans 12:19-21 without even knowing it:
"Do not take revenge my friends ... for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
I walked back to our car, slowly opened the doors to make sure we didn't scratch the vehicle next to us, and drove away. When I had calmed down sufficiently, after my seemingly righteous indignation had evaporated like so much hot air, I looked my son in the eye.
"You were right," I said. "God can take care of him."
One guess who really learned the lesson that day.
I was checking my e-mail earlier, attempting to ignore the ads that popped up on the right side of my inbox. Then an ad popped up which I couldn't ignore. It was a tummy. Or two tummies, to be exact. One was, I'm sure you guessed, rock hard, toned and tan. The other was ... not. But, evidently, it was not enough for these marketers to do the simple side-by-side comparison of tone tummy to flubby tummy. No, these guys decided to animate. So, not only was the second tummy as big and as celluritic as they could make it, it was also flubbering at me.
Nice. Almost without thinking, my hand went to my own tummy. I gave the ad the evil eye and went on my e-mail checking way, only to realize that through the course of about 10 minutes I also got to see a wrinkle ad that transformed a leather-faced woman into an alabaster beauty and some miracle cure that turned yellow teeth gleaming white.
Now, I know that previous generations of women have struggled with their own body images. I've seen clips of those weird contraptions that 1940s and 1950s women used to get a flatter stomach. But, really, you have to think that there's something original about our generation. I mean, at least my grandma didn't have to see the flubbering tummy while opening up her mail. It seems that wherever I look, I get two messages. First, that beautiful is important. Second, that I'm just not beautiful enough. But, most of the time, it's okay. I know they're trying to sell me something.
What I struggle with more than the ads, truthfully, is in trying to figure out how exactly a pursuit of physical beauty fits (if it fits at all) with a pursuit of righteousness. As a believer, should I strive to be physically beautiful? God's Word tells me that it's inner beauty that matters to God. So, should I not care about physical beauty? Or is it okay to do certain things (like eat healthy and exercise) but not others (like make-up or tanning or liposuction)? Is there a line? And, if so, where is it?
Seems like others are dealing with these questions too. Mary Kassian wrote recently that the problem is "not that we pursue beauty too much, but that we don't pursue it nearly enough." (What does she mean? Read it here.) Carolyn McCulley writes to encourage us to notice, and appreciate, those women who are "Doing Beautiful." And, as for me, I wrote an article for Boundless a couple of weeks ago called "Balancing Beauty" where I tried to work out the answers to my own questions.
"I want so much to get this beauty thing right, to see it through God's eyes. To be aware of Satan's lies that my whole worth is in my outer beauty or, even conversely, that how I present myself makes absolutely no difference. But there is no magic formula. As with most subjects, God doesn't give us a rule, He gives us a priority: Him."
President Obama's speech at Notre Dame was as good as many expected it to be--especially as he brought his bridge-building rhetoric to another divisive issue. It's encouraging to hear someone who is pro-choice use the bully pulpit to say the following:
So let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions, let's reduce unintended pregnancies. Let's make adoption more available. Let's provide care and support for women who do carry their children to term. Let's honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded not only in sound science, but also in clear ethics, as well as respect for the equality of women." Those are things we can do.
It was these kinds of comments during the presidential campaign last fall that encouraged many pro-life Christians to give Obama a second look. During a stop in Colorado Springs, Donald Miller explained his hope for Obama's comments on abortion to make a bigger difference than the anemic efforts of Republicans:
I realize this is controversial, that there are many who would rather vote for a pro-life candidate and keep the abortion rate the same, on principle. And like them I believe in the sanctity of life, I simply think we need to begin making progress, and Barack is offering progress. He is also standing up to his own party on the issue and moving the party forward to elevate the issue of the sanctity of life within the Democratic Party.
So, what will be the long-term effect of the Notre Dame speech? Can we expect to see the kind of progress that President Obama and Donald Miller spoke about? That really depends on how much President Obama chooses to align his bully pulpit and his policy shop.
I couldn't help but think how the President's encouraging words about reducing abortions were greatly offset by all the pro-abortion policies and appointments he has rushed into place. It's kind of like the government spending cuts the President announced that sounded impressive until you realized that they represented less than a fraction of a percent of the new spending he had already championed. So my question is, "Once you subtract the reduced abortions that the President's speech encouraged from the additional abortions that his policies will allow, will there be a net gain or a net loss?"
James Taranto, editor of the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal describes himself as "decidedly in the middle" on the issue of abortion and as such said he was impressed as he listened to the President's speech. But after he thought more about the speech, he wonders if he was had. Here are his thoughts from yesterday's Best of the Web feature on Opinion Journal:
Many surveys suggest that a majority of Americans, while eschewing both extremes, favor greater restrictions on abortion than Roe now permits. Obama may "respect" those who hold such views, but he thinks that their views should continue to be excluded from the political process. His rhetoric of respect and reconciliation is welcome and reassuring. If only it were true.
We can keep praying that the President will keep up the conversation about reducing abortions as well as the other causes he mentioned that were friendly to the pro-life community, but that conversation needs to happen first and foremost in his policy shop.
We had 123 entries for the Drive Thru History giveaway contest. Whew! That was a lot of reading. I felt like I was actually in history class. Some of our contestants really poured their hearts out, other really poured it on and then there were some that just didn't get it. (They thought the contest was a random drawing so their entries just read "Thanks!" which didn't get them a Drive Thru History set but it sure did make me laugh.) 
Thanks for all the entries. It was a pleasure to read about your experiences. Unfortunately I could only pick five of you. And here they are: Elaine, Liz, Tami, Jon Coffman, and Joy in Chicago. Congratulations!
Elaine (4):
Modern history came alive to me while talking to my grandparents about growing up during the Great Depression and their early marriage during WWII. Both are fantastic story tellers and remember so much.
Ancient history came alive to me when I had to teach it to my sixth grade class. One of my students had Drive Thru History and my husband and I watched it to research the ancient world. I had never made connections between cities and events and the Bible.
I would love to have a set for to leave for the school because this is my last year to teach. We've start our family and the baby's due Sunday.
Liz (10):
I went on a mission trip to Poland my senior year of high school. While our group was there, we had the sober opportunity to visit Auschwitz, one of the main concentration camps used during the Holocaust.
I will never forget looking at the incinerators, the thousands of pairs of reading glasses left behind, the tiny children's shoes that were taken, and the locks of shaven hair, realizing that the Holocaust was indeed, a real event. Thousands of children were torn from their families, only to die in loneliness and fear because of their lineage. That single trip to Auschwitz was life changing for me, as I recognized the horrific lengths that sin can lead an individual to follow. I was also reminded, to an even greater degree, of the value of each and every human life, created in the image of God.
As I walked through the halls and across the grounds of that concentration camp over ten years ago, I realized that the Holocaust was not just some story written for a moral lesson or education. The torture in that camp was real, and the responsibility of Christians to protect human life is mandated. Reflecting upon the needless death of so many men, women and children, history made itself very much alive that day at Auschwitz — and left me with a memory that I hope never fades.
Tami (15):
I grew up visiting historic sites all over the United States — native sites in Arizona, California Missions, the Hoover Dam, Mount Vernon, Cape Canaveral, West Point, houses owned by the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts ... the list goes on. I read many, many a plaque and roadway marker. (And judging by old family stories, I think that might have been how I *learned* to read!). I'm also certain that this awareness of history prompted me to become a history major in college.
It was then that a book brought history to life for me, in a unique and very memorable way. That book: The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis.
My church situation, growing up, was dry. The church was focused on "bigger, better, newer," yet there wasn't much sense of God's presence and transforming power. As I got older, I sensed there was much more to the Christian life, and I yearned for unity and deeper community. As a junior in college, I took a course in the history of Christianity, and a Kempis' book was on the reading list. I had never read anything like it; a Kempis wrote of sincere devotion to the Lord, keeping near to Him, and weighing one's own thoughts, attitudes, and actions carefully. My eyes were thus opened to those who lived in Christ before me, and I came to recognize that I had spiritual "brothers and sisters". Through this experience, my desire to read the Bible devotionally increased, and I also got a better sense of the community of saints throughout time. So you could say, in a sense, pre-Reformation writings were the catalyst for my own personal reformation!
Jon Coffman (59):
History bored me in high school. It was dry. I discovered Steven Ambrose and his books (like Band of Brothers, Citizen Soldiers, and the like) that I really began to enjoy reading history (or listening to it on books on tape). So much history, and it seemed so boring in high school! But with story tellers like Ambrose, David McCullough (wrote John Adams and 1776), Kenneth Davis (Don't know much about history), history came alive. History is story telling, and there are some great stories out there.
Joy in Chicago (121):
As an Orlando native, I had a keen sense of the fantastical but not necessarily the historic. Hundreds of visits to Disney World had armed me with a wonderful imagination, yet I struggled to view history as more than mere stories and legends. In particular, I struggled to understand how the Bible related to the rest of world history, which was extremely frustrating to me as this was the very history God wanted us to understand!
In summer 2006, I spent 5 life-changing weeks on an archaeological dig and tour of Israel. There were so many incredible moments: standing on the shore of Galilee where Jesus called his disciples, hiking through Ein Gedi where David hid from Saul, passing by the same gate in Dan that Abraham passed on his way from Ur, praying at the Wailing Wall, walking through the field where David fought Goliath, standing in the tomb where Jesus' body was laid, looking at Peter's house in Capernaum, walking past the steps of the Second Temple where Jesus overturned the moneychangers' tables, and countless others. How incredible it is to be able to read the Bible now and say, "I've been there!"
But nothing brought history alive to me like digging at Tel-Gezer, one of King Solomon's cities. I literally got to brush away the sands of time and unearth the past. Although it was thrilling to hear the archaeologists discuss the origins of the pottery and other relics we found, nothing compared to when I personally discovered a 3000-year-old chalice while digging in the temple area! There I was, after 5 weeks of seeing some of the most important sites in history, holding a chalice from the time of King David that I had discovered on my own — not in some museum, but with a pick ax! That find landed me on the front cover of the January/February issue of Biblical Archaeology Review magazine, making me a part of history!
Hi Boundless!
I started reading during my college days in Massachusetts and continued when I moved to Zurich, Switzerland three years ago! This is a favorite place to hang out -- the city's lakefront on a beautiful spring day. Keep up the good work!
Romy
You've probably noticed the new Twitter button on the left-hand side of the website. We're in our third month of trying to steward Twitter as a social networking tool and today we took it to a new level by doing our first "Twitterview." Our guest was Jeff Caylor an independent singer-songwriter that Boundless is particularly partial to and has frequently featured on the podcast. If the interview seems a little disjointed it's because all the questions had to fit into the 140 character tweet format.
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Boundless Good Morning Jeff. Ready to get started?
Jeff Caylor Good evening. Let's do this. Since the answers have to be brief, why don't you guys just ask me "yes" or "no" questions. Cool? We'll call it a micro-view.
Boundless I guess it would be more accurate to say "Good evening" for you in Hong Kong. I'll see what I can do about some yes/no questions.
How is Christianity different in Hong Kong than in America? In other words, how does Chinese culture affect worship, beliefs, etc.?
Jeff Caylor I was just talking to someone yesterday about how "belief" in general doesn't seem to have the baggage it does in the US. People are interested in your beliefs, they don't openly mock or insult them. My experience at least. Incidentally, Hong Kong still enjoys a lot of freedoms that mainland China doesn't in that regard.
Boundless How has this affected your view of Christianity, if at all? Has it affected your music?
Jeff Caylor I think the culture in general tests my faith in ways I wouldn't have expected. Patience is important in a big, crowded city. As far as my music, I think themes of loneliness come up naturally in a city like this. First song on my CD goes there.
Boundless How is facilitating worship through music different in Asia compared with here in the U.S.?
Jeff Caylor I think we all have a lot to learn about worship and I'm learning too. I'm part of a fantastic church, though.
Boundless What have you learned from self-publishing and promoting your own music?
Jeff Caylor It's a lot of work. I suppose what I lack in talent, I have to make up for in promotion. And I hate promoting myself. When you make your first recording you think the world is going to somehow find you on their own. Then you sell 20 CDs. I'm grateful that I have a lot of friends who have helped get the word out. Not easy when you don't have a promotions budget.
Boundless Would you say that promoting yourself is your least favorite part of self-publishing?
Jeff Caylor No. I hate spending money more. But you have to do it to make CDs, make t-shirts, buy advertising. You have to have a strong stomach and a solid belief in your music, in this economy, to invest your money like this.
Boundless Motte has been looking for you on Pandora and has finally found you. The Boundless team definitely believes in your music!
Jeff Caylor Whee! Yes, I'm web-biquitous. Grooveshark.com is an interesting site too.
Boundless Which of your new songs kept you up at night the most?
Jeff Caylor I knew the album would be called What Birds Dream before I knew if it would be a song. It came at the 11th hour.
Boundless Well Jeff I know it's getting late but I have two more questions for you. What's the sickest you've ever been?
Jeff Caylor Haha! Once I ordered the hot salsa at Chipotle. It is as hot coming up as it is going down. I always go for medium now. Was that question from Ted?
Boundless You know it. Ted also asked when you're going to be open to having a guest keyboardist appear on any of your songs.
Jeff Caylor Ted: I'm mastering (this week) a very vibey remix album that will release June 30. I think you'll dig. Lots of synths. It's being worked on right now by an amazing musician / producer in the UK named Gavin Harrison.
Boundless Last question: How has your heart been affected by having your first album, Okay, recognized by CT as the #5 album of 2007?
Jeff Caylor When I made those recordings, I really just wanted to express some thoughts and emotions in song-form. I was amazed to get recognized that way, and really humbled. For awhile, there was this pressure to go beyond. You realize that it's really out of your hands though. I just want to make great music that hopefully connects with people. I think the new album is better, but it's also different. I want all my recordings to be different and not predictable.
Boundless We're really looking forward to featuring the new album on the podcast.
Jeff Caylor You guys really have believed in my music and me and I appreciate it a lot. You're excellent editors and amazing friends. Thanks so much! I'll look forward to the podcast, too!
Boundless Lots of mutual love and admiration! Thanks for staying up to chat with us. It's been a blast. Now go get some sleep.
Jeff Caylor Good time. As we say in Hong Kong, BYE-BYE!!
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Interviewing Jeff was a fun way to begin the work week. I hope you enjoyed the interview as much as I did. You can hear Jeff's music or read more about his life in Hong Kong on his website.
So an extremely pro-abortion politician was reading some words yesterday during the commencement ceremony at Notre Dame.
Suddenly someone in the audience declared the obvious: "Abortion is murder."
The response from the audience: a cacophony of boos, followed by Notre Dame's popular football cheer "WE ARE ND." According to the official White House transcript, a few of those present also chanted the cute campaign slogan "yes, we can."
[Editor's note: I've edited the previous paragraph for accuracy, to emphasize that "yes, we can" was spoken by a minority of those attending the event. I've also removed the three paragraphs that had followed this one, which wrongly defamed Notre Dame for what a few in the audience said in response to the pro-life disrupter. Thank you to ND students Matthew, Alden and Michael for your gentle correction.]
I'm reminded of Stephen, who challenged the religious leaders of his day by declaring that they had "received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it." Their response? They were "enraged" and "ground their teeth at him," and then finally "they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him" and killed him.
In the face of truth, the religious types angrily refused to listen.
I'm also reminded of Jesus Himself, who made a spectacle of Himself by indecorously shouting His God-informed opinions in, of all places, the Temple. But Jesus didn't stop with mere declarations; He also overturned tables and threatened people with the whip He had made. The concluding verse of that section of Scripture speaks of the zeal that consumed Jesus.
Certainly, the attendees of Notre Dame's commencement ceremony wanted some propriety. They didn't want a political speech interrupted with words from some uninvited pro-baby zealot. That's understandable, I suppose.
But it does leave me wondering when it is appropriate to disturb the peace with words of truth. When is it appropriate to say things that cause some in the crowd to cover their ears and rush at you? When is it appropriate to shout your words, even in sacred spaces?
Stephen did it. Jesus did it. There may be times when it's God's will that I follow the audacity of their example.
Okay, my title is a bit misleading. But “In Defense of
Klutzes Who Spout Pick-Up Lines Without Realizing It” wouldn’t fit.
Lisa’s “What’s Your Line” (and its many responses) made me both laugh and cringe,
remembering a long-ago incident that still brings an involuntary wince every
time I think of it.
All through high school I worked at a Publix Supermarket,
bagging groceries. One day a girl roughly my age was going through the
checkout, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Sure, she was pretty, but that’s
not why I was staring. I was certain I knew her from somewhere, but I just
couldn’t place it.
I kept staring as I bagged the groceries, and she was
becoming increasingly uncomfortable. When she finally got to the end of the
checkout, my curiosity got the best of me.
Even as my mind shouted a slow-motion Noooooooo! my mouth said, “Hey, don’t I know you from somewhere?”
Her eyes could have bored holes through plate steel as she
snatched her groceries, turned on her heel and stormed away. The middle-aged
woman running the cash register laughed uproariously. Me, I felt at that point
that I could have walked under a cockroach without bumping my head.
So, yes, ladies, be aware of the slick pick-up artists, and
follow the good advice you’ve been given. But also be aware that sometimes the
guy has no bad intentions; he’s just put his mouth in gear before fully
engaging his brain.
Oh, and to this day I still don’t know where I knew this
girl from.
I remember that summer well. When I was maybe 10 years old, I spent a month at Camp Hayo-Went-Ha. I still remember playing tetherball and roofball, eating peanut butter and honey sandwiches in the cafeteria, playing in the ball field, the three days we spent hiking and camping along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, enduring the cold morning showers, getting letters from home, being invited to play morning reveille on my trumpet, wetting my bed....
And I remember my camp counselor. Affirming, strong, fun, engaging.
A dozen years later, during the summer after my freshman year of college, I became a camp counselor. Leading my campers in Bible studies, shooting rifles and bows with them, hiking around the grounds, cleaning up goose poop and outhouse toilets ... and helping one boy who had wet his sleeping bag avoid embarrassment by discretely having it washed.
It was great being on both sides: as a camper as as a counselor. Great memories, and growth in character.
In today's featured Boundless article, "Camp Staff Saints," John Thomas affirms the summer camp experience. When he was a kid, lonely and trying to deal with his parents' divorce, it was summer camp counselors who brought him out of his shell and started him on the long journey of healing. And as a young adult, John was able to be the one drawing kids out and helping them heal.
Of all that I've been privileged to do over the years, wearing that cotton, red staff shirt has been one of the highest honors. Putting it on was like putting on a medal. It symbolized perseverance under trial, integrity in life, grace under pressure, faithfulness to Christ, and, for so many kids like me, it symbolized hope in a hurting world.
I'm thankful for the weeks I lived among the trees and slept in the cabins, thankful for the relationships and long talks, thankful for what I received, and for what I was able to give.
The other day I was walking through the mall during my lunch hour. As I headed toward the door of a department store on the way out to my car, I heard whistling. Not a shrill, catcall-like whistle, but a warbling, birdsong-like whistle. After a minute or two, I turned around to see a guy walking about ten feet behind me.
"It wasn't me, I promise!" he exclaimed, raising his hands in apology. He then quickened his stride, caught up to me and said, "You have a nice set of eyes."
I literally did not know how to respond. I wasn't sure I heard him correctly, so I lamely said, "What?" He repeated his statement. "Oh, thanks!", I replied, and bolted off like a frightened rabbit.
As I walked to my car, I thought about this encounter. He seemed like a nice guy. I gave him points for boldness. Thankfully, I hadn't responded rudely. But I didn't know what to make of it. How had he expected me to respond? Did he think I'd return the compliment, strike up a conversation, give him my number? I find it hard to be balanced in situations like this. On the one hand, I'm flattered and impressed. On the other, I'm uncomfortable with the assumption that this is a perfectly acceptable way to meet women. Should I have asked him to join me at Orange Julius so I could inquire after his faith, character, marital status (necessary, I've found) and ability to support a wife and family? Maybe I could've gotten his email address and immediately filled his inbox with Boundless articles on dating and courtship?
A few years ago, I had a key made at Ace Hardware. The guy handed me my newly-minted key with his phone number wrapped around it. I botched that connection by staring at the slip of paper and blurting out, "Why did you give me your number?" A less awkward incident happened in the Wal-Mart card aisle. A guy approached me and said, "Can you help me pick out a card for my mom?" What girl doesn't want to be helpful in situations like these? I said, "Sure," and he used the opportunity to strike up a conversation. I thought that was pretty smooth, and in that instance, I didn't end up acting like a total freak. It seemed more natural and normal. The guy asked me out, but after some pointed questions from me, admitted that he was in fact married. Yikes (see above).
What's your experience either getting or giving pickup lines, and do you think this "cast the net" approach is ok, especially for Christians? If we're all griping about the lack of eligible dates and mates in our churches, should we instead be trolling the checkout aisles, gas pumps and dental waiting rooms that we frequent?
I have girlfriends who are so frustrated with their lack of dates, they think a numbers game is in order. They're willing to talk to a bunch of guys in hopes one of them will turn out to be a Christian. And single. And emotionally healthy. I'll admit, I've heard of Christians who met their spouse on the train, in a Starbucks, at a baseball game. It works! The sovereignty of God seems to occasionally include pickup lines.
So what do you think? Opinions needed. And perhaps some advice for me in these situations is warranted, too.
I'm a big fan of Threads, a ministry of LifeWay for young adults. I receive their e-newsletter, follow them on Twitter, and keep up with them on Facebook. If you're looking to supplement your Boundless cravings, you might want to check them out.
They published a relevant article yesterday on the value of short-term missions, something I'm a big fan of. The article emphasizes the benefits you'll experience by serving others this way; of course, those you're going to serve are likely to benefit as well by your sacrifice.
The overseas missions work I've been involved with has been through Operation Blessing (Colombia), and through my local church with Wycliffe/Rotary (Mexico). The Threads article lists a few other agencies.
Summer is an ideal season to volunteer a week or more of your time to serve others, either within your own country or abroad. I'd be interested in hearing from those who have gone on short-term projects, as well as from those whose summer plans include this kind of work. Why are you doing it? Who are you going through? What do you hope to accomplish?
It’s college commencement time, and in a normal year the president of the United States is invited to give the commencement address at hundreds of colleges. He usually accepts a few. This weekend President Obama will be giving the address at Notre Dame, the grande dame of Roman Catholic universities in the U.S. A substantial portion of the Notre Dame community—including students, parents, and alumni—is not at all happy about this “honor.” They are upset that a premiere institution of the Catholic Church in America is giving a platform and honorary degree to a man who actively supports behavior that the church considers a gross evil, namely abortion and embryonic stem cell research. The university tried to mollify objections by also inviting Mary Ann Glendon, a law professor at Harvard University, member of the editorial board of First Things who also served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican from 2007 to 2009. Notre Dame planned to award Ambassador Glendon the prestigious Laetare Medal and, in a press-release’s talking points, tried to use this fact to silence those who think an abortion supporter has no business speaking at a Roman Catholic institution: President Obama won’t be doing all the talking. Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, will be speaking as the recipient of the Laetare Medal.
Only she wouldn’t cooperate. Ambassador Glendon turned down this honor as a matter of principle. In a letter to Notre Dame’s president, she said: [A]s a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions “should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” and that such persons “should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” ...
A commencement … is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame’s decision—in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops—to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice. ... It is with great sadness, therefore, that I have concluded that I
cannot accept the Laetare Medal or participate in the May 17 graduation
ceremony.
Good for her. She’s nobody’s fool and refused to be used as a foil against anyone who disagreed with the university’s policy. And good for the students and others who also will not allow protocol or politics to trump moral convictions. PS. As an interesting postscript, a recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that objections to the president’s speaking at Notre Dame differed by how often the respondent attended Catholic services, which is, I think, good evidence that there really is a difference between merely claiming the name of Christ and actually living out that claim.
I found a great video series on the environment featuring author of the Index of Leading Environmental Indicators, Steven F. Hayward. Today was the fourth installment of a five part series from National Review's Uncommon Knowledge. They're only about six or seven minutes long so I'd recommend watching them all.
But if you don't have time, here are a few interesting nuggets I pulled out of the series:
- Environmental conditions improve as countries grow more prosperous
- The U.S. doesn't have a single city in the top 50 list of the world's worst for pollution
- Environmentalists bear much of the blame for our current greenhouse gas emissions for opposing nuclear power plants in the 70s
- Sea ice is shrinking but nobody knows what it means because measurements only go back 30 years
- In 20-30 years we'll look back on the global warming "crisis" and realize we way over estimated it's extent like we did with the population bomb scare
Hayward believes the public is growing more and more wary of environmentalists. He cites recent polling data showing it's decline as an issue and talks about how the green issues of magazines were the worst sellers of the year last April. Maybe that's why global warming alarmist like James Hansen and Al Gore are saying things like, "We have only 10 years left to do something about it!"
It reminds me of an old legal aphorism, "If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. If you have the law on your side, pound the law. If you have neither on your side, pound the table."
And telling us we only have 10 years left before an environmental apocalypse is definitely what I would call table-pounding.
Summer is fast approaching. If you're a student, that could mean a break from academics and a time for something else. What that "something else" might be is largely up to you: Will you need to work? Will you be staying with family? Will you take a vacation? Will you set aside some time to play?
In today's featured Boundless article, "You Know What I Did Last Summer," Jason Boyett shares a few things he did this past summer that've changed his life for the better:
Triathlon. Backpacking. Three-day weekends. All three of the activities above involve playing -- as opposed to conventional "work" -- but I think they taught me as much about myself as any college class or business seminar or productivity course I've ever taken. Funny how that happens.
I think back on some of my most cherished summer activities: volunteering in Colombia for a couple of months, working in an industrial laundromat near my dad and stepmother's home, serving as a camp counselor, going on a camping trip.
What've you done? What do you plan to do to make a difference?
This week's featured musical artist is Stevvi Alexander. She's gone solo after an extensive career as a backup singer for artists Diana Ross, Justin Timberlake, and Sheryl Crow just to name a few. (You should check our her resume. I was fascinated just looking at all the artists she's backed.)
3 Truths and a Lie -- 00:00
We had a fun time in the studio this week. One of our loyal listeners Janice wrote in with the idea of a 3 Truths and a Lie roundtable. Lisa, Motte, Ted, and Steve went around the table with their stories and Janice called in to guess the lie. Do you have any roundtable ideas? Send them to us and if we choose yours we'll give you a call, a prize, or a shout out on the blog.
Kevin DeYoung Part 2 -- 16:55
It's time for round two with Kevin DeYoung. If you didn't catch the first part you can listen to it here. Motte and Steve talk to Kevin about his book Just Do Something. And guess what. He thinks most people are marrying too late in life. No wonder Boundless likes him! Seriously though, Kevin's book is full of common sense wisdom and Biblical insights -- a lot like his interview.
Losing Touch -- 39:27
She just moved to a new city, started a new job, is investing in new relationships and just doesn't have time for old friendships. She's doesn't want to lose her long-distance friends but she doesn't have the energy to put into them. Maybe it's time for her to whittle down her friend list or maybe she needs her old friends more than ever. Listen in as Lisa and Suzanne share their friendship wisdom.
Have a question for the Boundless Show? E-mail your questions to editor@boundless.org.
Mabuhay from Manila, Philippines!
Attached is a picture of myself at the control area of our studio. Most of my work time is spent there, unless I'm covering a presscon/concert/conference, attending a CD/book launch, researching, writing articles (yes, I am an aspiring writer. It was one of my former writing classmates that introduced me to your site), etc... Although I also have inter-net access at the studio, I am more comfortable and free to use the office PC.
I am one of your silent readers though. :) I rarely interact/comment, but I make it a point to visit your site daily.
Btw, I am a radio announcer/producer at a Christian radio station here in Manila, Philippines. Your site/articles have been a great blessing and tool for me especially in my shows and in my life as well. I usually mention an article or topic I've read from your site to my officemates and our listeners. Kudos to the staff and regards to all your readers!
Blessings!
Lj Salceda
When I entered the world of media relations ten years ago, I never dreamed that at some point in the future I'd spend several days of my professional career discussing underwear. But after Focus on the Family invited Miss California 2009 Carrie Prejean to appear on our daily broadcast, that changed.
Days after she visited our studios and was interviewed by Dr. Dobson, photos of her appeared on the internet -- photos from a modeling shoot done when Carrie was 17 years old. Photos that showed Carrie topless (though turned away from the camera, PTL). The debate began.
Should Christian girls model for barely-there photo shoots? Where should they draw the line? What if they're selling swimsuits? Or underwear? Or maybe Christians shouldn't model or be in beauty pageants at all?
As if one photo shoot weren't enough, more photos of Carrie were released yesterday. In them, she's standing on a cliff in a bikini bottom and vest. In some shots, the vest isn't quite, um, doing its job. Carrie attributes this to the windy conditions during the shoot, and said the wardrobe-malfunction pics were never intended for publication.
Maybe I'm naive, but I believe her. Hundreds of frames are taken in any given modeling gig, and it's obvious and accepted that most of them will be unusable. A girl on a cliff in the wind wearing next to nothing is going to have a hard time keeping herself covered up the entire time. As my coworker said, "We all know there are photos from Jennifer Aniston's GQ shoot where that striped tie was askew." It's the nature of getting good angles while moving around on a set, having a fan blowing in your face and trying to keep yourself and your wardrobe (what there is of it) together. But contractually, those "bloopers" are usually not allowed to be released.
I may question the wisdom of Carrie Prejean posing provocatively. And really, ladies, if you want to avoid exposure (and you should), wear enough clothing to ensure that anything short of a cyclone will leave you covered. But did Carrie's photog in a sense betray her? Has she been unfairly singled out and attacked because of her faith? And should Carrie's modeling choices -- right or wrong -- undermine her defense of marriage? What about her Christian testimony? Can sincere Christians disagree on these issues?
Christians and underwear: discuss.
If you happen to watch The Bachelor TV show, you may be familiar with the controversy of the last season. Plugged In Online author Meredith Whitmore describes it this way: When Mesnick dumped first-place fiancée, Melissa Rycroft, for Molly Malaney, the second-place "love of his life," I stood up and yelled, "He did NOT just do that!" Then I pretended to stab him repeatedly with my fork.
Seriously. In my opinion, the show hit a new low this season. Whitmore asks: Does The Bachelor influence our real-life dating culture, or does our dating culture influence The Bachelor? The bachelor and his harem (oops, the contestants) live out relational myths that even many Christians seem to hold as reality. The show also plays into our American lust for instant gratification, since in a measly six-week span, the bachelor is expected to date 25 women—disposing of all but one—to find what he always trumpets as true love. But if it's love, then why do most of the couples break up? And moreover, why do so many of us, too? Enter the myths that The Bachelor and our culture hold dear.
Whitmore names four myths perpetuated by the show:
- A couple should always feel in love.
- Love just happens—you can't direct it.
- Love is mostly about getting your needs met.
- It's healthy and normal to have sex before marriage.
Her insights are well worth reading. What do you think of The Bachelor and similar shows? Do such programs simply spotlight the worst aspects of dating or do they fuel them?
I'm in the midst of writing and editing the articles and pieces of articles that will make up the girls' version of the Guy's Guide to Marrying Well. If you haven't seen it yet, it's worth a minute to click on the image and flip through the free booklet online (heck, it's worth it just to hear the cool sound effects!).
I think the end result will be even better if I know what you think should be included. What articles or topics would you like to see in the soon-to-be completed Girl's Guide to Marrying Well?
So what'll it be? Please leave a comment if you have some ideas.
Copyright 2009 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. The Line and Boundless Line are trademarks of Focus on the Family.
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