04.28.09
Posted in Politics, Today, Worldview at 5:21 pm by artistry
This week I discovered how much people don’t know about their rights as citizens. I had two separate casual conversations which really opened my eyes.
I was talking with a young father about his concerns about the school his children attend. He was voicing his disapproval of policy changes currently before the school board. I asked him if he had written the school board members, or gone to their meeting. He said: “I can’t do that!” and was surprised that I thought he could. He just wasn’t aware that he had that right.
Then I was chatting with my hairdresser about children and asked her opinion of the proposed UN treaty on the rights of children. She had never heard of it. When I explained a little about it, she was appalled and wanted to know what she could do to stop it. Again, she was hesitant to write a Congress person about it. She wondered why she hadn’t seen anything about this in the news.
And then it hit me … we don’t see a lot of what happens in Congress in the news. Unless you are a real detective, it is hard to know what is going on in legislative circles. Even then, I often find it hard to get information on bills I know have been introduced. Bills such as the G.I.V.E. Act get passed without a ripple of interest. What we hear in the news and what is actually in the bill are worlds apart. Of course, most of our representatives don’t know what is in these bills either. They don’t read them. At most, they trust the legislative summaries to make their decisions. Or worse yet, they just vote the party line without ever trying to discern whether the bill is really in the interest of their constituents.
I think it is time to bring back civic classes in schools. We need to teach our citizens what government is about. Of course, once they discover that it is supposed to be of, for and by them, they might take it away from the people who currently wield power.
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04.27.09
Posted in Literature, Today at 1:26 pm by artistry
Andy Andrews presents an interesting concept in The Noticer, namely that we spend most of our time focused on the wrong things and need to develop perspective.
The book is the story of a man named Walker and a lifelong relationship that develops between Walker and a man named Jones. Jones is something of a mystery, appearing and disappearing without rhyme or reason, but always imparting a bit of wisdom to Walker. Jones encourages Walker to change the way he views his circumstances and subsequently change his life for the better.
Jones teaches Walker that most problems arise not because of a lack of communication, but because we fail to communicate in the same way as others. He tells Walker that he needs to learn how others communicate to be sure they comprehend his message. The over-riding message of this book is one of hope. Jones consistently shares the view that “the best is yet to come” as encouragement to those he meets in the pages of this book.
There is a Reader’s Guide at the end of the book with questions about content as well as for reflection. The Noticer will hold your attention as you learn more about Jones and the effect he has on all who experience him.
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04.26.09
Posted in Today at 1:35 pm by artistry
Welcome to the last Sunday in April. For the past two weeks we have enjoyed Minnesota springtime at its best … warm days and mild breezes … and sunshine, lots of sunshine! Today we got a reminder of how quickly things can change. It is damp, cold and rainy. And they actually are talking about snow tonight. *eek*
All is not lost though. We went to lunch after church and our waitress informed us that someone had picked up the tab. We can guess who it was, but only guess because there were two families in the restaurant that Steve knows. Whichever it was, thank you!
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04.20.09
Posted in Faith, Literature, Today at 8:17 am by artistry
I am working on my study of Romans this morning. I expect to finish this study in about two more months. It has really been interesting, Paul’s letter to the church at Rome is a sustained and brilliantly cohesive argument for those living in a pluralistic and pagan society. It is, therefore, of great benefit to today’s believers. Desiring God has an excellent sermon series from Pastor John Piper available online or for download. I encourage you to check them out.
I don’t think I realized how long the process would be when I decided to do a deep chronological study of Paul’s letters. I started in 2006 and expect to finish late in 2010. The books in front of me are much shorter in length than the ones I have finished, but are packed with practical and theological truth.
This has and continues to be a blessing. To paraphrase Howard Hendricks: God wrote us a love letter, and saved it for us in a book. Amen!
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04.16.09
Posted in Politics, Worldview at 6:41 am by artistry
With Tea Parties taking place all over the country, the main stream media has either ignored, under-reported or just plain mischaracterized these events. Even the local news station in the Twin Cities filed a report that focused more on negative aspects: Thousands gather in St. Paul for modern-day tea party
The Washington Post produced a liberally biased piece including the cannard that the whole thing was a promotion of the Fox News Network: Obama Just Not Their Cup of Tea
One of the largest events was in Atlanta, where the Journal Constitution continued the mischaracterization, claiming that the event was promoted by the Republican party and conservative lobbyists.
What was most amazing was the sense of outrage expressed by a number of commentators … notably CNN and MSNBC. What do they have to be outraged about?
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04.10.09
Posted in Today at 7:33 am by artistry
We are commemorating the Way of the Cross today and looking forward to celebrating The Resurrection! Hallelujah!
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