Nancy Franson, who blogs at the delightful Out of My Alleged Mind, recently reflected on a job she had as a teenager. It was at a pizza joint and it was definitely without glamor. The back room was kept at such a high heat that the employees baked, along with the pies. The owner mainly sat in a corner and chain-smoked, glowering at his employees and barking out orders in Greek. It wasn’t fun. She had poor training, zero prospects... Read more
Throughout the history of mankind, there has never been a period of genuine peace. If swords were not drawn or if gun powder wasn’t wafting in the air, then certainly angry words were being flung back and forth between nations, tribes and peoples. Wars and rumors of wars reverberate across shaky borders, separated by the barbed wire that defines temporal lines on the map. The ancients fought wars with crude weapons – spears, arrows, boiling oil and rocks flung on... Read more
The discussion this week on technology has launched a whole string of thoughts, angles and impacts on how it is impacting our culture, our spiritual lives and our children. Photo via Flikr by Delta Whiskey For me, it started on Wednesday with my comment, “We don’t need technology. We need each other.” Yesterday, there was quite a bit of discussion about How Smart Phones Make Us Dumb. Michelle DeRusha over at Graceful thinks that technology “is changing the way my brain processes... Read more
Interesting that there is a whole buzz right now about technology, and the fear that it is ruining us. Yesterday, I wrote about the four girls in Wendy’s who were sitting at a table together, so entrenched in music and texting that they ignored each other. The social implications of all our “devices” is untold, yet frightening. Glenn Young, over at Faith Fiction and Friends wrote about a similiar incident, while he stood in line with six other people who... Read more
Four girls, sitting in a booth in Wendy’s. Biggie Size drinks dominating the tables, wrappers in a pile, the meal was done. But they weren’t talking about boys, fashion or school. It was… silent. They all wore earbuds plugged into iPods, while they were tapping text messages into their cell phones. Zero interaction. It was quite a sight. Four girls together — and so far apart from each other.I remember my brother and I camped out in front of the television, watching... Read more
The trends in society are staggering. My, how far we’ve fallen since I’ve first been cognizant of the world around me. Here in the Denver area, there are more medical marijuana dispensaries than there are Starbucks. And we have a lot of Starbucks. I read about the military gay pride parade in San Diego that drew more than 200 members of our military who proudly wear the uniform and yet are now open in their homosexuality. We have amazing connectedness with smart phones, Facebook, Twitter and other... Read more
There was one thing I wanted from God. It was virtuous. It was honorable. It was good. So I prayed. And I asked. And I exhorted. And nothing happened. Maybe He didn’t hear my prayer. Image via Wikipedia Maybe He didn’t care. The prayer was for a miracle, for a change of heart and direction. We’re told that with “the faith of a mustard seed,” we can move mountains. I believed. But it didn’t happen. The Prodigal’s path continued and I there I stood... Read more
For most of us, there is a real reluctance to verbally share our faith in the workplace, in our neighborhoods or with friends. Political correctness, workplace rules, and just plain fear often hold back our tongues on even the most simple of faith expressions. Andre Yee, who blogs at Every Square Inch, says that Christians are often hesitant to share their faith because of the presumed negative reaction from others. “Yet, God has called all Christians to the holy task... Read more
If I had one, I’d hoist a white flag. Because, I give up. I surrender. There are those all around — competitors, coworkers, “friends” and family – who stand ready to attack my reputation, credibility and honor. Some of it is justified, Some of it is not. I look at all the energy I’ve expended, trying to keep the mockers at bay. The mental and physical things I’ve had to do to defend my ground has been more than what... Read more
I have a dream of changing the world, but there are so many reasons why I can’t — or won’t. You see, I have a past, littered with selfishness and broken relationships. I have inadequacies, personal chinks in my armor that I know leave me vulnerable. I have doubts and uncertainties about my abilities. “Pick someone else,” I pray. Indeed, if you are like me, we are all beset by sins and failures, fears and temptations. We keep hoping to get a... Read more
Select your answer to see how you score.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In