When I was young, Memorial Day was wonderful because it signified the beginning of summer. Even though I always had a few more days of school after the holiday, nevertheless, Memorial Day meant that summer was upon us. Now that I’m not so young, Memorial Day still signifies the beginning of summer. My work year tends to align itself with the school calendar, so Memorial Day means that I’m about ready to enjoy a new focus as I spend more... Read more
Chris Smith, writing for The High Calling, has a moving piece with the title “When Leaders Mess Up.” This is a pointed and worthy reminder for those of us who are leaders in some capacity, and that’s almost all of us. This is a good word for bosses, teachers, government officials, academic experts, doctors, lawyers, parents, and . . . well, you name it. Chris’ article challenges our tendency to hide, to defend, and even to lie in order to... Read more
I’ve been a coffee drinker for about 37 years. During this span of time, I have occasionally been worried by reports that coffee consumption is bad for your health. It gets blamed for stomach disorders, high blood pressure, heart disease, and, if you can believe it, even the jitters. Yet, every now and then, I’d read an article that commends coffee drinking as beneficial for health. For some strange reason, I tend to find those articles more reasonable and persuasive.... Read more
Does God Keep a Record of Our Sins? Psalm 130:1-8 LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. Psalm 130:3-4 My friend Nick grew up in a church that was very eager to keep him from sinning. Leaders in the church were fond of reminding him and his friends that, someday, when they stood before the Lord, all of their sins would... Read more
If you’re a movie buff, or if you are fascinated by technology, or if you’re an observer of culture, or if you like Apple, then there is good news. Aaron Sorkin has signed on to write the move version of Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs. This story has shown up in most major news outlets, including the New York Times. Why do I say this is good news? First of all, because I believe Steve Jobs, whatever you think... Read more
In yesterday’s post, I began commenting on a new book: iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us, by Larry Rosen. Rosen, a professor of psychology, approaches the impact of technology on our lives in light of psychological and brain research. He is mainly concerned with the relationship between digital technology and various sorts of mental dysfunction (narcissism, etc.) But, at one point, Rosen mentions research that suggests the availability of Internet technology does, in effect,... Read more
Is digital technology making you crazy? Yes, quite possibly, says Dr. Larry Rosen, professor of psychology and author of a new book: iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us. I learned about this book from a review in the New York Times: “When You Text Till You Drop,” by Bryan Burrough. Here’s how Burrough gets into the subject: What about that gent who was talking loudly into his Android phone on the Metro-North train this... Read more
The good news: Mother’s Day is a big church attendance day, ranking in the top three (along with Christmas and Easter). The bad news: Father’s Day is a low attendance day, ranking at the bottom of the churchgoing chart. This news, both good and bad, comes from a recent survey conducted by LifeWay Research. Lifeway asked 1,000 Protestant pastors which special days of the year brought the most people to church. No surprise that Easter and Christmas took the top... Read more
Does God Care About Mother’s Day? Psalm 128:6 May you live to enjoy your grandchildren. May Israel have peace! Psalm 128:6 Today is Mother’s Day in the United States. This means that many of us will get together with our mothers to celebrate their lives and thank them for their faithfulness. Those of us who can’t be with our mothers will probably call on the phone. Did you know more people are on the phone on Mother’s Day than on... Read more
Today, I thought I’d share a few photos I took yesterday at Laity Lodge in the Texas Hill Country. Here’s proof that life can be beautiful. Any questions? Read more
Mark D. Roberts
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