The Random Rambles of Dave

Books I've Read - In the Garden of Beasts

2012-01-31T13:52:00.000-05:00

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
by Erik Larson

This book gives a fascinating insider's peek into both Hilter's Germany in the early days of his power, and also into the world around him and how things were allowed to get to the state they did. I'm sure most of us have read or studied some of the history of World War II and are familiar with how the events unfolded, but I found this book fascinating for providing us with a view of how events got to where they were. There are several things that this book helped me to get a better grasp of. One is how the rest of the world allowed things to get to a state where a massive world war precipitated. The other was how the German people ended up in that state. This book provides a glimpse into the fear that the German powers used (and it wasn't just Hitler) to keep their subjects in the place they wanted them to be.

This book draws heavily from the writings of the American Ambassador to Germany in the early 30's and his daughter. We are given a personal perspective on what they saw going on around them. We also get the perspective of two very different people. One, the conservative ambassador with official concerns, and the other of the younger generation with much more social concerns. This book is masterfully written and is informative, intriguing and a page-turner. Well worth the read.

The Page Turner

2012-01-10T12:16:00.000-05:00

You wouldn't want to have to turn the page yourself

Books I've Read - Living at the Crossroads

2011-12-19T12:08:00.000-05:00

Living at the Crossroads: An Introduction to Christian Worldview
By Michael W. Goheen and Craig G. Bartholomew

This book is written by two philosophy professors and is about the intersection between the Christian worldview and some of the other worldviews that have become popular in our society. It looks at some of historical philosophical movements that have brought popular culture to where it is today and talks about the importance of understanding those underpinning views of the world that colour the way we see everything around us.

I found this book to be a fairly accessible introduction to modern day philosophy although I did find it a little slow at times and I think that it suffers from the same flaw that almost every book that is delving into philosophical matters has; the authors try to hard to be utterly precise in everything they say, to the point of losing readability. I understand that in a book that is largely about the hidden presuppositions we are taking into every discussion, you would not want to leave it up to the reader to 'fill in the gaps,' but this still does make it a somewhat dry read.

There was a not a lot of 'new' material in this book, but I don't think the authors intended there to be. This book works well as an introduction to the topic. If you are interested in epistemology or a basic philosophical understanding from a Christian perspective this could be a useful book. One thing I would have liked to see more of in the book is how to take you worldview understanding and do something with it. It is useful to understand where someone is coming from, or what presuppositions you have, but how to do we go about changing those things in ourselves or others?

Random Quote:
...Thus it can be easy for any of us to assume that we are seeing our world in an unmediated, objective, neutral fashion unless we pay deliberate attention to the fact that all experience of the world is mediated through a worldview. (Page17)

Fear and Facination

2011-11-16T12:17:00.000-05:00

Take away the supernatural and what remains is the unnatural – G.K. Chesterton

It has become widely accepted that supernatural beliefs and science are mutually exclusive. This is usually portrayed as a debate between religion and science, but I think the problem runs much deeper than that. What we are really looking at is a debate between naturalism and supernaturalism. This can be seen in the Intelligent Design debate. Supporters of that theory will often leave religion out of the picture all together, and yet many scientists come down hard on this theory simply because it posits a supernatural explanation for the world around us. Science seems to be scared of the supernatural. Why is this?

Philosophical Reasons

Many scientist hold to a philosophy known as Naturalism. Naturalism says that only 'natural' things, or things that are a part of nature, or real. They say that reality only consists of things that are controlled by and obey the laws of nature. If there is anything outside of nature, they maintain that it cannot act on nature or interfere with the laws of nature. They see the goal of science as being the discovery of these laws. I am not going to enter into a critique of Naturalism here, except to point out that part of the reason many scientists cannot stomach the idea of the supernatural existing has nothing to do with what they have observed in their lab and much to do with what they believe.

When doing scientific study, it is essential to approach your data under the assumption that these laws of nature exist. If they did not exist there would be not point in searching for them, but the assumption that they exist does not lead to the conclusion that they cannot be broken. In fact, supernaturalism also requires that these laws exist, since a law of nature cannot be 'broken' unless it is first understood to exist.

However, many scientists will not believe that it is possible for these laws to be affected by sources outside of nature (like God or angels) since they claim that we destroy the reason for science in the first place. If we are looking for the laws that rule nature, we need to assume that they are there and we need to assume that they cannot be changed or broken on the whim of a supernatural being, otherwise what is the point of looking for them? Many scientists feel it is necessary to exclude the supernatural from the equation since they feel that including it would destroy the basis of science.

I would like to turn that thought on its head. The reason a supernaturalist looks for laws of nature to exist is that he believes those laws were put in place and designed by a Lawgiver. He assumes they exist and so goes looking for them. The fact that they can occasionally be 'interfered' with does not matter, because the normal course of things is that the Lawgiver will work through his laws. For the supernaturalist, there is no reason to look for laws (except for the pragmatic reason that 'they work') unless there is a Lawgiver who put those laws in place. Thus, I think that a supernaturalist has a much stronger motivation for seeking out the laws of nature since he assumes that a Lawgiver will make laws whereas there is no logical reason for assuming that 'nature' will create laws. Of course, the supernaturalist scientist has to guard against laziness (i.e. too quickly attributing something to the supernatural without seeking out natural causes), but then again a naturalist scientist has his own dangers to watch out for in the form of excluding possible explanations for a phenomenon, simply because they don't fit into his conception of natural events.

Historical Reasons

Historically the Catholic church in the middle ages (and even into the more modern era in places like Spain and Portugal) had discouraged any deviation from official church teachings, which included matters of science. This led to conflict between the church and some of the scientists of that age and this historical conflict is still alive in the memories of some scientists. Since the church often used either its authority or else supernatural explanations as a way of dismissing what scientists were saying, many of those in science have a deep suspicion of the church and its teachings on supernaturalism.

Of course, this is to forget that the vast majority of the great scientists that laid the foundations of modern science and opened up these doors for us, were supernaturalists themselves. Great men like Kepler, Newton, Pascal, and many others, firmly believed in the supernatural and were part of the church. Obviously these two things can be used to hinder science, but just as obviously they do not necessarily need to do so.

Religious Reasons

We don't like to admit that there might be something beyond our understanding and compression out there, especially if this Being says that he is in control of us. We like to be in control. We like to think that we can figure everything out eventually. We like to think that this world can be fit into our little minds. The conception of a supernatural being grates on our pride and self-reliance and is a little bit scary. People get angry if you suggest that there is a God out there that holds them accountable for their actions, because we want to be in control and we want to have the power and we to be able to 'do what we want'. The fact that even our scientific endeavors might be subject to the will of a greater being is more than many scientists can stomach.

There isn't much to be said on this point aside from pointing out the obvious contradiction between the representation of science as a system based only on cold hard facts, and the fact that there is so often such a powerful emotional and antagonistic response by scientists to the idea of a power greater than themselves. In the end we have to make a choice. Do we choose to only believe what we can observe with our senses and deny the possibility of anything greater than nature existing, or are we willing to explore the idea even if it means putting ourselves in position of humility and being under the control of God?

Happy Reformation Day

2011-10-31T08:18:00.001-04:00

A little video for your viewing pleasure to celebrate Reformation Day

Books I've Read - Letters To a Young Calvinist

2011-10-27T15:54:00.000-04:00

Letters to a Young Calvinist: An Invitation to the Reformed Tradition
by James K.A. Smith

There is a movement in Christian circles that has become known as the 'Young Restless and Reformed' or YRR for short. This movement and the teachings of men like John Piper, Mark Driscoll, CJ Mahaney and many other dynamic Christian leaders, has led a surge of interest in Calvinism, particularly among younger Christian adults. It would seem that many young Christians have become disillusioned with lack of intellectual food that 'pop' Christianity has to offer and are increasingly attracted to the depth and riches of Calvinistic thought. As a Calvinist myself, I find this to be an exciting and encouraging thing, but as with every movement, the YRR movement comes with its dangers and so I was happy to see this book come on the market. This is a book which contains fatherly advice from someone who came out of a charismatic background and into the reformed movement 25 years ago. He is looking back on the transitional stage in life that he went through and trying to impart some advice to those who might be going through the same stage in life themselves.

In this book, James Smith is writing to young man who has recently discovered the Reformed tradition and is giving him some of the advice that he wished he had received when he was in that stage of life. On the whole I rather enjoyed this book and found it to be full of a lot of practical and Godly advice that it would be well for anyone (not just a new student of reformed thought) to listen too. I did not totally agree with Smith on every count and found that he leans more heavily towards the Kuypierian branch of the Reformed tradition than I would like, but on the whole I enjoyed this book, particularily the first half of it when he is laying down the groundwork and basis of what Calvinism means.

Random Quote:
It seems to me very un-Reformed to prop up Reformed theology as a timeless ideal, a consummated achievement, when one of the Reformers' mantras was semper reformanda - always reforming. You shouldn't expect a lifetime of pursuing the truth to result in constant entrenchment into what you thought when you were twenty. (Page 29)

Friendship

2011-10-04T10:58:00.000-04:00

A person who has many friends either has a lot of money or is a good listener. – H. L. Mencken

How many friends do you have? According to Facebook I have 575 friends. Of course we all know that is a bit of a misnomer. It actually means I have 575 acquaintances who probably 'Facebook stalk' me once in a while. But with that being said, the face of human communication has changed dramatically and continues to do so. Friendships of the Facebook sort are ever easier to strike up, and I think the tools of the digital age have changed us in many good ways. They have broadened our friendships and expanded our perspectives and perhaps even enabled us to stay in touch better, particularly with those who no longer live close by or aren't in the circle of friends that we are the closest with. Social networking and cell phones and technologies of that sort have certainly changed us and empowered us in many ways, but I sometimes wonder if we have lost anything along the way.

Do these tools that we have ever fool us through misrepresentation? Don't get me wrong, I think they are great tools, but sometimes we mistake them for being able to do things that they can't. Take Facebook for example, because it's easy to pick on and you're probably reading this on Facebook anyways. The misnomer of 'friends' may make you think that Facebook is good at keeping you connected with your friends. It's not. What it is good at is keeping you connected with acquaintances. For a friendship to be maintained you need a lot more than a status update and a comment on your profile picture.

True friendship has always been hard to find and I certainly don't think that the communication tools we have at our disposal have made it any harder, but I don't think they have particularly helped either. It's a good selling point because we all want to have that close friendship and we all want to have lots of friends (i.e. be popular), but if you think these things are going to create close friendships, you are popping the wrong pill my friend (did you see the irony?) True friendship takes work and sacrifice, two things that you can never buy, or get from technology. Some things just have to be done the old fashioned way. So go ahead and fill up your 'friend' list on Facebook, but don't forget to invest time and energy into those friendships in life that really matter. You may not need money to have lots of friends anymore, but you still need the kind of friends that are there for you when Facebook crashes and you are suffering from withdrawal. Cultivate those true friendships in your life!

Books I've Read - The Masculine Mandate

2011-09-19T12:25:00.000-04:00

The Masculine Mandate: God's Calling to Men

By Richard D. Phillips

Our society seems torn between two extremes when it comes to what it means to be a man. One the one side we have the 'TV dad' who just sits and watches football like a bit lump of jello and is pretty much just an older version of the teenager, except with a bald head and a beer belly. On the other hand you have the 'WWE dude'. This guy is held up as a manly man who can smash heads and take a head smashing all while pounding his chest and roaring like a spartan warrior. In this book, Richard Phillips comes along and shows us how a masculine man should really look like.

The path he sets out for us men certainly isn't as easy one. Its not a path of lazy indolence and its not a path of macho bravado, but its a path of selflessly using the strength that we have to help others. Phillips writes in an easily readable and very accessible style. This book only took me a few hours to read and I found it well worth the read.It was both challenging and helpful at the same time. This is certainly a book that is worth picking up and reading.

Random Quote:
Have you noticed that, almost every time, the second subject that comes up when two men meet involves work? I sit next to a man on an airplane, and what does he ask? "what's your name?" I answer, 'I'm Rick Phillips' The next question is amazingly consistent "what do you do?" How we answer tells people what to think of us. page 20

10 years later

2011-09-11T07:11:00.006-04:00

Ten years ago today America suffered the worst terrorist attack in its history. The atrocity committed that day has changed our culture in many ways. In a small way, it has probably changed each and every one of us. For the man in this video, it touched a little closer to home. He was the man who was supposed to have been piloting American Flight 11 and got 'bumped' at the last minute. This is an incredibly powerful video!

Getting Advice

2011-09-07T10:29:00.000-04:00

Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't. – Erica Jong

"If only someone could tell me what to do." I'm sure all of us have said, or at least thought, this at some point in our lives. Maybe we are wondering about that guy or girl that is interested in us. Maybe we are wondering if we should buy a house or keep renting. Maybe we are wondering what career to peruse or whether or not to take that job offer. Maybe we are wondering what to do about that sticky personal situation. Whatever the situation, we have all been at that place in our life where we didn't know what to do and we wish there was someone who could give us an easy answer to our problem.

This wish-fulness has led to people adopting the 'lucky dip' method of reading their bible, or to people 'putting out a fleece.' Hopefully I don't have to point out the folly of the first method and the presumption of the second, so I am going to instead look at the method I think most of us use, which is to ask those that we trust for advice. I want to outline a couple of principles that I think are important to keep in mind when asking for advice

Ask someone who knows

When you are getting financial advice, you probably don't want to ask someone who has spent the last 5 years building up a mountain of credit card debt and if you are asking for marriage advice you probably don't want to go to your triple divorcee friend. It seems like a very obvious thing, but I think many of us wind up making this mistake. We ask those who are easy to talk to, or we ask those who are in our peer group, instead of going to those who would have real insight into the situation. The teenager looking for advice about a career to pursue, probably isn't going to get to much useful information by asking his buddies who are all in the same boat as him. When seeking advice we need to find those who we can reasonably expect to provide wisdom and insight into the situation.

Ask someone who knows you

Just because someone has expertise is a certain area, does not mean they will apply it correctly to your situation. Something that may be good advice for one situation could be bad in another. Find someone who knows at least a bit about your life situation and what your value system is. In spite of what you may believe, getting advice from someone who knows you and has a level of care for you and your situation actually tends to give better 'search results' than Google can! Hard to believe, I know! Advice from someone who is involved in your life will be better tailored to your needs and will often be more in line with what your really need to hear.

Ask more than one person

If you only go to one person for all the advice you need, be that your spouse or your dad or your sister or whatever, you can easily get stuck in a feedback loop with each other. You can end up going a certain way simply because of missing the view of other possibilities. This isn't to say, of course, that every decision needs multiple inputs or even that one certain person (like your spouse) should not be involved in every major decision you make, but it is to say that occasionally branching out to get advice from people outside your normal circle will help you see new avenues and open you up to options you may not have otherwise considered

Think for yourself

When we voice the question at the start of this article we often mean something like 'I want someone to decide for me so I don't have to accept the consequences of this choice.' That is an option we do not have. No matter how wise and caring the people that you talk to are, you are still the one that has to live with your decision. Don't blindly accept advice without thinking it through for yourself and making sure it is applicable and wise in your situation. Advice from others is not a way to pass on the responsibility for what happens. If someone gives you bad advice and you follow through with it, the consequences and responsibility lie on you.

Pray

You don't need to 'put out a fleece' for prayer to be an effective tool in decision making. Not only is it a spiritually up-building experience to bring your troubles to God, it can also be a great way of thinking through the issues. People sometimes complain that there is no point in praying since God doesn't respond with a booming voice from heaven telling us the answer, but perhaps we are missing the point. Perhaps it isn't about God verbally answering our prayers but instead is about God hearing our prayers. A God who doesn't interrupt you is a good listener and sometime a good listener can help you understand your situation. God does not take away our responsibility for our actions by telling us what to do at every step, but he does delight to hear us tell him about our decision (or indecision for that matter). Cast your cares on him who cares for you, and watch as your burden lightens in the peace that exceeds your understanding.

Books I've Read - Molecules at an Exhibition

2011-08-29T14:46:00.000-04:00

Molecules at an Exhibition: Portraits of Intriguing Materials in Everyday Life

by John Emsley

This little book takes a delightful idea and executes it perfectly. In this book John Emsley, a British Chemistry professor, puts on exhibit for us a series of molecules. Each molecule has a few pages dedicated to it, which explain a few interesting facts about it and current uses for it. This book stays away from the 'boring' parts of chemistry and isn't worried about chemical formulas or the mathematical details of chemical reactions, but rather looks at the real life uses and applications of the chemicals and 'stories' about its use.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it as a book worth picking up if you happen to have any interest in science You need little to no science background to understand what he is talking about, and you will find out many fascinating facts that you never realized about everyday products that you use.

Random Quote:
The most notorious real-life thallium poisoner was the serial killer Graham Young, who in 1971 put thallium sulphate into his workmates' coffee at a photographic equipment factory at Bovingdon in Hertfordshire, England. He posed as a research chemist and bought the thallium from a chemical suppliers in London. Several workers were taken ill, and two died of the mysterious 'bug'. It was only when Young himself suggested to a visiting health expert that the cause might be thallium that the strange illness was correctly diagnosed... page 223

Books I've Read - Safely Home

2011-08-18T12:32:00.000-04:00

Safely Home
By Randy Alcorn

We all hear about China in the news a lot. A new superpower coming into force. The next economic giant in this world. This book brings a bit of the side of China we don't like to talk about. The side the censors Google and persecutes those who won't walk the state declared line. I think Alcorn got to the heart of a lot of what goes on. We in the West adore our consumerist, materialistic idols and we are willing to overlook a lot of wrong in a those that can meet our idolatrous needs. China provides us with the goods that we desire and at prices that we can't turn down, so we turn a bit of a blind eye to the evils of this country.

This book focuses in the story of one man and his family who are repressed and persecuted for believing something the Chinese government does not agree with, and also points to the fact that we do have the some of the same in our culture as well. Although it may not be as obvious (and certainly isn't as extreme as the example is this story), there still is an element in which the governments of our countries do not allow for large deviations from the official 'story' of our culture.

Although this book was largely about the persecution of Christians in China, it raised a lot of interesting questions for me in terms of the balance between governments keeping order and the freedom of individuals. The example in the book was clearly an abuse of authority and hatred of Christian ideals, but there are certainly times when things are not so clearly cut. Obviously the government needs to have power so that it can keep the peace and maintain order in society, but how far should those powers go? In this book Alcorn has a story of how discrimination and harassment laws were used by one of the characters to fire someone for what he believed and said. Is that within the realm of maintaining order? Is there a moral difference (beside the 'magnitude of response') between someone being fired for what they believe and someone being jailed and abused for it? When has the government crossed the line? I found it interesting that a book about Christian persecution also brings up a lot of political and cultural theory.

I enjoyed the story in this book and found it challenging to my own faith. How strong is it? Do I really desire God's word as eagerly as many in that book did? Would I maintain what I believe in the face of such strong opposition? All in all I found that this book was a well done story that used story telling to leave me with a lot to chew on. It was a good read.

Random Quote:
'"Wife and husband must be more than lovers. Must be comrades, soldiers fighting side by side for same great cause. Ming's mother say, 'Wife and husband should not only lie down face-to-face, but stand up shoulder to shoulder.' They must face together the worst Mogui can do to them. And when they draw strength of Yesu, he bind them together"

Debt: The Ruin of us all?

2011-08-10T12:12:00.000-04:00

There is nothing wrong with making mistakes. Just don’t respond with encores. – Unknown

It would appear that we are starting to reach the end of our financial ropes in The West. Greece has been in trouble for a quite a while along with several other European countries, while the rest of them are desperately trying to put out the financial fires. The USA has just gone through a massive debate about their 'debt ceiling' and the American government's credit rating has been cut for the first time in modern history. It seems that we have us a full blown debt crisis.

This Site's Calculation of the US debt situation does not paint a pretty picture. If you add together all the debt held by all levels of government and then combine that with personal and corporate debt you end up with close to 55 trillion dollars in debt. That's quite a bit of debt. At least I think so. Now, I'm not going to talk about what I think the solution is to this problem other than to say the obvious 'you need to spend less than you make,' and I'm not going to say that there should be no debt (I have a mortgage myself). Instead, I want to talk about the cultural implications of this.

This kind of debt load shows us something about the culture we live in. It show us that we live in a culture of immediacy. After all what is debt besides getting something now that you (or maybe your grandkids) pay for later? I want a new couch? NO PAYMENTS FOR 18 MONTHS!! well I better get one. I want a new car? 0% down!! Well I better get one. We want a new road? Hey look, this banker has money!! We better build one. Patience and contentment seem to be a long forgotten virtues.

It can be hard to be content with what we have. Others have so much more. We keep getting bombarded with messages about all the things we 'need.' The bigger house, the nicer car, a newest electronic device, these things keep tempting us to buy, buy, buy. It makes one wonder if there is a way to find contentment and patience in this discontent and hectic world that we live in? Well, the Apostle Paul claimed to have found it. He said that he had learned in whatever situation he was to be content. I wonder what his secret was?

'I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.' (Phil 4) So that's the secret. A friend who strengthens us. A friend who keeps us. a friend who fulfills us. I wonder what friend that might be? Well let's keep reading and see what he says.

'And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.'

So that's where our needs are met! That's where we find fulfillment and contentment and patience. In God working through his Son, Jesus Christ.

I suppose that in the end I have proposed a solution to the debt crisis. Find your satisfaction in Christ and not in the things that you have, and certainly not in the material things that you want! Look to him and he will provide for your needs in a way that will make those wants and desires fall into their right place. Why overextend yourself to get what will not make you happy when you can get that which will make you happy as a free gift of God?

Books I've Read - The Millennials

2011-08-04T09:41:00.000-04:00

The Millennials
By Thom Rainer and Jess Rainer

This was an interesting book. It was full of statistics and information about the current generation of young people and was very informative. I found I tended to skim it a bit as the authors sometimes spent a bit too much time in detailing things I didn't care about, but it was certainly interesting to see the main points of the book and see the overall trends of this generation pointed it. I can see much of it in looking at myself and my contemporaries, but it is always nice to have it reviewed in a nice summary like this.

One of the main points brought out by the authors is that we are a connected generation. We tend to be very connected to our families and parents and we tend to use technology to enhance this. Another observation is that our generation has seen what divorce and separation have done to our friends or ourselves and have vowed not to do the same thing to our kids. The authors found that most Millennials who were planning to have kids intended to never put their kids through the pain of divorce. One other defining characteristic of our generation seems to be a lack of interest in religion. There isn't usually animosity towards religion, but rather disinterest or little to no knowledge about it. We are a massive generation; as big or bigger than the baby boomers, so it will be interesting to see how our culture changes as we continue to grow up.

Books I've Read: Intentional Parenting: Family Discipleship by Design

2011-07-05T11:26:00.000-04:00

Intentional Parenting
by Tad Thomson

A small practical book that is easily read in a couple hours, this book is still full of good advice and theology. This book comes from Cruciform press, which is a new kid on the publishing block. The publish one book a month and focus on short, easy reading books that still pack a powerful punch. This book certainly met those criterion. In a hundred pages or so Tad Thomson gives an quick overview of parenting and gets his message across: Be intentional about your parenting. Take advantage of the opportunities to parent that God puts in you way. Plan to parent. Don't just react, but be active in parenting. There is plenty of practical advice in this book and yet he does not veer into legalism, but keeps the emphasis squarely on Christ. A book well worth the read for those of us that are parents or have parenting in our future.

Random Quote:
Failing to pray before a meal is not a sin, but it is a lost opportunity, and family discipleship is all about seizing opportunities. Shared meals provide us with regular occasions to express gratitude to God and model prayerfulness to one another. (page 63)

To smart for your own good

2011-06-29T13:25:00.000-04:00

"whereas men in the earlier times said unscientific things with the vagueness of gossip and legend, they now say unscientific things with the plainness and the certainty of science.” – G.K. Chesterton

Have you ever listened to nerds argue? Being a bit geeky myself, not only have I heard these arguments, I've been involved in them. Spending hours discussing whether gravity affects everything, or whether things like ideas are exempt from the laws of nature, or talking about if I can know whether the floor will still be there next time I take a step, or discussing why the magnetic forces in that last Indiana Jones movie only acted on certain things. Sometimes, we are just a little to smart for our own good.

I am not trying to tell anyone to stop being inquisitive, nor am I trying to say there is not merit in delving into philosophical realms. What I am saying here is that some things are simple and that simple things need to be kept simple. Sometimes we have the tendency of the super smart kid in the class who writes up 4 pages of equations to solve a problem, (and perhaps even ends up with the right answer at the end) when there was a very simple 2 line solution. Just because there are complicated ways of looking at things and finding answers, does not mean we always need to use them. 2+2 can equal 4 without a 5 page proof.

The scientist or academic may know words that send the rest of use scrambling for our dictionaries, or equations and mathematical theories that could give my computer a headache, but does that mean they know why the stars are there? Perhaps they could give you complicated argumentation and theories and proofs, or even write a book on this, but isn't the answer really quite simple? Ask a 3 year old girl. She'll tell you why they are there. 'They look pretty.'

You may be able to explain all kinds of things in terms of those equations you learned in school, and you may be able to spend hours arguing about the epistemological certainty of the latest philosophical theory, but do you really have more clarity about the world than you did when you where 3? Learning may give you knowledge, but does knowledge give you truth and does truth give you wisdom? Obviously, those steps can (and should) work that way, but do they? are you pursuing knowledge for the sake of knowing, or for the sake of truth? And are you pursuing truth for the sake of wisdom, or for the sake of superiority?

Reality is, well, real. Its also all encompassing. Facts, on the other hand, are just facts. They are meaningless apart from some structure of reality. "The grass is green." is a statement of fact, but it does not have any meaning in and of itself. Green grass only means something if I have eyes that can see it, and construct of reality in which the terms green and grass mean something. Of course once you have that conception of reality, the statement becomes so much more than a statement of fact. It conveys emotions. It speaks of springtime, and worms and lying on your back looking at the clouds, and freshly mowed lawns, and so much more.

Education isn't about learning facts. It's about understanding reality. It's not about defining reality based on the facts, but rather about defining the facts based on the reality in which we live. If we start with green grass we have nothing, but if we start with reality, we suddenly have green grass!

When teaching our kids we shouldn't be focused on cramming their heads with facts, but rather on helping them understand reality. We need to bring back the senses of touch and taste into education. We need to keep God in education. We need to see and understand the world and glory in the magic of it all. If you can describe the motion of an atom with an equation you have achieved a certain kind of beauty, but don't forget that other kind of beauty. The kind that comes from not knowing the details, but marveling in the wonder, joy and miracle of it all. Your equation may be beautiful because of the way it so perfectly mathematically describes what you see, but don't forget about what it is that you are describing. Why does that atom follow those mathematical forms? Because its efficient? Because it's beautiful? Because it just happens to be that way? Because it was made that way? Sometimes the facts just can't capture the full picture!

Programs I use

2011-06-27T11:39:00.000-04:00

I just got a new computer at work and so I thought I would lean into the geek side of thing and share several programs that I find are essential enhancements for my windows experience. Interestingly these are all freeware, so you can easily try them out yourself!

MultiMonitor TaskBar
I love having 2 monitors, but the one thing I can't stand is having all my programs from my second monitor crowded onto the Task Bar on my first. This handy little tool extends the task bar onto the second monitor and also gives keyboard options for moving applications from one screen to the other.

Everything
If you have ever tried searching for a particular file on your computer using Windows Explorer you will understand why I use this app. Everything indexes all files on your computer in real time and gives instantaneous (i.e. orders of magnitude faster than Windows Explorer) results. It supports wildcard searching and oh, did I mention that it's faster than Windows Explorer? I use this program frequently and have found it to be very helpful

Notepad++
There has got to be an option for text file editing that falls somewhere between the uselessness that is notepad and the other uselessness that is Word. That something is Notepad++. Maybe its just because I live in a primarily Windows world, but I love this text editor. It has customizable language support for dozens of programing and scripting languages. Its actually manages to correctly display files that have either dos or unix lines endings. It has wonderful text highlighting capabilities. It has an extremely powerful search capability (supporting full regular expression syntax should you really want to go hardcore) and it allows for tabs and split screen and so much more. I have used quite a few different text editors and this is my all around favorite.

Process Explorer
Once again, here is an app that makes up for windows deficiencies. Puny little Task Manager? Hah! This progam will blow that out of the water. Full reporting of what is going on with each of your processes and what handles and dll etc. are being called. Details on processes like time it has been running etc. Details on each core on your machine. Information about memory usage. Yes, this program has it all. My favorite tool offered by this program is the Find Handle or Dll option which allows you to see what handles are running in a given folder. Very handy if you are trying to delete said folder and are told that it is being used by some process!

windiff
Although the split screen option in Notepad++ comes in handy, there are times when you need just a little bit more power when trying to compare two text files. That's where this utility comes in. Offering both file and directory comparisons, this is another program I have come to rely on.

Texter
This is my personal favorite of all the programs on here. This is a cross program text substitution app. What does that mean? A lot less typing for you. If you have a string that you commonly type (say your good buddy`s email address, or the path to that favorite command line utility, or maybe just `Peace Out Yo`at the end of your email) you enter it in here once and set up a short string to activate it, and viola! you have saved yourself hundreds of keystrokes in no time.

Mongoose
This program is basically and drag and drop web server. You put the executable in the folder you want to share and start it up, and just like that all files in the folder are accessible on the web. This is a wonderful app for doing a quick test of you site, or file sharing something quickly, or doing a demo, or any number things.

Vancouver - city of insanity

2011-06-16T13:42:00.000-04:00

Two news stories came out of Vancouver in a very short time. I'm sure you heard that the Vancouver Canuks lost to Boston in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals and that riots ensued, but you might have missed the other news story: Vancouver home prices average $800,000. Ok, why mention these both in one place? Isn't the answer obvious? No wonder there were riots in Vancouver. Anyone living in that kind of housing market is obviously insane and so why wouldn't they riot? I think Vancouver has become a haven for nutcases. Clearly the Sedins need to get out of that kind of environment and should come play for Toronto.

Books I've Read: Letters to Philip

2011-06-13T09:26:00.000-04:00

Letters To Philip
By Charlie W. Shedd

This little book of practical advice is well worth the read. The book is a series of letters that a father wrote to his son who was approaching marriage and give him advice about how to handle things after the knot is tied. Much of it should be obvious advice, but I fear that for many it might not be, and even for those that know this, its never a bad idea to be reminded of some of the simple basic truths that make for a good marriage. Some of the stuff in this book is perhaps a little bit a product of the culture of a few generations ago, but much of it is timeless advice that every man should be reminded of in his dealings with his wife. Overall it was an excellent book!

Random Quote:
The rule has got to be that troubles are for sharing, and you deny your wife a lot if you don't believe it. For one thing, you have cut her out of that sense of partnership, which is among the deeper reasons for marriage. "Together' is one of the most beautiful words in our vocabulary and it take on special beauty when it indicates that two people are closing the gaps between them by drawing shoulder to shoulder against all comers. (Page 80)

Happy Playoffs

2011-06-08T10:12:00.000-04:00

Ice hockey combines the best features of figure skating and World War II. – Alfred Hitchcock

Enjoy the playoffs :)

Books I've Read - A God-Sized Vision: Revival stories that Stretch and Stir

2011-05-13T16:19:00.000-04:00

God-Sized Vision
by Collin Hanses and John Woodbridge

The idea behind this book is to retell some of the stories of revival that God has sent in the past several hundred years. There are stories in this book about revival in Wales, America, Korea and more. I really think that authors of this book are correct in their assessment that we need to understand the great works of God in the past if we want to be a part of the great works of God in the future, but I found that I was somewhat underwhelmed by this book. Maybe it was just me, but I couldn't fully get into the book. I did enjoy the stories and found that it was still a useful read, but I just found it didn't enthrall me like I had a hoped a book on revivals would. God has truly done some wonderful things in the past and we know he can do those same things again, and so a focus on the saints of the past, whether they were part of a revival or not, is a study well worth doing. Let us look at our glorious past and work and pray towards even greater glory in our future!

One thing that did stand out to me from reading this book, was how often revival is opposed by those within in the church. Revival almost always brings with it excesses and of course that means those excesses are the things we need to warn against if we were in a revival situation, but it made me wonder how often in those cases were people just scared of change? How many of us truly want a revival? Are we ready to have our comfortable world turned upside down by the Spirit of God?

Random Quote:
Dwight identified several means other than gospel preaching that God uses to reveal himself. These include Bible reading, prayer, talking with Christians, catechism, and self-examination. Not coincidentally, these are the same means Dwight employed as he promoted revival among Yale students. Yet even this moderate position that held God's absolute sovereignty and his ordinary means of grace in balance did not persuade everyone to support revival. Just as in his grandfather's [Jonathan Edwards] day, many venerable pastors wanted nothing to do with such outbreaks of religious fervor, no matter how orderly or biblically defensible. (page 67)

Books I've Read: Opening up Genesis

2011-05-05T10:33:00.000-04:00

Opening Up Genesis
By Kurt Strassner

I believe there is a whole series of these coming out, and I found this book to be quite helpful. It was a simple, practical and applicable book that helped draw out some of the application of the book of Genesis. The intention of this book wasn't to be a commentary or to delve into the nuances of the theology, but rather to give draw out some easily accessible application to our daily living. My wife and I read this book together for our family devotions while we were reading through the book of Genesis, and found it a useful tool to get us thinking about what the passage or story we just read meant for us. I would recommend this book as a gentle introduction to the wealth of wisdom that the stories of scripture can give us in our daily living.

Random Quote:
Maybe Lot's wife is the most modern of all the character in the account. Her life, it seemed, consisted in the abundance of her possessions. Is that true of us? If someone were ask us, "What are your chief ambitions in life?", would our answers be given in terms of job status, pay scale, and retirement possibilities? Would we speak of the dream house we've always wanted to build, the vacation we've always wanted to take, the financial security we hope to achieve, or the popularity we hope to attain? If so, there is a good chance that, when God calls us out of the world, we will find ourselves looking back...and left out of the kingdom. For Jesus says, "Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" (page86)

Guilty! (and forgiven)

2011-05-02T16:04:00.000-04:00

After watching that video, ask yourself this question: aren't we all a little like that dog? We do something wrong and what happens? We don't want to face the person. We try to placate them. We avoid them as much as we can. Of course the same thing also happens in our relationship with God. When we are in sin, we avoid him. We don't talk to him. We try to appease him with our actions or try to ignore him and pretend that he doesn't exist.

This is why confession of sin needs to be a daily part of our lives. We need to constantly turn our sins over to God and leave them at the cross. Those of us in the Protestant tradition do not go to the confessional and tell all to the priest, but nonetheless there is something we can take to heart from that tradition. We do need to confess our sins. We need to confess to those we have wronged, and every sin that we do wrongs God, so we need to continually be bringing our sins before him.

Many Evangelical Protestants seem to think that salvation is a one time thing. "I was saved on May 16 when I asked Jesus into my heart." or maybe for some, "I was baptized as a baby and grew up in a Christian home." I'm certainly not trying to belittle any of these experiences, but salvation is so much more than that! In some of our lives there is that pivotal 180 turn point. The point were we suddenly saw the light clearly and turned our faces away from sin and towards the Saviour. But, that's only one tiny point in the story we call Salvation. The rest of the story is about walking towards the Saviour that we now love, and unconfessed sin is a barrier to that. We become like that dog, unwilling to look at our Master, and we lose sight of where it is that we are heading.

Salvation isn't just about asking Jesus into my heart, and salvation certainly isn't just about being born and baptized into a Christian home and church. Salvation is about walking towards the Saviour we love. Its about gazing on him and growing closer to him day by day. Its about daily struggles. Struggles to know him better. Struggles to love him better. Struggles to obey him better. Its about his loving help in these struggles. Its about confession of wrongs. Its about forgiveness that he gives again and again and again. Its about his unconditional love for us. Its about the swelling notes of music in our hearts that rise as we think about these things.

Are you saved because you were baptized? No! Are you saved because you asked Jesus into your heart? No! Its not what your pastor has done, and its not what you have done that can save you, its what Christ has done. Many of those who were baptized go on to live a life that shows no signs of salvation or walking towards the Saviour. And many of those who answered the alter call also walk away from the faith. These things do not save you! If you are trusting in the fact that you were baptized or that you walked down the church aisle to save you, you are in trouble!

You are saved because you are in relationship with God. That is where your trust needs to be. You are are saved because your gracious loving Saviour sent his Spirit to stir your heart towards him. Cultivate that relationship! Treasure it! Confess your sins. Bring them to the cross and leave them there. Keep that vision of your Saviour clear and walk in his paths. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling! And what if you don't have a relationship like that? Ask God for it and He'll give it to you. He's not a stingy God. Just ask Him for this gift, and when he gives it to you, cherish it like that treasure that it is.

Books I've Read: Boys Adrift:

2011-04-25T16:03:00.000-04:00

Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men
by Leonard Sax

Ideas from this though provoking book have come up in conversation several times already since I read this book. I'm sure many of us have heard stories or anecdotes of how hard it is to find someone who can put in a honest days work, or how simplified some college courses have become due to the lack of basic education that many come into them with. I know I've heard the stories of laziness from many who work in the trades or construction, and I have seen it myself in offices and factories as well. There was a professor that I knew that had his college math class complaining that his tests were too hard, so he had my highschool aged cousin do the test, which she easily passed. These types of stories seem commonplace and in this book Leonard Sax looks into some of the possible reasons for this. He focuses in the book on problems that are specific to boys, although I'm sure a book could also be written on what out culture is doing wrong when it comes to girls as well.

The 5 factors that he looks at are:
1) Education system flaws
2) Excessive use of ADD/ADHD medications
3) Video Games
4) Endocrine Distruptors
5) Devaluation of Masculinity

I was a little skeptical on some of these, but even then he gave me a lot to think about. My favorite point was that of the devaluation of masculinity. We live in a culture were its just not cool to tell a boy that he needs to be a man, and even if we where to tell him that, how many boys would actually know what 'being a man' look like? Boys need to grow up into men, and they need role models that show them what true masculinity looks like. As men, we need to model masculinity. We need to show those boys in our lives that being a man means using our strength to help other.

I really enjoyed this book and gained a lot from reading it. Easy to read and well reasoned, it was a thought provoking book.

Random Quote:
After one of the boys from Prep has spent five weeks working dawn to dusk to build an infirmary or a road or an aqueduct, and the job is done and he returns home, he can watch NFL football on a Sunday afternoon and see a beer commercial that claims that real men drink Miller beer - and that boy can laugh. He knows that being a real man has nothing to do with drinking any particular brand of beer. it has to do with using your strength in the service of others. (Page 182)

The Hobbit

2011-04-21T09:24:00.000-04:00

Here is a cool little clip about some of the sets, costumes, makeup etc. as they prepare for filming The Hobbit. Pretty crazy to see how much work goes into a movie like this before they even start filming!

On the Election

2011-04-15T14:25:00.000-04:00

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money – Margaret Thatcher

Here in Canada we have an election coming up. There are campaigns being run, promises being made, accusation being hurled and talking heads, well, talking. Of course election time also brings with it a question. Who should I vote for? Don't worry, I'm not going to convince you to vote for any particular party. I'm more interested in looking at some voting principles.

I always struggle at election time when trying to decide who to vote for. Do I vote for the party with the platform I agree with the most? What if that party has no reasonable chance of getting in? What if I don't like any of the platforms? Do I vote based on party lines, or do I only consider what the candidates in my riding stand for? What about the fact that politicians seem to break their word as if it was a brick at a karate convention? Should I vote at all if I'm forced to choose between pack-of-lies 1 and pack-of-lies 2?

I know pretty well where I stand on social/economic ideas, but the problem is none of the 'big' parties really come all that close to what I believe. If you merely look at the party platforms I'm probably the closest to the conservatives, especially on economic issues, but when I look at the conservative track record I end up shaking my head and wondering where they got the idea that what they are doing is fiscally conservative? The same thing happens when you look at social issues. Can I really trust anybody to represent what I believe? Probably not.

So if I don't like any of the major parties should I vote for some obscure party that doesn't have a shot at getting in? It seems kind of like wasting a ballot sometimes especially when I still dont' agree with their whole platform. However, I do think that it is important to support those that come closest to what I believe. When the rubber meets the road in parliament, it doesn't seem to make much difference whether there is a conservative or liberal government in control. The policies that come out often end up being different spins on the same thing with enough good mixed in with the bad to prevent the implosion of our country and enough bad in there to make me want to declare my home and independent entity. Ultimately I think that true, radical change will never come through an election. Some other event is going to have to trigger that, so I am left with a choice between voting for the 'best' candidate, even though I probably don't have a lot in common with him, or not voting/spoiling my ballot.

I suppose in the end I'll roll my eyes, cast my ballot, and go on my cynical way, because when it comes down to it, agreeing with less than half of the platform is better than agreeing with less than 10% of it. Good things seem to take time to come and sometimes it seems like stemming the tide is hopeless, but I guess I'm not called to stem the tide, just to throw my little bit of mud and do what I can, leaving the rest in hands that are bigger than mine.

Books I've Read - Animal Farm

2011-04-13T12:15:00.000-04:00

Animal Farm
By George Orwell

Yes I know, this is a classic and I should have read it long ago. Having finally gotten around to reading this book I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Much has already been made of the lessons in this book in English classes across this country so I won't try to analyze it too much. If you have not read this book though, you really should. I think one of my favorite characters in the book was the donkey. In repeatedly stating that he had lived a long time, I could hear the words of Solomon: 'There is nothing new under the sun.' It is true, of course, that people can and do change, but utopia cannot be found on this side of heaven.

This book presents a good story in a quick and easy read and still gives you a lot to chew on and think about. There really is a lot of depth in this book and I can see why it has become require reading in the classroom. I'm pretty sure that my kids will be reading this book!

Random Quote:
Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again: but already it was impossible to say which was which (pg 95)

Bible Word Cloud

2011-04-08T15:57:00.000-04:00

Someone put together a word cloud of each book of the Bible, visually showing the frequency of words in each book. Its incredible to see how important the words God, Lord, and Jesus Christ are. In almost every book of the bible (except Esther) these words are among the most commonly used words. This is a good visible illustration that the bible is primarily about God's work. There are, of course, incredible benefits to following the teachings God had given us, but first and foremost the bible is a book about God. God has done so much for us! He has given so much to us! May his name be honoured!

Rob Bell. Yes I'm Finally Going There.

2011-04-04T09:38:00.000-04:00

I have studiously avoided talking about Rob Bell, mostly because there has already been far to much talk about his new book, but I have finally found a response that I like.

First watch the trailer for his new book

And then, watch this response.

Robbed Hell - C.A.S.T. Pearls Presents from Canon Wired on Vimeo.

Books I've Read - Reforming Marriage

2011-03-31T11:54:00.000-04:00

Reforming Marriage
By Douglas Wilson

A lot people would probably find this book somewhat controversial, and I think that would largely be an indication of how much our society has lost of the idea of what it means to be men and women. Although this book is about marriage and how we can change it, Wilson tends to focuses in on the man's role in this. He points out that when it comes to have a successful marriage and raising strong children, a lot of responsibility lies with the husband and so this book on marriage ends up being more of a book about how to be a man in the sense of the word that our culture tries to ignore.

It is no longer kosher (is it even kosher to say kosher?) to talk about the differences between men and women and how those differences should play out in our day to day lives. Men are called to do certain things in a marriage that women are not and vice versa. These differences should never be degrading to either party but they are there and I found it enjoyable and challenging to read a book that unashamedly assumed this and pointed a strong finger at us men.This book is well worth the read. Even in those things that I may not have fully agreed with the author, he left me with a lot to think about and reflect on. Douglas Wilson is good at challenging those ideas you may have always accepted, and although I think this book could make some people upset, I really do believe that its a call that we need to hear. We no longer know what it means to be a man or to be a women and we need to reclaim and re-learn these roles if we want to see truly biblical and successful marriages.

This is a pretty short book and its a quick read that is well worth the time you will spend on it.

Random Quote: (page 35)
The problem is that men commonly have trouble honoring "weakness." When men get together with men, some sort of competition usually arises. And when competition is there, men seek to exploit weakness whenever they think they see it.... ...Consequently, if there is any kind of problem in the marriage, men commonly fall into an adversarial, competitive relation with their wives. If they disagree over something, and the distressed wife expresses her concerns, a husband with this basic competitive mentality is going to say, "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"... ...When he responds this way, he is seeking to exploit her. But Peter [1Peter3] does not say to exploit the weakness; he says to honor her in it.

Things to Pray For - Goodness

2011-03-29T13:41:00.000-04:00

None of us wants to be a 'goody-two-shoes' but I think we can all agree that there is plenty in this world that is not good including you and me. I know that I often don't do the good things that I would like to do and give in to the selfish desires of my heart and I would like to do better in this regard. Join with me in praying for goodness in our own lives and also goodness in the world around us. Its time to stop feeding the evil in our lives and to start feeding the good!

Merry.....9 months til Christmas

2011-03-25T11:33:00.000-04:00

No one’s hangin’ stockin’s up,
No one’s bakin’ pie,
No one’s lookin’ up to see
A new star in the sky.
No one’s talkin’ brotherhood,
No one’s givin’ gifts,
And no one loves a Christmas tree
On March the twenty-fifth.
- By Shel Silverstein

If you think about it, today is 9 months until Christmas and a human pregnancy is 9 months long. Maybe today is a good day to read Luke 1 as a reminder that the birth of Christ was not just wonderful because of the future that it ushered in, but also because of the past promises that it fulfilled. The birth of the Saviour was prophesied hundreds of years before he came to this earth, but it was also foretold 9 months before it happened. Things had been set in motion. Christmas will come in 9 short months!

Things to Pray For - Kindness

2011-03-23T13:17:00.000-04:00

I'm sure we would all agree the more kindness in this world would make life better for all of us. Join with me in praying for this. Join with me also, though, in praying for true kindness to be seen in the world. Too much of what goes for kindness these days is just a hidden way for people to further an agenda or make themselves look good. Pray for a kindness that flows from a heart filled with love for God and man. A kindness that is done out of a true desire to help those around us and to give of ourselves freely and unconditionally just as God has given to us.

Books I'ver Read - Monster

2011-03-16T15:31:00.000-04:00

Monster
By Frank Peretti

A very entertaining read. The message was perhaps a little too obvious (I prefer novels that get their message across a little more subtly) but the story was still very entertaining and suspenseful. This is a book that will draw you into it and keep you on the edge of your seat as you go through. It has a good elements of suspense, mystery and intrigue and I would very much recommend it. This book is different than most of Peretti's books in that it is not about demonic presences or anything of that sort, but is an adventure story that does not rely on spiritual beings interacting with the physical world. All in all, I found it to be an enjoying read.

Random Quote: (Page 220)
Those eighteen-inch footprints had given Reed a whole new way of looking at shadowy trees, obscured stumps, and breeze-rippled bushes. He'd already chambered a round. The safety was off. Thinking of Beck was the only thing that kept him pushing into this madness.

Happy Pi day. And other nerdy stuff

2011-03-14T10:53:00.000-04:00

Of course you already know that today is pi day (3/14) so don't forget to draw a Euclidean plane circle and look at the ratio of the circumference to its diameter...

In other nerdy news here is a game you can play in the url of your browser
Hunt 'Animals' in your url

Did you know that daylight savings can be bad for your health? When are we going to stop this silly practice? I don't like having to get up an hour earlier.
Daylight saving bad for health?

Red Green's solution to global warming

2011-03-10T11:42:00.000-05:00

If we would all only watch more Red Green this world would be a better place. And junkyard owners would do booming business. Red Green can solve any problem with just a little duct tape and some ingenuity and things that others might consider junk. This guy is my hero.

Books I've Read - Take Charge of Your Life

2011-03-02T11:41:00.000-05:00

Take Charge of Your Life...Before It Takes Charge of You
By Richard Ganz

Richard Ganz was a psychologist who was captured by Christ and became a pastor. In this book he talks about how we can take charge of our lives and stop being victims of our circumstances. It was a good book in that it was a good reminder, but I found it a little on the simplistic side of things. His message is basically that your circumstances do not need to control how you think, act and feel, but that if you look to the objective grounding in God you can be in charge of you life and rise above your circumstance. I totally agree with his stance, but I'm not sure it needed to take 250 pages to convince me. This book, however, is worth a read (maybe skim read) as a reminder to not be the passive recipients of our situation in life.

Random Quote:(page 164)
The Bible contains a mountain of truth that can negate any negative psychological state we may be in today, or may find ourselves in tomorrow. This includes despair, anger, anxiety, loneliness, and so on. The truth demands a verdict! The problem for us as we face this is simple. If we do not know the Bible, we lack the ability and knowledge to counter disabling thoughts.

Things to Pray For - Patience

2011-02-28T13:53:00.000-05:00

We live in a fast paced society and we can start to internalize the instant gratification ideals that area part of our culture. In the age of high speed trains, high speed internet, and instant connection through facebook, chats and phone calls, we can forget that sometimes good things take time. Pray with me this week for patience. Patience to wait for the good things God has in store for us. Patience to continue pursuing those good things that take time and energy. Patience towards those around us. Pray that we will be a patient people, not just passively but also actively. That we would pursue patience.

Sex should be good

2011-02-15T11:05:00.000-05:00

I recently read this article in the Telegraph and it really made me think about the sexualisation of our culture. We all know that we live in a culture where we are exposed to a lot of sexual imagery and ideas on a daily basis. We have it in music videos, on TV, in ads, on the radio, in movies and even in our daily conversations. Although we live in an almost sex-saturated culture, we do still have a large movement again the sexualisation of our youth.

Yes there are those who are chipping away at this and trying to teach our youth about sex at a younger and younger age, but there is a debate around this. Those of us here in Ontario will remember the recent attempt to of Dalton McGuinty to change the sex-ed program in our public schools to teach more explicit material at an earlier age and the resulting outcry that ended up in the program being scrapped for the time being. There is an ongoing debate about when we should teach our kids about sex and about how much we should teach them, and I'm glad this debate is happening and people are thinking about these things.

However, I agree with Robin in the article mentioned before; we are really asking the wrong questions. The timing and the quantity of sexual material that our children are exposed to does matter but there is a much more important issue that we should be dealing with. What are we teaching our children (and ourselves) about sex? I think we are in danger of letting the debates about time and quantity hide the importance of what it is they are taught.

It is true that there are things a child does not need to know, partially because they won't understand it, and partially because the don't need to understand it. I wouldn't try to teach calculus to a 6 year old because he would be neither ready or able to understand it, and so there is no need to teach the principles of sexual intercourse to someone too young to understand. I think that much should be obvious to most. Where we get into an area of much more difficulty is what we are teaching them. To get back to the math analogy, are we teaching them that 2+2 =4? or 5? or 2345612? It is not so bad to try to teach your 6 year old calculus, they'll just end up staring at you blankly and then go back to playing lego. What is much worse is teaching your 6 year old that 2+2=5. When they get to calculus they're going to have some real problems with it because their foundation is wrong. What we teach is a far more important issue than when we teach it.

We need to think about the things we are teaching to our children and I don't mean just in school. What do we as a culture present about sex? What do we in our homes teach about sex? What do our pulpits teach about sex? What do our actions and words teach about sex? We should look carefully at the messages our children are getting and make sure that we are not just teaching them the right things, but that we are also teaching them how to reject wrong teachings. If we want to change our cultural views of sexuality we need to start with our children. We need to show them why Lady Gaga is totally unsexy and why Charlie Sheen has a few screws loose and why the sexual misbehavior of our politicians is so bad and how advertisers and promoters are trying to manipulate us to use our hormones to their advantage. We need to help our kids see the wrong views of sexuality they are presented with and show them the problems that will come from it, as well as point them to a proper sexual identity.

Our children will learn sexuality, the question is; will they learn the right things about it or the wrong?

Things to Pray For - Peace

2011-02-14T11:41:00.000-05:00

This week join me in praying for peace. I'm not just talking about military peace (although you could certainly pray for that too!). I'm talking about personal peace. Pray for peace in our hearts, churches and countries. External peace can only come when there is first internal peace. Pray that we would pursue peace in our lives by confessing wrongs and by making amends and by giving forgiveness. Pray that we would find peace in the Lord.

Music I like - Andrew Peterson

2011-02-11T11:22:00.000-05:00

I love music. I listen to a lot of music and have very eclectic taste when it comes to music. I think I have somewhere in the range of 900+ artists in my music library. I can't come close to my wife's musical talents, but I really do enjoy listening to music. One thing I've found a bit hard though is finding Christian artists that I truly enjoy. I suppose its no different than the secular music scene. If you listen to the 'Top 40' type music you are stuck with pretty simple generic music (hopefully no Beiber fan kills me). Its not often that you come across truly artistic music. One of the things I really regret is the lack of artistry in lyrics. I suppose I'm a bit of a sucker for a song with powerful, compelling, thought-provoking lyrics.

I have recently come across a couple of artists that have this kind of lyrical brilliance and one of them is Andrew Peterson. The song embedded below illustrates this very well. Listen to it or read through these lyrics. There is so much in this song. Overtly it is of course about marriage, but I think it can apply to all parts of life. Life is a possible minefield of troubles. As Job says, man is prone to trouble as the sparks fly upwards, but that's what the promise is for! We can dance through this minefield of life if we go forward trusting in the promises

Well I was 19 you were 21
The year we got engaged
Everyone said we were much to young
But we did it anyway
We got the rings for 40 each from a pawn shop down the road
We said our vows and took the leap now 15 years ago

Chorus:
We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

Well 'I do' are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I've heard is a good place to begin
Cause the only way to find your life is to lay your own life down
And I believe it's an easy price for the life that we have found

Chorus:
And we're dancing in the minefields
We're went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise was for
That's what the promise is for

Bridge:
So when I lose my way, find me
When I lose loves chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith
to the end of all my days
when I forget my name, remind me

Cause we bear the light of the son of man
So there's nothing left to fear
So I'll walk with you in the shadow lands
Till the shadows disappear
Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
So in the face of this chaos baby
I can dance with you

Chorus:
So lets go dancing in the minefields
Lets go sailing in the storms
Oh lets go dancing in the minefields
And kicking down the doors
Oh lets go dancing in the minefields
And sailing in the storms
Oh this is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise if for
That's what the promise is for

Books I've Read - Blink

2011-02-09T10:38:00.000-05:00

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell has had several best-sellers and for good reason. He writes in a very readable and interesting style while getting across a very thought provoking point. This book reads almost like a story and was a very fun read, while at the same time pointing out some interesting an expected things about us and our brains. The power of the subconscious brain in incredible and Gladwell brings that out in a compelling and interesting way. This book may not change your life, but it is a very interesting book and well worth a read.

Random Quote (page 34)
Imagine that you are considering me for a job. You've seen my resume and think I have the necessary credentials. But you want to know whether I am the right fir for your organization. Am I a hard Worker? Am I honest? Am I open to new ideas? in order to answer those questions about my personality, your boss gives you two options. The first is to meet with me twice a week for a year - to have lunch or dinner or go to a movie with me - to the point where you become on of my closet friends. (Your boss is quote demanding). The second option is to drop by my house when I'm not there and spend half an hour or so looking around. Which would you choose? -Gladwell goes on to show you when the seemingly obvious first option may not be the best way.

Reasons to Believe - Number 5 - Rest

2011-02-07T14:59:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel tired? Do you ever feel burdened and crushed by the weight of what you have to deal with in life? Perhaps work is overwhelming or perhaps its family and relationships, or perhaps it is an illness or death, or maybe its just the suffering that a friend has shared with you. We all have burdens and sorrows in our lives and they can weigh down on us sometimes. Jesus shares these words with us; Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Knowing our need for rest, God designed it into the very creation order, giving us one day in 7 to rest through his example. Come to Christ again and again and cast your cares on Him. He cares for you and listens, and you don't need to be worried that he will not be able to handle it. He will give you rest, and just bringing the burden to him can ease the load on your shoulders. God made us. He knows how we work and how we tend to burden ourselves down with things that we have no need to bear. Drop those burdens onto the shoulders of Christ. Bring them to him and leave them at the cross

Things to Pray For - Joy

2011-02-04T11:08:00.000-05:00

May our hearts and lives be filled with joy. Not just joy in the passing pleasures of the time we have here on earth, but also joy in the things that have been done for us on the cross. Rejoicing in the Lord. Rejoicing in the things he has blessed us with. Rejoicing in the life he has given us. Rejoicing in the promises we have received, and rejoicing in the nature and glory of our Saviour.

Join with me this week in praying for family, friends and churches that are full of the joy of the Lord!

Monopolies and my Internet service

2011-02-03T15:28:00.000-05:00

Dear Bell,

Ok. You have made your point. You hate us. We don't subscribe to your TV service because you charge way too much for it. We use VOIP phones because, again, you charge way to much for your phone lines, and we use alternate ISPs because your internet it too expensive. I get it. We aren't lining your pockets with cash and providing you with all those nice cars you need to have and you hate us for it. Fine. I can live with that. But are you sure that being as obnoxious as you possibly can to people, and forcing down monopolistic, anti-competive, irresponsible, and irrational rules on us is going to make us suddenly want to give you more money? Perhaps you like giving money to people that are doing their best to prevent you from doing what you want to, but I don't. I want to use my internet connection to watch movies. I want to use it to view stuff on youtube, maybe even on more than one computer at the same time (*gasp*). I want to stream music. I want to play games. I want to work from home. I want to watch sports. I want to download and upload pictures. I want to use Facebook. I want to use Skype (with video even!). I want to have more than one computer hooked up to my connection. And what do you want to do? You want to force me to use only 25 gigs of data a month. You want to force me to fit into your pretty little 'cash cow' picture and make sure that I am always a cash cow. You want to make sure that I keep your mattress stuffed with money so that you can sleep at night knowing that you have accomplished a good days work and prevented millions of us from doing what we want.

Do you really think this is a good business strategy? I grew up on a farm, and we would plant less profitable crops sometimes. Why? Because we wanted to make less money? No, of course not. We did it because it was a good long term strategy. It kept the land good and kept the money coming in in the future. The same principle applies here. Maybe you will make more money in the short term, but do you really think that kicking your cash cow repeatedly to make it give more milk is a good long term strategy? You better be careful where you step, because these cash cows may just give you a good hard kick in the tail and send you for a ride that could take you a long time to heal from.

I know it can be hard to adjust to a new business climate (and I'm not being sarcastic there), but you really need to figure out a way to do. Let the TV model go. It can't last forever, even if you have the government in bed with you. Look to the future. Meet the needs and desires of your customers and you can continue to be a successful and profitable industry. I have no problem with you making a buck, just do it the right way. Do it by giving consumers what they want and need, and not by stabbing them in the back to protect some outdated idea of where your profits should come from. I know it must hurt to see people using the internet for their phone and TV and reducing that income source for you, but look at the other side! The internet opens up all kinds of opportunities. Leverage those. Use you business skills and marketing sense to find new markets. A company that is stuck in the past will be left in the past and unless you make some radical changes in direction I look forward to the day when your company will be a blip in the history books.

Signed,
a bruised cash cow

Ancient astronomy

2011-02-03T12:24:00.000-05:00

I sit at a computer all day and work with some pretty advanced software. The kind of things our software can do is pretty incredible and I think as moderns we can tend to think that we are pretty smart. Maybe we are, but the so called ancients had a few marbles rolling around in their heads too. I always find it amazing to see what they could come up with thousands of years ago in terms of understanding and modeling the world and universe around them. You may have heard of the Antikythera mechanism which was used thousands of years ago to predict the movements of the planets. It used a series of gears and dials to predict their motion. And now....there is a Lego replica.

I thought this was a pretty cool video but you really should read about the actual mechanism as well. It amazing to see just how smart and innovative humankind has always been!

Books I've Read - Spurgeon Prince of Preachers

2011-02-02T11:42:00.000-05:00

Spurgeon:Prince of Preachers
by lewis Drummond

This book was very long (almost 900 pages), but it was a well balanced summary of the greatest preacher of the 19th century. If you are the type of person who can read long books, I would recommend this. It covers the life, times, and teachings of Spurgeon in a very thorough manner. Although on the long side, this book was well written and accessible and gave me a good understanding of the preacher, the times in which he lived, and the way he was shaped by and in turn shaped his culture. A master preacher and teacher who lived out what he believed, Spurgeon is a character well worth reading about and studying.

Random Quote:(page 398)
Almost unparalleled in church history, the ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon epitomized the perfect blending of evangelistic fervency and deep social concern. We have already investigated in some depth his utter commitment to leading people to faith in Christ. Perhaps the world shall never see a more effective pastor-evangelist than C.H.Spurgeon. But right beside that concern for people's souls stood his commitment to fulfill people's needs. He devoted much of his time and energy to that end. He will always stand as a symbol of a minister who developed his life of service in the beautiful balance of social ministries and evangelistic commitment.

Youtube and Music

2011-02-01T12:49:00.000-05:00

Have you been on youtube lately? I know, I know, silly question. You have it open right now in another tab. Of course you've been on youtube recently. Everyone has. And if you've been on there you've probably been listening to music videos (or watching kittens:-p). Youtube is changing the world of music. In fact I think it is revolutionizing it.

There are of course, the big record label associated artists on youtube trying to sell you sex as much as music, but there are also many extremely talented self-made artists who have become very successful. The nice part is, they are usually successful because they are talented musicians, and not just sexy bodies that happen to sing. Maybe you haven't yet run across some of these bands yet. If not that situation needs to be rectified immediately! What I think is the most amazing part of most of these bands is the fact that they make these songs with at the most a couple thousand dollars worth of equipment. Gone are the days of needing a label backing to have the sufficient capital to release a song or to be found. With equipment that you can pick up at Best Buy, and a bit of talent these bands have had millions of people listen to and love their music. I think its pretty cool.

Boyce Avenue:

Pomplamoose:

KurtHugoSchneider

gootmusic

Reasons to Believe - Number 4 - Creation

2011-01-31T09:13:00.000-05:00

Being a Canadian means I have to live through Canadian winters. But it also means I get to see the glory of God displayed in ways that others may not. I have seen the beauty of gently falling snow first hand. I have gone skating on a pond on a winter night and enjoyed the time warming up around the woodstove after with a warm drink. I have seen a side of nature that is both wondrous and dangerous at the same time.

Others of us who live elsewhere have had the chance to sail the oceans or ski on mountains or glory in the Grand Canyon or marvel at the size and heat of a desert. There is so much variety and complexity in the world around around us. There are geographic differences. There are millions of different species of animals. There are ecosystems we haven't even found out about yet. And all this is just on this planet. We have increasingly become aware of the immensity of the universe that our planet exists in. The more we see of the immense complexity, and at the same time, clockwork like precision, of the universe in which we live the more it should cause us to look for the creator of all this.

Just like a great painting or song or scientific discovery can make us respect and admire the person who made it, so the great beauty and complexity or the world around should turn us to the one who made all of this and believe in the creator of this universe!

Things to pray for - Love

2011-01-28T10:31:00.000-05:00

Prayer is important and we should all be spending time talking to God. I think it is easy to get stuck in a rut as the saying goes, and just repeat the same things over and over. "God bless my family and protect me and forgive my sins and help me to be a better person...." But prayer can (and should) be so much deeper than that. There is of course a need to spend time in adoration and thanksgiving for what God is and what he does, but God also delights in hearing the requests of his saints (Matt. 7:7-11) so I am trying to pray for some more specific things in my life. Things that go beyond the daily functions of life and that affect character. I am praying that God will apply these things specifically in my life and in the life of my wife and also that his church will be increasingly marked by these characteristics. If you would like, feel free to join me in prayer for these items.

The first of these is Love. Pray that love would abound more and more. That we would grow in love toward God and each other and that our hearts would expand to include love as God has defined it. That our love for Christ would overflow into love for those that our lives touch and that we would express our love well in both words and actions. Pray that we would have a love that is more than a feeling and that is an active living love. Pray for love.

Maybe We'll be ok after all....

2011-01-27T11:43:00.000-05:00

I've never been a fan a hysteria politics. By that I mean the kind of politics that takes a hold of some issue and blows it hysterical proportions (usually so that someone can benefit from they hysteria). This includes things like Global Warming, Swine Flu, and Peak Oil and of course many other similar issues. It is possible that there are problems that need to be addressed in these areas but the level of hype that surrounds these types of issues is, frankly, ridiculous. The problem with hysteria politics is that it whips people up into a hysterical response and often leads to foolish or downright dangerous legislation because 'something has to be done.' Of course if it really is a problem, something will be done eventually even without government intervention.

You may have heard about the company Joule Unlimited, which has come up with a way of producing hydrocarbons (diesel, gas, etc.) from genetically engineered cyanobacterium. Now, I don't think this will magically 'solve' all our energy problems (I'm no more a fan of hysterical solutions then I am of hysterical problems), but I do think its an illustration of the kind of solutions that are out there and how people will find them eventually. To panic about The Next Great Disaster that is going to destroy the world is counterproductive. If its really that bad, get to work on a solution. And yes, there are solutions to be found apart from the government. Joule Unlimited shows that nicely in that the work that it has done even though it did not qualify for government subsidies.

So be cautious when you hear hysteria politics. Be careful not to pressure you politician to 'do something' without good solid reasonable grounds for it. The more an issue is hyped and the more emotional it becomes the more cautious you should be about it. Emotions are easily manipulated by those who have money to be made from a certain agenda.

Books I've Read - John Ploughman's Talk

2011-01-26T10:10:00.000-05:00

John Ploughman's Talk Plan: Advice for Plain People By C.H. Spurgeon

This little book of simple practical advice from on of the most effective and beloved preachers of all time is a wonderful read. For a book written over a hundred years ago it still hold gems that are very relevant to our lives today. This book is easy to read and written from the perspective of John Ploughman, a simple man who give straightforward advice. No beating around the bush or pandering to the desires of the reader, just honest practical advice for living out your life. There is also plenty of Spurgeon's trademark humor in this book as well. I heartily recommend this book.

Random Quote: (page 66)
Husbands should try to make home happy and holy. It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest, a bad man makes his home wretched. Our house ought to be a little church, with holiness to the Lord over the door, but it ought never to be a prison where there is plenty of rule and order, but little of love and no pleasure

Reasons to Believe - Number 3 - Relationship

2011-01-25T10:48:00.000-05:00

There is something sad about seeing someone lonely. We can't help but feel sorry for that guy sitting there in the restaurant eating his dinner by himself or that girl who always sits by herself in the back of the class and doesn't seem to have any friends. We all want relationships and we feel that there is something wrong when they are aren't there. We hate death partially because it means the end of our relationship with that person. Relationships are important to us.

The amazing thing is that God offers us a relationship with himself. He offers to be our Father and our friend. The King of the universes says come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. The righteous God has opened up a path for sinners to be in relationship with him. God has designed us to desire relationships and he has also provided us the path to the ultimate relationships. As wonderful as they are our human relationships with our spouses/kids/parents/friends will not fulfill us. That fulfillment is to be found in a relationship with God.

Animals Have a sense of humor

2011-01-24T13:52:00.000-05:00

What good is a Monday if not for a laugh? Nothing like some good British humor to start your week off right ;)

Reasons to Believe - Number 2 - Justice

2011-01-19T10:37:00.000-05:00

We all love justice. We hear of atrocities all over the world with people killing each other, mistreating and abusing each other, lying cheating and stealing from each other and we want something to be done about it. The news seems to be filled with injustices and we seem helpless to do anything about it. Is there really justice in the world? Is there justice for the parents who child was kidnapped and killed? Is there justice for the town that was destroyed in an act of genocide? Is there justice for the millions of people that have been abused and killed by their governments? It doesn't seem right! These people are getting away with it! Where is the justice?

The answer is found in the justice of God. The justice of God is not a very popular doctrine in general. Most of the time we hear about the love of God and the peace of God and the joy of God but we don't always like to think of the justice of God. That's sad, because it is such a wonderful doctrine. There is justice! All that suffering and horror in the world? God will make it right! Being made in the image of God means we have some of his desire for justice and this desire for justice can only be fulfilled if we look for its fulfillment in God. He alone has the power to bring about complete justice.

Of course, the reason we don't like thinking about this doctrine is that it doesn't just apply to the child molester and the serial killer. It applies to me. It applies to you. Its a wonderful doctrine and a scary doctrine, but the true wonder of God's justice is that it allows him to display so wonderfully his love. Punishment for our sins will happen, but if we believe in God he fulfills his justice marvelously. He takes those sins and punishes them completely and thoroughly. He wipes them away forever. And he does so through his Son hanging on a cross. What a wonderful thought! Justice will be served and love will be displayed!

Warning! - Extremely nerdy and corny.

2011-01-18T09:55:00.000-05:00

Science comedy. For nerds only :-p

Reasons to Believe - number 1 - God tells us to

2011-01-17T09:49:00.000-05:00

Its very simple isn't it? Why should we believe in God? Well, he tells us to do so and he knows what is good for us. I know this isn't some long detailed argument. I know it isn't even a 'logical' argument. But its right. Think back to when you were a kid and your dad told you not to do something.
'But why not dad?'
'Because I said so.'
Maybe you hated hearing that when you were a kid, but there were still two reasons in there to listen to him. First of all your dad was a lot smarter than you and probably knew what he was talking about, and secondly if you didn't listen there were consequences. Its the same with God. We can whine and complain about it and maybe even rant against his command, but when it comes down to it God knows better than us and if we don't listen to this command there are consequences!

God says to us 'This is how you are saved. Believe.' So do it. Listen to him. Believe!

Reasons to believe - Introduction

2011-01-14T11:07:00.000-05:00

Everyone believes in something. There is belief in God, belief in Buddha, belief in self, belief in the government, belief in science and belief in any number of other things. We all have something or someone that we believe in as our saviour or that gives us meaning in life. Believing is a part of life.

The question is, why do we believe what we believe? Obviously there are a lot of answers to that question. People might say our beliefs come from what we are taught. They might say our beliefs come from choices we make or they might even say they come from something external to us. As I'm sure you know, I believe in God and so I would like to present some of the reasons that I believe what I do.

This series is not intended to prove the existence of God or to be a list of 'evidence' in favor of Christianity. It will merely be a list of reasons that we should believe in God. There are many, many reasons to do so and I am persuaded that this is indeed a reasonable faith so I hope you enjoy the series!

Have we forgotten how to fix the 'foundations of freedom?'

2011-01-13T13:37:00.000-05:00

I'm including this video primarily for this quote at about 3.15

'We should avoid pressuring governments for any new services that aren't absolutely necessary'

I think this gets down to the root of the problem. Ballooning deficits. Unconscionable spending. Ludicrous money wasting. It all traces back to us always asking and expecting the government to 'do more.' Nothing comes for free! someone has to pay for and some freedoms have to be given up. We need to learn how to be less dependent on the government and stop asking them for things we are perfectly capable of doing ourselves. Just because its easy in the short run does not mean its good for us in the long run!

Books I've Read - A Beautiful Mind

2011-01-12T15:28:00.000-05:00

A Beautiful Mind By Sylvia Nasar -- This book is a biography of the brilliant mathematician John Nash, and his fall into schizophrenia. This book has been made into a movie as well. In the book a lot of time is spent establishing the historical background of academia in post war America. A lot of time is also spent on psychological speculation as to the cause of his illness. Although, this was interesting, I found that it slowed the book down a bit. It is an interesting read, but its not for the faint at heart. There are some technical details about his theories included in the book and although the author tries to bring it down to the lay person's level, a little bit of math background is helpful if you care to understand them (otherwise you can always skip those parts of course) On the whole I found this book interesting but not outstanding. This may be one of those rare cases where the movie is actually better than the book!

National Debt!

2011-01-11T12:44:00.001-05:00

Has anything really changed? I don't think anyone likes our national debt, and politicians are always talking about how bad it is and how they are fighting against it and how this deficit budget is 'temporary,' but who among them really does anything about it?

Replicators are next?

2011-01-10T12:10:00.000-05:00

Printing real life (3D) objects has been around for a while, but this is pretty cool. They printed a working flute. Printed it!! Obviously there are kinks to work out, but this is still amazing advancement.

Huckleberry Finn - Too offensive?

2011-01-07T12:16:00.001-05:00

Words matter. If you don't believe me look at the controversy going around the news about the new printing of Huckleberry Finn. The words 'nigger' and 'injun' were removed from the book and it is creating a heated controversy. Why such a fervor over two words? Because word matter. The words that you use are important. For example I could have written 'these words were censored from the book' and it would have portrayed the same idea, but given you a different emotional response to that idea. Changing the word 'removed' to 'censored' changes the meaning in a very small way, but with a pretty big impact. So we see that words matter.

In this particular case, there is probably enough arguing about it already so I won't go into to much detail on it, but I do think we should still read the original. Mark Twain himself said about the book "[it is]...a book of mine where a sound heart and a deformed conscience come into collision and conscience suffers defeat." He is showing us that we do not have to be victims of our culture.

Even though Huck could not put into words what he felt and even though he often thought that he should do certain things that were part of his culture (like turn Jim in) he instead did what was in his heart and treated him like a human. The whole point of the book revolves around that word nigger. Even though Huck repeatedly called him a nigger he did not treat him as a slave. Even though Huck was a product of his culture, he broke out of his cultural bounds. If you take away the word nigger, he ceases to be truly a product of his culture and he has no cultural bounds to break out of. You take away much of the point of the book by 'sanitizing' Huck. All that to say; read the original!

There is however, a deeper lesson here for us. Just as we see that this word matters in the book (and also for those on both sides of the issue), we are reminded that words matter in all areas of our lives. The words we use matter. The words we believe matter. The words we think about matter. Words are not merely passive tools that transport concepts from my mind to yours. They carry emotions and ideas that go far beyond what the mere definition of the word expresses. This leads to two areas we need to be careful of. We need to carefully choose the words that come out of our mouths, but this is not the only area that words matter. The words that go out of us matter, bu the words that come into us also matter!

I'm sure most of us have been warned about the dangers of using wrong language and the effect it can have on those around us, but how many of us have stopped to think about the effect of the words that we take in? If we passively ingest everything that gets fed to us on the radio, tv, news, and even your friends on facebook, are we being careful about our words? Uncritical evaluation of the words we hear can have an influence on us that we are not even aware of. Ignoring wise words will hurt us.

The wise of heart will receive commandments,
but a babbling fool will come to ruin.

But taking in foolishness will hurt us as well.

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Be wise! Think about the words you say and hear. Fill yourself with good words and you will have good words flow out of you.

What to do with the Christmas tree?

2011-01-06T08:15:00.000-05:00

Maybe you just use the magic of the garbage collection system to get rid of your Christmas tree, but have you ever asked yourself if that might be just a bit boring? Don't try this at home (try it in a field).

On the TwelfthDay of Christmas

2011-01-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

We remember the 12 tribes of Israel

...because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas

2011-01-04T07:30:00.000-05:00

We Remember the 11 faithful apostles

with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas

2011-01-03T07:27:00.000-05:00

We remember the 10 commandments

And God spoke all these words, saying,

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

“You shall have no other gods before me.

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

“You shall not murder.

“You shall not commit adultery.

“You shall not steal.

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”

On the Ninth Day of Christmas

2011-01-02T07:26:00.000-05:00

We remember the 9 fruits of the spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;

On the Eighth Day of Christmas

2011-01-01T07:23:00.000-05:00

We remember the 8 beatitudes

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas

2010-12-31T07:21:00.000-05:00

We remember the 7 gifts of grace

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

2010-12-30T07:20:00.000-05:00

We remember the 6 days of creation

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

2010-12-29T07:06:00.000-05:00

We remember the giving of the 5 books of the Pentateuch

Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

2010-12-28T07:02:00.002-05:00

We remember the four gospels.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

...it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

On the Third Day of Christmas

2010-12-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

We remember the Three Theological Virtues:

faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

On the Second Day of Christmas

2010-12-26T07:53:00.002-05:00

We remember the two Testaments.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

On the First Day of Christmas

2010-12-25T07:42:00.001-05:00

We remember the incarnation of Christ.

Jesus though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Merry Christmas!

Stuck in line shopping?

2010-12-24T10:21:00.000-05:00

Do you feel like you are always stuck in the slowest line at the mall? Well statistically speaking you probably are.

Advent Thoughts Day 24

2010-12-24T07:40:00.001-05:00

Almost everyone in our society celebrates Christmas, but how many know the real meaning of Christmas? how many know the Christmas story? Don’t forget to read though the story again and be reminded again of what a great time in history Jesus birth was!

Advent Thoughts Day 23

2010-12-23T07:40:00.000-05:00

All the man-made wonders of this world cannot compare to the raw beauty of God’s creation. Spend some time today admiring the world around you. Take a look at the stars and marvel at the God who made and knows each and every one!

Advent Thoughts Day 22

2010-12-22T07:38:00.002-05:00

Echoing laughter. Swooshing skates. Scarves, mittens, hats and coats. The joys of skating. What a great way to have fun together as family a friends. Find a rink somewhere near you, get some friends together, bundle yourself up and head out for some good Christmas fun!

Leafs?

2010-12-21T11:39:00.000-05:00

So here we are, 33 games into the Toronto Maple Leafs 2010/2011 season. After a (much) stronger start this year, how much better are they really doing? Let's take a look at the numbers as compared to last year:

Season	Points	Goals For	Goals Against
2009/10	31	97	116
2010/11	28	75	102

So it is not looking to promising again this year. The only category they're better in is that they have let less goals in this year. Sigh. It sure is hard being a Leafs fan.

Advent Thoughts Day 21

2010-12-21T07:37:00.000-05:00

What is more ‘Christmasy’ than walking into the house from the cold and smelling fresh cookies baking in the oven? Take some time this week to make some ‘homemade’ treats and be sure to enjoy those delightful smells of Christmas!

Advent Thoughts Day 20

2010-12-20T15:04:00.001-05:00

For thousands of years Christians have commemorated the birth of Christ and remembered what it meant to have that baby born into this world. We also commemorate many things in our lives. We celebrate birthdays, and anniversaries over and over again because of the significance that they have to us. Just as when we were children we looked forward with eager expectation to our birthdays, so may this Christmas be an exciting event that we look forward to even though we have celebrated it many times before!

Advent Thoughts Day 19

2010-12-19T08:32:00.003-05:00

The final Sunday of Advent reminds us of the second coming of Christ. Just as Christmas will spring upon us before another Sunday comes, so the final day of the Lord will come upon us in glory! The coming of the anointed one was merely the start of a chain of events that will lead to his coming again in great power and glory!

Advent Thoughts Day 18

2010-12-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

All those who come to Jesus will have rest. One of the reasons Christ came into the world was to provide rest for weary souls. Members of his church look forward to an eternal rest with him. Our Lord came to earth as a human and experiences what it means to be tired and in need of rest. He will provide us with the rest that we need!

Advent Thoughts Day 17

2010-12-17T15:10:00.000-05:00

Throughout the years there have been many beautiful hymns composed in celebration of the Christmas season. We sing them in church and at Christmas programs, and we hear them on the radio and at the mall. Why not share these with your family around the piano, or get together a group of friends and go caroling?

Advent Thoughts Day 16

2010-12-16T09:16:00.000-05:00

Ginger bread houses. They embody so much of what makes the Christmas season so fun. Pretty decorations. Nostalgic memories. Delightful treats. Wonderful family time. All these things can come together in the building of a ginger bread village.

Advent Thoughts Day 15

2010-12-15T11:04:00.000-05:00

So many Christmas memories involve food. Family gatherings always seem to revolve around food. Even church functions and work dinners involve food. There is something warming and social about sharing a meal with someone. Enjoy your Christmas dinners this year!

Advent Thoughts Day 14

2010-12-14T10:29:00.000-05:00

Letters and cards. Christmas time is a great time of year to send these out to family and friends. A great time of year to share with them something of our lives and to show that their involvement in our lives is meaningful. Facebook may be ubiquitous but I do not think it can ever replace the meaningfulness of a Christmas card. Enjoy sending out those cards!

Things That Make me Roll my Eyes - Miles of Government Regulations

2010-12-13T11:58:00.000-05:00

Why does the government feel it need to regulate every aspect of our lives? Are we too stupid to think for ourselves? Every time a new bill comes out it seems to be at least 200+ pages long, meaning of course, that nobody will even be able to read through it all. I wonder if regulations in this country aren't just designed to create work for bureaucrats. One writes it so another can read it and then write something even more confusing to keep each other in work. Of course excessive propagation of laws also gives people the chance to find some obscure law that you are breaking if they don't like you. I think this story illustrates that point quite well. To often the regulations in our country are used for personal vendetta's or to give government officials something to point too when the amount of money going to their department is in question.

Advent Thoughts Day 13

2010-12-13T09:47:00.000-05:00

As Christmas approaches lights go up all around us. Seeing the splendor and beauty of these lights reminds us of how wonderful the sky above the shepherds must have looked as a multitude of angels sang in awe and wonder at what their master was doing. The lights we display cannot come close to comparing to the wonder of that night, but they can remind us of how great it had been. As we enjoy the beautiful displays of light we see around us, may we be reminded that it is only a tiny sample of the glory that happened on that Christmas night!

Advent Thoughts Day 12

2010-12-12T08:26:00.000-05:00

This is the third Sunday of Advent and on this day we are reminded of the reason that Christ came into this world. He came to save sinners through his perfect life and sacrificial death. This is a sobering thought for this time of year, but it also the real reason for the joy that surrounds us. Christ did not just come as an example, but as a replacement for sinners!

Advent Thoughts Day 11

2010-12-11T08:19:00.000-05:00

The joy of Christmas can so often be captured in beautiful traditions. One of the best traditions at this time of year is listening to Christmas music. I think the pinnacle of Christmas music can be found in Handel's Messiah. Dig out that old CD, buy a new one or better yet find a live performance and prepare to be thrilled by this song!

Feel Good Story

2010-12-10T09:51:00.000-05:00

This story here was very touching. A young man who loves his family more than fame or fortune. What a good news story in 'reality tv' culture we live in. Family is the bedrock of our society so its good to someone willing to make sacrifices for family!

Advent Thoughts Day 10

2010-12-10T09:30:00.000-05:00

We all have them. Those important moments in our past that define where we are going in our future. Maybe its a first date. Maybe its your wedding day. Maybe a child's birth. Christmas is the same way. It shows us the future through the past. We look back and see the birth of our Saviour over 2000 years ago and it points us to a future eternity that we will be able to spend with Him!

Advent Thoughts Day 9

2010-12-09T09:08:00.000-05:00

We have been given the greatest gift possible. Out of joy we live in obedience to God’s commands. Out of joy our hearts overflow to help those around us. Out of joy we give of the abundance God has given to us. This Christmas give to a special cause and share the love of Christ with those that have not been as material blessed as you!

Pretty Neat Huh?

2010-12-08T09:36:00.000-05:00

Data and statistics can actually be interesting. No really. They can be! Even though this video uses data and statistics to present the results, it is done in a very interesting and visual way. I found it fascinating to see how far our world has come in terms of material blessings and health in the last 200 years. Especially noteworthy is that in the last 50 years, African and Asian and the so called '3rd world' countries, have started to make leaps and bounds in this direction. As the presenter says at the end of the video, pretty neat huh?

Advent Thoughts Day 8

2010-12-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

There is so much to be thankful for at all times but we are especially reminded of this in the Christmas season. Thankfulness for a Saviour who came as an infant. Thankfulness for family and friends. Thankfulness for new life. Thankfulness for the joys of Christmas! Spend some time today to think about all those gifts God has given you and have your heart overflow with thankfulness.

Advent Thoughts Day 7

2010-12-07T09:12:00.000-05:00

If you were to dine with royalty you would dress up in your finest. Why not celebrate the coming of the most royal of royalty with a 'dress up' occasion? Go out for dinner, have a candlelit dinner or just dress up for dinner and celebrate the wedding feast of the King that we have to look forward too because of the coming of the King that we remember

Advent Thoughts Day 6

2010-12-06T09:10:00.000-05:00

Some may argue that our Dutch heritage gives us weird taste buds. I think it has much to offer us in the way of Christmas treats:) One of the wonders of Christmas is the chance to enjoy those treats. Celebrate your heritage and head off to the Dutch store (or enjoy whatever treats of the season are associated with you cultural background).