Against Nothingness

Ted Video: How To Make Choosing Easier   - 4 Strategies for dealing with choice overload The Three Little Pigs   - Hilarious video! Abortion is as American as Apple Pie   - frightening. appalling. terrifying. Not much more to say.  Privacy and Piracy   - Good questions about internet privacy and information control.  Minding the Iotas   - Theology matters!  A Fighter Abroad   - Brilliantly told story, well worth reading. Brian Phillips is quite the writer.  By the same author, also worth reading. Why Publishers Should Give Away Ebooks   - I'm all for this idea!

"...it seems to me quite disastrous that the idea should have got about that Christianity is an otherworldly, unreal, idealistic kind of religion that suggests that if we are good we shall be happy - or if not, it will all be made up to us in the next existence. On the contrary, it is fiercely and even harshly realistic, insisting that the kingdom of heaven can never be attained in this world except by unceasing toil and struggle and vigilance: that, in fact, we cannot be good and cannot be happy, but that there are certain eternal achievements that make even happiness look like trash. It has been said, I think by Berdyaev, that nothing can prevent the human soul from preferring creativeness to happiness. In this lies man's substantial likeness to the Divine Christ, who in this world suffers and creates continually, being incarnate..." - Dorothy Sayers, Letters to a Diminished Church. "Creed or Chaos?" I strongly agree with all of this bar one point. Perha

Gary Thomas. Every Body Matters: Strengthening Your Body to Strengthen Your Soul. Zondervan, 2011. 256 pgs.  In Every Body Matters  Gary Thomas explores some of the interactions between our bodies and our soul. More specifically, he argues that treating our body well is an important part of spiritual discipline and living well. He urges us to "stop treating our bodies like ornaments... and start treating our bodies like instruments, vessels set apart to serve the God who fashioned them. Throughout the book Thomas also explores topics from the discipline of exercise, to spiritual problems like sloth and greed. As I started this book, I wasn't so sure what I was getting into. I have read, and appreciated, books by Gary Thomas before. That is, after all, why I decided to risk this book. However, any book about exercise and the Christian life starts out a few paces behind as it has many hurdles to avoid on the way. Hurdles like implying, or explicitly stating, that o

Links in no particular order.  Unique life form is half plant, half animal  - Half plant, half animal, all cool! The Science Behind a Bad Mood (and what you can do about it) - Common sense stuff, but if you find your moods have more control over you than you have over them, you should read on. TED Video: Be Suspicious - Indeed, be suspicious. Watch carefully any device which easily slips behind your critical apparatus; well-told stories are perfect examples. What do you think about the rest of what he had to say? Life of a Scientist  - Great post on the life of a scientist and what it means to pastor and minister to those in the field of science. "It's A Girl" - The three most dangerous words in our world. Visit the site, read about it, and when you get the chance, watch the video. It Doesn't Take Cupertino to Make Textbooks Interactive - A good word about tablets in classrooms, interactivity, and learning. Also a brilliant critique of Apple's latest move

Rick Richards. Simply God. Westbow Press, 2011. 192 pgs.  The description of this book promises to discuss the difference between convincing people and equipping people. It is supposed to be about seeing and knowing God, making these things our priorities. That is, what we need is simply God. These are, in themselves, excellent points. We do need God more than anything, and we ought to be equipped, not just convinced, to live well. You will not find that here. Unfortunately, Simply God is actually a long, unedited, unorganized, mostly unhelpful, self published book that needed, but clearly did not get, a lot of help.  Something in the very preface of this book made me uncomfortable. As I finished reading it I had to stop and consider what it might be. I wasn't sure, so I reread it more carefully. There it was, clear as day, in the first lines. Richards claims that this book "was inspired by our Father so that all his children would know how much he loves them an

Here is the first post of other links you should check out. Normally I would wait until this list was longer, but 2 of these are time sensitive - by next week you may not remember the video they refer to :) 1. Matthew 24, Genesis 1, and the Eternal Reign of King Jesus  - ever wonder about end times predictions in the bible? Or how to interpret Matthew 24? Wonder no more. 2. 35 MacGyver Tips  - Sometimes people ask how I know so much weird stuff. This ought to help answer that question. 3. Does Jesus Hate Religion? Kinda, Sorta, Not Really  - Excellent response to the "Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus" slam poetry video that 'went viral' last week. - Follow Up  - A follow up to the last link, which includes some of the response from Jefferson Bethke, the poet from the video.  4. Sonaar Luthra: Meet the Water Canary  - Interesting presentation on better ways to test water. 

A new year seems to demand new resolutions, if only by weight of expectation and pressure of resurrection. We must envision what lies before us, mold it and craft it into a shape pleasing to our desires, and so seize the future before it seizes us. We must stand, heads held high, and bravely wrest from the unknown something of worth. We must PLAN! Well, I don't know about all of that. Frankly, I have always liked the fact that the un-aimed arrow never misses. As for shaping my future... I'll leave that God. He's better at it anyway.  But for all that, I do have some ideas about what is will change, or what is next, for me and blogging. Three things in fact. (the rest will stay the same) First of all, I will be taking on very few book reviews this year. At least, very few free books that come with the requirement of review. Don't worry, I will still review books.  Looking back on the past year I realized a few things. First of all, I read far too many bad

Ed. Bart R. Leib. Subversion: Science Fiction & Fantasy tales of challenging the norm . Crossed Genres Publishing, 2011. 172 pgs.  Traitor or Revolutionary? Hero or Villain? Don't these titles mean the same thing, just from a different side? History, as they say, is written by the victors, but what would it be like to get a look before those histories were written? Here, you will find stories which explore these themes and more.  Subversion is a collection of short stories around the theme of, you guessed it, subversion. Each author has his or her own take, and each story holds forth a different facet of dealing with change.  As a book of short stories, I can't tell you everything about this book. It was a very enjoyable collection, with stories ranging from 3 to 5 stars. Some of the authors were indeed very creative in dealing with the idea of subversion, others merely wrote a good yarn. Of course, that isn't really an easy thing to do, and so merely is r

I have been a pastor for 2.5 years now. Such a short time. In so many ways I know that I have barely begun. Yet, there is still more to reflect upon than I am able to process.  No place, and no person, is perfect, but this place, and these people (in other words: this church) are pretty awesome! I am both blessed and privileged to work where I do. Our church has a great community, the other pastors are excellent people who both support and teach me, and I couldn't be more proud of the youth, young adults, and volunteers I get to work with. It seems they amaze me anew every couple of weeks. You would think I would get used to it, but somehow I never learn.  As for me, well, being a pastor is right where I should be. When God called me into ministry I did not want to go, and I thought I had good reason. Speaking technically, I had a fear of public speaking, a disdain for history, and an utter lack of writing and English skills. Spiritually speaking, I was not what you w

I hear babies cry... I watch them grow.  They'll learn much more...Than we'll know And I think to myself... What a wonderful world.  I don't know what I can add to that song, other than you should listen to this version of it  (A medley with 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole).  I am blessed in the family God has given to me. My dreams are already coming true, and have come true. I take great joy in Kristina and Hannah and Ethan. They teach me new things all the time, they make me smile, they make me worry and warm my heart. Yes, I am still tired all the time. It is worth it though.  I had planned to write some kind of reflection on family life in 2011, but I am finding it difficult. I could fill pages and pages with accounts of the past year, and yet none of it seems to communicate what I want to say.  I think what I want to say is that I thank God for these three people. They are precious and amazing. 

Do you ever get tired of creeping people on facebook? Does the sound of chirping birds just gets to be too much to follow? If so, you can always get that little social media stalking fix by glancing down the sidebar of my blog. The observant reader will find there a librarything widget labeled "Currently Reading." Indeed, this is precisely what the widget contains; a list of books I am currently reading, complete with cover image. I do my best to keep my library thing account up to date, so while it may not be up to the minute, you can still know something about me that you can't find anywhere else. You may also find out, if you pay attention for long, that I read a lot. I do not say this to brag; it is just the way I am. I have read fiction as a fun hobby for as long as I can remember. I started reading non-fiction which was not part of a textbook in high-school, and I began to take joy in it by university. I have never looked back. Not only is it just the way I am, th