Happy Friday.
I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken.
David, Psalm 17:8
One of the ways we care for our soul is “to practice the presence of God.” This is as simple – and as hard – as directing and redirecting our mind to Him. Our current “Twitter-24-hour-news-cycle-Netflix-binge-watching-non-stop-advertising” moment presents some challenges, but it has never been easy. We must accept our need to focus on Him and direct our hearts accordingly. Fight for your soul and for sanity. Practice the presence of God.
Side Note: Sixty years ago today my parents became parents.
Big Head / Big Heart: When I was working with ScholarLeaders International (then called CISF), I had to defend our efforts to help leaders from the Two-Thirds World earn PhDs from those who felt education made people spiritually dead. My response? Given the choice between a “large heart and a small head,” or a “small heart and a large head,” choose the first. But why do we think we have to choose? Why not an expansive heart and a developed mind?
Boys vs Girls: It’s trendy to suggest that gender is a social construct. These statistics suggest otherwise. Note: If I was a professor, citing these stats would likely lead to a call from the dean (to say nothing of student protesters).
Kinda Boring: Steve Martin (yes the Steve Martin of white suits, banjos, SNL monologues and The Jerk fame) argues here that book stores only really need two categories: “I can’t put this down,” and “Kinda boring.” He prefers the first.
Without Comment: 1) Pew reports that in ‘97, 64% of Americans expressed confidence in each other’s ability to make wise political choices. Today, 34% do; 2) today 62% of Americans say they are afraid to share their political views with others; 3) a 2019 report from the Joint Economic Committee notes that: a) 1 in 4 millennials (adults b/w 24 and 40) speak a language other than English at home; b) 1 in 7 marriages among millennials is interracial; c) and as of 2015, most of the US population under the age of 5 is nonwhite; 4) the CDC reports that 39.6 percent of all births in the US are to unmarried women (a percentage 10X higher than in 1940).
Election Comments: I wanted to make this an election-free post, but given that there are only 1,188 days left until the 2024 Iowa caucuses, I thought that would be irresponsible. Here is a political claim you must immediately attend to: The Lord Reigns. And here is a political poster that strikes the same theme.
Word Nominations: Last week I asked for nominations for the 2020 word of the year. Pivot received the most votes, mask came in second, with curate and unprecedented straggling in. I also received a nomination for “colonoscopy prep” as the official beverage of 2020. I didn’t realize that was a category, but if it is, that seems like a winning entry. BTW, in the “let’s knock 2020” category, I thought this meme was clever. And if you live in California – where T-day gatherings are limited to six but funerals can have thirty – here is some advice. Schedule a funeral for your pet turkey on Thursday, Nov. 26th, noting that refreshments will be served.
Who Moved?: A couple weeks ago I asked if the left had moved further left or the right further right. As expected, both sides argued that they were stable and that the other guy was becoming even more extreme. I suspect more than a few PhD dissertations will be written about this. I also suspect that the question itself is a bit of a Rorschach test. What is beyond guessing is that we need an objective standard, such as the Word of God.
Helpful: I appreciated the efforts of Tim Dalrymple (the President of Christianity Today) to explain why the political views of your friends may have surprised you this election.
Perspective: By the way, if you are having a bad day, take heart. It could be worse. You could be a pollster.
Closing Prayer: Most gracious Father, we most humbly beseech you for your holy church. Fill it with all truth; in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purge it; where it is in error, direct it; where anything is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen and confirm it; where it is in need, furnish it; where it is divided and torn apart, make up its breaches, O holy One of Israel. Amen. William Laud (1573 – 1645)
Side Note: Sixty years ago today my parents became parents.
Big Head / Big Heart: When I was working with ScholarLeaders International (then called CISF), I had to defend our efforts to help leaders from the Two-Thirds World earn PhDs from those who felt education made people spiritually dead. My response? Given the choice between a “large heart and a small head,” or a “small heart and a large head,” choose the first. But why do we think we have to choose? Why not an expansive heart and a developed mind?
Boys vs Girls: It’s trendy to suggest that gender is a social construct. These statistics suggest otherwise. Note: If I was a professor, citing these stats would likely lead to a call from the dean (to say nothing of student protesters).
Kinda Boring: Steve Martin (yes the Steve Martin of white suits, banjos, SNL monologues and The Jerk fame) argues here that book stores only really need two categories: “I can’t put this down,” and “Kinda boring.” He prefers the first.
Without Comment: 1) Pew reports that in ‘97, 64% of Americans expressed confidence in each other’s ability to make wise political choices. Today, 34% do; 2) today 62% of Americans say they are afraid to share their political views with others; 3) a 2019 report from the Joint Economic Committee notes that: a) 1 in 4 millennials (adults b/w 24 and 40) speak a language other than English at home; b) 1 in 7 marriages among millennials is interracial; c) and as of 2015, most of the US population under the age of 5 is nonwhite; 4) the CDC reports that 39.6 percent of all births in the US are to unmarried women (a percentage 10X higher than in 1940).
Election Comments: I wanted to make this an election-free post, but given that there are only 1,188 days left until the 2024 Iowa caucuses, I thought that would be irresponsible. Here is a political claim you must immediately attend to: The Lord Reigns. And here is a political poster that strikes the same theme.
Word Nominations: Last week I asked for nominations for the 2020 word of the year. Pivot received the most votes, mask came in second, with curate and unprecedented straggling in. I also received a nomination for “colonoscopy prep” as the official beverage of 2020. I didn’t realize that was a category, but if it is, that seems like a winning entry. BTW, in the “let’s knock 2020” category, I thought this meme was clever. And if you live in California – where T-day gatherings are limited to six but funerals can have thirty – here is some advice. Schedule a funeral for your pet turkey on Thursday, Nov. 26th, noting that refreshments will be served.
Who Moved?: A couple weeks ago I asked if the left had moved further left or the right further right. As expected, both sides argued that they were stable and that the other guy was becoming even more extreme. I suspect more than a few PhD dissertations will be written about this. I also suspect that the question itself is a bit of a Rorschach test. What is beyond guessing is that we need an objective standard, such as the Word of God.
Helpful: I appreciated the efforts of Tim Dalrymple (the President of Christianity Today) to explain why the political views of your friends may have surprised you this election.
Perspective: By the way, if you are having a bad day, take heart. It could be worse. You could be a pollster.
Closing Prayer: Most gracious Father, we most humbly beseech you for your holy church. Fill it with all truth; in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purge it; where it is in error, direct it; where anything is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen and confirm it; where it is in need, furnish it; where it is divided and torn apart, make up its breaches, O holy One of Israel. Amen. William Laud (1573 – 1645)
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