On Holidays

At the outset of the holiday season, it seems important to take some time to consider what holidays are. Holidays aren't just a break from the every day grind; that's a vacation. As the name implies, these are holy days, set apart for remembrance and reflection. A 24/7/365 world tends to blur the seasons and anniversaries that give a year shape. The more hurried we all become, the more we risk losing the significance of our connection to prior generations who celebrated these special days of the year not only as markers of time but as opportunities to gather, feast, and give thanks. If we could take the time to reflect and refocus, we may find that life is bigger than our needs and schedules.

ESV Study Bible

I purchased an ESV Study last night and am pretty excited about it. It's gotten excellent reviews and I think it will be a great aid for teaching and personal study. It did strike me though how expensive this bible is. Granted, I spent a little extra for the faux leather as opposed to the Dictionary-looking hardback version. The former retails at $74.99 and the latter at $49.99. I might not have taken plunge except that Lifeway was offering a 20% discount. Specific numbers aside though, I wonder about the ethical ramifications of producing and marketing a super-bible with a high price tag. I'm all for not muzzling the ox, but I really hope that these price points were considered in terms of kingdom impact and not just margins. I applaud The Standard Bible Society for making the ESV text freely available and searchable online. In this regard, anyone can read it.

The importance of friends who challenge

I recently had an hour-long conversation with a friend I've been trying to catch up with for at least 7-8 months. So finally after one of the worst games of phone tag in history, we had a chance to not just run each other through the list of updates in our lives but to go deeper and talk about what had effected the changes. As she shared about some of her recent experiences, she talked about the importance of having people in her life who knew her and challenged her to move forward, taking on and overcoming roadblocks that had been in place for years.
I have to question sometimes if I really seek out this kind of friendship in the ways that I invite others into my life. It's uncomfortable to have my sore spots and roadblocks challenged by others. It's easy to convince myself that they don't understand my situation and that somehow my inaction or lack of growth should be protected. I need to be reminded that it's not. I need my excuses repeated back to me to hear their hollowness. I need friends who are invested in my growth and rely on me for the same.

Hierarchy of digital communication

It seems like there's a certain hierarchy of digital interpersonal communication. It's almost innate as new technologies become commonplace. Some events warrant a text message but not a phone call or an IM but not an email. This list is by no means exhaustive, but I am at least trying to limit it to interpersonal communication, excluding modes like blogging, conference calls, etc. where there are multiple recipients. I'd actually be curious on how others perceive the order and even additional interpersonal modes to those below. Here's my top down list.

Video Teleconference
Phone Call
Push to talk / walkie-talkie
Email
Instant Message
Text message
Private social network message (facebook message)
Public social network message (facebook wall)

Rich people are spending less

According to an article on CNN.com, the slumping economy is impacting the consumption of extravagant luxury treats. No need to feel sorry for the rich, but it hurts the workers who provide the goods and services. So now for the ethical question: should we want rich people to live more indulgent lives so they can support low and middle income wages?

My car the car magnet

This weekend I paid the final payment on my car which means that for the first time in about 11 years, I'm finally driving a paid off vehicle. This morning on the way to work, I was rear-ended by an enormous truck. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and amazingly, my car didn't sustain any damage.

I am a little concerned though. The last paid off vehicle I owned was the trusty Ford Tempo which endured a spree of accidents, none my fault. This poor car was backed into at school, hit head on at an intersection, rear-ended on the way home from school, and finally backed into by Mom. I'm really hoping that I haven't ushered in some new curse of the paid off vehicle :)

My friend is no longer listed as married on facebook

I've seen this a couple of times on facebook in the last week. "friend's name here" is no longer listed as married. What's troubling is I'm not sure how to interpret that statement when I'm not very up on their marital situation to begin with. Is their marriage really over, or did something just happen on facebook? Seems a little awkward to ask.

John Piper on the Prosperity Gospel

Headlines can be deceiving

Headline on CNN: Gasoline Prices Slip Again
My Reaction: That's good news
Actual Article Content: "The average price of unleaded gasoline fell to $4.096 a gallon from $4.104 the previous day. The nationwide average is down nearly a penny from the all-time high of 4.108 a gallon."
Revised Reacation: This is not news.

Nearly a Penny? Thank goodness for this relief at the pump. How is this relevant? Seriously, are gas prices really slipping when they fall by 8/10 of a cent? I know math & business sticklers will say yes, but this is not news.

The Reflexive Nature of Senses

Even though our senses are primarily extroverted, it's interesting that they can reflect back their own nature. Our eyes can see themselves; our hands can feel themselves; our tongues can taste themselves; our noses can even smell themselves; our minds can think about themselves.