29 June 2016

Something to Think About.

What Christians Ought to Believe introduces us to Christianity through the lens of the Apostles' Creed. 

Why is the Apostles' Creed important?  How was it written?  What was its purpose?  Why do we need the creed in these modern times when everyone has a Bible?  Author Michael F. Bird walks us through the history and the theological lessons of the Creed - that is to say, what he feels Christians ought to believe.

The Apostles' Creed itself is meant to succinctly present the Christian faith in an easy-to-understand and memorise format.  This protects the Christian, Bird seems to argue, from the more obvious heresies out there.

I'm not so sure that that's true today in a modern world.  I've seen plenty of charismatic preachers building empires for "Jesus" who would ascribe to the theology of the Apostles' Creed.  There are also people of variant lifestyles from "gay Christians" to Westboro Baptist Church adherents who would agree that Jesus died and rose again.  And yet most mainline Christians would not count either camp as being "Christians" at all!

But I'd definitely agree that there are some basic doctrinal truths contained (if one is not a Oneness Pentecostal, another day perhaps!) in the Apostles' Creed and Bird's book worthy of a good look.  I will say that because he delves into history and theology that it would make an excellent Bible study book for small church groups.  Worthy of a look if you want a book to think about this summer!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


18 June 2016

Children Under 16 Cannot Be Left Alone. Ever.

Children under 16 can't adequately fight against an attacker, New Albany Police Chief Greg Jones stated.  "I think that’s the threshold where you see children getting a little bit more freedom." Parents need to closely watch their children before age 16 so they don't get kidnapped or worse.



Let me tell you something, and I'm not being flippant.  You will never be able to defend yourself against an attacker with a gun unless you have some special training.  And also?  Most adults are not able to defend themselves well against a sudden attacker.  They just aren't.  I'm 46 and have had my fourth major hernia surgery last week.  I could be taken down pretty easily right now if I were honest about it.

So maybe most of us shouldn't be allowed outside?



17 June 2016

The Berenst#in Bears Controversy



The Berenstain Bears used to be the Berenstein Bears.  LOTS of people remember it as being that way.  I do also, to be honest.  I had always thought that that was just the more natural way to spell that name, but I also figured that things aren't always as they "feel" right to spell, especially with names.  I find myself triple-checking the name when I write about it.

But then?  Adelaide Dupont left a comment on my blog about the Mandela Effect, so called because apparently plenty of people also remember Mandela dying in the 1980's. Thousands of people out there distinctly remember the BerenstEin Bears from their childhoods as well. 

Another jump:  because so many people remember things happening differently than we understand they did today, it's really just proof of parallel universes and these are remnant memories of some kind before things switched.  Go ahead and google it - there are a lot of people talking of this.  Wow.

Know what?  I think we'll find with a bit more research that humans have some sort of logical thought process and sometimes get stuck in certain pathways.  Mandela could have easily died in the 1980's and the Berenstains could easily spell their name differently and it wouldn't have been an unusual thing to have had happen. And then our thoughts travel that way but that's not how it really is.  Perhaps human brains have "thought grooves" and we tend to think along a certain line.

There's my theory anyway.

Edited to add:  I'm not alone.  Russell Smith calls this difference between memory and reality Shrodinger's Nostalgia, whereby two distinctly different thoughts are perceived to be true at the same time.

The Berenstain Bears School Time Blessings

Brother and Sister Bear have the back-to-school jitters.  Sister knows she has trouble in history class and Brother is nervous about math.  As you read with your children about how Mama and Papa talk through it, you can chat about their worries as well.

Papa tells the children that they will be away for a little while, but they'll always come home at the end of the day.  "Whenever you're worried, you should turn to God in prayer," he adds.  "You can always talk to the Lord and ask for strength and guidance."

Mike Berenstain seems to be taking the Berenstain Bears series in a decidedly more Christian/ religious direction.  This book for four- to eight-year-old children is full of helpful verses and the Berenstain Bears are depicted as good examples of how to handle the public school experience.  The series is as sweet and cute as ever, but it is less funny than in years past.  This is one of those books you'll enjoy for a little bit, but not one you'll grab off the shelf on a regular basis. I can't find a single thing "wrong" with the book except for the fact that it misses that spark of silly or funny that used to pepper the series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

12 June 2016

Behaviour Charts in the Classroom

There are different sorts of sadistic styles of these charts about in schools.  In one design, the child must flip his own card over after he's misbehaved.  He loses out on prizes and the whole class knows he messed up.  Other charts clearly move a child's marker from green to yellow to red, the "bad" zone.  Everyone knows the pecking order in class.  I don't know why anyone allows them.  Especially for young children who are still learning to sit still and take turns, this is very harsh.

Travis Tagart says when he sees these on classroom walls as a consultant?  He rips them right down.  "The pushback when I wage war on public shaming--and that's what it is, no matter how 'nice' you word the chart--is that there's no other way to manage behavior," he writes. "But here's my ammo: if a teacher needs this at all, if they have this hanging on their wall, they're not managing behavior, they're threatening it by holding a child's reputation hostage."

Could you imagine an employer using a similar motivation chart?  

11 June 2016

The Longing in Me: How Everything You Crave Leads to the Heart of God

"We long to be seen.
We long to be chosen.
We long to be loved.
We long to know that we matter.

"When those longings are left unmet, what do we do?  Where do we go?" 

Shiela Walsh's new book, The Longing in Me, addresses that very question.  Walsh adeptly weaves her story around retelling the biblical account of King David and his triumphs and foibles.  The result is part autobiography, part Bible study, part self-help book.

Although I have had a far different life than the author, she tells the story of her childhood so very well that I can identify with her.  One thing I appreciate is that she is honest about the failings of the people in her life without villainising them.  She gives enough of an idea that her marriage ended for 'biblical' reasons without going into the salacious details, and so on.  I think it's an honest book but one you won't feel the need to put down while reading it because it tells you too much.

I read most of this book in the hospital as I'm recovering from surgery after they closed up a hernia the size of a tennis ball and popped mesh in.  Know what my deep longing is?  To get better and to not feel pain.  It's hard for me not to focus on how unfair it is that I've lost another summer to pain (my fifth major abdominal surgery!  bah) and thinking about how everyone else has life easy.  It's not true, but you know how things are when you're feeling sorry for yourself.  The Longing in Me got me away from the present moment for just a little bit and helped me think about some deeper issues.  I'd recommend it especially for older women who have had hurts or betrayals in their lives.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

01 June 2016

McDonald's Hates Blind People!

A blind man has sued because McDonald's leaves its drive-thru open longer than the lobby.  I'd presume this policy serves to avoid drunks and other disruptive late-night patrons from intimidating others or messing up the lobby.  It also allows staff some time to clean the place while they're still on the clock before they close.  But hey!  Scott Magee feels all gypped about it because he can't drive and stuff.  I mean, McDonald's is violating the American with Disabilities Act.  So is the government, being all picky and requiring people to see and stuff before they get behind the wheel of a vehicle weighing several tons.

McDonald's sure has some nerve wanting their customers and their employees to have a relatively safe experience. When and if they are required to change their rules, they then will be sued by people who got smashed to gooey bits by Ford F150 trucks because drivers couldn't see the short guys standing in front of their bumpers.

Bringing Garbage Home

Some people up the street were throwing this table away. It was in pretty bad shape and one of the legs was off. I've glued the leg back...