Head-dibs

"Fathers! Your children are immortal beings! The stamp of eternity is upon them! Everlasting ages are before them! They are like the rest of the human race--depraved, guilty, and condemned creatures; and consequently in danger of eternal misery! Yet they are, through the mercy of God, creatures capable of attaining to glory, honor, immortality, and eternal life. Looking upon them in this light, what should be your chief concern for them--and what should be your conduct towards them? Fathers! Your children are hastening to either eternal happiness--or eternal torment!The man who does not make the eternal welfare of his children, the supreme end of all his conduct towards them, may profess to believe as a Christian--but he certainly acts as an Atheist! Once more let it be stated, and stated with all possible emphasis--that the chief design of this work is to form the pious character of its readers, and to implant those virtues which shall live, and flourish, and dignify, and delight...

In the latest census in Great Britain, 390,000 people reported their religion as"Jedi." The "Star Wars Religion" now ranks 4th overall behind Christians,Muslims, and Hindus and actually ahead of Jews and Atheists. Read more here ********* That's no space station! That's a moon! Read more about this wonder of God's creation here

May 17, 2005 (Ventura, CA) – Religious books have become a publishing phenomenon in the past decade, and no religious book (other than the Bible) has generated more attention – or sales – than Rick Warren’s bestseller, The Purpose-Driven Life. More than 20 million copies of the book have been sold, and millions of people have been exposed to Purpose-Driven church programs, classes and resources. After all the reading, teaching, and conversation on the topic, exactly what do Americans perceive their purpose in life to be? That was the question posed to a random national sample of 1003 adults surveyed by The Barna Group. One particular response was provided by nearly half of the population, and only two other options were mentioned by at least one out of every ten people. Read the rest of the article here . My response: First, Barna’s group should do a little more research. “Pilgrim’s Progress” has been the most read book in the world after the Bible since 1678. Second, the article shoul...

Last night the kids were watching cartoons and an old Popeye cartoon came on, I beleive the date of this one was 1938 ("Don't Spanks the Baby"). I was'nt paying full attention, but for some reason Sweet Pea got a spanking for breaking something Popeye had sent him to his room, crying. After the door was closed (and the crying continued) an angellic sailor appeared over his shoulder and in sweet voice said in his ear, "now look at what you did! You made that baby cry--you should be ashamed of yourself." As Popeye began to slide into depression, a horned figure appeared and said, "What? You did'nt do nothing wrong. You got's nothing to be ashamed of. He deserved it." My ten year old daughter (the other spinach-eater in this tale) looks up at me and says, "Is that right? Isn't that backward? I don't like what that angel said at all--he is really acting like a devil. I think he lied to Popeye." I had to snap out of whateveritw...

"Whoever walks with the wise will become wise; but the companion of fools shall be destroyed!" Pr. 13:20 Young men! There are evil companions to be avoided! The workhouse, the lunatic asylum, the prison, the gallows, the bottomless pit, all, all, attest the truth of this, by the millions they have swallowed up in their jaws of destruction! Evil companionship has ruined . . . more characters, more fortunes, more bodies, and more souls, than almost anything else that could be named. Young men! Evil companionship is one of your first and most pressing dangers. Character assimilates to that which surrounds it. You must take your character, to a certain extent, from your companions. Do not have bad companions! Men . . . who scoff at Christianity, who ridicule the godly, who make light of sin and laugh at conscience, who are lewd in their actions, or obscene in their talk, who are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, who are extravagant in their habits, who are loose in th...

I do not play many board games, but there are a few classics in which I may occasionally engage. One game I occasionally play is checkers. My grandfather taught me to play and I would rarely play anyone else. He showed me many things relating to people, thinking, and the difference between fun and all-out warfare. He taught me that for many, the game is no longer a game. The movie “Searching for Bobby Fischer” will gives one a glimpse of intensity and extremes people will find within a little game of chess. One stares at the board and the mind plays out move after move after move, anticipating “if I do “this”, he will do “that” or “that”.” Very Aristotalian. Minds become locked into playing the game as much or more in the head than on the board. Then the opponent reaches out his hand, touching that piece, sliding it over . . . wait . . . wait . . . then he second-guesses his move, starting to lift his hand from the piece. One sits on pins and needles, breath held, eyes wide, a small sm...

In the Classroom: Three Stories, Othello and A Christian Approach To Literature Category: Parable, Metaphor and Illustration Posted by Michael Spencer on April 18, 2005 08:54 PM In my AP English IV class, one of my most difficult tasks is teaching students how to read, think and analyze literature as Christians. There are several reasons for the resistance. Laziness. A feeling that the classics are irrelevant. Senioritis. (A very real disease) And one that concerns me most of all: the belief that classical, secular literature is inappropriate for Christians in the first place. (read the rest of this blog here )