Cutting $100 Million from Our Budget: Visualized

For you visual learners, here is a short video demonstrating how little the $100 million dollars that President Obama has promised to cut out of his $3.5 trillion dollar budget proposal actually is. 

A few other books

Seems that I forgot to mention a few other books that are selling for heft markdown prices today. One is "What's So Amazing About Grace?/ Where is God When it Hurts?" This is a two-volumes-in-one deal and it's pretty sweet. Only $5.99 at Christianbook.com.

The second book, which can be found here and here, is Big Truths For Young Hearts, from Southern Seminary theology professor Bruce Ware. Dr. Ware explains the central tenets of the Christian faith in a way that is accessible and understandable to "young hearts," either children or new converts. The book was inspired by his lengthy practice of talking about theology at his two daughters' bedside. Blogger Justin Taylor interviewed Dr. Ware about the book and that brief interview can be read here. 

Knowing God

Here's a devotional classic on sale: Knowing God, by J.I. Packer, is only $7.99 today at Christianbook.com. 

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is one of my top 5 most influential books of any category. Below is one of the introductory passages, given to show you the style of Packer's writing and a taste of what the book is about.

There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity. Other subjects we can compass and grapple with; in them we feel a kind of self-content, and go our way with the thought, "Behold I am wise." But when we come to this master science, finding that our plumbline cannot sound its depth, and that our eagle eye cannot see its height, we turn away with the thought that vain man would be wise, but he is like a wild ass's colt; and with solemn exclamation, "I am but of yesterday, and know nothing." No subject of contemplation will tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God. 

Classic Packer. Here's the link. 

Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Out of Luck -- The Abandoned Embryo

The National Institutes of Health [NIH] released the draft of its "Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research" on April 17, thus revealing the specific policy proposals that will expand federal funding for stem cell research using human embryos.

The proposed guidelines contain few real surprises, given the fact that legislative barriers to the direct destruction of human embryos remain in effect.  The main issue is the expansion of funding to include stem cells derived from human embryos created by in vitro fertilization in IVF clinics.  The remainder of the guidelines have to do mostly with informed consent procedures.

Here is the key section of the NIH statement:

These draft Guidelines would allow funding for research using human embryonic stem cells that were derived from embryos created by in vitro fertilization (IVF) for reproductive purposes and were no longer needed for that purpose. Funding will continue to be allowed for human stem cell research using adult stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Specifically, these Guidelines describe the conditions and informed consent procedures that would have been required during the derivation of human embryonic stem cells for research using these cells to be funded by the NIH. NIH funding for research using human embryonic stem cells derived from other sources, including somatic cell nuclear transfer, parthenogenesis, and/or IVF embryos created for research purposes, is not allowed under these Guidelines.

Continue reading here...

Another Planned Parenthood clinic caught

WASHINGTON (BP)--Planned Parenthood has been caught again seeking to circumvent the law -- this time at a Memphis, Tenn., affiliate.

Live Action, a California-based organization led by college students, secretly video taped a Planned Parenthood counselor attempting to cover up alleged child sexual abuse. It marked the sixth clinic in which Live Action has filmed with a hidden camera such a cover-up effort. Such practices by Planned Parenthood employees also were recorded at affiliates in Arizona, California and Indiana. 

Lila Rose, a 20-year-old UCLA student and Live Action's president, posed as a pregnant 14-year-old at the Memphis clinic, telling the counselor the father of her child was a 31-year-old. The counselor told Rose she would not tell anyone the age of the boyfriend and advised her to lie about his age. She counseled Rose on obtaining a judicial bypass of the state's parental consent law for an abortion. Tennessee law requires health-care workers to report suspected cases of sexual abuse of minors to authorities.

Continue reading here...

Huge Savings on some Great Resources

Christianbook.com is offering some sweet deals in their Midweek Markdown promotion this week and I wanted to point a few of them out to you.

John MacArthur NASB Study Bible, Large Print Edition- $19.99

A Tale of Two Sons- $9.99. This is John MacArthur's masterful treatment of the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. 

ESV Study Bible- Bonded Leather, Burgundy- $37.99

Mission Trip

We have two events coming up that mission trip participants need to be aware of as their attendance is required at both events. 

First is the Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser. On Wednesday, April 29th, the mission trip team will be serving dinner to the church family in the Bell Building at 6:30. Students need to be at the church by 6p to help with the preparations. 

Second is a service project on Saturday, May 30th, from 9a-1p. The location of the service project as well as what we'll be doing on that day is TBD, but please make plans to attend this service opportunity. If you have prior commitments on this date or if something comes up that prohibits you from serving on May 30th, please contact me (Dustin) as soon as possible to let me know. This service project is required for mission trip participants. 

Alright, that's all for now. Oh one other thing- please keep in mind that the total balance for each students needs to be $0 by Sunday, June 28th. You may want to make small regular payments to pay down the balance on your student's account over the next two months to make it easier on the family budget. As always, if payment is or becomes a problem, contact Dustin at the church office, on his cell, or via email and we will work out your payment options. 

Anti-religion statements: Church or State matter?

Now, the Islamic states want to make the "defamation of religion" a human rights violation.  The language of the resolution is expressed in diplomatic fog, but the intent is nonetheless clear.  The resolution speaks of recognizing "the valuable contribution of all religions to modern civilization and the contribution that dialogue among civilizations can make towards improved awareness and understanding of the common values shared by all humankind."  The resolution then goes on to express its concern "that defamation of religions, and incitement to religious hatred in general, could lead to social disharmony and violations of human rights, and alarmed at the inaction of some States to combat this burgeoning trend and the resulting discriminatory practices against adherents of certain religions and in this context stressing the need to effectively combat defamation of all religions and incitement to religious hatred in general and against Islam and Muslims in particular."

Again and again, Islam is referenced as the only religion singled out for protection against defamation.  The reason for this is central to the identity of Islam, which is an honor religion.  Thus, in the Muslim dominated world, blasphemy is a serious legal matter.

Continue reading here...

Don't write us off!!

Despite recent media reports that young adults are running from churches in droves, the beliefs of many younger unchurched people are more connected to historic Christian beliefs than many suspected.

More 20-somethings than individuals 30 and older believe in the God of the Bible, the resurrection of Christ and the uniqueness of the Christian God, according to research conducted by LifeWay Research, the research arm of LifeWay Christian Resources.

The data showed that younger unchurched people are more open than their older unchurched counterparts to hear more about Christianity – though they do tend to hold negative views of the church.

Continue reading here...

Teen finds herself hard-wired to technology

"It's time to wake up, Emily," my mom sings from the kitchen. I attempt to open my eyes. Why didn't the alarm on my cell phone go off? I stumble across my room to search for my phone and freeze as a feeling of dread begins to twist my stomach into an uncomfortable knot.

I sigh and realize today is the day for my experiment: "A day without technology."

My editors asked me to do it for an article and I readily agreed. How hard could it be?

I didn't realize what I had gotten myself into until I was driving to school in my car in silence. No radio blasting my favorite energizing songs. I had to sing to myself. I could tell it was going to be a long Wednesday.

As soon as I got to school, I went to the library to print out my English project from my flash drive. "Uh-oh," I thought. "This isn't allowed." However, I quickly decided that one exception to the no-technology rule would be acceptable, especially since it was for a school assignment.

Continue reading here...

Study: Is Vegetarianism a Teen Eating Disorder?

Being a teenager means experimenting with foolish things like dyeing your hair purple or candy flipping or going door-to-door for a political party. Parents tend to overlook seemingly mild, earnest teen pursuits like joining the Sierra Club, but a new study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that another common teen fad, vegetarianism, isn't always healthy. Instead, it seems that a significant number of kids experiment with a vegetarian diet as a way to mask an eating disorder, since it's a socially acceptable way to avoid eating many foods and one that parents tend not to oppose.

The study, led by nutritionist Ramona Robinson-O'Brien, an assistant professor at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in Minnesota, found that while adolescent and young adult vegetarians were less likely than meat eaters to be overweight and more likely to eat a relatively healthful diet, they were also more likely to binge eat. 

Continue reading here...

Parenting Teenagers

Tim Chester is one of my favorite writers, bloggers, and evangelical thinkers. He offers some summary thoughts of a talk that he heard given at a conference in England about parenting teenagers. 

Here is part 1.

Here is part 2. 

Update

Hey one other thing I forgot to mention that will classify you as a "rightwing extremist" according to Janet Napolitano's DHS report: pro-life. Yep, if you believe that babies should live, you are more likely to engage in violence against the government. 

I know that none of this may seem all that important- these kinds of documents are published all the time in the government. But these published documents lay the groundwork for future restrictions of free speech and public opinion. They lay the foundation for future statist bueraucrats to legislate morality (immorality) and point back to documents such as this one to "prove" that they are simply acting on "established precedent." 

Your Federal Tax Dollars

Here's a fascinating graphic depicting the allocation of federal tax dollars (your money) within the federal government. 

I suppose it's only fascinating if you take the time to look around- otherwise it might just be kind of confusing.

A few things that I found interesting: 

1. Senators are going to receive an 11% pay increase with the proposed budget for 2009. (The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) by which most people receive raises is set at 3%, maybe 4%).

2. House Representatives are going to receive a 13% pay increase. 

3. For every billion dollars that the government spends, every tax payer has to pay $4. Keeping in mind that the proposed budget is $3.6 trillion, every tax payer has to pay approximately $14,400. Just for next year. Now obviously, those of us in the truly middle class won't pay this much, but I point this out to raise the awareness of just how much money our government is spending each year.

You are an extremist. Yes- YOU!

If you favor smaller federal government, states rights, gun ownership rights, bans on illegal immigration, a veteran, or American soverignty and exceptionalism, you are a right-wing extremist, as defined by none other than the Department of Homeland Defense's recent report entitled "RightWing Extremism." 

This is insane. Our government has now defined citizens as "extremists" if they believe in the principles established by the constitution (2nd amendment- right to bear arms, 10th amendment- states rights). Returning veterans are now viewed with suspicion, since they "possess combat skills and experience that are attractive to rightwing extremists." 

Absurd. Here's the Fox news writeup, and here's the full document, released by the statist Homeland Security department. 

Note- there's no mention of terrorists, or illegal immigrant crime- just watch out for the bible-thumpers, gun owners, veterans, and people who want the federal government out of our pockets. 

I dreamed a dream in times gone by...

You need to watch this video. 

Blog Issues

I know that several recent posts have looked a little different, and some have been unreadable altogether. I don't know why the text is appearing differently in different posts, but I am working on resolving this. Maybe I need to try a different internet browser? 

Anyway, I hope to have it figured out quickly. Thanks to whoever left a note indicating the unreadability (?) of a few posts. 

Jobs and Drug Use

Previous studies have found that kids who work just ten hours a week admit to cheating more often in school and taking less challenging courses.

And a new survey by the Rand Corporation finds that kids who work are also more likely to use drugs and alcohol and smoke cigarettes.

The difference between them and their unemployed peers: lack of supervision for one and extra cash.

“They end up experimenting in such a way that the use of that the use of that income is not really going toward beneficial things for them,” explains Dr. Richard Winer, a psychiatrist.

He says parents need to keep a close eye on where the money is going, and how the job is affecting their child. “Their sleep patterns, their eating patterns, their social skills among peers as well as family member… if there’s a distinct change that’s taken place then it’s probably worth looking into to that, because that might be kind of a warning sign.”

Continue reading here...

Creation

We are going to Creation Festival NE on June 24-28. There is a sign-up slip available downstairs in the Crash Room that students need to have filled out by their parent or legal guardian. This slip, which is similar to the Mission Trip sign-up document, needs to be turned in by Sunday, May 3, along with the $40 payment.

I'm thankful that Steve and Martha Moyer and Paula Lemke will be accompanying me on the Creation trip as adult chaperones.

Cookout!

Hey all- we're having a free cookout this Saturday, April 18th, from 3-5:30p at Chuck and Cheri Parks' house. Their address is in the church directory, and if you don't have a directory you can call me or email me for that info.

We're all just meeting up over at their house, so no church vans are available for transportation. You can almost see their house from the church though, so it's not very far away at all.

We're setting up a volleyball net and a few cornhole sets. Students can bring a lawn chair if they want one.

The cookout is free, so just show up and party with us this Saturday!

Love Lustres at Calvary

Hey all- I read this prayer last night and it resonated with me, especially given the focus of the Christian world on the death and resurrection of Jesus this week, so I wanted to pass it along for you to read and contemplate. I hope it encourages you to praise God for sending Jesus to die in our place. In your place. In my place.

My Father, enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open my lips, supply words that proclaim "Love lustres at Calvary."

There grace removes my burderns and heaps them on thy Son, made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me;

There the sword of they justice smote the man, thy fellow; 

There thy infinite attributes were magnified, and infinite atonement was made; 

There infinite punishment was due, and infinite punishment was endured.

Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy, cast off that I might be brought in, trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend, surrendered to hell's worst that I might attain heaven's best, stripped that I might be clothed, wounded that I might be healed, athirst that I might drink, tormented that I might be comforted, made a shame that I might inherit glory, entered darkness that I might have eternal light. 

My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes, groaned that I might have endless song, endured all pain that I might have unfading health, bore a thorny crown that I might have a glory-diadem, bowed his head that I might uplift mine, experienced reproach that I might receive welcome, closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness, expired that I might for ever live.

O Father, who spared not thine only Son that thou mightest spare me, All this transfer thy love designed and accomplished; help me to adore thee by lips and life. 

O that my every breath might be ecstatic praise, my every step buoyant with delight, as I see my enemies crushed, Satan baffled, defeated, destroyed, sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood, hell's gates closed, heaven's portal open.

Go forth, O conquering God, and show me the cross, mighty to subdue, comfort, and save. 

Great Discussion on Emerging/ent Church

The recent Christian Book Expo in Dallas, TX hosted a panel discussion regarding the emerging/ent church. The video is a bit long, 88 minutes, but it is well worth your time if you have an interest in what's going on in Emergentia. 

The panelists represented a broad spectrum of beliefs, ranging from conservative to liberal. Alex and Brett Harris, along with Kevin DeYoung, represent the conservative side of the theological spectrum. Scot McKnight represents the middle ground, while Tony Jones represents the most liberal of the panelists. 

Here's the video. Enjoy.