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A La Carte (1/14)
- 01/14/11
- 11
I took my van in to the mechanic to have the rear wiper fixed (the whole arm had sheered off). On the way there I realized I was only a few kilometers away from needing an oil change, so figured I’d get that done as well. And now the mechanic calls to tell me that a ball joint is very nearly shot. And then that the ball joints aren’t sold separately but only attached to an arm or something like that, which means they cost a lot more. My morning is suddenly getting really expensive. And it’s not even 8:30 yet. It’s good thing this mechanic is a friend of mine…
Revolutions and Resolutions - This is a moving article from Delorenzo Flyer, a missionary with Africa Inland Mission. He writes about the genocide there and says “There are a million individual stories that define these tragedies - lost in the history books when they are written, but vastly more meaningful to actual history. A pastor in one of our partner churches in Torit shared part of his story with me in December.”
Banished Words - Here’s a 2011 list of words and phrases that ought to be banished because of overuse (or sheer stupidity, I suppose). Examples include “epic,” “fail,” “live life to the fullest.”
Are We Too Obsessed with Facebook? - The answer it seems, is yes, as this infographic clearly illustrates. For example, a study shows that 48% of 18 to 34 year-olds checks Facebook as soon as they wake up. Obsession? Sure sounds like it.
Sexual Detox - Christian Book Notes has a kind review of Sexual Detox. “If you are going to purchase one book on sexual immorality to give to a young man, I would recommend giving them Sexual Detox. It is short and will keep the reader's attention.”
NYC Pregnancies - This is almost too awful to believe: just about 40% of pregnancies in New York City result in an abortion.
Adopt Rinah - This is a fantastic little video:
Football Miss(es) of the Year - Just a little something to brighten your morning:
If I have observed anything by experience it is this: a man may take the measure of his growth and decay in grace according to his thoughts and meditations upon the person of Christ, and the glory of Christ’s kingdom, and of his love. —John Owen
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Published in 2008, this book
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This review of the bestselling
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Comments (11)
Your account of the trip to the mechanic is so true. It seems like every time that I go to the mechanic, a $50 repair becomes a $500 repair almost immediately. It’s also that way with the Spirit’s work in mortification of sin. Something that seems to be a flat tire in my life, for example a critical word to a coworker, that requires a quick patch and a repressure, leads with conviction to a realization that the suspension is bad, for example unresolved anger about the way my career has not moved forward according to my specifications - a realization that much work needs to be done in conforming my mind to Christ’s.
These examples may or may not be real-life.
Thanks for your blog, Tim, for both the light-hearted and more serious writing that God has gifted you with.
I’m almost finished reading Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves to Death” for the first time—I know you recently re-read it—and I couldn’t help but recall the “Now…this!” phenomenon when reading today’s A La Carte.
To sandwich a chilling statistic on today’s most pressing moral scandal—abortion—between Facebook statistics and a soccer video just doesn’t feel right.
This isn’t a critique of your or your post, more of an observation. If I did my own “quick takes” type post, I probably would’ve done the same thing.
Instances like this only prove Postman’s prophecy.
Buried in the NYC report are some rather shocking racial disparities in the abortion statistics. In ascending order of frequency, using the ethnic categories provided by the report:
Non-Hispanic white mothers: 19.4% of pregnancies ended in induced termination.
Asian and Pacific Islander mothers: 20.6% of pregnancies ended in induced termination.
Hispanic mothers: 39.2% of pregnancies ended in induced termination.
Non-Hispanic black mothers: 56.8% of pregnancies ended in induced termination.
The full report is available here:http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/vs/2009sum.pdf.
Aw, “epic” is one of my favorite words too. Admittedly, I probably use it a bit too much, but I’ve been using it for years. Ah well, guess I’ll have to cut back on that one.
A few words on the state university’s list are there because they originated with Sarah Palin. I’m so shocked.
Here’s another phrase that is over-used: Game Changer.
…it’s a good thing the mechanic is still a friend of yours!
If there is an obsession with facebook, I would categorize it as an obsession with being connected rather than an obsession with a web site. Obsessions can take many forms (games, pornography, knowledge, current events, etc.), and there are web sites out there to feed these obsessions. But I think it’s interesting that we have largely become obsessed with interpersonal connection.
The problem, I think, is that this new obsession can begin to squeeze out our relationships with the people who are right in front of our faces. My sister in law lived with us for a year when she was about 20 and trying to get her life together. Her obsession was texting on her cell phone, so much so that she thought it was acceptable to sit at the dinner table and respond to text messages. If she was having a face to face conversation and her phone reported an incoming text message, the phone took priority. Clearly this is an example of messed up priorities and just general confusion about what’s important in relationship.
God didn’t just send us emails and text messages. He came in person and walked among us. Messages simply can’t substitute for the real thing.
Son Followers Blog
I think facebook is getting too big, and, as a result, giving Mark Zuckerburg too much power over the world. I don’t want to get into end times conspiracy-type talks, but I think we should be more mindful and careful how we use it (or how it uses us).
I really enjoyed watching the Soccer video.
Tim,
I love the football miss video haha! I don’t know whether I love the hilariousness of the squandered chances or the fact that, being a Northern Irishman, you have given football it’s proper name ‘football’ rather than the North American name title ‘soccer’!! I mean if any game should be called football it should be a game that is played with the feet rather than the hands as American football is!! I struggle with the American logic behind that more than I do the hypostatic union ;-) !!
Grant
(PS you may or may not remember I emailed you last week about the Friends of the Blog issue I was having with not having received the books….well they arrived a few days ago and are awesome so thanks for that!)