Tue, Sep 01, 2009: Social Networking and Kids
As the school year begins, a lot of educators' thoughts move toward the perils of social networking. I've also read a couple articles this year already on the practice (One article here http://pe.ag.org/Articles2009/4972_Newslead.cfm from the Pentecostal Evangel; another one here http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/17-09/st_thompson from Wired Magazine). As I read articles and work with students, I realize that Social Networking is not the enemy to good writing. In fact, as the Wired Magazine article states, students are writing more today that most of us did when we were students. They are engrossed in text where we were engrossed in spoken word. Even if the chat rooms, instant messaging, texting, blogs and social status updates don't always use correct grammar, the students are still actively involved in creating text.
However, I do have a concern about social networking for kids. And that concern is directed to parents: Parents, do you monitor your child's social networking practice? Do you look at their pages to see what kinds of things they're saying and their friends are saying to and about them? If not, you should be! Some may pass off Facebook status updates and wall posts as harmless fun, however, it is through the harmless fun that Satan gets his foothold...always. Maybe today it's your daughter posting that she's "married" to another girl...may seem harmless enough. Maybe over the subsequent days they begin posting things on each other's walls that are more appropriate for husband/wife relationships. Maybe later on, they begin having the same kind of conversations in the halls at school or church...maybe holding hands. It's a slippery slope but it's easier than you might think for one thing to slowly lead to another. Satan is much smarter than most give him credit for. He is well aware of our weaknesses...he knows better than to try to lure you into a life of homosexuality. But, if he can lure you into small compromises and those compromises continue to add up...the result can be the same.
None of my kids have a social networking site that allows "freehand" comments between individuals. However, when they do (whenever that may be), it will not be without constant vigilance on my part. Not because I do not trust my kids. But because I've seen some of the things that exist out on those sites and I want to be able to guide them through those experiences and shed light on why they may not always be good. I encourage any other parents to do the same.
However, I do have a concern about social networking for kids. And that concern is directed to parents: Parents, do you monitor your child's social networking practice? Do you look at their pages to see what kinds of things they're saying and their friends are saying to and about them? If not, you should be! Some may pass off Facebook status updates and wall posts as harmless fun, however, it is through the harmless fun that Satan gets his foothold...always. Maybe today it's your daughter posting that she's "married" to another girl...may seem harmless enough. Maybe over the subsequent days they begin posting things on each other's walls that are more appropriate for husband/wife relationships. Maybe later on, they begin having the same kind of conversations in the halls at school or church...maybe holding hands. It's a slippery slope but it's easier than you might think for one thing to slowly lead to another. Satan is much smarter than most give him credit for. He is well aware of our weaknesses...he knows better than to try to lure you into a life of homosexuality. But, if he can lure you into small compromises and those compromises continue to add up...the result can be the same.
None of my kids have a social networking site that allows "freehand" comments between individuals. However, when they do (whenever that may be), it will not be without constant vigilance on my part. Not because I do not trust my kids. But because I've seen some of the things that exist out on those sites and I want to be able to guide them through those experiences and shed light on why they may not always be good. I encourage any other parents to do the same.
Sun, Aug 23, 2009: Loving unconditionally
I heard a sermon a few months ago that has stuck with me since. The thesis was to the effect of "If, when we died, we ceased to exist, it would still be worth it to serve God. We don't serve Him simply to avoid punishment." That statement has nagged at me since...because it is so true. If the only thing that you serve God for in to preserve your eternity in Heaven, you are missing out on great pleasures and privileges in this world. To show why I believe this, I can site a single truth. If God wanted us to know and love Him simply so we could live with Him in eternity, He would take us to Heaven as soon as we pray the sinner's prayer and accept Him as Lord. It is not enough for us to just accept Christ and then continue in our same ways ignoring what is going on around us so that we can live with Him in eternity. God has things for His people here, on earth. Fellowship with other believers, winning souls for His kingdom (so that they too can win more souls), using our gifts, talents and abilities to worship Him...These are all ways that we can commune with Him daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and forever. In his book, The Purpose Driven Life, the author's thesis is based on the fact that our life here on Earth is a dress rehearsal for our life in Heaven. The talents we develop and use here will be the ones that we will continue to use in eternity. That is why, whether you are the President of a country, a multi-millionaire, a teacher, a pastor, an actor, a garbage collector, a custodian, a doctor or in any other profession; do whatever you do to the absolute best of your ability to the glory of God. Then, once you have completed your earthly life of glorifying God, you will also be able to use those talents and abilities to continue glorifying him in Heaven.
Thu, Aug 20, 2009: Another Fall
School started up again in the St. Louis Public Schools today. The students came back whether or not we were ready for them. As I think about the upcoming months, I wonder what may come. We got new computers at nearly all of the teacher's desks in the school. Will they work as desired? We have many new teachers in the building. Will they work together with the others of us who have been there in the past? We also have a new principal. What will the overall effect be on teaching and learning? That remains to be seen.
I also think about how things will go in other areas. My son is trying out for a local swim team next week. How will his season go? My daughter is involved in competitive gymnastics for the first time this summer. Will she experience success? What changes are coming our way this year? That also remains to be seen. Until we know, we will trust in God to protect us and see us through.
I also think about how things will go in other areas. My son is trying out for a local swim team next week. How will his season go? My daughter is involved in competitive gymnastics for the first time this summer. Will she experience success? What changes are coming our way this year? That also remains to be seen. Until we know, we will trust in God to protect us and see us through.
Tue, Jun 02, 2009: If God is Good...If God is God...
We have recently started our rehearsals for our upcoming production of J.B.-A Play in Verse by Archibald MacLeish. Throughout the first scene, Nickles (who dons the SatanMask for the section between Satan and God) repeats a section of a poem several times:
I heard upon his dry dung heap
That man cry our who cannot sleep.
"If God is God He is not Good.
If God is Good He is not God;
Take the even, take the odd,
I would not sleep here is i could
Except for the little green leaves in the wood
And the wind on the water."
It is the second group of two lines that begs description: "If God is God He is not Good. If God is Good He is not God." In other words, the character states, "If God is truly God (i.e. All powerful) then he must not be good (i.e. Just). On the other hand, if God is in fact Good then he can't truly be God." When thrown through the mirror of Job's life, this statement becomes clear. God himself stated that Job was a perfect and upright man and also said that his destruction was without cause. How can this be if God is truly a Good God? Why does an all-powerful God allow bad things to happen to good people? Even more repulsive to some is why does an all-powerful God allow good things to happen to evil people? Both of these can be summed up with a single statement: Because God is who he says he is.
Yes, God is all-powerful. Yes, God is just. But, God also has given humans choice. Look at the story of Job...God is not the one who destroys Job's family or property...it is Satan with God's permission. In today's world, it is not God who starts wars, drops bombs or murders individuals...it is humans operating under the free will given to us by God.
When God gave us free will, it was in his infinite wisdom. If we have free will, and still choose to love Him, it is a true love. If we had not been given free will, and have instead been forced to love God, the love would not be genuine. You can try that with anything...think back to when you were a kid...were you ever forced to do something like soccer, basketball, piano, violin, flute, etc, by your parents? If you're like most, you probably resented being forced to do it. If, however, you had been given the free will to choose whether or not to participate, you may have truly enjoyed the activity. However, because you weren't given that choice, it became something you loathed (and sometimes something that you held a grudge about for years).
So, yes, God is Good (just) and God is God (all-powerful). They must exist together.
I heard upon his dry dung heap
That man cry our who cannot sleep.
"If God is God He is not Good.
If God is Good He is not God;
Take the even, take the odd,
I would not sleep here is i could
Except for the little green leaves in the wood
And the wind on the water."
It is the second group of two lines that begs description: "If God is God He is not Good. If God is Good He is not God." In other words, the character states, "If God is truly God (i.e. All powerful) then he must not be good (i.e. Just). On the other hand, if God is in fact Good then he can't truly be God." When thrown through the mirror of Job's life, this statement becomes clear. God himself stated that Job was a perfect and upright man and also said that his destruction was without cause. How can this be if God is truly a Good God? Why does an all-powerful God allow bad things to happen to good people? Even more repulsive to some is why does an all-powerful God allow good things to happen to evil people? Both of these can be summed up with a single statement: Because God is who he says he is.
Yes, God is all-powerful. Yes, God is just. But, God also has given humans choice. Look at the story of Job...God is not the one who destroys Job's family or property...it is Satan with God's permission. In today's world, it is not God who starts wars, drops bombs or murders individuals...it is humans operating under the free will given to us by God.
When God gave us free will, it was in his infinite wisdom. If we have free will, and still choose to love Him, it is a true love. If we had not been given free will, and have instead been forced to love God, the love would not be genuine. You can try that with anything...think back to when you were a kid...were you ever forced to do something like soccer, basketball, piano, violin, flute, etc, by your parents? If you're like most, you probably resented being forced to do it. If, however, you had been given the free will to choose whether or not to participate, you may have truly enjoyed the activity. However, because you weren't given that choice, it became something you loathed (and sometimes something that you held a grudge about for years).
So, yes, God is Good (just) and God is God (all-powerful). They must exist together.
Mon, Apr 13, 2009: The price of admission
I performed a monologue yesterday (Easter Sunday) at my church for both morning services. The performance that the 11:00 audience received was decidedly different from that of the 8:15 audience. I did not intentionally give a different performance. The reason was not the later time, more awake, better fed or better feeling. The reason was simple: audience interaction. The audience in the 8:15 service was fully half the size of the 11:00 audience and less responsive to the text of the monologue. That response led to a more energized performance.
When you purchase a ticket (or receive it free) to a theatrical production, you have not paid your entire price of admission. The other part of that cost is your agreement to be an active participant in the production. No, we don't (usually) need the audience members to come on stage and take on a role. However, the concept of live theatre is that there is an interaction between the audience and performer. There is an unwritten contract: each party agrees to give energy to the other.
For those of you who have never appeared on stage in a live performance; be it theatre, music or other; I offer this insight. When a performer ascends to the stage in a live performance, he or she immediately begins to interact with the other performers on stage and the audience. The degree of that interaction with the audience depends in part on the closeness of the audience members. Sometimes theatrical lighting fixtures will make it impossible for actors to see all of the audience members but not always. However, nothing stands in the way of the performers taking audible cues from the audience. Appropriate applause, sighs, laughter and other audible sounds have a profound effect on a performers presentation of their character. You see, when performers re-create a character, it takes energy. They are placing themselves inside the head of that other person...reacting as they would react...speaking as they would speak...moving as they would move. When audible and visual cues are received from the audience, it transfers some of that energy back to the performers which, in turn, is used to further impact their re-creation of the character. Remember Conservation of Energy from your science class? That concept applies to theatre too. Positive energy: appropriate applause, laughter, sighs, crying, etc; produces positive effects. Negative energy: inappropriate applause, laughing at noticeable mistakes, inappropriate or loud talking, rustling candy wrappers, popping bubbles, etc; produce negative effects. A look inside the backstage world will yield large amounts of conversation about the audience: "Boy, this audience is dead", "This is a great audience, they're laughing at all the right times", etc.
So, in the words of my pastor, "how do we respond?" When you go into a live performance, remember that you can help control its success or failure. You contribute to the overall production. This is the critical difference between movies and television and live theatre...and also the reason many people don't like live theatre--i.e. they have to work too. This is also what sets apart rehearsals from performances for the actors. Thank you for your continued support (inside the theatre).
When you purchase a ticket (or receive it free) to a theatrical production, you have not paid your entire price of admission. The other part of that cost is your agreement to be an active participant in the production. No, we don't (usually) need the audience members to come on stage and take on a role. However, the concept of live theatre is that there is an interaction between the audience and performer. There is an unwritten contract: each party agrees to give energy to the other.
For those of you who have never appeared on stage in a live performance; be it theatre, music or other; I offer this insight. When a performer ascends to the stage in a live performance, he or she immediately begins to interact with the other performers on stage and the audience. The degree of that interaction with the audience depends in part on the closeness of the audience members. Sometimes theatrical lighting fixtures will make it impossible for actors to see all of the audience members but not always. However, nothing stands in the way of the performers taking audible cues from the audience. Appropriate applause, sighs, laughter and other audible sounds have a profound effect on a performers presentation of their character. You see, when performers re-create a character, it takes energy. They are placing themselves inside the head of that other person...reacting as they would react...speaking as they would speak...moving as they would move. When audible and visual cues are received from the audience, it transfers some of that energy back to the performers which, in turn, is used to further impact their re-creation of the character. Remember Conservation of Energy from your science class? That concept applies to theatre too. Positive energy: appropriate applause, laughter, sighs, crying, etc; produces positive effects. Negative energy: inappropriate applause, laughing at noticeable mistakes, inappropriate or loud talking, rustling candy wrappers, popping bubbles, etc; produce negative effects. A look inside the backstage world will yield large amounts of conversation about the audience: "Boy, this audience is dead", "This is a great audience, they're laughing at all the right times", etc.
So, in the words of my pastor, "how do we respond?" When you go into a live performance, remember that you can help control its success or failure. You contribute to the overall production. This is the critical difference between movies and television and live theatre...and also the reason many people don't like live theatre--i.e. they have to work too. This is also what sets apart rehearsals from performances for the actors. Thank you for your continued support (inside the theatre).
Fri, Apr 10, 2009: Happy Holidays
I'm fascinated by the outrage in my district over the fact that we have to be in school today (Good Friday). I'm more amused by the fact that many of the same people who are pinning for Good Friday off, also complain when we call it "Christmas Break" in December. What would they call Good Friday to make it non-religious? I know that many districts used to schedule their Spring Break "conveniently" so that it fell over Good Friday and Easter Weekend just to avoid having an additional holiday!
I think it would be great to have Good Friday off. However, I think it would also be great for others to acknowledge what we are remembering on Good Friday...it's not just the Easter Bunny, you know.
I think it would be great to have Good Friday off. However, I think it would also be great for others to acknowledge what we are remembering on Good Friday...it's not just the Easter Bunny, you know.
Thu, Apr 02, 2009: God Said It, I Believe it...
Originally posted February 28, 2009
"I just really feel like God is telling me..."
"I just don't feel like God has released me..."
"God told me to tell you..."
Have any of you ever been told this by someone? Maybe by someone you were in a disagreement with? Maybe by a close friend, relative or pastor? Have these (and others like them) been overused in your mind?
Before I give my opinion on those statements, let me first say that I truly believe that people can hear from God. God speaks to people both audibly and inaudibly...I will say that I have never heard the audible voice of God but I certainly believe it can happen. I also know that I have experienced what I believe to be God telling me his will for my life often...sometimes through what I read, through what I watch and through what I feel in my spirit.
That being said, I make a conscious effort to not be as forward as to tell someone else that I believe that God has told me something that involves them changing their minds or plans. Why? Because I've come to realize that, especially among Christians, "God told me..." has evolved into an end-all, be-all type of statement. And, unfortunately, I strongly believe, that some people use those types of phrases, when they are not entirely true, as a means of manipulating others into doing something that they don't want to do.
So, what do you do when someone "uses" one of those phrases on you? I wish I had a best answer for that. If someone told me that God had told THEM something about MY life, I would politely tell them that, if God truly desired that for MY life, that he would find a way to communicate it to me directly...or through a source with which I had previously developed a strong trust in their judgment.
"I just really feel like God is telling me..."
"I just don't feel like God has released me..."
"God told me to tell you..."
Have any of you ever been told this by someone? Maybe by someone you were in a disagreement with? Maybe by a close friend, relative or pastor? Have these (and others like them) been overused in your mind?
Before I give my opinion on those statements, let me first say that I truly believe that people can hear from God. God speaks to people both audibly and inaudibly...I will say that I have never heard the audible voice of God but I certainly believe it can happen. I also know that I have experienced what I believe to be God telling me his will for my life often...sometimes through what I read, through what I watch and through what I feel in my spirit.
That being said, I make a conscious effort to not be as forward as to tell someone else that I believe that God has told me something that involves them changing their minds or plans. Why? Because I've come to realize that, especially among Christians, "God told me..." has evolved into an end-all, be-all type of statement. And, unfortunately, I strongly believe, that some people use those types of phrases, when they are not entirely true, as a means of manipulating others into doing something that they don't want to do.
So, what do you do when someone "uses" one of those phrases on you? I wish I had a best answer for that. If someone told me that God had told THEM something about MY life, I would politely tell them that, if God truly desired that for MY life, that he would find a way to communicate it to me directly...or through a source with which I had previously developed a strong trust in their judgment.
Thu, Apr 02, 2009: Communities
Originally Posted February 11, 2009
I've recently gotten involved in FaceBook and Ning...both social networking sites...as well as Delicious and Bloglines. With those sites, my community has grown. In a couple short weeks, I gained over 200 "friends" on Facebook. The vast majority I hadn't communicated with at all in several years. Some from college (at least 8 years ago for those), some from High School (15 or more years ago for those) and some other friends that I met even before that and have left my life in the meantime. It's amazing to me the number of people each one of us has an opportunity to impact in a lifetime. In addition to those 200+ people that I've known, there are several times that number that I have not found on FaceBook that I have also known in the past. I wonder where they are...what they're doing. How is their Christian walk? Do they attend church? Are they married? Parents? What do we still have in common (other than a shared school or neighborhood experience)? We all meet many people throughout each of our days...we remain close to those people with whom we have the most in common and with whom we "connect" the best with. Imagine how large our impact could be if we intentionally connected with everyone who needed it.
I've recently gotten involved in FaceBook and Ning...both social networking sites...as well as Delicious and Bloglines. With those sites, my community has grown. In a couple short weeks, I gained over 200 "friends" on Facebook. The vast majority I hadn't communicated with at all in several years. Some from college (at least 8 years ago for those), some from High School (15 or more years ago for those) and some other friends that I met even before that and have left my life in the meantime. It's amazing to me the number of people each one of us has an opportunity to impact in a lifetime. In addition to those 200+ people that I've known, there are several times that number that I have not found on FaceBook that I have also known in the past. I wonder where they are...what they're doing. How is their Christian walk? Do they attend church? Are they married? Parents? What do we still have in common (other than a shared school or neighborhood experience)? We all meet many people throughout each of our days...we remain close to those people with whom we have the most in common and with whom we "connect" the best with. Imagine how large our impact could be if we intentionally connected with everyone who needed it.
Thu, Apr 02, 2009: Family and Friends
Originally posted October 6, 2008
My mother-in-law remarried Saturday. It had been about a year since her late husband passed away. Her new husband's name is John. I met one of John's sons and his sister for the first time on Thursday. By Sunday, when we had officially become family, it was as if we had known each other all our lives. Some take great pains to specify which people are family and which are friends. However. in the grand scheme of things, family should be a subset of friends, not a mutually exclusive group of people. Remember, we have control over who we choose to be our friends. However, our family is chosen for us. Make sure you CHOOSE to make your pre-selected family into the core of your group of friends.
My mother-in-law remarried Saturday. It had been about a year since her late husband passed away. Her new husband's name is John. I met one of John's sons and his sister for the first time on Thursday. By Sunday, when we had officially become family, it was as if we had known each other all our lives. Some take great pains to specify which people are family and which are friends. However. in the grand scheme of things, family should be a subset of friends, not a mutually exclusive group of people. Remember, we have control over who we choose to be our friends. However, our family is chosen for us. Make sure you CHOOSE to make your pre-selected family into the core of your group of friends.
Thu, Apr 02, 2009: Teamwork
Originally poster August 8, 2008
Many people will look back on the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and remember Michael Phelps. The most decorated Olympian in history. Not only more career gold medals than anyone else alive but also the most gold medals in a single Olympic games than anyone else. However, look at his races this year. He was in 8 races, three of which were relay races. In fact, how appropriate it was to Michael Phelps' humility on the interview camera that his last race, and the one that put him past Mark Spitz as the one who has received the most gold medals in a single games, was the medley relay...he was reliant on three other swimmers to win that race. In fact, a review of the video would show that the US team was not in the lead when Michael got out of the water after his leg of the race.
Many times in theatre we speak of developing an ensemble. As a director, I talk about the fact that no one person can create a quality theatrical production...you need costumes, lights, sound, sets, direction and acting to create a high-caliber production.
This same principle is true in life. How many times can you accomplish something truly great completely on your own...even Michael Phelps' individual gold medals were aided by his coach throughout the years. We need each other to continue our success journey.
Many people will look back on the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and remember Michael Phelps. The most decorated Olympian in history. Not only more career gold medals than anyone else alive but also the most gold medals in a single Olympic games than anyone else. However, look at his races this year. He was in 8 races, three of which were relay races. In fact, how appropriate it was to Michael Phelps' humility on the interview camera that his last race, and the one that put him past Mark Spitz as the one who has received the most gold medals in a single games, was the medley relay...he was reliant on three other swimmers to win that race. In fact, a review of the video would show that the US team was not in the lead when Michael got out of the water after his leg of the race.
Many times in theatre we speak of developing an ensemble. As a director, I talk about the fact that no one person can create a quality theatrical production...you need costumes, lights, sound, sets, direction and acting to create a high-caliber production.
This same principle is true in life. How many times can you accomplish something truly great completely on your own...even Michael Phelps' individual gold medals were aided by his coach throughout the years. We need each other to continue our success journey.
