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If you’re offended by “Baby It’s Cold Outside” you’re going to have a tough go of it in life. And so are your kids.
First, you are completely ignoring the fact that the song is 74 years old–when women were ladies and men were gentlemen.
Her “protest” was typical of a way a lady would speak to a man instead of just downing some drinks and hopping into bed with him.
No one seems offended by that, but you hear that crap on the radio ALL YEAR LONG.
Men actually had to court women back in those days, a subtle dance that for both men and women no longer exists. Sad but true.
Secondly, “what’s in this drink?” does not imply that she was roofied, or at least it didn’t in 1944. Get a grip.
She’s obviously deflecting her indecision toward her drink, which again, came with the times. She was not being drugged.
(Should we stop watching The Wizard of Oz because when they fall asleep in the poppy fields that means Dorothy is on heroin?)
Moreover, what are you worried is going to happen?? That people will hear this song, completely misinterpret the lyrics (as you obviously have) and then decide to go date rape someone?
Or maybe you’re worried about your children and what they will think when they hear it? Gee, maybe it’s the perfect teachable moment to actually sit down and have a conversation with your child about how men and women USED to be. Most notably, NOT offended by every stinking thing that crossed their path.
Yes, I agree, Rudolph gets bullied in the animated version of “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer.” Aaaaand?? Wasn’t that the point of the whole story??
It’s the ultimate story of redemption and turning the other cheek and doing what you gotta do in the face of adversity.
He was called a bunch of names by his peers but shook it off and guided Santa’s sleigh anyway–in the fog no less!
Is there a better or more stoic way to flip a red nosed middle finger at some jealous reindeer?
What if Rudolph was just offended and cried and sulked off and went to his room and that was the end of the story? A really stupid story, that’s what.
Last but not least, have you seen violent video games or watched modern TV or listened to modern radio?
And you’re still worried about a 74 year old Christmas song? Have you lost your mind!?
If you are still offended by these things, good. BE OFFENDED.
But please don’t imply that the rest of us lack morals or good judgement, especially when it comes to parenting.
If you want to raise your kids to be on the lookout and offended at every little thing that they might not understand or agree with, have at it.
Me and my kids will be watching Rudolph when it’s cold outside.
This so important to let soak in. We are all proud of how we serve, and most of serve well. But we serve in our comfort zones (Chief of sinners, though I be). When was the last time we pushed ourselves outside of where our comfort lies to help someone? This article hit me – People who need to hear the gospel and feel love, real love, don’t because we’re uncomfortable with what we have to do or where we have to go to love. Please read this and let it soak in… Greg
– By Anna Dimmel http://www.justajesusfollower.com
A while back I was asked by a group of pastor’s wives to go with them to strip clubs.
That sentence alone sounds strange. But hang with me.
At first I was a little hesitant. And not for reasons you might think.
I love people. Especially ones who are broken; it’s part of my purpose. But, given what I’ve walked through, I know how fragile hurting people can be.
And I know how insensitive the church can be.
And I was uneasy.
But, these weren’t just any pastors wives.
They had a vision.
One that longed to love on women that society had thrown aside.
It reminded me a lot of Jesus.
So, I jumped on it.
Their plan was to visit these clubs once a month to deliver a meal, gift baskets and confidential STD tests assistance. I joined them the first night and I’ll be honest, I had NO IDEA what to expect.
Now, I had my fair share of time (back in the day) in bars and such, but I’d never been to a strip club. I was totally unaware of what I was walking into.
We arrived and the bouncer ushered us back into the dressing room where we introduced ourselves and began distributing the gifts and food.
I was shocked by what I saw.
And I’ll tell you why:
I was raised to believe that no good comes from places like that. Which is probably true on many levels. (I wouldn’t suggest making it your go-to for date nights)
But, I was filled (as were many church kids) with fear about “places like that”. That “those people” were heathens and doing all kinds of sinful, shameful things.
Which, again, is true of strip clubs.
And bars.
And many other places.
Even churches.
But, these girls – these lovely, girls – were so…..normal.
As I talked with one in particular, she reminded me of any young mom I’d talk to in the school pick up line.
Minus the fact that she didn’t have much clothing on – I tried not to focus on that.
(Oh dear God, she’s talking about strippers in a Christian blog and talking about them being half naked. We should not EVEN be thinking such things! First, my sweet friend, it’s okay to laugh. Like seriously, it’s OKAY. The fact that 4 pastors wives and their pregnant friend even went into a strip club is kinda funny. If you’re going to love like Jesus, you’re going to find yourself in some pretty awkward situations. And if you don’t have a sense of humor, you’re toast. Like seriously. So, I give you full permission to go ahead and laugh at the mental picture) 🙂
They showed pictures of their children, talked of pregnancy (I was pregnant at the time) chatted about trying to get back in shape after having a baby, etc. It was SO NORMAL.
But, as we talked and I looked into their eyes, I saw women – young, broken women. Who had stories, probably much like mine or yours.
We didn’t stay long. They had a shift to work, and we didn’t want to overstay our welcome.
But, as we left, they thanked us.
More than once.
As I drove home, I totally fell apart in my car.
Not because I felt sorry for them. Not because I thought I was so much better than they were. Not because I pitied their circumstance.
I cried because my heart was broken.
One thing God continues to do in my heart, is humble it. Like over and over. Countless times, I think I’m going in to love on some lowly soul and then I walk out, completely undone because the condition of my own heart was exposed.
I wept in my car – realizing the way I had viewed women in that profession.
Because, people – that could have been me.
It could have been any of us.
Had my journey taken a few different turns, I very well could have been on the receiving end of that encounter.
Man. I WAS WRECKED.
I had my baby shortly after that visit and didn’t get to go back for the monthly visits to see the women.
But, I stayed in contact with one of the women organizing it and every so often, I ask her how it’s going.
They have been visiting them for a year now and received permission to leave a prayer box where the women could leave prayer requests.
The first few times they collected the box it had silly things written in it.
But they continued to leave it there.
Over the following weeks and months (as they continued to love on these women), the prayer requests got real.
Real situations
Real hurt
Real needs
Last time my friend and I got together, I asked about the strip clubs and this is what she said:
Her eyes always, always fill with tears when we talk about it because God is SO in love with these precious women.
She said, “The women are starting to reach out more. I’ve been texting with one and getting to connect with her a bit deeper”
We talked a bit more and she turned to me and said something that I am still rattled by.
“You know what one of them said to me last time?”
“What?”
“She said that she was so glad we come to visit them because we’re not like the other churches”
I said, “what did she mean by that?”
She said, “Apparently other churches send them hate mail. ALL THE TIME”
I’m sure my face turned three shades of white.
Complete shock and disbelief gripped me.
We both looked at eachother and about fell into a pool of tears right there.
People – church – WHAT ARE WE DOING?!
Did we forget (or do we just sing it songs) that Jesus was a friend of sinners, the outcast, the lonely?
Did we forget that it’s God’s kindness that leads us to love others?
That ALL OF OUR GOOD BIBLE LOVING STUFF are like filthy rags without love?
Jesus was UNAFRAID of walking in love to the least of the least.
Like the scum of the scum.
He walked right in, sat down and ate with the outcasts of society.
Gross, ugly messy people.
And the religious HATED HIM FOR IT.
A few years ago, I met with another pastor’s wife across the country who shared with me a similar ministry, although after months of developing relationships with the dancers, they asked the owners a crazy question.
They asked to hold a Bible study.
IN THE STRIP CLUB.
Just for the dancers.
Surprisingly, they were given a yes.
(Something about it building morale in the employees, but whatever. It was a surprising yes and they were thrilled)
So, they started leading a Bible study in the club.
But, something was missing.
And those serving knew it.
The women they were ministering to needed to be led by a man – not because these women were incapable, but because of the damaged, skewed image they had of men. They needed to see a man who was safe – they needed a man who loved like Jesus.
This woman’s husband (who was a pastor) stepped up and took on the challenge. And, for months the dancers wouldn’t even look him in the eye.
But he kept showing up….
Soon, one by one, the women met a divine love through this pastor’s humble, gentle leadership.
There was prayer.
Women found freedom.
And many went on to lead, healthy restored lives.
All because this group of women and this pastor were unafraid to go where God’s love was leading them.
I’m not suggesting that we all have this purpose.
I am not God.
What I AM saying to you is that if Jesus were here, walking among us, wouldn’t it be just like him to walk into the most un-religious place (strip club or whatever) and completely freak the religious folk out?
Just a thought.
He loved then.
He loves now.
But, he can only reach as far as you and I are willing to go.
Hugs,
Anna
By Elements Behavioral Healthposted on July 17, 2017
Are you a teenager or young adult in need of smartphone rehab? The answer appears to be “yes” for more than 30% of American and British teenagers who find it difficult to disconnect from their smartphones or other electronics.
In fact, technology
addiction treatment programs are becoming more readily available to help people whose
smartphone addictions, also known as “iPhone addictions, have taken over their lives, leading them to disengage from school, work, real social interaction and healthy activities like exercise and enjoyment of the outdoors.
Hooked on Your Smartphone
For people who are hooked on their smartphones or digital tablets, engaging on Snapchat and Instagram or other social media platforms and playing video games become their primary sources of social interaction and entertainment. Signs of a problem? When digital behavior becomes so obsessive that it interferes with life because the person finds it difficult to cease digital activities to join family at the dinner table or do things they would previously have enjoyed, such as going swimming, attending the cinema to see a movie or heading out to meet up with friends. When these signs appear, it is time to seek treatment for what is known as a behavioral process addiction.
Research Confirms That Smartphone Addiction Is Real
Researchers from the University of Maryland’s International Centre for Media and the Public Agenda and collaborating institutions conducted a
study titled “The World Unplugged,” for which college-student volunteers at 12 universities around the world were asked to spend 24 hours without access to computers, mobile phones, iPods, television, radio and even newspapers. The aim was to see if the so-called “Net Generation” of digitally connected teens and young adults would experience something akin to withdrawal symptoms when disconnected from the Internet, computer games and social networking.
The study findings revealed that when not allowed to check their texts or emails, or connect to digital technology in any way, participants developed withdrawal symptoms typically seen in people addicted to cigarettes or other substances. Many study participants said they felt like they were trying to kick a hard drug habit or going on a strict diet. This condition has been described by experts as Information Deprivation Disorder.
Other studies and surveys confirm that Information Deprivation Disorder, or technology addiction, causes neurological complications, psychological disturbances and social problems.
How Smartphone Addiction Is Like Cocaine Addiction
When a person uses the stimulant cocaine, it affects the central nervous system, including the brain. It stimulates neurotransmitter receptors in the brain’s reward center with a huge surge of dopamine — an organic feel-good chemical, or neurotransmitter. This release of dopamine is much more abundant than normal, giving the user a rapid rush of energy and sensation of pleasure that radiates through their nervous system. This rewarding pleasure leads them to desire more cocaine so they can sustain or repeat the sensation. The desire for more can lead to addiction in a relatively short time.
In a similar way, smartphones and other technological devices can become addictive because they activate this same neurological reflex: Whenever a person receives a timely response to a text or an Instagram post, they feel a surge of pleasure and reward — the neurotransmitter receptors in the brain’s reward center release dopamine and make them feel good. If they repeat this behavior — compulsively posting messages or sending texts and receiving the “reward” of instant responses — their dopamine levels rise even higher and their brains send the message that this is a good activity. They don’t want to stop, or find it increasingly difficult to tear themselves away from their digital world.
As with cocaine, continued overuse of digital technology can lead to
smartphone addiction. Treatment may be necessary to stop the compulsive, addictive behavior and regain a healthier lifestyle with a return to healthy activities.
Sources
New Study By Merrill Professor Finds Students Everywhere Addicted to Media. Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, 2011.
The Relationship between Mental Health and Addiction to Mobile Phones among University Students of Shahrekord, Iran. Nasim Hedayati, PhD, et al. Addiction Health, 2014.
Children as young as 13 attending ‘smartphone rehab’ as concerns grow over screen time. Katie Forster. The Independent, April 14, 2017.
Let me start off by saying there are so many more qualified people than me to dive deep into counseling youth who are deeply troubled (beyond normal, whatever normal is) by this tragedy and others of a similar nature.
Most of the following are words of help and understanding from Fred Rogers:
Look For The Helpers – “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”
In these cases, young people are inevitably going to ask, “why would God let something like this happen”? For me (Greg), the answer will be “I’m not sure as I’m not God, and can’t speak in his place, but let’s look at all of the qualified people God put in that place to be able to help those in need”. You see, God is faithful to those who need his help.
Even if we wanted to, it would be impossible to give our children all the reasons for such things as war, terrorists, abuse, murders, major fires, hurricanes, and earthquakes. If they ask questions, our best answer may be to ask them, “What do you think happened?” If the answer is “I don’t know,” then the simplest reply might be something like, “I’m sad about the news, and I’m worried. But I love you, and I’m here to care for you.”
If we don’t let children know it’s okay to feel sad and scared, they may think something is wrong with them when they do feel that way. They certainly don’t need to hear all the details of what’s making us sad or scared, but if we can help them accept their own feelings as natural and normal, their feelings will be much more manageable for them.
Angry feelings are part of being human, especially when we feel powerless. One of the most important messages we can give our children is, “It’s okay to be angry, but it’s not okay to hurt ourselves or others.” Besides giving children the right to their anger, we can help them find constructive things to do with their feelings. This way, we’ll be giving them useful tools that will serve them all their life, and help them to become the worlds’ future peacemakers — the world’s future “helpers.”
Here are some helpful hints on helping young people during tragedies like this:
- Do your best to keep the television off, or at least limit how much your child sees of any news event.
- Try to keep yourself calm. Your presence can help your child feel more secure.
- Give your child extra comfort and physical affection, like hugs or snuggling up together with a favorite book. Physical comfort goes a long way towards providing inner security. That closeness can nourish you, too.
- Try to keep regular routines as normal as possible. Children and adults count on their familiar pattern of everyday life.
- Plan something that you and your child enjoy doing together, like taking a walk, going on a picnic, having some quiet time, or doing something silly. It can help to know there are simple things in life that can help us feel better, in good times and in bad.
- Even if children don’t mention what they’ve seen or heard in the news, it can help to ask what they think has happened. If parents don’t bring up the subject, children can be left with their misinterpretations. You may be really surprised at how much your child has heard from others.
- Focus attention on the helpers, like the police, firemen, doctors, nurses, paramedics, and volunteers. It’s reassuring to know there are many caring people who are doing all they can to help others in this world.
- Let your child know if you’re making a donation, going to a town meeting, writing a letter or e-mail of support, or taking some other action. It can help children to know that adults take many different active roles and that we don’t give in to helplessness in times of worldwide crisis.
Most importantly, don’t neglect the power of prayer. Pray for God to give you words to speak. Pray with your children to hear God’s voice in the midst of tragedy. Give God thanks and praise for providing helpers.
-Greg
A Sunday talk on sex, drugs, drinking and dying with the frat boys
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Just an Emergency Physician at St. Vincent EM Physicians Inc., author, public speaker, but mostly a father and a husband
Most bowed their heads or held their hands across their mouths as I described how it would happen. I told them that they will awaken with the smell of shit filling their bedroom. The lights will probably be low and the shades pulled and, because they are just waking up, they might have trouble focusing their eyes, especially after a night of heavy partying.
“Damn it, Benny, did you fart or shit yourself?” they might yell out. “F.cking get out of here, you smell awful!”
Those are the words I told them that they might shout just before they flip on the lights or stumble out of bed and trip on the now blue and stiff body sporting a college T-shirt passed down from an older brother who graduated two years past.
Dead, waxy, with “rock-still” clouded eyes, you could never envision a stare so distant. You played pickup basketball yesterday at the campus rec center and Benny maybe hit one out of 10 threes. You blew him crap all day about it. Now, though, he is so still, laying among the pile of yet-to-be-washed clothes or wrapped up in a blanket on a piss-soaked IKEA futon delivered to him last week. You bought the TV and the coffee table. The top two drawers are yours.
“Think about it. Nobody gets up in the morning, brushes their teeth, combs their hair and says to themselves, ‘Today is the day I die,” I told them.
This was the second time I had given this talk — one I wish I could give to college students across the country as campuses now return to life. My son’s fraternity at Indiana University-Bloomington, a Big Ten school and my alma mater housed in limestone buildings in an impossibly picturesque college town, had invited me to sit in front of more than two dozen young men in the living room of their fraternity. It was the most beautiful of Sunday afternoons. They could have been doing anything else. They did not have to be here, but here they were.
So I walked them through it. I showed them how I would tell their mom and dad that they were dead and how mom would pull hunks of her hair out ‘til it bled and dad would punch the wall shattering a bone or two but not noticing, a river of snot pouring from his face. I described how his “brothers” from the frat would sit along the wall in the waiting room and sob. But, already, mom and dad would be blaming them for getting their kid drunk or stoned to the point puke bubbled up in his throat, then plugged his trachea, choking him just as surely as if they had taken their foot and crushed their child’s windpipe on their own.
“They will blame you for their child’s death until the day you die. Are you ready for that?” I asked.
They sat silent, not wanting to look up.
I spent a few minutes pretending to breathe like someone asleep under the influence of a large amount of alcohol or just a few sedatives but who was at real risk of aspirating vomit into their lungs, or choking on their own tongue as it falls to the back of their mouth. You could tell from the look on their faces they all knew someone who once breathed like that after passing out drunk and now they were wondering how close they might have come, how close.
I challenged them with how absolutely idiotic it was for them to think that, just because they had perhaps taken a first-aid class or read a what-to-do-with-a-drunk-friend primer on the internet they somehow now had the skill set to “monitor” a friend who passed out after the fifth vodka slammer.
“We use well-trained nurses, paramedics, sophisticated pulse oximetry and cardiac monitoring in our ER to assess these patients, not some pledge vying to become a ‘brother.’”
And they listened, and they listened intently. You could tell they wanted to know, and each one knew they needed to know.
“If you drink to the point that you do not have control of your faculties you are an idiot. If you encourage someone to get to that point you are an asshole and certainly no brother. Friends don’t do that. It takes one little mistake to ruin your life or someone else’s life forever.” The room stayed quiet for a bit, but you could tell they wanted to ask more questions.
“You guys have a chance to ask me anything you want. You’ve got an ER doc who practices in a level I trauma center and who is on the board of directors of a major metropolitan city crime lab standing right in front of you. What do you want to know?”
And the hands finally went up — I should have known better; you could tell they needed a bit of a break.
“What about Viagra, is it safe for people our age?” Nervous laughter erupted.
“Son, which part of erection lasting more than six hours don’t you understand?”
“Doc, that’s the whole point.”
“You’re 21 and in college. You have Tinder for God’s sake. If you can’t get an erection now, you’ve got a hell of a lot bigger problems than are fixable with Viagra. Besides, you know what we have to do for an erection lasting six hours? It’s called priapism and its treatment involves two large needles…” A collective groan of thirty men a few years removed from puberty filled the room.
“What about Red Bull?” another hand shot up.
“It’s just a boatload of caffeine; I’ve never understood mixing it with vodka. I guess if you like the taste, but what’s the point of mixing a stimulant and a sedative? Seems like a waste of good vodka to me, but I feel the same about Jack and Coke. It’s too easy to drink too much. Just…think about maybe not.”
“What about Ativan?”
“Mix it with alcohol of any kind and you got a decent chance of dying. Why do you need to pass out? What the hell are you doing with it anyway? That’s just stupid. If you are going to have a few drinks, then do that. If you are going to smoke some weed…well that’s one thing, but don’t fuck with prescription or non-prescription medications.”
“Can you tell us about cocaine”
“Yeah, use it once and you can die of a heart attack or have a stroke then you can spend the rest of your life in a nursing home with a feeding tube poking out of your stomach, in a diaper, limbs contracted, getting huge bed sores and urine infections. You are out of your f.cking mind if you use that. The same goes with heroin. You stand a good chance of dying or ending up brain damaged with even one single use. You guys need to kick out of your house anyone ever caught doing that shit. It’s horribly addictive, life-destroying garbage. I have never, ever met a person that was glad they started using it…even once. And you are now one degree of separation away from the worst criminal element on earth.”
“What about vaping.”
“It’s better than smoking.”
“What about Adderall?”
“It’s a stimulant too, it’s an amphetamine, you know like meth.”
“Yeah but nobody does that here…”
“Bullshit, pal.” I interrupted and snapped back. “This is the Midwest. Memphis has barbecue. We make meth. Besides you probably don’t have ADD; just try sleeping earlier, on occasion open a book and pay attention for a change.” More than a few snickered.
And we talked a bit about sexual assault and what they never, ever envisioned, and it became quiet again.
“Do you honestly think you would ever know or find out if one of your ‘brothers’ had been raped or sodomized? Do you honestly think that guys confide in anyone other than us in the ER that this has happened? You don’t think for one minute that if you follow some girl home and get passed-out drunk, some other guy or ex-boyfriend might not use your intoxicated state to seek revenge, humiliate you, soil your face, photograph you? You don’t think we see that?”
You could tell that it had never crossed their minds, but I’ve seen it.
And we talked more about women.
“You asked me here because you want to do the right thing; make the right choices. When it comes to women under the influence, don’t go there. Don’t sleep with them because no matter what, one of you may regret it and the reality is, they…will…not…believe…you. I don’t care if it was consensual. They will not believe you. Besides you all have moms or sisters that you respect. Me, I don’t have daughters, but if I did, I’d probably hate all you out of my own irrational fear as a father. If you are not absolutely sure she consents, then don’t have sex with her. It’s not worth it and it simply is not right. Be men, not animals.”
We talked some more, about other drugs and prevailing dangers of their time.
“I’m not here to preach about all the evils of sex, weed and alcohol to you. I’m not going to tell you to abstain, but just some food for thought. Studies clearly show though that your long-term earning potential will be less if you smoke weed on a regular basis. For that reason alone, I’d probably think twice, unless of course your lifelong dream is to always work for someone else. Weed typically doesn’t open doors in your life. Drink, but think about perhaps not getting drunk. Have sex, but have responsible sex based on mutual understanding and respect. If you have to think about whether or not it’s the right thing to do, then it’s the wrong thing to do. Doing the right thing is simply not that confusing. It may be hard to do, but it’s not that confusing.”
“I’m a parent,” I said, as I motioned to my child who seemed proud that I was there and I was proud that he asked me. “I want you to have a great college experience that helps prepare you for a long, healthy and happy future. We understand each other?” They nodded. “You can always call me or one of my partners, or go to any ER in America if you need help or are scared or confused or worried or lost. Don’t make me go into that quiet room, kneel in front of your mother and tell her you’re dead…please.” They all nodded one final time.
And I could tell, on this sunny Sunday afternoon, that they were listening and that what I said mattered to them and it gave me hope. It gave me hope.
Feedback at louermd@att.net is welcomed.
on April 25, 2016 at 10:52 am
Last week, we published U.S. consumption numbers in real-time, highlighting the speed at which physical goods and services are purchased.
Today, we enter into the digital realm to see what happens every minute on the internet. The statistics are mind-boggling and put in perspective how scalable platforms have taken over the world:
The above infographic shows how truly important the element of scale is to business today.
Google literally processes 2.4 million searches every minute. In that same span of time, 700,000 people login to Facebook and Amazon sells over $200,000 of physical and digital goods.
Platforms such as the ones listed above are comparable in magnitude to other mega-sized companies, but without the intense capital expenditures, debt, or hard costs. That’s why Alphabet, Google’s parent company, can spend over a billion dollars each year on “moonshots”, and why Facebook’s stock is up 35.6% over the last 52 weeks.
Here are the full stats on what happens every internet minute:
- 701,389 logins on Facebook
- 69,444 hours watched on Netflix
- 150 million emails sent
- 1,389 Uber rides
- 527,760 photos shared on Snapchat
- 51,000 app downloads on Apple’s App Store
- $203,596 in sales on Amazon.com
- 120+ new Linkedin accounts
- 347,222 tweets on Twitter
- 28,194 new posts to Instagram
- 38,052 hours of music listened to on Spotify
- 1.04 million vine loops
- 2.4 million search queries on Google
- 972,222 Tinder swipes
- 2.78 million video views on Youtube
- 20.8 million messages on WhatsApp
That’s a lot of data every minute, and this volume of information is part of the reason that these same companies are prioritizing the ability to process and interpret big data more than ever before.
Original graphic by: Excelacom
By Sam Townsend for Youthworks.com,
1. Mission Trips Bring Youth Groups Together.
If you’ve ever been on a weekend student retreat, you know how that experience can build community. Teenagers ride together, play together, eat together, stay up late together, get up tired together… “Together” is a powerful word. Think of “together” as glue – the more broadly it’s spread, the better a youth group will bond. Mission trips apply “together” to students’ sense of adventure, their desire serve, their relationship with God, their daily experiences, their broken comfort zones and much more (including these things below!).
2. Mission Trips Broaden Perspectives.
Teenagers might be more connected than ever with what’s happening around the world, but have they seen what it’s like to live below the poverty line in small-town America? Or experienced the energy and exhaustion of inner-city living? Or felt the heartbeat of Native America beaten across the taut surface of a drum? Pulling teenagers from their typical context helps them understand that the world is larger that their daily lives would have them believe. By beginning to understand another setting, their own context comes into truer focus.
3. Mission Trips Challenge Comfort Zones.
Beyond broadening perspectives, mission trips demand that teenagers participate. Painting a house, playing with kids, serving a meal, sleeping on an air mattress, experiencing a new culture – these are a few examples of ways comfort zones are crossed. But when coupled with intentional processing and worship, mission trips have the unique ability to challenge students’ comfortable perceptions of God and the world. Faith steps beyond the doors of the church and demands to be applied to real-world living.
4. Mission Trips Empower Students.
God is doing incredible work through the Church. The energy, authenticity, fresh perspective and passion teenagers bring are a vibrant part of that church. Done well, mission trips help students take ownership and initiative. Eyes are opened. Passions are ignited. Possibilities are exposed. Pursuits begin. Mission trips help teenagers see what they are capable of. But first, the Church chooses to believe in the incredible opportunity of being a teenager – not a possibility to be met “someday,” but a boiling potential just waiting to overflow.
5. Mission Trips Create Sacred Space.
The Israelites used to build monuments by throwing together big piles of rocks to point at later and say, “That signifies God’s faithfulness in our nation.” For many teenagers, mission trips represent a time and a place when God worked in and through their lives. More than a mere mountain-top high, these sacred spaces both anchor students in their faith and propel them forward in their relationship with God. Even in times of trouble, teenagers often point toward their mission trip experience and say, “That signifies God’s faithfulness in my life.”
From truthnotes.net Posted by Ruth Meyer
My parents forced me to eat three times a day growing up. No joke. Three times. Every. Single. Day. And it wasn’t always stuff I liked, either. Matter of fact, I complained a lot about what my mom made. “Ewww, gross! Sauteed zucchini? Seriously? Mom, you know we hate this stuff!” So as I approached adulthood I made an important decision. Since my parents forced me to eat while I was growing up, I decided I was done with meals. Oh, here and there I’ll eat out of obligation. I mean, family traditions like Thanksgiving and Christmas, yeah, I’m there. But daily eating? No way. I’m done.
Set in any other context, excuses people make for not going to church sound completely ridiculous. But set in the context of Christianity, people say these things in all seriousness while others nod sagely in somber agreement.
My son told me a few weeks into school that he didn’t like the teacher. He wasn’t getting excited enough about learning, and he didn’t really feel connected to the other kids in his class, so I told him he never had to go back to school again. Who wants to waste their time going somewhere where they aren’t being fulfilled?
We’ve never forced our daughter to stay off the road when playing. We don’t want to restrict her imagination. We allow her the freedom to make her own choices in life.
Okay, Ruth. Come on. That one was just ridiculous. No loving parent would ever say that. That’s a safety issue- a matter of life and death. Exactly. And that’s just my point.
Church isn’t a place you go to get pumped up about life. It isn’t entertainment like a movie or concert. It is literally a life and death matter. Eternal life. Just as a loving parent wouldn’t allow their child to wander in the road or to quit school, a loving Christian parent also does not give the option to their children about going to church, learning Bible stories at home, and praying together. Do your kids always jump for joy when they hear you say, “Time to get up! Let’s get ready for church!” No. They won’t. Do they get excited for school every morning? Hardly. But you still make them go. Why? Because you are the parent and you know what’s best. Even when they complain, you serve them healthful meals and limit their junk food intake. You set boundaries for their own safety when playing outside. You insist they go to school because you’re looking at the long term picture. And you are right to do those things. How much more so are you responsible for doing all you can to secure their eternal well being?
Yes, kids can be brought up in a loving Christian home and still turn away later. That’s on them. But you, parents, have a task of the utmost importance. God has placed these precious children into your homes for such a brief while. You have them with you for perhaps 1/5 of their lives. Set a strong foundation while they are under your roof. Take them to church. Make sure they understand that they are sinners and that Jesus is their Savior. They are never too young to learn this. My one-and-a-half year old sees a cross and excitedly shouts, “Jesus!” Don’t use the excuse that “they wouldn’t understand this.” Try them. I don’t understand it all myself, but I still believe. And you’d better believe that the Holy Spirit works in their hearts effectively. My children sometime amaze me with the insights they pick up during devotions or Bible readings. The strength of their faith often humbles me. Once when I was having a terrible day, my oldest asked, “Can I pray with you?” He was nine at the time. He knows there is power in prayer. He perceives that sometimes there’s nothing he can say that will make it better, so he’ll just go straight to the One who does have that power. Do my own kids complain about church? Yes. Do they tell me it’s boring? Sometimes, yes. They say the same things about school. But church and school are different environments for a reason. School is centered around learning and thus has its own schedule and structure. Church is a hospital for sinners. That would be all of us, mind you. You, me, the drug dealer a few streets away- all of us are sinners in need of a Savior. So what do we do at church? We confess our sins. Why do we do this at the start? To “wipe our feet” before entering God’s house, so to speak. Then we are assured of forgiveness. We hear God’s Word. We sing hymns proclaiming what Christ has done for us. We hear sermons where our pastors preach Christ. We don’t go to church to hear what we have to do to gain heaven. No, Christ did it all. 100%. We can’t do one thing to merit salvation for ourselves. That’s why we hear sermons about Jesus and not about us. We take the body and blood of Jesus in Holy Communion for the strength of our souls. And we depart refreshed to serve God by serving our families, friends, and neighbors in Christian love.
So parents, don’t give in to outside pressures telling you not to force your kids to go to church. Don’t give in to them, either, when they complain about it. Because at some point an amazing thing happens- that kid who complains about church grows up and takes his or her own kids to church every Sunday. Going back to my opening analogy, believe it or not, there came a point in my own life where I realized I actually liked sauteed zucchini (although I never would have admitted that to my mother). Keep at it, parents. Just as we need three meals a day for physical strength and nourishment, so do we need regular worship to refresh and strengthen our souls. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go make breakfast.
PHOTO IS BAYLEE BY ALLY MAURO
Here are 7 ways a husband injures a wife…without even knowing it:
From Ron Edmondson, Ronedmondson.com – http://goo.gl/Jo8QzJ
Cuts her out of the discussion – When you act as if she isn’t even there or wouldn’t understand what you’re talking about, she feels a part of her is detached. She sees the marriage as a partnership…in every part of life…even the parts she may never fully understand.
Fails to notice the difference she makes – A woman doesn’t want to be appreciated for only what she does. She wants you to appreciate who she is, but you can admit it – she does a lot. Whether it’s decorating the house or making sure the clothes are clean…or that you have your favorite soap…a woman wants to know what she does is valued by you.
Underestimates the small stuff – You only said “this” but it was “THIS” to her. And it hurts. You may even think it’s funny. She may even laugh. But it is often building a wall of protection around her heart each time you do. The key here is that you can’t talk to her like you might talk to another guy. She hears and feels deeper than you do. Words can and do hurt.
Speaks with curtness – When you talk down to her, as if she’s somehow less than you, you bruise her spirit. Deeply. And, you know she’s not less than you…you don’t even think she is…she just can’t tell that sometimes based on your tone and the way you talk to her.
Corrects her as she’s talking – This could be finishing her sentences or speaking for her in the company of others. She feels demeaned and devalued when you present her to others as if she can’t compete with you in original thought…which you know isn’t true. (My wife is much smarter than me.)
Acts suspicious – Don’t misunderstand or misapply this one. When you hide information, even when you think you’re protecting her, you cause her to question your motive. When you protect your calendar…or act like you are upset at the question “What did you do today?” or “What did you talk about?” or “Who was that?” when someone calls, it gives her an eerie feeling something is wrong. And, that hurts.
Admires other women over her – She sees you looking. She may even understand your highly visual make-up. It hurts her, however, when a glance becomes a stare…especially when it happens everywhere you go…all the time.
A wife’s heart, no matter how independent or strong she is, is tender in places. Lots of places. She can bruise easily in some areas of her life…especially the places that involve the people she loves the most…like you. A husband who understands this is more careful in how he speaks and responds to her.
Most husbands I know would never injure their wife knowingly. They want to be her protector. Men, when we don’t realize the damage we are doing to our wives emotions, we invalidate every desire we have to be her defender. I always like to use this thought as a reminder: Would I ever allow another man to speak to or treat my wife like I am doing? She’s a precious gift guys…let’s treat her well.
Here are 7 ways a wife injures her husband (without even knowing it):
From Ron Edmondson, ronedmondson.com – http://goo.gl/HokL36
Put him down in front of other people – Most men will not counter this type of humiliation in public…if ever. They will simply take it…and hurt. If they do eventually address it it will be out of stored up resentment…maybe anger…and it won’t be pretty.
Go behind him when he tries to do something at home – When you always show him how much better you can do things than he can do them, his ego is injured. When he fixes the bed…for example…and you follow behind him showing him the “correct way” immediately after he finishes, he is reminded he doesn’t measure up to your standards.
Constantly badger him – If he doesn’t do what you want him to do…and you remind him. Again. And, again…it never accomplishes what you think it will. In fact, it injures him with the opposite result.
Use the “you always” phrase…excessively – Because…he “always” does… Not really, but when you accuse him that he always does…sadly, it only helps build him into a man that always will.
Hold him responsible for your emotional well-being – Acting as if he’s the reason you feel bad today…and every other day you feel bad…puts undue pressure on him he doesn’t know what to do with. And, you don’t have to tell him. Subtly, just be in a bad mood towards him…without releasing him from guilt. He’ll take the hint…and own the responsibility. He will think it’s his fault even if it’s not. And, he caries that pain.
Complain about what you don’t have or get to do – He has a desire to fix things. He wants to be a provider. Every man does. Some attempt to live it out and some don’t. But, when he’s trying, doing the best he can, yet he feels he isn’t measuring up…he’s crushed. When you are always commenting on what other women have…that you don’t…he carries the blame…even if you’re not intending it to be his.
Don’t appreciate his efforts – Want to injure a man? Refuse to appreciate the things he feels he does well. It could be work, a hobby or a trait, but he feels part of his identity in the things he does. When you don’t find them as “valuable” as he does, his ego is bruised.
The reality is a man’s ego…self-confidence…sense of worth…is greatly tied to his wife. Just as a woman’s is to her husband. We can be fragile people. Some more than others. And, some seasons more than others. Understanding these issues and addressing them…with a third party if necessary…build healthier, stronger and happier people…and marriages.
I understand some women, especially the equally or more wounded women, are going to take offense to this post. I get that. I’m prepared for that…I think. All I can say is that you can’t measure my heart or my intention. As I said, I aim to help. You can’t address what you do not know. If you are guilty of any of these, the response is up to you. If not, well, thanks for reading to this point in the post anyway.
Greggornation 