Weekend Playlist: A Girl, A Boy and a Graveyard

I'm always on the lookout for artists to listen to. I discovered Jeremy Messersmith through my favorite TV show Chuck. The show always did a great job of picking music to fit the mood of the show. This song is no exception to that rule. It's also a good introduction to Jeremy Messersmith. Enjoy.

Daily Links 2-28-14

Your weekend roundup of links: cooking with Jane Austen, the cult of the visioneer, perfecting timekeeping, romantic Disney moments, why we sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the seventh inning stretch, and more.

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You love Jane Austen's novels. You also love to cook. This literary cookbook is just for you.

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When wading into the fashion wars with your kids it's best to tread lightly.

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Why Christians should engage with non-Christian art. Good food for thought.

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How often have you heard it said in a church that "God has given the pastor a specific vision and it's up to us to follow it"? That's a very dangerous line of thinking as Todd Pruitt explains. Background on this issue here.

Hat tip: Challies

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Another endorsement for The Gospel at Work. 

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How Omega has perfected the art of timekeeping.

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The most romantic moments in Disney movies.

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What you have to do first before you can agree or disagree with someone (from How to Read a Book).

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Why we sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the seventh inning stretch at baseball games. You can thank Harry Caray and Bill Veeck for this tradition.

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Do the math: there are plenty of reasons to order the bigger pizza.

Daily Links 2-27-14

In today's edition: why dads matter, fun food facts, solving a Toy Story mystery, and more.

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The Atlantic discovers that dads really do matter. The statistics are tough to ignore. Kids who grow up in families where both mom and dad are at home are likely to be more successful than kids that grow up in single parent homes.

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Raymond Chandler's timeless advice for writing a detective novel. 

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Just for fun: a steampunk TARDIS and Dalek.

via Neatorama

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Unraveling the mystery surrounding the identity of Andy's mom in Toy Story.

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[Source: Today I Found Out]

Daily Links 2-26-14

In today's post: a father's advice to his daughter, Opening Day should be a national holiday, how to choose a college major, and more.

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A dad of three has some wise words for his daughters about truth and beauty. (Hat tip: Acculturated)

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14 fun facts you may not know about The Brady Bunch.

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Dave Barry has launched a campaign for men to reclaim their manly skills. While this is funny it's a little serious at the same time.

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Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith has launched an online petition to have Opening Day declared a national holiday. That is a brilliant idea.

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Reflections on the Gettysburg Address:

Lincoln made three great points. He reminded us who we had resolved to be at our founding, invoking the ideals that fostered our revolution. He then mourned with all Americans that the cost of preserving the union that cherished these ideals had been so great. He concluded it was the task of the living to honor the dead by a renewed and continuing devotion to “the new birth of freedom” they had given their lives for. It was as though he was saying, “We must get it right, and never cease trying. What has happened here must never be repeated.”

And so we must keep faith with the compact that Lincoln invoked on a battlefield in Pennsylvania. We must keep the memory of that event and what emerged from it alive and ever present to our minds.

“In the midst of the continual movement that agitates a democratic community,” Alexis de Tocqueville once wrote, “the tie that unites one generation to another is relaxed or broken. . . .” This is a great danger, and surely one that Lincoln recognized in the context of the lessons of Gettysburg.

How do we strengthen the ties that bind? We can do it by reading Lincoln’s words. Sometimes, we can also do it by acting on them.

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Is it worth the money to go to college? Part of the answer to that question lies in what a student decides upon as a major. Here's a handy cost benefit guide to help a student select their major.

Daily Links 2-25-14

In today's post: the Christian leader in the digital age, smartphones are making us tired and unproductive, food brands named after real people, and more.

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The Christian Leader in the Digital Age:

The Digital Age is upon us. In the span of less than three decades, we have redefined the way humans communicate, entertain, inform, research, create, and connect – and what we know now is only a hint of what is to come. But the greatest concern of the church is not a technological imperative, but a Gospel imperative.

The digital world did not exist a generation ago, and now it is a fundamental fact of life. The world spawned by the personal computer, the Internet, social media, and the smart phone now constitutes the greatest arena of public discussion and debate the world has ever known.

Leaders who talk about the real world as opposed to the digital world are making a mistake, a category error. While we are right to prioritize real face-to-face conversations and to find comfort and grounding in stable authorities like the printed book, the digital world is itself a real world, just real in a different way. 

Real communication is happening in the digital world, on the Web, and on the smart phone in your pocket. Real information is being shared and globally disseminated, faster than ever before. Real conversations are taking place, through voice, words and images, connecting people and conversations all over the world. 

If the leader is not leading in the digital world, his leadership is, by definition, limited to those who also ignore or neglect that world, and that population is shrinking every minute. The clock is ticking.

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21 English words we need to get rid of. It's surprising to me how many of these words are commonly used.

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For all their advantages, smartphones don't seem to be making us more productive. Quite the opposite:

For a productive day at work tomorrow, give the smartphone a rest tonight. 

Reading and sending work email on a smartphone late into the evening doesn’t just make it harder to get a decent night’s sleep. New research findings show it also exhausts workers by morning and leaves them disengaged by the next afternoon. 

That means the way most knowledge workers do their jobs—monitoring their iPhones for notes from the boss long after the office day is done and responding to colleagues at all hours—ultimately makes them less effective, posit researchers from University of Florida, Michigan State University and University of Washington.

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A handy infographic on why readers prefer print books to e-books.

via EBookFriendly.

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Real or Fake: The Names Behind 12 Famous Food Brands. I was pleasantly surprised at how many of these were real.

Daily Links 2-24-14

Here are a few links to help get your week off to the right start. In today's edition: Calvinism is popular but not sexy, a lesson in work ethics, who can baptize, and more.

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"Calvinism is not sexy". An interesting observation on the rise of Calvinism in popularity among churches:

I feel like I am fairly well connected and have a decent read on what is happening today. And when I poke around blogs, twitter, books and sermons I think I see something disturbing happening. Let’s remember our context. In the contemporary church history calendar this chapter of Calvinism’s Resurgence was being foreshadowed during the previous chapter. You remember that chapter don’t you? It was the time of pragmatic, seeker-sensitive, church-growth ecclesiology. It is still here today but not as much as in our previous chapter. My read is that some (many) people have jumped on the Calvinism bandwagon because it is popular rather than because they believe it is necessarily biblical. In other words, they seem to be “on the team” based on pragmatism not theology. How else can you explain career pastoral pragmatists sporting their “Jonathan Edwards is my Homeboy” t-shirts? Yes Calvinism is indeed strangely popular today.

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Timeless advice from C. H. Spurgeon on how to read the Bible.

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Lessons in work ethics from Mike Rowe.

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One of my favorite cities is Chicago. Here's a fun list of 25 facts you probably didn't know about the city.

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This is an issue I hadn't given much thought: who can baptize? Usually the question is who can be baptized but I found this article interesting. (Hat tip: Aaron Armstrong)

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Some fun facts you may not know about Mel Brooks.

Weekend Playlist - Let's Fall in Love

Time for another selection from one of my favorite singers, Diana Krall, for this weekend's playlist. Here's another great standard Let's Fall in Love. If you're unfamiliar with her work, this is a great introduction. Enjoy.

Daily Links 2-21-14

A roundup of links for your weekend reading: things Christians should remember about depression, love lessons from Taylor Swift (!), rumor of the day, and more.

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5 Things Christians Should Know About Depression and Anxiety. The problem that we face is that both are easily misunderstood. This is a good example of things that we need to keep in mind when trying to help people that are dealing with these issues.

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The 13 Most Influential Candy Bars of All Time. Who knew that candy was so important? (Hat tip: Mental Floss)

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Love Lessons From Taylor Swift. Or, more appropriately, what not to do in relationships.

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One Great Question to Ask a Friend. This is a terrific post.

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Did you know the Army has a hidden treasure trove of artifacts? Take a photographic tour of one of the most secret archives in existence. (Hat tip: Neatorama)

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Rumor of the day: Pushing Daisies may become a Broadway musical. I'd be on board with this idea.

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This is disturbing: a church is being accused of "emotionally manipulating" folks into "spontaneous baptism". Definitely not good. (Hat tip: Free Republic)

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The late Roger Ebert explains the essential elements of film noir.

Daily Links 2-19-14

In today's edition: how to work smarter not harder, a closer look at one of the most popular worship songs, deleting your way to productivity, and more.

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It's often said you should work smarter, not harder. Here are five unusual ways to do just that.

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This was an interesting profile of Bill Murray. The most striking thing is that he had no plan to become an actor. Yet there is no doubt he's one of the best out there.

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A pizza restaurant owner is making sure that folks in need are getting a good meal:

He was once homeless in Detroit. But now a man in Des Moines, Iowa is using his newly opened pizzeria to give back to those who are struggling. 

On Monday nights, Derrick Walton closes the doors to his restaurant,Chef D's Rock Power Pizza, to the general public and opens it to those who are in need of a hot meal. And it's not just a piece of pizza, but a full dinner with a protein, starch, vegetable and dessert. He wants those who are hungry and in need to leave with a full stomach. 

Walton says it's part of a promise he made himself, that if he ever was able, he'd give back.

"I want to keep this going every Monday. This is not just once a month, this is every Monday," says Walton.

This is a very cool idea.

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One of the most popular songs being sung in church is Matt Redman's "10,000 Reasons". There's plenty of reasons why it is so popular. Trevin Wax takes a closer look at the song and what it means.

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Why you never truly finish a book. This is good insight on what books mean to us.

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Deleting your way to productivity. Some good tips in this article about getting rid of things that hinder you from getting things done.

Daily Links 2-18-14

In today's edition: missing the point of Let It Go, the real Monuments Men, World War II propaganda, you will never be ready for marriage, and more.

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Let It Go is the wildly popular song from Disney's Frozen. Trevin Wax wonders (correctly) whether we are missing the point of the song.

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A preview for the movie Unbroken. It looks really good. If you haven't read the book you really should.

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15 helpful uses for vinegar. It has all kinds of uses I never would have thought of.

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The story of the real Monuments Men. Needless to say it's a lot different from the Hollywood version.

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Private Snafu - World War II propaganda cartoons created by Dr. Seuss, Mel Blanc and Frank Capra.

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You will never be ready for marriage. I certainly wasn't.

If there’s one thing about life that I wish everyone would consider — particularly my peers, and those younger than me — it’s that you’ll never do the big things if you’re waiting until you’re ready to do them.

You’ll never be ready.

You. Will. Never. Be. Ready.

You can’t possibly understand the reality of marriage — the joy, the commitment, the love, the anger, the pain, the hope, the fulfillment, the excitements, the banalities, the journey, the sacrifices, the rewards, the journey — until you’re in it. Same can be said for parenthood, only more so.

How many people have been scared away from the altar because of this phantom notion of “readiness”? How many marriages destroyed because, confused and struggling, one or both partners suddenly decided that they were “never ready” to be married?

Look, I wouldn’t presume to give marital “advice.” In my life I’ve met a few people really qualified for that job, and I’m not one of them. But I come across this “divorce is high because people aren’t ready for marriage” shtick quite a bit. Predictably, it’s mostly unmarried folks who say these things. And it only results in more and more people my age hesitating to break out of the cocoon of adolescence and get going with their lives.

We commonly view living together as a logical step before marriage, but it isn’t. It’s something some people do, but it isn’t a step to marriage. Your marriage is defined by the commitment you make to the other person — not by the bathroom or mortgage you share. Living with someone is not a “warm up” for marriage or a “try out” period, precisely because it lacks the essential, definitive characteristic of that permanent commitment. You can’t comfortably transition into an eternal vow. You make it, and then it’s made.

Period.

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Why writers make the worst procrastinators.

Daily Links 2-17-14

Good morning. Here is an assortment of links to start your week off on the right foot. In today's edition: bringing chivalry back, how to stop procrastinating, considering New Calvinism, and more.

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8 acts of chivalry to bring back. This is some good advice and it surprises me how little these types of things are put to practice. Men need to learn how to behave like gentlemen. I guarantee that women will thank us for it.

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Why Charles M. Schulz's comic strip was called Peanuts. The fascinating thing is that Schulz did not come up with the name and never really liked it.

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This is a book that looks interesting: The New Calvinism Considered.

They call it the New Calvinism. It is a relatively new movement that has discovered some old theology and brought it into the mainstream. It is a movement titled after its theology, but one formed around its leaders—it can hardly be discussed without reference to John Piper and Al Mohler and Matt Chandler and so many others. It is a fascinating movement that encompasses myself and so many others. 

The New Calvinism is the subject of Jeremy Walker’s new book The New Calvinism Considered: A Personal and Pastoral Assessment. Behind that rather austere title is a very accessible book that does exactly what the title claims: it shines a spotlight on this theological movement and considers where it has come from, what it has accomplished and where it may be going in the future.

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11 features no longer seen in cars. I can still remember when some of those things were available (not telling which ones since that would date me).

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How to use the two minute rule to stop procrastinating and get things done. My problem is finding things I can accomplish in two minutes.

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Weekend Playlist - A Living Prayer

I'm not a big country music fan but there are a few bands that do capture my attention. One group I listen to often is Alison Krauss and Union Station. I don't there is a more talented group of musicians working together today.

Every once in a while, they will delve into songs that have definite Christian themes and today's selection is no exception. In fact, it's a terrific song. Enjoy.

Daily Links 2-14-14

Here are a few links for your weekend reading enjoyment. In this edition: the great animation renaissance, some fascinating history about Abraham Lincoln, a Christian in Hollywood, and more.

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The greatest renaissance in Disney animation is due to a group of CalArts students who attended the school in the 1970s. This is their story.

It was a staggering number. In November 2012, the  Los Angeles Times reported that directors who had been students in the California Institute of the Arts’ animation programs had generated more than $26 billion at the box office since 1985, breathing new life into the art of animation. The list of their record-breaking and award-winning films—which include  The Brave Little Toaster, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Toy Story, Pocahontas, Cars, A Bug’s Life, The Incredibles, Corpse Bride, Ratatouille, Coraline—is remarkable. Even more remarkable was that so many of the animators not only went to the same school but were students together, in the now storied CalArts classes of the 1970s. Their journey begins, and ends, with the Walt Disney Studios. As director and writer Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) observes, “People think it was the businessmen, the suits, who turned Disney Animation around. But it was the new generation of animators, mostly from CalArts. They were the ones who saved Disney.”

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Seven challenges of activity-driven churches. There is definitely a downside to having too many things going on at church.

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Houses sure to please any book lover as they are built out of books.

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This is an interesting bit of history. Months before President Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed he was almost shot and killed. 

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Kevin DeYoung offers some guidance to sports writers with some interesting results.

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Is it possible to be an actor and remain a faithful Christian? Yes, but it's not easy.

Daily Links 2-12-14

In today's edition: looking away from worthless things, happiness and marriage, an uncommon brotherhood, and more.

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Looking away from worthless things:

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about Psalm 119:37: "Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in your way." 

God asks us to meditate upon things that are true, right, noble, pure, excellent, lovely and praise-worthy (Phil 4:8).  But in today’s modern world, it is all too easy it is to fill our minds with frivolous, meaningless, worldly distractions even if we aren’t trying to.  The moment we walk into a restaurant, mall, or grocery store, our senses are typically bombarded with worldly images, sensuality, and pop-culture icons.  Even if we don’t willingly participate in these things - the sights, sounds, and worldly messages we encounter can easily clutter our minds and undermine our ability to be solely focused on Jesus Christ. 

I have learned firsthand that it’s not enough for me to merely “disagree” or “disapprove” of the worldly images and messages that seek to assault my senses, but to proactively turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things, as Psalm 119 prescribes.  I may shake my head and say “Tsk, tsk!” while studying a magazine cover that celebrates impurity or watching raunchy images float across a television screen.  But this does not protect my mind from the damaging effects of those things.  And while it’s not possible to walk around blindfolded, I do have the ability to look away as soon as I encounter an image or message that is opposite of God’s Truth. 

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Innovation alert: 7 simple improvements that perfected everyday products. These are really neat.

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"Happiness is the result of a healthy marriage. It is not the reason for marriage."

The point of marriage isn’t to find our missing half. It’s to help each other become all God intended. Our future, real selves. In marriage, two people partner to that end. They see the best in each other—the person God created them to be—and they push and pull each other toward that goal. 

Don’t get married because you think he or she is “the one.” Trust me, they’re not. There’s no such thing! But do get married when you see who God is making somebody to be, and it lights you up. When you want to be a part of that story of transformation, that journey to the future. When you are well aware it will be a long and bumpy ride, but you don’t want to miss one mile. Because you believe in God’s calling on them, and you want in. 

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Always treat your girlfriend right: A World War II case study. Some food for thought in how we treat each other in relationships.

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An Uncommon Brotherhood. The true story of the Four Chaplains - men of different faiths who came together in a time of crisis to provide comfort to those in need.

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Why preach through books of the Bible?

I had a conversation with a minister friend who had been involved in discussing what pastors were preaching in their churches. While most seemed to agree that exposition of the biblical text must have priority in the church, few thought it wise to preach consecutively through books of the Bible—particularly with series that extended beyond twelve weeks. I understand the challenge of longer series but also see the value in the long run. The forty-four sermons that I preached through Ephesians in 1990–91, literally transformed my life, theology, and congregation. Eight or ten sermons would not have sufficed to uproot faulty theology and set us on a right course. The fifty-two sermons in Hebrews in 2000–01, sharpened our understanding of the gospel and its application to the whole of life.

Hat tip: Aaron Armstrong

Daily Links 2-11-14

In today's edition: the myself I was yesterday, what Al Mohler and Jay-Z have in common, the most significant spiritual decision, and more.

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What Al Mohler and Jay-Z have in common. You might think not much but they do share one common trait:

Dr. Al Mohler is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His interests appear to include: reading, classical music, ties, and world affairs.  

Jay-Z is one of the most prolific rappers of the last decade.  Jay is known for his platinum albums, flashy lyrics, Illuminati allegations, and being a hip-hop mogul. 

Yet, these two men share a common skill.  Although these men have pursued radically different goals, and have vastly different worldviews, these men have the unique ability to raise up leaders. They both share a reputation for identifying promising talent and then putting time, energy, and resources into developing these future leaders with the hope that one day they will go on to do great things. 

Be sure to read the whole thing.

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Timeless time management lessons from Winston Churchill. I'm finding it more and more effective to apply just these sorts of lessons and not allow myself be distracted by the sheer number of things that I have to do.

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Our most significant spiritual decision. We made a similar decision sixteen years ago when our second daughter was born. Although we weren't in the same position as this couple I can heartily agree this was one of the best decisions we ever made.

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A collection of 12 essential quotes from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Related: if you haven't read Eric Metaxas' excellent biography Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy you should.

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The Myself I Was Yesterday - Tim Challies on men and friendship:

In my adult life I have been blessed with some dear and intimate friends. I have come to depend on them in some way, to rely on their counsel, to covet their prayers, to savor the times we spend together, to miss them when we are apart—in short, to love them, and to enjoy the very things I was told I should not enjoy.

But it has not come easily. It has taken a commitment from them to push past my defenses and it has taken effort from me to see that this is okay. It has required fighting against the tide, so to speak, bringing truth to bear against old errors. And biblical truth really does counter than ugly nonsense that claims that men shouldn’t have close friendships, that they should not be committed to one another, that they should never say, “I love you.” 

But I have found, and am finding, that friendship is worth the fight. It is worth the fight in finding men with whom I genuinely enjoy spending time and with whom I love to share experiences, but even more, it is worth the fight in finding men who will make me a better man.

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Some helpful tips for taking control of your e-mail inbox. If you're like me, e-mail can be overwhelming. But applying these tips will help you take control of it rather than it controlling you.

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This is a startup I could support: you design your own guitar and they will build it for you.

Daily Links 2-10-14

Good morning. Here's a collection of links to start your week off right. In today's edition: is Pinterest like porn, must-see bookstores, why go to church, and more.

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Here's an amazing collection of bookstores that are must-see destinations for book lovers. (Hat tip: Book Riot). I could easily see planning a number of trips around being able to visit these stores.

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Two Men Who Marked My Life is a great testimony of two older men who intentionally invested themselves into the life of a younger man. I have been blessed by knowing a handful of such men and hope that one day I might have the opportunity to do the same for someone else. (Hat tip: Challies)

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Over at Acculturated, Chelsea Samelson asks Is Pinterest Like Porn (For Women)? Some very interesting insight into the appeal of one of the hottest social media sites around. I would be curious to hear what other women in particular think about this article.

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Over the course of one's Christian walk there are inevitably going to be some seasons of spiritual dryness. How do  you work through those times in the desert? Here are a few simple suggestions. 

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Why we should be involved in church. As someone who has struggled periodically with finding the right church I can say that it's much  more difficult being without a church than being in church.

Related: Why I still go to church.

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9 lessons in entrepreneurship from Shark Tank. I don't get to see this show often but when I do I have really enjoyed it. If you are thinking of starting your own business it's a good show to watch as there is much to learn.

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Baseball will be back soon (but not soon enough). Here's a handy guide to Opening Day for every team in the Major  Leagues.

Weekend Playlist: Bewitched, Bothered and, Bewildered

When I think of Boz Scaggs jazz singer is not the first thing that leaps to mind. I'm more likely to recall his hits from the late 70s such as Lowdown and Lido Shuffle. But in 2003, he recorded an album of jazz standards entitled But Beautiful that debuted at #1 on the jazz charts upon its release. Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered is a Rodgers and Hart tune from Pal Joey. Click below to hear how Boz Scaggs proves himself more than capable of handling one of the great show tunes.

Daily Links 2-7-14

Good morning! Here are a few links to start off your weekend: debating creationism, time to stop Facebook lurking, the importance of writing letters by hand, and more.

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Earlier this week, the Creation Museum hosted a debate between co-founder Ken Ham and Bill Nye. In case you missed the debate, here's a great recap from Dr. Albert Mohler on what was discussed.

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It's time to stop Facebook lurking:

For all of the good it’s done in connecting us all, Facebook has redefined the way we think about community in a singular way: It’s turned us into a culture of lurkers.

Where actual community requires that its members compromise and meet certain social requirements (like listening, interacting, being in relationship), Facebook allows users to join a community on their own terms. With its filters, search tools and editing powers, it’s turned community into a product that can be customized by its customers. 

We see, react and share only what we choose to. And, there’s nothing preventing us from standing on the sidelines and just lurking into lives we’re not involved in. 

Real community is predicated on two-way communication: The delivery of information and feedback. Though social media applications like Facebook have plenty of tools that enable back-and-forth discussion, scanning a newsfeed and checking out profiles turns community into a consumer experience: It distills conversations into one-way updates, that are filtered into easy-to-consume streams.

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This week also saw the conclusion of series three of the popular BBC program Sherlock. Here's why we love the show so much. After the final episode concluded, I was left wanting to see more. That's what good television will do.

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Tim Challies on the new book The Gospel at Work:

The Gospel at Work is a new book from Greg Gilbert and Sebastian Traeger and its big idea is this: You work for the king, and this changes everything. No matter what you do, your work has value because you are doing it for the Lord and who you work for is far more important than the details of what you do. This means that there is no such thing as a meaningless job and no such thing as a job that is insignificant. 

Much of the book is structured around two of the ways that we can allow our work to become sinful. Each represents an extreme. For some the temptation is idleness at work while for others the temptation is idolatry of work. Some hope to find their significance and worth in the work they do so that work becomes “the primary object of our passions, our energy, and our love. We end up worshiping our job.” But then others “can slip into being idle in our work. When we fail to see God’s purposes in our work, we don’t really care much about it. We fail to give any attention to it, or we despise it and generally neglect our responsibility to serve as if we are serving the Lord.” And, sadly, both of these extremes are celebrated in our culture. 

The challenge of The Gospel at Work is to avoid those extremes, and the way to do that is to work out the implications of the gospel in what you do.“ If you are a Christian, we want to challenge you to begin connecting the reality of what God has done for you in Christ to your job, thinking carefully about how this applies to and changes the way you think about your work.”

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Brett McKay (from The Art of Manliness) on the importance of writing letters by hand:

In our hyper-connected world, with its text messaging and its Facebooking and its Twittering, the good, old-fashioned handwritten letter has nearly become extinct. Which is a shame because when it comes to sharing one’s true thoughts, sincere sympathies, ardent love, and deepest gratitude, words traveling along the invisible digital superhighway will never suffice. Why?

Because sending a letter is the next best thing to showing up personally at someone’s door. Ink from your pen touches the stationery, your fingers touch the paper, your saliva seals the envelope. Something tangible from your world travels through machines and hands, and deposits itself in another’s mailbox. The recipient handles the paper that you handled and they see your personality and individuality conveyed in your handwriting. 

So what keeps folks from taking advantage of the marvels of letter writing? Laziness, primarily. But I also think there’s an intimidation factor in play. Thanks to Ken Burns documentaries in which talented voice actors read eloquent 19th century correspondences, a misguided belief has formed that if you’re going to write a letter by hand, it needs to be filled with ponderous gravitas. Both roadblocks can be eliminated with a bit of preparation and education.

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Six ways to salvage an unproductive day. I've had my fair share of those.

Daily Links 2-6-14

In today's links: was a Christian film a victim of bias, how to become a professional author, how Christians should engage culture without falling into the fundamentalist trap, and more.

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I previously noted that Alone Yet Not Alone was honored with an Oscar nomination for best song. But not long after the film was honored the Academy decided to rescind the nomination based on the efforts by the song's producer to lobby Academy members for votes. But his behavior does not seem to be all that different from many other producers. This begs the question whether the film was really victim of some anti-Christian bias in Hollywood.

Related: the producer of Schindler's List says the Oscars are bigoted. Perhaps there is something there after all.

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There's been an ongoing discussion in evangelical circles about how to properly engage the culture and how much we can safely engage before running the risk of sin. Now, Aaron Earls weighs in with some further observations as well as a word of caution for all concerned.

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A good read from Relevant Magazine: the most damaging attitude in our churches.

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Seven ways to judge the effectiveness of your church. Notice that none of these are how many people show up for Sunday morning services.

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Some advice on becoming a professional author from Dave Barry. Hilarious.

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Loads of surprises to be found in these special edition LEGO sets. Fun stuff.

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Daily Links 2-5-14

In today's post: the value of a church having multiple pastors, Teddy Roosevelt's rules for reading, some thoughts on Gimmie Shelter, and more.

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Thom Rainer makes some excellent observations on the value of a church having more than one teaching pastor. I have been fortunate to be part of a couple of churches that had more than one teaching pastor and I can affirm everything Rainer writes in this article.

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For baseball fans, a rare color photo of Ty Cobb. Spring training starts next week. We don't have too much longer to wait.

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Teddy Roosevelt's ten rules for reading. These are some interesting guidelines to follow when selecting books to read.

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Gimmie Shelter explores the world of young women who are getting pregnant, end up on welfare, and those who seek to minister to them. It seems like unusual subject matter for a major Hollywood film. (Hat tip: Re: News)

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Is religion losing ground to sports?

While teams and fans are building powerful, cohesive communities — think Red Sox Nation or the legions of University of Alabama faithful who greet one another with “Roll Tide” — churches are losing followers. According to a 2012 survey by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley and Duke University, 20 percent of Americans “claimed they had no religious preference,” compared with an unaffiliated population of 8 percent in 1990. Roughly two out of three Americans, a 2012 Pew report noted, are under the impression that religion is losing influence in the country. 

Sports are on the opposite trajectory. Fifty years ago, just three in 10 Americans considered themselves sports fans. By 2012, that proportion exceeded six in 10. Tens of millions of U.S. viewers tuned in to regular-season National Football League games last fall, with the most popular match-ups attracting upwards of 30 million viewers. Nearly 3 million people watched the National Basketball Association’s Christmas Day games. And for devotees of these and other sports, lifelong loyalty to a certain city and team is de rigueur. “Once you choose a team,” sports commentator Bill Simmons says, “you’re stuck with that team for the rest of  your life."

Simmons was half-kidding, but sports are clearly attracting strong adherents as religion is shedding them. This raises the question: Are Americans shifting their spiritual allegiances away from praying places and toward playing places? 

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A free online study on learning leadership from film.

Daily Links 2-4-14

In today's post: work that makes a difference, an astronaut's guide to life,

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Tim Challies on the meaning of work:

Here’s the thing I had to see, and the thing I still need to call to mind: Work is not significant only when it utilizes my full capacity or full capabilities. Work is not significant only when it offers unusual challenge or special opportunity. Work is not significant only when it is measurable in dollars and cents or praise and compliments. Work has intrinsic significance because it gives me the opportunity to do something with joy—with joy in the Lord. I can do my work in such a way that it glorifies God, or I can do it in such a way that it dishonors him. Anything I can do to God’s glory has significance. It has great significance! 

How do I do my work to the glory of God? I embrace that task, no matter how menial or insignificant it may seem. I do it when I’m told to do it, I do it to completion, and I do it with joy. When I do it this way, I am glorifying God.

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Astronaut Chris Hadfield on success:

If you view crossing the finish line as the measure of your life, you’re setting yourself up for a personal disaster. … Commanding a spaceship or doing a spacewalk is a very rare, singular moment-in-time event in the continuum of life. You need to honor the highs and the peaks in the moments — you need to prepare your life for them — but recognize the fact that the preparation for those moments is  your life and, in fact, that’s the richness of your life. … The challenge that we set for each other, and the way that we shape ourselves to rise to that challenge, is life.

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How to deal with the dreaded "to be read" (TBR) list:

What we do, I think, is throw away the lists. Delete the anxiety-inducing, peer pressure-based apps. Break up with the social networks and the reading challenges and the book clubs we like attending because the people are great even though we never finish the books. We kick prescriptive reading plans to the curb. We remind ourselves that there are no “shoulds” in the reading life, that there are myriad reasons for reading, and that we can read whatever we want, whenever we want, for whatever reason floats our bookish boats. We are not beholden to the list of hundreds or thousands of want-to-read titles we’ve been tracking for years.

We are not the same people we were when we began those lists, and it is not only okay but actually good for us to do some culling. If your TBR list has become a source of stress, get rid of it. If that pile of unread books in your home gives you guilt rather than anticipatory pleasure, spread those suckers out on the floor and yank out the ones you’re no longer interested in. If you really wanted to read that book you’ve had sitting around for a decade, you’d have done it by now. So what that you spent fifteen bucks on it back in the day? Donate it to a shelter or charity, and give yourself the gift of reading freedom. If buying books makes you feel committed, try your library or an ebook subscription service. You’re not going to get a better seat in heaven or earn imaginary reader brownie points or get any recognition or reward at all for making yourself read a book you felt obligated to. You’re just going to lose time you could have spent reading something you would have gotten more out of.

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The amazing story of the woman who survived three ship accidents including the sinking of the Titanic.

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13 Sleeping Beauty facts in honor of the film's 55th anniversary. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Sleeping Beauty was not a darling at the time. Critics thought the movie moved slowly and lacked character development. 

Sleeping Beauty was such a box office bomb (at least, compared to the cost of production) that the company decided that princess movies weren’t exactly the wave of the future. They didn’t make another princess movie until 30 years later, when The Little Mermaid was released in 1989.

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Ethical concerns and the Oscars. Which begs the question of how you deal with the art of people who are despicable.

Daily Links 2-3-14

Good morning. Here is an assortment of links to start off your day: the shortest Bible commentaries, men and food, the case for early marriage, and more.

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This is interesting: commentaries on each book of the Bible limited to 140 characters or less.

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A list of ten television shows that changed the world. Interestingly, all these shows appeared before the advent of cable television which ultimately fractured audiences with its myriad of channel choices. Television does not appear to have the same power to influence our culture that it once did.

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How food helps guys bond:

The reason that “dude food” – and I would add “dude drinks” – have become so important to so many dudes is that they represent something that is solely theirs. It’s exclusive. And it’s overwhelmingly other dudes who enjoy these specific things (or at least, only in the quantity and consistency we would like to enjoy them). If we can’t have smoke-filled cigar lounges, we will have brisket-clogged arteries. 

Now, I’m not attempting to defend all of the over-indulgence that goes on. I am first on the list of dudes who need to show more discretion when it comes to what I consume. But there is something special (and important) about “breaking bread” with other male friends. And when the places for this to happen dry up, when the institutions that previously cultivated male camaraderie in relatively safe environments disappear, we will find means and modes to cut loose in such a manner that girls won’t want to be around for them.

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The inside story of some of the amazing trickery employed by American forces during World War II. We often think that wars are won because of overwhelming military might. But the fact that remains that intelligence operations can be a difference maker.

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Making the case for getting married young. I thought I was old when I got married at 24. But there is a good case to be made for not waiting to get married.

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The problem of the stealth prosperity gospel:

The real devil in the details of the prosperity-type teaching permeating so much of evangelicalism is not really that it skips over the stuff about sin. Sure, it does that too, but the pernicious paradox of this stuff is that it champions “victorious Christian living” yet does not equip believers for sustainable discipleship. It emphasizes feelings and “outlook,” not the power of the Spirit, which is hard for some folks to notice since the latter is often conflated with the former (so that being optimistic or a go-getter is ipso facto being Spirit-empowered). The problem over time is that, going from victory to victory, expecting victory after victory, cultivates a contagious form of spiritual greed. (Is it any wonder that this sort of teaching often goes hand and hand with talk of financial riches and prosperity?) The real stuff of discipleship — what Eugene Peterson calls “a long obedience in the same direction” — involves hard stuff like discipline and the fruit of the Spirit. In pop discipleship discipline is replaced by steps, tips, and amazingsupercolossal breakthroughs.