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The hardest thing about becoming a parent is the wealth of often conflicting advice you receive before (and even after) you become a parent. But this is a good summary of things that many parents would agree that they wish they knew before becoming a parent.
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A collection of Ansel Adams photographs that were discovered in the National Archives.
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Is college for everyone? In part 2 of their series at Art of Manliness, the guys sort through the pros and cons of attending a four year college.
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Yesterday marked Opening Day in Major League Baseball for many teams. Mental Floss has a nice look back at the opening of four iconic ballparks. Below, Wrigley Field (formerly Weeghman Park) in April 1914.
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Speaking of baseball, this season marks the adoption of instant replay for disputed calls. As this study shows, the umps should be glad that teams can't use replay to argue ball and strike calls.
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This is an interesting post: 12 ways life is like a game of Monopoly. Who knew that a game could be so educational?
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With the release of Noah and Son of God it's a good time to weigh good versus bad faith-based films:
Christian parents would not let their high school children see the movie of Crime and Punishment if it were simply described to them or flashed in front of them during the previews before another film. But those same Christians do let (and encourage) their kids to read it as a novel because of the universal recognition of Dostoevsky’s masterful storytelling and the unmistakably Biblical anchor his stories were moored to. People love Dostoevsky – who never shied away from confronting humanity as it is – because what he produced was great art.
I’m not suggesting that people of faith who care about what their kids’ minds are filled with should run willy-nilly into every crowded theater to see whatever is fashionable at the time. Hardly!
But what I am suggesting is that while we work to inspire and equip new generations of artists who share our values to boldly venture into the pop-culture fray, we must not miss opportunities to introduce our worldview into the cultural conversation.
When Christians are perceived to be hiding from the tough questions and human struggles we’re all faced with, they are dismissed and ignored (along with their message of hope). Art has the power to transcend and speak to the soul. But it must be able to meet people on their level before pointing them upward.***********
Is church membership required?
This month we will be inducting new members into the most honored body the world has ever known: the church of Jesus Christ. The initiation fee for this club is so high that no human could have ever paid it; God himself had to pick up the tab. The benefits of the club never expire. The fellowship of the club is unmatched; you receive intimate access to the Lord himself (John 17:23).
With such benefits, you'd think church membership would be held in infinitely high esteem. But for many reasons, Christians seem to think less of it than ever before. If you're one who looks upon church membership lightly, then I invite you to reconsider.
When we hear the word membership, we immediately think of a club. A member pays dues, comes to meetings, and fulfills the obligations of a club member. When you move, or no longer have time for the club, you simply withdraw your membership and move on.
The Bible says membership is much more intimate. "For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body" (Eph. 5:29-30).
To be a church member means we are a member of Christ's body—just like your finger is a member of your body. His blood runs through us. His Spirit animates us. His will moves us. He feels our pain, cleanses us when we get dirty, nurses our wounds, and cherishes us with pride.
Leaving the church is not simply leaving a club. When you walk away, you dismember yourself from the body. Jesus and the rest of the body sorely miss you, and bleed after your departure. You cut yourself off from your only source of life and nourishment. Like an amputated hand, you will slowly bleed out, wither, and die.
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