“Boyhood” Thoughts. . . A Post-Oscar Pause. . .
Like most awards shows, the Academy Awards are worth the time of culture watchers. Filmmakers are the philosophers and dispensers of ideas. In addition, their work mirrors the values and attitudes that have taken root and grown in our culture.…
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Technology and Loneliness. . .
Here’s a powerful little short animated film that’s worth five minutes of your time. . . and then additional time pondering/discussing. Show it to parents. Show it to kids. Talk about it. I watched this powerful little piece of social…
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Fifty Shades Today. . . A Plea To Christian Parents & Youth Workers. . .
And so it arrives. It’s already proclaimed a blockbuster and judging from the predictions of those who seem to know about these things, it will most likely bring in about $90 million over its first three days, an opening which…
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Katy Perry And Her Word From God. . . .
I have no idea what’s going on with Katy Perry. But I do know that over the course of the last couple of days, news of Katy Perry’s Super Bowl “word from God” prior to her halftime performance has spread…
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Stuff That Should Matter. . . A Grammy-Prompted Thought. . .
Which do you think is more dangerous? A complete, total, and blatantly obvious lie? Or a lie that draws us in because it is veiled in a partial truth? Samuel P. Huntington famously said, “Partial truths or half-truths are often…
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Fifty Shades of Grey. . . Almost Here. . .
Some of the most frightening words in the Bible are these words from the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians: “Flee from sexual immorality” (I Corinthians 6:18). I remember talking to a room full of curious middle school students in the…
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The Super Bowl, NFL, and Culture. . . Insights Into Who We Are. . .
Culture is a map and a mirror. It is both directive and reflective. As a map, it tells us what to believe and how to behave. As a mirror, it tells us what we already believe and how those beliefs…
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Hit Me Now. . . Hurt Me Later. . . What We’re Learning About Kids and Blows To The Head. . .
We love them, don’t we? We love them so much that broadcasters indulge us with replay loops of hard hits, whether it be in football, hockey, or any other contact and even non-contact sport. Truth be told, we love them…
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Never Forget. . .
Reality is that in spite of our disgust and disdain, we are all broken people. . . all capable of committing atrocities, approving of atrocities, and looking the other way as atrocities are committed. Don’t forget that this all happened…
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Shopping For God. . .
The fact that we as adults all too often define ourselves by our work and worldly possessions has not been lost on our kids. In today’s world, that message is powerfully and consistently reinforced by the pervasive presence of a…
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Pornography and Sexual Trafficking. . . One And The Same. . .
Since we began researching and talking about the issue of pornography, we’ve seen the value of telling the truth about the connection between pornography and sexual trafficking. This is a truth that our kids need to hear. We must connect…
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A Teen on Teens and Social Media. . . .
For me, there’s little that’s more refreshing and stimulating than spending time with people who share many of my same commitments and passions, digging around together in pursuit of those shared commitments and passions. . . kind of like what happens…
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