Halloween is nearly here

Growing up in a non-Christian household, I always looked forward to Halloween. It wasn’t because of the costumes or macabre imagery often associated with it though. I looked forward mostly to one thing: Free candy! Now, however, as a Christian, I admit that it seems a bit askew to see little kids running around in witch or devil costumes.

Do you think Christians should participate in Halloween? I’m not asking whether Christians should celebrate Halloween, meaning to fully embrace all that this holiday is about. I really don’t think we should celebrate evil. Rather, should Christians have anything to do with it at all, or just choose not to bother with it?

The question may be easier if you don’t have kids. Without kids, it may be easier to ignore. But if all your kids’ friends are going trick-or-treating and they’re not allowed, they’ll want to know why. We should be careful to separate our intent from the history of the event: Can this time still be celebrated, but somehow sanctified for God?

Bob and Gretchen Passantino of Answers in Action suggest this course of action for Christian parents:

Christians should evaluate Halloween and determine an appropriate response for themselves and their own families. Christians should refrain from any participation that would compromise one’s faith or bring dishonor to the Lord Jesus Christ. A good principle is to look for ways to become a positive, Christ-honoring voice in the midst of secularism and paganism. Each Christian must be persuaded in his own conscience about how he approaches Halloween. (Source: Answers.org)

What do you think about Halloween? Do you celebrate it and allow your kids to go trick-or-treating?

Related reading:
Can God be glorified through Halloween? – Examines the origins of Halloween and suggestions about how Christians can respond.
Halloween Alternatives – Some different ways you can celebrate the season.

We ate salmon skewers (frozen salmon), grilled baby bok choy, and a cream cheese and cherry pie filling puffed pastry (two out of the three ingredients for this have been with us for awhile).

All this to say, my sister-in-law told me that I was not the first to feel the need to clean out the pantry. Apparently the financial crisis has sparked an interest in what is being called Eating Down The Fridge.

So I decided this was worth looking into and was, at the same time, sure to satisfy my need to clear clutter, cook creatively and pursue a more balanced lifestyle. Googling the topic brought up many blogs and forums that were taking groups through this exercise and allowing them to share recipes, menus and experiences. A Mighty Appetite, a blog on washingtonpost.com, was where I started and found my way to eG Forums where I got some great ideas to eat down my own fridge. And freezer. And cupboards.

Fat Guy from eG Forums says,

If you spend $100 a week on groceries, this experiment will put $100 back in your pocket quicker than you can say stimulus. If you’re home 50 weeks of the year and you perform this experiment once per quarter, you’ll reduce your grocery bill by 8%.

That sounded good to me so I started by taking inventory of a random selection of what our kitchen held:

• unsweetened coconut flakes
• canned bamboo shoots
• dried chickpeas
• 3 packages of vanilla pudding
• toasted carob powder
• 1 can of chunky light tuna
• 1 bag of frozen peas
• dijon mustard
• 1 package of star anise
• 1 bag large marshmallows

This is about 1/10th of what was filling our kitchen. Kind of sad. So I tried the experiment for a week, building in some rules of my own to be sure we didn’t end up with scurvy.

The Rules

1. We could buy meat and veggies as long as the majority of the meal is made of current kitchen items.
2. We could buy ingredients for recipes as long as no more than 2 new ones are needs to complete the recipe.
3. We could buy staple perishables that we regularly use up including: coffee cream, soy milk, bran cereal and coffee beans.

Over the next seven days, with the help of the internet, I created recipes for the first time, ate food I had been avoiding, and learned that we never have “nothing in the house to eat”. I spent a total of $12.43 CAD on groceries and estimate that I saved $40-$50. I was amazed to see how much variety I still had in my diet, far beyond what most of the world can afford. Saving money was a perk (probably more enjoyed by my thrifty husband) but learning to think outside the box and gain an appreciation for what I already have was truly satisfying.

I feel challenged to think about how I can up the impact next time we try this. Maybe we’ll trying growing some of our own food to cut down on purchasing them permanently, or donate the money we save to the Food Bank. Has anyone else made lifestyle changes to save money or positively affect society?

Related reading: From Making Money to Giving it Away – Bobby received news that his adopted daughter had been killed in a car accident. Bobby finally broke. “I was a wreck,” he says.

Spirituality is a popular subject these days. Whole stores are filled with books and various gadgets that are sold to help one get in touch spiritually. There is just so much out there and at times one can feel confused about it all.

In these days of growing awareness in the spiritual and the supernatural, God gives us guidance as to what to watch for. He tells us how to grow in our spiritual life without confusion. He spells it out for us quite simply:

“Grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)

True spirituality moves you toward knowledge of Jesus as the Influencer of your heart. If something or someone other than Jesus takes front and center stage in your search for spirituality, be on guard. Guard your heart from merely knowledge of religious facts or focusing on special powers or energy. True spirituality is allowing Jesus’ influence on your heart to reflect change in the way you handle yourself. It is His power at work in you.

If you desire to develop spiritually, allow Jesus to influence your heart and your choices in a greater way today. Allow His influence to cause you to turn from the choices that exclude Him, and to accept His forgiveness. Ask for His wisdom to help you determine if a particular activity or source of information will increase your understanding of how Jesus can influence your heart and your life. Anything less is a cheap counterfeit.

Father God,
There is so much out there today on spirituality. Please help me to grow in my knowledge of Jesus and His strength in my life as my Savior. Help me to grow in allowing Your influence upon my heart in such a way that it changes how I live. Forgive me for the times when I have focused on spirituality that was not centered on Jesus. Help me to be discerning and wise as I grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior. In His strong name I pray, amen.

Question: How can you seek to grow spiritually in the next week, month, and year?

About this Author: Gail Rodgers

One of the worst insults in modern Western culture is to be deemed “intolerant”. Of course, often that word, tolerance, is misappropriated and used in ways that make no sense, especially when it comes to moral and/or religious beliefs.  But that knowledge likely won’t help you feel more comfortable talking about faith around the water cooler.  Greg Koukl explains this further in his article “When Tolerance is Intolerant“.

Doug Pollock is currently an evangelism trainer with Athletes in Action, a ministry of Campus Crusade. On his website GodsGPS.com he seeks to help people have better spiritual conversations. He wants to find answers to the question: “How can you bring God into the conversation without shutting the conversation down?”

Take a look through the GodsGPS website, and don’t miss the extremely useful list of “Wondering Questions“ intended to spark meaningful discussions.

Have you ever talked with coworkers, neighbors, or friends about faith topics? How did you approach the topic to encourage cordial conversations?

Image credit: ohhector, used with permission, Creative Commons 2.0 License.

The Internet has become a 21st century Roman road, marketplace, theater, backyard fence, and office drinks machine.

The Web’s explosive growth has been remarkable. In ten short years, it jumped from being a minority hobby for computer enthusiasts to a communication medium used by over 1 billion people worldwide. If your visit to this website lasts ten minutes, in that period 460 people will have used the Web for their very first time.

The world impact of the Internet and the digital revolution will be as far-reaching as the invention of the printing press as this clip demonstrates:

To use the Web effectively, we must understand its nature as a medium. Each time a new means of communication is developed, people initially think of it in terms of a previous known medium. Thus, TV began as radio with pictures, but was soon viewed as a different medium in its own right, as people learned its potential.

Linear versus non-linear

Many mediums are linear – they communicate a message along a single line. Radio and TV are essentially linear (although these days, interactive TV can give the user some control). Fiction books, videos and tracts are also linear. However, a newspaper is non-linear – it contains multiple messages, not linked together sequentially. Users can move around as they choose.

The Web is also non-linear. A website is not (usually) a single page of text, but offers choice between a range of pages and ideally other interactive options too.

Pull versus push

Outreach literature is a push medium. For instance, people offer tracts into others’ hands. Radio is largely a push medium – within a limited range of available stations, the user listens (or turns off).

The Internet however is a pull medium. It draws people in – but only within the channels on which they wish to be drawn. It is therefore like a reference library rather than a literature distribution program. There is no automatic audience for a website. Many Christian websites which would aspire to be evangelistic, are in fact largely “preaching to the choir”. To engage with not-yet-Christians, who are not already seeking, requires us to use the Bridge Strategy.

Interactive and two-way

One of the greatest attractions of the Web is its interactivity. The user controls completely what webpages appears on his or her monitor. Each person will have a unique route of personal choice though any website, and across billions of webpages around the world.

The two-way nature of the web means that the user is no longer a passive recipient. When you listen to radio, the experience is one-way, unless you can phone in or write a letter. But the Web makes it easy for users to express opinions and interact with webmasters by email or instant messenger, and discuss a site with other users by bulletin board, blog response form or chat room. At last, my opinion counts. In some ways, the Web is a modern reflection of the time 100 years ago before mass media, people created their own entertainments in the evenings or spare moments. Once again, through collective creativity, ordinary people at home are sharing their ideas, gifts and lives with others they feel linked to. The growth of sites hosting self-posted video clips is a dramatic example of this new creativity. “People want to be players not just spectators, part of the action, not on the sidelines,” writes Charles Leadbeater in a new book WeThink.

Just as a newspaper aims to build loyalty among its readers, a website can generate a sense of community – the feeling that users can identify with the site. Successful sites understand how to this create welcoming interactivity.

Relationships and Web 2.0

The Web has developed and matured from being merely static “text on a screen” to something far more. This “grown-up Internet” is often called Web 2.0.  Although the 2.0 concept includes best-practice design standards for webpage appearance and easy intuitive navigation, it embraces much more – a whole philosophy of communication. Just as the church is people, not buildings; the Web is essentially relationships, not computer screens. People want “connectedness”, the opportunity to share in a two-way or multiple conversation, to feel they belong. This is often called a sense of community, and is a key part of Web 2.0, illustrated by the diagram.

Relationship and connection are at the heart of the Internet. Before the Web, a person’s circle of relationships was usually initiated by face-to-face contact, and then sustained by personal meetings, letter or phone. Naturally, there tended to be a geographic limitation to a circle of relationships. But with the Web, relationships can be initiated and maintained online, and physical location is no longer an issue. Using the Web, people can also maintain, at least at a limited level, a much wider range of relationships.

Relationships are, of course, a key to evangelism. Very few people become Christians merely by hearing, or reading, a proclamation of the Gospel. Analyze a range of testimonies and in almost every case, you find that an ongoing relationship with a praying Christian played a key role. So effective online evangelism needs to be relational.

The Web as dis-inhibitor

People behave and communicate very differently in the virtual world, than they do in face-to-face interactions. The relatively anonymous nature of the Web encourages people to share inner thoughts, worries and questions, in a way they might never do face to face. Although there may be no person they could trust face to face, web users may ask intimate questions online from the privacy and anonymity of their home computer. This is strategic for any sort of evangelism, and even more so in a country where there are very few Christians. A seeker may know of no place where they could ask spiritual questions, or know that it would not be safe to be seen publicly to do so. Email, bulletin boards, blogs, or social networking sites can be a safe environment for questions and interaction. You can read more in The Online Disinhibition Effect, a valuable article from John Suler’s The Psychology of Cyberspace, which you can read online, or download as an e-book.

Communication cultures

It is also helpful to understand the Internet in the context of different communication cultures. Before the invention of the printing press circa 1500, the prevailing communication was an oral communication culture. The printing press changed the world for ever, and brought in a print communication culture. Christian commentator M Rex Miller suggests in his book Millennium Matrix that from about 1950, the development of TV led to the broadcast culture, with different characteristics to the previous cultures. Further, he suggests that we are now moving into digital culture in which communication is once more operating in very different ways.

Another commentator Andy Crouch sees our current culture as being what he calls visualcy.

These are not merely academic classifications – they describe some very profound changes in society which affect how we can effectively communicate the gospel. If we try to use methods which worked in a past communication culture and have gained an imagined sanctity as a result, we may receive little fruit. While the gospel does not change, the way we communicate it must constantly change. If you doubt this, root around for some Christian magazines, books or films dating from perhaps the mid-60s. They may have been effective then, but the “past is a different country”!

Also, one of the major advances in the mission world has been an understanding of oral communication cultures. Many non-western countries are still largely oral societies, and it is only relatively recently that missions have really analyzed appropriate ways to communicate with people in such cultures. Many people in the West are also to a considerable extent within an oral culture, and receive very little information from books or newspapers.

Implications of the Web’s properties as a medium

It is a mistake to regard the evangelistic potential of the Web as merely “tracts on a screen”. Such a perception will greatly limit its potential for outreach. Instead, we must understand the Web’s nature as a medium and learn how to work with its inherent strengths. Only then can we begin to use the staggering opportunities it offers us.

Learn more about using the internet for evangelism at internetevangelismday.com and find out how you can take the next step by getting involved with TruthMedia today.

“When I came to you … I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2)

The Gospel message has gotten a little foggy these days with all the attention being paid to politics, family values, and culture wars, and a lot of folks have lost track of the fact that it’s all about Jesus. Ask the man on the street what a Christian is today and you’re likely to ask a long time until you hear anything about Jesus or the cross. Our message, from beginning to end, is Jesus – who he was, what he said, and what he did.

The last recognized revival in this country was a movement primarily among baby boom youth in the early 1970s that was quickly dubbed the Jesus movement. It got that name because everything was focused around Jesus. When you think about it, Jesus was the ultimate hippie – he wore long hair, sandals, and he was against the establishment – and a generation of ideological kids embraced Christ, even while they rejected religion and the institutional church. Jesus was the central figure in all of this. What is now called Christian music was originally called Jesus music. Christians were called Jesus freaks. Now I’m not suggesting we all go back to tie-dyed T-shirts, bell-bottom pants, and Jesus rock, but I am suggesting we could learn something from this emphasis that transcended politics and religion.

Our message is all about a person, and our mission is to share that person with the world. God made us to belong to him; we wandered away; Jesus is the way back. A whole generation of young people found that out 30 years ago and nothing’s really changed about the heart of the message. It’s a personal message. It’s non-threatening. It’s all about a meaningful relationship with God that comes to someone by way of a meaningful relationship with them. There’s not a lot of baggage here. Our main concern is to introduce ourselves to people and in doing so, to introduce them to Jesus, because, as far as we’re concerned, that’s who it’s all about.

Jesus came to save us, unite us, and teach us to love one another. We’ve added a lot of other stuff to this and I’m not so sure it’s helping us do what we’re supposed to be doing. If it makes you more loving to your neighbor, then it’s probably a good thing. If it makes you your neighbor’s enemy, then it’s probably not. If it’s all about Jesus, then it’s definitely “right on!”

Question: What makes Jesus and His message different from every other “religious” teacher?

About this Author: John Fischer

All this work, and we were only moving, quite literally, around the corner!

Thankfully I didn’t have to deal with making new friends because we were only moving a short distance away. But what if you’ve moved far away from your old life? It can be a stressful and lonely time to move to a brand new city.

For ways to meet people in a new city, or even a new country, check out Susan Miller’s article “21 Ways To Make Friends After A Move” explores ways you can find new friends.

If you’re feeling lonely, feel free to join our daily online chat rooms, or contact an online mentor to talk.

The edges of the screen are fuzzy and peaceful looking. The seats are appropriately spaced. People tilt their seats back with a smile (and with plenty of room on both sides). Children are sitting cross-legged in their seats with their safety belt fastened perfectly around their little waists. The airplane swooshes gently into a sky laden with puffy clouds.

Welcome to your flight.

I am relaxed by the in-flight commercial, until my knee bumps the chair in front of me and jiggles the screen (and a fellow passenger, sorry!). I wish I was as short as the people in the safety video. As the flight gets longer, my already insufficient leg room shrinks. The person in front of me decides to play a cruel joke and tilt his seat back to take away what precious room I have left. And then the child two rows over decides that now would be a good time to test out her singing ability.

But there is a moment, when I get my satisfaction.

The beverage cart comes around, and I order a can. I’ve noticed that when you order a can of anything, they give you the full can. Not just a small cup, but an entire drink all to yourself. Insignificant as it may seem, it is my one moment of bliss.

Welcome to my flight.

As with any flight, there are ways to make your experience a bit better. You just need to come prepared. With your sanity and survival in mind, I offer up the best 10 gadgets to have on a flight.

#10 – The Neck Pillow
Sure, it’s not really a gadget in technical terms. But after watching Lord of the Rings for three hours straight, trust me, you will thank me. Your mini DVD player does not double well as a pillow. A neck pillow will help keep you from sleeping on your neighbor’s shoulder (which means you might actually get to sleep) and guarantees that you won’t spend the next few hours working the kink out of your neck.

#9 – Cell phone
This is a great gadget to have on the plane…so you can put it away! Nothing is more annoying than someone trying to talk on a cell phone above the noise of the plane. So please, set your ringer to quiet, text to your heart’s content, and realize that your conversations are much more enriching when you’re not sharing them with the three rows in front of you.

#8 – Charger
Some airlines come equipped with a standard plug-in for all of your gadgetry. Bring along a charger just in case. Instead of hoping that you have just one more minute of battery life left (and three hours of flying), you’ll be able to keep your devices fresh. (And you’ll be able to finish your Rocky marathon!)

#7 – iPod
Tired of your music? Download an audio book in advance of your flight. If that doesn’t entertain you, try out a few new podcasts. They’re a great way to learn about something new and pass the time. Just make sure you charge the battery before you board. Or better yet, bring item #8.

#6 – DVD Player
What better way to spend the flight than to catch up on a few movies? If you’re riding with a friend, bring an adaptor (or buy a DVD player with several headphone ports). They’re not too expensive and they make the hours fly by. Several airports offer DVD rentals and a few major hubs have kiosks where you can rent a player to take with you.

#5 – Tooth Brush
Again, it’s not technically a gadget (unless its electric). But if you’re stuck on a long flight, there is nothing better than spending a few minutes stretching out and brushing your teeth. Not only will it help you feel refreshed, but it’ll make your drool smell a little bit nicer when you fall asleep without your neck pillow.

#4 – Portable Gaming System
Just like their full-sized cousins, a portable gaming system offers hours of entertainment. But don’t get too carried away when you finally rescue the princess from the angry dragon. (Space is limited.) If you’re intent on doing this for a few hours, you may want to cart along another set of batteries, just in case! (That handy charger works here too.)

#3 – A bottle for water
Chances are the small shot of water they give you from the beverage tray will help…for the next ten minutes. Carry on a small bottle of water to help keep you hydrated. You’ll be so happy that you’ll forget this isn’t technically a gadget.

#2 – Laptop
This is probably the best gadget to have on a plane — provided you’re not spill-prone. If you’ve got a laptop, make sure it is charged (or see #8) and bring your favorite movies or games along (or, if you must, get some work done).

#1 – Headphones
This is the greatest invention known to airlines (and probably the reason they charge you $5 to buy them). Headphones have the potential to make or break your flight experience. Loud child two rows back? You’ve got the solution. A set of compact, noise-canceling headphones will allow you to drift away from the fact that you are crammed into a small seat beside frazzled parents with screaming babies and behind the man who tilted his chair back.

With these gadgets on hand you’re all set to enjoy your flight! Just remember, ask for the full can.

-Shaun Smith

Disney is already, like most companies, struggling with the economic recession, having laid off 1,900 employees last April. (The Economic Times) But the more pressing concern to Disney could be, can they remain attractive and relevant to a new generation as they were years ago?

I remember visiting Disney World (the one in Florida) as a child, and while I had a lot of fun, I don’t recall being captivated with the characters I saw around me. I was familiar with Mickey, Donald, and the rest. But I was lacking that personal connection with them to make the Mickey ears and strange guys in suits truly special. To me it was a theme park, a great one no doubt, but perhaps “one among many”.

Are you considering a trip to a Disney theme park? Do you have fond memories of visiting a Disney park (or a bad experience) you can share? And do you think they will remain relevant and popular in the coming decade? What was it about the Disney culture that captivated people?

Parents with kids: Before you go anywhere, check out our new video “Travel Tips for Parents“!

Image credit: Joe Penniston, used with permission, Creative Commons 2.0 License.

It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to have fun. For some cost efficient alternatives, sign up for dancing or cooking lessons at the community center, or start a book club with your friends.

Related links:
- Loneliness: Feeling lonely this summer? Read Selvin’s story, “Finding a Place to Belong”
- Online chat: You can also connect with others in our free online chat room.