Flotsam and jetsam (5/8)

Good Reads

  • Is That God Talking? I still remember how startled I was when a young woman I was interviewing told me God had spoken to her, audibly.
  • Lack of sleep blights pupils’ education: Sleep deprivation is a significant hidden factor in lowering the achievement of school pupils, according to researchers carrying out international education tests.
  • Is Bad Doctrine Sin? I suppose that I want bad doctrine to always be sin. That way, it is easy for me to explain why people don’t agree with me. If we are not on the same page theologically, the answer is simple: they are in sinful rebellion to the truth.

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Truly Educational Television

In the interest of full disclosure, I like watching TV. But I still thought this was funny.

Educational Television

source unknown

10 Ways to Boost Daily Productivity (infographic)

I am pretty sure that spending too much on reading infographics about productivity is not a good way to boost daily productivity. So if you’re just reading this as a way of avoiding something more important, feel free to stop and get back to what you were doing.

But I still thought this was a well-designed way of summarizing useful tips about how to get things done. And, if you’re a student, please pay attention. “Productivity” isn’t just for the workplace. All of these are great tips for managing that daunting pile of homework.

via Lifehack

Flotsam and jetsam (5/6)

Good Reads

  • When Christians become a ‘hated minority’: We’ve heard of the “down-low” gay person who keeps his or her sexual identity secret for fear of public scorn. But Sprigg and other evangelicals say changing attitudes toward homosexuality have created a new victim: closeted Christians who believe the Bible condemns homosexuality but will not say so publicly for fear of being labeled a hateful bigot.

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The Sex Lives of Unmarried Evangelicals (infographic)

Yet another reason to read statistics cautiously and skeptically.

premarital sex evangelicalism

via Christianity Today

Flotsam and jetsam (5/3)

don't mess with father and son day

Good Reads

  • You Can’t Pack Everything Into Your Sermon: Just like a Dad has to break it to his little girl that she cannot bring 7 stuffed animals and 4 dollies, so to the preacher needs to break it to himself that he can’t bring every good quote that Tim Keller has ever said about the gospel. For the sake of your family, you have to leave some stuff behind.
  • Why Isn’t Servant Leadership More Prevalent? With servant leadership, a leader’s primary role is to serve employees. Everyone from Lao-Tzu to Max De Pree thinks this a wonderful model. Why then, asks Professor Jim Heskett, is this style so rare among CEOs?
  • Are Christian Statistical Researchers Like Jesus, the Pharisees, or Oliver Stone? There’s nothing new about people’s claiming that they’re like Jesus while other people are not (see “Historical Jesus, Quest for the”), but a stroll through the annals of Christian History shows us that whenever these episodes arise, the most interesting thing to watch is how people wind up defining the person and work of Jesus. Invariably, the temptation when deciding who among us is the most like Christ is to stack the deck beforehand by defining Christ in ways that make Him most like me.
  • Why You Should Not Listen to Me: Influence. It’s a funny thing. It’s inescapable–someone will always be perceived to have it or not have it, to either use or misuse it.

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Our Personalities in Pictures

Extroverts are happy and popular, always laughing, making friends, and hanging out with people. But they never think and they don’t read. Introverts, on the other hand, are sad, lonely, insecure, and rather pathetic. But they’re smart, they like books, and they think a lot.

Who would you rather be? And you have to pick, because apparently those are your only options.

introverts extroverts introversion extroversion happy sad personality personalities

For the last week or so we’ve been reflecting on personality: specifically introversion, extroversion, and how each can become an excuse for avoiding God-given opportunities and responsibilities. (See I’m Just Not Wired That Way and I’m Not Wired That Way Either.)

As I was searching for images to use on those posts, however, I was struck by the images that popped up. I’ve heard people talk before about how we portray introversion/extroversion in our media, but it was different to see the stark contrasts for myself. And, although I realize that it’s impossible to capture all the nuances of personality in a few pictures, I still think images like this help shape how we view ourselves and the people around us.

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Flotsam and jetsam (5/1)

creative panhandling

Good Reads

  • What Percentage of Philosophers Believe in God? What percentage of philosophers are theists? How many of them believe in free will? More importantly: how many of them think zombies are actually possible? Finally, a study has provided an answer to all these questions, and more.
  • The Power of “I Don’t Know”: To admit to ignorance, uncertainty or ambivalence is to cede your place on the masthead, your slot on the program, and allow all the coveted eyeballs to turn instead to the next hack who’s more than happy to sell them all the answers.
  • Why Bad Writing is Almost Always Mistaken for Good Writing: Bad writing is naturally mistaken for good writing. That’s because unlike good writing, bad writing hoards attention. Bad writing brags of the writer’s knowledge, skill, and creativity. Bad writers mistake obtuseness for creativity, and essential clarity for “profundity”.
  • What Physics Can and Can’t Say About God:  It can lead us to a conception of how the universe potentially came into being, but it’s never going to say anything about what is important to most Christians about their faith and about their relationship with God, which is they want to know about how at the end of time they will, as it were, be united with God as a thinking, emoting, moral being. On that subject physics really cannot offer us any insight.

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April’s Top Posts

In case you missed anything, here are our top posts from the last month. We had a great time exploring our personalities (introversion and extroversion), my upcoming transition to the doctoral program at Wheaton College, the nature of heresy, and the relationship between the mind and worship. All in all, it was a good month!

I’m Not Wired That Way Either: The Extrovert’s Excuse

by Matt Mikalatos

extrovert introvert extroversion introversion personality characterEmpty streets creep me out. I prefer crowds. I try to get to know my servers at restaurants. I’ll sit by you in the movie theater even if I don’t know you, even if we’re the only two people there. I schedule a half hour for leaving my office, because I like to go around and say goodbye to each person. Most days, my “alone time” is in the bathroom, and if someone wants to stand outside the door and talk to me, I would welcome that.

I’m an extrovert.

Marc recently shared some thoughts about being an introvert, and the dangers of using your personality as an excuse for avoiding things you should do. He asked me to share some similar thoughts about extroverts.

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