The Nativity Story set to Modern Technology... enjoy:
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
the RUNNING journals
"Hey look! There's a man running!"
I've reached the age where it's awkward to run by an elementary school during recess.
I could hear their little 1st grade inner-monologues playing, "Stranger!" "Stranger danger!!"
And I can't blame them... I'm thinking the same thing thanks to Detective John Kimble.
And I'm not exactly sure how to solve this problem, so for now I think I'll just contemplate a new jogging route.
I've reached the age where it's awkward to run by an elementary school during recess.
I could hear their little 1st grade inner-monologues playing, "Stranger!" "Stranger danger!!"
And I can't blame them... I'm thinking the same thing thanks to Detective John Kimble.
And I'm not exactly sure how to solve this problem, so for now I think I'll just contemplate a new jogging route.
Monday, October 11, 2010
subway violin
The following is an article I recently read that piqued my interest...
Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.
The questions raised:
*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*Do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…
How many other things are we missing?
see the REFERENCED ARTICLE here
Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.
The questions raised:
*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*Do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…
How many other things are we missing?
see the REFERENCED ARTICLE here
Friday, September 10, 2010
On Parenting
The Four Phases of Parenthood
Your role changes as your child grows. What’s yours right now?
by Bob Hostetler
It came as a shock. In the course of telling a story to my friend Jon, I mentioned that I had gone into my son's room to wake him up. Jon interrupted me.
"How old is Aaron?"
We both knew very well how old he was, but I told him. "Sixteen," I said.
"Why are you still getting him up in the morning?"
I had no answer. I felt like a bald man who's just been asked why he carries a comb in his pocket. Somehow, in the busyness of parenting two teenagers, I had held on to a habit that made sense when my children were preschoolers but now was far from appropriate.
That's when I decided to give more careful attention to the different phases of parenthood and to acknowledge areas where I'd lagged behind in parenting my daughter, Aubrey, and my son, Aaron. In doing so, I not only introduced a little more sanity to my life, but also prepared them — and me — for their fast-approaching independence.
Phase One: Commander
In the first years of a child's life, a parent does everything for him. The parent functions as a benevolent dictator, telling the child who to listen to, what to eat, when to go to bed, how to perform a task.
In this phase of parenthood, the task of the loving parent is to encourage a child's growth from discipline to self-discipline. As paraphrased in The Message, "A refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining them" (Proverbs 13:24).
During my children's early years, I repeatedly used the parenting phrases "Yes, because . . . " or "No, because . . . " I not only dictated my children's actions, but also took pains to explain the reasons a certain thing was prescribed or prohibited.
Phase Two: Coach
I used Aubrey and Aaron's summer break to teach them about work and wages — interviewing, hiring and even occasionally firing them from jobs around the house and garden. The idea was not only to teach but also to encourage their growth from direction to self-direction, giving them more responsibility with each new job.
I often tried to help clarify — rather than dictate — my children's choices for them. I found myself repeatedly using the phrase, "Would you rather do this . . . or that?" Obviously, I never tempted them to choose something wrong or foolish; the phrase was simply a tool to help them gain experience in making their own decisions. For example, I might ask, "Would you rather leave now for church and have time to talk to your friends, or leave a little later and go straight to your class?"
Phase Three: Counselor
If you haven't yet experienced it, you will soon: The day dawns for every parent when he or she is no longer the driving influence in a child's life.
The task of the loving parent is to encourage a child's growth from dependence to independence; it is especially important in this phase of parenthood. This is the phase — usually in the teen years — when a child can reasonably be expected to understand what is right, just and fair.
Too many of us continue to parent our teenagers in much the same way we parented them as toddlers or grade-schoolers. When our kids begin to strain against the reins, like a horse that's eager to run, we pull back hard — as though it's wrong for them to seek independence. But that's exactly the purpose of the teen years. In fact, we should encourage that drive for independence and channel it in the right direction.
The operative phrase during these years is, "That's a decision you can make." When my children came to me for permission, I would often quiz them about what decision they would make if I gave them that freedom. I encouraged them to take responsibility in decision making, and they responded. I offered suggestions and warned them about the potential consequences of poor decisions, but I tried to leave the decision up to them as often as possible.
Of course, the risk I took was that my children would make poor choices, and sometimes they did. But little by little, they became capable of finding the right course.
Phase Four: Consultant
No words adequately describe the jumble of emotions a parent experiences driving away from a child's freshman college dorm. It's frightening on so many levels. But it's less frightening if the parent has successfully navigated the first three phases.
The task of parenting isn't done at this stage; it is no longer one of proactive involvement but of patient availability. Like Solomon, who told his son, "Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart" (Proverbs 27:11), the parent in this phase must hope, pray and wait.
Each phase has its own challenges, but phase four can be the most difficult because it requires letting go. For nearly two decades, the parent has been the child's commander, coach or counselor, but trying to prolong any of those roles will invite resistance and perhaps even resentment.
As I did in the other phases, I found a phrase that has helped my interactions with my children: "Let me know if I can help." It allowed me to affirm my availability while respecting my children's independence.
You'll find that the phases of parenthood aren't entirely measurable or scientific. The phases overlap each other; one phase begins long before the previous phase passes completely. And different children will demand differing degrees of flexibility in moving from one phase to the next.
But overall, I found that just a little attention to my current (and coming) phases produced a healthy perspective on my task as parent.
This article first appeared in the June, 2007 issue of Focus on the Family magazine. Copyright © 2007 Bob Hostetler. All rights reserved.
Your role changes as your child grows. What’s yours right now?
by Bob Hostetler
It came as a shock. In the course of telling a story to my friend Jon, I mentioned that I had gone into my son's room to wake him up. Jon interrupted me.
"How old is Aaron?"
We both knew very well how old he was, but I told him. "Sixteen," I said.
"Why are you still getting him up in the morning?"
I had no answer. I felt like a bald man who's just been asked why he carries a comb in his pocket. Somehow, in the busyness of parenting two teenagers, I had held on to a habit that made sense when my children were preschoolers but now was far from appropriate.
That's when I decided to give more careful attention to the different phases of parenthood and to acknowledge areas where I'd lagged behind in parenting my daughter, Aubrey, and my son, Aaron. In doing so, I not only introduced a little more sanity to my life, but also prepared them — and me — for their fast-approaching independence.
Phase One: Commander
In the first years of a child's life, a parent does everything for him. The parent functions as a benevolent dictator, telling the child who to listen to, what to eat, when to go to bed, how to perform a task.
In this phase of parenthood, the task of the loving parent is to encourage a child's growth from discipline to self-discipline. As paraphrased in The Message, "A refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining them" (Proverbs 13:24).
During my children's early years, I repeatedly used the parenting phrases "Yes, because . . . " or "No, because . . . " I not only dictated my children's actions, but also took pains to explain the reasons a certain thing was prescribed or prohibited.
Phase Two: Coach
I used Aubrey and Aaron's summer break to teach them about work and wages — interviewing, hiring and even occasionally firing them from jobs around the house and garden. The idea was not only to teach but also to encourage their growth from direction to self-direction, giving them more responsibility with each new job.
I often tried to help clarify — rather than dictate — my children's choices for them. I found myself repeatedly using the phrase, "Would you rather do this . . . or that?" Obviously, I never tempted them to choose something wrong or foolish; the phrase was simply a tool to help them gain experience in making their own decisions. For example, I might ask, "Would you rather leave now for church and have time to talk to your friends, or leave a little later and go straight to your class?"
Phase Three: Counselor
If you haven't yet experienced it, you will soon: The day dawns for every parent when he or she is no longer the driving influence in a child's life.
The task of the loving parent is to encourage a child's growth from dependence to independence; it is especially important in this phase of parenthood. This is the phase — usually in the teen years — when a child can reasonably be expected to understand what is right, just and fair.
Too many of us continue to parent our teenagers in much the same way we parented them as toddlers or grade-schoolers. When our kids begin to strain against the reins, like a horse that's eager to run, we pull back hard — as though it's wrong for them to seek independence. But that's exactly the purpose of the teen years. In fact, we should encourage that drive for independence and channel it in the right direction.
The operative phrase during these years is, "That's a decision you can make." When my children came to me for permission, I would often quiz them about what decision they would make if I gave them that freedom. I encouraged them to take responsibility in decision making, and they responded. I offered suggestions and warned them about the potential consequences of poor decisions, but I tried to leave the decision up to them as often as possible.
Of course, the risk I took was that my children would make poor choices, and sometimes they did. But little by little, they became capable of finding the right course.
Phase Four: Consultant
No words adequately describe the jumble of emotions a parent experiences driving away from a child's freshman college dorm. It's frightening on so many levels. But it's less frightening if the parent has successfully navigated the first three phases.
The task of parenting isn't done at this stage; it is no longer one of proactive involvement but of patient availability. Like Solomon, who told his son, "Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart" (Proverbs 27:11), the parent in this phase must hope, pray and wait.
Each phase has its own challenges, but phase four can be the most difficult because it requires letting go. For nearly two decades, the parent has been the child's commander, coach or counselor, but trying to prolong any of those roles will invite resistance and perhaps even resentment.
As I did in the other phases, I found a phrase that has helped my interactions with my children: "Let me know if I can help." It allowed me to affirm my availability while respecting my children's independence.
You'll find that the phases of parenthood aren't entirely measurable or scientific. The phases overlap each other; one phase begins long before the previous phase passes completely. And different children will demand differing degrees of flexibility in moving from one phase to the next.
But overall, I found that just a little attention to my current (and coming) phases produced a healthy perspective on my task as parent.
This article first appeared in the June, 2007 issue of Focus on the Family magazine. Copyright © 2007 Bob Hostetler. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
say hello to Eternity Bible College
About a month ago, John Piper's "desiringGod" blog featured a pretty cool write-up on Eternity Bible College. Click on the previous hyperlink to see what they said!
Also, Eternity Bible College is now offering Online Courses. Just another way to show our commitment to reproduce effective disciples of Jesus Christ. Check out the video below & pass along the good word:
Click on the following hyperlink to learn more about...
ETERNITY BIBLE COLLEGE!
Also, Eternity Bible College is now offering Online Courses. Just another way to show our commitment to reproduce effective disciples of Jesus Christ. Check out the video below & pass along the good word:
Online Classes at Eternity Bible College from Eternity Bible College on Vimeo.
Click on the following hyperlink to learn more about...
ETERNITY BIBLE COLLEGE!
Monday, June 7, 2010
"LET THE BOY BE YOUR DOG!!"
If any of you have seen the 1993 SNL skit "the Hurlihy boy," you'll know it's a ridiculous sketch where Chris Farley backs each of Adam Sandler's outrageous requests. If Sandler wants to watch your house while you're gone, Farley will vouch for what a great job he would do and how you are crazy if you don't just let him watch your house. In one climactic moment, Sandler makes that claim that he'd like to BE your dog. Farley pulls the boy aside and asks if he has thought through his request. After a brief dialogue, Farley says he's got to back Sandler in this and begins to fanatically support Sandler in his desire to be your dog which ends in the comment, "...he just wants to be loved."
My father recently wrote an article that was published in Answers in Genesis. In true Hurlihy Boy spirit, I'm backing my dad's play & providing you with the link below:
A Proposed Bible-Science Perspective on Global Warming - Answers in Genesis
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
the cellular leash
I sat at the Habit waiting for a guy I had made lunch plans with- he never showed.
We made plans to meet at 12:30PM, but here it was well after that and I hadn't heard from him. I guess it wasn't entirely his fault- I left my cell phone at my house in the morning. How was he to get a hold of me?
People ate, people left, and I began to feel foolish for sitting there waiting without a word.
What did we do 15 years ago?
The dude I was meeting wouldn't know.. he was only a toddler then. He doesn't remember calling house lines to catch people if your plans changed. If that didn't work, you'd have to call the numbers of all known associates: friends, work place, other places they may frequent. As a last resort, if none of that worked, you would call the restaurant to have them tell the person you were meeting that you were late or not coming.
Other than that, you pretty much just had to make plans to be somewhere at a certain time & a certain place and trust that they would be there. You got to where you were supposed to be, sat tight, kept your eyes open, and hoped they remembered and would show up. What a different world we lived in before cell phones!
At 12:56PM I ordered food and marveled at the way things used to be.
How did we survive before cell phones?
How often do we get upset if we can't get a hold of someone immediately?
"Where are they? Why aren't they answering?!" or better yet, "Ooh! It went straight to voicemail! They're IGNORING ME!!"
We get upset if someone isn't tending to their phone.
But think about it...
How often do we check our phones?
How often do we interrupt a conversation for the phone?
How often do we interrupt a task for the phone?
How often are we checking our phone when we are with people?
How often are we talking on the phone when we could be interacting with people around us?
...calls, texts, emails, facebook updates, etc.
I recently had 4 days away from my phone & I have to tell you... it was phenomenal. The software on my phone fried and the phone was rendered useless.
-For a day and a half I stressed out and wondered what was going on in the world: Who is trying to get a hold of me? What's going on? Is the world still turning on its axis?
-I started to loosen up at the end of the 2nd day and I began to realize a few things: 1) I wasn't as important as I thought. 2) Things were going to be okay. And, 3) The world is still turning.
-By the 3rd day I was in pure bliss. I was stress-free and wondered how I ever owned a cell phone.
-Half way through the 4th day, my phone was nearly fixed & I began to lament the coming return of my cell phone.
(Strangely enough, this cycle is much like my prayer life: I loath the first few minutes, thoroughly enjoy the middle section, and lament over the last few moments & the end of my time and return to reality)
I came out of this 4 day cellular vacation with a clear head & a few crucial reminders. I'm not sure if chucking our phones is the right response, but certainly healthy boundaries are in order. Boundaries that allow real & vital life to take place with people we know, people we come in contact with, the tasks & duties of the day, & most importantly with our Creator.
There are blocks of time where I simply will not answer or check my phone. After that block of time I will check messages, get back to those I need to, etc. If there is a task at hand, a person you need to be with, a time when you want to commune with the Lord, or for whatever reason you need to engage in the moment: turning off the phone, silencing your phone, or leaving your phone behind for a time is an easy way to be faithful to the relationships, people, and tasks that need to be nourished.
I'm not saying that I nail the boundary thing all of the time. In fact, often times I am the worst offender of the electronic leash. Just ask my Valentine date this year: there was a good 10 minute period where I twiddled my thumbs away & talked on the phone instead of engaging my beautiful date. Needless to say, we haven't really spoken in 2 months.
It's really a question of who rules who...
& life is just too darn important to be ruled by your cell phone.
We made plans to meet at 12:30PM, but here it was well after that and I hadn't heard from him. I guess it wasn't entirely his fault- I left my cell phone at my house in the morning. How was he to get a hold of me?
People ate, people left, and I began to feel foolish for sitting there waiting without a word.
What did we do 15 years ago?
The dude I was meeting wouldn't know.. he was only a toddler then. He doesn't remember calling house lines to catch people if your plans changed. If that didn't work, you'd have to call the numbers of all known associates: friends, work place, other places they may frequent. As a last resort, if none of that worked, you would call the restaurant to have them tell the person you were meeting that you were late or not coming.
Other than that, you pretty much just had to make plans to be somewhere at a certain time & a certain place and trust that they would be there. You got to where you were supposed to be, sat tight, kept your eyes open, and hoped they remembered and would show up. What a different world we lived in before cell phones!
At 12:56PM I ordered food and marveled at the way things used to be.
How did we survive before cell phones?
How often do we get upset if we can't get a hold of someone immediately?
"Where are they? Why aren't they answering?!" or better yet, "Ooh! It went straight to voicemail! They're IGNORING ME!!"
We get upset if someone isn't tending to their phone.
But think about it...
How often do we check our phones?
How often do we interrupt a conversation for the phone?
How often do we interrupt a task for the phone?
How often are we checking our phone when we are with people?
How often are we talking on the phone when we could be interacting with people around us?
...calls, texts, emails, facebook updates, etc.
I recently had 4 days away from my phone & I have to tell you... it was phenomenal. The software on my phone fried and the phone was rendered useless.
-For a day and a half I stressed out and wondered what was going on in the world: Who is trying to get a hold of me? What's going on? Is the world still turning on its axis?
-I started to loosen up at the end of the 2nd day and I began to realize a few things: 1) I wasn't as important as I thought. 2) Things were going to be okay. And, 3) The world is still turning.
-By the 3rd day I was in pure bliss. I was stress-free and wondered how I ever owned a cell phone.
-Half way through the 4th day, my phone was nearly fixed & I began to lament the coming return of my cell phone.
(Strangely enough, this cycle is much like my prayer life: I loath the first few minutes, thoroughly enjoy the middle section, and lament over the last few moments & the end of my time and return to reality)
I came out of this 4 day cellular vacation with a clear head & a few crucial reminders. I'm not sure if chucking our phones is the right response, but certainly healthy boundaries are in order. Boundaries that allow real & vital life to take place with people we know, people we come in contact with, the tasks & duties of the day, & most importantly with our Creator.
There are blocks of time where I simply will not answer or check my phone. After that block of time I will check messages, get back to those I need to, etc. If there is a task at hand, a person you need to be with, a time when you want to commune with the Lord, or for whatever reason you need to engage in the moment: turning off the phone, silencing your phone, or leaving your phone behind for a time is an easy way to be faithful to the relationships, people, and tasks that need to be nourished.
I'm not saying that I nail the boundary thing all of the time. In fact, often times I am the worst offender of the electronic leash. Just ask my Valentine date this year: there was a good 10 minute period where I twiddled my thumbs away & talked on the phone instead of engaging my beautiful date. Needless to say, we haven't really spoken in 2 months.
It's really a question of who rules who...
& life is just too darn important to be ruled by your cell phone.
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