Middletree

I like Facebook. While its usefulness may be debatable, there's no doubt that it can be enjoyable for those of us who like to engage in dialog. Whether it's a silly joke or a more serious topic, if there's a discussion going on regarding something I'm even mildly interested in, I want to jump in. The last few months, countless discussions have come up regarding gun control, and how much our laws should be changed. Thing is, I have many friends who take both sides of the issue. All of them truly believe that if people will see things their way, more lives will be saved, and if their views are ignored, then more lives will be lost. And that's fine.  Passion about something you care about is a good thing. That said, I saw something on Facebook last week that, several days later, is still very troubling to me. Before I tell you what it is, I want to be clear that I agree with those who say that: (1) our Constitution gives citizens the right to protect themselves with ...

Jo Hilder, a cancer survivor who lives in Australia, has written  something we all should read. I say all of us because, statistically, just about everyone reading this will know someone who faces cancer. I know I have a tendency to say insensitive things from time to time in all situations, but cancer is a situation which especially requires sensitivity.  Judging by the fact that Jon Acuff's "Stuff Christians Like" blog post  about the same topic received hundreds of comments last June, this is a subject which needs addressing. Hilder's experience as a cancer patient gave her an insight that we all can learn from, of course. But I have to say that when I read the title, I was afraid the book would be taking on a lecturing tone and would shine a light on all the buffoonish things I have said over the years. I am glad to say I was wrong.   "Things Not to Say to Someone Who Has Cancer" never condescends, never lectures, and never makes the reader feel di...

Although I was unfamiliar with Mary DeMuth prior to reading the free review copy of "Everything", I'm now a big fan of her work. I quoted from it in this post when I was part of the way into the book. The main point of the book is simply to make Jesus your everything. That sounds so easy, so cliche, and certainly sounds like something that has been said before. It begs the question:  Why write a book like that? It can't possibly contain any original thoughts, right? Wrong.  I've been a Christian for a long time, and heard thousands of sermons and read more books than I can count, but I've never heard anyone put it like DeMuth does. The purpose of this book isn't to pretend to come up with new ideas about how to live life. It's more like a compass: coupled with a map, it helps the reader re-orient and get back to a place where he can find True North and then find his way back to where he should be. "Everything" is a breath of fresh ai...

.   Les Misérables comes to us in many formats: The Victor Hugo novel, the stage production, and the various movies and TV miniseries. In 1998, I got my first exposure to the story by watching the non-musical film version starring Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush. I was blown away. What an amazing story.  A skilled pastor could base an entire series of sermons on Les Mis. I recently saw the new version, directed by Tom Hooper and starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and Russell Crowe.  It was fantastic.  Here are a few unorganized thoughts: 1. Many have commented on the story and talked gushingly about how it's an illustration of Grace vs. Law, with the logical conclusion that grace is superior. But let's tap the brakes and take a second look. Javert (the police Inspector) existed because society needs someone to uphold the law. Likewise, both Law and grace are equally important components of the Gospel. God is a just God, and demands justice. If sin is c...

Reading about the mass killing of kindergartners at Sandy Hook was heartbreaking for me, as I am sure it was for you.    On a different level, I was also saddened while reading comments on Facebook and at the bottom of news stories, calling for changes to keep such massacres from happening.  The tone of many of such comments was that they couldn't understand why people couldn't see that the clear cause of these incidents is _______________ (fill in the blank).  Unfortunately, many who believe there is a clear-cut answer to this problem have very different views of what the main problem is.  Additionally, once you do focus on that one problem, then you find that there are people who disagree very strongly about how to address that one problem. For example, let's take the availability of assault rifles and handguns.  For some, common sense dictates that everyone carry a gun, to either prevent a shooting in a public place, or to stop it quickly once...

If any cry of anguish is universal across generations, it's this one, said by kids in Algebra classes throughout the land: "Why do I have to do this stuff? Am I ever going to use it in real life?" Kids and adults alike acknowledge that we use elementary-school math in real life on a daily basis. We add, subtract, multiply and divide quite frequently. But when teachers start replacing the numbers with letters, and are introduced to terms such as "variable" and "polynomial", then those instructors meet resistance from students, and their protests often center around the idea that this kind of math will do them no good in the real world. A lazy adult will simply affirm the students' suspicions by admitting that complex algebraic problems don't make their way into everyday life. It's an easy thing to say, but the truth is that life is full of situations in which formulas are required or at least helpful. Here are some math formulas tha...

Sit back and let me tell you a story: One day a couple of years ago, I made a trip to my local supermarket. I encountered 4 different people during this single trip; together, those 4 individuals confirmed for me what I always suspected:  people can be very selfish, and have no idea that they are.  1. When I arrived in the parking lot, I wanted to turn into one of the lanes so I could park, but the car ahead of me had to go forward or somehow get out of my way. Alas, that driver didn't see things my way, so he just...kinda...stayed...where...he...was for a while. He didn't seem to care that someone might be behind him. 2. When he finally moved, I drove toward an empty parking space that I had spied on the way in. It turned out to not really be empty, because another person in another car in the adjacent space went wayyyy past their yellow line and effectively took up two spaces. And they were in a smaller-than-average car, I might add. There was no need nor excuse to t...