Frightening Stats on "Christian" Kids

Our CE Director recently attended the D6 Conference, and reported this information to the pastors and elders at our church. I'd encourage every dad and every church leader to look through these -- then repent, ask God for specific direction, and pray for strength to lead our children well.

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"Children are living in a state of crisis!" George Barna September 25, 2009

" Moral foundation is formed by age 9.

" Spiritual foundation by age 13; no significant spiritual change by any other age groups.

" 69% of youth say they know all or most of the Bible stories and themes.

" Most parents say kids are incapable of making important moral and spiritual decisions until age 13 or 14.

" Kids are getting less than one hour per week of spiritual experience.

" 87% of parents are satisfied with what the church does.

" 2% of 13 year olds have a Biblical world view.

" Only 1 of 3 thirteen year olds is born again.

" 4 of 5 thirteen year olds don't know what worship is.

" Most never experience God's presence

" Biblical knowledge is embarrassing.

" 20% of students who were highly churched as teens remained spiritually active by age 29. - Barna / Missions Frontier

Darren Whitehead, Next Gen Ministries, Willow Creek Church

" Church kids not much different than world.

" 60-80% leaves the church. Whitehead

" Church kids have shallow Biblical knowledge. Whitehead

"The majority of self identified unbelievers in this country are former church kids. Perhaps for the first time in church history those most inclined toward belief - our own children - are walking away from the faith at an alarming rate." Unchristian by David Kinnaman

"Only 17% of the 1009 adults participated in family devotions with any degree of regularity. Shift by Bryan Hanes p. 43. Copyright 2009.

What will the next generation look like?

" Builders: born 1927-1945, 65% Bible based believers

" Boomers: born 1946-1964, 35% Bible based believers

" Buster: born 1965-1983, 16% Bible based believers

" Bridgers: born 1984 or later, 4% Bible based believers

While many today might classify themselves as believers, only 4% of this next generation would affirm themselves as Bible-believing Christians!" Battle Cry for a Generation by Ron Luce

30 year anniversary of Iranian Embassy Hostage Crisis

It's hard to believe it's been 30 years since Iranians stormed the US embassy in Tehran. Here's an interesting slideshow of the events.

Thinking Clearly about HSAs

My friend Matt Perman has an excellent post on health-savings accounts and practical ideas that can and will work for improving health insurance. Highly recommended if you're as frustrated as I am about the paucity of clear thinking on the whole health care debate.

Christians Making the World Better

There is a lot of suffering and pain and sadness in this world. It's a broken system, and nothing short of the Lord Jesus' return will fully heal it.

Yet God works through His people today and the world is better because of His love and mercy and grace and power.

Here's a terrific example: surgeries to help women overcome obstretic fistulas.

If I had a special magnet and could remove all the evidences of God's grace at work today, what would be left? Nothing you'd want to see or experience for long.

10 Million Words

I’m regularly challenged by Tim Challies’ observations and writing. He has a new year-long blog project: read and review every non-fiction book on the NYTimes bestseller list! What a terrific way to assess US Culture through the lens of what’s selling. It’s called 10 Million Words and worth your time.

I Lost My RSS Feed List!

My computer hard drive died recently. I didn't have a complete backup, so I lost some information. I've been slowly adding back applications I need on a replacement drive. It's been an unsettling transition, moreso than I expected.

One of the things I lost was my list of RSS feeds. I had a list of about 75-80 blogs that I monitored regularly using RSS. I didn't have a backup.

At first I thought, "No problem, I remember most of them."

Reality: I remember some of them, but not all because I trusted the computer system to bring information from new blog posts to my attention.

My next thought: "Ok, I'll just gradually add them back as I remember them. That will be good since I'll only remember the most valuable ones."

Reality: I am slowly remembering good ones. Yesterday I remembered another blog when the author emailed me -- how could I have forgotten his blog!

Growing realization: I was far too content to swallow a fire hose of incoming data streams without enough discrimination.

Sensing the Mood, and the Helix of History

I read a number of political blogs and columns on a regular basis, trying to be discerning about understanding the times and what we should do (see: men of Issachar) in order to lead our families well.

There is so much distressing news that it's not safe to read these things until you've spent time in the Word and are well-connected with our Lord.

I don't share much of what I read here on this blog because I fear I will discourage you more than encourage you. Two opinion pieces in the WSJ yesterday did seem worth relaying to you.

Peggy Noonan has a keen insight about the disheartened mindset of key leaders outside of Washington:

"The biggest threat to America right now is not government spending, huge deficits, foreign ownership of our debt, world terrorism, two wars, potential epidemics or nuts with nukes. The biggest long-term threat is that people are becoming and have become disheartened, that this condition is reaching critical mass, and that it afflicts most broadly and deeply those members of the American leadership class who are not in Washington, most especially those in business."

She points out that increasingly people doubt the problems we're facing can be solved. And at the same time many people in government roles do not seem to understand that what is good and strong about the US can be harmed.

I think this is spot-on analysis, and recommend the article to you. Like so many opinion pieces, Ms. Noonan does not provide a prescription or solution.

I have commented to a number of friends that it may be a painful and good thing if Americans recognized the limits of government "solutions." But it's hard to see a way out. There have been desperate times in our history before (1790s, the 1860s, the 1930s, the 1970s) when citizens believed the end of the US was near.

Victor Davis Hanson points out some similarities between the challenges President Obama has "inherited" and what President Truman inherited. I believe it's important to study history not because history precisely repeats itself, but because news is pretty much the same things happening to different people. Time is not circular, but I could argue it feels helical to us. We're on the same side of the helix as in the past, and so events look similar. History is available to us to study and learn from (if we will.)

What's Your Balance Beam Routine?

Terrific illustration from Francis Chan!

How to Move Millions of Tons of Water

If you or I had to move millions of tons of water miles and miles across hill and dale, we'd need to engineer a big pipe system or caravan with a thousand water trucks. Water is heavy (8 and 1/3rd pounds per gallon).

How does God do it? He floats it above our heads.

And it's beautiful. (I doubt our approach would thrill any aesthete!)

Next time you feel burdened, consider that our amazing God floats tons of water over your head. He's got ways of carrying and moving burdens that we cannot match.

Raising Geniuses

I believe it's critical for fathers to inspire and develop children's abilities to make positive contributions for the world. Every child has enormous potential over his or her lifetime. There will be many day-to-day helps and services which will not be remembered 50 years from now, but will still be enormously helpful. And there can be some contributions which truly change lives and have disproportionately large impacts on the larger world.

Thomas Malthus ( 1766 - 1834) is most famous for his theory that continual increase in the world population would eventually cause food demand to outpace supply, and a collapse that would push the survivors back to subsistence farming conditions. Every time we have come close to what some thought was the "carrying capacity" of the planet, the human population continued to expand. Why? Two likely possibilities:

1. The Malthusian theory doesn't take into account the technological advances and productivity gains in food production. (In fairness, nearly all of the major productivity gains in agriculture occurred after his death.)

2. Malthus didn't understand the impact of geniuses.

I believe both are correct. Dads, let me talk with you about "genius."

Historically it's been a relatively small number of people who have made discoveries or developed technologies which have transformed the world. We look at Eli Whitney (cotton gin), Thomas Edison (electric lighting, audio recording), Alexander Graham Bell (telephone), Marconi (radio), Alexander Fleming (penicillin), Louis Pasteur (understanding of germ theory), and Albert Einstein (theory of relativity), and we think "Wow!" There are plenty of others.

Two things are true about these geniuses.

First, they were recognized as "geniuses" after they'd accomplished something, not before. Their "genius" status had more to do with willingness to try and take risks and work hard than it did raw intellectual or creative capacity.

Second, many of them would not have made your typical "most likely to do something great in life" list when they were children. Edison was considered unteachable by his teachers and so his mother home-schooled him. Einstein couldn't get a teaching job after he graduated from university (and he failed entrance exams the first place he applied). Fleming was considered a mediocre researcher.

As you help your children, don't lose sight of the FACT that you may be shepherding geniuses. Don't let them think they have no hope of doing great things. These are future mothers and fathers and pastors and missionaries and inventors and researchers and writers and creators and leaders.

(By the way, I work for an agricultural corporation. Today most hunger is because of poor logistics or war or political decisions. We're on a mission to double the productivity for grains by 2050, or else we will likely see famine as a result of too little food. With today's technologies, the amount of arable land is roughly constant worldwide. I'm praying for a future genius will come up with a way to increase the amount of arable land we have to work with.)

If Atheists Were Right

Recommended for your reading pile: Excellent juxtaposed statements by Christopher Hitchens and Doug Wilson about atheism and religion.

Doug Wilson completely destroys the foundational arguments for atheism. Here's just one paragraph as an example:

"If the atheist is right, then I am not a Christian because I have mistaken beliefs, but am rather a Christian because that is what these chemicals would always do in this arrangement and at this temperature. The problem is that this atheistic assumption does the very same thing to the atheist's case for atheism. The atheist gives us an account of all things which makes it impossible for us to believe that any account of all things could possibly be true. But no account of things can be tenable unless it provides us with the preconditions that make it possible for our "accounting" to represent genuine insight. Atheism fails to do this, and the failure is a spectacular one. Nor does atheism allow us to have any fixed ethical standard, or the possibility of beauty."

(I'm sure my politically liberal minded friends will be shocked to see me referring to an article on Huffington Post :-)

You've Never Seen a Fan Like This Before

This fan is just WAY cool!

It’s also a good example of innovative thinking and technological breakthroughs that human beings can drive. Malthusians (who think there are too many people on the planet) often miss the reality that the ideas and implementation power to make the world better for everyone are carried by those human beings they don’t think should be permitted.

Two Kinds of Brokenness Before God

As a leader you'll need to help people recognize there are two kinds of brokenness before God, and distinguish between them.

Scott Rodgers gives very helpful counsel:

"First, brokenness can be the result of sin. We’ve messed everything up and now, life is just broken. Second, brokenness can be the result of surrender. We’ve submitted ourselves to the purposes of God so much that we are experiencing pain; the pain of selflessness, submission, being misunderstood, etc.

It’s critical we don’t confuse the two. We need to stop saying, “God is breaking me,” when we’re really just breaking ourselves by repeating destructive, sinful behavior. And, if you’re experiencing brokenness as the result of surrender, lean into it; you’re going through a process of transformation.

Help. I’m broken and I can’t get up. I’m flat on my back. My sin is great. Lord, please forgive me and restore me.

Help. I’m broken and I can’t get up. I’m on my knees. My surrender is great. Lord, please give me the strength to stay the course."

To some degree the people you minister to will experience both, though not at the same time. It's important to help people see which is the proper response to their situation -- and in neither situation do we have the right to blame God for anything.

Devotion: Set It Before Them

We’re familiar with Jesus feeding the 5000 (see Mark 6) and the 4000 (see Mark 8), but God has been miraculously feeding people throughout history. He provided manna to sustain the children of Israel in the wilderness, and water from rocks. There are multiple accounts in the Old Testament where God provides food for people in need. Here we have the record of God providing bread for a hundred men in the midst of a famine:

A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God [Elisha] twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said.
"How can I set this before a hundred men?" his servant asked.
But Elisha answered, "Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the LORD says: 'They will eat and have some left over.' " Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.
2 Kings 4:42-44

Today I’d like to draw your attention to the phrase “set it before them.” This is obedience in action, passing along God’s provision for their needs. God gets the glory, and we get to participate in the miracle. No boasting allowed! (see 1 Corinthians 3:21 about boasting) Note that God could have caused barley loaves to appear on everyone’s plate – but He chose to use someone to serve. He still operates this way today.

Our Lord orchestrates many situations – both everyday and extraordinary – so that you and I are given something in order to serve others.

We are blessed with food and clothing and shelter. Our families, friends, and even enemies need these things. Our task? Set it before them.

We have the fullness of God’s peace, and experience grace upon grace from the Lord, encouraged daily by fresh mercies. Our task? Set it before them.

In Christ we have power to rejoice and laugh, and mourn with those in pain. Our task? Set it before them.

We have the Gospel message itself. Our task? Set it before them.

In all these things we see the pattern: God provides, and we set it before others.

The result? Our giving allows other people to experience God’s provision, and disciplines us more and more into Christ-likeness. Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of giving in order to save people and glorify God.

So I encourage you today to look for opportunities to give from what God has provided you and set it before others. The world rarely understands how much you have to share, but they will recognize God’s love and power when you do.

Real Men Handle Criticism Well

There are a handful of issues that men need to consistently address in leadership roles, none of them following a 1-2-3 formula. One of those is handling criticism.

Leaders get criticized. You can wish it weren't true, but leaders don't waste time on fantasies. You can choose to complain about it, but leaders don't miss opportunities to look for feedback that helps them sharpen their craft.

I can't write on this any better than some others have done. Here are some recommended articles for you to print off and mark up:

Dealing with Critics
Criticism 101
The Top 10 List for Handling Criticism

The issue becomes putting these ideas into practice in your life. Our pride makes this hard. That's where I find prayer is usually needed the most -- dealing with my pride first.

Lessons from Robert Rogers on Ending Well

One of the most interesting biographies I've read in some time is War on the Run: The Epic Story of Robert Rogers and the Conquest of America's First Frontier. Fascinating man, pivotal events in the history of the North American continent.

Robert Rogers lived an amazing life, with many accomplishments, in a tumultuous period of history. His physical exploits were legendary in his own time and even today would be difficult to duplicate with modern clothing and equipment. His leadership and cross-cultural expertise (his treatment of Indians, for example) were uncharacteristically noble for the time. You can learn a good deal about Robert Rogers at this Wikipedia page.

But apart from one history buff and some former military friends (Rogers Rules for Rangers are still part of the official Ranger Handbook and practiced today), no one seems to know about him.

For the first 3/4ths of the biography I was puzzled about this. "How can I not have heard about all this in history classes at school? Why isn't he more celebrated?"

And then I began reading about his decisions after 1768. He pretty much abandoned his family, and pursued selfish ambitions. He drank heavily later in life and was in and out of prison. He didn't side with the Americans during the Revolutionary War and retained his status as Major in the British Army. He caught Nathan Hale as a spy.

In sum: Rogers didn't end well. And American history remembers him little after 1768 because he was on the "wrong" side of the victors. (Had Rogers sided with the Revolution, American schoolchildren today might learn more about him.)

This kind of story should give men -- men like you and me -- pause for thought. Let's commit to making decisions daily towards ending well.

Muslim Populations

From a new Pew study titled "Mapping the Global Muslim Population":

"A comprehensive demographic study of more than 200 countries finds that there are 1.57 billion Muslims of all ages living in the world today, representing 23% of an estimated 2009 world population of 6.8 billion.

While Muslims are found on all five inhabited continents, more than 60% of the global Muslim population is in Asia and about 20% is in the Middle East and North Africa. However, the Middle East-North Africa region has the highest percentage of Muslim-majority countries. Indeed, more than half of the 20 countries and territories in that region have populations that are approximately 95% Muslim or greater.

More than 300 million Muslims, or one-fifth of the world's Muslim population, live in countries where Islam is not the majority religion. These minority Muslim populations are often quite large. India, for example, has the third-largest population of Muslims worldwide. China has more Muslims than Syria, while Russia is home to more Muslims than Jordan and Libya combined.

Of the total Muslim population, 10-13% are Shia Muslims and 87-90% are Sunni Muslims. Most Shias (between 68% and 80%) live in just four countries: Iran, Pakistan, India and Iraq."

The most popular boys' name in 2009 in London is Mohammed.

Thinking Differently About Education

Education is by definition an inefficient process.

You should also be in education mode. My grandfather told me as a boy, "The day you stop learning is the day you die."

Our most fundamental problem is not that we lack teachers, but not enough people see themselves as students. A person who is in "learning mode" -- irrespective of age or prior experience -- discovers that every person and every situation functions as a teacher to the one who has "ears to hear."

Josh Kaufman outlines a completely different approach to earning an undergrad degree in "How to Obtain an Accredited Undergraduate Degree in 1 Year for $4,000." The idea here is basically to test out of classes by passing CLEP exams.

Check this out even if you're not looking for an improved option to obtaining a degree, because the lessons here underscore a critical capability for the 21st century: mastering new information and skills. The old paradigms for conveying knowledge are much more limited than the avenues available today.

I encourage you to think about systematic education on some front that interests you. Here are two examples of what I've done, so you see what I'm talking about:

1. In 2008 I tackled reading every book on the Personal MBA Reading List in less than one year as a project -- learned even more than I expected to, and I really enjoyed the challenge.

2. Earlier in 2009 I read through Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology. This helped sharpen my thinking about some areas, and gave me a better grounding for the teaching I do.

In past years I've invested focused time on learning about the neurobiology and psychology of learning, Judaic culture in Christ's time, persuasive writing, military strategy, etc.

So think about areas that you could learn more about, and how that will help you in the future. Make sure they interest you at some deep level, so you'll be able to stick with a learning plan. Then creatively think through how to tap into information sources (reading, audios, videos, in person connections), and make a commitment to follow-through. Remember: we tend to overestimate how much we can do in a day or a week, and vastly underestimate what we can accomplish in a year or five years.

Bible? Cell phone?

What would happen if we treated our Bibles like we treat our Cell Phones?

What if we carried it around in our pockets and purses?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it as we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergencies?

What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?

At least we’d never have to worry about our Bible being disconnected. Jesus has already paid the bill for eternity.

HT: Barry Brown

What Jesus Didn't Say

A convenient way to expanding your understanding is asking the question: what wasn't said here? As you study the Bible, you can ask, "What does this NOT say?"

I really enjoyed this list of 14 Things Jesus Didn't Say by Perry Noble -- especially #1, #7, and #9. This would make a very interesting family conversation around the dinner table.
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#1 – “They will know you are my disciples by your theology, and the arrogance that accompanies it.” (John 13:35)

#2 – “Dream really small dreams and make sure you never ask for anything big!” (John 14:12-14, Psalm 2:8)

#3 – “If someone doesn’t believe just like you believe…make sure to do all you can to attack, criticize and beat them down as much as possible.” (Mark 9:38-41)

#4 – “Be tolerant of everyone…I am one of the many ways to God.” (John 14:6)

#5 – “Make sure you make the church about you…that you are served well…please, don’t do anything that might cause you any type of inconvenience. My goal is for you to be happy!” (Matthew 20:28, Luke 9:23-24)

#6 – “Please, whatever you do, DO NOT tell people the good news…keep it to yourself! The reason I died on the cross is so that you could get into really small groups of people and talk about ‘deep things’ that aren’t going to help anyone when it comes to eternity.” (Matthew 28:20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, Romans 10:14, Romans 10:17)

#7 – “Don’t EVER try anything new…don’t ever take a risk…don’t ever take a step of faith. Be AVERAGE!” (Isaiah 43:18-19, Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6)

#8 – “You can follow me and it will not impact your money at all!” (Matthew 6:19-24)

#9 – “Pray a prayer to get out of hell…and then live however you want.” (John 14:15, John 14:21)

#10 – “You can do it without me!” (John 15:5)

#11 – “I don’t expect you OR your church to be fruitful in any way.” (John 15:4)

#12 – “Isolate yourself from the world!” (John 17:15)

#13 – “Make sure there is a time when you question my word because it will one day be no longer relevant.” (Luke 21:33)

#14 – “Stop crying out to me in desperation…can’t you see I’m busy.” (Mark 10:46-52)

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D.A. Carson on Kingdom

Useful thoughts here. I appreciate D.A. Carson's careful, thoughtful presentations.

The Dad-O-Matic Project

There is a very interesting blog for dads, titled "Dad-O-Matic." It's an ensemble project from many well-read bloggers, all on the theme of being a dad.

Since it's not the work of a single person, you have a wide range of perspectives. Not all are written from a Christian worldview, by the way. There are helpful advice and insights.

We learn complex skills like parenting through instruction, practice, and association. Dad-O-Matic helps with the instruction a little, but more with association (albeit in digital form). The more you associate with good dads, the better dad you're likely to become.

Recommended.

Boys and Weapons and Sticks

I've been called sexist and primitive and backwards, but I do believe there are fundamental differences in the ways boys and girls are wired.

Matt Chandler said in a sermon that boys are "made to build things and break things. And girls can make any two objects friends."

Boys can make anything into a weapon. I've seen boys pop the heads off Barbie Dolls and declare them "hand grenades." If you hear the sound of simulated Star Wars laser blasters ("Pew! Pew! Pew!") in church, it's going to be coming from a boy squinting down his finger. I'm old enough that we said "bang." Knives. Bows and arrows. Ropes. Whips. Hammers. Screwdriver? "Watch me stick this screwdriver in that tree!"

And of course boys love sticks. Walking sticks. Sticks to beat things with. Sticks that become weapons in imagination. As we grow up our sticks get bigger and more sophisticated. In one sense, our ICBMs are a big stick.

(I acknowledge there are girls who love sticks and rocks, too. The kid with the most accurate arm in the West Virginia holler where I grew up was a girl name Glenna. She killed more than one squirrel with a rock. But the fact is that very few girls are like this, and nearly all boys are.)

Boys love to challenge one another. Sometimes over the stupidest stuff. It doesn't suprise me at all that the last words of many a man were "That's nothing, hold my beer and watch this!" Can you even imagine a girl or grown women saying that?

I know many mom's who are just horrified about their son's tendency towards weapons and fighting. And their husbands often feel pressure to "tame" their son.

My counsel: don't fight it, channel it.

Channel this energy into being prepared to stand against evil and defend innocents and the weak. You need to model this yourself, but also instruct them.

A good strategy is to watch movies with your boys (Sergeant York, The Green Berets, The Patriot, Brave Heart, Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan, and others -- yes, your son may not be old enough yet) and talk with them about how men behave in these difficult situations. This means you watch a scene together, stop the movie, and talk about it. Let the movie be a conversation starter.

The idea is to fill their imagination with fighting against evil, and persevering in the right cause, to serve and protect others. That's ultimately what all this drive in boys is about.

Read more in my earlier post, What Fathers Should Teach Their Sons.

P.S. If there are movies that you recommend, add them in the comments below.

John Newton on Controversy

John Newton wrote much, much more than the hymn "Amazing Grace." I recently came across this short letter he wrote to a friend, which people have titled "On Controversy."

In this letter Newton counsels a minister friend who wants to publish an article criticizing another man for his theological positions.

I recommend you read "On Controversy" for two reasons:

1. It's well written, sound, and timeless advice on handling disagreements.
2. It taps into a useful approach for thinking through our actions -- how will this affect your 'opponent,' the public, and ourselves? It's good to see the public included as second, ahead of ourselves, since we are ambassadors for Jesus Christ.

Note: though written from a Calvinist perspective, there is wise counsel here for any Christian.


HT: Between Two Worlds

Freedom = Simple Answers + Courage

We're all prone to look for easy answers. (Witness the billions spent on get-rich-quick and weight-loss schemes.)

These are difficult days for many of us, if not personally then in our communities and nations. There are complex and complicated problems, and the easy answers tend to make things worse over a period of time than better. One wonders at times if solutions are going to be like solving Rubik's cube -- it's going to look worse than at the start, but eventually comes out right.

Intuition tends to lead us astray. Wise husbands and fathers and leaders look to revelation and proven wisdom.

I invite you to consider these quotes:

“There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to what is morally right.” -- Ronald Reagan

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." – John 8:31-32
(Please note the context of this oft-misused verse!)

"I wouldn't give a fig for simplicity on the near side of complexity, but would give my right arm for simplicity on the far side of complexity." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., (The US Supreme Court justice, not his father the author)

Freedom = Simple Answers + Courage + willingness to go through complexity to reach simplicity.

How to Clean the Inside of Your Monitor Screen (humor)

Enjoy this free service!

How Motivation Works

Watch this video for some counter intuitive results from psychological studies on how incentives and rewards actually work. It's dependent on the type of work involved.




Dan Pink's presentation is worth watching. Though geared toward a business situation, I encourage you leaders and dads to think about how this applies in your family, and in church/civic leadership situations.

By the way, there are MANY fascinating TED talks available, well worth scanning. I subscribe to their blog feed as a way to keep a stream of incoming new ideas. Finally, you can learn a lot about how to do effective presentations by watching these talks.

Segmentation vs. Intergenerational Church

I was impressed with this interview with Kara Powell, "Is the Era of Age Segmentation Over?" and recommend it to you dads and church leaders.

You're aware of the distressing statistics about teenagers and young adults falling away from active church participation.

Rather than wringing you hands I suggest you (a) pray for kids and teenagers and young adults! and (b) implement some of the intergenerational ideas in this interview.

Key ideas:

• The concept of segregating youth is actually quite modern. (I like to point out that the word "teenager" is, too!)
• There is a strong link between kids staying in church after they graduate and their involvement in intergenerational relationships and worship.
• Teenagers are up to the challenge of full engagement and meaningful relationships with adults of all ages.
• Strive for have 5 adults who build into one kid. (I suggest a good metric is to have 5 people building into every person in your church, irrespective of age!) Serving together is the key approach.
• Parents and adults should share about their own spiritual journeys with younger people.
• The generation gap is widest today on communications technology -- an area with kids can be leaders in our churches!

Highly recommended.

Go Where You're Needed

I'm blessed with friends from many religious groups, nations, and socioeconomic classes. I need to get better at sharing Christ's message with them. This short video clip helped.




"You don't go where you want to, you go where you're needed."

Prayer Insight: the story BEHIND the story

Today I'd like to challenge you about the story behind the story in the Muslim world.

The story most commonly portrayed in the news media is about terrorism and hatred against Israel.

Sidebar: Let me state clearly that while the nation of Israel is not perfect, I'm on their side in nearly all the issues where they are roundly condemned. The recent UN report criticizing Israel is shameful. I'm also in favor of military action against terrorist groups, as a means of restraining evil. Sic vis pacem, para bellum. I do not think they are a complete solution, nor perfect in every operation, but I support the military option because it's necessary to counter evil targeting civilians and innocents. The US and other nations are not spending treasure and sacrificing blood for conquest or immediate gain, any more than we did in WW2, Korea, Vietnam, or Bosnia.

So the story you most likely are hearing about is violence perpetrated by Muslims. These are real events, horrible events, demon-inspired.

I do not think this is the most important story in the Muslim world. Not by a long shot.

The most amazing story coming from the Muslim world is the incredible rate of conversions to Christianity:

"According to Al-Jazeerah's interview with Sheikh Ahmad Al Katani, the president of The Companions Lighthouse for the Science of Islamic Law in Libya, In every hour, 667 Muslims convert to Christianity. Every day, 16,000 Muslims convert to Christianity. Every year, 6 million Muslims convert to Christianity." This interview was in 2001; a number of observers say the conversation rate is increasing.

In France "[a]round 15,000 Muslims each year are converting to Christianity - around 10,000 to Catholicism and 5,000 to Protestantism...."

There are astounding conversion movements in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Egypt and Indonesia.

The God of the Bible is calling people to Himself. Remember this story -- the real story -- when you see news about Muslim violence. Consider the spiritual warfare going on for the souls of millions upon millions of people. And pray differently!

According to Al-Jazeerah's interview with Sheikh Ahmad Al Katani, the president of The Companions Lighthouse for the Science of Islamic Law in Libya, In every hour, 667 Muslims convert to Christianity.

Everyday, 16,000 Muslims convert to Christianity. Every year, 6 million Muslims convert to Christianity.

Listen the Full Interview

http://web.archive.org/web/2004040202...

English transcript

http://www.formermuslims.com/forum/vi... 060bace70d241f606851b3f02fab875

Category: People & Blogs

Tags:

Islam Darkness Muslim Quran mohammed million africa convert revert Embrace journey Jesus Christ truth light Christianity

Filthy Sponge

Eye-opening explanation the sponge (see Luke 23:36)

The Why of Marking Up Your Bible

I'm a big believer in marking up your Bible -- make lots of notes, interact with it! Make it yours! Over time you create something much more valuable. I advocate using wide-margin Bibles to give you more room to write notes. People ask me for specific tips on how to mark up their Bibles, and my answer is "How you do it is much less important than why you're doing it. Start with underlining and making notes in the margins, and go from there."

Now that I have you thinking about your Bible, check out this quote from Mortimer Adler's excellent book, "How to Read a Book" :

"There are two ways in which one can own a book. The first is the property right you establish by paying for it, just as you pay for clothes and furniture. But this act of purchase is only the prelude to possession. Full ownership comes only when you have made it a part of yourself, and the best way to make yourself a part of it is by writing in it. An illustration may make the point clear. You buy a beefsteak and transfer it from the butcher's icebox to your own. But you do not own the beefsteak in the most important sense until you consume it and get it into your bloodstream. I am arguing that books, too, must be absorbed in your blood stream to do you any good.

Confusion about what it means to "own" a book leads people to a false reverence for paper, binding, and type -- a respect for the physical thing -- the craft of the printer rather than the genius of the author. They forget that it is possible for a man to acquire the idea, to possess the beauty, which a great book contains, without staking his claim by pasting his bookplate inside the cover. Having a fine library doesn't prove that its owner has a mind enriched by books; it proves nothing more than that he, his father, or his wife, was rich enough to buy them.

There are three kinds of book owners. The first has all the standard sets and best sellers -- unread, untouched. (This deluded individual owns woodpulp and ink, not books.) The second has a great many books -- a few of them read through, most of them dipped into, but all of them as clean and shiny as the day they were bought. (This person would probably like to make books his own, but is restrained by a false respect for their physical appearance.) The third has a few books or many -- every one of them dog-eared and dilapidated, shaken and loosened by continual use, marked and scribbled in from front to back. (This man owns books.) ...

But the soul of a book "can" be separate from its body. A book is more like the score of a piece of music than it is like a painting. No great musician confuses a symphony with the printed sheets of music. Arturo Toscanini reveres Brahms, but Toscanini's score of the G minor Symphony is so thoroughly marked up that no one but the maestro himself can read it. The reason why a great conductor makes notations on his musical scores -- marks them up again and again each time he returns to study them--is the reason why you should mark your books. If your respect for magnificent binding or typography gets in the way, buy yourself a cheap edition and pay your respects to the author."

HT: Tim Challies

Strive to make the Bible part of you!

Marks of a Spiritual Leader

I know many readers of this blog are pastors, lay leaders, and civic leaders. So I strongly encourage you to print off this article, "The Marks of a Spiritual Leader" , read it, mark it up, and reread it occasionally.

"Biblical spiritual leadership contains an inner circle and an outer circle. The inner circle of spiritual leadership is that sequence of events in the human soul that must happen if anyone is to get to first base in spiritual leadership. These are the absolute bare essentials. They are things that all Christians must attain in some degree, and when they are attained with high fervor and deep conviction they very often lead one into strong leadership. In the outer circle are qualities that characterize both spiritual and non-spiritual leaders."

When I reread this the other day I was struck by this passage (which apparently I didn't think was notable the last time I read it -- no notes or notations on my paper copy!):

"Leaders must be able to digest depression because they will eat plenty of it. There will be many days when the temptation is very strong to quit because of unappreciative people. Criticism is one of Satan's favorite weapons to try to get effective Christian leaders to throw in the towel. "

I heartily recommend the whole article to you.

How to Use a Curfew Clock

Problem: you've set a curfew for your teenager(s) to be home, but are having trouble staying up that late yourself, or don't sleep well on the couch while you're waiting. You'd go to bed, but you're concerned that your son or daughter be home on time and ok.

Solution: set up a curfew clock.

Here's the system we used with great success:

Attach an extension cord to a 2nd alarm clock in your bedroom. Run the extension cord out under your bedroom door and plug into a hallway outlet. Set the alarm clock for the curfew time, and go to bed when you need to.

Your teenager needs to get home in time to pull the plug on the alarm clock. If the alarm doesn't go off, your kids are home and safe, and you keep sleeping. If the alarm goes off, you know they're late and make a phone call. The alarm clock is an arbitrary judge of curfew time.

Overall this worked extremely well for us, particularly since I'm an early riser and turn into a pumpkin about the time my kids hit their second wind!

I know one variation on this scheme -- put the alarm clock by the entryway to the house. That wouldn't work as well in our home because I'd sleep through the alarm. Making the kids come all the way into the house, and upstairs means they're really home.

Some limitations to think through:

1. You won't have the opportunity to talk with your kids when they get home. For many kids, this is a very good time to talk with parents.

2. You have to have enough trust that your teenager doesn't race home, pull the plug on the clock, and then head out of the house again. (This was never an issue for us, but I know some parents would be concerned about this.)

3. This doesn't enforce a going-to-sleep time, just a time to be home.

I encourage you to give this system a try.

Pastor Dad

I encourage you to check out this free ebook, "Pastor Dad" by Pastor Mark Driscoll. You can read it free online, or download the PDF file. It's fairly short, studded with Scripture, and well written. Much of it you'll read and probably say, "Yep!" -- but we need even those reminders!

Here is the Table of Contents:

Preface

Chapter 1
Worshiping the God of Our Fathers

Chapter 2
The Fruitful Vine

Chapter 3
Cultivating Kids

Chapter 4
The Masculine Duty to Provide

Chapter 5
Instruction Followed by Correction

Chapter 6
Protecting From Sin and Folly

Chapter 7
Countering Culture

Developing Discernment

"In the 21st century, the #1 success skill -- a skill that NOBODY ever seems to talk about -- is discernment." -- Perry Marshall

Most adults reading this grew up in a world where information was relatively difficult to publish, find, and reproduce. We were trained to go to the library with our 3x5 index cards to capture source information for our research papers. Photo and video editing was crude enough that you could readily spot fakes.

Today it's different. Information is readily available on the Internet, and it's just as easy to publish stupid stuff as it is smart stuff. And since stupid tends to shout "louder" than wisdom and sense, stupid tends to prevail.

Discernment has always been important. The only difference today is the increasing volume and variety of the noise.

Discernment is best described as keenness of insight and judgment. Developing discernment requires modeling and practice, it's not inborn.

Here are some suggestions for you:

1. Study the Word. Especially Proverbs.

2. Study the world. Think about causes and effects. Observe patterns of behavior and results (over time!). Think through multiple steps (ask "And then what? And what would happen next? And then after that?"). Smart and Stupid are seen in the study of contrasts.

3. Read history and original sources. Don't depend on the latest buzz and fourth-hand analyses.

4. Associate more with people you recognize are wise in their decision-making.

5. Stick with timeless principles. "There is nothing new under the sun," we read in Ecclesiastes. There's truth in the statement that news is the same old stuff happening to new people. Yes, technologies change, and rapidly. But we have the same kinds of strengths and failings as people from thousands of years ago.

6. Pray for wisdom and discernment, for they are both gifts from God.

Happy US Constitution Day!

Today is the 222nd anniversary of the U.S. Constitution! God's providence prevails, brothers. Take some time today to actually read it.

Is Social Media the New Normal?

Here's a stunning set of facts, cleverly presented in this video:



I'm curious to hear your comments about social media communication. Like many communication technologies, it can enrich or diminish people's relational capability.

Irrespective of your thoughts, it's HERE and you'll need to figure out how to navigate in this environment.

Keeping Up on Reading

Several people have commented to me recently about my volume of reading.

Men, I believe you should be a reader, thinker, and leader. But it's more important to be a thinker and leader than it is to be a super-duper reader. Some of us will read a lot, and that's appropriate. Good thinking requires some level of input. The quality of your reading should outweigh the quality.

Some of you need to stop beating yourselves up about not reading enough. Others need to kick yourself off the TV and push yourself to read more. You know who you are.

If you'd like some help being a more effective learner, check out "Keys to Accelerating Learning."

Yes, I'm on Twitter

You can keep up with me on Twitter. I'd love to have you follow me.

See my earlier post about how I'm using Twitter to encourage people.

It's been a good learning experience on Twitter, and it's an excellent way to find out about new blogs, articles, and resources. The trick is to go quickly and not spend too much time on it.

Increasingly this kind of social media is going to be a major means of communicating with segments of the population that need the love of Christ.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Here's a list of questions I ask myself frequently. The process of answering these helps keep me on track!

Who is Jesus?
What will I do about that?
Where is my faith?
What's the opportunity to serve now?
Where is God at work?

I hope these help you, too! What other questions should we be asking ourselves?

Remembering 2001

From the world perspective, the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and Flight 93 on Sept 11th were the biggest events of the year.

Today let's pray for the families of those killed. Let's steel ourselves and remember that we are fighting terrorists who prefer targeting innocent non-combatants. We pray not for the death of our enemies, but that the Lord would stop them.

From a personal perspective, I think about 2001 every day -- not of September 11th, but of the day in July when my dad died unexpectedly. I've been wearing his watch ever since, as a reminder to me of what is important in this life.

Events shape us. As you minister with people, remember that they have been shaped by events larger and smaller, and by everyday friction of living.

I

How Much Faith?

If you think this is a worn-out repeat of the "small as a mustard seed" devotion, you're only half right. Read on and see for yourself.

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. (Luke 17:5-6)

I've met with several people who struggled to make a faith-based decision because they imagined it as leaping across the Grand Canyon.

Our imagination is powerful, and often wrong. We tend to amplify our problems and challenges and focus on unrealistic worst-case scenarios. Jesus helps us here with a visual. Just a little faith, a tiny amount is enough, because God is so Big and Powerful and Sovereign. Not a walnut, nor even an acorn, but a mustard seed-sized faith is sufficient on our part.








We follow the disciples in praying, "Lord, Increase our faith!" Fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith (Heb 12:2) is important.

Now here is comes the twist.

Check out the context of Jesus' lesson on faith. It's about relationships and how to handle the serious issue of sin in relationships.


Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' " (Luke 17:1-10)

There is another passage (Matthew 17:1-20) where Jesus tells his disciples that if they have faith the size of a mustard seed, they can move mountains. The context there is the story of driving out the demon from a boy.

Key lesson: Our mustard-seed-sized faith moves mountains in relationships. It links up with God's power to deal appropriately with sin through repentance and forgiveness. And we don't deserve a lot of credit in all this, because it's our duty to operate this way.

For most of us, our most challenging day-to-day issues are rooted in relationships. They're wearying and worrying. God's power is available (and so necessary!) as we exercise our tiny amounts of faith. Seeing God's power does not require huge reservoirs of faith, according to this promise, but just a little bit of faith.

Transformed relationships testify powerfully to the world about our great and awesome God!

Getting Past Overwhelm

I wish I had recognized this problem sooner.

And I wish I had a better track record of getting past it.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. :-)

Here's the problem: I have so many things going on, and so many good ideas about what to do, and a long list of "should do's" and "must do's" that I'm unenthusiastic about that...I stall out, freeze up, and feel really, really tired. I feel overwhelmed. And far too often I don't do much of anything useful at that point.

Logically, with some perspective, I'm not at a danger point. These aren't major health issues, relationship crises, or disastrous money problems. My life is not in danger. (I should be overwhelmed by gratitude that I get to experience so many blessings!)

But at these moments it's difficult to think with dispassionate logic, but how I FEEL is foremost.

And I FEEL like a nap, followed by a fun movie accompanied by eating yummy-but-bad-for-me food, followed by bed so I can get a fresh start tomorrow. It's all about ME ME ME ME ME!

Some of you who know me might be quite surprised to hear about this, because my reputation is built on getting a lot of things done, quickly and well. I work efficiently in bursts!

Let me share the best antidotes I've found for this wrong response to ill-perceived overwhelm.

1. Take five deep breath and reconnect with God. This feeling of overwhelm doesn't leap to selfishness if I'm reminded of God's goodness, provision, and presence. The deep breaths helps calm my racing heart, which makes it easier to focus on Christ.

2. Write out a list of stuff to do. Getting it out of my head and on paper actually makes it easier to think logically and creatively about what needs to be done, and what opportunities exist to serve.
3. Tackle hard unpleasant tasks early (or when you're freshest). Those are the tasks that build your character, dad! Putting them in the rear-view mirror makes it easier to look forward.

4. Pick just one thing, a small thing, and get it done. Enjoy that satisfaction of crossing it off the list, and build momentum from there.

Now when I hit this state of overwhelm and might still need a 10 minute nap. But I don't need to keep going downhill into selfishness and lethargy. And knowing that helps a great deal, too!

I hope these shorten your learning curve. If you struggle with this, too, let's pray for one another.

Systems Thinking about US Health Care

If you're weary of the blather and let's-shout-past-the-other-guy news about US healthcare and how it should be reformed, I strongly encourage you to read this Atlantic article:

How American Health Care Killed My Father, by David Goldhill

I recommend this article to you in spite the tabloid headline because

• it's well-written and loaded with facts, but uses a personal story to engage you without manipulating your emotions
  
• takes a systems-thinking approach, identifying stakeholders, relationships, and [unintended] consequences of decisions made
• avoids demonizing individuals and institutions
• proposes solutions and shows how they meet reasonable tests of effectiveness
• is realistic about human behavior related to change

Even if you don't agree with Goldhill's proposed solutions, I endorse this article because it intelligently fosters dialogue.

Warning for those with ADD: it's 17 pages printed. Get over it. You aren't going to intelligently cover something as complicated as a healthcare system in three paragraphs or a 3 minute network news story.

Ad -- Start Your Own Religion

This ad appeared on my daughter's Facebook page recently. (It was heartening to see her outrage :-)

If you click through you go to an Amazon sales page for a 40 page self-published book titled "How to Build a God in Your Garage" that is categorized in both Humor and Religion.

I haven't read the book, so can't comment on its humor potential. The Bible uses humor effectively to ridicule the idea of idols and home-fashioned 'gods.'

"So who even comes close to being like God?
To whom or what can you compare him?
Some no-god idol? Ridiculous!
It's made in a workshop, cast in bronze,
Given a thin veneer of gold,
and draped with silver filigree.
Or, perhaps someone will select a fine wood—
olive wood, say—that won't rot,
Then hire a woodcarver to make a no-god,
giving special care to its base so it won't tip over!" (Isaiah 40:18-20)

"Don't take the godless nations as your models.
Don't be impressed by their glamour and glitz,
no matter how much they're impressed.
The religion of these peoples
is nothing but smoke.
An idol is nothing but a tree chopped down,
then shaped by a woodsman's ax.
They trim it with tinsel and balls,
use hammer and nails to keep it upright.
It's like a scarecrow in a cabbage patch—can't talk!
Dead wood that has to be carried—can't walk!
Don't be impressed by such stuff.
It's useless for either good or evil." (Jeremiah 10:1-5)

And when deprecating humor is inadequate, God sends judgment.

Now most readers of this blog aren't crafting idols in their garage. We're far too sophisticated for that! No, our modern idols are subtle and invisible most of the time. Our idols are crafty, stealthy, and deadly dangerous to our hearts and our families' hearts. Sometimes we manipulate our idols so that people follow us and shower us with attention.

John's counsel remains for us: "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." (1 John 5:21)

To Understand REALLY Smart Children...

Some of you have really smart children. They may not always do exceptionally well in school. But they have an adult kind of self-awareness and occasionally have insights that shock adults.

If you'd like to understand more about how these children think and experience the world, I have an unusual recommendation for you: read the sci-fi book Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

I've never read anything else that better describes the challenges and skills of these children. They don't think of themselves as children, actually, and quickly learn how to mask aspects of themselves around adults -- because most adults are uncomfortable around them, or even frightened. One of things Card correctly captures is their strong desire to be loved.

I've probably read this novel twenty times. Yes, I do see a character very much like me in the book. (I'm not Ender, but those who know me may recognize me in another key character.)

This is not an explicitly Christian book, nor written as a parenting manual. There is some violence in the plot. It is definitely not a book for younger children to read. But I do recommend it to adults for the insights you can learn about human behavior. It's a well-written story. (Actually, it's the first of a series of related novels, but it's the best.) If you don't have a child or grandchild like this, there is still probably one in your sphere of influence.

Big Government, Small Citizen

As a followup to my earlier post on the Countering Statism, I encourage you to read Dennis Prager's column, "The Bigger the Government, the Smaller the Citizen." He gives five reasons why bigger government makes less impressive people. Recommended.

Choosing Thomas

Just watch it.

Help Your Family Understand World History

Dads, here's a great tool for helping your family understand the timeline of world history with this very cool chart. (The information below is from another blog I run, Teach To Change Lives.)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

After my earlier post about studying the Bible chronologically, the Agards contacted me and asked me to review their world history chart. So I ordered a copy from their easy-to-use website. The chart arrived here in 3 days and I shot this video review with the chart spread out on our living room floor. (The video is a little fuzzier than I'd like; I used a Flip cam.)


Key points:

• This is world history up to the year 2000, not only the biblical timeline. So you get church history and key events throughout the world.
  
• The circular layout, color coding for people groups/nations descended from Adam, and the index are outstanding.
• The quality of the work is excellent.
• There is so much information packed on this chart that you have to be up close to read the small print. So it's an excellent reference tool, or for use with a family or small group around a table, but you can't put this in front of a larger group and expect them to see more than the sweep of colors.
• The provided PDF copy is your best avenue for enlarging a subset of the chart in order to make slides or handouts. Open the PDF, zoom in, then make a screenshot of that to paste into another document for your handout or slide.

You can order your copy from http://agards-bible-timeline.com

My Thoughts on the Kindle 2

Kindle 2 My wonderful wife gave me a Kindle 2 as a gift earlier this year. This is probably the leading wireless reading device available today. It has spawned a number of competitor products.

As an avid book reader (2-3 books/week, more on vacations!) I've enjoyed the financial savings, the format, the convenience (get a new book in less than a minute), and overall experience.

Let me give some more details on my observations.

The format is sleek and easy to handle, even for long reading stretches. (1500 book capacity -- amazing!) You definitely want to get a case, though. That makes it a little easier to hold and protects the screen surface when you're carrying it in a bag. Battery life is terrific. I read it for hours every day on an 8 day trip and used up maybe half the battery.

The basic functions are easy to learn. I think there's a lot more, but I haven't gotten back to the manual to figure it all out.

A surprising % of the books I'm interested in are available in Kindle format. You have to buy books via Amazon; you can't get them from other sources. Most of the books are $5-12 less expensive in Kindle format, so at the rate I'm reading books, I'll cover the initial outlay in savings.

I've had no problems at all with the purchase or download process. The wireless signal has been available everywhere I could get a cell phone signal in the US. (I haven't traveled outside the US with my Kindle yet.)

There's no backlighting or color. I haven't found this to be a problem, myself. But cookbooks, art books, some travel guides might not work as well. If you like to read books in bed at night, you can attach a little book light.

I tried reading the Wall Street Journal for about 2 weeks, but abandoned that. The Kindle (at least in this size) is not a good tool for fast eyeballing of articles and charts on the newprint pages. It was certainly nice to have the daily edition of the WSJ already downloaded to the Kindle early in the morning.

I have read 28 books now on the Kindle. Just as with paper books, I'm reading several at a time. The Kindle "remembers" where I was when I moved from one book to another, so it's easy to jump right back and pick up reading again where I left off. On my recent vacation I took along my Kindle loaded up with books, a small notebook for writing, and my Bible. That's about 20 pounds less than the paper copies of all the books I read on that trip!

You can highlight text and leave bookmarks in key pages of books, to make it easier to find information. But I do miss being able to mark up books and add scribbles in the margins. I need to experiment more with the Kindle annotation features.

The worst thing right now is that I have no way to pass a book along to someone else. (I've historically enjoyed passing along great books, with my annotations, to friends and colleagues.) Someday maybe the digital rights management tools will be in place to enable this.

I haven't used the Kindle for downloading blogs and other web-based content, so I can't comment on how well that works.

Do I think you should get one? If you're an avid reader in the right circumstances, the Kindle might be good for you. If you only read occasionally, you're probably better off with physical books.

Thoughts? Questions? I'm interested to hear what you think, so comment below.