Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.” Gleaning from the wisdom of Solomon, let’s examine why two are better than one.
When you parent three young boys, every event or activity requires a plan of attack. Cindy and I have found raising three boys to be so much more enjoyable when we work together. This is especially true when it comes to getting the boys ready for bed. If I had to get all three boys ready for bed by myself, it would probably take an hour. Not only does it take longer, it is much more frustrating. However, when Cindy and I work together, we get the job done much quicker and easier. Together, we can have them showered and dressed in 5 minutes. I wash the boys in the shower with me and she drives them off and puts their clothes on. We rotate on reading them stories and laying them down to sleep. Our teamwork lays the foundation for a peaceful evening together. Two are better than one when it comes to parenting.
One of the best Bible stories about the power of partnership to accomplish a work is the story of Nehemiah. Like many Jews of his time, he had been uprooted from his homeland when Persia conquered Israel centuries before Christ was born.
Nehemiah was given an easy, but potentially deadly job, of tasting wine for the king. Though he was a foreigner, he lived in the palace, spent his days at the court and had great favor with the King. If he would have been content to just hold his position in life, he would never have discovered the incredible power of partnership, and would have missed the greatest accomplishment of his life.
After learning that his people were in great trouble, and his hometown of Jerusalem was broken down and burned with fire, Nehemiah was determined to do something. After securing permission from King Artaxerxes, he set out to rebuild the city walls of Jerusalem.
As he walked through the rubble, a passion burned inside to see his city restored. It must have been at this time that he realized the task was to big to do alone. He needed help from others who loved God and the city of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah gathered his fellow Hebrews and laid out his plan for rebuilding the walls. As one man they began this arduous task. As you can imagine, the rebuilding was not easy. To make matters worse, neighboring rulers opposed them and conspirators tried to stop them, but the people persevered. They worked side by side, laying stones with one hand and holding a sword in the other.
Astonishingly, the wall that had lain in ruins for years was built and restored in fifty-two days. This feat is one of the most remarkable accomplishments ever recorded in the Bible.
"It marks a big step in your development when you realize that other people can help you do a better job than you could do alone." Andrew Carnegie
Monday, August 28, 2006
Monday, August 21, 2006
The Liberal Baby Bust
I thought you might enjoy this interesting article from USA Today. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28). The birthing of children is a sign of life, destiny, blessing, prosperity and dominion. Over 25 new babies have been or or will be born this year in Every Nation Tallahassee families. His hand of blessing is upon us as a church. Thank you...Lord!!!
The liberal baby bust
By Phillip Longman
What's the difference between Seattle and Salt Lake City? There are many differences, of course, but here's one you might not know. In Seattle, there are nearly 45% more dogs than children. In Salt Lake City, there are nearly 19% more kids than dogs.
This curious fact might at first seem trivial, but it reflects a much broader and little-noticed demographic trend that has deep implications for the future of global culture and politics. It's not that people in a progressive city such as Seattle are so much fonder of dogs than are people in a conservative city such as Salt Lake City. It's that progressives are so much less likely to have children.
It's a pattern found throughout the world, and it augers a far more conservative future — one in which patriarchy and other traditional values make a comeback, if only by default. Childlessness and small families are increasingly the norm today among progressive secularists. As a consequence, an increasing share of all children born into the world are descended from a share of the population whose conservative values have led them to raise large families. Today, fertility correlates strongly with a wide range of political, cultural and religious attitudes. In the USA, for example, 47% of people who attend church weekly say their ideal family size is three or more children. By contrast, 27% of those who seldom attend church want that many kids.
In Utah, where more than two-thirds of residents are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 92 children are born each year for every 1,000 women, the highest fertility rate in the nation. By contrast Vermont — the first to embrace gay unions — has the nation's lowest rate, producing 51 children per 1,000 women.
Similarly, in Europe today, the people least likely to have children are those most likely to hold progressive views of the world. For instance, do you distrust the army and other institutions and are you prone to demonstrate against them? Then, according to polling data assembled by demographers Ron Lesthaeghe and Johan Surkyn, you are less likely to be married and have kids or ever to get married and have kids. Do you find soft drugs, homosexuality and euthanasia acceptable? Do you seldom, if ever, attend church? Europeans who answer affirmatively to such questions are far more likely to live alone or be in childless, cohabiting unions than are those who answer negatively.
This correlation between secularism, individualism and low fertility portends a vast change in modern societies. In the USA, for example, nearly 20% of women born in the late 1950s are reaching the end of their reproductive lives without having children. The greatly expanded childless segment of contemporary society, whose members are drawn disproportionately from the feminist and countercultural movements of the 1960s and '70s, will leave no genetic legacy. Nor will their emotional or psychological influence on the next generation compare with that of people who did raise children.
Single-child factor
Meanwhile, single-child families are prone to extinction. A single child replaces one of his or her parents, but not both. Consequently, a segment of society in which single-child families are the norm will decline in population by at least 50% per generation and quite quickly disappear. In the USA, the 17.4% of baby boomer women who had one child account for a mere 9.2% of kids produced by their generation. But among children of the baby boom, nearly a quarter descend from the mere 10% of baby boomer women who had four or more kids. This dynamic helps explain the gradual drift of American culture toward religious fundamentalism and social conservatism. Among states that voted for President Bush in 2004, the average fertility rate is more than 11% higher than the rate of states for Sen. John Kerry. It might also help to explain the popular resistance among rank-and-file Europeans to such crown jewels of secular liberalism as the European Union. It turns out that Europeans who are most likely to identify themselves as "world citizens" are also less likely to have children.
Rewriting history?
Why couldn't tomorrow's Americans and Europeans, even if they are disproportionately raised in patriarchal, religiously minded households, turn out to be another generation of '68? The key difference is that during the post-World War II era, nearly all segments of society married and had children. Some had more than others, but there was much more conformity in family size between the religious and the secular. Meanwhile, thanks mostly to improvements in social conditions, there is no longer much difference in survival rates for children born into large families and those who have few if any siblings.
Tomorrow's children, therefore, unlike members of the postwar baby boom generation, will be for the most part descendants of a comparatively narrow and culturally conservative segment of society. To be sure, some members of the rising generation may reject their parents' values, as often happens. But when they look for fellow secularists with whom to make common cause, they will find that most of their would-be fellow travelers were quite literally never born. Many will celebrate these developments. Others will view them as the death of the Enlightenment. Either way, they will find themselves living through another great cycle of history.
Phillip Longman is a fellow at the New America Foundation and the author of The Empty Cradle: How Falling Birthrates Threaten World Prosperity and What to Do About It. This essay is adapted from his cover story in the current issue of Foreign Policy magazine.
The liberal baby bust
By Phillip Longman
What's the difference between Seattle and Salt Lake City? There are many differences, of course, but here's one you might not know. In Seattle, there are nearly 45% more dogs than children. In Salt Lake City, there are nearly 19% more kids than dogs.
This curious fact might at first seem trivial, but it reflects a much broader and little-noticed demographic trend that has deep implications for the future of global culture and politics. It's not that people in a progressive city such as Seattle are so much fonder of dogs than are people in a conservative city such as Salt Lake City. It's that progressives are so much less likely to have children.
It's a pattern found throughout the world, and it augers a far more conservative future — one in which patriarchy and other traditional values make a comeback, if only by default. Childlessness and small families are increasingly the norm today among progressive secularists. As a consequence, an increasing share of all children born into the world are descended from a share of the population whose conservative values have led them to raise large families. Today, fertility correlates strongly with a wide range of political, cultural and religious attitudes. In the USA, for example, 47% of people who attend church weekly say their ideal family size is three or more children. By contrast, 27% of those who seldom attend church want that many kids.
In Utah, where more than two-thirds of residents are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 92 children are born each year for every 1,000 women, the highest fertility rate in the nation. By contrast Vermont — the first to embrace gay unions — has the nation's lowest rate, producing 51 children per 1,000 women.
Similarly, in Europe today, the people least likely to have children are those most likely to hold progressive views of the world. For instance, do you distrust the army and other institutions and are you prone to demonstrate against them? Then, according to polling data assembled by demographers Ron Lesthaeghe and Johan Surkyn, you are less likely to be married and have kids or ever to get married and have kids. Do you find soft drugs, homosexuality and euthanasia acceptable? Do you seldom, if ever, attend church? Europeans who answer affirmatively to such questions are far more likely to live alone or be in childless, cohabiting unions than are those who answer negatively.
This correlation between secularism, individualism and low fertility portends a vast change in modern societies. In the USA, for example, nearly 20% of women born in the late 1950s are reaching the end of their reproductive lives without having children. The greatly expanded childless segment of contemporary society, whose members are drawn disproportionately from the feminist and countercultural movements of the 1960s and '70s, will leave no genetic legacy. Nor will their emotional or psychological influence on the next generation compare with that of people who did raise children.
Single-child factor
Meanwhile, single-child families are prone to extinction. A single child replaces one of his or her parents, but not both. Consequently, a segment of society in which single-child families are the norm will decline in population by at least 50% per generation and quite quickly disappear. In the USA, the 17.4% of baby boomer women who had one child account for a mere 9.2% of kids produced by their generation. But among children of the baby boom, nearly a quarter descend from the mere 10% of baby boomer women who had four or more kids. This dynamic helps explain the gradual drift of American culture toward religious fundamentalism and social conservatism. Among states that voted for President Bush in 2004, the average fertility rate is more than 11% higher than the rate of states for Sen. John Kerry. It might also help to explain the popular resistance among rank-and-file Europeans to such crown jewels of secular liberalism as the European Union. It turns out that Europeans who are most likely to identify themselves as "world citizens" are also less likely to have children.
Rewriting history?
Why couldn't tomorrow's Americans and Europeans, even if they are disproportionately raised in patriarchal, religiously minded households, turn out to be another generation of '68? The key difference is that during the post-World War II era, nearly all segments of society married and had children. Some had more than others, but there was much more conformity in family size between the religious and the secular. Meanwhile, thanks mostly to improvements in social conditions, there is no longer much difference in survival rates for children born into large families and those who have few if any siblings.
Tomorrow's children, therefore, unlike members of the postwar baby boom generation, will be for the most part descendants of a comparatively narrow and culturally conservative segment of society. To be sure, some members of the rising generation may reject their parents' values, as often happens. But when they look for fellow secularists with whom to make common cause, they will find that most of their would-be fellow travelers were quite literally never born. Many will celebrate these developments. Others will view them as the death of the Enlightenment. Either way, they will find themselves living through another great cycle of history.
Phillip Longman is a fellow at the New America Foundation and the author of The Empty Cradle: How Falling Birthrates Threaten World Prosperity and What to Do About It. This essay is adapted from his cover story in the current issue of Foreign Policy magazine.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Freedom is Found in Serving
For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. (16) Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 1 Peter 2:15-16
God, as our Creator, made every person unique and endowed each individual with a special gift. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “(10) Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
There is one common characteristic I have noticed in unhappy people after observing them for over fifteen years. Unhappy people are only focused on themselves. When we focus only on ourselves, we stay yoked to the things we feel will make us happy. We live a life of consumption. Whether it is a new car, new woman, or a new wardrobe, we spend time and money on that which we hope will satisfy. History has proven that “things” never produce true gratification. As a result, we live life depressed, bitter, angry or unfulfilled. The key to living a life of fulfillment is being able to use your gift to serve others.
I meet people all the time who are wandering aimlessly on planet earth wondering why they are here and what they are suppose to do. How many students attend college, earn a certain degree, and later discover they want to do something with there life that has nothing to do with what they studied. Going to college can teach you information and help you develop a particular skill; however it doesn’t guarantee you will have any better understanding of yourself. The key to using your gifts is being able to identify which ones you possess.
Therefore, we should look to the Giver of our gifts to grasp the true identification and understanding of the uniqueness of our design. After all, God made us, so he should know better than anybody else what gifts we possess and what purpose they should be used for. The key to discovering your gift is to know the God who gave it to you.
Something powerful happens in the human soul when we come to an understanding of who we are and what we are supposed to do. This understanding of our destiny produces a security in our soul. Only when we are secure can we be givers, and lovers of other people. When we are insecure, we stay in a constant state of fear and anxiety. This insecurity keeps us bound to the narrow focus of self. It is in this condition of the soul that self preservation manifests in our attitudes and actions. The key to security is to understand who you are.
Since Jesus was so secure, he exhibited a love for people who rejected him, sinned against him, and wanted to kill him. He had a joy that did not reflect his circumstances and the way people treated him. How could he function in this manner? He lived for others and not himself. The key to serving is love for others.
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (14) The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14
God, as our Creator, made every person unique and endowed each individual with a special gift. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “(10) Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
There is one common characteristic I have noticed in unhappy people after observing them for over fifteen years. Unhappy people are only focused on themselves. When we focus only on ourselves, we stay yoked to the things we feel will make us happy. We live a life of consumption. Whether it is a new car, new woman, or a new wardrobe, we spend time and money on that which we hope will satisfy. History has proven that “things” never produce true gratification. As a result, we live life depressed, bitter, angry or unfulfilled. The key to living a life of fulfillment is being able to use your gift to serve others.
I meet people all the time who are wandering aimlessly on planet earth wondering why they are here and what they are suppose to do. How many students attend college, earn a certain degree, and later discover they want to do something with there life that has nothing to do with what they studied. Going to college can teach you information and help you develop a particular skill; however it doesn’t guarantee you will have any better understanding of yourself. The key to using your gifts is being able to identify which ones you possess.
Therefore, we should look to the Giver of our gifts to grasp the true identification and understanding of the uniqueness of our design. After all, God made us, so he should know better than anybody else what gifts we possess and what purpose they should be used for. The key to discovering your gift is to know the God who gave it to you.
Something powerful happens in the human soul when we come to an understanding of who we are and what we are supposed to do. This understanding of our destiny produces a security in our soul. Only when we are secure can we be givers, and lovers of other people. When we are insecure, we stay in a constant state of fear and anxiety. This insecurity keeps us bound to the narrow focus of self. It is in this condition of the soul that self preservation manifests in our attitudes and actions. The key to security is to understand who you are.
Since Jesus was so secure, he exhibited a love for people who rejected him, sinned against him, and wanted to kill him. He had a joy that did not reflect his circumstances and the way people treated him. How could he function in this manner? He lived for others and not himself. The key to serving is love for others.
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (14) The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Family Matters: The Unfading Beauty of a Gentle and Quiet Spirit
1Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 1 Peter 3:1-4
Many women are taught that sexist men have subjugated them, and kept them in bondage, by forcing them to stay home and bear children, and that they must fight their way into the aggressive, competitive, business and professional world. Only by reaching the highest positions of power and influence in that area of endeavor can they find true fulfillment and meaning in life.
Is this assertive, confrontational attitude (so often necessary to be successful in the world) the attitude a Christian woman should have? It is obvious that many women have been greatly influenced by this kind of thinking. They have not realized that the real issue is not “What can I do?” but rather, “What does God say I should do?” A woman’s capability to work just as efficiently as a man, does not dictate the necessity of her doing so. Because she can develop toughness and competitiveness, should she? The Bible teaches a woman's true beauty and power comes from a gentle and quiet spirit.
As in every other area of life, we must look to the Bible to see what God says about character traits women should seek to display, and the role they play in society, family, and in ministry. We must bring our ideas about the subject into conformity with His, not expecting Him to put His stamp of approval on our “creative” ideas about how we can be fulfilled.
By the way, it is crucial to realize that a gentle and quiet spirit has nothing to do with personality. In fact the Bible tells us that all people, not just women, should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19). A woman may well have a bubbly, outgoing demeanor, but an attitude of submission and peace that radiates from deep within and expresses itself through the unique personality that God gave her. On the other hand, a woman may be quiet and seemingly very sweet, and yet be hard and rebellious in spirit, like a brick hidden in a paper bag. All women are equally capable of exhibiting the spirit that God seeks.
In 1 Peter 3:1-4, God is emphasizing what kind of heart a godly woman should possess. As her heart and attitude is right before God, it will manifest externally in an expression that will reflect Jesus. Hairdos, jewelry, make-up and clothing are not the issue. The point is women should not rely on the external things of life to make them beautiful. A beautiful woman is one who first and foremost is godly on the inside. Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (Proverbs 31:30).
Many women are taught that sexist men have subjugated them, and kept them in bondage, by forcing them to stay home and bear children, and that they must fight their way into the aggressive, competitive, business and professional world. Only by reaching the highest positions of power and influence in that area of endeavor can they find true fulfillment and meaning in life.
Is this assertive, confrontational attitude (so often necessary to be successful in the world) the attitude a Christian woman should have? It is obvious that many women have been greatly influenced by this kind of thinking. They have not realized that the real issue is not “What can I do?” but rather, “What does God say I should do?” A woman’s capability to work just as efficiently as a man, does not dictate the necessity of her doing so. Because she can develop toughness and competitiveness, should she? The Bible teaches a woman's true beauty and power comes from a gentle and quiet spirit.
As in every other area of life, we must look to the Bible to see what God says about character traits women should seek to display, and the role they play in society, family, and in ministry. We must bring our ideas about the subject into conformity with His, not expecting Him to put His stamp of approval on our “creative” ideas about how we can be fulfilled.
By the way, it is crucial to realize that a gentle and quiet spirit has nothing to do with personality. In fact the Bible tells us that all people, not just women, should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19). A woman may well have a bubbly, outgoing demeanor, but an attitude of submission and peace that radiates from deep within and expresses itself through the unique personality that God gave her. On the other hand, a woman may be quiet and seemingly very sweet, and yet be hard and rebellious in spirit, like a brick hidden in a paper bag. All women are equally capable of exhibiting the spirit that God seeks.
In 1 Peter 3:1-4, God is emphasizing what kind of heart a godly woman should possess. As her heart and attitude is right before God, it will manifest externally in an expression that will reflect Jesus. Hairdos, jewelry, make-up and clothing are not the issue. The point is women should not rely on the external things of life to make them beautiful. A beautiful woman is one who first and foremost is godly on the inside. Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (Proverbs 31:30).
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