Thoughts, Musings, Reflections, and Ramblings of a campus minister, father, husband, and a Jesus-follower
Thanks for visiting my blog, Serving Bread. Here you'll read stories, insights, reflections and ramblings from a campus minister, father, husband and Jesus-follower. If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to the RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
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In case you did not know, by Mississippi’s own state standards, it ranks first (among all fifty states) in an important education benchmark—how well its fourth-graders read. By its own count, the state boasts that nearly 90 percent of it’s fourth-graders score as proficient or better in reading. They score a hair better than the fourth-graders from Nebraska.
But when the federal government came in to test, the state scored in 50th place, with only 18% of its fourth-graders scoring as proficient or better in reading. (Mississippi did beat Washington DC which has about 1 in 10 of its students scoring as proficient or better in reading)
There are three options here. Either (1) the federal government test is flawed, (2) the state’s test is flawed or (3) both tests are flawed. Though I’m not a fan of the federal government testing procedures as outlined by [tag]No Child Left Behind[/tag], I imagine that [tag]Mississippi[/tag] is somewhat delusional in its self-perception.
Source: Time Magazine, June 4, 2007, page 39.
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In the past couple of summers, I had a list of books that I wanted to read but I never got around to doing them. By publishing my booklist, perhaps it will give me some level of accountability to get through my readings. My goal is to have the following books read by August 23 (the first day of classes at CSUN):
There is not as much fiction in this list as I would like. This is a general problem that I have—where I tend to not read as much as fiction. Perhaps after Harry Potter I might get excited to pick up another fiction. If anyone is interested in picking up one of these books to read with me, we could have an online virtual book-club and/or meet up in real life. In late August, I’ll let you know how I did.
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I converted to the Mac. I barely know how to use it, but conversions are never meant to be a one-step we’re experts type of things. I thought I could reflect on my conversion using some of the conversion tools I am learning in my “Conversion and the Process of Change” at Fuller Seminary.
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A friend of mine from college has been drawing a computer-generated comic series for years. Rhoda and I are actually characters that make appearances here and there in Cow Chip & Lance. In the latest installment, Layla made her debut. I know it’s not Hollywood, but we all get our start somewhere. So hop on over, and check out “Hey Baby What’s Up.”
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As you read this, you probably have your cell phone next to you and it probably has a camera. Check out the history of the inventor designed this strangely addicting marriage. (Basic story, he created the program and soldered a camera to a phone in the maternity ward as his wife is delivering their baby, so that he could send the pics to friends and family around the world. There are greater nerds than me in this world)
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[If your search for pornography led you to this site, read the post and then check out how God offers you the better life]
For the rest of you: Do I have your attention? (By the way, Rhoda okayed this post and title)
The Adult Entertainment industry (much of it in the form of [tag]pornography[/tag]) rakes in over $8 billion a year. And much of that industry takes place in the San Fernando Valley—where I live and minister. The “Daily Sundial” (California State University, Northridge’s college newspaper) reported an article today, raising a few disturbing facts about my campus and community.
Considering the billions of dollars that these production companies, producers, and actors are earning every year, that money is coming back into our community in form of taxes. Take out the [tag]Adult Entertainment[/tag] industry (and/or if consumers stop paying for this filth) and the state and our community will have to deal with some budget shortfall. The revenue from taxes of people’s homes, the products they are delivering, and the purchases they make in our community, helps pay for things like firefighters and teachers (hence why they contribute to my wife’s salary).
Taxes are a weird thing—our tax money goes to things we may not support and to which we may have objections. At the same time, all sorts of people and companies to which we object contribute to tax revenues that eventually comes to bless us (i.e. my wife’s salary).
What is most disturbing to me are two things that the article addresses: 1. CSUN graduates are involved in the community. The industry hires CSUN students and graduates; 2. CSUN hosts the Center for Sex Research and our campus library has the largest collection of pornography in the country. Now I know that I have access to the largest collection of pornography every time I bring up my web browser, but our tax dollars are also hosting filth in the name of research.
I recognize that sex research can be an honorable field of study, but I find it repulsive that collecting pornography is necessary. The demonic exploitation of people in the industry, the way it brings harm to families, and it’s addictive nature make this a gross use of our tax dollars and a gross use of research.
The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 6.12-13, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (NIV).
May the Lord bless my household to be a witness of the things of God. May our community on campus be a witness to the healing power and the satisfaction that is found only in Jesus.
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