Your Type is:
ENFP
Extroverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving
Strength of the preferences %
33 33 56 11
ENFPs have what some call a "silly switch." They can be intellectual, serious, all business for a while, but whenever they get the chance, they flip that switch and become CAPTAIN WILDCHILD, the scourge of the swimming pool, ticklers par excellence. Sometimes they may even appear intoxicated when the "switch" is flipped.
ENFPs hate bureaucracy, both in principle and in practice; they will always make a point of launching one of their crusades against some aspect of it.
The "Champion Idealists" (ENFP's) are abstract in thought and speech, cooperative in accomplishing their aims, and informative and extraverted when relating with others. For Champions, nothing occurs which does not have some deep ethical significance, and this, coupled with their uncanny sense of the motivations of others, gives them a talent for seeing life as an exciting drama, pregnant with possibilities for both good and evil. This type is found in only about 3 percent of the general population, but they have great influence because of their extraordinary impact on others. "Champions" are inclined to go everywhere and look into everything that has to do with the advance of good and the retreat of evil in the world. They can't bear to miss out on what is going on around them; they must experience, first hand, all the significant social events that affect our lives. And then they are eager to relate the stories they've uncovered, hoping to disclose the "truth" of people and issues, and to advocate causes. This strong drive to unveil current events can make them tireless in conversing with others, like fountains that bubble and splash, spilling over their own words to get it all out.
"Champions" consider intense emotional experiences as being vital to a full life, although they can never quite shake the feeling that a part of themselves is split off, uninvolved in the experience. Thus, while they strive for emotional congruency, they often see themselves in some danger of losing touch with their real feelings, which "Champions" possess in a wide range and variety. In the same vein, "Champions" strive toward a kind of spontaneous personal authenticity, and this intention always to "be themselves" is usually communicated nonverbally to others, who find it quite attractive. All too often, however, "Champions" fall short in their efforts to be authentic, and they tend to heap coals of fire on themselves, berating themselves for the slightest self-conscious role-playing.
Famous ENFP's:
Franz Joseph Haydn
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)
Will Rogers
Theodor "Dr." Seuss Geisel
Mickey Rooney
Andy Rooney
Carol Burnett
Paul Harvey
Bill Cosby
Dave Thomas
Martin Short
Meg Ryan
Robin Williams
Sandra Bullock
Robert Downey (Heart and Souls)
Alicia Silverstone (Clueless)
Sinbad
Andy Kaufman
Fictional:
Ariel (The Little Mermaid)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Steve Irkle
“I have come to believe that by and large the human family all has the same secrets, which are both very telling and very important to tell. They are telling in the sense that they tell what is perhaps the central paradox of our condition - that what we hunger for perhaps more than anything else is to be known in our full humanness, and yet that is often just what we also fear more than anything else.” - Frederick Buechner
12.24.2004
Merry Christmas
There’s just something about Christmas. It’s magical, enchanting even. I’d have to say that it’s my favorite time of year. Everything about the season, the traditions, the decorations, the smells, the sounds, the mystery... it’s wonderful! We got our first touch of snow the other day here in Oklahoma and it finally feels like Christmas. I've survived my numerous trips to the mall, enjoyed the lights around town, absorbed the aroma of fresh goods being baked in the oven, and have even endured the massive amounts of wrapping that I have needed to get done for some time now. It's here. Christmas is upon us. Tonight with my friends and family I will partake in some of the many wonderful Christmas traditions that I have come to know and love.. our Candlelight service at church, the big party at my house afterwards complete with cheesecorn chowder and cider, cookies, tons of kids, the search for "the pickle' and of course, the "talent time." (which I could do without, but alas, traditions are traditions). After everyone leaves my family will then go into our separate spaces to wrap last minute gifts and stocking stuffers.. then I'll sneak out late and put cookies and coffee by the fireplace because even though I know "the truth", there's still a part of me that wishes I still believed in Santa. There is nothing like experiencing the "magic" of Christmas through the eyes of a child.
When I think about the Christmas story I think about peace, love, redemption and wonder... and yes, even it's "magic." But this year particularly I think about it's message of hope.
Going to school at Belmont has been an amazing experience for me thus far, everyone is so talented and it’s quite humbling to be a part of such an extraordinary group of people. But at the same time, being surrounded by stimulating talented individuals 24/7 can become a bit intimidating. You wouldn’t believe it, there are kids here who take the air out of the room when they get up and perform. It’s ridiculous. All you can say is “wow.’ This has been a hard thing for me to deal with because while I feel that God has given me some gifts in this area, I know that I don’t possess THAT kind of talent. I don’t have a “wow” factor. I’m not exceptionally smart, I don’t have a musical gift that will knock your socks off, and I’m certainly not a “knockout” beauty queen! I don’t say this out of self-pity or cynicism, in fact, I really don’t mean to sound negative either. I suppose that I say all of this to give encouragement to all the lonely people out there who think their lives are merely “ordinary.”
With the Christmass story in mind, perhaps this is why I love Mary. She was so.. normal. So everyday. So.. plain. As far as we know she didn’t have some amazing talent, she didn’t have an IQ that was off the charts, and she wasn’t a beauty queen either. She didn’t have a standout “wow” factor, and yet God used her in a spectacular way. God chose to bless her with a “wow-factor” that would forever be remembered. The best part is that she never saw it coming, and I highly doubt that any of her friends or family could have predicted what God had planned for her. She was common. Ordinary. In fact, when I look at the Christmas story it became obvious that all of the main characters were ordinary. From Mary and Joseph, to their parents, to the shepherds, God didn’t leave anyone out!
Some days I just can’t wrap my mind around it. When God sent his son into the world.. his only son.. he put him in the care of ordinary people. He didn’t choose the smartest, the most talented, or the most beautiful individuals in Israel to look after the world’s most precious gift, He didn’t even choose people with prior parenting skills! And the first people to hear the glorious news of Jesus’ birth were shepherds! Lower-middle class workers, doing the night shift no less, were the first to worship the newborn babe!
Christmas is a time of hope. A time of expectation. A time when we can go to God and not only thank Him for His precious gift, but to marvel at the very way He chose to come. Our God is the God of the unexpected, and I for one am tremendously glad that He is. The very fact that He chose ordinary people over kings and queens gives me great hope. So this Christmas I choose not to focus on my shortcomings, no matter what they may be, but rather, I choose to rest peacefully in the hope that if God used ordinary people in extraordinary ways some 2000 years ago, then chances are He’s still using ordinary people today.
And THAT my friends, is enchanting.
"Close my eyes and hold my heart
Cover me and make me something
Change this something normal
Into something beautiful "
In Christ it has all been done.
Merry Christmas.
When I think about the Christmas story I think about peace, love, redemption and wonder... and yes, even it's "magic." But this year particularly I think about it's message of hope.
Going to school at Belmont has been an amazing experience for me thus far, everyone is so talented and it’s quite humbling to be a part of such an extraordinary group of people. But at the same time, being surrounded by stimulating talented individuals 24/7 can become a bit intimidating. You wouldn’t believe it, there are kids here who take the air out of the room when they get up and perform. It’s ridiculous. All you can say is “wow.’ This has been a hard thing for me to deal with because while I feel that God has given me some gifts in this area, I know that I don’t possess THAT kind of talent. I don’t have a “wow” factor. I’m not exceptionally smart, I don’t have a musical gift that will knock your socks off, and I’m certainly not a “knockout” beauty queen! I don’t say this out of self-pity or cynicism, in fact, I really don’t mean to sound negative either. I suppose that I say all of this to give encouragement to all the lonely people out there who think their lives are merely “ordinary.”
With the Christmass story in mind, perhaps this is why I love Mary. She was so.. normal. So everyday. So.. plain. As far as we know she didn’t have some amazing talent, she didn’t have an IQ that was off the charts, and she wasn’t a beauty queen either. She didn’t have a standout “wow” factor, and yet God used her in a spectacular way. God chose to bless her with a “wow-factor” that would forever be remembered. The best part is that she never saw it coming, and I highly doubt that any of her friends or family could have predicted what God had planned for her. She was common. Ordinary. In fact, when I look at the Christmas story it became obvious that all of the main characters were ordinary. From Mary and Joseph, to their parents, to the shepherds, God didn’t leave anyone out!
Some days I just can’t wrap my mind around it. When God sent his son into the world.. his only son.. he put him in the care of ordinary people. He didn’t choose the smartest, the most talented, or the most beautiful individuals in Israel to look after the world’s most precious gift, He didn’t even choose people with prior parenting skills! And the first people to hear the glorious news of Jesus’ birth were shepherds! Lower-middle class workers, doing the night shift no less, were the first to worship the newborn babe!
Christmas is a time of hope. A time of expectation. A time when we can go to God and not only thank Him for His precious gift, but to marvel at the very way He chose to come. Our God is the God of the unexpected, and I for one am tremendously glad that He is. The very fact that He chose ordinary people over kings and queens gives me great hope. So this Christmas I choose not to focus on my shortcomings, no matter what they may be, but rather, I choose to rest peacefully in the hope that if God used ordinary people in extraordinary ways some 2000 years ago, then chances are He’s still using ordinary people today.
And THAT my friends, is enchanting.
"Close my eyes and hold my heart
Cover me and make me something
Change this something normal
Into something beautiful "
In Christ it has all been done.
Merry Christmas.
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12.18.2004
And so it is.
Everytime I sit down to type something out, nothing comes. Which is odd, because I definitely have thiings to say, I guess I just don't have any good ways to say them. Now that I think about it, this is not so suprising.
I've decided that this semester has been my favorite thus far.
I passed all of my classes! For a while there I was worried that I might get a 'd' or two (which are considered failing if they are in a courses that are required for your major), but I didn't! I didn't even get any C's! Yay.
So much to say... but no way to say it.
I've decided that this semester has been my favorite thus far.
I passed all of my classes! For a while there I was worried that I might get a 'd' or two (which are considered failing if they are in a courses that are required for your major), but I didn't! I didn't even get any C's! Yay.
So much to say... but no way to say it.
12.17.2004
Do the world a favor: Stop shopping at Wal-Mart.
Ford vs. Wal-Mart: A Tale of Two Companies
by David Batstone and David Chandler
The AFL-CIO has launched a major campaign to draw attention to the business practices of Wal-Mart. "The biggest corporation in America today has a business plan that lowers standards, first among its own employees and ultimately for all Americans," says John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO.
Is Sweeney's assessment fair and accurate? Wal-Mart, with over $250 billion in annual sales, is more often praised for its streamlined business model. Its inventory system and distribution network are beyond compare in the retail industry.
Wal-Mart's recipe for success, however, does depend as well on squeezing labor costs. The majority of its hourly workers earn less than $8.50 an hour, which means that a full-time sales clerk at Wal-Mart falls under the official U.S. poverty level for a family of four.
Nearly a century ago, Henry Ford planned for his employees to be his best customers. Challenging the conventional wisdom that the best way to maximize profits was to tailor your product to the wealthiest segment of society, Ford decided to market his black Model T as "America's Everyman car."
For Ford, mass production went hand-in-hand with mass consumption. He established a simple benchmark for worker compensation: His workers should be able to buy the product they were making. Ford promised a $5-a-day minimum wage for all his workers - twice the prevailing automobile industry average.
Doing so, Ford created a virtuous circle. Workers flocked to his factory to apply for positions. If they managed to secure a coveted job, then in time they too would be able to afford one of his cars. The company flourished on these twin pillars - a desirable product and a highly motivated employee base. By the time production of the Model T ceased in 1927, Ford had sold more than 15 million cars - half the world's output.
Compare Ford's virtuous cycle with Wal-Mart's dual strategy of ruthless cost-cutting and "Everyday low prices." On the surface, the goal is the same - produce goods that consumers want and can afford to buy. The result in implementation, however, is vastly different.
While Ford's business model helped lay the foundation for a rising middle class in America, the Wal-Mart model reinforces downward mobility. Wal-Mart today is the largest commercial employer of labor in the United States. In 2002, 82 percent of American households bought something at Wal-Mart. Americans must love to shop at Wal-Mart; on the other hand, maybe they have no choice. A sizeable percentage of Wal-Mart's sales come from low-income households.
The effort to minimize production costs is a legitimate business strategy; no argument there. But does Wal-Mart realize that the employees whose wages they squeeze are often the customers upon whom they rely to fuel their business?
While Ford created demand and wealth with a new and innovative product, Wal-Mart displaces existing demand - siphoning consumption from elsewhere by under-cutting prices. Wal-Mart sets the pricing agenda in whichever market it enters. Suppliers and competitors are squeezed - forced either to push jobs overseas themselves, or forced out of business altogether. For every Wal-Mart supercenter that opens in the next five years, two other supermarkets will close.
Now that it has reached the bargain basement on domestic production costs, Wal-Mart is increasingly turning to overseas operations to stock its shelves. Wal-Mart's domination of the U.S. retail economy has ramifications beyond its own profit margin.
Many economists present Wal-Mart as a net-positive for the U.S. economy. The popular interpretation of anti-trust law today holds that large companies are only a threat to the community if their dominance results in rising prices for consumers. Hence, Wal-Mart escapes regulation because the company's domination of the retail sector delivers lower prices, across the board. Little long-term thought is given to the wider implications of the methods the company uses to produce those lower prices.
The single-minded pursuit of economic growth can exact a heavy toll on a community. Our economic goal of creating wealth should coincide with our ideals of human and societal development. In today's business environment dominated by Wal-Mart, Henry Ford's ideas would be as revolutionary as they were when they were first applied.
-David Batstone is author of Saving the Corporate Soul and Executive Editor of Sojourners magazine.
-David Chandler is the Associate Director of the Center for Non-Profit Management at the University of Miami (FL).
by David Batstone and David Chandler
The AFL-CIO has launched a major campaign to draw attention to the business practices of Wal-Mart. "The biggest corporation in America today has a business plan that lowers standards, first among its own employees and ultimately for all Americans," says John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO.
Is Sweeney's assessment fair and accurate? Wal-Mart, with over $250 billion in annual sales, is more often praised for its streamlined business model. Its inventory system and distribution network are beyond compare in the retail industry.
Wal-Mart's recipe for success, however, does depend as well on squeezing labor costs. The majority of its hourly workers earn less than $8.50 an hour, which means that a full-time sales clerk at Wal-Mart falls under the official U.S. poverty level for a family of four.
Nearly a century ago, Henry Ford planned for his employees to be his best customers. Challenging the conventional wisdom that the best way to maximize profits was to tailor your product to the wealthiest segment of society, Ford decided to market his black Model T as "America's Everyman car."
For Ford, mass production went hand-in-hand with mass consumption. He established a simple benchmark for worker compensation: His workers should be able to buy the product they were making. Ford promised a $5-a-day minimum wage for all his workers - twice the prevailing automobile industry average.
Doing so, Ford created a virtuous circle. Workers flocked to his factory to apply for positions. If they managed to secure a coveted job, then in time they too would be able to afford one of his cars. The company flourished on these twin pillars - a desirable product and a highly motivated employee base. By the time production of the Model T ceased in 1927, Ford had sold more than 15 million cars - half the world's output.
Compare Ford's virtuous cycle with Wal-Mart's dual strategy of ruthless cost-cutting and "Everyday low prices." On the surface, the goal is the same - produce goods that consumers want and can afford to buy. The result in implementation, however, is vastly different.
While Ford's business model helped lay the foundation for a rising middle class in America, the Wal-Mart model reinforces downward mobility. Wal-Mart today is the largest commercial employer of labor in the United States. In 2002, 82 percent of American households bought something at Wal-Mart. Americans must love to shop at Wal-Mart; on the other hand, maybe they have no choice. A sizeable percentage of Wal-Mart's sales come from low-income households.
The effort to minimize production costs is a legitimate business strategy; no argument there. But does Wal-Mart realize that the employees whose wages they squeeze are often the customers upon whom they rely to fuel their business?
While Ford created demand and wealth with a new and innovative product, Wal-Mart displaces existing demand - siphoning consumption from elsewhere by under-cutting prices. Wal-Mart sets the pricing agenda in whichever market it enters. Suppliers and competitors are squeezed - forced either to push jobs overseas themselves, or forced out of business altogether. For every Wal-Mart supercenter that opens in the next five years, two other supermarkets will close.
Now that it has reached the bargain basement on domestic production costs, Wal-Mart is increasingly turning to overseas operations to stock its shelves. Wal-Mart's domination of the U.S. retail economy has ramifications beyond its own profit margin.
Many economists present Wal-Mart as a net-positive for the U.S. economy. The popular interpretation of anti-trust law today holds that large companies are only a threat to the community if their dominance results in rising prices for consumers. Hence, Wal-Mart escapes regulation because the company's domination of the retail sector delivers lower prices, across the board. Little long-term thought is given to the wider implications of the methods the company uses to produce those lower prices.
The single-minded pursuit of economic growth can exact a heavy toll on a community. Our economic goal of creating wealth should coincide with our ideals of human and societal development. In today's business environment dominated by Wal-Mart, Henry Ford's ideas would be as revolutionary as they were when they were first applied.
-David Batstone is author of Saving the Corporate Soul and Executive Editor of Sojourners magazine.
-David Chandler is the Associate Director of the Center for Non-Profit Management at the University of Miami (FL).
12.14.2004
12.13.2004
12.11.2004
"How do you expect me to respond to this?"
The other night I made the mistake of watching “When Harry meet Sally.” Don’t get me wrong, I love that movie, but I needed to watch it just to see if I still believed in its truths, and sadly.. I do. Yes america. I am one of “those people” who believes that single men and women cannot be friends without one of them being attracted at some point. I hate that I believe in this.. but it’s true! Admit it! It is SO true. The sucky part about this theology is that, in my life, it seems I am always the one who is attracted. Ok, I take that back.. there have been a few times where certain friends of mine have been attracted and I haven’t returned the favor.. but it’s been a while since I have been in that position (which, for the record, I hate, because there have been times were I have really wished that I could have feelings for people that I don’t have feelings for) ok wait.. now that I think about it, there was a tiny situation about a month ago where this sort of thing happened so maybe it hasn’t been “a while”.. wow, maybe I should stop complaining.
Anyhow. My point is this, and I think I have illustrated it quite well by now: The attempt is futile. Try as you might to be a single person in a platonic relationship with a single person of the opposite sex, it will never work. ok, so yes, it can work.. but be prepared because eventually, at some point, one will become “attracted” to the other. Whether there are intense feelings or not, whether you admit or not, whether “emotions” are ever discussed or not, it will happen. It’s a law somewhere. I just know it. And good luck to you if you happen to be the sucker who falls first. Because then what do you do? Tell them? How could you? You are friends, you value the friendship, you don’t want to end things all together, you don’t want things to be “awkward” blah blah blah. Face it. You’re screwed.
Now I know what you’re thinking. “Now Danica.. I have TONS of single guy/girl friends, and there is nothing going on... etc.” Well of course there isn’t anything going on! We are kings and queens of deception, haven’t you noticed? We’ve become masters at hiding the truth when it comes to how we really feel.
I would love to end this little soliloquy on a happy note.. but alas, how can I, Miss “Independent woman, Single and strong for 4 years long” instill hope in anyone on this subject? What do I know? I guess I could say that best case scenario you could end up like Harry and Sally.. but even then.. it took them 12 years to figure things out! Who has that kind of time? I will say this... I don’t think that attraction in a platonic relationship means death, but it definitely complicates things. I have single guy friends whom I have “liked” or who have “liked” me at some point or another, and we have managed to remain friends. Granted, in the cases where I have been the one attracted, they’ve had no idea.. but the point is that I managed to keep the friendship intact. So, maybe I am contradicting myself, but yes.. platonic relationships are possible.. but I don’t think they are as platonic as we like to think they are.
Just watch ‘When Harry Met Sally”.. such a great movie...
Anyhow. My point is this, and I think I have illustrated it quite well by now: The attempt is futile. Try as you might to be a single person in a platonic relationship with a single person of the opposite sex, it will never work. ok, so yes, it can work.. but be prepared because eventually, at some point, one will become “attracted” to the other. Whether there are intense feelings or not, whether you admit or not, whether “emotions” are ever discussed or not, it will happen. It’s a law somewhere. I just know it. And good luck to you if you happen to be the sucker who falls first. Because then what do you do? Tell them? How could you? You are friends, you value the friendship, you don’t want to end things all together, you don’t want things to be “awkward” blah blah blah. Face it. You’re screwed.
Now I know what you’re thinking. “Now Danica.. I have TONS of single guy/girl friends, and there is nothing going on... etc.” Well of course there isn’t anything going on! We are kings and queens of deception, haven’t you noticed? We’ve become masters at hiding the truth when it comes to how we really feel.
I would love to end this little soliloquy on a happy note.. but alas, how can I, Miss “Independent woman, Single and strong for 4 years long” instill hope in anyone on this subject? What do I know? I guess I could say that best case scenario you could end up like Harry and Sally.. but even then.. it took them 12 years to figure things out! Who has that kind of time? I will say this... I don’t think that attraction in a platonic relationship means death, but it definitely complicates things. I have single guy friends whom I have “liked” or who have “liked” me at some point or another, and we have managed to remain friends. Granted, in the cases where I have been the one attracted, they’ve had no idea.. but the point is that I managed to keep the friendship intact. So, maybe I am contradicting myself, but yes.. platonic relationships are possible.. but I don’t think they are as platonic as we like to think they are.
Just watch ‘When Harry Met Sally”.. such a great movie...
12.09.2004
I'll take Relevance for $500.
Yay! I FINALLY found a way to "speak my mind" on an issue that I have been thinking about a lot lately..(ever since I read Henri Nouwen's chapter on Relevance in his book In The Name of Jesus)... This article (posted below) is from relevant's web page...
Everyone seems to be talking about being “relevant” these days, as you already know since you’re visiting this website. Relevance has become the new measure by which we judge everything Christian—music, churches, authors, etc. “Are they relevant?” we ask. I personally feel some dissatisfaction with this word. It seems our generation has defined relevance in terms of cultural relevance, which, for entertainment junkies like us, amounts to pop cultural relevance.
No one would ever say it this way, but the message I’m getting is that relevance is a matter of being up on the latest entertainment trends and being able to discuss them intelligently. On these terms, being a relevant Christian seems to amount to being able to express some aspect of your faith in a way that is in keeping with the best of the latest entertainment trends. So, being relevant means—being hip? Are you starting to see the problem?
Every generation has its cultural idols and blind spots. Our parents’ generation was heavily political, and Christians of our parents’ generation were convinced that if the Church was going to remain relevant to the culture, it needed to acquire political power. Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority and other organizations were attempts by that generation of Christians to be “relevant” and “influential.”
Today, we laugh and perhaps even weep at the folly of an overly political agenda for Christianity. We have seen the effects of Christianity becoming another special interest group, just a wing of the Republican Party. We wonder how Christians could’ve gotten so off-track. We wonder because, frankly, ours is not a politically minded generation, and so we do not have the same blind spot our parents had. Ours is an entertainment-minded generation, which leads us down a different, but still very off-track, road.
If we dress the Gospel in the clothing of the latest pop culture trends in the name of “relevance,” we run the risk of making the same mistake of our parents’ generation and of countless other generations before us—of allowing society to set the agenda and push us into its mold. We will not have a politicized Gospel, as the previous generation created, but we may have an en-culturated Gospel. Instead of being political elites, mocking those who are out of touch with politics or who disagree with our brand of it, we may become cultural elitists, with the same arrogance and the same narrow mindset.
The Gospel isn’t about politics. America will not be saved by the election of a Republican president and a Republican Congress (as we are seeing right now). But the Gospel isn’t about the latest entertainment trends either, and America will not be saved just because Switchfoot and P.O.D. are hitting the top of the charts.
Christians of the last generation seemed to want the world to look at them and say, “Look how politically influential they are. We’d better respect them.” I’m afraid too many in our generation want the world to look at Christians and say, “Look how cool they are. They’re not that different than we are. Maybe we should like them and listen to them.” Yet Christians in the early Church didn’t strive for either of these things. The world looked at them and said, “Look how they love one another. They’re so different from the rest of us. How could this dead man named Jesus give them such hope?” Now, there’s real relevance.
Some of you will no doubt be thinking, “But music and movies and art are the language of our generation. It’s what our generation understands. We have to speak in that way.” Perhaps. Yet how different is that from saying, “But politics is the only language this culture understands. If we want to be heard, we need a political voice”? Jesus has given us a language to speak, a language that matches the Gospel better than either entertainment or politics—love.
In the last generation, while some were busy building a Moral Majority, others were in the streets loving the dropouts and deadbeats. These longhaired people-lovers were known simply as “Jesus People,” and some of them may have made good music, but that’s not what made them powerful in reaching a lost generation.
So, who wants to be relevant? Well, I do. I want to speak the truth of God in a way that my generation will understand. But I don’t think we’ll do that by capturing the White House or the music charts. I think we’ll only do that by loving one another and the world around us radically and sacrificially—just like Jesus.
[Jason Van Bemmel is a seminary student and freelance writer who works for New Covenant Christian School in Bel Air, Md.]
Everyone seems to be talking about being “relevant” these days, as you already know since you’re visiting this website. Relevance has become the new measure by which we judge everything Christian—music, churches, authors, etc. “Are they relevant?” we ask. I personally feel some dissatisfaction with this word. It seems our generation has defined relevance in terms of cultural relevance, which, for entertainment junkies like us, amounts to pop cultural relevance.
No one would ever say it this way, but the message I’m getting is that relevance is a matter of being up on the latest entertainment trends and being able to discuss them intelligently. On these terms, being a relevant Christian seems to amount to being able to express some aspect of your faith in a way that is in keeping with the best of the latest entertainment trends. So, being relevant means—being hip? Are you starting to see the problem?
Every generation has its cultural idols and blind spots. Our parents’ generation was heavily political, and Christians of our parents’ generation were convinced that if the Church was going to remain relevant to the culture, it needed to acquire political power. Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority and other organizations were attempts by that generation of Christians to be “relevant” and “influential.”
Today, we laugh and perhaps even weep at the folly of an overly political agenda for Christianity. We have seen the effects of Christianity becoming another special interest group, just a wing of the Republican Party. We wonder how Christians could’ve gotten so off-track. We wonder because, frankly, ours is not a politically minded generation, and so we do not have the same blind spot our parents had. Ours is an entertainment-minded generation, which leads us down a different, but still very off-track, road.
If we dress the Gospel in the clothing of the latest pop culture trends in the name of “relevance,” we run the risk of making the same mistake of our parents’ generation and of countless other generations before us—of allowing society to set the agenda and push us into its mold. We will not have a politicized Gospel, as the previous generation created, but we may have an en-culturated Gospel. Instead of being political elites, mocking those who are out of touch with politics or who disagree with our brand of it, we may become cultural elitists, with the same arrogance and the same narrow mindset.
The Gospel isn’t about politics. America will not be saved by the election of a Republican president and a Republican Congress (as we are seeing right now). But the Gospel isn’t about the latest entertainment trends either, and America will not be saved just because Switchfoot and P.O.D. are hitting the top of the charts.
Christians of the last generation seemed to want the world to look at them and say, “Look how politically influential they are. We’d better respect them.” I’m afraid too many in our generation want the world to look at Christians and say, “Look how cool they are. They’re not that different than we are. Maybe we should like them and listen to them.” Yet Christians in the early Church didn’t strive for either of these things. The world looked at them and said, “Look how they love one another. They’re so different from the rest of us. How could this dead man named Jesus give them such hope?” Now, there’s real relevance.
Some of you will no doubt be thinking, “But music and movies and art are the language of our generation. It’s what our generation understands. We have to speak in that way.” Perhaps. Yet how different is that from saying, “But politics is the only language this culture understands. If we want to be heard, we need a political voice”? Jesus has given us a language to speak, a language that matches the Gospel better than either entertainment or politics—love.
In the last generation, while some were busy building a Moral Majority, others were in the streets loving the dropouts and deadbeats. These longhaired people-lovers were known simply as “Jesus People,” and some of them may have made good music, but that’s not what made them powerful in reaching a lost generation.
So, who wants to be relevant? Well, I do. I want to speak the truth of God in a way that my generation will understand. But I don’t think we’ll do that by capturing the White House or the music charts. I think we’ll only do that by loving one another and the world around us radically and sacrificially—just like Jesus.
[Jason Van Bemmel is a seminary student and freelance writer who works for New Covenant Christian School in Bel Air, Md.]
12.07.2004
fum. fum. fum. (and other nonsense)
Today was the last day of classes here at good ole Belmont U. I can't believe that this semester is already over. Where did all of the days go? Only 3 more semesters. The end is painfully close, and I am not at all prepared for it! Scary to think about, isn't it? Where will we be in 2 years? The horizon is completely dark before me. In all honesty, I have no idea what to expect, or how to plan and prepare. But then again, I suppose no amount of planning and preperation can truly prepare me for the unknown. What will be, will be, I just hope I'm ready to face it when it comes. I must say, when I think of these things I feel a twinge of jealousy toward my married friends.. I can't imagine dealing with the stresses of married life right now, but at the same time, at least they have the security of knowing that they won't be facing the future alone. (yes, yes.. none of us are truly alone, but you know what I mean..) There are benefits to both situations, I'm sure.
Anyhow.. it looks as though I will NOT fail Diction or Ear Training. 10 points for me! I might even manage to pull off a C in diction and a B in Ear Training.. but I don't want to jinx myself... 3 1/2 more tests, and a jury, and I'm done! Wohoo! I'll be here till Sunday the 19th though. (ahh the joys of being an RA)
Christmastime's a' commin'. I survived another "Christmas at Belmont" this weekend. Not too terrible, the scheduling was much better than last year, but the program wasn't as good. PBS will be airing last years program on Dec 22 @ 8pm CST.
Speaking of Christmas.. I am SO not ready! I haven't bought gifts for anyone yet! (with the exception of some of my brothers stuff) I'm still waiting on a few checks before I can really do some damage...
Alright.. that's my postable update.
Tchus.
Anyhow.. it looks as though I will NOT fail Diction or Ear Training. 10 points for me! I might even manage to pull off a C in diction and a B in Ear Training.. but I don't want to jinx myself... 3 1/2 more tests, and a jury, and I'm done! Wohoo! I'll be here till Sunday the 19th though. (ahh the joys of being an RA)
Christmastime's a' commin'. I survived another "Christmas at Belmont" this weekend. Not too terrible, the scheduling was much better than last year, but the program wasn't as good. PBS will be airing last years program on Dec 22 @ 8pm CST.
Speaking of Christmas.. I am SO not ready! I haven't bought gifts for anyone yet! (with the exception of some of my brothers stuff) I'm still waiting on a few checks before I can really do some damage...
Alright.. that's my postable update.
Tchus.
12.05.2004
People are talking...
"To him that you tell your secret you resign your liberty."
-Anonymous Proverb
-Anonymous Proverb
12.04.2004
12.02.2004
And once again, mediocrity prevails.
BRIEFING: Fighting AIDS and Global Poverty in the US 2005 Budget
FY2005 BUDGET AND THE IMPACT ON AIDS AND POVERTY
November 2004
Congress has finished work on the budget for fiscal year 2005, which increases the U.S. effort to fight poverty and disease in developing countries by $1 billion, to a total of $9.7 billion. This total includes a $400 million increase in new appropriations for HIV/AIDS, a $500m increase for the Millennium Challenge and a net increase of approximately $80 million for other key accounts that provide funding for debt relief, child and maternal health, water, and education.
HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria
The President requested $2.8b for global HIV/AIDS in FY2005 which included $200 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. After deliberating between the House level of $2.8b and the Senate level of $3.1b, Congress has agreed to appropriate $2.8b for AIDS, TB, malaria and research in FY2005 but to use $88m in unobligated funds from FY2004 so that a total of $2.9b would be available for spending. The result is a $400m increase in appropriations in FY2005 but a $600m increase in funds available.
The Millennium Challenge
The Millennium Challenge is designed to reward democratic countries that are fighting corruption and investing in the health and education of their people while also creating an incentive for other countries to do so as well. In order to meet its goals of enabling qualified countries to make real progress in their development objectives while creating an incentive for other countries to make the reforms necessary to qualify, the Millennium Challenge must be robustly funded. Yet despite the President’s request to scale up from the FY2004 level of $1b to $2.5b in FY2005, the House and Senate allocations cut the program to $1.25b and $1.12b respectively. In the Conference, Congress added funding to increase the final allocation to $1.5b. This total marks a $500m increase over FY2004 levels but is $1b less than the President requested.
Other Key Accounts
In addition to the above, the Foreign Operations account provides education, clean water, debt relief and funding for child and maternal health for the poorest people of the world through a variety of key programs. As the need for such programs continues to rise, funding levels have remained largely stagnant. The total net increase in the FY2005 budget is $80m: this includes increases such as a $71m increase for Development Assistance, a $113m increase for disaster and famine funding, $18m in emergency disaster and famine relief for Sudan, and $15m for non-AIDS, TB or malaria related Child Survival and Health. Notable cuts were made to the International Development Association (IDA), the Asian Development Bank and the Global Environmental Facility.
FY2005 BUDGET AND THE IMPACT ON AIDS AND POVERTY
November 2004
Congress has finished work on the budget for fiscal year 2005, which increases the U.S. effort to fight poverty and disease in developing countries by $1 billion, to a total of $9.7 billion. This total includes a $400 million increase in new appropriations for HIV/AIDS, a $500m increase for the Millennium Challenge and a net increase of approximately $80 million for other key accounts that provide funding for debt relief, child and maternal health, water, and education.
HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria
The President requested $2.8b for global HIV/AIDS in FY2005 which included $200 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. After deliberating between the House level of $2.8b and the Senate level of $3.1b, Congress has agreed to appropriate $2.8b for AIDS, TB, malaria and research in FY2005 but to use $88m in unobligated funds from FY2004 so that a total of $2.9b would be available for spending. The result is a $400m increase in appropriations in FY2005 but a $600m increase in funds available.
The Millennium Challenge
The Millennium Challenge is designed to reward democratic countries that are fighting corruption and investing in the health and education of their people while also creating an incentive for other countries to do so as well. In order to meet its goals of enabling qualified countries to make real progress in their development objectives while creating an incentive for other countries to make the reforms necessary to qualify, the Millennium Challenge must be robustly funded. Yet despite the President’s request to scale up from the FY2004 level of $1b to $2.5b in FY2005, the House and Senate allocations cut the program to $1.25b and $1.12b respectively. In the Conference, Congress added funding to increase the final allocation to $1.5b. This total marks a $500m increase over FY2004 levels but is $1b less than the President requested.
Other Key Accounts
In addition to the above, the Foreign Operations account provides education, clean water, debt relief and funding for child and maternal health for the poorest people of the world through a variety of key programs. As the need for such programs continues to rise, funding levels have remained largely stagnant. The total net increase in the FY2005 budget is $80m: this includes increases such as a $71m increase for Development Assistance, a $113m increase for disaster and famine funding, $18m in emergency disaster and famine relief for Sudan, and $15m for non-AIDS, TB or malaria related Child Survival and Health. Notable cuts were made to the International Development Association (IDA), the Asian Development Bank and the Global Environmental Facility.
12.01.2004
Today is World AIDS Day...
A project of the United Nations, World AIDS Day was conceived and adopted unanimously by 140 countries meeting at the World Summit of Ministers of Health on AIDS, London in January 1988. The day was envisaged as an opportunity for governments, national AIDS programs, non-governmental and local organizations, as well as individuals everywhere, to demonstrate both the importance they attached to the fight against AIDS and their solidarity in this effort.
Today HIV/AIDS is at it's climax across the globe...** Today there are 39.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS. 2.2 million are children under 15
** In 2004, there were 4.9 million new cases of HIV reported.
**In 2003 3.1 million people died from AIDS
**Total number of AIDS deaths between 1981 and the end of 2003: 20 million.
**In 2003, young people (15-24 years old) accounted for half of all new HIV infections worldwide, more than 6,000 became infected with HIV every day.
This years theme for World AIDS day is "Women and Girls & AIDS because, unfortunately, statistically, females have been hit the hardest by this disease...
**By December 2004 women accounted for 47% of all people living with HIV worldwide, and for 57% in sub-Saharan Africa.
Regionally speaking, Africa has suffered the most from this pandemic..**More than 25 million Africans have HIV. Today, 6,300 people in Africa will die of HIV/AIDS and another 8,500 will become infected with the virus. Tomorrow, the cycle will repeat itself. The African continent is losing an entire generation of teachers, nurses, farmers, mothers, and fathers, already leaving behind 12 million orphans.
However,regardless of location, AIDS is on the rise...
The disease is slowly spreading mass destruction across the globe.. thanks to blood sharks, China and the rest of Asia have already begun to see a dramatic increase in HIV/AIDS cases this year.
In addition, America now has over 1 million known AIDS cases.
It is important to remember that this disease involves far more than poor lifestyle choices. Education and medication are key. There is no cure for AIDS, but there are medications that prolong life and make it possible for HIV patients to live normal lives for as long as possible.
If you think AIDS is not an economic issue, think again. If you think that the world does not discriminate against AIDS.. think again...
**An estimated five million people in low and middle income countries do not have the AIDS drugs which could save their lives
We are truly blessed.
Make a difference, sign "THE ONE Campaign" today.
And watch this video...
Much love
(statistics taken from www.avert.com)
Today HIV/AIDS is at it's climax across the globe...** Today there are 39.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS. 2.2 million are children under 15
** In 2004, there were 4.9 million new cases of HIV reported.
**In 2003 3.1 million people died from AIDS
**Total number of AIDS deaths between 1981 and the end of 2003: 20 million.
**In 2003, young people (15-24 years old) accounted for half of all new HIV infections worldwide, more than 6,000 became infected with HIV every day.
This years theme for World AIDS day is "Women and Girls & AIDS because, unfortunately, statistically, females have been hit the hardest by this disease...
**By December 2004 women accounted for 47% of all people living with HIV worldwide, and for 57% in sub-Saharan Africa.
Regionally speaking, Africa has suffered the most from this pandemic..**More than 25 million Africans have HIV. Today, 6,300 people in Africa will die of HIV/AIDS and another 8,500 will become infected with the virus. Tomorrow, the cycle will repeat itself. The African continent is losing an entire generation of teachers, nurses, farmers, mothers, and fathers, already leaving behind 12 million orphans.
However,regardless of location, AIDS is on the rise...
The disease is slowly spreading mass destruction across the globe.. thanks to blood sharks, China and the rest of Asia have already begun to see a dramatic increase in HIV/AIDS cases this year.
In addition, America now has over 1 million known AIDS cases.
It is important to remember that this disease involves far more than poor lifestyle choices. Education and medication are key. There is no cure for AIDS, but there are medications that prolong life and make it possible for HIV patients to live normal lives for as long as possible.
If you think AIDS is not an economic issue, think again. If you think that the world does not discriminate against AIDS.. think again...
**An estimated five million people in low and middle income countries do not have the AIDS drugs which could save their lives
We are truly blessed.
Make a difference, sign "THE ONE Campaign" today.
And watch this video...
Much love
(statistics taken from www.avert.com)
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