The End of Religion? September 29, 2009
Posted by Matt in Christian Beliefs.Tags: Christianity, church, decline, money, recession
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According to a recent article, the current recession is having a hugely negative impact on organized religion. Due to a lack of financial resources, many congregations and religious schools have been forced to close and, according to researcher David Roozen of Faith Communities Today, we may see as many as 10-15% of congregations in the U.S. (Roughly 35,000-50,000) saying that they are in serious financial trouble. According to the article, the effect in Christian circles has been most pronounced with the Mainline churches, though there have also been effects on the Catholic Church and Evangelical groups.
Isn’t it ironic that money is the cause for the fall of churches? Has mammon finally triumphed?
What do you think? How may this change religion in America?
A Nice Way to Start the Day September 29, 2009
Posted by Matt in family.Tags: exercise, kids, morning routine, schedule
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Diana has to be at work at 6:30am everyday, so the responsibility of getting the kids out of bed, dressed, fed, and out the door on time falls to me. Some days progress more smoothly than others, and the relative ease of each morning is usually due to my timeline. On days when I have to force myself out of bed and hit the snooze more than once, we rush and I get frustrated and have to literally push my kids out the door. But, then there are days like today when things seem to click nicely into place.
5:00 – I’m awake and can’t sleep, so I might as well get up.
5:15 – Take the dog out for a morning jog.
5:45 – Feed the dog and give him some more attention.
6:00 – Shower and get dressed for the day.
6:30 – Give the girls their first wake-up call
6:31 – Sit in a rocking chair on the front porch, sip some coffee, and enjoy the nice fall morning.
6:40 – Second wake-up call, this time turning the lights on.
6:41 – Front porch again…ahhh….
6:50 – Final wake-up call. Rachel gets up and dressed. I drag Bekah out of bed and make her get dressed.
7:00 – Breakfast. Visit with the girls about their upcoming day.
7:20 – Walk Rachel to the bus stop
7:25 – Get JD out of bed, change his clothes and diaper
7:35 – Leave home to drop the younger kids at day care.
8:05 – Arrive at work, only 5 minutes past the prescribed start time.
Now if only I can drag myself out of bed at 5:00 every morning…
Obama vs. Summer Vacation September 28, 2009
Posted by Matt in education, politics.Tags: Arne Duncan, Barack Obama, education, school days, summer vacation
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According to a recent article, President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan are working on a proposal to extend the amount of time American children spend in school. The idea calls for things like longer school days that would more closely match up with the 8-5 jobs of their parents, school in the summer, and keeping schools open on the weekend as a safe haven.
The ideas are aimed at keeping the United States competitive with other nations around the world when it comes to education, an area where we have certainly fallen behind over the years. It would benefit latchkey kids who are oftentimes left at home alone in the afternoons until their parent(s) return home from work by giving them a safe place to stay out of trouble. Extending the school year through the summer would be a tremendous aid in knowledge retention and would give children a place to go during the day while their parent(s) are working.
The proposal is especially helpful for low income urban children where dangers are more pronounced outside of the school and it within the walls of education that they can find some solace. It benefits those of us in families where both parents work full-time to make ends meet, which I would reckon is the vast majority, especially in today’s economic climate.
On the other hand, this sort of change is fairly radical and it is definitely not the way things have always been. Many families, particularly those that can afford to have one parent stay at home, may not see the benefit in this.
What do you think?
Signs of the Recession September 26, 2009
Posted by Matt in random.Tags: beer commercials, milwaukee's best, natural light, recession
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When the majority of beer commercials are for Natty Light, you know we’re in some tough times. I expect to see ads for The Beast next.
Free Music Friday – Just Breathe September 25, 2009
Posted by Matt in free music friday.Tags: Just Breathe, Pearl Jam, video
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As I mentioned earlier this week (and probably several other times in the past), Pearl Jam is one of my favorite bands of all time and for nearly 20 years they have provided a veritable soundtrack to life for me. Below a live clip of the song “Just Breathe” from their incredible new album Backspacer. Enjoy.
Desert Island Reading September 24, 2009
Posted by Matt in books.Tags: book, desert island, Walden
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I once had a job interview in which I was asked what book I would want to have with me if I were stranded on a desert island. Immediately my mind began to race through the possibilities – What should I say? The Bible? A fiction book that I enjoy? After just a few seconds, the answer came to me.
Walden by Henry David Throeau.
I got that job.
What would you choose?
Looking for Wisdom September 24, 2009
Posted by Matt in Looking for Wisdom.Tags: blog, unusual searches
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My blog averages around 200 hits or so per day and many of those come from people conducting searches using a wide variety of terms. Most of these are normal and rather benign, but sometimes I come across searches that are just plain strange. Below are a few of the more unusual search terms people used to find my blog in the past week. Enjoy.
Words of wisdom for mistresses
National lampoon vacation diarrhea song
Five robotic cats
Gas masks for the cubicle
Bad side of miss piggy
Wisdom of insane people
Lego men at war
Throwing a flintstones party
