Archives For life

What Does 2010 Hold in Store?

Aaron Armstrong —  January 1, 2010 — Leave a comment

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

Proverbs 21:5

I’m not really a “New Years Resolution” guy, but I have to admit, the new year is a great time to reflect on, evaluate and correct patterns of life. And because of that, I have been thinking a lot about what 2010 has in store.

God willing, our second daughter will be born in a couple months. This will be good.

My oldest daughter will hopefully be potty-trained. And this will be very good. (Seriously, the kid can change her own diapers; it’s time to get this show on the road!)

But what do I actually want to see happen this year? What do I want to accomplish?

Some time ago, Donald Whitney offered a number of questions to be asked in prayerful reflection:

  1. What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
  2. What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
  3. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
  4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
  5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
  6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
  7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
  8. What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year?
  9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
  10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

These are some really good questions and are worthy of a lot of thought, careful examination and planning.

I’m hopeful that it’ll be a good year. What about you?

In General , ,
 permalink

Book Review: Fake Work

Aaron Armstrong —  December 21, 2009

Title: Fake Work: Why People Are Working Harder than Ever but Accomplishing Less, and How to Fix the Problem
Author: Brent D. Peterson & Gaylan W. Nielson
Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment

Have you ever sat at your desk, trying to look busy because you finished your work for the day and you’ve still got three hours before the workday ends, and thought, “Couldn’t I be doing something more valuable with my time?” Have you ever spent hours working on a report that you know your boss isn’t going to read and wondered, “Does all this work really matter?”

Welcome to the world of fake work.

In Fake Work, authors Brent D. Peterson & Gaylan W. Nielson reveal to us the cause of so much frustration, anxiety and inefficiency within the workplace: Fake work.

So what exactly fake work? Quite simply, it is any work that we do that fails to align with the goals of our companies, organizations, churches, and families. It’s the work that we do that steals our time & energy, and destroys our morale. The authors refer to it as “the road to nowhere” – as though you’re building a road on a mountainside leading to the site of your new cabin; you’ve moved rocks, filled the roadbed and faced the oppressive heat and the punishing cold. But you’ve moved ahead, confident in your understanding of the surveyor’s plans. But, as you weave and wind around the landscape, you find yourself at the end of the road, staring down from the edge of a cliff. Continue Reading…

In Book Reviews , , , ,
 permalink

The Effects of Pornography

Aaron Armstrong —  December 10, 2009 — Leave a comment

Ed Stetzer points readers to a new study by Patrick F. Fagan examining the effects of pornography:

A new study done by Patrick F. Fagan examines the effects of pornography on individuals, marriage, family and community. Fagan is Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Research on Marriage and Religion at the Family Research Council. He specializes in examining the relationships among family, marriage, religion, community, and America’s social problems. This study is important for everyone to read as it demonstrates that it has damaging effects on individuals and families. In the summary Fagan explains,

Pornography is a visual representation of sexuality which distorts an individual’s concept of the nature of conjugal relations. This, in turn, alters both sexual attitudes and behavior. It is a major threat to marriage, to family, to children and to individual happiness. In undermining marriage it is one of the factors in undermining social stability.Social scientists, clinical psychologists, and biologists have begun to clarify some of the social and psychological effects, and neurologists are beginning to delineate the biological mechanisms through which pornography produces its powerful negative effects.

Some of the findings inside the study include: Continue Reading…

In General , , , , ,
 permalink

Christmas Daddies: Building Traditions

Aaron Armstrong —  December 8, 2009 — Leave a comment

Christmas is a couple weeks away. That probably fills some of you with glee. And others with dread.

Me, I’m somewhere in between.

I’m learning to enjoy Christmas as a daddy. It’s a lot of fun to see my daughter get excited about everything that’s going on (most of which she doesn’t understand yet). And it’s a privilege to try to help my lovely wife overcome her Christmas anxiety (long story).

But something that’s been a bit difficult for me: Starting family Christmas traditions.

As far as I recall, we didn’t really have any traditions in our family growing up, although by the time I got into my teens, it became common for us to have lasagne instead of turkey for our Christmas meal.

One of the things I really want to do as my children get older is start reading Dickens’ A Christmas Carol together, as well as other appropriate Christmas stories. But I suspect that’s still a few years off.

So this year, we’re going to try to start two new traditions: Building a gingerbread house and reading the birth of Christ from Luke 2.

I suspect the gingerbread house will be fun because:

  1. My daughter loves gingerbread
  2. I love gingerbread
  3. My wife loves chocolate candy
  4. There is an icing pack for Abigail to squeeze

Reading Luke 2 as a family will be beneficial because it’s a reminder of who and what we’re celebrating at this time of year.

So, my fellow dads (and moms, too), what traditions are you building into your family?

Let’s share some ideas.

In General , , ,
 permalink

What's Your Most Memorable Book?

Aaron Armstrong —  November 27, 2009 — Leave a comment

What’s one of the most memorable books you’ve read?

Is it one that taught you something new or got you thinking about a subject from a different perspective?

Maybe it’s one that just made you laugh?

I tend to read multiple books concurrently on a variety of subjects. Right now, I’ve got What is Reformed Theology by R.C. Sproul, Leading with Love by Alexander Strauch, The Book on Leadership by John MacArthur, Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath and few others on the go. I’ve also got Knots & Crosses by Ian Rankin waiting for me (the first fiction book I’ve read since January).

In case you haven’t guess, I don’t really do “light” reading.

Right through college, I never really cared much for non-fiction. I’d read the odd biography, like A Beautiful Mind and If Chins Could Kill, but I was a big fiction reader.

And what is still one of the most memorable I’ve read is High Fidelity by Nick Hornby.

It’s just one of those books that I really identified with… probably because I was (and sadly still am) something of a music snob, looking down on everyone else’s terrible taste in music because it doesn’t match mine. That said, my taste in music has never been all that interesting, so really, I was just a bit of a tool.

There’s just a certain charm to the story of Rob, a record shop owner trying to figure out why his life sucks is a disaster.

It’s not a pretty book filled with perfect people; it’s just real life, regular problems… It’s relatable.

There are other books that really stand out for me as well. Shooting at Midnight (and all of the Atticus Kodiak books) and Queen & Country by Greg Rucka (crime and spy/espionage stuff), Pornified by Pamela Paul, The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D.A. Carson (this and Packer’s Knowing God are probably two of my favorites when it comes to theology)…

But what about you: What’s your most memorable book?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

In Books , ,
 permalink

Glorifying God in the Body

Aaron Armstrong —  November 10, 2009 — 2 Comments

glorifying-god-body

First Corinthians 6:19-20 reads:

[D]o you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Contextually, these verses are related to sexual purity within the church; because God has purchased us with His blood, we are not our own. Therefore, we should honor Him with our bodies by abstaining from sexual immorality.

This isn’t, however, a post about sexual immorality.

It’s about how I’m learning to apply the principle of stewardship that exists within this passage.

Because our bodies, like everything else, are not our own, we have a responsibility to steward them well.

Growing up, this is a principle that I never understood. Partly because of genetics, but mostly because of poor eating decisions, I was a very, very heavy kid. You know how with babies and toddlers, they get really chubby then grow into it?

I was kind of like that, except 18. When I was 12, I was about 5-ish feet tall and 185 pounds. When I was 18, I was 6 feet tall and… 185 pounds. Except then I stopped growing. So I stayed 6 feet tall, then just grew out.

I touched on this topic back in March in relation to reading the Pursuit of Holiness, so I’m going to try to not rehash too much. Sufficed to say, I’ve always struggled with living a healthy lifestyle in terms of physical fitness.

This week, I was reminded of the necessity of even my physical health as a stewardship issue after our pastor preached through John 3:16-21.

God has chosen to love me, despite my hatred of Him. And because He has shown me pure, unmerited favor, I want to worship Him!

And that includes how I treat my body.

I’m now a week into my new gym membership, and I’ve got to say, I’m very pleased. My physical memory is good. My strength and endurance are already improving. My eating habits are getting better. My weight has even dropped a teeny bit.

But most importantly, it’s an opportunity to glorify God in my body.

God is its owner; I want to steward it well.

In General , ,
 permalink

Who Would You Be?

Aaron Armstrong —  November 4, 2009 — Leave a comment

who-would-you-be

A couple nights ago, Emily and I were watching the Vintage Jesus DVDs and we came to this question:

Who would you be if Jesus hadn’t saved you?

It was really interesting for us to sit back and consider this: Who would I be if Jesus hadn’t saved me?

What kind of husband would I be? What kind of father?

Would I be any of these things?

The truth is, I know exactly what kind of guy I’d be.

Jesus saved me from being a lying, adulterous little boy trying to fit into grown-up man pants that I could never wear. From being a sad, pathetic excuse for a man who could never live up to the responsibilities of being a husband and father.

Because, this is where I was heading until Jesus grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and said, “You’re mine! You belong to me.”

I don’t talk about how I became a Christian a lot, because… well, because I am sometimes afraid that people will think I’m nuts. But you know what?

That’s just stupid.

It’s putting people in the place of God, and fearing them instead of fearing Him.

So tomorrow, I’m going to start to tell the story, at least the parts you need to know.

God gives us a story for His glory.

Who would you be?

In General, Personal , , ,
 permalink

If I Skip It Today…

Aaron Armstrong —  November 2, 2009 — Leave a comment

skip-today

Some days, it’s hard to get motivated to write. Today has been one of those days. (Incidentally, this can be especially frustrating when it’s what you do for a living.)

I really dislike it when I don’t feel inspired or motivated; days when I’m not really sure if I’ve got anything relevant to say (although I’m sure some would question whether I ever have anything relevant to say).

Days like these, it’s really tempting to just skip it and veg out (or catch up on my reading).

But it’s also these dry moments that help me develop discipline as a writer.

It’s easy to check out and do something else. But it’s harder to stick with it, sharpen your skills and increase your understanding of your craft.

In some ways, it’s like developing a regular habit of reading the Bible. Follow me down this rabbit trail, for a moment… Continue Reading…

In General , , , ,
 permalink

Where the Wild Things Are

Aaron Armstrong —  October 26, 2009

poster_where_the_wild_things_areFriday night, Emily and I went to see Where the Wild Things Are, the Spike Jonze film loosely based on Maurice Sendak’s classic book about a disobedient boy named Max, who is sent to bed without supper and imagines sailing away to the land of Wild Things,where he is made king.

Going into the movie, I didn’t really have any expectations, beyond having a good time. After all, the book is roughly ten sentences. If you’re going to make a 100-minute film from it, you’re going to have to expand; more accurately, you’ll need to create your own story around the basic framework of the original.

There are parts of the movie that were excellent.The character designers did a great job bringing the Wild Things to life and should be commended. Likewise, all the actors did a brilliant job in the portrayal of their characters. But, as we watched the movie, I felt… unsettled.

Emily described the movie as having an “undercurrent of creepy” running through it.

Identifying The Undercurrent of Creepy

Something felt off. Perhaps it was characterization. Max, the emotionally out-of-control son of a divorced mom, flips out when Mom’s got a date in the house and takes off. This reminded me a bit of my childhood as the emotionally out-of-control son of a divorced mom. While his actions certainly aren’t glorified, I’m amazed at the seeming lack of consequence for behaving like an insufferable brat.

After some further reflection, I think my discomfort centers around Carol, the emotionally out-of-control Wild Thing who is a personification of Max’s own issues. He smashes the group’s homes because everything isn’t perfect and how it “should” be. He looks to people to solve all the problems in life; that Max, as king, will make everyone happy.

In the characterization of Carol, Spike Jonze exposes our potential for idolatry.

A Problem, but No Solution

Carol “needs” to turn people into his functional savior, whether it’s K.W. or a king. And when they fail under the enormous amount of pressure he places on them, he blames them, attacks them and tries to destroy them.

We do this all the time, whether it’s in marriage and dating relationships, parenting, friendships, work, and celebrity culture. We build up our expectations of a man or woman, a boss, our kids, an actor, whatever, and when they inevitably buckle under the enormous pressure… You get the idea.

We all have the propensity to be “Carol” in this way.

While the movie brings this reality to light, it feels rather hopeless. Perhaps that’s intentional; I’ll be honest, I’m not really certain of the motivations of the screenwriters and director. And perhaps, this weakness might be its strength.

While I didn’t find the movie a satisfying experience, it did provide an opportunity to remind myself that there is a solution to our potential for idolatry. That there is hope because of the gospel.

And that is truly satisfying.

In General , , ,
 permalink

Discovering a Solution to My Organizational Nightmare!

Aaron Armstrong —  October 14, 2009 — Leave a comment

The other day, I was lamenting trying to properly catalogue and keep track of my books. I’d checked out LibraryThing.com; and while it’s very cool, it doesn’t have the functionality I need.

Perhaps four hours after the post went live, I got a Facebook message from a friend suggesting I try Books for Mac OSX. It’s an open-source program that some of his friends had tried and thought was terrific.

I spent a good chunk of Monday afternoon messing about with it, and it’s pretty phenomenal!

Check this out: Continue Reading…

In Books, General , , ,
 permalink