Traveling Alone vs. Together

I wrote this on the flight from Istanbul to KL and am just now remembering to post it.  Been in Yangon now since Tuesday and am loving it, except being apart from my love.  Prayers are always appreciated.  Thanks!

As of even a little over a year ago, I was one of the biggest advocates for independent travel.  Not just independent travel but rather solo travel.  I thought solo travel was the best thing a person could do with their time.  Part of me still feels that way.

There is perhaps a better way to travel.  Traveling solo is probably easier, but traveling together is more enjoyable.  In days past, I used to tell people I didn't want to carry someone else's baggage, literally and figuratively, as the reason why I didn't like traveling with others.  Now, although lugging baggage around still isn't my favorite, it simply doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would at one time.  Stef even ended up carrying one of my bags to the airport when she saw me off in Prague which was hugely encouraging.  I packed the bigger bags of course but having someone there to share the load really helped me a lot.

Similarly, when we went outside of the city to stay with a couchsurfer, I ended up carrying her luggage.  I didn't mind hardly at all.  Of course it was huge, but it felt like I was giving her a gift somehow.  There were times of course where it got rather heavy and laborious to haul it up stairs of varying levels.  Overall though, if it means I get to spend time with Stef than I'm more than okay with it.

Solo travel is easier in that you don't have to worry about anyone else.  It does get lonely however.  I still remember on my round the world trip periods of loneliness.  It was one of the best decisions ever made; that being to travel the world.  It wasn't without its difficulties though.  If you've ever lived on your own for 8 months and traveled for the majority of that then you know keenly what I'm talking about.

Traveling together with someone is more enjoyable, provided you are madly in love with the other person.  Steffani is a great partner to have in this life.  We just simply enjoy one another's company.  We prefer to be with each other as opposed to apart.  She's quieter overall where I tend to chat more, but even sitting in silence is enjoyable with her.

The past 10 days in Prague opened my eyes to a lot of things.  One of those was traveling with someone else.  I've traveled with other people typically in group mission trips but never with just one other person I don't believe.  As stated before, it's a thoroughly enjoyable time provided you have the right person to travel with.  You have someone to share your experience with.  Someone to ooh and ahh at marvelous sites with.  Simply put, it's an incredible experience and one I look forward to replicating in the future with Stef.

Economy, Growth and Capitalism

As many of you know who have ever read my blog before, I love learning about economics and how it effects people's everyday living.  In the past, some might have called me an anti-capitalist at best and a communist at worst.  This has never been the case really but I do tend to question things that other people see as always being right.

People who don't question the system they grew up in kind of drive me crazy.  It shows a certain type of shallowness of mind to not give any thought to the culture and upbringing you received as a child and adolescent.  We must question what we have, why we have it and if it's a good system moving forward.

Personally, I believe in free trade as a theory but in practice it's much harder.  The states is the biggest offender of just about any country when it comes to 'free' trade.  For free trade to work well you need to take away government subsidies and let the market system determine prices.  Our food and energy sectors are prime examples of where we provide unnecessary subsidies.  If you want to get off fossil fuels, why would you provide subsidies for them?

Wanting free trade is probably largely attributed to my fondness of The Economist magazine.  I love reading that magazine and it leans heavily toward free trade.  Many people protest NAFTA and other free trade agreements.  However, if you ask an economist most of them believe free trade agreements are largely a good thing.  They point out no country has ever risen out of poverty aside from trading with other countries.

Capitalism is needed in my humble opinion to create growth.  Some people question growth and if it's really a good thing, but if you grow an economy it usually translates into more jobs and better lives for people.  Now I guess you could say in a way that I'm spreading capitalism.  I'm going to a largely underdeveloped nation and teaching young people how to start and run their own businesses.  Small businesses are the backbone of any capitalist system.

Capitalism can be a very good system and is probably the best one we have.  As a Christian though I have to question the mass consumerism that it inevitably creates in a society.  For capitalism to work well, you have to have a certain level of consumerism.  This isn't bad necessarily but it can easily get out of hand.  How do you live a simple life in a mass consumerist society?  Is there a balance between some level of consumerism and living off the grid.

I just finished a book entitled "Passing the Plate" about the ungenerosity of American Christians.  It stated one of the contributing factors in the ungenerosity of American Christians was our mass consumerist culture.  Basically, the idea is we are tricked into thinking we don't have enough and need more, more, more.  This rails against the Christian teaching of give more, give more, give more.  How can we step outside our culture and assess if we really need something?

Some would argue that's besides the point.  They say if you have the money than of course you should get the latest gadget or toy.  I don't really agree with this sentiment in the slightest.  Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do something, right?

I love teaching business classes in Myanmar because we teach our students how to brainstorm business ideas.  Our first question is, "What are the needs in your community and how can you meet those needs with a business?"  It's different after capitalism has taken root in a society and most needs are met.  What do you do then?

Our advertising machine is a great example of what you do then.  You appeal to wants mostly.  Now we have things like planned obsolescence in most of our consumer goods, particularly electronic goods.  How long can you expect a laptop to work well?  2 years, maybe 5 years max??

A lot of people bemoan the effects of globalization, which is basically free trade across the world.  This has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and into the middle class.  At the same time there are certainly side effects that are detrimental.  One of the main ones is people can lose their culture.  Advertisers are so savvy that they can create desires within a population that didn't exist before they set up shop in that country.

So, what's the answer?  I think God's economics are different than man's to begin with.  Some say Jesus was a communist or socialist.  Others point to the Old Testament law to provide a moral backing of private property rights and ownership.  I look at the New Testament and see something radically different than traditional economics teaches us.  

God teaches an economy of abundance, not one of scarcity.  What if we designed our economy around that principle in addition to other things we see in the gospels and early church?  What if people shared their possessions with each other?  What if rich people personally knew poor people and had a vested interest in their well being?  

It's difficult to do, especially in American society where we do an excellent job at separating the rich and poor.  If you wanted to you could probably go your whole life without knowing a truly destitute individual in the states.  You may see them on the streets, but you don't really have to know them.  That has to be a choice you make.

Not to sound too hippyish, but I think if we truly knew people from different socioeconomic backgrounds it would radically alter our economy.  I heard an interview with Jeffrey Sachs who said he believes the pope believes in a capitalism within a moral framework.  That can mean a host of things to different people.  I think at the heart of it has to be an agenda to help people live freer lives.  Freedom is superbly important in a society.  Capitalism has a lot of great attributes, but I believe it can easily lead to slavery in a couple of ways if it's left unchecked.

One is obviously literal slavery.  If you continue to go after the bottom line and increase your profits, you will eventually come to a point where you enslave people.  Whether it's big corporations or individual pimps, slavery abounds in our world.  There is another type of slavery that capitalism and a mass consumerist culture can create.  And that is a slavery to our stuff.  We want more and more and are insatiable in our appetites.  Our culture continues to produce newer and better goods and we are satisfied temporarily at best.  Then another latest greatest invention comes out and we feel inadequate without it.

Economy, growth and capitalism only go so far in enhancing people's lives.  Ultimately, people need the gospel.  They need Jesus to radically transform their hearts and minds to be more in line with His.  Then, and only then, do we stand any real chance at eliminating poverty.  Not just poverty of material things, but poverty of one toward God, toward others and toward the environment.  Everyone suffers from one or more types of poverty; we are foolish to think otherwise.

Death and Resurrection

Today is Easter Sunday.  Usually, I'd be in church but circumstances won't really allow for it.  It just occurred to me that I am most likely on a plane full of Muslims and Atheists as I go from Prague to Istanbul.  Someone explained to me once that to be Turkish was to be Muslim.  Add to that I think the majority of Czechs are atheists and I highly doubt we're going to break out into a Hallelujah chorus on this plane.

I love Jesus.  I love everything about Him.  Something I struggle with on occassion though is this idea of a resurrection of the dead.  It's the point of the Good News though, right?  Jesus wasn't just some moral teacher as people make Him out to be.  No, He was the Son of God.

Death and resurrection are seen in the world around us.  Perhaps that's on purpose as God's way of pointing the world to Himself.  Seeds fall to the ground and die in a way, are buried and then are resurrected.  Many people end their old careers and have a new beginning in a new career.  Some might even say they are reborn in their new career.

It's also seen in relationships at times.  A couple gets married, one of them breaks trust somehow with the other.  Later, they are hopefully reconciled and their relationship is resurrected.  I have prayed a few times for a couple I know who split earlier this year but are trying to get back together and work it out.  I pray their relationship is raised from the dead.

If Christ wasn't resurrected, then the Christian faith is useless and null in void.  If Jesus did in fact raise from the dead though, as I sincerely believe He did, it changes a person  when they come to realize that.  There are countless arguments backed up by evidence on both sides of the debate as to whether or not Jesus Christ rose from the dead.  There is a time and place for apologetics but often I think the people who get wrapped up in those arguments miss the point.  

In my limited experience, I have yet to meet anyone who was argued convincingly into the Kingdom of God.  Usually it's a matter of the heart.  Something traumatic occurs in their life and their heart is softened to the distinct possibility that perhaps there is something more in this life.  Cancer strikes or they're hospitalized for any number of reasons and face the brevity of life for the first time.  Are there any true atheists on a death bed?  I would have to think they're at least agnostic at that point.

Even secularists know there is something wrong in the world.  The difference is their hope lies in their ability to think through problems and find solutions.  Oft times solutions just cause a different set of problems altogether.  The internet is a classic case of this.  Now we can communicate in real time with almost anyone anywhere in the world.  That can be a beautiful thing.  At the same time, there are things on the internet like kiddie porn and how to make bombs.

If you ask me, secularists simply have a different god whom they worship.  For some it's nature, for others it's technology.  Christians worship a God who says He is reconciling all things to Himself.  We worship a God who turns all things into good for those who love Him.

It's human nature to want to be a part of something that is bigger than yourself.  I believe that desire comes from God and is His way of getting our attention.  Worshiping anything else can satisfy for a time being, but ultimately it will come up short.  A philosopher/mathemetician whose name escapes me currently once said there's a God-shaped hole in all of us.  Maybe it was Pascal?  I could be way off base there though.

It occurs to me that I don't spend enough time in prayer for non-believers.  Contrary to what they say, prayer really works.  I just watched the movie Noah and there's a scene where the antagonist yells at God and says, "Why won't you answer me???"  It's a moving scene and one I think everyone is familiar with.  We pray and it seems as though it falls on deaf ears.  We have to remind ourselves that the Bible says He does hear our prayers.  He also wants us to persevere.  Did you know God actually asks us to nag Him basically?  There's a parable about a poor woman who comes to a ruler day after day and brings her case over and over and Jesus uses it to teach us how we should approach God.  Winston Churchill had the right idea when he said, "Never, ever, ever give up."

If we aren't bathing our relationships with non-believers in prayer than we won't get very far.  The Holy Spirit is the one who causes the seed to grow.  We can plant it or water it, but God causes it to grow.  We must remember this and rely on the Holy Spirit's counsel as we seek to share the gospel.  That does not in any way excuse us from sharing our faith, but it may take the pressure off when we consider that it's ultimately up to God as to whether or not He's going to turn someone's heart to Himself.

I once heard someone say, I believe it was Shane Claiborne, that their community was in the process of practicing resurrection.  They would take abandoned houses and fix them up for other people.  Or plant food.  It's certainly an interesting way of viewing things, isn't it?  Perhaps the best way to practice resurrection is to reflect on Christ's resurrection and live a life set apart from the world around us that is compelled to live the vision of Christ in our everyday lives.

Saying Goodbye to those you love

Today was a tough morning so far.  This morning, I Ieft Prague for Istanbul.  Normally this would excite me.  I'm going to Istanbul on my way to Yangon, Myanmar to start a new career.  Truly, in some regards this is one of the most exciting times in my adult life thus far.

However, it is coinciding with leaving Stef behind at the airport.  We had a very sweet 10 day vacation to Prague together.   She came from Liberia to London first due to the Ebola virus outbreak.  I came from the states and went to Prague first on my way to Myanmar.  Now, I have left to make the trip to Myanmar (staying in Istanbul for one night to break up the trip a bit) and she will go back to London and be in limbo for a while.

The main point isn't where we're going to be but rather that it won't be together.  During this trip to Prague, I proposed and she said yes.  We are engaged now; even though we both still slip up sometimes and call each other boyfriend or girlfriend instead of fiance.  I've had some great birthday presents in the past, but getting a fiance has to be by far the best one yet.

Sometimes, well maybe often times, goodbyes are bittersweet.  This one is bitter because we just sealed the deal on us as a relationship and now we have to go another 3 months without seeing each other unless she gets a job in Yangon sooner rather than later.  It is sweet because we got 10 days just to ourselves.  Sharing time with family as a couple is sweet too, but there's something even more special about just being together, you and your significant other.  Many people take this for granted but we sure don't.  Our whole relationship has been long distance and so we truly cherish the times we get to spend together in person.

Once upon a time, I never could've foreseen what was to happen for me as a single man.  I was bound and determined to be single for the rest of my life for the better part of a decade there.  I went on a few dates here and there but had no intention of actually settling down with anyone.  Now I look at where I am in life and am completely flabergasted.  How did I end up here?  How can I be at a place where I want to spend the rest of my life with someone?

When I'm with her, I'm the happiest I've ever been.  It's not a fleeting happiness like times of mania either.  It is a sustained happiness.  Perhaps happiness isn't the right term, maybe it's joy.  A joy that is only surpassed from the joy of knowing Jesus Christ.  It is difficult to keep in perspective my priorities now.  First is God, second is Stef.  Stef means the world to me, but without a relationship to Jesus it wouldn't be nearly as sweet or fulfilling.

Stef said today that she knows she's a whole person apart from me and that I don't complete her as some sappy love songs or romantic comedies might suggest.  She did add though that it has somehow affirmed her in her view of herself to feel loved and safe when I'm with her.  I feel the same way.  She means the world to me, I'm crazy about this godly woman whom God has blessed me with.

I don't feel I've ever been particularly good at goodbyes.  If it's someone I love, I get especially choked up.   Today was no different.  We both had tears in our eyes as we ate breakfast in the airport.

Stef told me this trip that she had prayed for a man who was passionate about people in his life and had a heart that was broken by God.  I replied by saying she may have gotten more than she bargained for.  I cried the other day too when I realized just how close we were to saying goodbye.  Whenever I spoke in front of church I'd get choked up too.  I'm a passionate man, what can I say?

Perfect Proposal in Prague

A few days ago, I turned 32 years old.  Ever since Stef and I started planning a trip to Prague in December and picked the dates, I had been planning on proposing on my birthday in Prague.  I told pretty much all my friends about it.  I referred to it as the “Perfect Proposal in Prague.” 

I didn’t have a great lead-in speech or anything, but I did come out with the main necessary words of “Steffani, will you marry me?”  She said yes, which was a huge relief to me.  I mean, we had already set a wedding date of December 31^st but it was still nice to be reaffirmed.

Stef responded by saying, “What are you doing?” which kind of baffled me.  I mean, why else would I be getting down on one knee, right?  She later explained that it was more out of shock than anything else.  When I tell the story though, I make it sound like she said it condescendingly.

I was worried about the size of the ring at first, but it actually looks perfect on her finger.  And Stef said it was perfect, so that is all that really matters to me.  I will admit I needed to hear that from her though.  It is simple, elegant and classy if you ask me.

She said yes, and I couldn’t be more excited to marry this girl.  She’s everything I’ve looked for in a woman.  I’ve been told by other women that my list was too long and detailed and I’d never find a woman like that.  I sure am glad they were wrong.  My list was summarized by the acronym SCESFIALS which stands for Strong Christian, Emotionally Stable, Fit, Intelligent, Attractive, Laughs, Sociable.  Stef fits all those and much more.

I’m really glad I waited for someone like her and didn’t jump too soon with someone else.  She’s everything I want and more.  Not that those things mean everything but they will surely help.

My parents both tell me about the importance of being committed to commitment.  So while everything is truly awesome right now, I’m under no illusion that it will always be this way.  There will come a day where we drive each other nuts I’m sure.  And that’s when commitment will be ever so important.  I am committed to Stef, which is much easier now then it will be in the future I’m sure.

We both love Jesus, which is the most important thing in life.  We did a little Bible reading and reflection today which was so encouraging to me and hopefully to her too.  We will need to spur one another toward Christ, to walk in His ways and the good works He has prepared in advance for us to do.  We are to be a picture of how God loves His Church.  That is a pretty high calling indeed.  As one of our friends put it on Facebook, she knows we will be a power couple for Christ.  Those were such encouraging words and something I hope and pray really will come true.

God is good and has blessed me with many gifts through the years.  I have always had the best family and friends in the world.  Now He has blessed me with a beautiful woman to marry.  I simply couldn’t be any happier!

Slavery, Part 2

I think any time we use the Bible to discriminate or oppress a people group we need to take a long hard look at ourselves.  We also need to look at how we're reading the Bible and the words of Jesus in particular.  The whole Bible is important to be sure, but especially the words of Jesus.

Why do I believe that?  Jesus Himself spoke of things like, "You've heard it said, but I say to you..."  I read on Twitter the other day that many 'successful' people are known to read the Book of Proverbs every month.  Proverbs is a great book and one of my favorites to be sure.  I wonder what would happen if those same people read a gospel a month instead though?  Would it change their views on certain things?  Would they still be considered successful?

Back to the idea of slavery.  Slavery still exists today, and chances are you and I unknowingly contribute to it through the clothes we purchase.  I think there are over 20 million and perhaps as many as 27 million slaves in the world today, I haven't heard a stat on it recently.

Many women and children and some men too are caught up in sex slavery.  They are victims multiple times a day, I've heard some as many as 12-20 times a day.  Think of what that does to a person's body and psyche.  It makes me shudder to even consider it.

Others are caught in other types of slavery.  Many are in America right under our noses.  It's a difficult subject though and one we'd rather not talk about quite frankly; outside of anti-slavery  campaigners.

What if we were to buy clothes ethically though?  That doesn't necessarily mean buy the most expensive clothes by the way.  Buying second-hand clothes is a great way to not contribute toward sweat shop labor.

Sweat-shop labor is a tough area for me.  On the one hand it's the way a country usually develops their economy.  On the other hand, it's a sweat shop.  Who would really want to work there?  It's definitely anything but ideal.

Slavery, Part 1

As I sit here on a plane to Prague via London out of Chicago, the lady in front of me is watching 12 Years a Slave.  It was by far one of the most moving cinematic features I've ever seen.  Such raw emotion throughout, and several things that made me think about current situations.

One is immigration reform.  There's a scene where a woman is torn from her children and she just bawls her eyes out, as any mother would.  Some propose sending all the 'illegals' back home.  The problem with that is they would leave their children back here due to the opportunities we have here.  Watch that scene and pay close attention because it is exactly what would happen if we deported them all as some on the political right suggest we do.

Another is how slave owners used the Bible to justify their beliefs in slavery.  It really makes me wonder if we do the same thing today toward homosexuals.  I bought a book called 'Slaves, Women and Homosexuals' and how the Bible addresses each of them.  It seems like we've realized slavery and women's rights are okay but homosexuality is not.  I truly wonder how much of that is our culture and how much is from the Bible.

People say we should follow the whole Bible.  Then they apply that to certain aspects only.  I just finished the New Testament and am amazed once again about how much it speaks against women in leadership roles in the church.  Many people say that's a cultural thing but homosexuality is a core principle of a godly life or lack thereof but I'm not so sure.

Many use the Bible to back up their own particular worldview, no matter how unloving it may be.  We're all guilty of this to some degree in my opinion.  That is why a position of humility is needed in regard to our approach to Scripture and how we interpret it.

When I searched Amazon for that book another one popped up that I want to read after the first one about a complementarian's response to the book.  So I'm guessing he doesn't believe in slavery but believes in women not being in leadership and no homosexuality either.  I'm not sure, that's why I want to read it.  People often use Philemon as a defense of why slavery is not okay in the New Testament any longer.  There are other verses though that tell slaves to obey their masters.

The ups and downs of traveling

Right now, I'm en route to Chicago out of Springfield, IL via train.  Over the next couple of weeks I will go from Chicago to Prague to Istanbul to Yangon.  I am super excited about this.

Traveling has always seemed to be good for my soul.  There's something about getting out on the open road.  There are quite a few songs about traveling for a reason, right?

There are also down sides to traveling though I have to admit.  The sleepless hours on a plane.  The ensuing jet lag that is sometimes unavoidable.

For the most part though, I thorougly enjoy traveling.  What's not to enjoy??  You get to go somewhere new to an exciting destination.  Or you get to come home after an exciting time somewhere else.  It's simply fantastic if you ask me.

If you're anything like me, traveling is an absolute joy.   For one thing, you get to meet people from different cultures and nations, especially if you go overseas.  Most places are friendly, unless they're a little shy due to not knowing English that well.  If you try a few phrases in their language though, they are quick to accept you.

I also couchsurf, which I'm told is weird but I defend it as awesome and one of the best websites on the planet.  I'm couchsurfing in Prague with Steffani coming up and can't wait!  We will be staying with a couple of dear friends of mine but in the middle of our stay they are having a couple other guests so we needed another spot to stay.  Cue in couchsurfing.org!  I found a couple of hosts within 24 hours I think.

Couchsurfing ends up well 99% of the time.  There was one guy once upon a time, in Prague ironically, who was annoying a little.  He wasn't a bad person at all, just kind of annoying was all.  If that's the worst that can happen and you save $100 a night, I can put up with a little annoyance now and again!

99% of the time though, I have an incredible time couchsurfing.  I have met some of my favorite people through the website and now have contacts all over the world.  It is an honor and a privilege to share life with these people, albeit on a shortened timeline typically.  That is one of the things I will miss most about not having access to a house in Sarasota; is not being able to open it up to couchsurfers and meet people from Europe mostly.

Couchsurfing is one of those things that's a 'pay it forward' type of thing at its best.  You host someone and then you surf.  Or you don't host and still surf but leave a nice little gift when you leave.  It's beautiful really, and it has been way to long since I've done it personally.  Now I get to couchsurf with my beautiful girlfriend?!  I can't even imagine anything being better! 

Sometimes, and I think I'll probably experience it this time, culture shock can be draining.  They say it typically takes about 6 months for that to set in really.  So maybe I won't get it too badly this time around.  I hope to be in Myanmar longer-term though, so it would inevitably happen I'm sure.

Part of the hard part of traveling for me currently is being away from Steffani for so long.  We haven't seen each other face to face now in a little over three months and it's starting to wear on me.  While I'm thankful for technology of course it just doesn't take the place of being in the same place as your loved one.  I love Steffani so much and can't wait to be reunited with her in Prague.  It will undoubtedly be a great time of getting to know each other even more and connecting on a deeper level face to face.

Emotions, Entrepreneurship and Education

There's a movie named Anchorman with that quote in it.  The main character Ron Burgandy says this after his beloved dog Baxter is punted off a bridge by an angry motorcyclist.  It's a hilarious scene with him balling his eyes out.  Not that losing a dog is by any means funny; just the way he's talking in the telephone booth and carrying on and on.  You really have to see it to appreciate it I suppose.

I've been reminded of this scene several times over the past month or so.  I left Sarasota a couple months ago and had to say many tearful goodbyes.  Saying goodbye is always so tough, especially with those who you've shared so much life with over a long period of time.

It's not that I won't see them again.  I will see them in December when I get married on Siesta Beach.  It has more to do with that I'm not moving back to Sarasota in the foreseeable future.  I'm not ruling it out entirely, but it most likely will be years before I move back to the states full time if I do at all.

The nice thing about an entrepreneurship school is it's easily transferrable.  Insomuch as the basic premise goes I should clarify.  Your purpose is to equip young people how to launch and run their own businesses.  It's as simple as that.  The main problem with starting one in America would be the start-up capital needed to do it here.

In Myanmar, we provide small loans to help people get their business ideas off the ground.  These are usually $500 or less.  I don't know a lot about businesses in the states but I'm pretty sure they take more than $500 to start generally speaking.  Of course, I did read a book entitled u $100 startup about how a lot of businesses had started for $100 or less or there abouts.

Maybe if I start a business school in the states I could largely use that as a model or at least part of the curriculum to encourage people to start lean.  I'm not saying I necessarily want to start a school in the states someday.  It's just been what a couple people have said when I share my vision for starting an entrepreneurship school someday in the developing world.  A couple of friends have commented that we could use something like that here in the states.

Small business is the backbone of any economy.  Small businesses provide the lion's share of the jobs in this country and really any country besides communist ones.  It gets more difficult as they scale and create space between themselves and their low man on the totem pole.

As technology continues to innovate and replace more and more jobs, entrepreneurship will again be very important in every country should they wish to continue creating jobs.  Many people at stores have been laid off due to the rising use of self-checkout lanes.  Even jobs that require a person are likely to be outsourced.

So, how do you create jobs in a world that is ever-changing rapidly due to technological innovation?  It starts with looking at our education and teaching people how to think critically and creatively on how to solve problems.  Some people think education will be fixed if we use just enough technology but I simply don't agree with this idea.

The core of education has to be teaching students a love of learning.  No job that pays decent is going to require no amount of ongoing training as the years pass.  We must teach students how to teach themselves if we expect education to be successful.

Unfortunately, this is not the direction education is heading in this country.  We falsely believe if we can just get enough data that will solve everything.  As a result more and more of teachers' time is spent testing and analyzing data as opposed to doing what they were hired to do, that being teaching.

Testing and data analysis can be useful of course, but I dare say we have started teaching our students as if they were robots of some sort.  Take this test, analyze results, work on weaknesses, retake the test, and repeat.  The stuff I read lately for personal development and to help me think about business all say to work on your strengths, not your weaknesses.

It seems as though education in our country at least foregoes this logic and instead focuses tremendously on weaknesses.  Obviously we need our students to be basically proficient.  If we take away the very things they enjoy about school like the arts and PE though, aren't we doing them a disservice?  My old school had parents sign a release form for taking their students out of specials classes like music so they could spend more time on a computer program that was supposed to get them ready to pass the dreaded FCAT.

That was one of the things that showed me it was time for me to move on from elementary education.  The teachers who choose to stay I have the utmost respect for.  I simply couldn't hack it anymore.  So much bureaucratic red tape in education these days.  It was almost like our full time job was teaching and our part time job was devoted to more and more paperwork every year.

Acceptable Addictions

Okay, let me be the first to accept it and admit it.  I have a severe addiction to food and sugary drinks.  Yes, of course you need food to survive, but when is enough?  I love getting large helpings of food, I am an American after all.

 

Some would say the American diet is unsustainable.  This is hard to argue with seeing as how we have shows called The Biggest Loser while many people in the world die for lack of food.  Even in our own society a lot of people go hungry.

 

Meanwhile, the middle and upper classes eat to their hearts' content.  Personally, I love food, and a lot of it at that.  How do I get over this food addiction?

 

A quick example to illustrate what I'm talking about here.  Lately, I've been trying, yet again, to get off of soda.  I'll go a day, maybe a day and a half before the headaches kick in.  Then I give into temptation and have a soda.  I'm trying to ween myself off but it is proving rather difficult to say the least.

 

I tried drinking coffee for a while so I'd at least get the caffeine kick.  I can't stand the taste of that stuff.  Not to mention, you're really just trading one addiction for another, right?  How many people say they can't get through the day without their coffee?  Is that not the very definition of an addiction?  Something you can't live without?

 

It's okay though we tell ourselves.  Everyone loves a good cup of joe in the morning.  As the title of this entry suggests, caffeine is an acceptable addiction.

 

Many people struggle with understanding how addicts, in the classical sense of the term, have such a hard time kicking their particular addiction whether it is to pills or coke or alcohol.  Give up your two-three cups of coffee for a month and then tell me how easy it was to do so.

 

The problem with acceptable addictions is that they necessarily become acceptable idols.  If we need something more than God Himself it is an idol.  I realize that sounds crazy to call coffee or food an idol, but I really feel that way.

 

I have a friend who went through an assessment several years ago in order to plant a church.  He was telling me a great story and one that serves as a perfect illustration here.  One of the main guys was telling these future church planters they would have to 'put down the bottle' in order to serve as pastors.  A female in my friends' group said she'd put down the bottle when he put down the fork.

 

It's perfect, isn't it?  It perfectly illustrates how some addictions are far more acceptable than others.  I've always had a heart for people who are labeled as addicts.  People act like illegal drugs or pills or alcohol are the only things to get addicted to.  You can get addicted to any number of things.  With that being said, allow me to part with these words.  What are you addicted to?  What do you need to take off the throne where God belongs?