How much TV is costing you?

Matt point out it,

It’s amazing the amount you can accomplish when you find an extra 3,285 hours to work on something you enjoy doing rather than vegging in front of the TV. Those hours helped us create a small network of websites and blogs which allowed both of us to quit our jobs and work on them full time a couple of years ago…

To put it into perspective, if you watch an average of 31.5 hours of TV each week (which the average person in the US does) and you value your time at minimum wage of $5.85 an hour, you are spending nearly $800 a month ($798.53) to watch TV. That comes to nearly $10,000 ($9582.30) a year. I would imagine that most people reading this value their time well above minimum wage, so the cost is likely several times that number. When you look at it from that perspective, watching TV is an extremely expensive and financial draining habit to have.

(HT: Challies)

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Christians and swine flu

How should we be thinking and reacting as Christians to swine flu (otherwise known as H1N1).

Albert Mohler will help you think Christianly about this.  In part he reminds us:

Sickness points to sin and sin points to our need for Christ.  Luther, Calvin, and all true ministers of Christ know that sickness and death point to our need for a Savior.  Even as Christians seek to minister to the physical needs of the sick, the spiritual need is even more urgent.  Each tiny germ shows us our need for the Gospel.  Every cough is a reminder of coming judgment.  Our confidence is placed only in the ministry of Christ our Physician, “who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases.”  [Psalm 103:3]

I would recommend you read the rest of the article! It’s worth your time.

BTW: This may or may not be a huge pandemic as some are saying.

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How to study the Word

I am spending a lot of time preparing to teach a class on the Bible.  As part of my introduction to the students I will answer the question:  “how should we study the Word?” Here is part of what I will share.  (Credit to Wayne Grudem who has helped me think about this)

1. With much prayer:  “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Psalm 119:18, ESV).
2. With humility  “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”” (1 Peter 5:5, ESV).
3. With good reasoning skill: “The sum of your word is truth.” (Psalm 119:160, ESV).
4. With others:  listen to good teachers but a lot of the instruction and  learning occurs in informal conversations we enjoy with other learners of the Word
5. With joy and rejoicing:  “the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart” (Psalm 19:8, ESV).

Other verses dealing with studying with joy are as follows:

“In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.” (Psalm 119:14, ESV).

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103, ESV).

“Your testimonies. . .  are the joy of my heart.” (Psalm 119:111, ESV).

“I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.” (Psalm 119:162, ESV).

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Crash on I-90

As I was leaving home to visit someone having surgery at 7 AM, I heard two loud booms. I thought at first it might have been a gunshot–but they were too loud. Next guess was something going on at the stone quarry near our house.  Again, though I thought it was too loud. When I went over a bridge near our house I could see lots of black smoke as I looked west and I saw a few emergency vehicles on the way.

Then on my way home I came across another bridge closer to where I heard there was the accident and saw this.

One person dead, another with minor injuries and the trailer is still burning.

The story and more pics here. (click on the multimedia link to view pictures from my daughter Camille).

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Revolutions: Printing press, internet, now e-books

Read how one man thinks that e-books are going to change the world as we know it–much like the invention of the printing press and launch of the worldwide web has changed how we get our information and how we learn.

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My father: Dale Arthur Wagner

Today would have been the 80th birthday of my father.  I want to honor him on this day.  My dad grew up in Toledo, OH. He graduated from high school and worked as an auto mechanic for several years before becoming a police office for the Toledo Police Department, where his job was ‘to protect and to serve’ for nearly 30 years. As he progressed in his service there, he became a detective, sergeant, lieutenant and acting captain.  He served during the time of civil unrest and riots in larger cities and was called upon to serve in the riots of 1967 in Detroit.  He also served as the head of the bomb squad during his days on the force.

He also served as a Seabee in the Navy reserves. Although he never saw active duty, he spent many weekends in training and service.

But  what really defined my father was Christian faith. My father came to know Christ as a young person and served Him till his death.  In the year of my birth, he lead his family out of a liberal church that no longer preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and they started attending Emmanuel Baptist Church in Toledo, OH. They would be members of that church for the next 25 years or so and I am grateful for God’s providence as it was a great church to grow up in and learn the truths of the faith.  Upon moving to Florida, he served at Faith Baptist Church in Zephyrhills until the Lord called him to glory!

My dad was a servant, helping others in anyway that he could.

My dad was not afraid of what man thought.  He cared what God thought.

My dad was a a strict disciplinarian, but also loved us dearly.

My dad worked hard, at times working a full time job and another part time job or two.  He taught me to work hard and be discplined.

My dad died when I was in my  early 30′s and I really miss him.  How many times I wish I could call on him for advice and counsel.  But praise God, I know I will see him again in glory! And we shall forever be with the Lord!

Thanks, Dad, for everything you taught me and modeled for me–thanks for living Christ!

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Escaping anonymity

Tim Challies writes, “We need community. We need accountability. And God has anticipated our need by giving us the local church as the primary means of this accountability.”

Amen!

Read why anonymity is not a good thing if you want to run the Christian race well and be strengtehened by grace!

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Humor for the “honey-do” list

A little humor for the day. 

One man writes:

Buried deep in the fine print of every wedding vow is a clause that legally enables the creation of what is commonly known as the “Honey-Do” list. For those not familiar with it (read: all unmarried men), the “Honey-Do” list is a compilation of tasks, chores, repairs, and improvements that wives would like their husbands to accomplish.

It usually germinates from a single, innocuous request placed upon the husband early in the marriage, which, in his desire to please his new bride, he nobly accepts as his duty. The problem is that once started, the “Honey-Do” list cannot be killed, and from that initial tiny mustard seed of a request will sprout a monster as thorny and unstoppable as an over-fertilized Bouganvilla bush.

The rest is here–including how this man deals with the honey-do list (if his wife reads this, she is trouble).

(HT:Amy)

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China vs. USA comparison

Mint.com has put together an interesting infographic comparing various aspects of both the United States and China. (HT: Challies)

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Adopting and losing a baby

Take a moment to read this moving story about how the gospel of grace and the kingdom of love moved a couple to walk by faith, carrying their cross, as they adopted a baby boy whom they knew would live for only a few months.

Yesterday he died, and Christ was glorified.

“But he gives more grace” (James 4:6).

(HT:  JT)

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