Mental Mode

Child Soldiers

2007-02-12T11:09:00.000-05:00

Stolen kids turned into terrifying killers - By Ann O'Neill, CNN

(CNN) -- Warlords are forcing children in conflicts around the world to become killing machines -- nothing more than what one child advocate calls "cannon fodder."

Some children are kidnapped from their schools or their beds, some are recruited after seeing their parents slaughtered, some may even choose to join the militias as their best hope for survival in war-torn countries from Colombia, and across Africa and the Middle East, to south Asia.

Once recruited, many are brainwashed, trained, given drugs and then sent into battle with orders to kill.

There is no escape for what the United Nations and human rights groups estimate are 250,000 child soldiers today. These children, some as young as 8, become fighters, sex slaves, spies and even human shields.

eBay

2007-02-05T22:06:00.000-05:00

Spiders

2007-02-05T15:34:00.000-05:00

End Slavery

2007-01-11T07:56:00.000-05:00

Slavery. Many people think it's a relic of the past. But as you're reading this, the number of slaves in the world exceeds 27 million people.

Today we're working to end modern-day slavery. The movie below is brought to you by The Amazing Change Fund and tells the story of modern-day abolitionists and gives you easy ways to get involved.

Check out this video and then become part of the campaign to end slavery in this world:
The Amazing Change

Looking Forward to 2007

2007-01-08T10:35:00.000-05:00

It's been five months since I last posted. We had a strange year (2006). In the summer I had surgery to remove part of my bowel where the cancer had been. That took a while to recover from. While the surgeon was in there she noticed a spot on my liver. It was very small and she removed it. It turned out to be cancer. Thankfully it was removed, but unfortunately that changed things for us. It meant that it was now considered a stage 4 cancer. The doctor figures the cancer got there by travelling in some mucous in my abdomen. I figure that's better than having travelled through my blood or lymph nodes.

I started an aggressive chemotherapy in August. It's been fairly manageable, but the fatigue can be tough. I have three more treatments to do and then...who knows. We'll just have to wait and see if anything ever comes back. My last CT scan came back clear. We were pretty pleased with that. I imagine that for the next few years I'll be having many CT scans.

This has been a long and tiring experience, but God has been good. I've been able to work and I've been able to find some new clients, one of which has been very faithful in sending me work. If anyone reading this is looking for a graphic designer feel free to check out my website at www.gdevitt.com.

Looking forward to a better 2007,
Greg.

Sparks fly upward

2006-08-09T10:35:00.000-04:00

Thank goodness really bad news only happens to other people—a missing child, a serious accident, or illness. We always know someone who has suffered or is suffering deeply, but rarely do we ponder the possibility that we will become someone else’s “other person” story.

Have you heard the one about the young father who went to the hospital to have his appendix out and discovered that he had cancer? I’ll bet not in his wildest dreams did he think that he would be the “other person.” But it happened. Imagine moment when the surgeon delivers the news and you feel like you’ve been compressed into the ground with a ten tonne anvil—when you’re whole being is filled with fear, and dread, and regret. It really happened—to me.

On April 19, 2006 I became the “other person” for so many people—maybe for you. To be honest, it’s a distinction I’d rather not have. Famous among dozens is good enough for me. I really didn’t need the attention. But, sometimes you pray a prayer without really thinking of the possibilities.

“God, I feel stuck spiritually. Increase my faith.”

If you pray that, don’t be surprised when it gets answered. I have a feeling that’s one of those prayers that God always answers with, “Sure thing.”

Suffering is a part of life. Whether it’s because of our proximity to sin, or our pursuit of holiness, we will all suffer. That is the reality of living in a fallen world. Being a Christian doesn’t exempt us from suffering. We might be citizens of another kingdom but we’re still mucking around this place. God is in the redemption business, not the make-your-whole-life-turn-out-exactly-as-you-want-it-to business—and God can redeem suffering.

What good can possibly come from suffering, you say? Well, first let’s throw out the hackneyed phrases that roll off our tongue so easily, so often: “All things come together for good for those that love the Lord,” “Don’t worry, it’ll all work out fine,” etc. They sound really good and Christian, but let’s face it, when you become the “other person” they’re pretty hard to swallow. The truth is, you might never see any good come of it, and it might not all work out fine—at least not on this side of eternity.

So how do we see suffering as good or as James writes, “pure joy,” with this in mind?

I’ve discovered that James was not being trite when he opened his letter with those words. He was writing as a man who knew his God well. Did you know that in the first sixteen verses of the book of James over ten attributes of God are revealed? James knew that suffering takes on a different meaning when we see it in the shadow of the Almighty. But often, when your heart is wrecked and you fall on your knees and bare your anguished soul you discover that you barely know the God you’re talking too. Suffering reveals. It refines. It burns away the other stuff of life so it’s just you and God. This is where suffering is redeemed.

This is where the most desperate and desolate time of my life became my own personal Isaiah moment, “Woe to me!…I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips…my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”

We can’t honestly consider suffering to be pure joy until we know the God who uses it for our sanctification—our glorification. And not only for ourselves, but for the community of Christians that surround us and enter into that suffering and show their deep love and affection, modeling Christ in their actions. To truly know God, to meditate on His attributes is the way of the psalmist and the way of the child of God who can say,

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

A lot of people repeat those words in times of trouble as if they are some sort of mystical incantation—a last ditch effort to conjure the divine. What they are, I’ve discovered, is the declaration of a man who knew the object of his faith with great intimacy—a man after God’s own heart. J I Packer wrote in his book Knowing God, “What makes life worth while is having a big enough objective, something which catches our imagination and lays hold of our allegiance; and this the Christian has, in a way that no other person has. For what higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God?”

I like that idea. What makes life worth while is not our status, or our job, or our wealth, or even our health. It’s God—so simple and yet so easy to miss. I'm not suggesting that I would choose cancer over health. But I am grateful for the revealing work of God in my life. I am grateful for an answer to my prayer.

Strange

2006-04-13T14:35:00.000-04:00

This is strange. Since I stopped posting in November my traffic has actually gone up.

Things have changed considerably since my last post. I am now offically a freelance graphic designer. Feel free to head over to www.gdevitt.com and check out my portfolio. If you're in the market for a graphic designer feel free to contact me. I'd love to expand my client base.

I recently finished a web site for Murray Pura. Check it out www.murraypura.com. He's a great writer.

I had my appendix removed last week. I have a cool scar on my side now. I think I'll tell my son it was a knife wound when he gets older.
"How did you get that scar Dad?"
"Knife fight."
"Whoooaaaaa. Did you almost die?"
"Oh yeah."

Rate Your Profs and MDs

2005-11-01T13:22:00.000-05:00

I just came across a cool site called RateMyProfessors.ca. Now you can let the whole world know what you think about your profs. You can also link to RateMDs.com and give your doctor a checkup.

Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and doggone it, people like me.

2005-10-21T11:59:00.000-04:00

Excerpt from, The Overpraised American by Christine Rosen (it applies to Canadians too...just in case you're wondering)

Moreover, the self-esteem movement nascent when Lasch was writing has reached maturity, and its progeny - the children of Lasch's 19705 narcissists - are now forming their own families. None of them, evidently, is merely average. Many of them embrace an increasingly egalitarian family structure, uncritically and enthusiastically use personal technologies that alter the rhythms of private life and isolate family members from each other, and approach institutions such as schools and the workplace with a healthy sense of entitlement. They spend less time with their children than parents in Lasch's day, rely more on experts for advice about how to deal with them when they do, and begin building a resume of activities and test scores for them from an increasingly early age. When they seek religion, it is a heavily therapeutic kind of faith, and they avail themselves of rafts of advice and consumer products - from Suze Orman's relentlessly upbeat financial self- esteem directives to the ministrations of professional closet organizers - to help them cope with the "stresses" of their daily lives. It seems like a long time ago that Americans made much of their own clothing, grew their own food, had much larger families, and produced books, like one published in the U.S. in 1911, with titles such as Etiquette: Good Manners for All People, Especially for Those Within the Broad Zone of the Average.

If anecdotal evidence is any guide, the cult of therapy observed by Lasch also continues to exert its influence over religion. The "soft-core spirituality" Lasch saw as a sign of cultural narcissism thrives in offerings such as Mitch Albom's best-selling bit of pop spirituality, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, and similar books. "The heaven that is apparently popular with readers these days is nothing more than an excellent therapy session," New York Times columnist David Brooks noted in 1004. "When you go to [Albom's] heaven, friends and helpers come and tell you how innately wonderful you are. They help you reach closure. In this heaven, God and his glory are not the center of attention. It's all about you."

Beware the Green-eyed Monster

2005-10-20T10:49:00.000-04:00

This is bizarre. Rick Warren has made Fortune's 2005 Envy List: The 25 People We Envy Most.

I think if I were a pastor that would scare the heck out of me...at least I hope it would.

Coincidence? I Think Not.

2005-10-07T12:12:00.000-04:00

Am I the only person who thinks that Tim LaHaye resembles an evil leprechaun?

Arrgh, matey!

2005-10-07T11:49:00.000-04:00

This is funny. Click on the image the read the entire commentary.
...I'm sure I've actually heard this conversation before...

ROBERTSON: I never let my children listen to songs with words. Except for John Denver.
FALWELL: John Denver was a very good singer. Of course, he's burning in hell.
LAHAYE: Of course.
ROBERTSON: You know I'm not too sure about this film. It almost seems like that girl is thinking positively about pirates.
LAHAYE: Kids are so wicked today. It's a sign that the end is near.
FALWELL: If it wasn't for those queer little Teletubbies, our kids would be a lot better off.
ROBERTSON: Oh brother—here comes another one of Jer's Telly rants.
LAHAYE: Both of you shut your traps and let's watch the movie.

Kirk Cameron is not a good actor...and other things

2005-09-29T08:46:00.000-04:00

Liberal media bias has become a hot topic for conservative pundits to bash around. From Michael Coren to the lastest article by Lorrie Goldsten there has been ample evidence to speak to this phenomena. Of course, it should come as no surprise. Universities, where most decent journalists are trained, most often lean to the left...the very far left. Conservative and specifically christian viewpoints (they are not the same thing) are not well-represented at that level. One also has to wonder if conservative and christian thinkers are not only underrepresented in the faculty, but also in the student body.

Are we encouraging our children to tackle careers that put them in places of influence? One has to wonder. Could it be that there is such a preponderance of opportunities for christians to work in very insulated environments that we are ceasing to be an influence on the culture around us. Type "christian careers" into google and you decide.

I also suspect that anti-intellectualism, which has seeped into the evangelical landscape, is also liable. For the past 40 years, we've been dumbing ourselves down. The monolith of cheesy christian romance writing and the unending torrent of end-times tomes speaks volumes to this problem.

(Isn't it interesting that we seem to be obsessed with hiding in our houses reading (and probably praying for) this fiery cataclysmic end-of-the-world scenario rather than working to redeem, not only people, but also the culture around us. I smell a self-fulfilling prophecy...)

I don't expect that we will all become academics and scholars, but why do we always seem to aim so low.

Flannery O'Connor and Mars Hill Audio

2005-09-19T07:58:00.000-04:00

Below is an excerpt from an introduction to Hillbilly Thomist: Flannery O'Connor & the Truth of Things published by Mars Hill Audio. Check them out, they will send you a free sample CD of their audio journal. It's good stuff.

...
Flannery O'Connor strongly disliked fiction that attempted to be uplifting or improving. She complained in one of her essays about fellow Catholics who wanted "positive literature," a desire that she felt was rooted in "weak faith and possibly also from this general inability to read." O'Connor was always nervous about fiction that was concerned about right belief but indifferent to the actual shape of lives being lived. She lamented that "When the Catholic novelist closes his own eyes and tries to see with the eyes of the Church, the result is another addition to that large body of pious trash for which we have so long been famous."

But Flannery O'Connor held herself and other writers to a high standard rooted in her religious convictions; she once wrote that for novelists, "Our final standard will have to be the demands of art, which are a good deal more exacting than the demands of the Church. There are novels a writer might write, and remain a good Catholic, which his conscience as an artist would not allow him to perpetuate." Art, in O'Connor's view, is rooted in the stuff of reality, and thus being a bad artist while trying to be a good Christian is no more excusable than being a bad plumber or a bad accountant or a bad driver while trying to be a good Christian. In all of these vocations, one can only be ethically responsible before God and toward one's neighbors if one is properly engaged with reality as it is, whether it be leaky pipes, arithmetic, traffic patterns, or story telling.
...

We should take heed of these words in evangelical circles and encourage fiction that is well written. We are becoming far too well-known for poorly written saccharine fluff.

Three can keep a secret if two are dead – Benjamin Franklin

2005-09-15T08:46:00.000-04:00

This image came from this site.

www.gdevitt.com

2005-09-14T21:31:00.000-04:00

I have finally overcome my web design inertia and created an online portfolio of my work. Feel free to check it out at www.gdevitt.com. I'll be adding more to the "portfolio" section in the near future, but I thought it was complete enough to launch the site. If you notice any problems or strange things please let me know. I'm especially interested to know if it works well on Windoze machines :)

cheers,
greg.

Gilead and Byzantium

2005-09-08T12:45:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to do a bit of reading this summer. Below are two books that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Gilead: A Novel
by Marilynne Robinson

From Publishers Weekly
...Robinson's prose is beautiful, shimmering and precise; the revelations are subtle but never muted when they come, and the careful telling carries the breath of suspense. There is no simple redemption here; despite the meditations on faith, even readers with no religious inclinations will be captivated. Many writers try to capture life's universals of strength, struggle, joy and forgiveness—but Robinson truly succeeds in what is destined to become her second classic. ...

This book is wonderful and has great depth.

Byzantium
by Stephen R. Lawhead

From Publishers Weekly
...[Stephen Lawhead] now tells the story of Aidan, a 10th-century Irish monk sent to take the Book of Kells to the Byzantine Emperor in Constantinople. Separated from his fellow pilgrims, Aidan undergoes various exotic adventures, including capture by and life with Vikings, political intrigue in the Byzantine court, enslavement in a caliph's mine and loss of his all-important faith in God. Lawhead is a Christian writer, and here the Christian themes are integral and well developed...

This book is not as heavy as Gilead, but is very well-written and engaging.

Don't blame only feds

2005-09-07T17:35:00.000-04:00

Don't blame only feds By Michael Goodwin
...
The charge of racism-inspired foot-dragging isn't just nonsense. It's pernicious nonsense, as in destructive and malicious. You know that's a fact because loony Howard Dean, the Democratic Party boss, is now peddling it. He's joined by Jesse Jackson, who said the squalor in New Orleans "looks like the hull of a slave ship." Oh, please.
...

Conservative or Liberal?...How about Neither

2005-07-21T08:57:00.000-04:00

Breakpoint: Restoring Shalom - The Biblical View of Justice

...

Secularists, both liberal and conservative, fail because they see people as objects—either to be punished or to be serviced. Biblical justice is much grander, seeing people as humans made in God’s image. God seeks shalom, which in the biblical definition means, not just the absence of war, but also genuine accord and harmony, a society in which people care for one another.

...

State Control of Religion ... in Canada?

2005-07-20T08:38:00.000-04:00

Canadian National Public Radio Broadcasts Call for State Control of Religion, Especially Catholicism

...Just as Senate approaches the final vote on the gay 'marriage' bill, C-38, Canada's national public radio CBC Radio has aired a commentary by a retired professor from the Royal Military College calling for state control over religion, specifically Catholicism...

One Month!

2005-07-14T21:40:00.000-04:00

Wow. It's been exactly one month since I last blogged. This month has been very busy. My workload has been unreal for the past few weeks. We managed to get moved into our new house. Everything went well. Thanks to all who were able to lend a hand with the move.

I don't have much to post today, but I did receive an interesting email from a friend. I've posted it below.

From Vampires to the Boy Jesus
by Marcia Z. Nelson
Vampire chronicler Anne Rice is raising the stakes in her newest novel. Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt (Knopf, Nov.) is an autobiography of Jesus at age 7. Rice told BookLine the subject turnabout is no stretch for her fans--her books about vampires and witches have always explored good and evil. For research, she sank her teeth into extensive biblical scholarship. "If I can make vampires so real that people would call me up at home and ask about them, can I make them feel the presence of Jesus Christ?" she asked. Rice should find built-in interest in general bookstores, but will this new novel find acceptance in the CBA market? Knopf is working with WaterBrook, Random House's evangelical Christian imprint, to open the door into the evangelical network of stores, buyers and distributors. "We're going to lean on them a little bit," said Paul Bogaards, executive director of publicity at Knopf. WaterBrook will encourage key bookstores to host the author, sending them a letter to readers written by Rice. In the letter, the author, who has returned to the Catholic faith in which she was raised, explains her hope to make Jesus come alive through her story. Advertising and publicity will target both mainstream and faith-based media, including print magazines and online portals and blogs. Knopf aims big, with a first printing of 500,000.

Busy Days...

2005-06-14T22:13:00.000-04:00

We're moving in a few days so I've been too busy lately to post much, but below is a link you should check out.

Mars Hill Audio
MARS HILL AUDIO exists to assist Christians who desire to move from thoughtless consumption of modern culture to a vantage point of thoughtful engagement.

Mr. Ken Myers, president of Mars Hill Audio, was the featured speaker of a teleconference that I took part in with Chuck Colson's Centurions group. That session was quite good.

Breaking with Tradition

2005-06-07T08:25:00.000-04:00

CFRB Newtalk 1010 - Same-Sex Marriage Debate

Above is a link advertising a debate on same-sex marriage between Michael Coren and Mark Elliot. You can tune in tonight at 7 pm to hear the debate or drive on down and see it in action. There is also a link to a pre-debate debate that took place on the Bill Carroll show. It's worth a listen.

Political penetration

2005-06-01T09:52:00.000-04:00

Here are a few of responses to The Globe and Mail's article last week attacking Christian Tory candiates.

Discrimina-Tory — Ezra Levant, Calgary Sun

A front-page smear against Christians — Charles Adler, Calgary Herald

Single-issue candidates no stranger to democracy — Christie Blatchford, The Globe and Mail

"Protection" from What?

2005-05-30T12:39:00.000-04:00

Interesting and honest article about abstinence.

"Protection" from What?—Abstinence, fertility cycles, and sex education—by Kate Bluett

...Stop telling young women that babies are the only consequence of sex. Stop saying that condoms and the Pill will solve all the problems. Teach them to abstain—don't just say that premarital sex will send them to hell; say that sleeping with the wrong person opens the gates of hell in a very real, practical, personal sense...Hold off, both from pregnancy and from sleeping with someone you wouldn't want as the father of a child." Self-control breeds self-control...