Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream is
unlike any other book I've ever read. I knew it would be when, in the
very first paragraph, the author confessed that he cannot rest easy in
his role as pastor of a megachurch because there is no template or justification for a megachurch in the Bible.
I
didn't like a lot of what came after that line, but I could not
disagree with the fact that it every part was backed up by scripture and historical precedent. Regardless of where you stand on faith, I cannot recommend this
book strongly enough. It will stretch your mind and challenge your life.
(Check out the first chapter for free and other resources here.)
Thursday, September 29
Wednesday, September 28
Disadvantaging Our Nation's Children
I went to college, and I'm not sorry that I did. In the years since, however, I've often been reminded that getting my degree (Hospitality Management) was not nearly as essential as everyone assumed it would be. I've met many a great manager who never went to college or never graduated; getting a job in the industry as soon as they were old enough to work, they made themselves students of the best managers around and worked their way through the ranks.
As college tuition continues to rise and the unstable job market dumps more and more people with multiple degrees back into the market, it irks me that as a nation we continue to send people to college without giving serious consideration to other options. At very least, I've come to feel, people should work their way through school - the simple act of holding down a consistent, real-world job of some kind will go further towards opening doors and making them employable in the future than their degree of choice.
When online polls come back with results like the recent Harris poll finding that "fifty-nine percent of parents provide support to their adult children who no longer attend school", is there really any way to avoid acknowledging that the current system is fatally broken? When both grads and their parents feel trapped, scraping by and financially co-dependent because neither can seem to get or stay solidly above water, red lights should be flashing and alarm bells should be sounding at all levels!
Historically, people began laying the ground work for their futures in their teen years. Whether it was a young woman teaching school to support herself and put something away until she married, or a young man apprenticing himself to a trade and squirreling away funds to start his own shop, people hit their twenties ready to start families, buy houses and invest their strongest, most energetic years in growing the business or career that would fund their lifetime and hopefully be passed on to their children.
With modern labor laws preventing young people and teens from being in the workplace or starting any kind of useful employment before age 18, we've successfully handicapped generations of children. Is it any wonder so many people are getting married and starting families later, or not at all? Are we surprised that marriages are on the rocks and failing at record levels? When you try to squish 20 years worth of education, experience and growth into less than 10 years, something will have to give!
I was delighted recently to read on Rural Revolution about a homeschooling family who decided to be practical, proactive and set an excellent example for others. Thanks to their common sense and forethought, their daughter is set up to have the hands-on experience, a tailored educational program and solid references for the degree of her choice before she graduates from high school! In addition, she'll avoid the expense of college attendance completely.
In reading about the steps that family was taking and keeping in mind the experiences I've seen friends and other new graduates go through, I'd like to offer a few ideas for anyone interested in being part of breaking the nasty cycle of pursing extra degrees, racking up school loans and struggling to find a job.
1. If you are a grad or the parent of a grad, consider learning a trade first. Even if you intend to go to college in the future for an advanced degree, learn an in-demand trade, skill or certification first. You'll make a lot more money and develop a much better work history and broader skill set while to fund your education than you would hopping between entry-level retail jobs during the same time frame. As an added bonus, maintaining that skill set will give you a ready backup plan or the easy opportunity to make money on the side should the financial road ahead get rocky.
2. Help get kids into the workplace early. Do you work at home? Are you self-employed? Open your doors to teenagers! Hire an off-the-books seasonal assistant or partner with your local high school, youth group, scouting club, etc. to offer an internship, mentoring or shadowing days! The more hands-on experience and good references kids can build early, the better off they are later on.
3. Take the statistics with a grain of salt. Companies and colleges make lots of money projecting what fields will need new graduates in the coming years. But they only tell you about the ones that require degrees they provide. For example, did you know that America will need 130,000 new long distance truck drivers this year? Obviously that isn't for everyone, but getting licensed to do that costs dramatically less than a degree and if you listened to the Great Courses series while on the road you could have a great head start on a degree before you even started college! The point is, there are plenty of jobs out there with solid market growth numbers and it could be well worth your while to find them - just don't expect colleges and newspapers to give you the whole story.
4. Be open to self-employment. It annoys me that as an independent beauty consultant I am barred by the National Experiential Education Association from hosting any interns from colleges that belong their group. I have learned a tremendous amount about myself and other people by being self-employed. Things I wish I'd known before I went to college and got a managerial job! Although self-employment is often more precarious than an office job, it has many benefits and is not necessarily mutually exclusive to being employed by someone else as well. It might be a good fit for you or a student you know. There are plenty of low-risk ways to try it and find out, so don't pass it by without at least looking!
As college tuition continues to rise and the unstable job market dumps more and more people with multiple degrees back into the market, it irks me that as a nation we continue to send people to college without giving serious consideration to other options. At very least, I've come to feel, people should work their way through school - the simple act of holding down a consistent, real-world job of some kind will go further towards opening doors and making them employable in the future than their degree of choice.
When online polls come back with results like the recent Harris poll finding that "fifty-nine percent of parents provide support to their adult children who no longer attend school", is there really any way to avoid acknowledging that the current system is fatally broken? When both grads and their parents feel trapped, scraping by and financially co-dependent because neither can seem to get or stay solidly above water, red lights should be flashing and alarm bells should be sounding at all levels!Historically, people began laying the ground work for their futures in their teen years. Whether it was a young woman teaching school to support herself and put something away until she married, or a young man apprenticing himself to a trade and squirreling away funds to start his own shop, people hit their twenties ready to start families, buy houses and invest their strongest, most energetic years in growing the business or career that would fund their lifetime and hopefully be passed on to their children.
With modern labor laws preventing young people and teens from being in the workplace or starting any kind of useful employment before age 18, we've successfully handicapped generations of children. Is it any wonder so many people are getting married and starting families later, or not at all? Are we surprised that marriages are on the rocks and failing at record levels? When you try to squish 20 years worth of education, experience and growth into less than 10 years, something will have to give!
I was delighted recently to read on Rural Revolution about a homeschooling family who decided to be practical, proactive and set an excellent example for others. Thanks to their common sense and forethought, their daughter is set up to have the hands-on experience, a tailored educational program and solid references for the degree of her choice before she graduates from high school! In addition, she'll avoid the expense of college attendance completely.
In reading about the steps that family was taking and keeping in mind the experiences I've seen friends and other new graduates go through, I'd like to offer a few ideas for anyone interested in being part of breaking the nasty cycle of pursing extra degrees, racking up school loans and struggling to find a job.
1. If you are a grad or the parent of a grad, consider learning a trade first. Even if you intend to go to college in the future for an advanced degree, learn an in-demand trade, skill or certification first. You'll make a lot more money and develop a much better work history and broader skill set while to fund your education than you would hopping between entry-level retail jobs during the same time frame. As an added bonus, maintaining that skill set will give you a ready backup plan or the easy opportunity to make money on the side should the financial road ahead get rocky.
2. Help get kids into the workplace early. Do you work at home? Are you self-employed? Open your doors to teenagers! Hire an off-the-books seasonal assistant or partner with your local high school, youth group, scouting club, etc. to offer an internship, mentoring or shadowing days! The more hands-on experience and good references kids can build early, the better off they are later on.
3. Take the statistics with a grain of salt. Companies and colleges make lots of money projecting what fields will need new graduates in the coming years. But they only tell you about the ones that require degrees they provide. For example, did you know that America will need 130,000 new long distance truck drivers this year? Obviously that isn't for everyone, but getting licensed to do that costs dramatically less than a degree and if you listened to the Great Courses series while on the road you could have a great head start on a degree before you even started college! The point is, there are plenty of jobs out there with solid market growth numbers and it could be well worth your while to find them - just don't expect colleges and newspapers to give you the whole story.
4. Be open to self-employment. It annoys me that as an independent beauty consultant I am barred by the National Experiential Education Association from hosting any interns from colleges that belong their group. I have learned a tremendous amount about myself and other people by being self-employed. Things I wish I'd known before I went to college and got a managerial job! Although self-employment is often more precarious than an office job, it has many benefits and is not necessarily mutually exclusive to being employed by someone else as well. It might be a good fit for you or a student you know. There are plenty of low-risk ways to try it and find out, so don't pass it by without at least looking!
Tuesday, September 27
1 Timothy 2:15
I went to church my whole life and done tons of independent reading, but I don't recall EVER hearing anyone teach on 1 Timothy 2:15. I've also never heard/read of the difference between ontological and typological readings of the Bible.
Until I ran across an article that blew my mind.
Mary over at Girls Gone Wise tackles a tough subject with sincere heart, articulate tongue and sharp mind. If you have a couple minutes check out this awesome article and see if it doesn't make you feel smarter too.
Monday, September 26
31 Days 2011!
This year, they're at it again and they've issued an open invitation for anyone who wants to join them! I'm sure it's insane, but as a challenge to myself I'm going to go for it. I picked the most "me" topic possible - food! Specifically "Building a Frugal, Functional [Real Food] Kitchen". Some of the posts will be short, none will be earth-shattering, but I hope it will help me focus on what really works and share the best practices (and best recipes!) I've come across that might help someone else.
(Check out this button I made on Picnik, which I'd never heard of until two days ago. Not amazing, but not bad for a first try either!)
If you are inspired to join, just click on the link above for Melissa's page to find out the details. Then head back over there Oct 1st to link up and see what everyone else is writing about.
If not, that's okay too. You can just stop by here periodically and watch me unravel myself into craziness with this challenge! :0)
Sunday, September 25
Close Enough To Hear God Breathe
Street Pastor Greg Paul brings readers
to a deeper, more intimate understanding of the love and desires of
God through correlations of scripture and anecdotes of daily life.
The compassion of a parent for a child, the comfort and camaraderie
of a best friend and the passion of a lover, Paul argues, each exist
as mimicry of the heart and role of God in humans' lives. Building on
these experiences, Paul invites readers to enter deeper, richer and
more intense relationships with their heavenly Father
The author works with addicts,
prostitutes and the homeless at his Sanctuary facility in Toronto;
his experiences in that role clearly shape this work. His
explanations and invitations seem particularly suited to those who
are disenfranchised and might particularly struggle with knowing and
understanding heavenly love and grace. At the same time, the lessons
seem as if they might have a hard time reaching that particular
population since many of them do not have the solid, grace-based
relationships with parents, children or friends that the author uses
as analogs.
For someone in a dark place, needing
reassurance or seeking to re-find the intimacy of a Faith long lost,
this could be a moving and welcome book. As a stand-alone, casual
read however, I didn't find it captivating or inspiring.
Saturday, September 24
Losing Basic Skills
Since ancient times, women of all stations of life have been taught by their mothers, grandmothers and aunts the honorable craft of needlework. Whether it was stitching beautiful things for their home or building a respectable wardrobe for their families from nothing more than fabric and thread, needlework was a basic and essential skill.
Somewhere in the last few decades that skill, like so many others, has fallen out of favor. We are to the point the now where few women even know an accomplished seamstress to learn from if they wanted to. What classes are available commercially teach patronizing fragments like how to make a pillow case and brush off the intricate skills of tailoring clothing as unnecessary or too advanced for the would-be homemaker.
Within the last week, I have run into three separate posts about the serious and detrimental impact on women's lives and health that resulted when girls were no longer taught to sew:
It's not you, it's the clothes.
Why your clothes don't fit.
No s**t.
They all have the same message: clothing off the rack cannot (and is not intended to) properly fit any of us. When something does fit just right, it is a happy accident. When things do not, it is simply our cue to pick up a needle and thread and tailor the piece to fit our needs. Or at least it would be if we knew how! Instead, people are so intimidated by and incapable of tailoring their own clothes that they starve and berate themselves (sometimes to the point of illness) for failing to live up to an entirely arbitrary standard.
This is not an isolated trend. Women who do not learn to cook because they are "destined for a career" and "liberated" from the kitchen are not empowered. They are slaves to fast food, tv dinners and the toxic slop that comes from tin cans and cardboard boxes because they've been denied the skills that would give them the option to do better and make healthier choices.
Real freedom and genuine empowerment are anchored in knowledge. Practical, functional knowledge. It is infuriating and deeply sad that this trend towards learned helplessness is both broad and growing, but I believe there is still hope for reversing it.
If you know how to sew, will you consider making your time and knowledge available to younger women in your life who need someone to teach them?
If you don't know how to sew, I encourage you to consider putting basic sewing supplies on your Christmas list this year and adding learning to sew to your list of resolutions for next year.
We don't have to be (or stay) dis-empowered. We can turn the tide.
Within the last week, I have run into three separate posts about the serious and detrimental impact on women's lives and health that resulted when girls were no longer taught to sew:
It's not you, it's the clothes.
Why your clothes don't fit.
No s**t.
They all have the same message: clothing off the rack cannot (and is not intended to) properly fit any of us. When something does fit just right, it is a happy accident. When things do not, it is simply our cue to pick up a needle and thread and tailor the piece to fit our needs. Or at least it would be if we knew how! Instead, people are so intimidated by and incapable of tailoring their own clothes that they starve and berate themselves (sometimes to the point of illness) for failing to live up to an entirely arbitrary standard.
This is not an isolated trend. Women who do not learn to cook because they are "destined for a career" and "liberated" from the kitchen are not empowered. They are slaves to fast food, tv dinners and the toxic slop that comes from tin cans and cardboard boxes because they've been denied the skills that would give them the option to do better and make healthier choices.
Real freedom and genuine empowerment are anchored in knowledge. Practical, functional knowledge. It is infuriating and deeply sad that this trend towards learned helplessness is both broad and growing, but I believe there is still hope for reversing it.
If you know how to sew, will you consider making your time and knowledge available to younger women in your life who need someone to teach them?
If you don't know how to sew, I encourage you to consider putting basic sewing supplies on your Christmas list this year and adding learning to sew to your list of resolutions for next year.
We don't have to be (or stay) dis-empowered. We can turn the tide.
Friday, September 23
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)