Play in Process: If Games Can Kill
“It seems increasingly clear: for the most part, videogames aren’t a way to relax. They are, in fact, taxing. Just as someone can work too hard, someone can play too hard.”
The Moviegoer: “The Queen of Versailles” and Living the Dream
Greenfield’s documentary is a favorite of the year for me precisely because she avoids the ruthless desire for a scapegoat, and somehow manages to humanize these lost souls in a way that discourages self-righteous disgust.
Mixed Signals: Grey Poupon and Our Search for Validation
“The 2012 version may look less materialistic, but the root is the same: We still want to be considered the elite in society, whether that’s through owning a Rolls Royce or having the highest social media influence.”
The Kiddy Pool: Another Look at “Disappearing Mothers”
“Roiphe misses the fact that motherhood is a calling for many women, and that engaging in it joyfully was supposed to be a valid choice in feminism.”
The Citizenship Confusion’s Voter’s Guide to the Internets
“Not a guide on how to vote, but how to be a voter online–wherein you will find short statements and articles which (I hope) will help you think through how to be a discerning, charitable, politicly engaged Christian online.”
Sacred Space: The Church vs. Naturalism
“No one is a Christian because they figured out life, creation, and the age of the Earth.”
The Kiddy Pool: Parenting in the Big Picture
“Sometimes the work of understanding God’s promises is pretty simple, and reading with my toddler helps me approach the Bible with fresh, childlike faith.”
God and Country Music: The Avett Brothers’ New Album is out Today!
“Today marks the release of a new album by the new kings of Americana music: the Avett Brothers.”
Mixed Signals: Pole Dancing for Kids?
“Given what pole dancing represents, holding fitness classes for kids seems like an even worse idea than pole dancing for Christian women.”
Live Free or Die Hard? Walter White’s Spectacular Imaginative Failure
How Walt’s descent into badness is a flight of imagination that is crashing to the ground.
Citizenship Confusion: Americanism–The Great Modern Heresy
“Americanism, the great heresy of our country, must be challenged by a teaching of the Word that helps believers to not confuse their earthly citizenship for their heavenly one.”
Grace Notes: Cheap Music from Amazon (September 2012 Edition)
Marvin Gaye, OutKast, and Sugar are just a few of the really solid releases on sale this month at Amazon.
Music at Mars Hill: In Defense of Pop Music
“Since when did lightheartedness, playfulness, and joy become such a sin?”
The Female Gaze: Fifty Shades of Bondage
“Just like you cannot experience intercourse while fully dressed, we can’t experience healing through our sexual intimacy if we are hiding pieces of our inner selves.”
God and Country Music: The Ethical Dilemma of Nashville Ghost Writing
“And while I look at the practice with the suspicion on the grounds of greed and lack of artistic integrity, maybe there is no right or wrong answer.”
The Kiddy Pool: Ins and Outs—Reading Susan Cain’s Quiet
“Introverts and extroverts alike need to balance group interactions with time alone.”
