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dazed and confused get out of the too-busy danger zone 14 not the end of the world losing your job is really hard but help is at hand 20 thought police basic freedoms under threat in canada 24 september ­ october 2008 newsstand price cdn $4.95

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unleashed unleashed there is a growing crisis of integrity among canadian men our homes workplaces and even our churches are feeling the effect recent studies show that men make up less than 40 percent of adults in most churches and 20 to 25 percent of married churchgoing women attend without their husbands discipleship training how did a movement that began with twelve men lose the interest of men promise keepers canada has created discipleship training unleashed to help men make a lasting impact in the lives of other men what is discipleship training unleashed fulfilling one of the greatest needs in the church today dtu is in-depth training for mature christian men on how to be effective mentors participants will receive 100 hours of discipleship training and emerge prepared to be mentors to the men around them to register or for information on how to bring this event to your community contact us at 1-888-901-9700 or info promisekeepers.ca www.pkelevation.ca mentoring men to leave no man behind equipping men to mentor men!

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contents september ­ october 2008 on the cover 14 stay out of the too busy danger zone dashboard gauges monitor health and balance in life september ­ october 2008 newsstand price cdn $4.95 features 18 cultures shift hits men hard new immigrants are often disenchanted adjusting to canada publisher brian koldyk managing editor doug koop pulse editor robert white advertising account executive william leighton william@christianweek.org darrell friesen darrell@christianweek.org unless otherwise indicated neither christianweek nor promise keepers canada guarantee warrant or endorse any product program or service advertised editorial advisory board ron hannah promise keepers canada kirk giles promise keepers canada jeff stearns promise keepers canada phil wagler kingsfield sandra reimer reimer reason communications doug koop christianweek distributed by promise keepers canada 1295 north service road po box 40599 burlington on l7p 4w1 905 331-1830 subscriptions@promisekeepers.ca postmaster please send address changes to po box 40599 burlington on l7p 4w1 issn 1916-8403 on the cover indigo ink studios istockphoto.com 20 no one told me it would be like this losing a job or changing a career takes a dreadful toll on a man used get out of the too-bu sy danger zone losing your job is really hard but help is at hand 26 basic freedoms under threat in canada 34 dazed and conf not the end of the world 24 freedoms under fire human rights commissions are gaining scary influence thought polic e 26 expelled canadian screenwriter steps into controversy columns departments 5 pk podium the president of promise keepers talks about life balance 6 help wanted my church leaders want me to be more active but i m already too busy how can i get them to understand 29 out of my depth develop a balanced attack 32 money matters give the gift of higher education 34 what women want 8-12 pulse curious events interesting people good reads 13 reviews one good read recommends another 30 power play tools toys and technology 33 shape up take time to get fit editorial and advertising office 204-424 logan avenue winnipeg mb r3a 0r4 phone 204 982-2060 800 263-6695 admin@christianweek.org dkoop@christianweek.org design indigo ink studios www.indigoinkstudios.com achieving waffle balance in a spaghetti world seven is a christian magazine for canadian men that exists to help men lead more fulfilling lives and leave enduring legacies the name reflects the seven promises that form the basis of the promise keepers organization which works with churches to minister to men across canada one ­ a promise keeper is committed to honouring jesus christ through worship prayer and obedience to god s word in the power of the holy spirit two ­ a promise keeper is committed to pursuing vital relationships with a few other men understanding that he needs brothers to help him keep his promises three ­ a promise keeper is committed to practising spiritual moral ethical and sexual purity four ­ a promise keeper is committed to building strong marriages and families through love protection and biblical values five ­ a promise keeper is committed to supporting the mission of the church by honouring and praying for his pastor and by actively giving his time and resources six ­ a promise keeper is committed to reaching beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity seven ­ a promise keeper is committed to influencing his world being obedient to the great commandment see mark 12:30-31 and the great commission see matt 28:19-20 seven ­ issue two september­october 2008 page 3

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want your own copy of seven magazine visit wisechoices.ca or call 1-888-901-9700

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pk podium better than balance i find the doing of the will of god leaves me no time for disputing about his plans george macdonald scottish writer by ron hannah my friend and i were standing in a line-up at a popular coffee spot telling each other how busy we were busy busy busy everyone seems so busy work kids marriage fitness finances etc etc seems to occupy more time than we have can you relate as we approached the order counter i thought i would close this conversation with the standard well it s all about finding the proper balance i suppose his quick response stopped me cold as he said i don t think the apostles had balance in their lives they were totally dedicated to their calling think about that for a moment when jesus called his disciples to come and follow i don t recollect him saying look talk it over with your wife and pray about it i m only asking for a couple of hours a week it was more like you must be willing to sacrifice everything to come and follow me does that mean they walked away from all of their other responsibilities no they still had families jobs and all the other things that need to be tended to but jesus was making it very clear that following him learning from him sharing his teachings with others and proclaiming the good news was now the major priority in their lives nothing could come before that in importance so when it comes to faith family health career and finances where are your priorities if you have been called to follow him i don t believe anything has changed if he is not first in priority the chances of finding any real balance in life will undoubtedly be futile building a solid foundation on your faith is what puts all the other priorities in proper balance balance does not necessarily mean giving equal time to each area of priority but it means giving your best time and effort to the first priority get that right and guess what happens the other priorities not only come into balance but you begin to see them and understand them with a whole new sense of clarity how do we make this happen start treating god s word as your spiritual daily food and prayer as your spiritual daily exercise you don t just eat once a day and you shouldn t just study the scriptures once a day does that mean i need to carry my bible everywhere and read it every chance i get well it doesn t hurt to always have access to your bible but there are also great books cds and devotionals that can be used to help grow you in your faith walk meanwhile pray constantly at home in the shower in the car at work god is always listening and there are different times for different prayers some require solitude and reflection others are joyful and full of worship still others cry out for forgiveness and guidance breaking old habits and starting new ones is not easy but if you really want balance and renewed purpose in your life why not start today ron hannah is president of promise keepers canada his passion is to serve god and challenge men to be followers of jesus christ before joining promise keepers in 1998 ron was a marketing manager for hershey foods and vice-president at duracell canada he and his wife joei reside in burlington ontario while his two sons daughters-in-law and four grandchildren live in winnipeg manitoba seven ­ issue two september­october 2008 page 5

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help wanted too busy don t like reading want good sex by rod wilson my job requires me to commute one hour each way to work many times i do not get home until 7 or 8 in the evening how do i help my church leaders understand why i don t get involved in more activities at the church you have put into words a dilemma confronting most people who live in urban centers there is simply not enough time to do everything we want to do much less do everything that everyone else wants us to do some of us work late at the office not because we have to or are required to but because we have trouble stopping it is similar to other addictions where you tell yourself you can stop if you want to but then never do now some of us are experiencing what is referred to as disconnect anxiety where we experience various feelings of disorientation and nervousness as we anticipate being away from the internet in cases where our work has replaced worship and play to such a degree that we have no quality time for family or church our spouses children and church leaders may not need more understanding of our work life but a greater freedom to confront us with our bad choices on the other hand there are many churches where programs connected with the church are perceived to be the only way that real ministry can occur as a result the message from the church is that work is not really ministry has nothing to do with building the work of the kingdom and is running a distant second when it comes to genuine spiritual engagement all of us including church leaders need to acknowledge that there is huge potential to see that what goes on in the classroom factory office at home or in any other work arena as kingdom work rather than make people feel guilty that they are not at particular programs we need to expand our view of ministry and mission and affirm the value of all work as having sacred potential i knew before we got married that my wife had been sexually abused when she was younger i thought i would need to be sensitive about it but it is really affecting our sex life other than never having sex again what can i do to make things better the list of things we thought we knew about sex before we got married is long many of us came into marriage with all kinds of expectations ideas and beliefs about our sexual relationship that have had to be changed and modified through many years of experience one of the most important things to keep in mind when you are coping with historical sexual abuse is to remember that every individual is broken and frail challenges in the sexual area are inevitable for all marriages no couple goes through an entire marriage without struggles in this area whether or not there has been previous abuse be careful not to link all your sexual challenges with your wife s abuse it is easy for men to take the response of their wife personally in this area rather than recognize that sexual abuse impacts women emotionally as well as physically the abuse taught her to associate a sexual relationship with violence negation and fear now the presence of any sexual contact brings up these issues again the fear and anxiety she feels is not as much about you in the present as it is about the other person in the past there are three practical things that a husband can do in this situation first work on being patient and slow and do not turn every physical connection into something sexual and every sexual connection into intercourse second go with your wife to a trained counsellor who will be able to coach you through your sexual relationship while understanding your wife s sexual abuse third support your wife in getting professional help for herself so she can move beyond the pain of her history i do not like to read but i keep being told i need to read the bible how can i grow to know god s word you are off to a great start while you recognize that you do not like to read you do know that you want to grow to know god s word and like any growth the first thing that is important is motivation people who are not motivated to grow do not grow also be encouraged that you are like those who lived in biblical times the vast majority of people who were exposed to the scriptures were illiterate so the issue was not about whether they were motivated to read they could not read when the church at philippi got paul s letter they did not read it it was read to them contemporary technology also enables us to hear the bible the way first-century people experienced it get some dvds mp3s or other form of media and listen to scripture simply pause it when you need to meditate pray or take notes because the bible is a substantive volume containing 66 books there is a danger of thinking that you need to be reading a lot each time you sit down with scripture start with a verse or paragraph and then move to a chapter especially for those who struggle with reading realistic goals are crucial reading and memorizing require motivation and intellectual capacity but the psalmist 1:2 puts it in a new light his delight is in the law of the lord and on his law he meditates day and night as you work on your reading and memorization don t forget to delight and meditate the lord is more interested in a little scripture making a significant impact on your life rather than how much or how well you read rod wilson is president of regent college in vancouver where he also serves as professor of counselling and psychology he is the author of how do i help a hurting friend practical help for leaders and laypeople bakerbooks 2006 seven ­ issue two september­october 2008 page 6 could you use some help don t shy away from asking send your questions to dkoop@christianweek.org.

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pulse curiousities personalities ideas and information by robert white pulse editor chaplains around when heat is on when toronto argonaut s quarterback kerry joseph or offensive guard jude st john make a mistake like throwing an interception or jumping offside their fans and critics know all about it besides the demands of a highly public career athletes in action chaplains help canadian football league players face a chaplain forges football friendships dave hudson1 with kerry joseph variety of challenges including the same temptations any man is tempted with says argos chaplain dave hudson hudson left a lengthy career as an orthopedic and pharmaceutical supplies salesman to join the chaplain ranks moving from florida two years ago hudson shadowed steve kearns last year as chaplains for both the argos and the hamilton tiger-cats the pair split the duties for the 2008 season his years in sales prepared him to work with pro football players hudson suggests athletes giftedness and sometimes personalities are similar to the doctors he d worked with you re dealing with highly talented people and that can be challenging he says hudson goes to every practice holds weekly bible studies and regular chapel services for both teams prior to each argo home game it s about building relationships he says my wife and i have players at the house and every two weeks we have a cookout at the practice facility seeing the players faith in action is rewarding to hudson during last season s eastern final between the argos and winnipeg blue bombers hudson thought because of the game s 1 p.m start the bombers would go without an 8 a.m chapel the night before one of the bombers called to say they still wanted one hudson also sees faith in action off the field last fall he took a few of the argos to a basketball league in toronto s jane and finch area one of the city s roughest neighbourhoods to talk to about 50 african-american grade 6 to 8 youth one of players who grew up in texas related how his dad was a crackhead how he decided not to be a crackhead and how he turned his life over to the lord recalls hudson it resonated with the kids hudson s also there to help the players when pro sports demands become hard to bear at the beginning of the season quarterbacks joseph and michael bishop were the topic of a media-made controversy about the starting quarterback position and a two-game losing streak near the start of the season brought fan and media criticism most of them have been through this before so being positive around them is part of my job helping them find solace in god themselves and their teammates says hudson the press and fans react more anxiously than the players do activities are increasing however neither students nor universities are examining this conduct with any rigour when it comes to religion and spirituality most campuses seem to be failing miserably barely attempting to create atmospheres where students feel welcome to pursue their big questions this oversight has even bigger repercussions when it comes to sex as student narratives demonstrate writes freitas almost two-thirds of the students freitas surveyed weren t comfortable with the sexual status quo suffering dashed hopes or mixed feelings after a hook-up students who described their most romantic experience rarely mentioned sex instead describing after-dinner walks and talks or picnic dinners followed by a starlit boat ride students are having lots of sex but apparently it s not very romantic or very loving writes freitas institute of marriage and family canada students have more but unsatisfying sex university students have more but unsatisfying sex says a university professor looking into the link between sex and spirituality sex and the soul is the result of boston university s donna freitas indepth study of the university sex culture and features many spicy and simultaneously sad stories of student sexuality freitas asked students if their religious beliefs affected their sex lives she discovered both sexual and spiritual marketing is about felt needs you find the need and then you say christianity will meet that need you have to adapt to people s questions and if people are asking a question you want to show how jesus is the answer but at a certain point you have to go past their question to the other things that christianity says otherwise you re just scratching where they itch so marketing is showing how christianity meets the need and i think the gospel is showing how christianity is the truth tim keller author of the reason for god seven ­ issue two september­october 2008 page 8

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canadians wealthier and healthier than americans according to maclean s magazine canadians are wealthier and healthier work less and live longer than their counterparts in the united states when you look at net worth assets minus debt canadians come out on top with an average of $122,600 all dollar figures are u.s compared to $93,100 for americans the result of smaller houses 2,000 versus 2,520 square feet and smaller debt loads an average of $23,460 compared to $40,250 while our southern neighbours live the american dream canadians prefer to work less 35.6 hours a week versus 37.9 spend more time with family 40 per cent of canadians have dinner with their family seven questions skeptics ask by rusty wright every night while only 28 per cent of americans do and take more vacation time 16 days a year versus 11 there are two categories where americans top canadians marriages and religion out of 1,000 americans older than 15 40.7 will get married in the u.s while only 22.2 will do so north of the border and 60 per cent of americans say religion is important to them only 28 per cent of canadians do still fewer canadians will divorce this year 10.6 per 1,000 versus 16.4 and we ll live longer canadian men and women have a life expectancy of 77.8 and 82.6 respectively for american men and women it s 75.2 and 80.4 how do you deal with questions and objections to faith that your friends may pose some questions may be intellectual smokescreens here are some short responses that might be useful why is there evil and suffering god though sovereign gave us freedom to follow him or to disobey him this response doesn t answer all concerns but suggests the problem of evil isn t as great an intellectual obstacle to belief as some imagine what about all the contradictions in the bible ask your questioner for specific examples often people have none but rely on hearsay omissions or differing accounts don t necessarily create contradiction the gospels never claim to be exhaustive records biographers must be selective the accounts seem complementary not contradictory what about those who never hear of jesus god s perfect love and justice far exceed our own whatever he decides will be loving and fair c s lewis in mere christianity wrote if you are worried about the people outside [of christianity the most unreasonable thing you can do is to remain outside yourself how can jesus be the only way to god the logic to draw people to this position involves three questions if god exists could there be only one way to reach him this is a possibility why consider jesus as a candidate for that possible one way his plan of rescuing humans through grace was distinct from those requiring works both could be false or either could be true but both couldn t be true was jesus plan true historical evidences for his resurrection fulfilled prophecy and deity and for the reliability of the new testament are overwhelmingly extremely convincing isn t christianity just a psychological crutch christianity claims to meet real human needs such as those for forgiveness love identity and self-acceptance we might describe jesus not as a crutch but an iron lung essential for life itself i could never take the blind leap of faith that believing in christ requires we exercise faith every day few understand everything about electricity or aerodynamics but whenever we use electric lights or airplanes we exercise faith not blind faith but faith based on evidence it doesn t matter what you believe as long as you re sincere after discussing this a respected psychologist told me i guess a person could be sincere in what he believed but be sincerely wrong faith is only as valid as its object and jesus demonstrated by his life death and resurrection that he s a worthy object for faith a version of this article first appeared in the march/april 2002 issue of moody magazine copyright © 2002 rusty wright used by permission www.probe.org/rusty celebrate not berate dads as he prepared his sermon for father s day dave ralph decided he needed to celebrate not berate dads the senior pastor at lakeside church in guelph ontario a congregation with an average sunday attendance of 2,000 took some time to reach this conclusion i was so desperate i even surfed back over some of the old talks i d done on fathers days in the past he said comparing mother s and father s days talks which had been filed together ralph noticed a difference some of the father s day talks were kind of negative most of them were somewhat challenging the overall sentiment was this `dad you re not doing a great job you need to pick up the pace you need to do better try harder fly straighter seven ­ issue two september­october 2008 page 9

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pulse ralph said it would have been easy to repeat that tone giving a talk scolding dads and giving them a list of five things they could do better instead he decided to set a new tone i want to simply affirm dads applaud dads encourage dads he did this by turning to i thessalonians 2 11 12 a text ralph describes as one of the most positive pieces of scripture when it comes to being a dad good dads says ralph summarizing the verses come alongside their children and encourage exhort challenge counsel and console them they pick them up when they fall physically or emotionally they gently correct them when they re making choices that might be destructive and fully affirm them when they make wise choices ralph realized that many many dads at lakeside were alredy doing this we need to high-five you as dads for this we need to say `great job you re making a difference 25 and under believed in a god the survey also revealed english 73 per cent rural 76 per cent and conservative 81 per cent canadians were more likely to believe in god than french 67 per cent urbanites 69 per cent liberals 75 per cent or ndpers 57 per cent most canadians have a belief in a god but secularism is also a strong influence in canadian society says bruce anderson harris/decima president canada s secularism stands in clearer distinction when compared to the cultural and political influences of religion in the u.s in one harris interactive study in the u.s the number who said they were nonbelievers was only 8 per cent university study 25 per cent of 12 and 13-year-old-girls and 37 per cent of boys the same age say they have friends who regularly view and download internet pornography guess who s watching porn in the june 30 issue of maclean s learning from disappointment in the beautiful disappointment discovering who you are through the trials of life colin mccartney tells how his busy active and out-of-control life had to be shaken up before it could be rebuilt from the inner foundation of his soul in the span of less than one year the executive director of toronto s urban promise ministry faced the murder of one of his staff members and the death of an eight-year-old boy who was part of the ministry s programs incidents that left mccartney spiritually emotionally and physically beaten and the sabbatical he then took wasn t as restful as expected a lifeshattering water accident left him temporarily paralyzed and permanently injured we need to stop acting like we have everything under control because life teaches us that we can control nothing writes mccartney sometimes we need help to recognize god s presence in our lives life s disappointments can often wake us up to our need for god and put an end to our vertigo of busyness this is what happened to me i began to experience this wonderful god who is always around me reading the beautiful disappointment if you don t feel your job is a gift from god the money you earn won t keep you content for long the euphoria experienced from a substantial pay increase or promotion soon fades while the drudgery of a job that you don t enjoy remains if material abundance is our goal it s the wrong motivation rick boxx majority of canadians still believe in a god more canadians believe in a god than don t shows a canadian press harris/decima survey released in june 72 per cent of canadians believe 23 per cent don t and 6 per cent didn t have an opinion either way older women are more likely to be believers 76 per cent of women versus 67 per cent of men and 82 per cent of people older than 50 only 60 per cent of canadians we don t let them drink beer or go to r-rated movies they re not allowed to buy cigarettes in some provinces they re not even allowed to look at them in the corner store yet we allow kids to roam more or less freely in cyberspace where smut is just two clicks away shouldn t we be fighting back in the june 30 issue of maclean s although it s hard to quantify exactly what and how much online porn kids are looking at a report from the london school of economics found that nine out of 10 children between the ages of eight and 16 have viewed at least something that qualifies according to a 2004 columbia seven ­ issue two september­october 2008 page 10

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will challenge you to think about the tragedies in your life and whether or not you ve begun to learn as mccartney that trials are really beautiful disappointments god can use to purge us of all the false things we ve allowed to disfigure who we truly are learning the lessons of a sovereign god a self-published book by a canadian born has sold more than a million copies and is sitting at the top of the new york times paperback trade fiction bestseller list in the shack william young tells the story of mackenzie phillips whose youngest daughter is abducted during a family vacation eventually police find evidence of her brutal murder in an abandoned shack in the oregon wilderness after getting what he thinks is a letter from god mack spends a weekend at the shack where he confronts his great sadness and meets god three people including a likable young carpenter and a big black woman called papa the novel the character papa in particular has generated controversy a usa today article quotes albert mohler a leading southern baptist convention theologian who trashes the shack calling it `deeply subversive `scripturally incorrect and downright `dangerous young reminds critics he s a novelist not a theologian theological enhancements aside the shack explores the timeless question where is god in a world filled with unspeakable pain young s answer there are millions of reasons to allow pain and hurt and suffering rather than to eradicate them but most of those reasons can only be understood within each person s story will make readers think about their own responses to suffering young s characters wade through the maze of pain suffering god s will and god s sovereignty with clarity and purpose just because i work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn t mean i orchestrate the tragedies don t ever assume that my using something means i caused it or needed it to accomplish my purposes grace doesn t depend on suffering to exist but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors says papa the shack provides many theological insights while being a riveting novel with some unexpected turns you may find your view on pain and suffering changed perhaps even transformed new book takes on old lie richard abanes who specializes in the cults the occult and pop culture is taking on oprah winfrey s latest pet project eckhart tolle abanes new book a new earth an old deception similar to his other books the truth behind the da vinci code and harry potter narnia and the lord of the rings looks at the good and mostly the bad of tolle in the new earth which has become oprah s new gospel tolle shows his readers how [to transcend their ego-based state of consciousness a contemporary spiritual teacher who isn t aligned with any particular religion or tradition tolle cites a lie as old as eden you do not become good by trying to be good but by finding the goodness that is already within you and allowing that goodness to emerge in a new earth an old deception abanes looks at the dangers behind tolle s #1 bestseller a quick but deep read abanes book lays bare tolle s teachings and not all of them are wrong writes abanes but that s what creates problems his insightful comments which resonate as true lull readers that everything else he says is true writes abanes emphasis inthe original abanes key criticism how tolle interprets the bible a new earth promotes beliefs that contradict the bible tolle s teachings dismiss the most important foundational doctrines of the church in each chapter abanes quotes tolle s beliefs explains why they re wrong and then gives the traditional historical interpretation well-researched a new earth an old deception s extensive footnotes and resources become a starting point for more in-depth individual research it s time for every christian to spiritually and mentally prepare themselves to respond to an unbiblical theology that represents a direct assault on the faith especially in light of how it is being presented as a worldview consistent with christian doctrine and values writes abanes if you re puzzled by tolle if your friends are reading tolle pick up a copy of abanes book a new earth an old deception and get the answers seven ­ issue two september­october 2008 page 11

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pulse world s oldest church found archaeologists have found what may be the world s oldest christian church a cave beneath the st georgeous church in northern jordan may have been a place of christian worship earlier than ad 70 we have evidence to believe this church sheltered the early christians the 70 disciples of jesus christ says archaeologist abdul qader hussan head of the rihab centre for archaeological studies many early christians fled jerusalem during a time of persecution to the northern part of jordan they sought refuge in the underground cave until persecution passed and later built st georgeous church talking circle helps natives non-natives dialogue about ministry larry wilson s vision of strong healthy native churches across canada has had a good start through the first two native leaders talking circles last year wilson director of the first nations alliance churches of canada brought 20 aboriginal and non-aboriginal church and ministry leaders together this year it was 60 to talk about how they could better minister in the aboriginal community wilson describes this year s meeting in saskatoon with its focus on leadership development as pretty awesome one group of participants wants wilson to help develop something similar the edmonton area where there s a number of ministries to aboriginals wilson s left the event s coordination to the group but will help once it s up and running kirk giles of promise keepers canada took part in this year s talking circle and wants to explore how promise keepers can be involved in ministry to aboriginals the circle gave us the chance to build relationships with and learn from those already on the frontlines of reaching first nations men says giles we want to further develop relationships of cooperation together for the sake of bringing hope to men get seven delivered to your home sign up at www.wisechoices.ca churches can purchase bulk quantities by calling 1 888 901 9700 seven ­ issue two september­october 2008 page 12

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reviews get your act together and make a better world the juggling act bringing balance to your faith family and work by pat gelsinger isbn 9781434768742 intel executive pat gelsinger is a highly committed businessman family man and church elder and he has a problem working hard while prioritizing god and family is [a juggling act he writes my wife and i have had more discussions about my schedule and the allocation and use of my time than anything else in our married life on more than one occasion these have developed into heated arguments in his own struggle with these issues gelsinger discovered several key principles that enable busy people to weather the urgent and still give proper time and place to the important the juggling act details the author s own story and lays out a road map to help others channel their energies into their priorities and get their busyness under control the book will become available in october p.s gelsinger s wife linda contributes the last chapter provided all the nutrition a person needs for a healthy and full life and the bodies god gave us observes hafer actually get better and stronger with proper use the message is clear when you treat your body and soul well the whole world benefits together we can respond to god s call to be good stewards of our own health our neighbours health and the health of our planet they manage to address a host of serious issues that are common to men with a good sense of humour and a healthy dose of practicality it s mostly about the art of being a man and that certainly requires both humour and practice along the way we receive instructions on how to sink a free throw love a woman tie a tie deliver a baby throw a baseball build a fire and more the authors recommend you keep the book in the bathroom because that s where most men do their reading good to great in god s eyes ten practices great christians have in common by chip ingram isbn 9780801070525 this is a book about practices things that you actually do god is not nearly as interested in your ability to learn truth as he is in your willingness to apply it writes chip ingram who devotes a chapter to each of 10 great things to be doing they are think great thoughts read great books pursue great people dream great dreams pray great prayers take great risks make great sacrifices enjoy great moments empower great people and develop great habits each chapter ends with a set of action steps and questions for further reflection and discussion and duh ingram strongly recommends that you actually do these things instead of just reading about them the baker pocket guide to world religions what every christian needs to know by gerald r mcdermott isbn 9780801071607 only the most insulated canadian can fail to notice that more and more people in our country are devoutly religious but decidedly not christian if only because the religions of the world are at home among us we better know more about them but where s a fellow supposed to start most of us have a hard enough time clinging to a few concepts of the faith of our fathers gerald mcdermott understands the problem and has provided a concise overview of the most important beliefs and some practices of those who belong to the six most important nonchristian religions in the world pick up the book to find out what they are it also has a chapter on christianity handy as a reference or easy to read straight through this pocket guide will help readers better understand their world and their own faith it also encourages a cooperative spirit and augurs for more effective christian witness among people of other beliefs faith fitness diet and exercise for a better world by tom p hafer isbn 9780806653310 this thoughtful little volume favours more simple ways of living and draws countless connections between body soul and human community tom hafer thinks personal wellbeing is a spiritual calling good nutrition and fitness habits he says lead to a more fulfilling life of socially responsible christian discipleship he begins with god who loves the world deeply and has how to hit a curve ball grill the perfect steak and become a real man learning what our fathers never taught us by stephen james and david thomas isbn 9781414318622 this small and very funny book assumes men need an instruction manual for life and the authors aim to provide one seven ­ issue two september­october 2008 page 13

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features beyond the balancing act of life dashboard check saves grief down the road indigo ink studios istockphoto.com seven ­ issue two september­october 2008 page 14

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by steve brown it happened quickly and i captured the instant out of the corner of my eye i vividly recall the events of that autumn saturday afternoon because it all too easily could have been me as i raked and bagged up the last of the leaves in our yard i gave a quick wave to my neighbour across the street he was putting up his christmas lights on what appeared to be the last mild day before the arrival of winter weather then my neighbour took the forbidden step initially it must have made great sense after all he was only a few inches short of being able to hook the christmas lights around the tree s top branch so how could standing on the top step of his ladder be a bad idea after determining that the bold letters stating not a step/do not step were meant for lesser men he moved to the top step the top branch was now within easy reach there was however one remaining challenge balance out of the corner of my eye i saw the ladder begin to tilt dangerously then my neighbour disappeared and i heard the sound of impact i immediately dropped my rake and started across the street but stopped when i saw him jumping quickly to his feet as the only earthly witness to the spectacle i quickly went back to my raking like nothing had happened to save my neighbour from also injuring his pride though my neighbour and i have talked many times since that saturday we never discuss the ladder event but i know i learned an important lesson that day for me the challenge of trying to balance on the top step of a ladder is a powerful metaphor for everyday life with multiple roles in life a 24/7 non-stop rapidly changing and ever-faster society we can very innocently and unintentionally take one step after another until we find ourselves overextended and gingerly trying to keep our balance on the tenuous do not step top step of the life ladder dashboard check while my neighbour knowingly looked at and ignored the do not step sign on his ladder we often don t have much warning that we are approaching danger what i call the red zone in fact being busy is generally expected encouraged and rewarded in part we may also correctly rationalize that this is just an intense season or stage of life or that perfect balance in this life is just impossible there is however a very helpful tool that we can use to self-evaluate our life balance the dashboard a car is a fairly complex and interconnected machine but the driver can quickly glance at the dashboard gauges for a quick and simple check on the car s health if a yellow or red warning light comes on you can choose to cover it over with duct tape and ignore it or investigate the potential problem in the same way you can quickly and regularly use four dashboard gauges to evaluate your health and balance in life as you review each of the four gauges on your life dashboard you can give each one of three readings green for healthy yellow for early warning sign or red for imminent problem here are the four life dashboard gauges gauge 1 external this gauge measures our external activity through our efforts at work church home in our community and beyond since we are god s workmanship created in christ jesus to do good works which god prepared in advance for us to do ephesians 2:10 each of us regardless of profession or life stage has a significant contribution to make for many men the most common balance problem related to the external gauge is that we consider this the only indicator that really matters this is often rooted in good intentions a desire to provide or to achieve significant success in a rapidly changing and ever-faster society we can very innocently and unintentionally take one step after another until we find ourselves overextended seven ­ issue two september­october 2008 page 15

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