Signs of the Times
December 2002
Michael J Fox’s “Gift” That Keeps on Taking
You may remember him as Alex P Keaton on the hit TV series Family Ties, Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy or, more recently, as Mike Flaherty in Spin City—roles that made Michael J Fox into a household name for a generation. The role he’s now playing, however, isn’t one he’s chosen—and not one in which he can turn off the camera and take five. The role of a lifetime is Parkinson’s disease.
The Stress Effect
Everybody is subject to stress, and we all know that too much pressure or tension is not good for us. Many turn to yoga, hypnosis, biofeedback or meditation, for example, to cope. Regardless of whether all or any of these techniques work, all or some of the time, the growing interest in these stress-relieving methods suggests an eagerness or even a desperation to know how to cope with modem life.
You’d Think God Would Do Something
Tis the season? Call me Scrooge, but I’m finding it hard to get into the Christmas spirit this year. It’s the peace and goodwill bit that’s getting me down. I don’t see too much of either. In fact, the peace and goodwill seems to be cancelled out by fear and despair. Think about what has happened around the world in the past few months.
How Secure Is Your Home?
In the Australian hit film The Castle, Mr Kerrigan tells the High Court of Australia, speaking for families everywhere, “A man’s house is his castle.” Well, considering that a person’s home is somehow sacrosanct, no-one wants their castle entered unlawfully, broken into by those seeking cash or goods, or, worse, to assault. However, in this country, it’s almost inevitable that sometime in your life your family home will be violated.
Living Amid the Headlines
It’s the kind of thing that leaves one without anything to say—but about which so much is said. All of a sudden, even the word Bali means something different. It is no longer a place, it is an event, a painful scar. And then there are the attempts to understand and explain another tragedy. Even those seeking to make some kind of sense of it struggle for themselves—but are compelled to express those struggles in the black-and-white of a printed page.
From Buddhist to Christian
Helen and Eric Chun, Song and Kim Kha and Lina Lim and Song Kim were all devout Buddhists from South-East Asia. Then they discovered Christ.
The Marriage Advantage
Over the past few decades, our society’s traditional beliefs and assumptions concerning the institution of marriage have come under attack. Many people believe that marriage is “only a piece of paper” anyway, and that it represents an outdated social institution that is no longer relevant or necessary for regulating intimate relationships. Some of the benefits that they present, based on the empirical evidence they’ve encountered, follows . . .
Messiah: The Myths and the Magic
Handel had a close friend, Charles Jenners. The two had successfully collaborated on previous occasions, and now at this most propitious moment, Jenners sent Handel the words for a new opera. You can imagine him writing: “Here’s a libretto I’ve been working on. If you want anything to be successful, you must use a biblical theme. The royal family are religiously inclined, and everyone follows their lead. How about doing the music for this?”
At Peace With God
On a normal working day he knew he “kept the angels busy,” but on this day pilot Jeff Charlesworth had them working overtime.
A Vow Fulfilled
Everyone in the building scrambled for safety. Some rushed out of the building, hands raised, but as they emerged were gunned down. Isidro hurriedly crawled toward the kitchen store-room, safe from the flying bullets. However, if they were found, they too would be ruthlessly killed.
The Place to Be
Avondale College is a tertiary-level institution* nestled into the base of the Watagan Mountains, in quaint Cooranbong, an hour’s drive north of Sydney. The location is perfect, with a major shopping centre 20 minutes south, beaches 30 minutes east, and is easily accessed by train and freeway. While it’s smaller than most universities, I see this as an advantage. Avondale’s high teacher-to-student ratio guarantees personal attention from lecturers as well as peers.
Cool and Cute
Are you looking for a gift for that special someone? Do you hope to find just the perfect item that will cause them to gasp with delight and throw their arms around you with an expression that says, “How is it possible that you had discerned the deepest needs of my soul?” If that’s the kind of reaction you want, then I suggest you give cash. However, if you insist on a more personal gift, follow these four shopping tips.
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Trends:
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Our Times:
A picky fence, a warming warning, snakes alive! and more. . .
Backpack
Money Matters:
Money and Kids
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Summer BBQs: What’s at Steak?
Food Matters Recipe:
Meatless BBQ Alternatives
Bible Discovery:
Changed by a Baby
Medical Hotline
With Dr James Wright
Lifeguide
With Counsellor Carole Ferch-Johnson
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