Signs of the Times

January / February 2004

Andre Agassi: Image Isn’t Everything

Agassi seems to have a special affinity with the Australian Open and its crowds. His four Australian Open titles to date have given local fans much opportunity to accept Agassi as one of their own and gain a renewed appreciation of the Agassi phenomenon.

Slim Dusty . . . A Man With No Peer

When the world has moved on and the sadness at the passing of Australian country-music singer Slim Dusty has faded, the memory of him—his tunes and ballads—will long remain in the minds and hearts of his true-blue countrymen.

That Book

A bookshelf containing the millions of books in the world would extend further than the fittest of us could walk before breakfast. In that long, long, line there’s only one book identified as the Holy Bible. A different book, a literary phenomenon with the largest circulation and also the world’s most translated—facts that suggest the question, what makes the Bible different?

Beating the Bullies

Bullying has become an increasing issue in recent times as reports of victimisation at school and in the workplace make it into nightly news bulletins and current affairs shows. Victims tell of being forced into garbage bins and belted with baseball bats and of being “laundered” in washing machines. Others don’t say anything, having been driven to suicide.

Coping With Stress

We all experience stress to a greater or lesser degree, but being “stressed out” doesn’t mean you have bad nerves or can’t handle the traffic of daily life. It’s simply a part of living and isn’t always a negative. Stress can be a motivator for a better performance in athletics, education or career.

Heretics or Heroes?

The story of France is interwoven with the lives and deaths of the noble Huguenots. Branded heretics by the government, these people simply desired to live and worship according to their conscience and Scripture.

More Than a Miracle!

It seems obvious in this age that first aiders are not medical practitioners and should know their limits. Certainly my instructor would have been appalled at what I was reviewing! Because the injury wasn’t life threatening, it would have been appropriate to make the patient comfortable and call an ambulance.

A Bully Repents

While growing up in New Zealand, Kevin got caught up in what he terms the “darker side of life” and “the wrong crowd,” a process that began when, as an 11-year-old, he says, an incident triggered a loss of respect for and trust in his father.

Sanctuary: The Medium Was the Message

One very old model, built on plans supplied by God, appeared in the midst of Israel camped in the Sinai Desert around 3500 years ago. It was built to life-size scale, an intriguing visual aid to understanding the future.

Delighting in the Sabbath

For most people, the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses at Mount Sinai, are seen with a negative connotation—a set of “dos and don’ts,” and mostly don’ts, that inhibit their enjoyment of life. However, as one’s relationship with Jesus grows, so also does one’s understanding of these rules.

Rebuilding a Life

It only takes five kilograms of pressure to trigger an anti-personnel mine. The response is instantaneous as the small metal pin pierces the detonator. Hun Hay, a soldier with the Cambodia’s military, knew the risk he was taking with his assignment to locate landmines. It was December 1995, and the government was gaining ground in the bid to end Cambodia’s long-running civil war.

Waste Not, Why Not?

I admit to a certain sense of accomplishment when I throw things out, because, frankly, we have too much stuff in our house. We have more shoes than the entire nation of Bangladesh. I have no record player but a lot of old records, including one featuring Engelbert Humperdinck with a pair of sideburns that would frighten small children. And we have accumulated a great stockpile of bandaids, as if our family is in imminent danger of falling into a blackberry patch.