Signs of the Times
June 2005
Simon Barnett: Man of God
Monday to Friday, his cheerful, quickfire banter welcomes Christchurch, NZ, listeners of MoreFM Canterbury Breakfast to their mornings. He’s hosted Wheel of Fortune in New Zealand and been invited to audition as a game show host for Channel 9 in Australia. And his breakfast radio show was nominated as among the top three “Best Breakfast Shows” at the NZ Radio Awards in 2005. But when Simon Barnett participated in “Celebrity Treasure Island,” he quickly caught the attention of many of New Zealand’s living-room participants.
You Can Bet On It!
Problem gambling is becoming a problem for the whole of society. Media reports of how lives have been wasted or even lost, or wealth squandered due to an addiction to a game of chance are relatively common. As the gambling industry grows, so do the problems associated with it.
Narcissus’ Nightmare
It's not only Greek mythology that teaches the foolishness of self-love? The trait of self-worship—“it’s all about me”—is today called “narcissism.” And it’s a character disorder increasingly prevalent in today’s society. It’s encouraged in the media, and it’s good commercially. We live in the “Me, me, me” age,1 but, and not surprisingly, where people find that “me” alone isn’t enough.
The Unassuming God
Bruce of Bruce Almighty had a terrible job trying to be God in a world of human beings, all of whom wanted conflicting things. He was, of course, a facetious portrayal of the dilemma in which God finds Himself, with a moviemaker’s profit in mind. From our human perspective, however, all of us struggle to understand God’s values and motives and actions. They always seem so different to ours.
How to Be a Cool Friend
I began writing the question in my head before ever I’d started to type: Teens would want friends to be loyal and trustworthy. Of course, teens would want someone to be there for them in times of need. And so on. But, if this were to be adequate, I would need to talk with real teens.
Five Steps to Real Peace and Quiet
As a balance, we each need some quiet in our day. We need to shut out exterior noises so we can seek spiritual enrichment. In quietness, we free our creativity, uncover our true thoughts, pinpoint our strengths and weaknesses and, perhaps, overcome the latter. In the stillness, our thoughts will flow freely, if given the chance. Many people complain that they’re “too busy” to make room in their daily lives for quiet times. But we can create the space in several ways.
If It Moved, I Put Money on It
I had nothing to do with gambling until I was about 12 years old. My family weren’t gamblers, but we operated a hotel in Dimboola, in the Wimmera region of Victoria. On Saturdays the pub cook would send me down to the TAB to place her bets. You can’t legally bet until you’re 18, but the lady at the TAB was happy to take the cook’s wagers from a young errand boy.
The Pilates Revolution
For people seeking a gentler path toward health and wellness, Pilates has evolved from an alternative therapy into a popular fitness phenomenon. And it’s been around for some time.
The Rhythm of Life . . .
The Sabbath—one day each week to rest, worship, spend time with family and engage in other soul-refreshing activities—is the rainbow that gives the week its colour. It provides a time of reflection from the violence of overwork, the mindless accumulation and the multiplicity of desires and accomplishments we’re caught up in. When we take time to listen to the still, small voice of God, nature and the people around us, we discover a new inner wisdom that makes life and work meaningful and fruitful.
God’s Child
Although raised in a Christian tradition by her mother, it was only to spite her atheist father that Cherie says she attended church. In fact she eventually joined an interscholastic Christian fellowship group in senior highschool for the same reason—an act of rebellion rather than a search for God, she admits, saying, “I honestly don’t think I ever even believed God existed.”
Straw Homes
The challenge of meeting the basic human needs for food and shelter are magnified beyond comprehension when it involves the 1.3 billion people of China. The growing need for housing, especially in rural areas, is being met in a unique way by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in China. With limited materials and the need for sustainability, it means there’s still a place for “old” technology.
Make Yourself Useful
Have you noticed how some people lead useful, productive lives? And then there are others who are the human equivalent of a pillow sham? People in the first group are healing the sick, educating children and building houses. People from the second group are wondering, What bugs shall we make them eat in our next episode of Fear Factor?
Signs of the Times Regular Columns
Our Times:
Print-a-meal, sunscreen pill, mobile golf and more. . .
Trends:
Family Matters, Still
Book Review:
Tolkien and C S Lewis: The Gift of Friendship
Medical Hotline With Dr James Wright
regularity helpers, hair today, gone tomorrow!, hearing things! and more . . .
Food Matters:
Family Meals Matter
Food Matters Recipe:
Warming Winter Pie
Bible Discovery:
Baptism: Worth Dying For
Lifeguide
With Counsellor Deanna Pitchford
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