Signs of the Times
September 2005
James Morrison’s Soul Music
There’s no denying the musical talent of James Morrison. Not only does he play several instruments, he can play them with amazing rapidity, multi-octave versatility, creative improvisation and, most importantly, emotion. James chatted to Signs recently about going gospel, digital and considers heavenly music.
No Need to Get Mad!
Despite all the reasons for your child acting in a way that provokes your anger, it’s important to realise all your child really wants in the end is your love.
“A child wants a positive relationship and love from the parent,” states Berliner. “When they’re driving you up the wall, it’s hard to imagine that’s the same child who just wants you to love them.
Talking of Marriage
The odds are against a marriage surviving these days, yet, somehow, mine has managed to. Not only am I still married, but also, strangely it seems, each of us is still happy with the person we chose to marry. Marriage is the joining of two lives into one. A process that is reliant on the two parties working together to make the equation work.
The Da Vinci Code, Constantine and Christians
The combination of murder, mysterious clues, narrow escapes, and the revelation of a worldwide conspiracy have made Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code an extraordinary bestseller. The conspiracy, it claims, dates back to Emperor Constantine (313-337 AD). According to the character Teabing in the book, one of the things Constantine did to make Christianity more acceptable to pagans was to change the day upon which Christians worshipped: “Christianity honoured the Jewish Sabbath of Saturday, but Constantine shifted it to coincide with the pagan’s veneration day of the sun.” How true is this? Did Constantine really change the day on which Christians worshipped?
Making Sense of Creation
The confusion that Darwin expressed came as he tried to connect all the wonders of the natural world that he observed with all the harsh things he saw existing alongside that beauty. Because of all the destructive forces he witnessed, he chose to reject God rather than seek a biblical interpretation of those distortions within the created world.
No Ifs, No Butts
According to a 2004 report in Queensland's Sunday Telegraph, smoking has killed 700,000 Australians over the past 50 years. Yet one-quarter of Australians continue to smoke, despite all the evidence that smoking is a killer. In fact, smoking is the number-one cause of disease in the country, with some 20,000 dying of smoking-related diseases annually.
Excuses, Excuses . . .
Let’s be honest, accepting responsibility for one’s actions and admitting one’s mistakes or acknowledging foolishness is difficult. There aren’t many people who willingly admit to making a mistake, who unprompted own up to wrongdoing or take responsibility for their actions. It’s far easier to devise an excuse. Face it, when you make a mistake, the first thought that passes through your mind is, Is there anyone else I can blame?
Two of a Kind
During the centuries many biblical doctrines became lost in the dust heap of tradition. Although a few isolated groups clung to the basic truths of salvation, it took Martin Luther and other 16th-century Reformers to dig up and reveal to the world the precious doctrines that point us to heaven. But we are also indebted to Swiss-born Ulric Zwingli for adding lustre to the doctrines taught by Luther. But who were these men, and what were they like?
Thailand, Land of Smiles
Working in a comfortable, airconditioned office in Bangkok, a city crowded with high-rise buildings, modern hospitals and shopping centres with Western luxury items easily available, makes it’s easy to forget that Thailand is still a developing country. However, Thailand is a land of contrast and paradox.
Hope Just Ahead
They had great success while teaching in the synagogue at the Macedonian capital. “Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women” (Acts 17:4). But this success was quickly followed by persecution, as some of the Jews became jealous—or zealous—and initiated a riot in the city, forcing Paul and Silas to flee.
A Mother’s Faith
“It was terrible watching the ambulance personnel putting in IV lines. David was beyond caring about needles, but they had to tell me to look the other way! At the hospital, David was immediately commenced on a wide variety of antibiotics to treat any number of the different forms of meningitis that he might have.”
Pilling the Bull
A local farmer invested in a prize bull. A few weeks later, the animal developed an infection that made him miserable. A vet prescribed a seemingly simple remedy: give the bull the contents of a bottle of pills each day for a week. But how would the farmer make an animal weighing more than a tonne swallow 90 pills at a time if he didn’t want to?
Signs of the Times Regular Columns
Our Times:
mobile magazines, African tragedy, why did that chicken . . . ? and more . . .
Bible Discovery:
God’s Vision for the Future
Trends:
The Feet of Clay: European Disunion
Food Matters:
The Arthritis–Red Meat Connection
Food Matters Recipes:
Mediterranean Bean Salad
Medical Hotline
With Dr James Wright
Lifeguide
With Counsellor Deanna Pitchford
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