Monthly Archives: January 2010

Avatar and Your God Shaped Vacuum

Posted on by
3

Much has been written of late about the many Avatar fans who are experiencing depression after viewing the movie. Thousands of comments on Avatar forums allude to a post-Avatar let down that spirals into depression upon walking out of the theatre and facing the reality that there is no way to live life inside the imaginary world of Pandora.

But why?

Why are people experiencing such crushing emotions after this movie? I believe the answer has to do with the God shaped hole in every persons heart. Physicist and mathematician, Blaise Pascal, the man who first proved the existence of the vacuum, said,

What is it then that this desire and this inability proclaim to us, but that there was once in man a true happiness of which there now remain to him only the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present? But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that is to say, only by God Himself.

Blaise Pascal – The Penses

Or to paraphrase,

“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing.  It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”

Whenever you or I attempt to find fulfillment from a movie, or a book, or a friend, or sex, or booze, or drugs, or money we’re in for a disappointment. Whenever you or I attempt to find fulfillment from any created thing, no matter how attractive it may be, we’ll experience disappointment.

Jesus said,

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 4:13,14

For more information email kurt@kurtbennettbooks.com

Female Naval Captain Relieved of Command for Cruelty

Posted on by
7

The U.S. Navy is all abuzz. The reason? The Captain of the The US Navy Ticonderoga Class guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens was relieved of command for “cruelty and maltreatment” according to the Navy Times.

USS Cowpens

Captain Holly Graf was brought before an Admiral’s mast, which is a nonjudicial hearing– in this case Rear Admiral Kevin Donegan presided. Rear Admiral Donegan must see some potential in Graf because she has been allowed to continue her career, she will serve in an assignment at the Pentagon. This is unusual for the Navy as most Commanding Officers who are relieved are nudged into retirement or otherwise have their careers effectively concluded. The investigation into Graf’s situation found that her “temperament and demeaner” toward her crew were inappropriate and that she was guilty of “conduct unbecoming of an officer.” (Navy Times, Stars and Stripes)

The Navy has not elaborated except to say that the problems have been occurring over some length of time. Comments left on blogs authored by Naval personnel (the Anchor Watch blog is an exception) indicate Graf has a history of what I would call serious self control problems.

Your Life:

This story was brought to my attention on a blog I follow called Anchor Watch authored by a Christian Naval Officer. Go there for his take on how you and I should respond to a situation in which someone we know makes a calamitous mistake and takes a fall.

While I’m not intimately familiar with the former Captain Graf’s situation, what I do know is that regarding “temperament and demeanor” leaders need to love and care about their people. In order to develop enthusiastic followers, followers must believe that their leader cares about them and is committed to them. This is true at any level, whether you’re a Mom, a Dad, a CEO, or the Captain of a ship in the U.S. Navy. An hour before this writing a reader asked if the Captain’s leadership situation was any different because she is a woman. My answer was yes, it is — I think a Captain who’s a woman begins at a considerable disadvantage. I believe that, all else being equal, both the men and women on the ship have a greater level of confidence in a male Captain than a female Captain. This makes it that much more important for a female Captain to communicate her commitment to her crew.

Consider the following excerpt from Traveler and the Chaplain:

“When I was studying to lead my unit in the war we were required to read an ancient story about a Chinese general named Wu Chi,” the Chaplain said. “One of Wu Chi’s soldiers was suffering from an abscess – Wu Chi himself cared for the wound even sucking out the infection. The soldier’s mother, hearing this, wailed and lamented. Somebody asked her, ‘Why do you cry? Your son is only a common soldier, and yet the commander-in-chief himself has sucked the poison from his sore.’ The woman responded, ‘Many years ago Lord Wu performed a similar service for my husband, who never left him afterwards… And now that he has done the same for my son, he too will follow Wu I know not where.’” (Sun Tzu, Art of War)

“The greater your ability to convince your people that you genuinely care about them; that you are committed to them; that you love them; the higher you can set your expectations for those same people.”

…the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

Haiti Earthquake — Haitians Don’t Lose Hope

Posted on by
1

A UK online news outlet called MailOnline has run a great story about some of the successful rescues that are occurring in Haiti, including the story of a two year old boy named Redjeson who was trapped in the rubble of his collapsed home for almost three days. Check out MailOnline and see this little guy. He was trapped for days calling out to his parents but as time wore on his cries became weaker and weaker but then… MailOnline . His face broke into a smile when he finally saw his mother as rescue workers carried him from the rubble.

This is just one example. Many lives have been successfully saved including the one pictured here being saved by the U.S. Coast Guard.

100114-G-1330O-104 Coast Guard crew evacuates injured from Haiti by US Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Your Life:

Hope. Don’t let go of it. An experiment was conducted where a group of mice were placed in a bucket of water — they’d swim until after 30 minutes or so they’d become too fatigued to continue and drown. A second group was also placed in a bucket of water but just before 30 minutes was up the mice in this group were rescued. Days, weeks, or even months later this second group of mice, when placed in a bucket of water, would swim for hours before drowning. No feeling is more destructive than the feeling of helplessness. Despair is a killer. Cling to hope in the Lord at all costs no matter how difficult your circumstances. (from GoArticles)

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

Jeremiah 17:7

(Anecdote originally heard from Jon Courson at Applegate Christian Fellowship)

Haiti Earthquake Aftermath – Video

Posted on by
2

The video from the Miami Herald is the first one I’ve seen that really tells the story of the quake aftermath in Haiti.

Your Life:

1) A good place to donate to the cause in Haiti is Samaritan’s Purse. I worked for these folks in New York City after 9/11. They’re run by Franklin Graham and in my experience have proven to be a solid charity.

“You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.”

Exodus 25:2

2) Go. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Go?! Are you crazy?” If you feel led by the Holy Spirit to do it, hook up with a church group, or lead your own church group, buy a plane ticket, and go. It can be done. I’ve seen church groups do it. I’ve done it myself and it always happens that when you go to bless someone else you wind up being blessed beyond what you thought possible yourself. That has been my experience and the experience of anyone I’ve ever spoken with who has taken that plunge. You can do it!

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 2:14-17

3) Pray — as always. Pray for the people of Haiti. Remember that God is in the business of producing beautiful and fruitful things from tragedy.

Pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

4) It’s good to give however don’t give to the exclusion of your church family or biological family. Most of the scriptures about giving are in the context of helping those in your own faith. Jesus said,

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

John 13:34

and

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

and

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

John 15:12

and

“These things I command you, that ye love one another.”

John 15:17

Post Avatar Depression Syndrome — the Cure

Posted on by
1

Post Avatar Depression Syndrome (PADS to coin an acronym): To bring those up to date who didn’t catch the post about Avatar from January 11 — fans on Avatar forums are saying they’re experiencing depression after seeing the movie. Some readers of this blog have questioned the validity this story. I saw a comment on Avatar Forums today that I believe makes it clear that the Avatar depression issue is real.

Yea, I kinda laughed when I saw the thread “how to deal with the depression when you realize Pandora isn’t actually real” because I thought I was the only one. Turns out that thread has some 14 thousand views now.

I looked for a thread on depression with 14,000 views but couldn’t find one. However the number of views for another thread on Avatar fans with depression has 2,399 views. Enough to tell us that the problem is real.

Your Life:

There are two cures for Post Avatar Depression Syndrome, an eternal cure, spoken of in the previous post, http://kurtbennettbooks.com/2010/01/11/avatar-leads-to-depression-for-some/ and a practical cure. First the practical.

Exercise: I once heard Woodburn Fire Chief Kevin Hendricks tell the story of his involvement in the response to the tragic December, 2008 terrorist bombing incident that “killed Senior Trooper William Hakim, who worked as a bomb squad technician for Oregon State Police, and Capt. Tom Tennant of the Woodburn Police Department.”  http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/12/police_identify_colleagues_kil.html When Chief Hendricks arrived efforts were being made to set up a command post across the street from the bank that was now in ruins as a result of the bomb. Hendricks was horrified because he knew the victims personally. In spite of his depression and stress he managed to think clearly enough to realize that no one had taken into consideration that there might be a secondary explosive device. Chief Hendricks directed emergency personnel to move the command post to the Woodburn Fire Station, a twenty minute walk, up the street. Only problem was, in his effort to get everyone out of the hot zone, Hendricks missed his ride so he had to walk. Hendricks recalled, “I’ll tell you what, that twenty minute walk did my head more good than I would have imagined.”

…physical training is of some value… 1 Timothy 4:8

Avoid TV: A University of Pittsburgh and Harvard Medical School study showed that for every hours of television watched each day, the risk of depression rose by 8%. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/03/science/sci-tv3

Focus on something positive in the here and now: When Moses encountered God in the burning bush he asked God His name and God answered, “I AM.” Exodus 3:14 Not I was. (or I will be) The point is that God is the God of the present. To lift out of depression and to experience God in your life you must live in the present. Find something positive to focus on in the here and now rather than dwell on your most recent viewing of Avatar. Avoid getting stuck in the past — move on. Go to church. Read your Bible. Pray!

Help others in need: My pastor http://joncourson.com/ often speaks of his ten step program for ridding yourself of depression: Step 1, Help someone in need. Step 2, repeat step 1 nine times. Jesus said,

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.“

Luke 6:38

And the eternal cure? Pray. Pray to God that you acknowledge your sin. Pray for forgiveness. Pray that you accept the work that Jesus did for you on the cross to make payment for your sin. Pray that you believe in His resurrection. Ask Jesus to become your Lord.

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

John 17:3

Haiti 7.0 Earthquake — Link to Local Missionary Family twitter

Posted on by
2

The video is from a news broadcast covering the Haiti 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The strength of the quake in combination with building construction practices there have resulted in widespread devastation. 9.7 million people live in Haiti.

Your Life:

For information about how you can help and for updates from a missionary family who lives there go to http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/ .

For up to the minute twitter updates from same family go to http://twitter.com/troylivesay .

9.7 million people…   pray.

Avatar Leads to Depression for Some

Posted on by
8

According to NineMSN News,http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/993187/reality-leaving-avatar-fans-feeling-blue , some who have taken in James Cameron’s Avatar are finding that they’re struggling with depression afterwards. From NineMSN:

“After I watched Avatar at the first time, I trully felt depressed as I ‘wake’ up in this world again,” one forum user wrote.

Another commenter said the film gave him “a physical dependency to see Pandora and live there, and if you don’t see it you get uber depressed.”

Depressed movie goers say that the downer comes from the desire to live in Cameron’s imaginary world of Pandora. After walking out the theatre door, the reality of their own lives feels painfully disappointing.

Your Life:

Jake Sully’s taking the form of a Na’vi, is, to a degree, similar to what Jesus Christ did for us when He left heaven and took the form of a human. Sully lived the life of a Na’vi. Jesus lived the life of a human. Jesus was tempted in all points as we are. He experienced pain, highs, lows, grief, joy, loss, and sadness — just as you and I do. Hebrews 4:15,16 The authorities of His time plotted against Him. They mounted an offensive that culminated in their crucifying Jesus on the cross. His death however wasn’t without purpose. He gave His life for you and for me so we could be forgiven for our sins. John 3:16,17 And ultimately He rose again, He was resurrected from the dead.

Feeling down after Avatar? Pray. Acknowledge to Jesus that you’ve sinned. Ask Him to be your Lord and Savior. Living this life with Jesus Christ in your heart is the answer.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners

1 Timothy 1:15

Sarah Palin to Fox News – Abandoning Bid for Presidency?

Posted on by
2

Sarah Palin is going to become a regular on Fox News. Many think that this is a sign that she will not run for president in 2012. I think that’s great. I think that’s great because I believe that Sarah Palin’s gifts and talents are best suited for a position with Fox. And Sarah Palin should go where her gifts and talents can best be utilized.

According to biography.com http://www.biography.com/articles/Sarah-Palin-360398 Palin earned a Bachelors in journalism at the University of Idaho. She also worked as a sports reporter for an Anchorage television station. Some people were designed for TV and I believe that Sarah Palin is one of them. While some may be disappointed if she doesn’t run for president, I think it’s likely that she prayerfully sought the Lord’s will for her life and has chosen the path that she believes God would have her walk. That’s what any of us should do.

Your Life:

When Saul agreed to allow David to battle Goliath, Saul attempted to dress David in his, Saul’s, armor.

Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. ”I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ”Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

1 Samuel 17:38-50

David had to fight Goliath in the way that God designed David to fight Goliath, with a sling and a stone. The longer I’m on this planet, the more I realize that I, that you, that we need to live life the way God designed each of us to live life. Pray about your strengths, gifts, and talents. Then use them to God’s glory.

joncourson.com/

Tiger Woods I Know But Who Is Brit Hume Anyway?

Posted on by
Reply

Brit Hume, who is he anyway? This man who has stirred up the blogosphere, the newspapers, the TV news, and every other purveyor of news on the planet.

He is a veteran news man. According to Wiki, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit_Hume , Brit Hume has worked for the Hartford Times, United Press International, the Baltimore Sun, ABC News, and since 1996, for Fox News Network. Among his many awards, he won an Emmy for his coverage of the Gulf War and the American Journalism Review named him “Best in the Business” as a White House correspondent — twice. In an article by Carl M. Canon of Politics Daily, http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/01/08/fox-tiger-and-christianity-a-defense-of-brit-hume/ , Cannon writes that at Hume’s last White House press conference, President Bill Clinton said of him, “…over the last several years, I think all of us think you have done an extraordinary, professional job under Republican and Democratic administrations alike, and we will miss you.”

He is a broken hearted father. His son, who was an up and coming news man in his own right, committed suicide in 1998. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit_Hume

He is a Christian. He is committed to investing his time and energy into something he calls the 3 G’s — God, granddaughters, and golf. After he moved from Fox News’ Special Report segment he said,

“I want to pursue my faith more ardently than I have done. I’m not claiming it’s impossible to do when you work in this business. I was kind of a nominal Christian for the longest time. When my son died, I came to Christ in a way that was very meaningful to me. If a person is a Christian and tries to face up to the implications of what you say you believe, it’s a pretty big thing. If you do it part time, you’re not really living it.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit_Hume

He is right about Buddhism. According to Canon http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/01/08/fox-tiger-and-christianity-a-defense-of-brit-hume/,

Stephen Prothero, a Boston University professor on Buddhism, told Tamara Lush of the Associated Press: “You have the law of karma, so no matter what Woods says or does, he is going to have to pay for whatever wrongs he’s done. There’s no accountant in the sky wiping sins off your balance sheet, like there is in Christianity.” Added James William Coleman, a professor of Buddhist studies at Cal Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif. “If you do what [Tiger Woods] has done, it comes back and hurts you.”

He is right about Christianity. No other religion offers the redemption and forgiveness that Christianity does.

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

John 8:2-11