The (Digital) Natives Are Restless

Stimulating article in USA Today, January 29 article about the latest move by Apple to establish itself as a leader in the digital world:

Apple Computer Inc. has introduced "iTunes U," a nationwide expansion of a service that makes course lectures and other educational materials accessible via Apple's iTunes software.

Internet access to college lectures is nothing new, but listening to them on portable gadgets is a more recent phenomenon of the digital age, spurred in part by the popularity of podcasts, or downloadable audio files.

The University of Missouri offered podcasts of lectures through its school network before it signed up with Apple last summer as a pilot school. But "iTunes U" offered a software and service package for free, said Keith Politte, the development officer at the university's School of Journalism.

The market dominance of Apple's iTunes Music Store and iPods, which helped spawn the podcast movement, also was key.

"Our students are digital natives. We seek to meet our students where they are, and iTunes is the interface that most of our students are already familiar with," Politte said.

That lasat observation is very helpful to remember. Anyone with a high schooler at home knows this to be true. These kids are multi-tasking experts, and they are indeed "digital natives."

We need to be about reaching those natives with our message. How are we going to do that? How do we connect in meaningful ways?

Parenting: A Welcome Reminder

Yesterday was a day to spend time with my oldest daughter. It wasn't planned that way, but it turned out to be time well spent.

We started with our weekly "Bagel and Bible" time, in which we head to a local shop and have some breakfast. Along the way, we open the Scriptures and interact about a particular passage. Yesterday was a hard one - Lamentations. All of it. The "weeping prophet" needed some contextualization for an 11 year-old, and I think it was a meaningful conversation for both of us. I benefited from the reminder of right living and God's forgiveness.

Several hours later, I ended up being the driver to pick her up from an after-church event. That made for a nice drive home, in which we discussed the activities and people involved.

Mid-afternoon found us headed for the ski shop, where we picked up some rental equipment for her. Casual, a little chit-chat time for us.

Late afternoon she called when I was at the grocery store, and asked me to bring home some Cheerios for a dessert recipe she had started. This was a treat to take on the ski trip. Dutifully, I grabbed a box. Not an overly meaningful exchange, but I helped her out in a small way.

All in all, a number of little interactions with a girl who looks up to me and values my attentions.

So...this morning. As I head out the door, on my desk I find a small item, wrapped carefully in foil, with a note. It was a nice little gesture. And it reminded me that the payoff was not just today, in getting a sweet treat from my daughter.

The payoff really was yesterday. Time invested wisely. Not always overly purposeful. Didn't have to be. The point for my adolescent daughter was that she spent time with her Daddy. And that I cared enough to be there for the little rhythms of life. I had made time to be with her.

Her note was simple and to the point. And it made me tear up.

To my father who loves me.

What a welcome reminder...of the power God has given me as a Daddy.

Parenting: Making Mistakes

Here's a good reminder about the need to allow others to make mistakes. While writer Alan Mason intended the readers to use the advice in their work-world activities as managers and leaders, it strikes me that this is very appropriate for the parenting process.

Every parent wants their child to do well in life. Sometimes, though, we forget that kids make mistakes, and lots of them, as we train and coach them toward maturity. We can be discouraged by the failures along the way. "Why can't this child finally get it? How much longer do I have to teach, and train, and tell them to do better?"

After Mason sets the context by noting that we often want better for those we lead and manage, he observes:

The problem is that we aren’t always very good at producing improvement in other people. We explain what we want, and then just expect it to happen. We don’t understand and embrace the first law of coaching:

You have to give people permission to make a mistake in order to improve.
Few of us try something new and are immediately perfect at it. We try, fail, try again with what we’ve learned, and so on. Which brings us to the second law of coaching:

Look for progress, not perfection.

As long as the individual is moving toward the goal, they are succeeding. It’s our job to look for movement, even small movement, toward the goal, and applaud it. Without positive reinforcement there will be no progress.

To not do this is the biggest mistake of all.

As I think about it, this notion of allowing for mistakes is something I need to apply to my own life. As a parent, I've certainly got a long ways to grow. I fail as a Dad daily. Lose my temper. Overpromise, underdeliver. Speak hastily. Express bad attitudes.

So even as I make mistakes today, Lord, would you help me make progress toward the goal of being a godly parent today?

The complete article is at Mason's blog for Tuesday, January 24, 2006.

Sanctity of Every Life

Today is yet another day of commemoration, in which we mourn (or celebrate, depending on our particular viewpoint) the infamous "Roe v Wade" U.S. Supreme Court ruling so many years ago. It is a somber day as I think of the millions upon millions who have died at the hands of an abortionist. And it is a day to reflect on the very nature of life.

I found an article that is absolutely correct in its assertions about the sanctity of every life, and the need to protect every preborn child. I read it over the weekend, on the eve of "Sanctity of Life Sunday." Selected portion:

If a woman has a prenatal test for Down Syndrome and it comes back positive, nine out of 10 of those pregnancies will be terminated.

So in all this hullabaloo about women controlling their bodies, we’ve opened up the Pandora’s box of selective genocide. If your genome isn’t quite right, practice shows, we’re fine with sucking you out and flushing you. It is a loathsome prenatal discrimination against the handicapped.

A group of handicapped, by the way, which the last generation realized happily are typically capable of being full and productive citizens.

Indeed.

I recall reading Koop and Schaeffer's Whatever Happened To The Human Race, in which they powerfully made this very point. The handicapped are quite capable of being happy, of having a rich and meaningful life. Who are we (the presumably healthy individuals) to suggest they aren't worthy of life? What audacity. What recklessness. What an affront to the Maker of Life.

The "less fortunate" among us is still created in the image of the Almighty. Let's not "play God" any more. Let's accept the gifts the Creator gives us. Even those packaged differently than we expected.

Thanks to Bob Lonsberry for writing this. Read the entire piece here.

Er, Make That 31 Extra Toothbrushes

Last post I noted the exess inventory we have of toothbrushes. I found nearly two dozen extras when I cleaned out some of the bath cupboards.

Lo and behold! I found another stash in the hallway closet. And yet more unclaimed, minimallly used toothbrushes in the girls' bathroom. So, the count is up to 31 now.

Maybe if I persist, I'll find even more. I am motivated to hit the magic number of 50. I doubt that they've hidden away that many orphaned toothbrushes. With six children, however, one never knows!

The Mrs. gets home tomorrow. I'm sure she'll not be surprised by any of my "single-dad-for-a-week" discoveries and adventures. She's a seasoned pro at these things.

Parenting: Ten Tools For Homeschooling

Informative list of things every homeschooling parent needs. Here are nine of the top "items" (go here for the complete article, including the tenth):

1) school boxes

2) a wall of bookshelves

3) a lateral file

4) a plan book

5) an answering machine or voice mail

6) a calculator

7) a VCR or DVD player

8) a computer

9) a copying machine

We've homeschooled for 11 years, and are now on child #5. And I think the author has captured the essentials. I'd add a few...maybe next time.

(BTW, some years ago I gave my wife a copy machine I found on sale at Sam's. She still thanks me for that "gift"!)

A Long Week At Home

This week I am a single dad. My wife is away, helping her parents with some matters, and so the responsibility for our children and home fall to me. Am I up to the task?

I took the week off work, and there has not yet been a day in which I can readily manage my time, our time. My regard for the Mrs. has always been high, it has now elevated to reverance. How she does what she does in the home is truly astounding!

Things have gone smoothly, although there have been some emotional moments (hey, we have two teens and one teen wannabe, so that is to be expected!). I've kept up with orthodontist and schooling and church activities. The meals have been made on time. The naps for Little Man have been daily.

I'll admit to being tired, due to the youngest not sleeping at night. He has been up 3-6 times each night, and that doesn't allow me to feel very rested. Lower sleep levels invariably lead to lower levels of control, and higher probabilities of anger. Lord, give me grace?

I began the week thinking I'd surprise my wife, and have a number of overdue home projects completed upon her return. There's that sink needing replacement, the paper pile on my desk, the cleaning that she'd like to see done downstairs, the front storm door is showing its age, and more. Hey, I can do that while the kids are occupied with...(fill in the blank).

My optimism, however, has now collided with reality. Get them up, "do" school, feed 'em, drive them to various appointments, make phone calls and more. THAT is what I am doing this week. If lucky, we'll maybe get one of

Today I did get ambitious! Cleaned out the bathroom a bit. Found 12 extra toothbrushes hidden on the shelves...how in the world can a family of eight have so many partiallly used toothbrushes lying around? Sigh. Smile. Gotta love living large! And what a sense of purpose I have now.

Truhtfully, I can't wait to get back to work...where order and some level of accomplishment awaits me. For now, I thank the Lord for my dear wife, praise her for her stupendous work with the children and in the home, and look forward - eagerly - to her return in a few days.

Who Dresses Better?

I'm a Mac guy. I like my Apple computers, and my iPod, the iTMS, OSX, iMovie, iPhoto and most of the other Apple apps. That's pretty much all things Apple.

I like Steve Jobs. He has "cool" - much like his company's products.

Steve seems to own no clothing besides black turtlenecks and jeans. But hey, he is Mr. Apple, so who cares about looking suave or wearing a tie? Not needed, people. I make cool computing hardware and software.

Last week, at the big Mac event, Jobs made an incredible fashion statement. Unfortunately, it came at the expense of a new Apple partner, Intel.

The new Mac-tel computers look nice, just as I'd expect from Apple. But in the joint presentation during which the new machines were unveiled, a most unusual thing happened. Someone had convinced Intel that the "high tech look" was needed for this announcement.

So, Steve looked...well, like Steve does. Black. Denim. Apple Chic.

The computers were typically Apple cool. Clean, neat, but not clunky or unapproachable. Great engineering, as usual.

Unfortunately, the Intel CEO did not look so good.

How in the world did Jobs and all that good looking hardware get joined by a man in a moon suit?


Yikes!

Humiliating.

Earth to Intel PR/Marketing: Get up to speed, and please, protect your CEO from looking so out of place next time.

Ouch.

10 Things I've Learned About Adoption

There are tens of MILLIONS of orphans in the world. Most will never have a family, but every year about 15,000-18,000 children are brought home from oversees orphanages or foster homes.

There are lots of misunderstandings and even myths about adoption.

We adopted a child from Russia a few years back. Since then, I've taken a lot of questions from friends interested in bringing an orpahn into their family. The adoption maze can be daunting.

I offer these tips to those who are considering it:

1. It is a long process
2. It is an unpredictable process
3. It is an expensive process
4. It will be memorable process, even if it is hard a lot of the time
5. It requires flexibility
6. It requires patience
7. It requires prayer (even if you don’t believe, you’ll pray sooner or later in the process)
8. It allows you to meet new people (at adoption agencies, at the police station, at state offices, at travel agencies)
9. It will be a story you like to tell, and will never tire of telling
10. People care and want to be involved

I hope you'll consider adopting a child who has no hope, who needs you.

Enlarge Your World?

Thanks to Roy Williams for shaking up my thinking this fine Monday. This is a wonderful, yet unsettling, perspective as shared in his weekly email.

It hit me. "I've become an eavesdropper, listening to the conversations of strangers."

It's 5:00AM and I'm sitting at the bar of an all-night café on the wrong side of town eating a three-dollar breakfast, listening to the smelly, funny stories of downtrodden people who know each other well. Their sparkling banter gives me a glimpse into problems I'll never touch, victories I'll never celebrate, a life I'll never have. These are they who will never have internet access, a credit card or cable TV.

But they seem happy.

I've come here to learn what it means to be an outsider in America.

People tell me they want to write. I respond, "You can't find a pencil?" In truth, few want to write. Most want only to have written. People tell me they want to travel, have adventures, meet interesting people and learn about different cultures. They want to expand their world. I'm betting you can guess my answer to that one... "If you will expand your world, you must crawl on your hands and knees, get on your belly and squirm under the fence that surrounds your insulated life."

For most people, travel means being pampered by accommodating servants in exotic places. But interesting people, strange cultures and high adventure don't await you on the other side of the world. They await you on the other side of town.

Hmm...good challenge.

Final thought from Williams:

Are you willing to get on your belly and crawl under that fence? Will you invest an hour to enlarge your world?

Seems to me that this is what Christ calls His followers to do. Take the harder road. Become aquainted with the downtrodden, those who are not so proud to admit they have failigs and needs. Those you and I might overlook, unless we take a step into their world.

I might go to Denny's tonight...

Ten Road Trip Tips

It is too late for the Christmas travel season, but I had some thoughts about road trips with youngsters. This was prompted by a conversation today with a co-worker, who survived, sort of, a drive to Chicago with three little ones.

Here are some quick tip for parents who want to survive a long time in the minivan with toddlers (or even with teens!):

1. Pack lots of snacks. Dry cereal, juice boxes, nuts, whole grain breads. Avoid the straight sugar highly processed stuff…don’t want to wire the kiddos up and then force them to sit still in their car seat for 10 hours.

2. Take lots of toys. Age appropriate, of course. One at a time, space them out over the course of the trip. Older kids will like an iPod or DVD player!

3. Take books and magazines. Little eyes will want to interact with something they like, take a variety of things.

4. Pack “travel gifts,” some little items from the dollar store that can be pulled out and unwrapped, then enjoyed for a time. Space these out, not all at once.

5. Pack wipees and extra napkins/paper towels. Messes will occur. Spills will happen. Be prepared.

6. Pack an old bath towel. In case someone gets REALLY sick.

7. Pack a plastic bucket. Good for all sorts of roadside emergencies., Use your imagination…

8. Take audio books. We always hit the library and stock up on some good literature. We’ve enjoyed a wide range of goodies, from Hank The Cowdog to Back of the North Wind.

9. Stop often. Ignore the urge to press onward to the point of breaking. Instead, plan to stop every two hours or so. Let the kids walk or run around. Keep it short, 10-20 minutes is all we’ve ever needed.

10. Eat meals in the car, not a restaurant. Why pay big bucks to sit some more without going anywhere? Can be a miserable experience. Eat in the auto…drive-through fast food, handmade sandwiches, or even a take-out pizza (we’ve done it, and it works nicely). They all are fine. The point is to avoid making the kids sit quietly while you try to eat…better to occupy them on the road as the miles click away.

There are more things I've learned about making the best of road trips. They'll wait until another time. These are good starting points.

Why 16 is Good

Last post I linked to a feature article about the family with 16 children. The next day, I heard Hugh Hewitt talking about an article by Mark Steyn about a related matter.

This is a stark assessment of our society's "smaller families are better" mentality, and it certainly makes the case that those of us with larger families are effectively helping preserve western culture. Really! His suggestion is that we are losing western culture, as other worldviews gain a foothold through rising birthrates among their adherents.

This is a very long piece, but worth the read.

Couple of choice paragraphs:

When it comes to forecasting the future, the birthrate is the nearest thing to hard numbers. If only a million babies are born in 2006, it's hard to have two million adults enter the workforce in 2026 (or 2033, or 2037, or whenever they get around to finishing their Anger Management and Queer Studies degrees). And the hard data on babies around the Western world is that they're running out a lot faster than the oil is. "Replacement" fertility rate--i.e., the number you need for merely a stable population, not getting any bigger, not getting any smaller--is 2.1 babies per woman. Some countries are well above that: the global fertility leader, Somalia, is 6.91, Niger 6.83, Afghanistan 6.78, Yemen 6.75. Notice what those nations have in common?

Scroll way down to the bottom of the Hot One Hundred top breeders and you'll eventually find the United States, hovering just at replacement rate with 2.07 births per woman. Ireland is 1.87, New Zealand 1.79, Australia 1.76. But Canada's fertility rate is down to 1.5, well below replacement rate; Germany and Austria are at 1.3, the brink of the death spiral; Russia and Italy are at 1.2; Spain 1.1, about half replacement rate. That's to say, Spain's population is halving every generation. By 2050, Italy's population will have fallen by 22%, Bulgaria's by 36%, Estonia's by 52%. In America, demographic trends suggest that the blue states ought to apply for honorary membership of the EU: In the 2004 election, John Kerry won the 16 with the lowest birthrates; George W. Bush took 25 of the 26 states with the highest. By 2050, there will be 100 million fewer Europeans, 100 million more Americans--and mostly red-state Americans.


Here's the complete article.

16 and counting

Fascinating family in Arkansas, profiled in AP reports. They have 16 children. They may have more. They seem so...normal...yet are surely remarkable for their faith, their fortitude, their example!

Happy New Year!

While 2005 was a wonderful year, it had a lot of difficulty, as well. Through it all, God was present. For that I am grateful, and most humbled.

I anticipate that 2006 will have much for which to be thankful. He will move in incredible ways during the next 12 months. I intend to be part of it all. I commit this day and the coming 363 days to Him, to His Kingdom and glory!