2008 January archive at Ray Fowler .org

Archive for January, 2008

13 Most Overlooked Tax Deductions

Published at January 31, 2008 in Finances. 0 Comments

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It’s tax time! Check out this list of the 13 Most Overlooked Tax Deductions at Yahoo! Finance.

Tax time is a dangerous time. It’s all too easy to miss a trick and overpay Uncle Sam. (If you turned 65 in 2007, don’t forget you deserve a bigger standard deduction than younger folks.)

Years ago, the head of the IRS told Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine that he figured millions of taxpayers overpaid their taxes every year by overlooking just one of the money-savers listed below. Claim them if you deserve them … and cut your tax bill to the bone.

State sales taxes

College tuition

Out-of-pocket charitable contributions

Child care credit

Refinancing points

Reinvested dividends

Jury pay paid to employer

… and more!

HT: Get Rich Slowly

Free Air Guitar!

Published at January 31, 2008 in Music and Fun. 0 Comments

Free Air Guitar

This was a promotion by a new radio station in Glasgow City Centre, Scotland.

Link: directdaily

8 Great Books on Christianity, Culture, Creativity and the Arts

Published at January 31, 2008 in Culture, Music, Christian Living and Books. 1 Comment

Christianity, culture, creativity and the arts — this has been an area of interest and study for me ever since my days as a student at Berklee College of Music. Here are some of the best books I have read on the subject over the years. Some of these are hard to find, so if you find a good price online, grab them while you can! Here they are, alphabetically by author.

1. The Making of a Christian Mind: A Christian World View & the Academic Enterprise, edited by Arthur Holmes

There are other good books on Christian world view out there, but I have always liked this one. Holmes draws together five concise essays on Christian world view, history, science, psychology and the creative arts.

2. Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art, by Madeleine L’Engle

Wrinkle in Time

Walking on Water

3. Consider the Lilies: A Plea for Creational Theology, by T. M. Moore

Not sure what creational theology means? This book is a great place to start. Moore lays the biblical foundation for many of the ideas about creativity found in the other books on this page.

4. Art Needs No Justification, by H. R. Rookmaaker

This one is my absolute favorite. Although Rookmaaker deals primarily with the visual arts, his observations are appropriate to all fields of creative work. And it’s only 60 pages long!

5. The Creative Gift: Essays on Art and the Christian Life, by H. R. Rookmaaker

Another great book by Rookmaaker. This one is longer, and Rookmaaker is able to go into much greater detail.

6. The Christian Imagination: Essays on Literature and the Arts, compiled by Leland Ryken

The Christian Imagination: The Practice of Faith in Literature and Writing

7. Culture in Christian Perspective: A Door to Understanding & Enjoying the Arts, by Leland Ryken

Part of the Multnomah Critical Concern series in the 1980’s, Ryken’s book examines literature, art and music in relation to the Christian faith.

8. Rainbows for the Fallen World: Aesthetic Life and Artistic Task, by Calvin Seerveld

Seerveld wrote this book while a senior member at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto. Seerveld’s unbridled enthusiasm for God, Scripture and the arts literally leaps off the pages of this book as Seerveld sets forth a biblical charter for artistic activity.

*Bonus: Here is one that I haven’t read yet, but it looks good. Art for God’s Sake: A Call to Recover the Arts, by Philip Graham Ryken.

So, how about you? Do you have any favorite books on Christianity, culture, creativity and the arts to add to the list?

Related post: God’s Good Creation Series

Caspian Interview with Devin Brown at Challies

Published at January 30, 2008 in Narnia. 0 Comments

Tim Challies completed a great two-part interview today with Devin Brown, author of the new book, Inside Prince Caspian.

In the interview, Brown discusses the following questions:

why he finds C.S. Lewis so interesting
why the Narnia books have such a wide appeal
how the Narnia books compare to Harry Potter
how literary analysis can enhance your understanding of the books
why you should read the books in their original order
why you should not read the Narnia books as allegory
how Lewis compares to Tolkien
how the first book and film version compare

Here are the links to the interview:

Click here for more Narnia and Caspian related posts.
Click here for Narnia sermon series.

How Much Does It Cost to Raise Children?

Published at January 30, 2008 in Children and Finances. 2 Comments

Someone once said, “We don’t raise kids anymore. We finance them!” So just how expensive is it to raise a child in the U.S. nowadays? MoneyCentral has an interesting table showing the costs of raising children from birth to age 17/18.

The table … shows the estimated annual costs of raising a child, based on a survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The table shows costs based on a family with two children on a per-child basis. The data comes from the Consumer Expenditure Survey by the U.S. Department of Labor, conducted from 1990-92. The figures have been updated to 2001 dollars using the Consumer Price Index.

The table breaks the figures down into age groups so you can see how much you are spending at the different stages of your child’s life. It also breaks it down into categories for you, so you can see how much you are spending on housing, food, transportation, clothing, health, child care/education, and miscellaneous expenses.

Let’s see, after adjusting the figures for having three or more kids, according to this table each of my children will cost me about $131,254.20 to raise for a grand total of $393,762.60. (Almost $70,000 of that is for food alone!) And that doesn’t even include college! But you know what? They are worth every penny — or dollar!

“Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” (Psalm 127:3-5)

HT: Semper Reformanda

Not Since 1952

Published at January 29, 2008 in History and Politics. 2 Comments

Here is an interesting fact about the 2008 Presidential Elections:

2008 is the first time since 1952 that neither political party has a presidential candidate who is either an incumbent or a sitting vice president.

And here is a list of all the incumbents and/or sitting vice presidents who ran for office in each of the presidential elections since 1952:

Continue reading ‘Not Since 1952′

God’s Good Creation Series

Published at January 29, 2008 in Culture, Creation and Sermons. 3 Comments

I just recently finished preaching through a series of messages on God’s Good Creation. Here are some of the questions we addressed in the series:

1) What does it mean that God created all things good?
2) What is our place in this world?
3) How do the fall and mankind’s sin affect creation?
4) As Christians, how should we view environmental concerns?
5) How can we know God better though his creation?
6) How can we use our creative gifts for God’s glory?

These are all questions relating to creational theology, which is an important part of God’s teaching to us in the Bible. Here are the links to the messages if you would like to explore any of these questions further.

God’s Good Creation Series

Full-Sized Lost in Space Robots For Sale

Published at January 28, 2008 in Space, Technology and Television. 3 Comments

“Danger, danger, Will Robinson!” Oh, how I loved this show when I was a kid! It sparked my imagination and gave me a taste for science fiction, adventure, space and fantasy that I still enjoy today. We have all three seasons on DVD, and I enjoyed re-watching them with my boys when they were younger.

Of course, the Lost in Space Robot was one of the main attractions of the show, along with the adventurous Will and the villainous Dr. Smith. My boys still have a toy version of the Robot, but now B9Creations has announced the production and sale of Full Size, Limited Edition, Fully Licensed Replicas of the famous Lost in Space Robot.

They have really gone all out to make these as authentic-looking as possible. The parts are all based on the original molds. You can activate the Robot by remote control. Functions include turning the Robot’s torso left/right, directing the Robot’s voice to respond “Affirmative/Negative” and activating the Robot’s soil sampling sequence. The Robot also comes with over 500 voice tracks by Richard Tufeld, the voice of the original Robot. And here is a neat feature: it has a functional power pack. Pulling the Robot’s “power pack” will shut down the Robot with the “Aaghhhhhh…” sound, just as it did in the TV series.

However, with a price tag of $24,500 I won’t be buying one of these anytime soon. At least the price includes shipping!

HT: Instapundit

Sunday Morning SoundBytes - 1/27/2008

Published at January 28, 2008 in Culture and Sunday Morning SoundBytes. 0 Comments

Yesterday’s message in the God’s Good Creation Series was called God’s Good Gift of Creativity, taken from Exodus 31:1-6.

Exodus 31:1-6 -Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts — to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you.”

The main idea of the message was that we should use the creative gifts God has given us to bring God glory in all aspects of life. Here is a brief summary of the message:

I. God chooses to whom he gives gifts. (1-2)

God chose what gifts to give Bezalel for the task of building the tabernacle. God is the giver of all gifts, and he chooses which gifts to give to whom. God in his wisdom gave you exactly the creative gifts that he wanted you to have. Your gifts are part of who you are. They are part of the person that God created you to be. And so you should receive those gifts with thanksgiving and use them to the best of your ability.

II. God gives knowledge, skill, ability and craftsmanship. (3)

Bezalel, was a master craftsman. He was filled with the Spirit of God in knowledge, skill and ability to do the work of building the tabernacle. We are not all going to be like a Bezalel. And that’s okay. God not only chooses to whom he gives gifts; he also chooses how much of any gift he gives to each person. But the point is this. Whatever knowledge, skill and ability you have comes from God. God is the giver of all good gifts, and so we should never take a wrongful pride in the talents and gifts that he has given us.

III. God gives a wide variety of creative gifts. (4-5)

God gave Bezalel a wide variety of gifts. And that was all just one person! God in his grace gives a wide variety of gifts to all people everywhere. And so when we think of creative gifts, we should not limit ourselves to just thinking about the creative arts – painting, sculpture, writing, music, dance, design, photography, and so on. All of human endeavor involves creative gifts and abilities, from a simple setting of the table for dinner to the building of a vast cathedral.

Anytime you put part of yourself into a task or project you are being creative. Anytime you organize or decorate something you are being creative. Anytime you solve a problem you are being creative. Anytime you inject humor into a situation you are being creative. Anytime you apply the knowledge, ability and skill that God has given you to the task at hand, you are being creative. And this whole, wide variety of creative gifts comes from God.

IV. God’s gifts have a purpose. (6)

God gave Bezalel, Oholiab and all the other craftsmen the particular skills they needed in order to build the tabernacle. God gives creative gifts for a purpose. Part of that purpose is simply for us to fulfill our role as human beings made in the image of God. A strong, biblically-based creational theology encourages us as Christians to get involved in all areas of life.

Too often we think of Christianity only in terms of the Bible, prayer, and church on Sunday mornings. But as important as all those things are, the Christian life is so much bigger than that. Christianity is all about being human to the glory of God. And so that means taking all that God has created in this world and all of human culture and creativity and then returning it to God in praise. Otherwise, Christian faith becomes divorced from real life, and we lose our real influence as Christians in the world.

Beyond the general overall purpose of reflecting the image of God in society by exercising your creative gifts, God also has specific purposes for the gifts he has given you. Ephesians 2:10 says that “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Just as Bezalel and Oholiab produced quality workmanship for the tabernacle, you are the workmanship of Almighty God. And God has not only prepared specific works for you to do, but he also created you with the specific gifts necessary to do those good works. God’s gifts have a purpose, and God has a purpose for the creative gifts he has given you.

APPLICATION: What should our response be to all this?

Thank God for the creative gifts he has given you. Do not put down your gifts. Do not envy the gifts of others. Do not boast in your gifts. Rather, thank God for the specific gifts he has given you, and do so with a spirit of humility and wonder.

Use and develop your creative gifts. Remember the parable of the talents? God does not want you to bury your gifts in the ground. Work hard, and develop the gifts God has given you. Take the gifts that God has given you, develop them to the best of your ability, and then use them in loving service to God and others.

Engage all of life for God’s glory. Remember, “Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” (1 Timothy 4:4) So if you are an artist, then yes, go ahead and paint scenes from the Bible, but also paint portraits and landscapes and snippets of life. If you are a musician, then yes, write praise songs to God, but also write love songs and fun songs and songs about all aspects of life. No matter where your gifts or interests lie, God can use you to bring him glory in this world.

Note: To read the complete message, go to the Sermons tab at the top of the blog.

Quick Takes - 1/26/2008

Published at January 26, 2008 in Quick Takes. 2 Comments

Bibliography Creator - Enter the ISBNs of all the books you used in a paper; get back a perfectly formatted bibliography ready to cut and paste into your paper’s “Works Cited” page. Choose various formats such as MLA, APA, Chicago/Turabian, etc. (See next entry for more great student resources.)

Lifehack compiles The Ultimate Student Resource List. “It’s back to school time, yet again. In the spirit of the season, I decided to gather together the best tools, websites, and advice I know of to help make you a more effective and relaxed student this semester. Since I know you’re broke, it’s all free!”

Dave Harvey discusses various chapters from his book on Christian marriage, When Sinners Say I Do. Using brief video clips on YouTube, Harvey discusses such issues as conflict, forgiveness, growth in holiness, God’s grace, the gospel and sex, and coping with bereavement.

Tim Challies reviews the book Inside Prince Caspian, by Devin Brown. “As an author and writer, this book revealed to me all kinds of good opportunities to look to Lewis for examples or for illustrations. As a reader it revealed to me just how much I missed in reading the book. As a Christian it revealed the depth of spiritual insight Lewis managed to relay even in what seem to be such simple stories.”

Mary Lofthus reminds her readers of the value of asking people questions. “One time I asked an acquaintance in Sunday school what coffee she was drinking. That led to a discussion about how she roasts her own coffee beans. And now we’re friends. Today I met a woman who said she had a horse stable. I asked if she boarded horses or raised horses. She told me about her dream to provide therapeutic riding for handicapped children. She is well on her way with 17 horses. I wish her well. I’m glad I asked.”

John McArthur offers some good insights on what it means to pray without ceasing. “To ‘pray without ceasing’ means when you are tempted, you hold the temptation before God and ask for His help. When you experience something good and beautiful, you immediately thank the Lord for it. When you see evil around you, you ask God to make it right and to use you toward that end, if that is His will. When you meet someone who does not know Christ, you pray for God to draw that person to Himself and to use you to be a faithful witness. When you encounter trouble, you turn to God as your Deliverer.”

Jon Smith provides pastoral reflections on being comforters to the suffering. This article grew out of his own experience of being comforted by friends when he and his wife lost their infant son. Here are Jon’s main summary points:

Weep with those who weep.
Help them run to where their supreme comfort can be found.
Help them speak with honest emotion.
Choose your words carefully.
Let them initiate the doctrinal questions.
Don’t ignore them or the death.
Pray for those who are suffering.

I am sure Job wished that he had friends like these!

Amazon Kindle Pros and Cons: A Guest Review by David M. Fowler

Published at January 25, 2008 in Technology and Books. 6 Comments

Amazon Kindle

My brother, David, works in the book industry, and I got to check out his Amazon Kindle recently. It seemed pretty cool to me, but I am a sucker for any gadget, so I asked him if he would write a guest review for the blog. He graciously agreed, and so here is an in-depth review of the Kindle from a book professional who has used it extensively for over a month. David’s pros and cons list comes first, followed by his full review. So what do you think of the Kindle? (See related post: Kindling a Spark for Electronic Reading)

Amazon Kindle Pros:

Fast, wireless delivery of books, no need to sync the device with a computer.
Impressive initial collection of 90,000+ books ranging from New York Times bestsellers to obscure textbooks.
Online backup; not worried about losing content if device is lost or damaged.
Great for reading short content such as newspaper or Wikipedia articles.

Amazon Kindle Cons:

Poor visual appeal: Black text on a dingy grey background instead of white; brief screen blackout for each page turn; device looks like old technology.
Clunky scroll wheel for navigating; Kindle would benefit from touch-screen technology such as used by Apple.
Lack of real page numbers limits use for students needing to provide footnotes for quotes.
Frequent page turns are tiring; difficult to “pre-read” a chapter or know how many pages to go in a chapter; not a great device for reading long books.

Continue reading ‘Amazon Kindle Pros and Cons: A Guest Review by David M. Fowler’

News and Notes - 1/24/2008

Published at January 24, 2008 in Animals and News and Notes. 0 Comments

ANIMAL EDITION.

Monkey business. Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. Austria’s Supreme Court ruled last week that a chimpanzee is not a person. An animal rights group was trying to have the chimp declared a person in hopes of gaining guardianship of the animal. Did we really need a Supreme Court to settle this one? I am thinking you could have gotten the same answer just asking a bunch of preschoolers.

Sneaky squirrels. A new study reveals that squirrels actually pretend to bury nuts and seeds in order to protect their winter food stocks from potential thieves. Scientists say the fake burials are designed to confuse any rival squirrels, birds or humans who might be watching. Dr Michael Steele reports: “To our knowledge, this is the first study to show evidence of behavioural deception by a rodent.” For some reason, I just love that ending quote.

Stowaway kitty. Imagine Rob Carter’s surprise when he opened up his luggage after flying home to Texas and found a kitten inside! It turns out Carter had picked up the wrong suitcase. It gets stranger. The cat’s owners, Seth and Kelly Levy, live in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Apparently the kitten, named Gracie Mae, had snuck into Seth’s suitcase before he left for the airport. The bags got switched, and Gracie flew 1300 miles to Fort Worth. Meanwhile, back at home Kelly Levy was searching all over for the missing pet, when she got the call from Carter in Texas telling her he had found Gracie in the suitcase.

Video bonus. Alaska really doesn’t want to go inside. (HT: Neatorama)

(Video length: 1:53)

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