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Assorted

RP’s guide to “adulting” – our top articles to help you gain the skills to feel grown up

Young people nowadays feel more anxious and overwhelmed about the future than ever. There are several reasons for this– a relentless onslaught of bad news in the media, the rising cost of living and the overcomplexity of our modern world, and our safety culture that restricts children from practicing independence when young. It’s telling that “adulting” has become a verb, that we feel a need to describe the actions adults take as a skill young people struggle to learn.

In the past, young people had a more defined roadmap, and the community surrounding them guided them as they began to take their first steps into the big world. Young people today still can use that guidance from our elders who have navigated this before! That’s why we created this list of articles we have published in the past that offers guidance on different areas of life that young people face. Just click on each title to go to the linked article.

Use this guide as a bit of a “roadmap” of options.

SHOULD YOU GO TO POSTSECONDARY?

We did a whole issue on this topic that’s also worth checking out.

  • I’m graduating – Now what? – Graduating from high school can be a big crossroads – from that point on, your path isn’t so clear. You need to make a choice about the next steps, and here's some advice on how to decide what to do next once you've graduated high school.
  • Thriving at a non-Christian university? – There are many choices of universities, but if you're thinking of attending a secular university, here's some advice!
  • What about a Christian university? – Christian universities aren’t always perfect, but there are some benefits! If you're considering a Christian university, this article has advice for that.
  • Podcasts to get you educated, not schooled – Formal schooling is not the only option for getting educated. Here are some options to learn even if you decide not to go to college or university. Learning can be lifelong, and is not limited to university!

CHOOSING A CAREER

Having trouble choosing a career? No one can tell you what you should do for work, of course, but it can help to get some insight into what a particular career is like. Your own path in a career will be different, but it’s still helpful to hear from the inside about what others have found. Here are some of the careers we’ve covered in the past, and what it’s like to be a Reformed Christian in these fields.

MARRIAGE

Marriage rates are declining worldwide, and yet many young people desire that loving, secure, lifelong partner in life. It’s just not that easy to find a good match! Here are some articles we’ve published to guide you along the way.

  • How to get married younger – The trend is to get married later in life. But getting married is a worthy aspiration. If you want to get married younger, here’s some advice on how to do it.
  • How I married your grandmother: dating advice for a young man – Sometimes it’s helpful to hear how someone else “did it,” so here’s a personal reflection on exactly how one young man found his wife.
  • Obstacles and roadblocks to having children – Many of us desire to have children, but it’s not always as simple as wanting to have them. First, of course, you have to find someone to get married to. But even then, challenges and obstacles can come up. Here’s some encouragement that children really can be a blessing.

BUYING A HOME

Home ownership is one of the major things that feels out of reach for young people. It's harder than it used to be, but here are some tips on different ways to reach this goal.

FINANCES

A common question is, why didn’t I learn more about finances in school? This is a gigantic topic that is important to learn about! However, a lot of advice depends on your situation and your goals. That said, we’ve covered some general financial topics before, and we encourage you to keep learning about this area.

FINDING MEANING IN LIFE

As Christians, we know the meaning of life, but there can be a difference between knowing in our head and feeling it in our hearts. A big part of growing up is figuring out what’s the “point” of everything we do, and how we as individuals fit into the big picture. Here are some links on finding that meaning and putting it into practice.

CONCLUSION

No one can give you a complete roadmap for exactly what you should do with your life, but hopefully the perspectives offered in these articles help you through making decisions. Growing up can look daunting at times, but shouldering the responsibility of living well, and learning to use the gifts God has given you, is a worthwhile and fulfilling journey to take.

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Interview with an artist

Jordan Feenstra is copying His work

“I’m talking to you. Yes, your faith. Believe it, test it, prove it, show it, share it. Start small, take one step in faith. Your faith is your sharpest tool – don’t forget to use it. All you need to start is faith like a grain of mustard seed.” - JF Jordan Feenstra is back in British Columbia for the second time in her life. Jordan, who was born and raised in “small town” Ontario, first moved to BC as a teen to pursue a graphic design diploma in Vancouver. This move was temporary, however, she returned to the province in her late twenties, along with her husband and young daughter. Jordan describes herself as “a lifelong follower of Jesus, a wife, stay-at-home mom, designer, small business owner and adventurer.” Her favorite place to be? Outside. Her love of the outdoors makes the mountains, forests, and rivers of British Columbia feel like home. Feenstra is also the mind behind “A Thousand Elsewhere,” a boutique design firm offering handcrafted inspirational goods and creative services. Whether it's pen on paper, or paint on the kitchen wall, chalk, paint, markers, or pixels, Jordan has used it. Jordan has been hand lettering and drawing for as long as she can remember. But it was after studying graphic design in college that Feenstra challenged herself with a unique project – to hand letter a Bible verse every day for 5 months straight, and to then share a photo of the work to social media no matter what, mistakes and all. The purpose of the project was for Feenstra to refine her lettering and illustration skills while letting go of her need for perfection (a tendency she was struggling with at the time). The project was also intended to encourage Jordan to spend more time with God. “That project,” she says, “changed my life.” “Jesus, looking at the disciples said, ‘you are the salt of the earth.’ He didn’t say that they should be salty or that they needed to do something in order to become salt. Instead, at the moment of conversion, a believer becomes the salt of the earth.” - JF Feenstra continues to share her experiences through writing and hand lettered artwork on social media and her blog. As a mental health advocate, this includes sharing her experiences with anxiety and postpartum depression. In 2015 Jordan, together with her husband, completed the Life Renewal program – Jordan then founded A Thousand Elsewhere with the vision of helping others fight the same battles she once fought. It is now many years and thousands of creative explorations later and Jordan continues to, in her words, “share imperfect gospel-centric musings and creative meditations while living ‘a thousand elsewhere’ until she can spend a day in His courtyard” (from Ps. 84:10). “I don't consider myself an artist, but a creative,” Jordan says. “I think God is the original Artist, and we're all just copying His work.” She continues: “In my experience, pursuing a life outside of Jesus is in vain so I am poised to live a life that brings glory to Him (the original Creator, my inspiration), and brings others to Him. I am restless for His return and can think of no better way to spend ‘a thousand elsewhere’ than caring for my family, exploring creation and sharing His word in the form of creative meditations, goods and resources with the world around me along the way.” You can view more of Jordan’s art at Instagram.com/AThousandElsewhere, and visit Etsy.com/shop/AThousandElsewhereCa or her website, AThousandElsewhere.ca, to buy her artwork on shirts, hoodies, wall art, toques, greeting cards and more.   If you have a suggestion for an artist you’d like to see profiled, email Jason Bouwman at [email protected]...

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News

Walmart rolls back the woke

Walmart is rolling back more than prices. In late November, Walmart’s CEO John Furner shared that the company is pulling back from some of its “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) efforts. Walmart is the latest and largest example from a growing list of companies – John Deere, Ford, Target, and Lowes, to name a few – who have been walking away from DEI policies this year. Walmart’s decision made headlines because the company is the largest retailer and private employer in the USA, and the largest company in the world by revenue. DEI is a central plank of critical theory, an ideology that separates the world into categories of “oppressed” groups and “oppressors.” The ideology is now the guiding force in Canadian public universities and drives the agenda of “progressive” activist organizations and political parties, including most of Canada’s political leaders. Sadly, Christian families, churches, and schools are also ingesting this ideology, as it masquerades under the banner of opposing racism and hate. But we can see what it’s really about in what Walmart is now removing. Specific changes include plans to remove sexualized and transgender products that were targeted towards children. Walmart funds have previously been linked to groups that do drag queen story hours, but the company is promising to now ensure the community events that it supports are appropriate for children. It is also ending its participation in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, which rates American companies based on their policies for LGBTQ employees. “This is the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America,” noted Robby Starbuck, an activist who has been very effective in calling out the woke activities of major corporations on social media. Starbuck had warned Walmart’s executives that he would be highlighting their woke agenda. This resulted in “conversations” and Walmart’s announcement followed soon after. The company clarified that it had been working on changes well before the Presidential election or discussions with Starbuck. For an excellent discussion on critical theory and DEI, be sure to listen to the recent Real Talk podcast interview with apologist Neil Shenvi....

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Parenting

Obstacles and roadblocks to having children

Some obstacles to having children aren’t entirely in our control. But there are also roadblocks that we can set up in our own way ***** On my 20th birthday, I flopped back on my dorm bed and told my mom on the phone, “I thought that I’d have kids by now.” So why didn’t I? First comes marriage The first and most obvious reason was that I was so busy studying at university I wasn’t even dating. I knew that God intended kids to be raised in a home with a mom and a dad. Since I was single, I wasn’t in a position to have children – even if it was my hidden desire. It was so hidden, in fact, that the girls I lived with voted me as “the most likely to never have children.” So I needed to start bringing what was hidden to the surface, and that began with praying for a husband. I prayed for a God-fearing man who was eager to provide for our family and I trusted God’s will for my life. In addition, I was now up for doing the other things I could to meet eligible men including: Putting myself in places where I was likely to meet eligible men by prioritizing my attendance at church events over other activities and entertainment, and by going to a Christian post-secondary institution, Speaking graciously to many new single men by listening well, being cheerful and kind in the content of my speech, and encouraging them in godly pursuits, Dressing modestly and attractively to avoid two pitfalls: being noticed for the wrong reason and being overlooked because my God-given beauty was hidden, and Being willing to go on dates and try new things, giving guys a fair chance. Over time and by God’s leading, I was married at 25. There’s waiting and then there’s waiting But we didn’t actively try to have children right away. There are some benefits to waiting for a time after marriage to have kids. It is not necessary, but it allows time to adjust to new roles as husband and wife without the added challenge of pregnancy hormones. Just as God typically allows 9 months for a pregnant couple to adjust to the idea of parenthood (and for the baby to develop in preparation for the transition to life outside the womb), my husband and I agreed to allow ourselves some time for the transition from being single to being married. I also saw this as a time that I could complete some life goals before the added responsibility of children. I was eager to complete my schooling for my professional designation. The final test was nine months after my wedding and required intensive studying. My husband and I agreed that it was ok to wait to try for kids until after the final exam. We felt that this was a reasonable amount of time to wait after marriage. However, there are some disadvantages to waiting. There is a risk that life goals snowball. After the exam was finished, I could have said I wanted to hold off trying for kids until I got a promotion, or had a down payment for our own house, or . I knew we would never arrive at the ideal situation prior to having children, but I was happy to have the big exam behind me. Another disadvantage to waiting is having an unhealthy motive. I knew God designed married couples to have children. If I chose to forgo having children to better be able to climb the corporate ladder I knew I would be disobeying God. My life goals would then be an idol, keeping me from loving and serving God whole-heartedly. Being open to God’s blessing of children keeps life goals from becoming idols. In my case, I was content to set aside my goal if I got pregnant before I passed my exam. Open still to the blessing of children Yet in the period of not actively trying for children, it is important to consider what method of preventing pregnancy the married couple is using. Three methods of birth control exist, and some Christians argue that any form of family planning is problematic because God so designed sex as to be procreative. They’d argue sex apart from procreation is a problem. I’m noting the objection, but I don’t share it. But I do think two of the three methods have problems. The first is simply to not have sex. While it is a highly effective form of birth control, it goes against God’s design for marriage. As the Apostle Paul puts in 1 Cor. 7:5 abstinence isn’t a good idea, except maybe by mutual consent for a short period, “so that you may devote yourselves to prayer” but then he encourages couples to “come together again so that Satan may not tempt you…” A couple devoted to prayer is different than a couple trying to avoid precreation; therefore, this is not a biblical form of birth control. A second method involves preventing ovulation – the release of an egg – by taking a birth control pill or using a birth control implant. If there is no egg, then there can be no baby; but it doesn’t always work. If ovulation does happen, then this chemical means of birth control has a secondary effect of making the womb less hospitable to a fertilized egg. A new life begins when an egg is fertilized, even before implantation. Therefore, this secondary effect would end this new life. A conversation with a medical expert using these layman terms would help when trying to clarify how your preferred birth control works. I felt that using this second method of birth control was like firing a machine gun at my sleeping baby’s crib. I wanted to create a safe environment for my children, even in the womb. The third method involves preventing a sperm from fertilizing an egg by using some sort of barrier, like a condom, or not going all the way. The timing of intercourse can also be done when the wife is less likely to be fertile. These forms of family planning prevent life from being created. Some forms of birth control are more effective at preventing pregnancies than others; yet Christians can rest knowing that God’s ways are not our ways and children are one of His gifts. I was comfortable with the “risk” of becoming pregnant before I met my milestone of finishing school. Wrestling with myself After I finished my exam (and before I knew if I had passed), we started trying to conceive, but there was still some wrestling that I had to do with myself before the throne of God. I knew that even though I may not meet this milestone of being professionally designated, there were other goals that I’d have to change or forgo in order to have a child. I started to “count the cost,” doing almost a cost/benefit analysis to see if child-bearing was “worth it.” Part of my wrestling was because I was inexperienced with babies. I was the youngest of two kids so I’d never seen my parents welcome a baby into the home. I also had limited babysitting experience. I had limited experience with the joys of children, but I could imagine all sorts of costs that welcoming a child would bring. Not only would my clothes be stained by gross baby fluids, my hair pulled, and my sleep drastically interrupted, but: my career pursuits would be put on hold, slowed or abandoned; my youthful body would stretch and become a different shape; my attention would be split by keeping track of someone else’s life; my free time to travel and enjoy hobbies would dwindle or include children; my friends and conversations would be different; and, my treasured possessions would be at risk of being damaged by curious children. Reasons for having children With all these worldly fears and reasons not to have kids, why did I do it? First, childbearing is the purpose of marriage. Malachi 2:15 says, “Didn’t the LORD make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union.” God wanted me to have children filling my home. It was my joyous duty to live in obedience to His command and trust Him to give children as He saw fit. Furthermore, I can trace back in my genealogy many generations of faithful Christians. I felt called to continue this tradition. The psalmist sings to God saying, “One generation will commend your works to another” (Psalm 145:4). I could tell the next generation of “God’s mighty acts” by teaching Sunday school, but I could do it when I sit at home, when I walk on the road, when I lie down and when I get up if I had children in my own home (Deuteronomy 6:7). It would be arrogant to think that all the sacrifice and obedience of my ancestors was for my benefit. No, my responsibility was to continue what they had done. God first blessed and commanded mankind: “‘Be fruitful and multiply’” (Genesis 1:28). I didn’t have to do a cost/benefit analysis. I could obey Him. Second, being a mother is a worthy calling, and better than so many of the pursuits the world focuses on instead, like trying to accumulate wealth and experiences. Being a mother involves creating a life that will continue into eternity. I thought of the author of Ecclesiastes complaining that all pursuits were meaningless and without purpose, like chasing after the wind. In contrast, a newborn has a soul that continues into eternity. All my other life pursuits (wealth, beauty, pleasure, etc.) would fade and be worthless. But people will live forever, either in heaven or hell. God uses women to create and nurture new life. He uses many of His people, by the guidance of His Holy Spirit, to win souls for Christ’s sake. Since children and people in general have eternal value, this makes the sacrifices of moms and all His servants “worth it” and is better use of their time and efforts than focusing on things of this world. Third, I trusted that having a child would bring joy. There are many women of the Bible who expressed joy upon holding their first born: Eve, the first mom, expressed awe at her firstborn son (Gen. 4:1). Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter” (Gen. 21:6). Hannah prayed and spoke of God lifting up her heart: “‘My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord’” (1 Sam. 2:1). Naomi and Ruth both rejoiced at the birth of Obed, speaking of how he’d nourish Naomi in her old age and be a restorer of life (Ruth 4:15). Elizabeth’s joy in giving birth to John the Baptist was so great that it bubbled over to her neighbors and relatives (Luke 1:58). Mary “treasured up” Jesus’ birth and pondered it in her heart (Luke 2:19). These biblical women described such meaningful happiness at holding their bundles of joy that I wanted to know that experience for myself. Furthermore, these women were from a span of history that covered 4,000 years, yet all expressed similar joy. Childbearing is a gift God has given women that transcends cultural expectations. Life has eternal value. Childbearing is a joyous gift of God and He commands it of Christian marriages. Therefore, the benefits of having children were far greater than my list of costs. Wrestling through this helped me to pursue conceiving a child with joy and peace, but again I did not get pregnant right away. One last barrier The last barrier I went through to having a child was an ability to conceive as quickly as I’d expected. I was actively trying to get pregnant, but it wasn’t happening. Every month that I wasn’t pregnant I was disappointed. Reading medical articles about fertility helped me to better understand the typical time it takes to get pregnant and I learned that it takes longer the older the age of the mom: “When a woman is younger than 30, she has an 85% chance to conceive within 1 year. At the age of 30, there is a 75% chance to conceive in the first 12 months. This chance declines to 66% at the age of 35 and 44% at the age of 40. This is due to the effect of aging on the ovary and eggs.”1 I learned that a 1-2 year wait to get pregnant was within the range of normal. My experience fell into this category. However, I know there are more complexities to the issue of infertility than time. Many seek medical advice. Christian couples pray and search Scripture for wisdom as they consider the various options available, including fostering and adoption. My struggle to conceive was a monthly challenge, but I am thankful for this trial. It produced peace as I learned to surrender to the Lord’s authority and trust in Him to provide. My first child was born on a Monday morning, just as the sun was coming up. It was a girl! She was dainty and muscular. We gave her a name that means “strong” and the middle name “joy” to remind us and her that “the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). The Lord led me through the barriers blocking my way to childbearing and blessed me with the joy of motherhood. Endnote 1 “Knowledge about the impact of age on fertility: a brief review” by Ilse Delbaere, Sarah Verbiest, and Tania Tydén, in the Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences, Vol 125 (2), 2020, pages 167-174...

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News

Saturday Selections – Nov. 23, 2024

Click on the titles to go to the linked articles... Debunking the best proofs of evolution in 12 minutes Some of the best "proofs" of evolution have been shown to be overstated, or have disappeared entirely, in the 150 years since Darwin first published his book. Young men, don’t make that first sports bet! It's impossible to watch sports and avoid all the gambling ads. But if there was truth in advertising, then what they'd promise is, not excitement, but the chance to get money at the expense of others. Or, even more accurately, they offer you the chance to lose your bet, and possibility much much more if you get addicted. So, don't mess with this. How the Marshmallow Test can help you flee porn "We’re always at our strongest in our fight against sin when we see how it trades away God’s goodness for what’s much less satisfying." Caring for the adopted child Our kids' frustrating misbehaviors will often be a matter of déjà vu for parents who recognize they acted similarly when they were kids. But adoptive parents can face the additional challenge of dealing with behaviors they haven't seen before, perhaps because of their child's very different history, or physiological repercussions that might have come from having an alcohol- or drug-addicted birth mom. So how can adoptive parents be sensitive to their child's different needs, without succumbing to the temptation of just excusing bad behavior? Two biblical counselors offer some helpful biblical advice. It's time to rethink retirement The Bible doesn't speak to retirement. It does speak to becoming elders. Carrot juice is murder Babylon Bee is finding it hard to satirize our culture, because their mock-headlines are turning prophetic. This is an old Arrogant Worms song that has yet to be fulfilled, but it does seem only a matter of time. ...

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News, Transgenderism

Trump says what few dare about transgenderism madness

A Donald Trump campaign video made almost a year ago resurfaced after he secured his second term as American president. In Canada, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has spoken against transgender “surgeries” on children, and south of the border, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis denounced them more pointedly, labeling them “mutilation.” But neither was anywhere close to as plainspoken as President Trump in this 4-minute presentation. It is remarkable enough to warrant printing in full: “The left-wing gender insanity being pushed on our children is an act of child abuse, very simple. Here's my plan to stop the chemical, physical, and emotional mutilation of our youth. On day one I will revoke Joe Biden's cruel policies on so-called ‘gender affirming care’ – ridiculous – a process that includes giving kids puberty blockers, mutating their physical appearance, and ultimately performing surgery on minor children. Can you believe this? I will sign a new executive order instructing every federal agency to cease all programs that promote the concept of sex- and gender-transition at any age. I will then ask Congress to permanently stop federal taxpayer dollars from being used to promote or pay for these procedures, and pass a law prohibiting child sexual mutilation in all 50 states. It'll go very quickly. I will declare that any hospital or health care provider that participates in the chemical or physical mutilation of minor youth will no longer meet federal health and safety standards for Medicaid and Medicare, and will be terminated from the program immediately. “Furthermore, I will support the creation of a private right of action for victims to sue doctors who have unforgivably performed these procedures on minor children. The Department of Justice will investigate Big Pharma and the Big Hospital networks to determine whether they have deliberately covered up horrific long-term side effects of sex transitions in order to get rich at the expense of vulnerable patients – in this case, very vulnerable. We will also investigate whether Big Pharma or others have illegally marketed hormones and puberty blockers, which are in no way licensed or approved for this use. My Department of Education will inform states and school districts that if any teacher or school official suggests to a child that they could be trapped in the wrong body, they will be faced with severe consequences, including potential civil rights violations for sex discrimination, and the elimination of federal funding. As part of our new credentialing body for teachers we will promote positive education about the nuclear family, the roles of mothers and fathers, and celebrating rather than erasing the things that make men and women different and unique. “I will ask Congress to pass a bill establishing that the only genders recognized by the United States government are male and female and they are assigned at birth. The bill will also make clear the Title IX prohibits men from participating in women's sports, and we will protect the rights of parents from being forced to allow their minor child to assume a gender which is new, and an identity without the parents’ consent. The identity will not be new, and it will not be without parental consent. No serious country should be telling its children that they were born with the wrong gender, a concept that was never heard of in all of human history – nobody's ever heard of this, what's happening today. It was all when the radical left invented it just a few years ago. Under my leadership this madness will end. Thank you very much.” As thankful as we can be for the President’s courage – can you believe he actually said this? And imagine if he follows through! – Christians mustn’t overlook what he didn’t say, because someone still needs to. Trump has guts, no doubt, but he took this stand more as a matter of smarts – he understood this is still what most of his country believes. But we know from history that this sort of common-sense conservatism is shifting sand. Traditional marriage was once common sense, and only about a decade back everyone knew that killing our elderly was murder, not medicine. That sense isn’t so common now. In Canada, we have Pierre Poilievre and other conservative leaders heading our own “common sense revolution,” and it too has appeal. But what it doesn’t have is staying power: the conservative common-sense of today is merely the liberal’s position of 10 years back. We’re sliding, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but always in the same downward direction. The only way to turn it around is to set our feet on something solid, and we know the only unshakeable foundation is God and His Truth. It’s up to the Church, then, to tell a very confused world where they can find traction. Will they join us atop the Rock? We can’t know what the Holy Spirit will do with the Truth we share, but we can be certain that we’ll honor God in the sharing of it. So, let’s say what no one else dares to: that God made us male and female, and that only He decides our gender. And let’s explain that when we ignore reality as He has made it, then craziness results, like men playing women’s sports, and people cutting off their genitals. Let’s speak what even our most courageous, common-sense politicians are scared to: that it isn’t just crazy when it is done to children; it is abuse too when mentally ill adults are maimed for some doctor’s profit. We know God’s Truth; our neighbors need to hear it. May God grant us the courage to speak. !function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r||(r=function(){(r._=r._||[]).push(arguments);if(r._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m),l.async=1,l.src="https://rumble.com/embedJS/u4"+(arguments.video?'.'+arguments.video:'')+"/?url="+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+"&args="+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.insertBefore(l,e)}})}(window, document, "script", "Rumble"); Rumble("play", {"video":"v2597vg","div":"rumble_v2597vg"});...

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Gender roles

More to consider: women on setting life and post-secondary goals

The timing of a woman’s life can get complicated, especially when she faces decisions about whether to pursue higher education or not. In a society that insists on women getting an education and establishing a career before even thinking about marriage and family, it’s not always fashionable to point this reality out. But women simply have more considerations to take into account when making these decisions. The challenging part is because there is no guarantee of a husband coming along, or children being born, she faces an added layer of uncertainty. Essentially, a woman who wants marriage and a family is trying to plan for two futures, without knowing which future will happen for her. The questions are endless. Should she pursue practical education and a career just in case she doesn’t get married? Should she work in a dead-end “for now” job because she expects to transition into motherhood soon? Should she take out student loans, which could limit her freedom to make choices in the future? And when a woman is intellectually gifted, or “smart,” the questions can be tougher. Is she “wasting” her gifts if she doesn’t pursue an education? Did she waste her time or money if she does pursue an education and never “uses” it after she gets married? The ultimate answer to this bewildering maze of questions is simply that there is no one-size-fits-all path. The many possible ways an individual woman uses her gifts can look quite different from one woman to another. Life, after all, is not mapped out for us ahead of time, but it is a journey where we take each step as best we can, trusting in God. But in this article I want to explore these challenges in a bit more depth so that, first of all, women see that they’re not alone in facing these questions – especially in a culture that shies away from discussing them. And secondly, I want to explore them so that the Christian community understands how complex (and frustrating!) navigating these questions can be. And lastly, I want to offer guidance where any guidance can be given. Making a life plan For me, deciding what to do after high school was a confusing mess. I was open to marriage and children, but I hadn’t met anyone. I was considered “smart” and everyone expected me to go to university, and I did want to study, but I didn't know what to study. The idea of having a “career” didn't appeal to me – I certainly didn't relate to the idea of being a “girlboss.” But I felt stuck between devoting time and energy and money to studying things I enjoyed, or finding a career that could support me while I was single, or keeping my options open if I met someone. I wanted to go beyond what I personally experienced in writing this article so I reached out to other Reformed women I’d connected with through Facebook. And I received a flood of responses about their own experiences in considering post-secondary education. How women timed their education was an important question for me, because I’ve heard a lot of theories about how college is to blame for the low birth rate in North America. My assumption initially was that women who wanted children had always had that on their mind to some extent. But in my conversations it turned out that not everyone did. For some women, the timing of their life just “worked out.” As Jen Crowder explains, “As a young person in my 20s, there were times where it felt ‘hard’ to not be dating, but the Lord richly blessed me – with peace to be patient, and even more so in bringing my spouse and I together in His marvelous timing shortly after I started my first teaching position. As a young person, it’s very hard to see four, five, or six years as a very short period of one’s life, but looking back on it now, God’s timing is always perfect.” And her experience was echoed by other women who met their husband in their last year of their studies, or just after, and didn’t experience a big conflict between education and beginning a family. Life does not nicely “work out” for everyone, but when considering whether to study or not, this is a comforting reminder to young women that everything is in God’s hands. Sometimes you do borrow worry about the future before you need to. For other women, the timing of life events did overlap. “I remember studying for an exam while in labor at the hospital, and writing an exam a week after giving birth!” says Anna Nienhuis. Some had to fit their studies in around taking care of small children, or put their studies on hold and resume them when their children were older. Some women did not start until later: “I did not consider post-secondary possibilities until I was in my early 30s, married for 12 years, and had five children,” says Sarah Vandergugten. And some found themselves required to go back to school in order to support themselves or their families when they hadn’t expected it. All of these circumstances made studying much more challenging, but somehow they continued to see God’s hand guiding them through it all. Sometimes when you’re young you can feel like you have to be able to predict your future and plan for it responsibly. And to some extent, women do have to consider how their education, jobs and financial situation might impact their freedom to have children. But well-meaning advice can make it sound like your life can all be planned out perfectly. It’s easy to say, “women should pursue marriage first, then children, and then a career if she wants,” or, alternatively, “women should get an education and a career first, and then marriage and children.” But in real life, the path individuals take tends to be more much complex than that, in ways that can’t always be planned out. Even when events in our life overlap in chaotic ways, women and families muddle through while trusting in God. The challenges teach them to trust in Him and the strength He provides. Some women did change their plans when they met their future husband. It might have been a switch from a longer program to a shorter program, such as switching from nursing to healthcare aide. Or it was a switch from something less flexible to something more flexible. “The career I was studying for was not compatible in any way with my husband’s and so I chose to change my plans. Since I had just started my education it was easy enough to change it,” says Deanna DeWit. Others switched from something with fewer career opportunities, such as a Ph.D., to a regular teaching degree which offered more employment. And lastly, some women went the opposite direction, switching from something “practical” to pursuing study at a Master’s and Ph.D. level when they discovered their love of learning, with the encouragement and support of their husbands. This simply shows how, as you grow up, you can become more aware of yourself and your gifts, and what makes sense for the life God has called you to. You can start something and change paths later. Sometimes changing your path while you can is the best decision. Then there were more than a few women who regretted pursuing higher education, or at least weren’t sure it had been worthwhile for them. A few felt they had pursued it because of family expectations, or because they’d absorbed the message from culture to pursue a career first. Some even mentioned in hindsight they felt they’d delayed marriage and hadn’t been accepting God’s will for their lives at that time, though they had come to terms with the choices they’d made. It seems that post-secondary wasn’t a perfect fit for every woman. And it’s true that higher education is not for everyone! For many women it makes sense, especially if there is no husband on the horizon and they may have to support themselves one day. In fact, many women felt free to begin because they weren’t expecting marriage in the very near future. But decisions should never be made primarily because of cultural messages, family expectations, or fear of bad consequences. And cultural messages do shift over time – older generations felt unusual when pursuing higher education, whereas younger generations felt more cultural pressures to pursue it. “I had believed the idea – a lie actually – that if I was to be successful I had to go to university,” says Rebecca Van Middelkoop. “No one ever told me that directly but it was an idea that I seemed to have picked up over the years and I think many people believe it as well. As someone who was academically gifted it seemed like I was obligated to do something ‘big’ ... We often think that some careers are superior or more meaningful compared to other careers, especially ones that are more entry level.” She suggests job shadowing, internships and summer jobs in a field you’re interested in to test out what opportunities exist and whether you do need more education. For other women, higher education could be a path God is calling them to. “God doesn’t have a general plan or calling for all women... God has a specific plan for each of His children,” says Rachelle van Leeuwen. “God’s plan for me was to put people in my life who would continue to encourage me to further my education. If He is putting those people in your life, don’t balk at it; instead, explore different paths that are realistic for you in your current stage of life (not on where you hope to be one day).” Which brings us to discernment, or listening to God’s will for your life. Discernment In the end, making this decision is simply a process of discernment, of drawing near to God. What is God’s call on your life specifically? For me, the phrases “pray about it,” and “seek God’s will,” felt formulaic when I was trying to make decisions, and felt frustrating when it felt like He was silent. But so often phrases become a cliché because they’re true. When I'm making decisions in life, when I feel in the dark and confused, that is when these supposedly tired and formulaic statements hold the most truth. That is when God is teaching me to be persistent in seeking after Him, making decisions as best I can at each step, and trusting that I don’t need to be afraid of the future. You may not hear God’s voice from the sky telling you directly what to do, but you can lean on Him as you study your gifts, circumstances and responsibilities and make the best choices about how you can serve Him with what He’s given you. This means that, yes, if your passion is to be a wife and mother, it’s worth discerning what steps to take to pursue this too! Sometimes we feel we have to leave this area of our lives entirely in God’s hands without taking any action that we might take in other areas of our lives (in the way we might in our careers). Of course, we can’t pursue marriage in the same way as a career, but we can do things like staying social with other likeminded Christians (even if we're busy studying at university), being involved in church activities, being open to being introduced to possibilities, and maybe even visiting other areas of the country. While we should do the tasks God gives us, it’s not an either/or choice when it comes to marriage or career. Society might tell you to not think about marriage until after your career is established but if you want it, it’s worthwhile to keep your eyes open even while you're studying. Lastly, some women mentioned feeling judged, both for looking too “desperate” for marriage by not pursuing a career, or for having a career when most women around them didn’t. But if we truly believe our sisters are looking to God to discern how He will work in their individual lives, we can expect it to look a little different from person to person. God created humans in His image to glorify Him, but this also happens in an individual sense – we are not all eyes, or hands, or heads. We do not start off knowing all that we as an arm (for example) can do, but we grow into it by fixing our eyes on Christ. And so we can also turn to one another and encourage each other, and take the time to truly understand how others navigated their experiences and made their own decisions. And so, my last piece of advice would be to talk to other women! Through writing this piece, I was inspired by my fellow sisters in Christ, as I listened to how God had guided their life journeys. Each story is an amazing story, whether their path was straightforward or more bumpy. In fact, I wish I had more room to tell these stories. In my confused high school years, I could've benefited from having some of these conversations about how life paths can be anything but straight and still be clearly guided by the hand of God. Jenn VanLeeuwen sums it up like this, “If you would have asked me at 18 what my life was going to look like at 24, I definitely envisioned being married and having a few kids and a dog. However, God, in His wisdom, had that in store 10 years later. I was able to complete a number of university degrees and certifications, move across the country a few times for different teaching jobs, travel, and grow so very much as an individual!” Conclusion There are many more considerations I haven’t covered, including financing education and whether debt makes sense, whether to choose a practical career or follow your passion, whether secular college is wise, and when seeking knowledge for knowledge’s sake is worth pursuing. Debt, in particular, can have a huge impact on young women’s freedom to make choices, but her passions and goals can also shape the path of her life. In short, while figuring out how education fits into the timeline of your life is one piece of the puzzle, there are many other factors to take into account. However, ultimately the process is not about weighing every possible consideration, but rather about drawing closer to God and to what He is calling you to. May He guide you....

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In a Nutshell

Tidbits – November 2024

Burke’s best Most have probably run across Edmund Burke’s most famous quote: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Quite the punchy point, but like all wisdom, a man can sidestep it without too much effort: maybe good men need to get busy, but what can little ol’ me do? Well, Burke had a response to this sort of thinking too: “No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.” My new favorite knock-knock joke Part 1 Knock, knock. Who's there? Cows. Cows who? No, no, cows don’t who, they mooooo! Part 2 Knock, knock. Who's there? Owls. Owls who? Indeed they do. Popsicle babysitting A few years back, this was quite a thing in some Canadian Reformed Churches – popsicle babysitting. The premise is that every church has a lot of mothers in need of babysitting, who are also willing to do some babysitting. So every mom who wants to sign up is given 30 popsicle sticks, with each stick worth an hour of babysitting for one child. If you want another mother to babysit your four children for two hours, you’ll have to “pay” her eight sticks. That mom would then have 38 sticks to “spend” and you would be down to 22. If you quickly become low on sticks that means that you had better start babysitting someone else’s kids to build up your stick reserve. All babysitting requests and offers are handled via group emails. As one of the organizing mothers put it, “This gives you the option to have a ‘guilt-free’ sitter” because they don’t cost you a cent. So you can go out and have a good, inexpensive date night, or bible study, or doctor’s appointment, or whatever! I don't know if this is still a thing, but if not, maybe it should be again. 10 truths from a man with one eye Vivek Ramaswamy is a part of Donald Trump’s incoming government, earning his spot there with his uncommon amount of common sense, and his impressive ability to articulate it. As an observant Hindu who rejects Jesus as Savior, he is, however, blind to what matters most. Still, a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind is going to be able to see far better than most, even if his sight is still impaired. In a discussion with Tucker Carlson he shared that he holds to 10 truths, and he was able to articulate all 10 off the tip of his tongue: • God is real • There are 2 genders • Fossil fuels are a requirement for human prosperity • Reverse racism is racism • An open border is not a border • Parents determine the education of their children • The nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to mankind • Capitalism lifts us up from poverty • There are three branches of government in the United States, not four • And the US Constitution is the strongest and greatest guarantor of freedom in human history God has given us His Word to allow us to see even more clearly, and He charges us in 1 Peter 3:15 to always be ready with an answer for the hope that is in us. So, if we were asked to articulate our own lists of truths, would we be ready? And what would our one, two, or ten truths be? Truth vs. tolerance “If anybody comes along espousing some message and asking for tolerance, you can be sure it’s error because error demands tolerance, whereas truth demands scrutiny.” – John MacArthur Ventilation by Jay Adams Not too long ago there was a psychological theory called “ventilation.” I’m not sure whether or not it has died out everywhere yet. But theory or no theory, it’s still seems to be a popular idea – If you’ve got something churning inside, you’d better get it out, for your own good. “What’s wrong with that?” Well, several things. I think I’ll just mention two. First, the self-centeredness of it is apparent. Who cares what happens to the other guy when I take out my ire on him—I’m the one who counts! “Well, I can see that. What’s the second thing?” Let me read you what God says about the issue in Proverbs 29:11: “A stubborn fool fully ventilates his anger, but the wise, holding it back, quiets it.” “Wow! Didn’t know God had spoken about the matter!” Quite explicitly. Who wants to make a fool of himself? And it doesn’t hurt you to “hold it back” as the Freudians thought, either. In fact the more you work yourself up into a lather that finally spills out, the worse things get – not the better. Not only for you – but for everyone around you. And first thing you know, you have to go around seeking forgiveness. To vent your anger is foolish in every way you can imagine. For sure, ventilation isn’t an option for the believer. Something to think about, eh? “Yea!” SOURCE: Reprinted with permission from Jay Adams’ June 1, 2009 entry at www.nouthetic.org/blog. High view of sex It’s an irony that chastity is portrayed in today’s popular fiction and film as being a matter of prudishness, as if only those who hate sex would fail to indulge in it whenever and with whomever. It is not the chaste, but their opposite – the promiscuous – that can best be likened to sex-hating prudes. The prude and the promiscuous both share a low view of sex: the prude thinking it something so unattractive as to be done without, the promiscuous thinking it so ordinary as to be done with everyone and anyone. The chaste, however, think sex is special. So special in fact, that we need to protect it, treating it as we would gold. We reserve it as a special gift as to be shared only with our intimate other, and even then, only after promises have been made, and two lives have been bound together. We don’t hate sex; we treasure it, protect it and love it! A one-question test on the 5th Commandment “Do you honor your mother and father? I’ll ask you one question to see if you do… Is your room clean? What does it mean to honor them? To obey them, right?” – Earl Taylor Jr., an American Civics teacher, to a class of students who all seemed to think they honored their parents, but most failed this one-question test. Post-secondary miseducation isn’t new When I hear from nieces and nephews about the woke nonsense being pitched to them in university today, I can offer a strange bit of encouragement: at least it’s nothing new. Two decades back, it wasn’t transgenderism, but another ideology that was not to be questioned. At least one of your profs was going to make you ingest Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth documentary, which had a generation worried about the planet’s certain, and imminent demise! It didn’t matter if you were taking English, Engineering, Medicine or Physical Education, you were going to see it! Three decades ago, R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. had this harsh evaluation, which seems every bit as topical today: “In college one is exposed to a vast amount of information that is quite untrue, and it is most unjust that one should have to demonstrate one’s mastery of untruths to graduate – one has to go even further to graduate with honors.” And William F. Buckley Jr. articulated his own indictment of post-secondary education more than seventy years ago: “I should sooner live in a society governed by the first two thousand names in the Boston telephone directory than in a society governed by the two thousand faculty members of Harvard University. Not, heaven knows, because I hold lightly the brainpower or knowledge or generosity or even the affability of the Harvard faculty: but because I greatly fear intellectual arrogance, and that is a distinguishing characteristic of the university which refuses to accept any common premise. In the deliberations of two thousand citizens of Boston I think one would discern a respect for the laws of God and for the wisdom of our ancestors which does not characterize the thought of Harvard professors – who, to the extent that they believe in God at all, tend to believe He made some terrible mistakes which they would undertake to rectify; and, when they are paying homage to the wisdom of our ancestors, tend to do so with a kind of condescension toward those whose accomplishments we long since surpassed." Spurgeon on the need for earnest preaching “It is an ill case when the preacher: Leaves his hearers perplex'd – Twixt the two to determine: ‘Watch and pray,' says the text, ‘Go to sleep,’ says the sermon.” “You may depend upon it that you may make men understand the truth if you really want to do so; but if you are not in earnest, it is not likely that they will be. If a man were to knock on my door in the middle of the night, and when I put my head out of the window to see what was the matter, he should say, in a very quiet, unconcerned way, ‘There is a fire at the back part of your house,’ I should have very little thought of any fire, and should feel inclined to empty a jug of water over him.” SOURCES: C.H. Spurgeon’s Lectures to my Students and The Soul Winner Lyric o’ the month Addison Road’s What do I know of Holy? I made You promises a thousand times I tried to hear from Heaven But I talked the whole time I think I made You too small I never feared You at all, No If You touched my face would I know You? Looked into my eyes could I behold You? I guess I thought that I had figured You out I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about How You were mighty to save Those were only empty words on a page Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees What do I know of You Who spoke me into motion? Where have I even stood But the shore along Your ocean? Are You fire? Are You fury? Are You sacred? Are You beautiful? What do I know? What do I know of Holy? What do I know of Holy? What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame? And a God who gave life "its" name? What do I know of Holy? Of the One who the angels praise? All creation knows Your name On earth and heaven above What do I know of this love? ...

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Book Reviews, Teen non-fiction

Finding My Vocation

by William Boekestein 2024 / 154 pages William Boekestein wants to help young readers figure out how they can pick the right job, and like the good Reformed pastor that he is, he offers up three points.... or, rather, parts. In Part 1, “Pondering Vocation,” he covers what work is, and the different reasons that Christians have to want to work, like providing for our family, serving others, and as a means of expressing our gratitude to God. Part 2 gives us biblically-grounded tips on how we can start “Preparing for Your Vocation.” We need to make ourself valuable to an employer by fostering key character traits – honesty and respect for authority might seem bare minimums, but they can really set a Christian apart – and by developing specific marketable skills, like welding, framing, accounting, etc. The author encourages readers to be ambitious to make the most of the skills God has given you. And he reminds us also of the other vocations God has called us to, like parent, elder, friend, and more. Then in Part 3, “Practicing Vocation,” we’re challenged to work hard, and reminded that God does give us a weekly Sabbath rest. This is a solid primer, and could be a great tool for high schoolers, Grade 9 or 10, as they start planning for their post-school years. It'd be best used with a parent or teacher along for the ride. If I were to pick a nit, it would be with a couple of the appendices – “Is my vocation compromised by sin?” and “Is Military a Good Option for Me?” – that raise important topics, but in what struck me as too cursory a manner. The military question, for example, raised some cautions about women in the armed forces, but didn’t even touch on the issue of women in combat roles. It's one thing for women to serve in the armed forces when male and female differences are understood and appreciated, and another thing for women to serve in the military when the higher ups have started to pretend that men and women are interchangeable and want to have women leading the charge. But this critique – not for what Rev. Boekestein said, but for what more I wish he had addressed – is indeed a nitpick, faulting his 154-page book for not being a dictionary-sized tome instead. And he offers us some of that more I was after in his great conversation with Lucas Holtvlüwer in the Real Talk episode below, so be sure to check it out. ...

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News

Is it job creation if government is doing most of the hiring?

COVID brought with it huge government expenditures, and the end of the crisis didn’t end the growth of government. Over the four years of 2019-2023, there was a steep increase in new government jobs, contrasted with relatively little growth in the private sector. Data compiled by the Fraser Institute reveals that new jobs created by the country’s federal and provincial governments increased by 13 percent, more than three times greater than the 3.6 percent increase in private sector jobs. But it is the contrast between the provinces that is the most striking. Alberta and Nova Scotia, run by conservative governments, both had a greater percentage of growth in the private sector. Compare this with BC, where under the NDP, government jobs grew by 22% compared to just 0.5% for the private sector. In their report “Economic Recovery in Canada before and after COVID,” the Fraser Institute compared the data with five previous recessions and slowdowns and found that “none of those recoveries were nearly as reliant on job creation in the government sector.” Governments have always been interested in growing – 3,000 years ago the Lord warned Israel that the king they were demanding would want all sorts of servants (1 Sam. 8:11-18) – and times of hardship are often used to justify larger government reach. Checks and balances, including elections, are a crucial part of restraining a government. Unfortunately, in recent elections, the public has been rewarding parties who pledge to increase government debt rather than rein it in....

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Saturday Selections – Nov 9, 2024

Letters from war In remembrance of the many who fought for us... Ants build landmarks for navigation Ants have brains a quarter the size of a honeybee's brain and yet they can navigate across salt plains that have no landmarks. This is a bit of a technical read, but it rewards the effort. Minuscule marchers though they might be, ants shout God's glory. Use any of these 8 phrases every day, and you’re more emotionally mature/secure than most A secular psychologist pitches 9 phrases, but as John Beeson noted when sharing these, one is not like the others "(but I'll let you spot which one is problematic)." His two favorites are "Am I like that?" and "Let me think about that before I respond." Can a Christian be a lawyer? (15-min read/ 25-min listen) The short answer is, yes, of course. The longer answer is, yes, but the job does come with some real challenges. Looking for a loving dentist "Can you help me find a loving dentist? I’m not interested in a loving person who simply hates plaque and cavities. I do not want him to offer wise suggestions based upon what he knows about teeth. Instead, it would be nice for him to just agree with me about my teeth and my diet. I don’t want anyone who will suggest mouth wash, flossing, or brushing – or make me feel badly for not using them. In fact, I simply want one who will agree with all my decisions related to my mouth." The trust about Auschwitz guards Jordan Peterson on how the Holocaust was caused by "ordinary men." We've reviewed Ordinary Men, the book Peterson mentions. ...

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Animated, Movie Reviews, Watch for free

The Corrie ten Boom Story

Animated / Biography / Drama 2013 / 34 minutes Rating: 7/10 What's an appropriate age to expose our children to the truth about Nazis, concentration camps and dead numbered in the millions? Those are horrible truths, but ones that can't be avoided if we are to have the next generation remember the self-sacrificial love, bravery, and faithfulness of the many millions who rose up to fight this evil. The Corrie ten Boom Story might be a good way to begin. The film's producers suggest that it is appropriate for children as young as 8, but I read one review from a mother who watched it with her three-and-a-half year old (she pointed out to her little boy that the Ten Booms were Christ-imitators, offering up their lives to save the Jews). I don't know if I would go quite that young – I haven't shown this to my four-year-old yet – but the filmmakers have done a remarkable job of presenting a muted, yet still accurate account of the horrors of World War II. The Ten Boom family ran a watchmaking business in the Netherlands, and when the Germans invaded and started rounding up Jews, the Ten Booms began hiding Jews. It was a courageous yet simple decision for them – they knew this was what God wanted them to do. They helped many but were eventually betrayed and sent to concentration camps. Here the same love for God that had them hiding Jews helped Corrie endure the loss of her father and sister – she trusted that God knew what was best. After the war, she traveled extensively telling the story of God's faithfulness in all her trials. At one speech she met a former captor, a man who had viciously beaten her. He was asking Corrie to forgive him. What would have been too much to ask of anyone, Corrie was able to do with God's enabling strength – she gave the man the forgiveness he was seeking. Cautions The only caution I can add (other than to be cautious about age-appropriateness) is that other episodes of this series often feature animations of Jesus, which may violate the Second Commandment, and one of these depictions is shown in a promotional clip that automatically plays just after the film ends. Conclusion Corrie ten Boom will be a familiar name to many. Her biography, The Hiding Place, is quite famous, as is a 1975 film by the same name, and I believe there is also a play that many Christian schools have performed. What sets this animated account apart is that it makes her story understandable and accessible to a much younger age group. I would highly recommend it for any school-age children, but it must be watched with adult supervision, so mom or dad can talk with any child who gets confused or worried. Now you can watch it online for free, below. ...

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Alberta to ban men from women’s sports

The Alberta provincial government has proposed legislation to prohibit male athletes who claim to be females from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. Their “Fairness and Safety in Sport Act” (Bill 29) would apply to most amateur competitive sports organizations in the province, including public and private school leagues, as well as college and university athletics. While about half of all U.S. states have similar laws, this would be the first time that a Canadian province would issue a clear delineation against such unfair and potentially dangerous competition. God made men and women vastly different from each other, and part of this difference is that men are typically bigger, stronger and faster than women of the same age. When males compete against girls and women, the competition is often one-sided, with predictable results. Average male athletes become champions and record-setters when they stop competing with boys and instead race, box and wrestle against girls. In addition to the lack of fairness, such competitions can be dangerous, especially in sports that encourage physical contact between participants, or where a ball or puck is involved. In one high-profile case in North Carolina, high school volleyball player Payton McNabb was badly injured when a male opponent spiked the ball at her head, resulting in a concussion and neck injury, and long-term memory problems and headaches. McNabb has become an outspoken advocate to keep women’s sports for female participants only. Anyone who has witnessed male swimmers dressed as women competing against females can attest to how unfair the competition is, and how clear it is that these men have an enormous physical advantage. Sports leagues for youth are often divided by age categories: we would not expect a 17-year-old to compete against 12-year-olds! Common sense dictates that males should not be permitted to perpetuate the fantasy that they are females, by acting in a way contrary to how the Lord made them. That's all the more obvious when their act hurts not just themselves, but others too. In Romans 1, Paul reminds us that those who rejected the Lord “became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” Citizens of Alberta may be thankful that some of this foolish thinking may be discouraged by this legislation....

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