As a kid, I can remember my parents watching 60 Minutes. I always thought something more interesting had to be on…like cartoons. But in the end of them watching all of this serious stuff, they’d usually start laughing. I didn’t quite understand why, because the guy talking wasn’t laughing. I mean, he looked kinda funny, but he didn’t seem to be telling jokes.

As I got older and tried to like watching the news, I began to catch why they liked the guy who came on at the very end. He had a way of pointing out things that were truly funny…or at least ironic. He gave voice to things my parents were feeling but didn’t know how to articulate.

Later on, I began to read books written by Andy Rooney. I was shocked to find out he didn’t like that he was most known for his ending bit on 60 Minutes. After all, he was a bestselling author and award-winning news writer. But I’ll always remember him for those last words at the end of 60 Minutes.

To me, he was kind of like the dessert after a meal…and I’ve enjoyed other “back page” people like him, as well. Mike Yaconelli in Youthworker: just as irreverant, poignant, and insightful. George Will in U.S. News & World Report: just as brilliant and thought-provoking. Steve Case in The Journal of Student Ministries: just as able to make something serious really funny or take something ordinary and bring out the sacred.

Mr. Rooney, you truly were an incredible man, and I am really glad you shared your wit and wisdom with us through the years. You’ll be missed!

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57319150/andy-rooney-dead-at-92

Read a really interesting piece from PC Mag called “Gamers Unlock Protein Mystery That Baffled AIDS Researchers For Years.”

One of the fastest-growing industries is the video game industry…and it’s impacting lots of different facets of the country. Musicians who used to dream of getting on a movie title track now get excited if they’re included in a popular game. A few sports figures make more on licensing their names to video games than on any other form of merchandising.

The drone program in the military is totally appropriate for people whose hand-eye coordination have been formed on gaming consoles. And it honestly wouldn’t surprise me if other industries (engineering, electronics, etc.) find uses for gamers. If the right educators were to partner with the right gaming companies, many classroom teachers may be replaced in favor of systems that will entertain while they educate.

I honestly hadn’t ever thought of biochemical uses, but this is fantastic. What a wonderful, industrious idea.

Despite lots of effort, the financial stuff didn’t work out for Devin to continue at Millsaps, where he had spent his first year of college. So after some very quick searching around for other options, he decided upon East Tennessee State University, which seems to have a top-notch theater program.

We’re coming off a whirlwind 2-day trip to Johnson City, Tenn., during which time he met with his academic advisor, registered for classes, signed up for housing and meal plan, met with the financial aid department several times, got his student ID, secured a post office box, and purchased all his books. We’re headed home now, then Devin will return 2 days later ready to check in and start classes the next day.

I’ve learned way more about the college admissions process than I ever wanted to know. But that’s good, since Austin’s a senior this year, there are three more coming up behind him, and I’m the high school faculty advisor to a whole class full of college-bound seniors. God grant me the serenity…

My friend Bart Campolo recently traveled to Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, being introduced to the “maddeningly intertwined” social, religious, and political conflicts of the region. He visited with left-wing folks, right-wing folks, and everyone in between—businessmen, tourism entrepreneurs, landmine survivors, government officials, local politicians, a wide array NGO leaders, and even a genuine prince and princess.

He has taken a position with an organization called Abraham’s Path, founded by Harvard negotiator William Ury, who says that every conflict takes place within a larger community that either is or can become the positively transformative ‘third side’ of the dispute (a dynamic I see in public high schools every day). So in the midst of a passionate (and often angry) followers of different religious groups, Bart feels the building up of that ‘third side’ seems especially important, especially among “Abraham’s children” (Jews, Muslims, and Christians).

In one effort to build up that third side, Abraham’s Path has begun an initiative called 9/11 walks. I love the idea, because instead of spewing venomous verbal attacks of islamaphobia or other hate-based nonsense, we are encouraged to truly “honor the victims of 9/11 and its aftermath” by doing what we ought to do regularly anyway: “Walk and talk kindly with neighbors and strangers, in celebration of our common humanity and in defiance of fear, misunderstanding and hatred.”

In no way does this suggest that we don’t retain our distinct individuality in all of its richness, including our religious beliefs. But it does mean that we begin to actually try to be a part of God’s will being done here and now, on earth as it is in Heaven.

One of the coolest trips I ever took was a picture-taking safari to Kenya about twenty years ago. It was surprisingly inexpensive to stay in lavish facilities, to eat well, and to have a driver and game guide to host six people for several hours twice a day. The trip included a hot-air balloon ride early one morning, followed by a five-course breakfast (complete with china and crystal) in the middle of the Serengeti Plain. Needless to say, I was mesmerized.

Then I learned that the average salary of the people who were waiting on us was $50 a month and that they were extremely grateful for those tourism jobs because $50 was as much as an entire family (husband, wife, and children) working ten hours a day, six days a week, was making on average in that region at the time. The huge disparity between the haves and have-nots became shamefully clear to me at that moment.

(This is an excerpt from a portion of a blog post on “haves and have nots” that I wrote for devozine’s “In the Habit” blog, where youth leaders can find small group curriculum for Sunday school classes or Bible studies with youth. They work fine as stand-alones, though they are thematically linked to the weekly devotionals found in the kids’ devo magazine, too.)

What I find interesting is how whiny we can get about how little we have when what most of us really ought to be doing is counting our blessings, for ALL of us have way more than we actually deserve.

One of the things that’s kinda my daddy thing with my kids is the nighttime tuck-in ritual. It began when I was working several jobs and was often only home for an hour or less per day of waking, non-working time, often for many days at a stretch. Christine did the vast majority of the parenting duties, but the one I got to do most nights was the tuck-in.

It’s pretty simple, with little variation each night, other than the number of times it has to be repeated. At one point, all of the little guys were sharing the same room, so only one ritual per night. At another point, they were all in separate rooms, so three iterations per night. Currently, the two girls are in one room and the little boy in the other, so two occurrences. (The older two are camp counselors this summer, helping with nighttime rituals for younger kids; I love this circle-of-life stuff.)

Anyhow, this evening as I came upstairs, my wife told me, “Did you know that you’re a great dad? I love that you put our kids to bed every night.” And you know what? I love it, too. We had kind of a weepy little moment there, actually.

Thanks, God, for the holy power in seemingly small events. You just show up everywhere!

Christine put together a terrific slideshow with pics from this year’s Vacation Bible School. I was really proud of the volunteers at Dickson First United Methodist Church, the behavior of the kids, and most of all my wife. She totally rocks!

Vacation Bible School 2011 has officially come to an end at First United Methodist Church in Dickson, Tennessee. Though working with 2-year-olds to 5th graders is definitely not my favorite thing to do, I had a really good time leading the music for them. Christine did an amazing job coordinating it (and was WAY less stressed than during summer camp last year, which was nice).

Nikki, Daniel, and Bethany were among the batch of kids who had a great time, while learning some neat stuff, too. They’re pictured here in the “Armor of God” (based on Ephesians 6:13-17) that they made during the art rotation, with belts (of truth), breastplates (of righteousness), foot guards (fitted for readiness), shields (of faith), helmets (of salvation), and swords (of the spirit).

I believe one of my favorite things to do is officiate weddings of kids for whom I used to be their youth pastor. Bethany Jahner (formerly Kirby) was a part of my youth group at East Brentwood Presbyterian Church for many years, and we participated in some wonderful ministry together. She was incredibly active, serving in several leadership positions, regularly helping lead worship, and attending several mission trips.

Erik is a terrific guy, too, and I’m absolutely delighted they found each other. I had the privilege of counseling with them some last summer and then performing the ceremony this summer, and it was a great ceremony. They planned every detail but were incredibly relaxed about it at the same time. I was also super impressed by the photographer who posted an impressive gallery here.

Frankly, I’m quite pleasantly surprised at how much I’m learning at “J-Camp,” especially considering the primary audience is high school journalism students rather than journalism educators. I’m surprised because I feel like I’ve learned a whole heck of a lot in on-the-job-training over the years, though I’m also a little humbled by how much I really hadn’t thought out before.

I feel like I’m a really good English teacher, especially for college-bound students, and I’m a reasonably good in-the-field journalist, too. But now I’m learning some ways to help teach kids to become better journalists beyond just the “working press room” apprenticeship model I’ve been employing—and I’m having some “aha” moments that I think will help me create wonderful inquisitiveness within my students beyond a journalism career: ones that will help them become more active community members, better informed citizens, and more conscientious people.