Another warning about new dangers facing children

A 12-year-old girl and a 23-year-old male are accused of murdering three members of a family. That's unsettling enough, but what adds a special chill to the story is the information about how these two got together. "Accused killers met on vampire website":

The tie that binds the two -- aside from the criminal charges they now face -- is the Internet.
According to a friend of the 12-year-old girl, she met Steinke online at VampireFreaks.com, a website that caters to "gothic industrial culture," and claims to have over 500,000 members. ...
"Usually we hear about the Internet being used by predators to lure teens to be victimized," said John Manzo, a sociologist at the University of Calgary. "This is an unexplored danger of the Internet, that it gives people who would normally be isolated in their desires a social network to find like-minded people. ..."

In another generation, this kind of thing would provoke some anguished conversation about the need to protect our children. These days, though, it seems far more likely to provoke urgent appeals not to over-react by restricting the free flow of information. These days, it seems the greatest evils are censorship and restrictions on free speech.

In former generations, adults routinely endured inconveniences for the sake of the children. Society as a whole worked to support parents in the difficult task of child rearing. The most important thing was protecting the innocence of children.

But lately, it seems the attitude is "when did your kids become my problem?" Adults bristle at even the most minor restrictions on their free expression or access to whatever they desire. So what if a few kids get trampled in the process? Isn't that the parents' responsibility?

Personal checkpoints: am I doing God's work or mine?

With all of the alternatives and demands on our time these days, it's easy to lose track of what truly matters. I know I often need to ask -- and probably don't ask as often as I should -- whether I'm working for God or for myself. Any signposts that can help me stay on the proper path are deeply appreciated.
You may not be able to follow the link to this helpful posting at Dave Hackett's Frontier Blog: Is it a Ministry or Just a Job? I couldn't this week when I was looking for it last week. Google to the rescue! I found no less than a half dozen different versions of the thing. (And some came with a copyright notice and a claim to be the original…)
After reading and reflecting on the different versions, I boiled them down to this compilation. As I note at the end, I didn't originate it, but I do pray you find it helpful.

Is it a job or a ministry?

If you are doing it because you chose it, it is a job;
if you are doing it because Christ called you, it is a ministry.

If you do it because someone else thinks it needs to be done, it is a job; if you do it because you think it needs to be done, it is a ministry.

If you are doing it because no one else will, it's a job; if you are doing it to serve the Lord, it is a ministry.

If you are depending on your abilities, it is a job;if you are sure the most important thing is your availability to God, it is a ministry.

If you are ready to quit because no one ever praised you or thanked you, it is a job; if you stay with it even though no one notices your effort, it is a ministry.

If you are ready to quit because people criticize you, it is a job; if you are ready to keep serving, it is a ministry.

If your concern is success, it is a job; if your concern is faithfulness, it is a ministry.

If is hard to get excited about a job; it is almost impossible not to get excited about a ministry.

If you want others to say "great work," it is a job; if you want the Lord to say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," you have found your ministry.

An average congregation is filled with people doing jobs. A great and growing congregation is filled with people involved in ministry. God does not want us feeling stuck with a job, but excited and faithful to him in ministry.

Copied and adapted from various sources

Who created whom in who's image

The parlance of our times in the National Post offers comments that reveal the state of our celebrity leadership. The quote from Mary J. Blige printed April 20 about says it all:

"My God is a God who wants me to have things. He wants me to bling. He wants me to be the hottest thing on the block."

There's a unique comfort and affirmation found when we can make up our gods as we go along. The pain comes when reality sets in and these gods get filed under "Gods that failed."
And how tragic for those who get caught up in these fantasies when reality comes crashing in.