Lessons for Living

Of Visionaries and Moneywagons

A yet-unmet friend recently theorized and bemoan-ized via email:

“The visionaries have no money,
and the moneywagons have no vision.”

Fuller quote: “Somehow, I wish there were a link between the visionaries…and the moneywagons in our midst. The visionaries have no money, and the moneywagons have no vision. Well, that is an overgeneralization, I admit. But things do tend to be that way.”

Context 😯

Employers and Your Social Media

Are the Facebook posts and Twitter tweets you make while away from the job immune from the prying eyes of your employer? The New York Times reports that new software called Social Sentry is ensuring everything you do online is being scrutinized.

Employers pay between $2 and $8 per employee depending on company size to have Social Sentry’s proprietary software automatically track employees in the social media sphere. The Social Sentry service is only available for Facebook and Twitter at this point, but it will soon expand to cover YouTube, MySpace and LinkedIn.

Six out of 10 companies now say they have a social media monitoring policy. Employers are considering anything that’s publicly accessible as something that you waive your right to privacy on.

Source: Clark Howard: Employers monitor your social networking profile

Love Your Neighbor

Two months and two days ago, Ruby (she’s my wife!) pointed out these March 6 entries in two of our day-by-day flip calendars.

First, from Light for the Day:

A man cannot touch his neighbor’s heart
with anything less than his own.

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 19:19 (b) NASB

Then, with amazing synchronization, from For the Love of a Friend:

The love of our neighbor is the only door out of the dungeon of self.
George MacDonald

Love your neighbor as yourself.
Mark 12:31

I was blessed by that.

She Sees Red

I tend to be wary of research these days. But this research meshes with what I believe to be true:

Calvin College professor’s research shows adults who remember being spanked are more well-adjusted

While timeouts and other disciplinary methods work for some parents and is encouraged by some child psychologists, a Calvin College psychology professor says her research shows corporal punishment forms more well-adjusted people later in life.

Marjorie Gunnoe says the study finds children who remember being spanked on the backside with an open hand do better in school, perform more volunteer work and are more optimistic than others who were not physically disciplined.

“This in no way should be thought of as a green light for spanking,” said Gunnoe, who has studied spanking for more than a decade.

Her research contradicts claims spanked children are more aggressive and have other detrimental consequences.

The practice should be considered when lawmakers across the county consider banning spanking, Gunnoe said, noting 24 countries have barred the punishment.

“This is a red light for people who want to legally limit how parents choose to discipline their children,” she said. “I don’t promote spanking, but there’s not the evidence to outlaw it.”

I saw the story Saturday night.

Among other thoughts, one wandered to the so-called Greatest Generation. I suspect the majority of them were spanked as children.

I thought of the so-called Founding Fathers. I suspect they were spankers as well as spankees.

I thought of the pioneers. Ditto.

Now we’re beginning to reap the fruits of a different approach to raising children. And it ain’t a pretty picture. Only God can reverse the trend and delay the consequences. I hope He does. Frankly, though, I doubt He will. Especially if His people pray and fast about it as much as I do.

😯

Above all, love God!