'Tis the Season!

Happy Saint Nicholas Day!

Resource for Writers

FYI, writers,  C.J. Darlington has just compiled an eBook, 112 Christian Authors and Publishing Professionals Share Their Best Advice for Novelists. It includes advice from such authors as Karen Kingsbury, Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, Jerry B. Jenkins, Josh McDowell, Liz Curtis Higgs, Francine Rivers, James Scott Bell, Terri Blackstock, Randy Alcorn, Melody Carlson, and many more. And the price is right—it costs only $2.99 year-round.

On Amazon for your KINDLE: http://ow.ly/flxhF

On B&N for your NOOK:  http://www.ow.ly/flyAC

Best Books of 2012

Goodreads announced today its equivalent to the People's Choice Awards for books. Their readers cast more than a million votes for their favorites in twenty categories. J.K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy took first place as the best work of fiction for the year. Here are the other winners:

Nonfiction  Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Mystery and Thriller Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Historical Fiction  The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Memoir and Autobiography  Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

History and Biography  Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith

Poetry  A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver

Science Fiction  The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett

Horror  The Twelve by Justin Cronin

Young Adult Fiction  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Fantasy The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King

Paranormal Fantasy  Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Romance  Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James

Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction  Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Humor  Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson

Goodreads Author  Veronica Roth

Food and Cookbook  The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond

Graphic Novel and Comic  The Walking Dead, Vol 16: A Larger World by Robert Kirkman, Illustrated by Charlie Adlard

Children’s Book  The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Picture Book  Olivia and the Fairy Princesses by Ian Falconer

Another Great Reason to Write

More on Evangelicals and Sex

EVANGELICAL MILLENNIALS SAY SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE IS WRONG

But Behavior Does Not Always Match Attitudes

The majority (77 percent) of evangelical Millennials disagree with the statement “Having sex outside of marriage is morally acceptable for an unmarried person,” with 61 percent disagreeing strongly. Yet 44 percent of unmarried evangelicals ages 18-29 have had sex, including 25 percent who have had sex in the last three months, according to a new report by the National Association of Evangelicals.

The report, “Sex and Unexpected Pregnancies: What Evangelical Millennials Think and Practice,”* found that a majority (55 percent) who were unmarried but have been sexually active in the past three months still believed that sex outside marriage is not morally acceptable, including 29 percent who felt strongly about this. Just 19 percent felt strongly that their behavior was morally acceptable.

Sixty-seven percent of all evangelical Millennials consider abstinence to be a realistic option. Only 11 percent agreed strongly with the statement “Abstinence is just not realistic in today’s world.” Twenty-two percent agreed somewhat. Of those who were unmarried and recently sexually active, only a slight majority (55 percent) believed that abstinence was unrealistic. 

Additional findings include:

Respondents said that the sexualized society is the top reason why some young, unmarried Christian adults have sex even though they believe it is morally wrong. Lacking a strong foundation in the Bible and “living for the moment” closely followed.Three in four unmarried evangelical Millennials said they are committed to not having sex until they are married. This was true for 63 percent of those who had been sexually active, but who had been abstinent for at least the last three months.For unmarried evangelical Millennials who have been sexually active, 42 percent expressed strong regret about that activity. Another 28 percent somewhat regretted their activity, while 15 percent somewhat did not regret it, and 15 percent strongly did not regret it. One out of 10 unmarried evangelical Millennials agreed strongly that “I would like to remain abstinent, but I just can’t seem to do it.” Fifty-three percent of those who had been sexually active in the last three months agreed with the statement.Most respondents (87 percent) agreed strongly that the church they attend teaches that sex outside of marriage is wrong, and most of the rest (10 percent) agreed somewhat.

This is the second in a planned series of five releases on the Sex and Unexpected Pregnancies study. The report — including a FAQ section with comparisons to previous surveys of evangelicals on these issues — is available on the NAE’s website along with more information about the polling methodology and graphs of the study’s findings.

Thinking about Adam

Here's a hot topic in the world of ideas: Did Adam really exist? Or was he a mythological character? Does it matter? If so, why?

Four theologians discuss what the Bible says about Adam and how the Scriptures are consistent in their presentation.

Best Month Ever!

Thanks! November was our best month ever on Amazon Associates because of you. I appreciate you swinging by here before making purchases on Amazon. By simply scrolling down in the right column of the blog and finding the Amazon search box before making your purchase, you allow us to receive a percentage of the sale. It adds up! We are committed to using 100% of that income in our work in D.R. Congo and Kenya.

Update on DR Congo

Celestin M, with ALARM, wrote this from Nairobi this morning:

I wanted to give you an update on the situation of ALARM Congo Staff and the security situation in Goma.  In the words of Marie-Jeanne, our Congo Country Directors, “today Sunday services were full more than usual. Many people took turns to thank God for saving their lives and sparing the city from the worst.”  And Theophile, our Coordinator for Servant Leadership  Development program said that time was not enough in the church to allow everyone to stand up and thank God. Many people, including those who normally do not go to church, went to attend Sunday services today. It was a “Thanksgiving Sunday” in Goma. One of our staff in charge of justice and peacebuilding left Goma for a while because his life was threatened and an attempt was made on his life two days go but he and his family had already left Goma for safety. We praise God for his faithfulness.

The M23 fighters have left the city of Goma as they were ordered by the leaders of the great lakes nations and UN. The National Police who had fled Congo have returned to Goma and are establishing order and security.  There were some violence, domestic and commercial looting by the rebels on Thursday and Friday as they started to pool out of the city. There was calm on Saturday and today Sunday people on the street showed signs of relief and hope. 

 The mayor of Goma has returned and made a speech on different radio stations calling people to return back to their jobs tomorrow Monday.  There is sign of hope in Goma. Today they felt relief as the city was back under the control of its legitimate (though weak) leadership. More government officials will be returning to Goma this coming week.

Of course the recently displaced people who are about 140,000 have nowhere to go since some of their communities are still under the control of M23. The humanitarian situation is very bad in the camps around Goma and Sake. 

Our staff started their work on Saturday buying food stuff and other relief materials. Tomorrow Monday they will do last shopping and prepare for distribution on Tuesday. Since ALARM is not a humanitarian relief agency, the little funds we have received will provide for the pastors and their families, as well as other Christian leaders who have lost everything and are in camps of displaced peoples around Goma or are being housed in Church buildings in the City.   We are aware that during the relief distribution most pastors choose to starve themselves and their families instead of fighting for food with members of their congregations. Our prayer is to keep them and spare them from the shame and embarrassment in the eyes of their communities.  

Thank you for praying for the brethren... I wish we had more to go around! We pray that humanitarian relief agencies will promptly come to the help of the people of Goma and eastern Congo.

Advent 2012

Today is the first day of Advent. Resolve to celebrate differently this year.

World AIDS Day

Every year, the first of December is set apart to raise awareness of the global AIDS epidemic, to support the millions who are living with HIV/AIDS, and to remember those who have died. World AIDS Day was created by the World Health Organization in 1988 to build international cooperation for the fight against HIV and AIDS. More than 190 countries around the world observe this day.

Today my husband and I would like to especially thank all those who sponsor Adopt-a-Legacy kids in our program who have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

World AIDS Day

Every year, the first of December is set apart to raise awareness of the global AIDS epidemic, to support the millions who are living with HIV/AIDS, and to remember those who have died. World AIDS Day was created by the World Health Organization in 1988 to build international cooperation for the fight against HIV and AIDS. More than 190 countries around the world observe this day.

Today my husband and I would like to especially thank all those who sponsor Adopt-a-Legacy kids in our program who have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

Bioethics in the News

The Center for Bioethics and HumanDignity compiled this list of recent news articles:

U.S. abortions fall 5 pct, biggest drop in a decade
 U.S.abortions fell 5 percent during the recession and its aftermath in the biggestone-year decrease in at least a decade.  (Wall Street Journal)

Real-time genetics could squash“superbug” outbreaks before they spread
 Genetic sequencesof drug-resistant bacteria have helped scientists better understand how thesedastardly infections evolve —and elude treatment. But these superbugs are stillclaiming lives of many who acquire them in hospitals, clinics, and nursinghomes. And recent outbreaks of these hard-to-treat infections can spread easilyin healthcare settings. (Scientific American)

Women’s health in juvenile detention:How a system designed for boys is failing girls
 Sexual assault, pregnancy, and other unique needs are oftenoverlooked by a cursory and underfunded system. Poor physical health alsoincreases girls’ risk of recidivism. (The Atlantic)

Youth more aware of AIDS, but toomany still don’t know their HIV status
 As World AIDS Dayapproaches tomorrow, public health experts are turning the focus on teens andyoung adults who make up a remarkably high proportion of HIV infections in theU.S. (Time)

Mind-controlled artificial limbsfusing man and machine coming next year 
A postdoctoralstudent has developed a technique for implanting thought-controlled roboticarms and their electrodes directly to the bones and nerves of amputees, a movewhich he is calling “the future of artificial limbs.” The first volunteers willreceive their new limbs early in 2013. (Wired)

Medical tourism is a massiveopportunity for emerging nations like Thailand
 Interestingly, a more recent trend of emerging, and evenfrontier, nations developing medical tourism industries has sprouted. Unlikelyspots such as Thailand are getting in on the game. (Forbes)

Prescribe morning after pills inadvance, say pediatricians
 The American Academy ofPediatrics (AAP) on Monday called on the nation’s pediatricians to counsel allof their adolescent patients about emergency contraception and make advanceprescriptions for it available to girls under 17.  (Chicago Tribune)

Gattaca alert? Or should we welcomethe new age of eugenics? 
Dramatic developments ingenetics, including the ability to tinker with our inheritance, has thrust theissue of eugenics back into the headlines.  (Forbes)

Organ transplant pioneer talks aboutrisks and rewards
 Sir Roy Calne is a pioneer of organtransplants,— the surgeon who in the 1950s found ways to stop the human immunesystem from rejecting implanted hearts, livers, and kidneys. In 1968 heperformed Europe’s first liver transplant, and in 1987 the world’s firsttransplant of a liver, heart and lung. (New York Times)

Nanotechnology: Carrying Drugs
 Traditional chemotherapies can be toxic but nano-sizedcarriers can keep them out of healthy tissue and take old drugs to new places.(Nature)

Scientists see promise indeep-learning programs 
Using an artificialintelligence technique inspired by theories about how the brain recognizespatterns, technology companies are reporting startling gains in fields asdiverse as computer vision, speech recognition and the identification ofpromising new molecules for designing drugs. (New York Times)

“Irrational” factors may drive end oflife access to radiation

Access to radiation treatments toease cancer symptoms in the last days of life may be driven by costs and othernon-medical considerations, a new U.S. study concludes. (Reuters)

Sex and Evangelicals

MOST UNMARRIED EVANGELICAL MILLENNIALS HAVE NEVER HAD SEX

But One in Four Have Been Sexually Active in Past Three Months

New research from the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) shows that the number of unmarried evangelicals ages 18–29 who have been sexually active is much lower than previously thought.[1] Fifty-six percent of unmarried evangelical Millennials claim they have never been sexually active. At the same time, one in four say they have been sexually active in the past three months, while 19 percent have been sexually active previously but not within the past three months. Sexual activity was not specifically defined for this poll.

The poll, which was conducted by Grey Matter Research,* also showed that sexual activity is more common among older Millennials. While 63 percent of unmarried 18-23 year olds have never been sexually active, only 46 percent of the 24-29 year olds could say the same thing.

This study breaks new ground in that it compares when people came to their religious beliefs with when they were sexually active. Among unmarried evangelical Millennials who had been sexually active, 92 percent said they did so after becoming a born again Christian. Four percent were sexually active around the time they were born again. Only 3 percent were sexually active only prior to being born again.  The average evangelical Millennial was born again around age eight.

Additional findings include:

11 percent of unmarried respondents were currently co-habiting with a romantic partner.Never-married respondents who had been sexually active in the past, but not in the past three months, on average said the last time they had been sexually active was 3.3 years ago, with a median of two years.The average respondent who had been sexually active previously but not within the past three months was 20 years old the last time he or she had been active.

These are among the key findings of “Sex and Unexpected Pregnancies: What Evangelical Millennials Think and Practice.” This is the first in a planned series of five releases on the Sex and Unexpected Pregnancies study.

The report — including a FAQ section with comparisons to previous surveys of evangelicals on these issues — is available on the NAE’s website along with more information about the polling methodology and graphs of the study’s findings.

###

1 The NAE previously used data that showed that 80 percent of self-identified unmarried evangelicals, ages 18-29, have had sex. (Special Tabulations of the National Survey of Reproductive and Contraceptive Knowledge, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, December, 2009)

*Grey Matter Research conducted this national demographically representative online survey of 1,007 evangelical adults ages 18–29 in May 2012. Evangelicals were identified by Protestant church attendance of at least once a month, believing that they will go to heaven when they die because they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, and strongly agreeing that the Bible is the written word of God and is accurate in all that it teaches, that their personal commitment to Jesus Christ is still important to their lives today, that eternal salvation is possible only through Jesus Christ, and that they personally have a responsibility to tell others about their religious beliefs. The poll has an overall margin of error of ±2.9%. Figures may not add to 100% due to rounding.

The mission of the National Association of Evangelicals is to honor God by connecting and representing evangelical Christians. The NAE includes more than 45,000 local churches from 40 different denominations and serves a constituency of millions.  

How to Shop Like a Christian

(This was my post on Tapestry today:)

I saw a Pinterest cartoon recently in which the subject pointed out that America is the only place where people express gratitude on Thanksgiving for all the things they have and spend the next day shoving people over to get the stuff they don’t. Sadly, Black Friday is only the beginning.

Maybe we won’t fight with another parent for the last pair of Nikes or push over a grandma to get the last doll or video game. But most of us still fall short of Christlikeness when it’s time to make Christmas purchases. To watch us, people might think we believe ’tis the season to be grumpy and greedy.

So here are some suggestions for how to shop like a Christian:

Give. Collect your spare coins, and encourage that shivering Salvation Army bell ringer by dumping handfuls of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters in the kettle.

Stay out of debt. Be a good steward. Make a budget, and shop the ads. How twisted is it that we honor the birth of the One whose Word says to avoid slavery by racking up bills that leave us begging for His provision in January? If necessary, sell some books or that synthesizer you’ve neglected for two years, but stay within your budget. (Better yet, defy commercialization and find ways to give of yourself. Bake. Sew. Frame pictures. Write poetry. Give a gift of lessons. Offer free childcare to the friend with three toddlers. Create instant cocoa mix and give it in a mug you’ve painted.)

Give gifts that honor. Access the Samaritan’s Purse or World Vision catalogs and consider donating gifts in honor of people on your list who already have everything and would appreciate the gesture. Cheer up wounded soldiers, help bring water to a village needing a well, or provide chickens to a family wanting to be self-sustaining. Proverbs 11:25 says, “The one who provides water for others will himself be satisfied.”

Give without actually giving. Lots of charities benefit by being “Amazon Associates.” That is, they have an arrangement with Amazon.com that if people order by accessing a link from the organization’s blog or web site, the charity gets a percentage of the sale at no cost to the buyer. I have an Amazon Associates arrangement on my private blog to help raise money for my husband’s mission work. So check with your church or favorite charity to see if they have such an arrangement, and you can benefit them by using their link.

Determine to support what is good. Ask yourself if the gifts you plan to give will contribute to what is true, honorable, and right. Or will they include CDs with nasty lyrics, and DVDs of shows that undermine your beliefs? Use your dollars to uplift rather than oppress. Why not support survivors of human trafficking in their craft of making jewelry, bath products, hats—all sorts of beautiful and creative products? You can purchase items made by trafficking survivors from such organizations as  Made by Survivors  and Delicate Fortress.

Be patient and joyful. Patience and joy are fruits of the Spirit. So ask the Lord to control you. Imagine you’re that clerk who’s served a long line of impatient people for three hours. Suddenly someone who’s not in a hurry stands in front of you with a smile and a greeting. You know that person has waited as long as everyone else, but she’s still cheerful, understanding, and calm—even when you mess up her order. Before that customer departs, she tells you to have a Merry Christmas. What a difference!

Be honest and just. Avoid buying products from companies that exploit workers. If you’re in a bartering situation, stop pushing hard for a better deal if you know your low price will rip off a worker. If a clerk gives you too much change, give it back. If you wear something once, don’t return it and pretend you never took it out of the bag. “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Pay attention to the music. Yes, you’ll hear “Frosty, the Snowman” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” But tucked in among the holiday songs you’ll also hear “O, come let us adore Him” and  “Chr-i-ist, the Savior is born.” You’ll pass choirs singing “Jingle Bell Rock,” but they might also include “Away in a Manger.” Savor those moments. Others may miss the point, but we don’t have to. We, of all people, have reason to believe  ’tis the season to be jolly!

Pray for DR Congo

A CALL TO PRAYER AND FASTING FOR THE PEOPLE AND NATION OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO Celestin Musekura, ALARM founder and president, appeals to the friends and partners of ALARM to join in concerted and fervent fasting and prayer for the people and nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). ALARM has designated Tuesday, November 27, 2012, as the day to lift our hearts and voices to God. ALARM's staff in Goma is counting on our prayers. The DRC has had a difficult and tumultuous history. Most recently, the deaths of more than 6,000,000 in the 1997–2008 conflicts; continued violence, instability and pillaging of communities; horrific human rights violations against women and children; kidnapping children and making them killing machines; and the physical mutilation of people. The city of Goma succumbed to rebel control on Monday night, November 19. There have been reports of defection of the army and police to the M23 rebel forces. Food, communication, and fuel sources have been disrupted, making a difficult situation even more challenging. The violence of recent months has resulted in almost 500,000 refugees and to date many undocumented deaths, rapes, and kidnappings. The rebels have captured a small town on the route to Bukavu, the region’s other main city. Bukavu is about 150 miles south of Goma. There were protests in Bukavu against the perceived failures of the government and the United Nations. Ruling party offices in Bukavu were burned down in protest of the lack of protection against the M23.  The presidents of DRC, Uganda, and Rwanda have gathered to address the situation. There are accusations towards Uganda and Rwanda regarding possible complicity with the rebel forces.       We are working with a pastor who has planted 21 churches in DRC, and my husband is supposed to meet with him within the next few weeks in Rwanda. Please, please join in prayer for this troubled region. God is changing hearts and lives despite desperate difficulties. The church there needs to know we stand with them.

Creepy: ethics and gene screening

Apparently IVF clinics now offer screening for breast cancer genes, so couples can opt to destroy any embryos that test positive.

IVF clinics are offering clients a service to allow them to "sift" embryos that carry breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 using preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).While most couples use PGD procedures to eliminate the risk of inherited sex-linked and single gene diseases (such as cystic fibrosis), PGD for BRCA genes cannot remove the risk completely—because there is 10% background risk of breast cancer.

Moreover, breast and ovarian cancers usually have a late onset. Prevention and therapeutic options are constantly improving, so the chances of successful treatment and many years of healthy life are high.

Nor is breast cancer inevitable. A defective BRCA gene increases susceptibility to breast or ovarian cancer, but does not make the diseases inevitable. However, with female carriers of a mutation in either gene having a lifetime risk of 60-80% for breast cancer, and a risk of 30-60% (BRCA1) or 5-20% (BRCA2) for ovarian cancer, most doctors favor the procedure.

 In Australia, two leading IVF clinics in Melbourne told the Sydney Morning Herald that 10 couples had used the test to screen embryos since 2008. Using the test is said to double the cost of an IVF cycle from about $A3,500 to $7,000.

Buy Local Today

And not just your Christian book store--any local small business.

Free Download!

I have no idea how long this will last, but this morning I discovered you can get Informed Consent, one of my medical suspense novels, for free in eBook form. Here are your links. Amazon is also offering the paperback copy for less than six bucks. A steal!

Kindle 

Nook 

eBook download 

Enjoy!

Black Friday Recommendations

Tomorrow we will give thanks. But today is a good day to prepfor Black Friday, if you plan to enter the madness. I prefer to stay home, but I may buy some stocking stuffers online. Whatever your preference, you can dogood while you spend money. If you make any purchases from Amazon.com, please swingby this blog first. Scroll down in the right-hand column till you find theAmazon search box. If you access Amazon through that box, any purchase you makewill provide a little benefit to our Africa account. Amazon gives us a rebate,and we have committed to spending it on my husband’s work with East-West inEast Africa. He is gearing up for a trip to Kenya and Rwanda.

While we're talking about shopping, does someone on your Christmas list like novels? Consider givingone of my medical suspense works, InformedConsent. If you order from my web site,you can request that I personalize and sign it for them in the “instructions”part of your order.

If someone on your list loves studying the Bible, considergiving one of my Coffee Cup Bible Study series books. For the unchurched personinterested in exploring spirituality, Mochaon the Mount is probably your best bet. If it’s someone who loves women inhistory, Espresso with Esther and Premium Roast with Ruth would be the way to go. For the person who loves travel and history, go with Sumatra with the Seven Churches. If youwant it signed, purchase through my web site. If not, I actually recommendAmazon instead. They get better shipping rates than I can offer because I run asmall business, and they are a behemoth. Ha! 

But, if you buy three or more books off my web site, I'll throw in a free red coffee mug just like the favorite mug I use every day, while supplies last. 

The Writing Life

Recently I talked with a magazine for booksellers' buyers about life as a writer and my favorite books. It will be available online for about a month, and you can read it here.