Let’s Read: Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing

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  • What was it about?
    • Published in 2018, Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing, is a book by therapist, minister and researcher, Jay Stringer. Utilizing research gathered from over 3,800 men and women, Stringer aims to help those mired in “unwanted sexual behavior” (i.e. pornography, adultery, etc.) to explore the “why” behind their behavior and pursue a better path of purpose and freedom.
  • What did I like?
    • Stringer is not shy about critiquing the accountability or “surveillance” culture that can typically pervade Christian attempts to battle sexual sin like pornography. For instance, he doesn’t believe that merely seeking to control people’s behavior (or screen use) will have a lasting positive effect in their sexual struggles. Rather, Stringer believes those dealing with “unwanted sexual behavior” need to understand why they engage in the behavior they do, what it says about them and their desires, what is missing in their lives – and what God has for them. All of this is best done in consistent, empathetic community. In some ways, I really appreciate that Stringer comes at battling sin like pornography from a different perspective. It’s all too easy to just focus on the negative behavior – and neglect the reasons and motivations behind the sinful activity. 
    • Stringer drew connections between lust and feelings such as anger and meaninglessness that I hadn’t considered much before. For example, people can turn to pornography not just because they want to see something titillating and forbidden, but also because they are angry about something or someone in their life. They can use porn as a way to escape or get back at others. They can use it to feel like they have some kind of power or control in a life that feels overwhelming. Or because their life feels meaningless, they turn to porn as a temporary balm to what feels like boring, pointless experience. 
    • At times, Stringer has a poetic way of writing that makes his ideas seem both fresh and compelling. For instance, consider this evocative quote: “…healing is never fulfilled through cessation of sin; even evil would agree to that armistice. God, on the other hand, wants your heart to bloom with beauty, seeking after it so fervently that you begin to wonder if you might become one with beauty itself. Whereas addiction robs your desire, beauty plays your desire like a violin, drawing you to join others in a symphony.” 
  • What did I not like?
    • Stringer explores how a person’s past, like dysfunctional family dynamics, influence a person’s participation in unwanted sexual behavior. This provides a helpful counter-balance to books that just focus on a person’s sin without considering the context of their lives. However, I think Stringer swings the pendulum too far. He doesn’t talk enough about the sinfulness of sin. Our lust and “unwanted sexual behavior” is not just influenced by our past or present circumstances, but something we intentionally choose to do that is wrong, heinous in the sight of God and worthy of eternal judgment. Stringer periodically brings up the Gospel, but he doesn’t spend enough time showing us why Jesus was on the Cross in the first place. Jesus died to deal with our sin and our separation from God. Every time we lust, look at porn, have pre-marital or extra-marital sex, we’re not just being influenced by our past or present circumstances. It’s also a treasonous display of unbelief and rebellion in the face of God who created us for His glory.
    • From what I gathered, Stringer is not a fan of what I will call “mere accountability,” where we just have people sign up for Covenant Eyes and then text them when they fail and tell them to confess, read their Bible and pray more. Yes, I, too, have found this to be inadequate to truly help people find freedom from addiction to things like porn. It’s one of the reasons why I was open to reading a recommended book like this. However, while accountability and surveillance may not be the panacea to people’s porn problems, they’re also not useless. They play an important role in humbling people, opening up their lives and screen usage to others and encouraging them to consider making other choices. Ultimately, they’re simply one way of taking Jesus seriously when He calls us to take radical steps to fight our sin (Matt. 5:27-30).
  • What got me thinking?
    • In light of my concerns noted above, Stringer’s book is not the first book I would recommend to someone struggling with sexual sin. I typically recommend Finally Free by Heath Lambert if someone is addicted to pornography. However, Stringer’s book did give me plenty of ideas of questions to ask myself or those I seek to help.
    • Ultimately, Stringer’s book is a reminder to me that successfully battling sexual sin takes thoughtfulness, intentionality, persistence and community. And all through that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ needs to be front and center. Without the Gospel, we are simply victims of our past. Without the Gospel, we are simply hopeless addicts. However, in Christ, we are made new. We don’t have to be slaves to our sinful passions any longer. We have purpose. We can experience good, God-given pleasure and delight. We can thrive in Christian community and actually use the stories of our brokenness to serve and bless others. As Stringer says toward the end of the book, “Central to the gospel we proclaim is a belief that God is active in our story, inviting us to participate with him in restoring all things. For this reason, God loves to invite us to use our story – the broken family, lack of purpose, lustful, angry, shame-full stories-to bring personal and communal healing. In community, the trampled grapes of our collective stories are gathered and transformed into something more stunning than we could have ever conceived. God is the Master Vinter, taking stories of sexual shame and transforming them into the very wines of blessing. In God’s economy, nothing about your sexual brokenness is wasted; it’s all part of the redemption brew.”

Let’s Read: Competent to Counsel

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  • What was it about?
    • Published in 1970, Adams’ book is a response and clarion call for Christian counselors, and all Christians, in general, to pursue competence in Biblical counseling. Counseling should not be left in the hands of secular psychiatrists who are not guided by Biblical truth and presuppositions.
  • What did I like?
    • Adams boldly challenges the modern paradigms of mental health care and counseling. It’s refreshing to hear from someone who is conversant in their methods and ideologies, but is committed to the primacy and power of Scripture being unleashed in people’s lives.
    • The book covers a wide range of topics, providing plenty of counseling insight on matters such marriage, communication, confession, Christian teaching / schoooling, etc.
    • Sometimes I find counseling to overwhelming and confusing. I’m not always sure how to counsel others or what to say. Adams’ book was like a booster shot of confidence to me. While certain issues require professional medical attention, there are a lot of issues that wise, discerning, Biblically-knowledgeable Christians can help others with.
  • What did I not like?
    • Adams contends that nouthetic counseling works much more quickly than secular counseling. This may be true, but I also think there is a danger into bulldozing into people’s lives with the Bible and not spending adequate time listening and understanding where they are coming from first.
    • I wish the book contained a sample counseling conversation or extended example of what nouthetic counseling looks like in practice. Adams gave some success stories throughout the book, but how did those come about practically? Sometimes it feels like the nouthetic counselor just knows the right thing to say at the right time. But what happens – when you don’t know what to say? Or what happens when you’ve already said what you believe the Bible says on the issue, but the people or situation aren’t changing? I’m sure a second read of the book might clarify some of this for me, but I’m walking away wishing I had more detail in that regard.
  • What got me thinking?
    • Early in the book, Adams contends that Biblical, nouthetic counseling calls people to take responsibility for their life. Instead of blaming their environment, their parents, early sexual experiences or sickness / lack of mental health, people need to acknowledge the brokenness in their lives and take responsibility for how they are responding to it. Are they aware of God? Are they taking inventory of what is going on in their heart? Are they confessing and forsaking sin? Are they seeking to instill godly patterns in their life? Are they taking responsibility where they can and should?
    • It’s all too easy to treat everyone as a victim. Rather, pulling from an article I was recently reading in the Journal of Biblical Counseling, all of us are sinners, sufferers – and if we know Christ, saints. Yes, we may have been horribly wronged and mistreated in our lives. But by the grace and power of Christ, we don’t have to be slaves to our past, parents or previous choices. By the power of the Spirit working within us and through the timeless, living truth of Scripture, we can think and live differently. And with help from authors like Jay Adams and others, we can even learn bit by bit to care well for others, too.

Let’s Play: Bolt Action

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Today, for part of the day, I attended DayCon, a local tabletop gaming convention. While there, I played my first ever game of Bolt Action, a World War 2 tabletop miniatures game by Warlord Games!

If you’ve spent any amount of time reading on this blog, you probably already know that I enjoy learning about WW2 history. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been drawn to this time period – and I enjoy playing games of all kinds that help me understand and delve deeper into it.

While I’ve played a number of WW2 PC strategy games and even some boardgames / wargames, I’ve never dabbled in the realm of miniatures until now. 

When I showed up for the event, the battlefield was already set-up by our helpful game host / tutor. Ruins, forests, low walls and some craters littered the battlefield. The stage was set for the squads of Soviet soldiers and 2 tanks to face off head-to-head against bands of German infantry along with four tanks.  

After getting a handle on the rules, the 4 of us (2 on each team) launched into the blind bag turn order system where each player starts with a set of colored dice in the bag. If your color is pulled, then you get to move a unit of your choice next. Some of the other guys at the table referred to this as a “fog of war” element where you can’t always know what is going to happen next. It certainly kept me on my tabletop gaming toes! 

Without going into a blow-by-blow of the entire 3 hour, 6-turn battle, some of the highlights for me included my smaller Panzer II tank inflicting some early infantry casualties and my heavier Panzer III tank knocking out a Soviet mortar team. My Panzer III was also able to execute a satisfying flanking maneuver on some enemy infantry and cause them to scramble for cover in some adjacent ruins. Sadly, though, the Germans did not leave the battle unscathed. I lost an entire infantry squad I had left out in the open – and my beleaguered, immobilized Panzer II eventually burst into a flaming wreck due to persistent attention from a Soviet tank.

In the end, even though the Germans defeated more squads than the Soviets (3 to 2), the battle was declared a draw, since the winner needs to win by a margin of 2. Nevertheless, though it was a bit of a time commitment and has a decent learning curve, I enjoyed my first foray in WW2 miniatures. I’m not sure the same could be said for my remaining infantry who were left cowering behind a forest at the end! I guess they’ll live to fight another day!

Let’s Play: Crying Suns

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Game: Crying Suns (Released: 2019; Developer: Alt Shift, Publisher: Humble Games)

  • What I liked
    • Learning through failure. In my first couple of runs, I really had no idea what I was doing on the strategic map or in the tactical battles. However, as I kept trying, found a ship I liked (the Scrapper ship) and looked up some tips online (i.e. Get as much Neo-N as possible), my runs got longer and more enjoyable.
    • At first the tactical battles were annoying, but once you learn to pay attention to what the enemy ship will be throwing at you and how to counter that, they become more manageable. I’m also really glad they are pausable real-time. I paused a lot to give directions to my ships and then pushed play to see what would happen.
    • For pixelated graphics, I thought the game looked great – and the music was decent as well.
  • What I didn’t like
    • The mystery sci-fi story is not a bad story, but it’s not great either. Sometimes there was quite a bit of dialogue to read. If you’re playing this game purely for the story, I think you’ll be disappointed. However, the developers did flesh out an entire universe and backstory, so there is more they could do in this space.
    • This being a rogue-lite game, you expect you’re going to die some. However, it was a bit frustrating to get deep into some sectors and then face a challenging enemy and have to start back at the beginning of the sector. However, I liked the game enough to keep playing through these frustrating moments.
    • I fell in love with the Scrapper ship and sending waves of weak ships to overwhelm the enemy’s defenses and destroy their hull. Honestly, that ship and tactic felt a little over-powered compared to some of the other ships I tried (and failed with!).
  • What got me thinking?
    • After beating the game, I still have no idea why the game is entitled “Crying Suns.” However, perhaps the “crying” part can be explained by the fact that humanity is in a royal mess and desperately needs saving. Yet the “gods” they turned to previously (the machines) have been largely turned-off and rendered useless. Humanity is left to save itself in the face of almost certain extinction. The game delivers some twists on this “humanity must save itself” trope, but nothing that provides a whisper of real hope for the broken world we currently live in. When I consider the socio-political landscape of our world, it also paints a fairly grim picture. Sadly, like humanity in Crying Suns, we are prone to turn to anything, particularly technology, to save us. Yet, we are continually disappointed and left wanting. Perhaps we were not made to put our hope in the work of our hands or ourselves. Perhaps we should consider the words of the ancient psalmist who said, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).

Let’s Play: Guardians of the Galaxy

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Recently finished up playing Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (2021). Man, what a ride! Frankly, this game and its storyline are better than some Marvel movies. Weaving its own Guardians of the Galaxy narrative, the game is chalk-full of banter, humor and heart. Although the level navigation and obstacles began to get a bit rote by the end, the various places you journey to are rich with detail and color. Moreover, the combat encounters are filled with fast tactics and teamwork as you quarterback your Guardians to victory.

Ultimately, what I loved most about this game is the way it wrestled with grief and moving on from tragedy. There are some incredibly moving scenes in the game, particularly in the end, that are as good as any Marvel movie I’ve ever seen. From a Christian perspective, its secular narrative doesn’t conclude with the death-defeating hope that Christ gives us, but the compassion and commitment the characters show to each other by the end of the game is commendable. We all want to be part of a diverse, but united family who puts the needs of others above ourselves – and will be there for us through thick and thin. The Guardians of the Galaxy remind me what the church is – and what it can be by God’s grace.

“…But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

1 Corinthians 12:24b-27

In My Web: “What My Video Game Habit Revealed About My Heart”

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In My Web is a series of short blog posts about articles that stuck out to me online.

Article: “What My Video Game Habit Revealed About My Heart” by Jay King for The Gospel Coalition

I recently came across this article on the Gospel Coalition related to video game habits and the heart. While not covering new ground, this article got me thinking again about the place of video games in the life of the Christian. In this brief blog post, I want to lay out a few areas where I agree with the author (Jay King) and raise a few points of concern.

In the interest of transparency, I freely admit I regularly play video games and enjoy them. Also, in the interest of Christian charity, I don’t want to besmirch the character or motives of Mr. King. From the article, I can tell he loves Christ and is eager to serve others. So, you will not find any petty name-calling in this post. In keeping with the name of this blog, I want to “keep thinking” about video games and the place they have in my life and the lives of many people. Like Mr. King, I want to love Christ and serve others as well. So, to that end, I share these brief thoughts on his recent article:

1) Areas of Agreement

  • I appreciate Gospel Coalition allowing someone who has familiarity with the gaming world to speak to this subject. The author says he played for over 30 years, owned “nearly every major console and handheld” and likely spent “10,000 hours” playing games. It’s easier to hear a soft critique of a hobby coming from a former insider, rather than someone who has no idea what an Xbox is or has never touched a controller.
  • I agree with the author that we need to examine our hearts – and not simply our external behaviors. As Christians, we’re called to love God with every fiber of our being, not simply our Sunday morning attendance. And if we find ourselves not loving God or others, then there is something off with our hearts. Our inner desires, not just our external behaviors, need adjusting by the power of God’s grace.
  • I certainly agree that there are times to severely cut out activities from your life if you find it unhelpful, addicting, distracting, etc. In my college and early marriage years, I also let gaming go by the wayside to focus on other things.
  • I appreciate the author making this statement: “In the end, the issue isn’t gaming or not gaming but the gamer’s heart.” While I think there are aspects of his article that may contradict his statement (see more below), I agree that gaming in and of itself is not morally wrong.
  • I agree that parents need to take an active role in modeling, monitoring and modulating their kids’ media intake. This applies to games just as much as it does to social media, YouTube, reading, shows, etc.

2) Areas of Concern

  • It’s important to remember with an article like this that you are reading about someone’s personal experience with gaming and the negative effects it had on their life. However, Mr. King’s experience with gaming is not reflective of everyone. In fact, it appears the author knew other people (Justin & Alex) who were competent at games and yet apparently made God the priority in their lives and set good examples. So, it is possible to play games regularly and be a faithful follower of Jesus. Like with any hobby, gaming comes with particular pitfalls to avoid, but just because Mr. King put games away for good doesn’t mean every Christian has to.
  • While Mr. King indicates that the “issue isn’t gaming,” he states in the article that he made time for “more fulfilling and sanctifying hobbies, such as reading, spending time with my daughter, skimboarding, or finding a show my wife and I can bond over.” In other words, gaming is presented as a less worthwhile activity than reading, skimboarding or watching a show. But why? Why is actively engaging with a great narrative in a video game less worthwhile or sanctifying than reading a book or watching a show? If it’s because gaming can be engrossing and addictive, then certainly the same is true of novels, Netflix, golf, watching football, knitting, fishing, etc. Sadly, I think culture – particularly Christian culture – subtly (or not so subtly) encourages us to view some hobbies as more profitable and palatable than others. Yet I don’t think these kind of distinctions are clearly drawn in the Bible – and at worst, they alienate people who enjoy those hobbies from wanting to hear more about Christ and His redeeming grace.
  • Mr. King ends his article by saying, “To this day, I still love gaming, but I can’t regard it as a benign hobby.” He goes on to say that for him it’s become an entangling weight that he’s chosen to lay aside. On a personal level, that makes perfect sense – and in his case, he should avoid playing videogames. Yet, for those who do not view it as a sinful habit, but rather seek to engage it mindfully and responsibly, I wish he would have provided ideas for how to engage games for the glory of God. Ultimately, I wish prominent Evangelical sites like the Gospel Coalition were willing to take gaming and the people who play them more seriously. As they occasionally do with movies and music, I wish they had articles that carefully wrestled with the narrative themes of the latest trending, story-laden videogame – and not just another article that leaves Christians who enjoy playing games feeling frustrated and unheard.

Why I Like … Podcasts

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Why I Like is a series of short blog posts giving some current reasons why I like certain things and why you might like them as well.

There was a time before podcasts. A time when I listened to the radio or music in the car. A time when I would run on the treadmill and only have my inner groaning (“Why am I doing this?!”) as my faithful companion. There was also a time when I mowed the grass and only heard the steady hum of the mower as it mulched my scraggly grass into green smithereens. Yes, there was time before podcasts, but that time is long gone. As you can guess, I listen to a lot of podcasts. I typically listen to them in the car, when I’m working out, when I’m mowing the grass and even when I’m doing mindless household chores like cleaning the bathrooms. But why do I like podcasts so much and what podcasts do I currently enjoy? Let’s get into that.

Why I Like Podcasts:

1) I like podcasts because they allow me to delve deeper into things I like while doing things I have to do. I gravitate towards things like history, sports, games, etc. Before podcasts, I often had to find a magazine or surf online to find more information about my topic of choice. However, the time spent surfing the web or reading is not something I can really do on the go. Podcasts allow me a flexible way to research my favorite topic without having to hunker down in a chair.

2) I like podcasts because it gives you a seat at the table of a good conversation. I’m sure there are plenty of podcasts out there where people monologue at you – and there is definitely some utility in that (i.e. listening to a good sermon or hearing Dan Carlin wax poetic on history). However, my favorite type of podcast is one that gives you a seat at the table with interesting people talking about interesting topics. I may never get to meet these people in person, but being able to “sit down” for an hour and hear their thoughts, opinions, stories, etc. continually draws me back to podcast medium. It’s even better when the podcast host(s) fields questions from the audience and asks them on air. Not only am I listening to them, but they’re also listening to me. Great conversation makes for great listening (and vice-versa!).

3) I like podcasts because they expose me to good Biblical teaching. Although there is certainly a danger in putting your favorite podcast preacher on a pedestal and neglecting the tremendous value of live local preaching, I find that being able to listen to an occasional sermon from a skilled teacher such as Alistair Begg or Tim Keller consistently stokes my love for God and deepens my appreciation for His Word.

If I thought more about it, I could probably produce more reasons why I like podcasts. But in the interest of brevity, what are some of the podcasts I enjoy listening to?

1) Gospel in Life – Great repository of Tim Keller sermons. Just listened to this Keller sermon on Ecclesiastes – and it was fantastic.

2) History Extra Podcast – This is a British history podcast that often, but not exclusively, touches on history topics related to WW2 (one of my favorite subjects). I listened to this episode on the Battle of Britain recently and it was great.

3) Three Moves Ahead – The premier strategy games podcast. There has been a rotating crop of hosts and panelists over the years, but 3MA (as it’s known) still remains the best podcast on the subject, in my opinion. The 3MA crew can be a tough crew to please, but they know strategy games inside-out, and when they really like something, it’s often worth picking up. (Note: Unfortunately, explicit language is used at times on this show).

4) The Backlog Breakdown – Another podcast I’ve been listening to for quite a while. The hosts, Nate and Josh, are good guys who love Jesus and love games. They do a great job of having interesting & helpful conversations related to games and stewardship. They also do a great job of engaging with their community through places like Facebook or Discord. Check out this podcast if you need help beating down your backlog. I know I do!

So, those are a couple of reasons why I like podcasts and a couple of podcasts I enjoy. Do you like podcasts? If so, what are your reasons? Which ones do you like?

Let’s Play: Strategic Command WWII: World at War

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I recently finished playing a “grand campaign” of Fury Software’s Strategic Command WWII: World at War. If you’re not familiar with the game, it’s a turn-based strategy game set in World War 2. As one would expect, the game allows you to assume control of the Axis or Allies powers – or you can choose to be individual nation(s) if you prefer. Not only are you able to command your units on the battlefield, but you can also control the research and diplomacy of your side/country.

Europe in 1947 - Soviets were first to Berlin!
Europe in 1947. Soviets were first to Berlin!

For my part, I decided to assume control over the Soviet Union and Chinese forces. My overarching goal was to complete the grand campaign (1939-1945; my game went to 1947) and try where possible to improve upon the historical outcomes. On the whole, I was able to score an Allied Minor Victory and in some spots was able to beat history, but due to a lack of experience and skill with the game, I could certainly have done better.

Here’s a few thoughts about my grand campaign and playing this game:

  • WW2 truly was a global war. Although I’ve done some reading on the Soviet side of the war, assuming command of the Chinese forces in this game made me reckon with how little I truly know of that part the world and its history. Growing up, I heard so much about D-Day and the Normandy beaches. I also heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the fleet combat in the South Pacific. However, the Chinese grappled with tyranny and invasion just like so many other countries in world at that time. Their suffering should not be forgotten or overlooked.
  • Strategic Command WWII: World at War (a true mouthful for a game title!) is not a game if you like twitchy action. Although I was able to find ways to make the AI turns go by faster, it’s very much a methodical game. Yet it’s not overly complex. It’s still very accessible and relatively easy to grasp what’s going on after you’ve played a couple of turns (and maybe peeked at the online manual). Ultimately, I found it rewarding to play once I accepted its pace and focused more on how to carefully fend off the marauding Germans and Japanese. Once the tide of the war turned and I was on the offensive, the game had already hooked me.
  • Ultimately, I don’t think I was able to achieve a major Allied victory for one simple reason. I wasn’t able to fully crack the Japanese. Although their national morale was in the dumpster, and the US and Soviet forces were on the Japanese mainland, I wasn’t able to capture Tokyo before time ran out in 1947. I believe the US dropped 3 atomic bombs on the Japanese in this campaign, but still the Japanese fought on. In the actual history, although the dropping of the atomic bombs were calamitous and deeply troubling events, I cannot fathom how long or bloody the war would have continued to be if the US (and others) had needed to invade the Japanese mainland. My game of Strategic Command WWII: World at War (wow, that’s a lot to type!) didn’t end in a historically realistic way, but I’m sure glad history didn’t turn out that way (although it would have been better if the war never happened in the first place!).
East Asia and Japan in 1947. Tokyo still stands!
East Asia and Japan in 1947. Tokyo still stands!

Let’s Read: Blood, Sweat, and Pixels

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I recently finished listening to the audiobook of Jason Schreier’s 2017 book, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made. The book chronicles the development of 10 different video games, including games like Pillars of Eternity, Diablo III, The Witcher 3 and Stardew Valley. Here’s a few thoughts I had on the book and its reporting on game development:

  • The game development world is filled with a wide diversity of people, many of whom are passionate about games and crafting a wide variety of experiences for others to enjoy. Sadly, the industry also tends toward workaholism (i.e. “crunch”) which is driven both by developers’ desire to create great games and business pressures to release games in a timely manner and keep cash flow strong. It’s certainly not a job or industry for the faint of heart.
  • Each game designer is made in the image of an awesome, creative God who gives them the capacity and strength to fashion these remarkable works of art. When you step behind the curtain of how games are made and consider how much goes into each game that is made, it’s truly incredible to think about. The beauty, attention to detail, interactive storytelling and engaging mechanics take these developers so much time and effort to bring to life. Even though these developers are fallen like the rest of us and creation – and can use their God-given powers to create idols and propagate falsehoods, there is still much that we can praise God for when it comes to games and the creative, dedicated people who make them.
  • Instead of being quick to criticize games and game developers, let’s first be on the lookout for what is true, good and beautiful about these games (see Phil. 4:8). Where we can, let’s try to engage thoughtfully and with a generous spirit, being quick to see the good and slow to get angry. Sure, there are bad games out there, games with bugs or tremendous amounts of objectionable content. There are even practices in the industry that are less than friendly to consumers (and downright predatory at worst). However, behind each pixel, level and storyline are flesh and blood humans like you or I who gave their blood, sweat and sometimes even tears to make these games for our entertainment and in some cases, our enlightenment, too. Practice discernment, give constructive feedback, reject what we need to reject, yes. But treat others and their work how you would like to be treated. Games and the people who make them certainly aren’t perfect. But neither are the people who play them, the people who can sometimes forget just how hard it is to make a game others can enjoy.

Monthly Moment: January 2023

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Another month has flown by. Take a moment with me to consider what I’ve engaged with this past month. Maybe you’ll find something you’d enjoy and benefit from as well!

  • The Intentional Father – This past Father’s Day, my wife gave me Jon Tyson’s 2021 book, The Intentional Father: A Practical Guide to Raising Sons of Courage and Character. Previously, I’d heard an interview with Tyson on the Gospelbound podcast (a podcast I heartily recommend), and I resonated with his approach to parenting and intentionally engaging our kids. In his book, he walks through his own relationship with his son and what he sought to do both personally and in community with other fathers and sons to raise his son intentionally, particularly between the ages of 13-18. Although I don’t think Tyson’s larger trips with his son to be something I can financially replicate (especially with the four sons I have), I did appreciate his desire to meet with his son regularly and study the Scriptures, read books, watch movies, etc. More than anything, Tyson’s book got the gears of my thinking and planning in motion for what I might want to do with my boys in just a few years’ time.
  • Marvel United – If you’re a regular reader of this inconsistently updated blog, you know I’m a big fan of games. I like sports. I like videogames. I like board games. I love temporarily entering the “magic circle” games create and learning, exploring, experimenting, strategizing and overcoming. I’m happy to do that by myself, but it’s always more fun to do it with others. One of the ways I’ve been doing that this past month is playing the board-game, Marvel United, with some of my boys. I picked this up soon after Christmas, and I’m so glad I did. The game is a cooperative card-based game where you assume the identities of various superheroes from the Marvel Universe (i.e. Iron Man, Spiderman, Dr. Strange, The Hulk, etc.) and seek to take down a villain and their henchmen before they can accomplish their master plan. Although the game is not easy (at least for us!), my boys and I have really enjoyed picking the different heroes and attempting to use their various abilities to beat the bad guys. We’ve already lost a handful of times, but in the times we’ve won, it’s been fist-pumping fun!
  • Be Thou My Vision – Not only is it the title of a favorite hymn of mine, but “Be Thou My Vision” is also the title of a helpful daily liturgy assembled by Jonathan Gibson and published by Crossway. I picked this book for the new year to provide a bit more structure and depth to my personal times with the Lord. By God’s grace, I was able to use it every day in January and after a month of use, I can easily say this is a thoughtful, well-developed resource. I really appreciated the variety of rich prayers present in the book (i.e. adoration, confession, illumination, etc.), but also the creedal and catechism readings as well. However, I didn’t always feel like I gave enough time to really consider what I was saying in the prayers or reading the catechism / creeds. Also, while there were helpful Scripture readings interwoven throughout, I longed to spend more time reading / meditating on Scripture and less on man-made prayers (as helpful as they are!). In the future, I would like to continue using this resource, but I will probably utilize it at a more measured pace and not worry about finishing the daily liturgy everyday.

Well, that’s all for this month! Take a moment to share what you’ve been engaging with lately!