Veritas Magazine
It's Hip To Be Square™
It could be any time now. Maybe my phone will ring or I’ll get jostled awake while sleeping. Time to go to the hospital—time to have a baby.
It’s hard to believe that in the last year of our lives, my wife and I will have bought our first house, got married, and had a child. Things certainly don’t move slowly in the Crummy household.
Mowing the lawn is one of my favorite times to just let my mind relax. And as I paced back and forth across our yard today, I tried to store the feelings of excitement and...
Read More
I usually just assume that my to-do list is never ending. Admittedly I tend to be a workaholic more than a lazy bum. And don't get me wrong, working hard is a good thing, but it's not the only thing.
When you're a workaholic who owns a home and has a baby on the way, it's easy to become obsessed with doing the 'responsible' thing all the time. Life may have fewer risks that way, but it makes my wife feel like she's living with a grandpa.
Sometimes the most loving thing to do...
Read More
Marriage offers a new set of smells—some good, some not so good. I've never been more sensitive of how I smell, where I breathe, and when I last shaved. My wife loves me so much that she gladly tells me when my breath is bad. She is perfectly willing to report when I smell like "outside" or need to take a shower. And to be honest, it can be a bit disheartening at times. After all, I've always been the clean guy. I used to wipe my face with Germ-X hand sanitizer before bed each night. I was...
Read More
I carefully listened and watched as Tiger Woods apologized to the world. A mea culpa like Tiger's is often an indicator as to where our society is at and how we deal with sin and recovery. There was one section that stood out to me during his apology when he talked about his Buddhist faith. I leaned forward in my chair as I listened:
"Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don't realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced...
Read More
God has a wonderful plan for your life. I'm sure he does. But I'm sorry to say that his plan for me may actually be a little bit better than his plan for you.
You see, I'm a winner. A few days ago I won a gift card to spend on Gore-tex outdoor apparel at a sporting goods store. What is Gore-tex you ask? Well it's no Thinsulate, that's for sure. It's legendary—a total revolution in personal dryness technology. According to Wikipedia, "Gore-Tex materials are typically based on thermo-mechanically...
Read More
Luke 6:6-7
On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him.
It's amazing how people will even hate you for doing good. Here's Jesus healing a man and serving others, but the pharisees were so focused on their preconceived notions of righteousness that they couldn't see anything but a law-breaker. Verse 11 says they were "filled with...
Read More
When Libya's leader, Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi, was introduced at the United Nations General Assembly, his intro seemed a bit ostentatious:
“...Leader of the revolution, the president of the African Union, the king of kings of Africa,”
He then proceeded to speak for 90 minutes rather than the allotted 15. And although it was his first time speaking at the U.N., he didn't waste any time in making his presence known.
It's interesting how prideful people tend to act the same whether they are the king of a country or pushing a...
Read More
Sometimes I get angry. Not window-smashing angry, but just frustrated. I usually get the most upset when I feel like I'm letting other people down: my fiance, boss, coworkers, friends, parents, etc.
For the last four months, I have been responsibly saving money to fix a rattle that my car makes when I drive. I was very proud of my financially savvy plan when I walked into the repair shop yesterday.
I told them that another shop had recommended that I replace my ball joints. So I left the keys and went to work feeling...
Read More
There are a lot of things I’d rather do than work on a wedding guest list.
The wedding venue can only seat so many people and the reception price tag climbs quickly. As Allie and I sift through pages of names, we inevitably have to make several tough decisions about who to invite. I’d rather avoid offending people but I’m sure I’ll forget to invite an aunt or something.
The process has made me extra thankful for the invitation Jesus has extended to us all. And while choosing to avoid a lengthy discussion on the theology of pre-destination, I simply...
Read More
Sometimes I feel like the All-American guy. I attended a spendy private university and got a job right out of school, I’m engaged to marry a great girl named Allie, and now we’re buying a house in the Beaverdale neighborhood in Des Moines. It’s enough to make me pinch myself at times. But as great as these things are, they still don’t replace the deep desire to connect with God.
I was driving home a few nights ago and I was reminded that even if everything was taken away from me, I’d still have Jesus Christ. There...
Read More
I didn't think my sister Rachel would get married before me, but I couldn't be happier that she is. Her fiance Ryne is a great guy, and I'm sure they will be awesome together.
I would like to think that I can take some credit for it all since I did pray for a handsome, godly man to ride through North Dakota on horseback and sweep her away. But I've gotta' give props to the Lord for coming through (minus the horse that is).
Tonight Allie and I are flying back to my hometown to...
Read More
There is a big, metal bird staring at me. He seems friendly enough, but he doesn't say much. I stare back and wonder if he cares that his feet are buried in wood mulch. He is the king of his corner. Equal parts showman and security I presume.
"Hey."
I look around, wondering if I'm losing my mind.
"Hey. Over here!"
I search the courtyard and find a woman with a cane standing in the shadows of a balcony overhang.
"Would you be offended if...
Read More
A few nights ago, my housemates and I grilled out at a park and stayed until it was dark enough to break out our light-up Frisbee. The cool forest air surrounded the worn grass field and kindled memories of growing up in North Dakota and games of capture the flag and camping out.
It was on a similarly beautiful night in middle school that my friend Brandon decided to have a sleepover in his backyard. Brandon was from Ames, Iowa, and he had a little southern accent which I always thought was cool. He invited me over, and I...
Read More
As the world continues to turn upside down I find myself clinging even tighter to Christ to maintain my bearings.
This week Dutch scientists claimed that the beta-blocker propranolol can "erase" unpleasant memories and published their results in Nature Neuroscience. Ironically these findings coincide with the series premiere of FOX’s intriguing new show Dollhouse which follows a young woman who has her personality wiped clean so she can be imprinted with any number of new personas and then is unknowingly whored out to fulfill the fantasies of customers.
As I think about where the world stands today, I’ll admit that...
Read More
My life sometimes feels like a jukebox. And some short, chubby kid with malt phlegm in his voice keeps laughing and stuffing quarters into it. He somehow finds it funny to keep playing the same thing repeatedly until my head is left spinning with monotony. Repeat. Again. Another quarter. Repeat.
The speed of our own lives can leave us feeling out of control—chained to an inevitable string of obligations. A friend of mine punched me in the shoulder the other night and said, “That was from Rob for not calling him back.” I feigned a chuckle...
Read More
Apple Incorporated has you just where they want you. Innovative, cool products keep pouring out of the California-based consumer electronics and software giant—and you want them. The iPhone, iPod, MacBook, and iTunes have all become part of the nation’s vernacular. And Apple continues to grow, leaving other tech companies envying their devoted customer base and hip factor. Every year, more college freshmen migrate to Best Buy with proud parents in toe and buy a shiny, white rectangle—gladly sacrificing mom and dad’s extra cash for a virus-free fun factory. Afterall, PCs are lame.
Generation Y’s...
Read More
I don’t doubt that God is in control anymore. That’s no longer a struggle for me to believe. I can even believe that he is good in all situations. But when I am confronted with things that are seemingly unjust, I become frustrated with him. I don’t think that God is doing a bad job; I just wish he could teach me things in another, less painful way. My gut reaction these days is to ask for mercy.
The more God peels away the layers of my life, the more I feel the sharp sting in my eyes—like the clout...
Read More
November 21 is World Hello Day. You too can be a part of the 36th annual event by greeting 10 people and thereby demonstrating the importance of personal communication for preserving peace.
While I appreciate the idea, I immediately suspected its roots were buried somewhere in academia. Sure enough, a Ph.D. from Arizona State and a graduate from Harvard work to continue the tradition. I'm sure they are nice people with lovely families.
There is a sense of irony that comes after seeing years of double standards and departmental gossip in my own college experience. Often the very...
Read More
Today I received a copy of the controversial film Obsession: Radical Islam in the mail. I didn’t request the film and I don’t know how they got my name and address. I usually find myself wary whenever I receive anything for free, especially when an election is just days away. Yet I found my curiosity peaked as I looked over the packaging and decided to watch.
The movie production is slick and uses mostly news footage and interviews to convey that radical Islam is a serious issue for the national security of the United States....
Read More
I came across another gem today whilst browsing the internet. It's a TV show called Desperate Landscapes, and it almost makes me wish that I watched TV.
Here's a description from the show's homepage:
"Nothing is more embarrassing than having the ugliest yard on the block—especially when your neighbors call you out! Armed with creative solutions, in one day licensed contractor Jason Cameron transforms a negligent neighbor’s troubled yard into an outdoor show place."
Nothing is more embarrasing. Wait, nothing? Hmm...
I do admit...
Read More
I was at work today when I was greeted by a new friend while attempting to exit my web browser. She calls herself Jenny, but she admits she doesn't really exist. How thoughtful that she would give me my own pop-up window offering me assistance and asking for all of my personal information. Needless to say, I think Jen and I have really hit it off.
I was reminded today about just how perverted our world is. I oftentimes look at websites for design inspiration, and inevitably I'm blasted with humanity's flip attitude toward modesty and...
Read More
I woke up this morning and my head felt like there was someone inside it who was trying to bust out. And along with the helium-head, my body longed for more sleep. It's official. I'm sick.
Colds are a funny thing. Not so funny that I'm laughing at others when they get one--more in the sense that there is a whole shift in how we do things when we have one. We've contracted this thing and now we need to get rid of it. We'll take medicine, get more sleep, eat saltine crackers, avoid dairy, watch TV,...
Read More
Sometimes I remember that I’m a musician. I forget and then remember again. I liken it to realizing that you have an extra 500 bucks that you’ve been hiding while you’re playing Monopoly. You knew that you had it all along, but you rediscovered it and you appreciate its value all over again.
Read More
