I Blame Barbie

Last night I bought a new book, which when considering the subject matter of the book, I find delightfully ironic that I made the purchase. Like most books I read, this one falls under the category of sociology. I have always been of the opinion that Madison Avenue tells more lies than politicians, but lately I have begun to catch a new glimpse at the magnitude of marketers' impact. It happened the day Barbie's 50th birthday was announced.
Before the advent of the Barbie doll, most little girls in America played with baby dolls. This type of play had little girls "practicing" to be adults with responsibilities. Along comes Barbie. She's young, beautiful, and envied by all. Everyone wants to be like Barbie; she has a convertible, a dream house, Ken, beautiful clothes galore, and no responsibilities. She is a spoiled adolescent, or as many have dubbed, a "kidult."
Never before in history has adulthood been delayed for so long; not that I want to go back to children working in factories, mind you, but we are seeing 20something and 30something kidults still living at home trying to find themselves. We have grown men playing video games to the point of ignoring their families and responsibilities, and women going to nightclubs while leaving their babies in the car, or becoming shopaholics, or desperately trying to cling to youthful looks.
I'm sure that as I dive into this book I will have much to share with you. :)

30 days of NOTHING

Check this out from Tonia's blog:
We're out of touch. Let's just be honest about that right up front.

Today, across the world, 1.3 billion people live on less than one dollar a day; 3 billion live on under two dollars a day; 1.3 billion have no access to clean water; 3 billion have no access to sanitation; 2 billion have no access to electricity.1

Think about your children; about the hard work you put into raising them.
Now imagine doing it with no electricity.
No bathroom. No garbage service.
No clean water.
On $2 a day.
Is it any wonder that 30,000 children under the age of 5 die every day from poverty-related issues? That's 210,000 a week or over 10 million a year, if you're counting.2
I have four children. When they woke up this morning I kissed them and made them a good healthy breakfast. 30,000 other children died.

Americans spend $110 billion a year on fast food, 3
39 billion dollars a year on their pets. 4
We are carrying over 2 trillion dollars in credit card and auto debt.5

The disparity haunts me. How does a Christ-follower reconcile the needs of the world with the realities of every day life in an affluent nation?
I just don't know - but we're going to spend a month trying to find out.
Beginning September 1st, I invite you to join me in a 30 day fast from consumerism.
For 30 days, my family will buy nothing except our basic necessities. No clothes or books. No movies, no trips to the ice cream parlor. No paper, or pictures, or magazines. No fancy hair gel or take-and-bake pizza. Lattes? Nope. Nothing except what it takes to live. During that month, I will journal our experiences, and blog my thoughts about poverty and hunger and our response to those issues. I'd like to try and identify with some of the "least" (economically) of the world. We will try and live without electricity for a day; eat only rice for a day. Perhaps the family will sleep together in one room for a night - on the floor; or walk six miles one day - the distance some African women walk daily to get clean water.
The goal of this month-long fast is to break the grip of materialism in our hearts and minds. We want to live in gratitude, not discontent; and we want to live with awareness of the great responsibility our affluence has laid on our shoulders.
I encourage you to pray about participating in this challenge. For those of you who are interested, take the next two weeks to pray about the parameters. Decide as a family what are your necessities and what you will give up. You can participate as much or as little as you feel led. Beginning September 1st there will be a separate discussion page at Intent where you can share your experiences and thoughts.
Please feel free to use the 30 Days of Nothing button on your blog and spread the word. (If you need help with the button, just email me.)

"Is this not the fast that I have chosen, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke?
Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?" Isaiah 58:7
"...happy is he who is gracious to the poor." Prov. 14:21

Sunday's Sermon Notes

"Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah." Jude 11

This New Testament writer presumes that the reader of this letter is well versed in the teachings of the Old Testament, but can that be said of today's reader? Unfortunately, most Christians could not tell you what the error of Balaam or the rebellion of Korah were. In fact, most evangelicals today could not name the 10 commandments, the twelve apostles, quote the golden rule or the great commission.

So many today cry, "Just give me Jesus" or "We only need the New Testament." I tell you, it is impossible to fully understand the New Testament without knowledge of the Old Testament. It is impossible to grasp the greatness of God's grace in Jesus' sacrifice without full knowledge of our inability to keep the Law. 

Alert from American Family Association

Possibly some of you have daughters who play with the American Girl
dolls or read their books. You may even be thinking about buying a
doll or books for Christmas. Well, it turns out American Girl (owned
by Mattel) is partnering with a group called Girls Inc. to sell a
bracelet, the "I Can" band, which financially supports Girls Inc.
Seventy cents of every purchase goes to Girls Inc. The band is sold on
the American Girl webpage with a large ad and a link to the Girls Inc.
webpage. In addition, the webpage says American Girl is giving $50,000
to Girls, Inc.

The problem here is that Girls Inc. has on their webpage a statement
saying they particularly support abortion and a girl's right to abort
an unwanted baby. They were quite clear about their support for Roe,
so there is no mistake or room for confusion on that count.
Additionally, Girls Inc. supports contraceptives for girls.

They also support and offer resources encouraging lesbian and
bi-sexual lifestyles, actually offering resources for girls. One of
their publications states, "The emergence of a lesbian identity is an
ongoing process, rather than an event."

Of course, American Girl itself is a separate company, unrelated to
Girls, Inc. except now by webpage and the seventy cents on every
bracelet. I checked out the Girls, Inc. website, and it is exactly as
I have told you. Below are some direct links, so that you can see them
for yourself.

- American Girl website offering "I Can" band to benefit Girls Inc.
store.americangirl.com/shop/ican.php

- Girls Inc. homepage
www.girlsinc.org/ic

- Girls Incorporated supports a woman's freedom of choice
www.girlsinc.org/ic/page.php?id=4.3.4

- Convenient access to safe, effective methods of contraception
www.girlsinc.org/ic/page.php?id=4.3.4

- Girls and Lesbian, Bisexual, and Questioning Identities
www.girlsinc.org/ic/conte...lgirls.pdf

- Free your mind: The book for gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth and
their allies.
www.girlsinc.org/ic/conte...sgirls.pdf

- Girls and Sexual Health (with sexual orientation on page 3)
www.girlsinc.org/ic/conte...Health.pdf

I hope you will take time to let American Girl know they are making a
terrible mistake by supporting the pro-abortion, pro-lesbian
organization, Girls Inc.

Please send them an email expressing your disappointment and let
American Girl president Ellen Brothers know the company's decision
casts a great shadow over their trustworthiness to put the welfare of
girls and children first.

Click Here To Email American Girl Now!
www.afa.net/Petitions/tak...asp?id=154

Sincerely,

Don

Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association

Loss of Appetite

Last night, while eating pizza at a local restaurant, we saw and heard reports on TV of children starving in Niger. My family and I became painfully aware of the irony of our situation, and we could no longer enjoy our food. Too quickly we get caught up with our little lives, and we forget that somewhere else others are fighting just to have life. Some of those suffering are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Are you your brother's keeper?

Please visit www.WorldVision.org and find out how you can help.

Born to Shop

 


Branded from birth
Marketers use cartoon characters and familiar scents to build brand loyalty from Day One
BY BARBARA F. MELTZ
BOSTON GLOBE

Vanilla-scented diapers? Teddy bears that smell good enough to eat? Baby clothes infused with fragrance?

Expect to see, er, smell, them soon at your favorite retailer. Or maybe it will be so subtle that you don't notice. Marketers are betting your baby will, though.

The corporate world is always looking for the next big market, and right now babies are it.

With marketing research concluding that young children are up to 350 percent more responsive to the five senses than adults, and especially to smell, marketers are hoping to capture future consumers by putting signature smells in ordinary baby products that will later evoke positive memories. For a toy manufacturer, for instance, a scent on a stuffed animal could translate to a 7-year-old's preference for that brand of toys just because the toy has the scent.

"You won't be able to argue with your brain," says branding specialist Martin Lindstrom of Norway, who advises Fortune 500 companies.

Or with your child. Marketers are counting on that.

That marketers want our children is not new. That they are after even our babies and toddlers is an increasing challenge for parents and a concern to child-development specialists.

Try to find a disposable diaper, even for a newborn, that doesn't have a media character on it, from Barney and Blues Clues (Luvs), to Mickey Mouse, Finding Nemo (Huggies) or Sesame Street (Pampers). The characters aren't just on the strip along the top of the diaper, they are front and center, big and bold. Right there where a seated 6-month-old's drool dribbles.

That's no coincidence.

Long before "drool factor" became a hip way to refer to an item advertisers hoped consumers would covet, it had a more literal meaning. Ever notice how a 5- or 6-month-old sometimes watches to see where his drool lands? Discovering that was an "aha!" moment for former Texas A&M marketing professor James McNeal. He reasoned that if the drool dripped to a diaper or a bib imprinted with an image of a character that's linked to a brand, and if the baby sees the logo repeatedly...

Voila! Brand recognition in the crib! With cradle-to-grave brand loyalty worth an estimated $100,000 per consumer, babies are "the future market for ALL goods and services," e-mails McNeal from China, where he's researching youth consumerism. He is author of "Kids as Customers: A Handbook of Marketing to Children" (Free Press).

McNeal came up with the drool factor in 1993, but the industry was slower on the uptake than he expected. Only recently, he e-mails, "has it finally dipped down to 1-year-olds."

If you're wondering, "What's the big deal? We're just talking babies, for heaven's sake," McNeal will tell you: "Consumer behavior patterns begin officially at 16 weeks of age."

Child-development specialists might not pinpoint it so exactly, but few would argue the point. Research shows that the part of the brain responsible for cognitive learning comes on line gradually, over several years, but the right brain, responsible for emotions and relationships, is up and running from birth.

Here's how it can work to a marketer's advantage: The more an image is repeated on diapers, toys, clothes and food, the more familiar it becomes. What's familiar conveys a sense of comfort and security. That leads to an emotional attachment.

"Deep, subconscious connections are made," says psychologist Susan Linn of Judge Baker's Children Center, author of "Consuming Kids: The Hostile Takeover of Childhood" (The New Press).

Babies and toddlers are most vulnerable. Cognitively unable to filter, they also take in more than we realize. What's most visually dramatic tends to be what children notice first, says Dan S. Acuff, a marketing insider turned critic. But "the whole gestalt also imprints. If a brand is there, it's recorded at some level." He is co-author of "Kidnapped: How Irresponsible Marketers are Stealing the Minds of Your Children" (Dearborn Books), just out this month.

Marketers first recognized the value of visual repetition. Now they're on to sound and smell. A pacifier with a music chip? "Don't laugh," says Lindstrom. Smell is even more powerful "because it goes straight to the emotional register." Look for scented diapers on U.S. shelves within six months, he says. Expect a smell of vanilla to infuse your nursery not long thereafter.

Why vanilla? "Because the milk you are breast-feeding with has a twist of natural vanilla fragrance," says Lindstrom, who is author of "BRAND sense" (Free Press).

Boston College sociologist Juliet Schor doesn't tell parents to ban all branded items from the crib; as in so many arenas of parenting, moderation is key, she says. But extensive branding in a baby's life "socializes him into a world of corporate values. A toddler grows up thinking McDonald's is good because it gives her things she likes. But McDonald's isn't healthy food, it doesn't pay decent wages," says Schor, author of "Born to Buy" (Scribner). "By branding kids younger and younger, corporations count on creating the next generation to be more friendly to them. To the extent we are branding babies, we are bringing them up in a world that makes it harder for them to be critical of what they buy."

To be sure, you can find unbranded diapers, you can find unbranded anything. But it takes more effort and, often, more money.

Meanwhile, parents aren't as powerless as we may think:

• Resist screens of all kinds. Since the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children younger than 2, marketers have become more resourceful. The latest? Verizon offers "mobi-toons" on your cell: Pass the cellphone to your crying baby or toddler while you're driving and, for $15 a month, you have unlimited access to famililar, calming "Sesame Street" characters. There's a hidden cost, though. Linn cautions that children who learn to turn to a screen for comfort sooner or later are exposed to logos, branding, and commercials that further suck them into a materialistic culture.

• Buy generic. A baby will find as much fascination in an unbranded crib mirror as one with Elmo on the frame, as much comfort in any cuddly stuffed animal as the plush version of a beloved TV character. When a toy is generic and open-ended rather than linked to a character, there's more opportunity for creativity, which leads to more learning. What's more, Linn says character toys lead to consumerism because they become boring, encouraging a child to want the next toy.

• Acknowledge, don't purchase. You're at the grocery store and your 16-month-old gets excited as you pass a food item with her favorite character on it. If you say "No!" and try to move on, you're into a power struggle that marketers count on parents losing. Instead, "Diffuse the moment by thinking of this as a request for acknowledgment, not a demand for purchase. It's the fact of recognition that makes it pleasurable to them," says early childhood educator Ruth Anne Hammond: "'Look at that! You recognize Elmo!"' Hammond is director of the infant-toddler-parent program at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena.

McNeal downplays the industry's role in creating materialistic children. "The danger is in what the parents do. All of it is funneled through parents in one way or another. They introduce the brands, the TV, the marketplace to their kids, starting at birth."

After all, he says, many parents are addicted to brands, too.

Contact Barbara Meltz at meltzglobe.com.

 


Last night at church we had a farewell party for our pastor and his family as they are moving away. It was a time of very warm fellowship as the air conditioner in the fellowship hall was not working properly, leaving the room a tropical 90 degrees. As I was in the room, glowing in my Sunday attire, I kept reminding myself that this was good Uganda training or that women did this sort of thing all the time before air conditioning, but still I continued to melt and wilt. For most of us, our lives are ones of ease and comfort, but is that really a blessing? I find that when we are too comfortable, it is difficult to identify with those who are not. We must be continually on guard, lest we forget the plight of others.

 


This photo was taken by Kevin Carter in 1994 in the Sudan. The child in the picture is crawling to a United Nations food camp, and he is one kilometer away. After taking the picture, the photographer walked away rather than helping the child. Three months later he committed suicide from depression.

What role do we play in the lives of these little ones? Are we the photographer who does nothing - perhaps because we feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation? Are we the vulture, living off the exploitation of children in sweat shops?

Regardless of whether it is intentional or not, we each play a role in the lives of others, even if it is to turn away as the photographer did. This we cannot choose. What we can choose is which role we will play. Please visit a reputable charitable organization such as World Vision and prayerfully consider what you must do.

Small Decisions

"Decisions about the use of money and use of our lives more often involve shades of gray than sharp contrasts between black and white, but because those decisions make a huge difference to our own well-being and that of others, they are of immense importance. They usually involve many small steps rather than great heroic leaps."
--- Arthur Simon
How Much is Enough?

How Much is Enough?

I just finished reading Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, and I am left with more questions than answers. I found that some of Sider's suggestions for a simpler life, such as living in a commune or attempting to live at poverty level, were impractical for my family.

Living in a commune requires other believers of like mind, willing to do the same. While we cannot do this at this point in time, we do, however, live within walking distance of family and share equipment and appliances with them. We also share with our neighbors when anyone has need, and I have found that our church members share and give among each other regularly.

While I do not want to be guilty of not being willing to place all of my possessions and wealth before the Lord, there are a great many complexities to examine when it comes to how that should look in real life. For example, if my family were to live at "poverty level," we would not be able to afford our medications necessary for life without relying upon the government, which has its own faults. We would not be able to afford transportation to work, and our daughter would have to go to public school (yikes!). So, where do we draw the lines, or are there really lines to be drawn at all?

This week I will be starting a new book, How Much is Enough?. I'm sure it will not answer all my questions, but I think the title question is a good one to start with. Mary Poppins said, "Enough is as good as a feast," and there is a great deal of truth to that. So, as I go about my week, I will be asking myself just how much is enough in all situations. I know there is no mathematical answer to that question and that the answer will vary with each person, but hopefully it will help to point me in finding my satisfaction in God rather than in things, thereby releasing some of our relative wealth to aid others.

 

Perspective

The Reading Center was back open this week, and my daughter and I were able to help. There, I met a woman with 10 children (her youngest was there for help with homework) and 11 grandchildren. I was working on a cross-stitch project while I was waiting for my "assignments," and this woman became fascinated with what I was doing saying she had never seen anything like it before. I was suddenly struck with the reality of the vast differences between our two worlds and of how even more different it must be to live in an impoverished third world country. Here, I was face to face with a woman who truly never had opportunity to develop any of the homemaking arts because she was too busy just trying to feed and clothe her family. It is all too easy for American Christians to be set apart from the world in the wrong sense. We are not to be worldly, but we are not to be out of touch with the needs of the world. We may think ourselves moral because we do not commit any of the "major" sins, but how well do we really love our neighbors as ourselves? Surely, there is more that each of us can do. The early church in Jerusalem gave and shared freely, and when they did not have enough to share, it is reported that they would fast for 2 or 3 days in order to give to those who had greater need. Have you loved your neighbor today?

Too Much Stuff

I'm currently developing a new philosophy. While going into my daughter's closet to hang up one of her blouses that I had just ironed, I found a pair of jeans on the floor. This is not the first time I have seen this (understatement of the year), but this is the first time that it dawned on me that perhaps it's because she has too much, and she's not able to take care of it all. I then informed her of my idea, and let her know that I would be happy to alleviate her of her burdens by giving away what she was unable to care for (books, clothes, CD's, etc. lying around). The jeans were quickly hung up. While it sounds as though this was a "tongue in cheek" conversation, I was and am quite serious. Perhaps we are so overburdened with duties because we have too much stuff and try to do too much. My husband used to have a sign in his study that said, "Do less. Do it better." I believe there is a lot of truth in that. So, I will be examining my life and weeding out what I am unable to do or take care of. No, Mom, I'm not getting rid of our two dogs who delight in muddying up the carpet. :)

Don't Be Afraid

Yesterday my daughter and I went to help out an inner city reading center. It was a nervous time for my daughter as we have never done this before. When we arrived, the building was locked, so we decided to wait on the front porch. A school bus soon left several children 1/2 block away. Upon spotting us, several children ran home, only to be seen running back towards us, eager for stories. We all waited for 45 minutes for someone to unlock the building, but no one ever came. Was this time wasted? Certainly not! After a few minutes of waiting, the children (my daughter included) began playing an old fashioned game of Hide & Seek, complete with girlish giggles and squeals. It was a wonderful ice breaker, and now my daughter is eager to return to read to the children. Please don't let fear keep you from ministering to others. Who knows, maybe God has some fun in store for you as part of His wonderful blessings!

10%

I just received photos via the internet of Rwandan orphans that our brother in Christ is seeking to minister to, and I am almost suffocated by an overwhelming desire to help mixed with confusion on what is the best way to help and grief over my own selfish and materialistic desires. Jesus said that we cannot serve both God and money, but here in America we do our best to do just that, and it is blasphemous. According to recent polls, only 6% of evangelicals tithe - much less give to the poor. Please pray with us as we seek to honor God with our whole lives - not just 10%.

Counterculture Living

"In the late 1970's I attended a national conference of evangelical leaders. My small group, as I recall, included prominent persons like Carl Henry, the first editor of Christianity Today; Hudson Armerding, the president of Wheaton College; Loren Cunnigham, the founder of Youth With a Mission. Several times in our small group, different persons referred to the issue of a simple lifestyle, urging its importance. Finally, Loren Cunnigham said something like the following: 'Yes, I think the evangelical community is ready to live more simply - if we evangelical leaders will model it." That ended the discussion. There were no more recommendations to live more simply!" Ronald J. Sider, The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience

Have you denied yourself and taken up your cross today?

Are We Really Set Apart?

"The findings in numerous polls conducted by highly respected pollsters like The Gallup Organization and The Barna Group are simply shocking. 'Gallup and Barna,' laments evangelical theologian Michael Horton, 'hand us survey after survey demonstrating that evangelical Christians are as likely to embrace lifestyles every bit as hedonistic, materialistic, self-centered, and sexually immoral as the world in general.' Divorce is more common among 'born-again' Christians than in the general American population. Only 6 percent of evangelicals tithe. White evangelicals are the most likely people to object to neighbors of another race. Josh McDowell has pointed out that the sexual promiscuity of evangelical youth is only a little less outrageous than that of their nonevangelical peers."

Phillipians 2:12
"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

How will you live today?

The Poor for a Pair of Sandals

First of all, let me state very emphatically that I am NOT picking on Nike - they were just the first designer shoe that came to mind, and I use them to "generically" represent all designer type shoes. That being said....Tonight I read something scary in the book of Amos "...because they sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals..." While reading this passage, I felt as though I had just been awakened by a very strong blow to the head. How often do we exchange the poor for designer shoes, etc. because it is cheaper to pay for labor in impoverished countries? I believe this is another way that we are stealing from the poor, which is no small sin. In Amos 6, God goes further with his warnings to those of us who are rich (and, if you are reading this on your home computer, that's you and me) by saying, "Woe to you...who lie on the beds of ivory (a symbol of wealth), stretch out on your couches (ouch - I read this while lying on the couch!), eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall (meat reserved for special occasions)..., and annoit yourselves with the best ointments (so much for Merle Norman Cosmetics!) but are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph." Here in America we lie on our couch and watch TV and are all too often completely unaware of the persecution of God's people around the world - or worse, we know and are complacent. But these passages are not only instructing us to be grieved about the persecution of the church, they are teaching us that we have a responsibility to the poor. Ezekiel 16:49 is another one of those shocking passages concerning the poor. "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy." Wow! Materialism and neglect of the poor and needy was Sodom's sin that indicted her! This looks like a description of most of us today, and that scares me - scares me enough to spur me to take action. Phillip Gourevitch said, "To denounce evil is a far cry from doing good." I want to do more than denounce the evil, how about you?

The Hope of Christ

Some time ago I received a letter from Voice of the Martyrs asking me how their ministry has changed my life. I have yet to answer that letter, because in my mind there is little outward manifestation of change in my life. Inwardly, I think a lot more, and purchasing decisions do not come as quickly for me. I have little to show for it outwardly, other than increased giving, because I find myself at a loss for what to do. Yesterday, we received an email from a friend who is a pastor in Uganda. He had just returned from a trip to Rwanda with countless stories of hardship and poverty for orphans from the genocide. Many of these children do not receive any medical attention because they cannot afford healthcare - healthcare that costs only $1 (US) per year per child! That is the cost of one cup of coffee at Starbucks! Again, we find ourselves put to shame as we whine about our insignificant problems. There was another story of a 41 year old woman who had been widowed and left with 6 children. Those children have no beds, pillows, or blankets, and their clothes are tattered. How many of us have too many clothes? Are we stealing from the poor by hoarding? Like it or not, the answer is all too often yes. You won't hear these stories on US news programs. No, we are more interested in glamorizing child molestation cases such as Michael Jackson's. You will only hear passing comments about the genocide that is currently going on in Darfur, and you will hear even less about the persecution of Christians in the Sudan. Christians need to be informed about world events, but that is becoming increasingly difficult as the media is flooded with fluff and twaddle. So what are we to do in response to needs that are so great? Go through our closets and give to charitable organizations clothes that no longer fit, you dislike, or have not worn in over a year. Prayerfully consider how much money you spend on entertainment - books, CD's, movies, concerts, ball games. Money saved by spending more wisely can be given to organizations such as Voice of the Martyrs www.persecution.com or World Vision www.worldvision.org While my family is considering a trip to Uganda next year, this is not practical for everyone. We can pray for those serving our Lord, and we can seek to minister to those closest to us. But, what are we doing in our own communities? How well do we know our neighbors? Too often Christians turn their noses up at individuals who are going through a painful divorce or are suffering with an addiction to gambling or pornography instead of seeking to help. I am not suggesting that anyone attempt to be a savior, but I am suggesting that we see the hurt and hunger in our neighbors' eyes and offer them the hope of Christ.