Summer 2007

Your friend just got the new Nelly Furtado CD, and it’s the same one you’ve been wanting to get. He offers to let you have it after school so that you can burn your own copy. Do you take him up on it? Or do you fork over the eighteen bucks and buy your own? Read Jess Norton’s article on music piracy if you’re unsure about how you’d answer.

It’s summertime. Instead of whining to your parents that you have no life, pop in one of the ten films all Lutherans should know and love. Doktor Luther has outlined several classic movies that you’re sure to enjoy. And if you don’t, well, it’s better than sitting on the front porch waiting for the ice cream truck.

While you might have a summer job, we’re betting that you’re still begging your parents for more money. But who ultimately gives us all that we need? Believe it or not, money doesn’t grow in your parents’ wallets, but it does come from God who knows just how much you need.

When we think of pastors’ wives, we usually think they should play the organ, make coffee for Bible Study, lead the Altar Guild, and teach Sunday School, right? Or maybe not. To get an inside scoop on what it’s like being married to a pastor, check out this interview with Julie Stiegemeyer.

Chaplain Richard Townes saw a lot of things, both painful and joyful, when he was deployed to Iraq with a Marine battalion for several months. Through a series of letters written home, he shares the struggles and successes of being a pastor to some of the men and women who fight to protect us.

Society tells us that sex outside of marriage is okay, that it won’t hurt anybody, and that it’s a sure cure for loneliness. But that’s not God’s plan for you. Read Pastor Pauls’ article to find out why God wants you to wait and why He loves and forgives you, even if you do fall prey to temptation.

Ballroom dancing is regaining popularity all across America. It’s graceful, classic, and fun. But Pastor Braaten, a ballroom dancer himself, believes you can learn more from dancing than just the cha-cha and waltz. It’s a lesson in leading, following, relationships, and love.

What started out as an innocent drive to listen to music and hang out with Molly turns disastrous for Kathy when a drunk driver loses control of his car. As a result, Kathy is forced to grow up quickly when she finds herself hurt and in trouble.

The recent shootings at Virginia Tech left many Americans wondering why and how it happened. While the thought of such a tragedy happening in your own school might frighten you and give you concern about your safety, Pastor Siems reminds us that Christ has won eternal security for us in heaven.

God spoke, and things were created. His words had their intended effect. Sin has tainted that perfect creation, and now we live in a sinful world. At the same time, Pastor Day expounds on why we can wait with eager anticipation for Christ’s new creation where we will live with Him forever.

Have you ever considered that a good government is one of the ways in which your heavenly Father gives you your daily bread? It’s true! For a lesson in history, tyranny, freedom, and liberty, go straight to Pastor Petersen’s article.

We’ve compiled a sampling of some notable blurbs from the Higher Things blogs. Check them out and read more at http://blog.higherthings.org/.