Olympic Skier Breaks Ski, Finishes Race

The olympics will be over soon. Two more weeks of me talking about them all the time. Then, you'll have peace for four years. But, did you see this story? Humanity, drive, passion. Love it!

• It looked like he'd have to quit the race:
  But then Canadian coach Justin Wadsworth ran out onto the course

I cried. Read more.

Did You See the Flap About Flappy Bird

See what I did there? Really though, a phone game called Flappy Bird was all the rage this past week, culminating in the game's designer taking it down. Here's a twofer: first, the Verge covers the saga of Flappy Bird's demise. Hint: the developer decided the game was too addictive. Read more. 

And, Greg Stevens talks about the psychology behind addictive games:

• Playing Flappy Bird, on the other hand, does not produce great art. It produces nothing at all. But, by providing an ongoing mixture of adrenaline from frustration and euphoria from periodic achievement, Flappy Bird and other games like it stimulate a physical and emotional reaction similar to the one that artists experience when creating.

You can call me Pavlov's Dog. Read more.

Five Lies about Your Body 

Jen Wilkin at the Gospel Coalition recounts five lies women often tell themselves about their bodies, and counters with truth.

• Lie #2: Your body's appearance is flawed but fixable. You are not the right size, shape, or color. But you can (and should) go to enormous effort and expense to change that.

If you have or are a wife, a daughter, or mom, you know how important this is. Read this.
 

Kids Are Addicted to Social Media because Parents Are Addicted to Control 

That's headline is textbook clickbait, but the article was so good I couldn't help myself. John Dyer writes about the Bible and Technology. And this post presents a real challenge for us as parents.

• ”Kids these days spend all their time online rather than face-to-face,” may be true, it’s not true for the reasons we think. No, today’s under-18 crowd is not made up of degenerates who don’t like human contact. Rather, they want face-to-face time as much as we did, it’s just that their parents won’t let them have it.

Ooh… read more.

You Don't Have to Go It Alone

Sally Clarkson (she's kin to some folks 'round here) and Sarah Mae have a brilliant article at Today's Christian Women about the need for moms to find support systems.

• Going at it alone is, without a doubt, one of the most common and effective strategies that Satan uses to discourage moms. A woman alone in her home with her ideals eventually wears down and becomes a perfect target for Satan to discourage. Some women have journeyed alone for so long they are not even aware of their urgent need for mentors, friends, peers, and fellowship.

Read more.
 

 

Around the Warren:

This is Story Warren:

We started the week by unveiling a new video that shows the heart of Story Warren. Don't miss it!

• 

Seriously, so good. (click on the image to watch it!)

And Anticipate With Joy…

Paul Boekell presents a quote from our very own S.D. Smith:

• 

The Long Way

Alyssa Ramsey's post is another that reveals the heart of Story Warren. So good!

• “Can we go to school the long way today?” My daughter’s brown eyes watched my reflection in the mirror as I stood behind her, brushing her hair. ”The view is better when we go that way,” she said.
  “Do you mean when we pass the big field?” I asked, returning her reflected gaze. She nodded.
  “What do you like to see in the field?” I asked her.
  “Everything.”

 Man. Alyssa Ramsey can write. Read it.
 

For Valentine's Day: Feechie Love Song!

Jonathan Roger's Wilderking Trilogy is being republished. In honor of valentine's day, he brings us a great post. There's even a contest to go with it!

• It’s Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air.
  I’ll tell you what else is in the air: the distinctive odor of feechies. Feechies, in case you don’t know, are a mysterious tribe of swamp-dwellers who fight too much, cry too easily, and laugh at jokes they’ve heard a hundred times. I hope you won’t think I’m bragging when I say I that I have a certain expertise with regard to feechies, having written four books about them. 

Read it to your kids. Have them enter the contest!

Something to Do with Your Kids:

Staying with the Olympic theme:

• Here are 15 olympic activities to bring the Winter Games to life in your home, courtesy of Terri Coles at ParentDish.ca. Yeah, count on the Canadians. 

 

And Something Amazing to Watch

There's a movement afoot to honor Sir Nicholas Winton, a hero who saved children from the Holocaust. Your kids may be too young for this, but I think one of our jobs as 20-50 somethings especially is to not let these lessons become unlearned. The story of Sir Nicholas Winton is a good reminder.

Thank you for reading. We're on your side.