If you enjoy the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, you will love this well-done music video that pairs clips from the movie with Faith Hill’s song “Where Are You Christmas?”

Christians should astound the world with generosity. To whom much has given, much is required. What is more precious to us than the grace we have received through Jesus Christ? God’s grace should overflow even from our pocketbooks.

It is shameful that many restaurant servers cringe at the thought of working for the “Christians” on Sundays. What do they expect on Sundays? Demanding customers. Lousy tips. The infamous tract that looks like a $20 bill. Self-righteous snobbery. (Believe me; I used to work at a Cracker Barrel.)

So, let’s turn that around. Let’s astound people with generosity.

Why leave a 15% tip for good service? Let’s go above and beyond and give 20% to a good server. After all, why should Christians settle for “average” tipping?

So, here’s a key to Christian tipping:

• Servers at a sit-down restaurant: 20%
• Take-out meals at a sit-down restaurant: 15%
  Yes, I know that many don’t tip for take-out meals, but just remember this: the server who put all your food together in packets and set it all up for you is probably making $2.15 an hour.
• Pizza Delivery Man: 20% (or a $2.00 minimum)
  They use their own cars. Plus, they make their money off tips. So don’t be cheap with them!
• Take-out Pizza or Drive-Thru Fast Food: 0%.
  No tip is expected for picking up a pizza, going to McDonald’s, etc.
• Hair Stylist: 20%
• Drive-In’s (like Sonic): 20%
• Restaurants with a Tip Jar on the Counter: 15%
• Starbucks and Other Coffee Houses: 10-15%
• Buffets: 15%

written by Trevin Wax  © 2007 Kingdom People blog

I’m not much for board games. My brother-in-law and I got into some serious Monopoly competition during my fourth year in Romania, but that quickly faded once we had a baby in the house who could choke on the little houses. I’ve dabbled in Checkers, been intrigued by Chess… but that’s about it.

Except for one board game that I’ve never grown tired of. STRATEGO.

Stratego is a strategy-based board game that resembles “Capture the Flag” – only the other player’s pieces are not revealed to you until you attack them. Winning the game requires a unique combination of psychological deception, strategic placing of the flag, and a balance between agressive and passive fighting.

I first began playing Stratego when I was in junior high school. Eventually, I became very good at this game – so good that today, only my dad can beat me, and even that is on a rare occasion.

In the past few weeks, one of the deacons from our church (and my back-yard neighbor) has been coming over to the house and he has slowly begun to chip away at my long reign as “Stratego” Champ. No, he has not beaten me yet. But he’s gaining on me. And I’m starting to bite my nails.

Are there any other Stratego fans out there? Anyone know of a place to play Stratego online?

European humor at its best! This should be a warning to us preachers… don’t bore your people, and watch out for Mr. Bean.

I learned cursive handwriting in elementary school like everyone else, but by the time I was in high school, we were being asked to type essays and other papers. I confess… I can barely write in cursive now. Writing in print became the norm and I’ve just never felt the need to write in cursive.

Yes, I even sign my checks in print.

When I had special book signings upon the release of Red Letters in 2004, I was embarrassed to sign books and write notes to people in print. So, I fancied up the print style and made it something like a go-between cursive and print. (Is that lame or what?)

But then, last year, I met C.J. Mahaney at Southern and he signed two of his books for me. His message to me in both books was written in print! Ha ha! If it’s good enough for C.J., it must be good enough for me.

What about you? Do you write in cursive anymore? Do you write in print? Do you do a fancy go-between?

One of the ways that Corina and I like to wind down in the evenings after we’ve put our little one to bed is by watching a TV show on DVD. Recently, we picked up the 1994-95 series Christy which starred Kellie Martin and Tyne Daly and was based loosely on Catherine Marshall’s novel.

Christy is a great drama. I’m not much for the Hallmark-styled sappy entertainment that women love and men hate. But I have to say… Christy was a pleasant surprise. I caught the two-hour premiere 13 years ago when it first aired and I remembered how good it was. Does the rest of the series live up to the pilot? In short, yes. And unfortunately, this is a show that should have been on for 5-6 years, but was mercilessly canned after just one season (21 episodes). Part of the problem was CBS’ schizophrenia with scheduling. The bigwigs at CBS moved this show around so much that no one knew when it was coming on. It’s a shame, really. Christy is one of the best family dramas out there. Tyne Daly is so convincing in her role as Alice Henderson that you feel you know her. The acting, scripts, and sets are superb. There is enough action to keep male viewers interested and enough romance to woo the females.

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I like Alfred Hitchcock movies. They are well-made. They make me think. They offer insights into the condition of fallen humanity. And best of all, they are memorable. Here is my list of favorite Hitchcock films. (Four out of the five feature James Stewart, so I guess you can tell who I like as an actor.)

#5. TORN CURTAIN

This 1966 film was a departure from Hitchcock’s standard fare. It features espionage and political thrills instead of his usual suspense. Julie Andrews and Paul Newman are fantastic in their roles. The jazzy soundtrack is memorable also. I like this one because it is pro-American, anti-Communist, and filled with political intrigue.

#4. REAR WINDOW

Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly are terrific in this movie. Their acting is so effortless that it is a pleasure to watch them. Rear Window is a movie that takes place in one single room. You can “feel” what it is like to be an invalid. The suspense builds and builds and climaxes with an unforgettable scene.

#3. THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH

Hitchcock made two versions of this movie. One came out in 1934 and the other in 1956. I prefer the later version, probably because it stars Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day. This is a movie that is beautiful to watch. The scenery and colors are great, and Jimmy Stewart does a great job, as usual.

#2. ROPE

This is not a movie that one “enjoys” in the normal sense. But I love how the truth that “Ideas Have Consequences” comes through so loud and clear. From a technical standpoint, the movie is of interest because it is filmed with one camera and the camera never breaks away. It is in “real time.” This was based on a true story. I especially love the moment when the teacher (played by Jimmy Stewart) realizes that the ideas he has taught his students have resulted in a senseless murder.

#1. VERTIGO

Vertigo is Hitchcock’s masterpiece. From start to finish, it is a classic work of art. Kim Novak’s talent is displayed by her dual role. Jimmy Stewart is older, but he is as talented as ever as he conveys his character’s insecurity and fear of heights with subtle intensity. The film features a twist that is more surprising than those in M. Night Shymalan’s movies. If you pick one of these five to rent, choose this one!

It looks like my days as a waiter have come to an end. During my year-and-a-half stint as a Cracker Barrel “server,” people often asked me about the difference between a normal tip and a good tip. Since we represent Jesus Christ wherever we go, even a restaurant, I assume that all Christians want to faithfully represent the Savior through their generosity. Here are several tips to becoming a good tipper.

1. Realize that your waiter/waitress probably knows you are a Christian.
     Think about it. Did you pray before the meal? Are you attending just after church, dressed up and looking nice? Do you know other people in the restaurant (who are coming from church too)? Have you mentioned your faith at all during your conversation with those at the table?

2. Remember what your waiter/waitress is making an hour.
     Most servers make around $2 an hour. Virtually all of the money they make comes from tips. The money they need to bring food home to their families hinges on the generosity of the people they serve.

3. Remember that you are not usually a server’s only customer.
     During peak times (and sometimes during an unexpected rush of business during an off time), a waiter/waitress might have anywhere from three to five tables. Put four people at each table and you are talking about serving 12-20 people at one time. If you aren’t getting good enough service, before you blame it on the waiter, consider how many tables the server is waiting on.

4. If you leave a tract, PLEASE leave a tip too!
     The most frustrating tip is the one that comes in the form of a tract, without any cash at all. (The worst ones are those tracts that look like a $20 bill and are actually just a tract!) I am thankful for people who want to share their faith with their server, but if you don’t leave a good tip, just keep the tract. Don’t undo the evangelistic efforts of your waiter’s Christian co-workers by being such a terrible testimony.

5. Astound the server with your generosity.
     If the service was acceptable, leave 15%. If it was good, leave 17-18%. If it was fantastic, consider leaving 20% or even 25%. Reward good service. But don’t figure a tip by looking only at the bill. Consider the amount of work your server did. Did you have salads? Hot drinks like hot tea or hot chocolate? Did you ask for extra bread? How many Diet Cokes did he/she refill you? And please! If you share the Gospel at all with your server, make sure you astound them with an extra-generous tip.

written by Trevin Wax. © 2007 Kingdom People Blog

The Associated Press reports that TV tastes are so different in some homes that husbands and wives hardly ever watch TV together anymore. She likes Ugly Betty. He likes Star Trek. She watches Grey’s Anatomy. He’s into House.

Television has long been criticized for its contribution to the fragmentation of society. After all, before TV, families created their own entertainment, often gathering around the fireplace for stories or around the piano to sing some favorite songs. The front porch was a staple of American society, for it was here that neighbors came and visited and caught up on the latest news.

TV changed all that. Front porches quickly disappeared. The living room was no longer the “sitting room,” but the main hub of entertainment. Televisions became the main feature of many living rooms. And thus the the fragmentation began. Families isolated themselves from their neighbors, choosing to enjoy the banter of neighbors on TV sitcoms than to enter into conversation with neighbors of their own.

But even then, watching TV was a family event. Families gathered around to watch the best comedies and variety shows. Sunday night movies were a highlight of a family’s week.

As television variety increased, so did the number of televisions in a home. Now, many homes have more than one television, often one for each room. Preteens have Disney on TV in their rooms; teenagers live on MTV. Parents watch TV in bed before retiring for the night.

In our television saturated society, how can we avoid this fragmentation? Some Christians have decided to toss the TV all together. Not a bad idea, actually. Others (like myself) decide to hang on to TV, but to watch intentionally. We do not have cable (on purpose). We buy the DVDs of television shows we enjoy, and Corina and I watch them together. It seems silly to me to even think of buying a TV show that only appeals to one of us. The best part of watching a TV show is watching it together, sharing the experience and being able to discuss it.

But now, the AP reports that the husbands and wives aren’t watching TV together either. The fragmentation from television is complete. There’s something to appeal to everyone. And I guess that means, everyone wins! Or maybe, everyone loses.

written by Trevin Wax. © 2007 Kingdom People Blog