Uprightness

Timothy Dalrymple, 34, editor of Patheos.com, was the NCAA's top-ranked gymnast as a sophomore at Stanford until a broken neck ended his career. In God's providence, that disaster opened up opportunities for him to deepen his faith and also earn a Ph.D. at Harvard.

While lying on his back, looking up at the ceiling, Timothy had plenty of time to think.

He says that even as a child "I had a philosophical bent and spent a lot of time thinking about all sorts of ultimate questions, especially the question of whether there is some sort of existence beyond death. I don't know which one I found more terrifying, that there would be some existence or that there would not."

Yet, when asked what helped him to grow in his faith, philosophical questions gave way to a personal relationship and example.

"The example of my father," Dalrymple replied, "not only a pastor but a genuinely loving, faithful, righteous person, helped. I saw in his life something undeniably true that I couldn't explain away."

It appears that the criminal mind, which seems never to sleep, has devised a new approach to its craft—silicone masks, with a degree of "ultra high realism."

In Ohio, Conrad Zdzierak, pleaded guilty to using one of the masks to transform himself from a 30-year-old white man into a black character he called The Player, who carried out a string of robberies in the state. The disguise was so effective that local police mistakenly arrested a young African American for the crimes.

"We showed the picture [of the masked perpetrator] to his mother, and even she thought it was him," detective Keenan Riordan told reporters.

The masks came from the Los Angeles company SPFX Masks, which sells "movie quality" silicone masks that incorporate human hair to achieve what its advertisements call "ultra high realism." The company, set up to cater to the film industry, said that they're proud of the fact that the hand-painted products look realistic. However, they're concerned that the masks have been linked to a string of unsolved crimes.

Zdzierak almost got away with his crimes, but his girlfriend found a large stash of money and turned him in to the police.

What kinds of masks are you wearing? How many people have you fooled?

Every day, for close to seven years, Walter "Buck" Swords cursed and stomped his feet in his favorite restaurant, Luby's Cafeteria, demanding that he get his food exactly as he wanted it. Every day, for close to seven years, his preferred waitress, Melina Salazar, offered a patient smile and did whatever she could to help her most stubborn customer. After years of thankless service, Salazar was rewarded. When Swords died at 89 years old, just days before Christmas (2007), he left Salazar $50,000 and a 2000 Buick.

"I still can't believe it," she said. After all, she says, he was always "kind of mean."

A study at Temple University School of Medicine found that lying takes more brain energy than telling the truth. Participants were divided into two groups. Those in the first group were asked to shoot a toy gun and then lie and say they didn't do it. Those in the second group watched what happened and then told the truth about it. An MRI machine indicated that the liars had to use seven areas of the brain in their response. By comparison, those who told the truth only used four areas of the brain.

Live so that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.

—Will Rogers, actor, writer, and speaker, 1879–1935

On October 2, 2006, Charles Roberts walked into an Amish schoolhouse, dismissed all but ten young girls, and proceeded to shoot them before fatally shooting himself. Five of the girls died, five survived.

Six months after this tragic event, U.S. News and World Report returned to the scene of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, to find out how the Amish were coping, reporting their findings in the article, "Moving On." The reporters discovered that the tragedy brought together Amish and non-Amish neighbors, resulting in a deeper sense of community. They stood together, comforting and supporting one another. The Amish immediately reached out to the widow of the shooter, extending forgiveness, and forgiveness has been what has moved these Anabaptist descendants forward through dark days.

Donald Kraybill is an expert on the Amish tradition. He teaches at Elizabethtown College, near Nickel Mines. In an interview, he explained how forgiveness, in the biblical sense, is love letting go when wrong has been suffered. "To a person, the Amish would argue that forgiveness is the central teaching of Jesus. They will take you to the Lord's prayer—if you don't forgive, you won't be forgiven."

Amish culture relies upon lessons learned from a 17th century book, Martyr's Mirror. This volume tells the stories of Christian martyrs, including the Dutch Anabaptists. One of the more popular stories tells of how a Christian prisoner was escaping, but stopped to save a guard from drowning. The guard was saved, but the prisoner was burnt at the stake. That account gives insight into the fabric of the Amish character.

When asked if all Amish forgive, Reverend Kristine Hileman, a Presbyterian minister serving in the area, said, "The Amish are like anyone else—some take the forgiveness of Christ and pass it on to others and some don't … they set an example that caused me—a Presbyterian minister—to examine my own life and ask, 'Who haven't I forgiven?'"

In their fascinating book, Freakonomics, economists Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner point out that one of the first acts of parental power comes in the naming of a child. Many believe the name carries great significance. The case of the Lane brothers may argue differently.

Back in 1958, a baby boy was born into the Lane family. Robert—the father—chose to name the boy Winner. How could the young man fail to succeed with a name like Winner Lane?

The Lanes had another son several years later. For unknown reasons, Robert named this baby Loser. How tragic to doom this boy's future prospects with such a name.

Contrary to all expectations, Loser Lane succeeded. He graduated from college and later became a sergeant with the New York Police Department. Nowadays, no one feels comfortable calling him Loser. His police colleagues refer to him as Lou.

And what of the brother with the "can't miss" name? The most noteworthy achievement of Winner Lane, now in his mid 40s, is the sheer length of his criminal record—nearly three dozen arrests for burglary, domestic violence, trespassing, resisting arrest, and other mayhem.

Good Housekeeping magazine listed the five most-common things guests notice when they enter our homes.

First, they spy piles of mail laying around, so keep an empty drawer in the kitchen for your correspondence. Second, they notice dust bunnies and cobwebs, so watch those room corners and use a broom and a hand vacuum. Third, they notice a messy bathroom, so use glass cleaner for the mirror and other handy clean-up aids for the floors and appliances.

Fourth, they notice dishes in the sink. Avoid embarrassment here by throwing them in the dishwasher. Or, if needed, rinse and place them in the oven. Fifth, our guests notice full trash cans, so empty any filled container into a larger receptacle that can be kept out of sight.

People check our houses, and they also look at us. A good question to think about is: When they view me, what do they see?

Who says there's no integrity in the business world? In the spring of 2006, an administrative assistant at Coca Cola's Atlanta headquarters left work with several classified materials hidden in her purse. These materials included recipes for upcoming products, future promotions, and a beverage sample for a product not yet on the market.

With the help of two other employees, the secretary sent a letter to Pepsi—Coke's oldest and biggest competitor—offering to sell the secrets. It was a chance for Pepsi to seriously damage its competitor for a relatively low price.

Immediately upon receiving the letter, however, Pepsi officials contacted Coca Cola's headquarters, which then called the FBI. The Feds conducted a sting operation that netted three conspirators two months later, when they agreed to part with the secrets for $1.5 million.

"We were just doing what any responsible company would do," said Pepsi spokesperson Dave DeCecco. "Despite the fierce competition in this industry, it should also be fair."

In 1978, two women began their own business—Wetherill Associates, Inc—in an industry not typically associated with female entrepreneurs: automobile parts. Wetherill rebuilds and distributes replacement car parts.

The founders (Marie Bothe and Edith Gripton) had the idea to develop a business based on ethical practices; they wanted their company to be a living example of the maxim: "Right actions lead to right results. Wrong action leads to wrong results."

As part of their training, employees were taught to apply ethical standards to all matters of their job performance. For example, sales people were told never to pressure customers, never to discredit competitors, never to use negative sales tactics, and—most of all—under no conditions were they to lie.

So what are the chances a company led by two idealistic women can survive in the dog-eat-dog world of used car parts?

Most people who were asked that question in 1978 laughed condescendingly. But they're not laughing anymore. Four decades later, Wetherill Associates is still going strong. Sales are in the hundreds of millions; profits are in the tens of millions, and the company is debt-free.

You've probably been told before that you have to cut ethical corners in order to succeed in business. This kind of thinking has even worked its way into the ministry. In contrast, God's word reminds us of the real truth: You will reap what you sow.

In the first season of the popular TV show 24, Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is a federal agent charged with protecting a presidential candidate from an assassination plot. He was given that responsibility because in the uncertain world of espionage he possesses that rare character trait of integrity.

In the show’s first episode, Jack’s integrity is already put to the test. Because he turned in other federal agents for bribery, some of his own comrades have turned against him. In particular, Jack’s immediate boss has come down hard on him and tried to persuade Jack not to be so honest in his job. Jack has an explosive confrontation with his boss and will not budge on this point. Just after the confrontation, Jack bristles with intensity as he explains his actions to his closest partner.

“You can look the other way once, and it’s no big deal, except it makes it easier for you to compromise the next time. And pretty soon, that’s all you’re doing, compromising, because that’s how you think things are done. You know those guys I blew the whistle on? You think they were the bad guys? They weren’t the bad guys. They were just like you and me, except they compromised once.”

Elapsed Time: 00:31:45 to 00:32:30; Season 1, Disc 1, Episode 1

Content: Rated TV-14

Stephen Baldwin is one of the famous Baldwin brothers, a family of Hollywood actors.

Referring to his newfound faith in Christ, Stephen said, "I've never been as excited or happy about where I am in my life. There's no one I know in Hollywood who can say that."

Stephen's wife came to Christ in 2000 and announced to Stephen, "I'm going to be serving Jesus now." Baffled at her conversion, Stephen thought, Who does this Jesus dude think he is coming around here?

The events of September 11 were pivotal in his change of mind as he realized that the impossible was possible. As Stephen describes it, "It made me say the Bible is true, and Jesus Christ could come back tomorrow."

How has his life changed? Stephen's work as an actor "has largely dried up." He won't work in a film that includes adultery, violence, or profanity.

He's traded his Porsche for a Chevy Malibu.

Stephen spends his available time preaching the gospel. He directs and hosts a DVD project aimed at reaching young people through extreme sports.

As for his marriage, Stephen and his wife are now "as one." Stephen truly is a new creation.

Robert Lewis writes in an article for Leadership titled "Noble Masculinity”:

Robert Bly said, "If you're not being admired by other men, you're being hurt." That struck a chord with me. As I talk with men about their struggles, I realize many men are languishing because nobody is recognizing the noble things in their life. Men need male cheerleaders. If no one cheers for nobility, men are going to collapse back into a dumbed-down masculinity that follows the cheers of the world—obsessive careerism, selfish pursuits, and ignoble deeds. We try to cheer men on—for the right things….

I had one man tell me, "I'm old. I'm sick. I have no purpose in life."

"Oh, no," I told him. "You've got a lot of things you can do."

"Like what."

"Tell younger men your story."

He objected. "Nobody would want to listen to me."

"You've got seventy years' experience, and here's a generation of guys who haven't had anybody to share real life with them." He sputtered, but said he'd meet with a younger man if he had the opportunity.

Later at a Men's Fraternity meeting, we were talking about teammates in life. I told them the story of this guy and that he was available. Young guys came up after the meeting wanting to meet with him, and to this day, the older man meets with five or six guys a week and has a waiting list of more.

To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.

—G. K. Chesterton, A Short History of England, 1917