CHICAGO, IL (November 9, 2018) – Covenanters routinely share links to social media articles and videos that Covenant News Service believes may be of interest to others. Each Friday we post five of them. Following is a sample of those submissions—their inclusion does not represent an endorsement by the Covenant of any views expressed.
Costumers Help Doughnut Shop Owner Spend Time with Ailing Wife
Neighbors of this doughnut shop in Seal Beach, California, have been shopping in bulk to help buy out the inventory by noon each day so the owner can visit his wife in rehab. In September she suffered a debilitating aneurysm.
From the article: “‘We have watched them work extremely hard to keep their doors open and support their family,’ said Marc Loopesko. ‘We will always support them, even more so in their time of need.’ One customer offered to set up a GoFundMe page for the couple, but John Chhan declined. ‘He said he has enough money,’ Caviola said. ‘He just wants to spend more time with his wife.'”
What Parents Need Most from Pastors After Miscarriage
This article offers suggestions from parents who have suffered miscarriages and pastors who helped them grieve.
From the article: “As the culture shifts and public conversations include more and more previously taboo subjects, many ministers grapple with how to best care for those in their congregations seeking support after pregnancy loss. Many admit to feeling ill equipped to speak into this sensitive area, which has historically been considered a women’s issue rather than a family issue.”
The Booming Business of Background Music
The next time you hear that music while shopping, know that someone has strategically chosen the playlist in an effort to influence your behavior.
From the article: “Music, even when you are barely aware of it, can be surprisingly powerful. Over recent decades, researchers have found that it can affect how much time we think has passed while waiting in a queue, how co-operative shoppers are with sales staff, and even how sweet or bitter food tastes. One study found that shoppers’ preference for French or German wine shifted according to which of the respective countries’ traditional music was playing from a nearby set of speakers.”
Shooting Hero of Sutherland Springs Still Reckons with Event
Stephen Willeford stopped the shooter who killed 26 people and wounded 20 others in a Texas church in 2017. That brought him recognition he still doesn’t want and put him in the middle of a debate on guns, a place he’d prefer not to be.
From the article: “So in those moments, when his mind is unoccupied, here is what Willeford is fated to ponder: if he’d arrived fifteen seconds sooner, Kris Workman might still be able to walk. If he had been there a minute earlier, Workman’s mother, Julie, might not have a bullet hole in her leg. If he’d gone running when he first heard the tapping on his bedroom window, maybe he could have saved some of the children. When these thoughts start to consume him, he’s learned to remind himself he did the best he could.”
The Benefits of a Short Attention Span
This article is listed as a three-minute read, which is two minutes and forty seconds longer than the average person’s attention span.
From the article: “Many workers who were insulated from distraction by website-blocking software became more aware of time’s passage and were able to work for longer stretches—but also reported higher stress levels as a result of their sustained focus.”
