Most consumers purchasing athletic clothes aren’t exercising in them at all; they are taking part in a fashion trend often called “athleisure”, because the aforementioned athletic clothes are often worn by people who aren’t working out. For instance, the Wall Street Journal found that sales of yoga apparel grew approximately 45% in 2013, but yoga participation that same year only grew 4.5%. In many social circles, it has already become the norm to wear athleisure clothes in everyday situations, and one could an analogous connection between a half-hearted spiritual life and the symbolic nature of portraying one’s self as active. Projection versus reality, passive facade versus beneficial behavior.

Have you ever experienced “friendvy”, the portmanteau of “friend” and “envy” as a way to epitomize the jealousy one feels regarding the haves of a friend versus your have nots. This can emotional, material, or stretching to the absurd such as the amount of Facebook “likes” someone has amassed. But what about when someone pulls out the latest & greatest Apple phone, and you’re left clutching what is in comparison archaic technology?

If you have had a child, have you found yourself playing the role of security guard, vetting the credentials of those who may access your newborn? However, when looking over the Nativity, strangers and those with little to no personal connection are part of a very intimate moment. But what was the significance of the shepherds at the Nativity? Why were shepherds, of all the people, invited to see Christ following His birth? The answer might be more significant than you think.