Category: interesting stuff

Thanksgiving day has come and gone. We had a wonderful time celebrating with some dear friends. We skipped the madness of Black Friday and now it is the weekend again. With all the stuff that is going on around the world, it’s hard to pick one thing to talk about. It seems we are getting more polarized here in the United States and few seem to even want a solution. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail.

Anyway, on to the good stuff:

This is a good story.
Good for him!
Good article on family dinners.
Banning the Lord’s Prayer?
Not one of our better exports.

Good post from John Frye.
I am thankful for this church as well.
Laugh! It’s good for you.
To the crazy ones.
This is good!

Chad West wants to be distracted.
When it’s hard to be thankful.
This is interesting.
They just go together.
I’m glad this is happening.

Preparing for a new church year.
Giving forgiveness.
The ones Jesus loves.
Dead end.
Go marveling.

Have a blessed week!

It has become a bit chilly here in the sunny South. The low temps are supposed to be down into the upper 20s the next couple of days. The political climate has become more chilly too, with the debate on accepting refugees gets more heated and vitrolic. There is probably a good solution to the issue, but right now it seems to be buried under the rhetoric. I guess we’ll see how it plays out.

On to the good stuff:

Evidently,some Americans’ feelings toward immigrants are not new.
Turns out pop music is bad for you.
Did you think the song was about you?
Chaplain Mike on pastoral care.
What we really need.

Good post from First Things.
The exhaustion of outrage.
Good post from Keith Giles.
Jeff Clarke on what God is like.
Classic post from Michael Spencer.

Jonathan Storment on gluttony.
If you’re going through hell.
The decline of writing.
Turns out there is a war on Christmas after all.
Being like Jesus in a polarized culture.

God of second chances.
Upside down kingdom.
Friendship.
Giving up control.
Bob Edwards on contentment.

Have a blessed week!

It’s the first weekend in November. The leaves are changing and dropping to the ground. Christmas decorations are popping up on houses and in stores. I think it’s too early, but no one is asking my opinion. Our little town was in the national news last night. The Democratic presidential candidate forum was held at Winthrop University, here in Rock Hill. I didn’t watch the forum, as we were spending the evening with a few friends.

On to the links:

Good post from Karina Kreminski.
The deeper message of Charlie Brown.
This is pretty interesting.
Answering the phone.
A guide to evangelical lingo, Part 1.

Good post from Chaplain Mike.
The irreplaceable Father.
Spellbooking the Bible.
Singing lies in church?
Instagramming the sin of omission.

DIY spirituality.
A guide to colloquialisms.
Identity and reinvention.
Good post from Keith Giles.
Waiting on God.

Zack Hunt on football and prayer.
The challenge of culture.
Missing piece.
The unknown sea.

Have a blessed week!

Another week has come and gone. Pray for the folks in Mexico who have been hit by that historic hurricane and the folks in Texas who are facing more rain and flooding. In lighter news, the Mets and Royals meet in the World Series. I was kind of hoping the Cubs would win it all this year just because it’s been so long.

Anyway, here are the links:

Jeff Clarke on contemporary worship.
Peacemaker or pain-avoider?
Changing the world, or not.
Good post from Jared Wilson.
What makes us hope for more?

Good post from Steve Brown.
Good question from Matt Applying.
Unbalanced?
This would be interesting.
Morally overconfident?

Antinomianism?
Out of ammo.
Good post from Bob Edwards.
Halloween classic from Michael Spencer.
White belts.

Your best story, now!
Possessed?
Chaplain Mike on Galatians 2:20.
Thought provoking post from Zack Hunt.
Dan Edelen on civil religion and Christianity.

Have a blessed week!

It’s a beautiful fall weekend here in the sunny South. Yesterday, Jan and I spent the day at the farm of one of our friends, drawing with a group of artists. Jan did a good job on her drawing, and considering it was only about the second time I’ve really tried to draw anything, I didn’t do half bad either. While our state is drying out, the folks in California are getting much needed rain. The problem is that the ground is so dry that the rain ran off and caused flash flooding and landslides. Hopefully they’ll get more rain at a slower rate.

Here is the good stuff:

David Moore interviews Scot McKnight.
Sweden is going cashless.
Interesting, and disturbing.
Good article from Thom Ranier.
Son of a carpenter.

The neverending workday.
A poem.
Excellent post from Stephanie Phillips.
Waking up with Leah.
7 strikes.

Fathers and sons.
Letting go.
Just what is purpose?
Is there a tiny church movement?
Good question from Zack Hunt.

A prayer from Michael Spencer.
Lamp.
Just stories?
Which character are you?
Good post from Chaplain Mike.

Have a blessed week!

The last two weekends have been extremely busy, so the links post took some time off. It is cooling down here in the sunny South and fall has arrived. Last weekend’s rain put much of our state under water and there are a lot people who lost everything. Dams have been damaged and there is more water coming from the mountains, so the devastation may become worse. Pray for those folks.

Another weekend is upon us. Football season has begun, baseball is winding down, and it won’t be long before basketball starts up. For those of you who are not sports fans, it’s pumpkin everything season. It seems there is a way to put pumpkin spice in just about anything. To each his own.

On to the links:

This is becoming a real problem.
A sobering essay.
This is coming.
Computers and reading.
So, “quality time” is not the key after all.

Missed opportunity.
John Frye is imagining.
Legalism, doctrine, and moody theologians.
Politically correct “Lord of the Flies.”
Marilynne Robinson on fear.

Keith Giles on our biggest problem.
A Socratic dialogue.
Michael Spencer on theology.
Zack Hunt is heartbroken.
Good article from Donavon Riley.

Dan Edelen on wrestling with God.
Just stop.
I want one of these!
Evidently, today is Talk Like a Pirate Day.
Finally, on the anniversary of his passing, something from Rich Mullins.

Well the last tropical storm to appear in the Atlantic didn’t turn out to be anything to write home about. I kind of figured that, with a name like Fred, it would be a force to be reckoned with. Oh well. Not every thing or every one can live up to the name. Refugees continue to pour into Europe, trying to escape the horrors in the Middle East. The picture of the little boy on the beach was heartbreaking. Hopefully it will spur some action on behalf of the refugees and people will look beyond themselves and their biases.

On to the links:

Taking marriage seriously.
Great story.
Let’s hear it for Iceland!
Revenge?
Good article from Jonathan Merritt.

Just follow.
Steve Brown on fear.
Peter Leithart on evangelical films.
A story from Daniel Emery Price.
The science of forgiveness.

Repentance.

Terry Pratchett quotes.
The Walmart stores’ issues convinced me.
I guess getting everything you want isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Good post from Mike Erich.

Sacred tears.

Keith Giles on immigration.
Good post from John Frye.
Chaplain Mike on good works.
The Streak.

Have a blessed week!

This week, a large load was removed from my life as we closed on my father-in-law’s house. While he is still alive in an assisted living facility, not having to be concerned with the house is a big relief. Now, all I have to do is find a job. Piece of cake, right? Elsewhere, the 10th anniversary of hurricane Katrina happened. It seems that, while a large part of the city of New Orleans has recovered, there is still a bit of that city, and other areas, that have not. Another storm is heading for Florida, after causing damage and loss of life in the Caribbean. With just a little over a month left in the hurricane season, I wonder how many storms we’ll end up with.

Anyway, here are the links for the week:

Cell phone rules.
Blizzard baby boom.
This could be a problem.
This is interesting.
So, the Bible is Donald Trump’s favorite book?

When potato salad is outlawed, only outlaws will have potato salad.
A man just can’t get away these days!
A parable from Keith Giles.
Steve Brown on love.
Thought provoking post from Zach Hoag.

Don’t be boring.
Moving on.
Are you having a moment?
Where the wild things are.
Random thoughts of foodie cookie monster.

Can the way you eat pizza show your personality?
Good post from Sarah Condon.
Wisdom and “God-talk.”
Good post from Daniel Jepsen.
Since I’m currently unemployed, maybe I should try this.

Have a blessed week!

It is actually beginning to cool down here a bit in the sunny South, while triple digit temperatures continue out west. I’m sure we’ll have some warmer days before fall settles in. Forecasters are predicting a cooler and wetter winter for much of the Southeast. Maybe cities need to start stockpiling the things necessary to clear roads of snow and ice. You know, those things they never have because it doesn’t snow that much.

Here is the good stuff:

The best representatives money can buy.
Things are tough, even for the tooth fairy.
Interesting article about hummingbirds.
Bad lip reading.
I bet he didn’t expect this.

God in one word.
War on faith?
Good post from Jessica Thompson.
Steve Brown on freedom.
Ending homelessness in America?

Wrong people.
Banksy.
Behind the curtain.
Modeling slow.
Good post from Matt Appling.

Pete Enns on his favorite part of the Old Testament.
More than meets the eye.
Perspective.
It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years.
Good post from David Zahl.

Have a blessed week!