Category: interesting stuff

We turned our clocks back here in the sunny South, as did most of the rest of the country. If you did, you gained an hour of sleep or stayed up an extra hour, depending on your preference. The weather is cooler most days and the leaves are turning. I hope you are able to enjoy the beauty of this season.

On to the links:

Ruth Wilson is at war.
Haunted churches.
Forbes lists the world’s most powerful people.
Athletes’ earnings.

Daniel Wells has some videos.
25 things.
Dan Edelen has a warning.
Your city.

Unsatisfied.
Zack Hunt on Christian haunted houses.
Anything worth doing…
Arthur Sido on marriage.

Prayer for the church.
Drake Baer on the best time to drink coffee.
Fascinating stories.
John Frye on meals.

This is interesting.
Front yard people.
Jeff Dunnon on freedom.
Matt Appling on invoking “love.”

Have a blessed first week of November!

The government is back in business, at least until the next time. It seems that the only thing that remains to be seen is which party will suffer the most in the next election. It seems that both parties are more concerned with their side winning than the good of the country, so I think my vote is going to go to someone who is not an incumbent. On a lighter note, the sunny South is a beautiful place to be. The leaves in the higher elevations are at their peak, and those in the lowlands are beginning to turn.

On to the links:

Living with wonder.
Scot McKnight on standing vs. sitting.
Fruit.
As it turns out, we should eat more bacon.
Some kind of wonderful.

Wayward Son on time.
A call to meditation.
Arthur Sido pleads for humility.
Best modern churches in the UK.
T.E. Hanna on a pernicious temptation.

More on the NSA’s activities.
Dan Edelen on feeling like an imposter.
“Arts church”.
Zack Hunt on taking a sabbatical.
What is prayer?

Keith Giles on the gap.
Who am I?
Chaplain Mike on facing aging.
Is it edible?
Mike Erich on waiting.

Have a blessed week!

Fall has fell here in the sunny South. Leaves are changing and falling, the air is filled with the scent of wood fires, and the days and nights are getting cooler. The government is still shut down. God is still in control.

Here are a few of the links of the week:

Begin today. 
Expectations.
A hot mess.
Weakness and strength.
Criticizing your pastor.

Rebecca Trotter on mountain climbing.
Matt Appling on being good enough.
Alan Knox knows how to do a Bible study.
Meghan Tschanz on living with wonder.
Jeff Dunn on surprises.

More than we need.
Tending hope.
Bad news and an attitude.
Shame.
Always a neighbor.

Have a blessed week!

This has been a good weekend here. Friday was Jan’s birthday. We celebrated by spending the evening with a couple of friends at a blues and jazz festival here in town. On Saturday we traveled up to the North Carolina mountains where we spent time at an art festival and saw a gorgeous sunset. In other news, the government shut down continues, and it doesn’t look like it will end any time soon. Regardless of your political persuasion, real live human beings are being affected. Pray for those who have lost income or services. Pray for a quick end to the impasse.

On to the links:

Tithing $50,000,000,000.
50 amazing mosques.
Special.
Chipped cups.

Good post from Kellen Gorbett.
Kansas Bob on knowing God.
Melody Joy and chickens (or not).
Mike Bell is still an evangelical.

Our desire and God’s will.
Walking on water.
Pictures of humility.
A beautiful story.

KC Procter on creating and consuming.
John Frye on Jesus at the margins.
Zack Hunt on zombies.
Mike Erich quotes Martin Luther.

One small thing.
10 airplane myths.
Nothing.
A mandate for grace.

That’s it for now. Have a blessed week!

After a few days of the weather teasing us, tomorrow it will be fall here in the sunny South. (probably everywhere else too). I’m even noticing leaves starting to fall off the trees, and you know what that means. Raking and mulching! The leaves are beautiful when they change color. It would be nice if they didn’t drop off, but then we wouldn’t have the new green leaves in the spring. It’s kind of like a lot of things in life. Life often comes out of death.

So much for philosophizing. Here are the links:

Challenging article by Rachel Barnette.
Jeffrey Macdonald on a possible trend.
Alan Knox has a question.
Matt Miles is fasting.
Mary is celebrating small victories.

Confessions of a pretender.
Two most important days.
Politician preachers.
Effortless and free.
Prepping.

Len on safe church.
A family story.
J.R. Miller pronounces woe.
Flip flops and feet.
A story by Daisy Lee Archibald.

Nadia on grace.
Tolkien and Lewis.
Europe: AD 1000 to present day.
Encouraging post from Dan Edelen.
Eric Carpenter writes about what he is for.

Imposter.
Melody rambles.
Like this, like that.
Good post from Brant Hansen.

I hope your first week of fall is a great one!

It’s been a stressful week around here. Work was very “interesting,” and a health scare had Jan and me scrapping our Saturday plans. Everything is fine. Turned out to be a false alarm, but the links are a bit shorter this week.

Here they are:

This video had been around for awhile, but it’s still funny.
Come.
For men.
For women.
Zeal, or anger?

Nate Pruitt on remembering, violence, and love.
Zack Hunt asks a good question.
Jared Wilson has a better word.
Mike Erich expects the supernatural.
John Watson gives us a poem.

This is interesting.
Whose are these hands?
World’s ugliest animal.
Always “Plan A.”
Christian without the adjectives.

Have a blessed week!

The football season is underway, which means basketball can’t be far behind. Things are cooling down here in the sunny South and it won’t be long before the roads in the mountains will be crowded with folks looking at the fall foliage. It’s possible that the United States could be involved in yet another nation in the Middle East by next weekend. We’ll see. Well, enough current events. On to the important stuff.

Here are the links:

Eric Carpenter on freedom in Christ.
Andy Stager on a different church growth strategy.
Ruth Wilson confesses.
Mike Bell on being the church.
M. Morford asks a good question.

Discernment.
Serious allegations.
Victorious life?
Old Erich proverb.
Shepherd.

Kansas Bob on being authentic.
Maybe not in a church service on a Sunday morning.
Wayward Son is un-persuaded.
Len on slow church.
Matt Appling asks a question.

Peacemaking and churches.
World’s 50 most unusual churches.
Homily on grace.
A new legalism.
Doxology in darkness.

Have a blessed week!

Happy Labor Day weekend! This weekend is sort of the official end of summer, although school has been in session in many places for a week or more, and fall doesn’t arrive until later in September.  The typical August weather has returned to the sunny South, after a week or so of fall like temperatures. It was nice while it lasted. It looks like we might be sending an airstrike against Syria soon. I hope this doesn’t get us bogged down in another war.

On to the links:

Dan Edelen is looking out from a glass house.
Meghan Tschanz has learned something from William Wilberforce.
Zack Hunt on a faith worth losing.
Melody has some things you should do today.
Andy Stager on work and play.

Seeker sensitive churches.
What’s interesting is that a couple of these churches were also on a list of the ugliest.
War on Syria?
Slow Church.
Hippie doorway beads.

Alan Knox on making a difference.
Matt Appling on ideas.
Brit Tasjhian on communion.
Michael Lucaszewski on puffer fish pastors.
Scot McKnight on soul freedom.

When charity is illegal.
Definitions.
How not to comment.
Morning prayer.
Free church.

Have a blessed week!

It’s been a beautiful autumn weekend here in the sunny South. Of course, it’s August. We’re finishing up one of the coolest and wettest summers on record. School has begun, and volleyball practice starts Monday. I’ll be working with the 7th grade team this year, so I’ll be doing more teaching.

Enough small talk. Here are the links:

Should Christianity be so boring?
The insanity of prayer.
The Gospel and the American Dream.
Your state and your rep’s religion.
Superhero Christianity.

Mike Bell asks an important question.
Jon Acuff is on a rollercoaster.
Alan Knox on the gospel.
Zack Hunt finds the kingdom of God in an interesting place.
Kelley J. Leigh writes a good post.

What is beauty, anyway?
Blessed assurance.
True meaning of influence.
7 obnoxious Jesus jukes.
Good question.

It’s been a busy weekend, and I’m tired. I hope you have a blessed week!

School begins this week. The teachers went back last Wednesday, and the students come in this coming Wednesday. I think I’m ready. For some reason the weather around here thinks that it’s October rather than August. It’s been in the 50s at night and 60s and 70s during the day. I’m not complaining, although I am wondering if we’re still to see near 100 degree temps toward the end of the month.

Here is a taste of the good stuff on the web:

Brant Hansen writes about the cost of children.
Mike Erich has a proverb.
Scot McKnight has some cool food hacks.
Challenging words from Jon Acuff.

The pursuit of enough.
Your life.
Homily.
Grow up!
Slow church.

I think I’ll pass on this.
Chaplain Mike on satisfaction.
Elizabeth Marshall is taking the circuitous route.
M. Morford on value.
This is certainly different.

Losing the war.
Alan Knox has a series on 2 Timothy 2:15. Part 1 is here.
Best definition of freedom.
Andy Stager has more good advice.
And lastly but not leastly, my friend Audrey has started a new blog. It’s called Rubies and Remnants. You should check it out, especially if you’re into jewelry and vintage stuff. Or even if you’re not.