Category: interesting stuff

The annual rite of spring known as the NCAA basketball tournament has begun, even though the weather is acting like it’s still the middle of winter. The good news is, I am in fifth place in my bracket group. The bad news is, there are only five of us in the group. In other news, Puxatawney Phil is currently wanted in multiple states for fraud. Word is, he’s disguised as the Easter Bunny.

Okay, enough foolishness. Here are the links for this week:

Kim Kardashian’s pant size. Don’t ask, just read it.
Amazing grace.
Rethinking the gifts of the Spirit. Part IX.
Beer and faith.
The Krusty Sage.

Good question from Dan Edelen.
Good post from Andy Stager.
Something about freedom from Jared Wilson.
Really?
Scot McKnight has something on prayer from Mark Twain.

Self-righteousness.
Labels.
A can of worms.
God’s plan.
Comfort zones.

Keith Giles has a series on unbelievable truth. Part 2 is here.
Jeff Dunn is quitting.
Life-long learning.
Alan Knox on seminars and conferences.
Chaplain Mike on church.

May you have a blessed week as you remember the great love that Jesus showed us on the cross.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It’s beginning to look like Spring here in the sunny South. The days are getting warmer and the sun is staying up longer. It took a week, but I finally recovered from losing an hours sleep when we moved the clocks ahead. A new pope has been chosen and the world waits to see what his time in office will be like. March craziness (I don’t want the NCAA to think I’m violating their trademark or anything) has begun, and those of us who are fans of college basketball are looking forward to the next few weeks.

Here are the links:

Something good to consider.
Rebirth poem.
One hundred things.
St. Patrick.
Commentary by Jesus.

A good reminder from Mike Erich.
A short history of St. Patrick’s day from J. R. Miller.
Alan Knox imagines.
Zack Hunt on being fundamentalist in Alaska. Part 1.
John Frye has some suspicions.

Enough punishment.
Grateful.
The 1 command.
The woman at the Circle K.
New ministry dictionary.

Have a blessed week!

The cardinals have gathered in Rome, and there soon will be a new pope. In other news, the cardinals, blue jays, and robins are gathering in our yard, and spring weather is making its way in. Since it’s March, the madness is about to begin, with some of the smaller college conferences running their tournaments this weekend. Who will be Cinderella this year? It will be interesting to see.

Here is the good stuff:

How to become a pope.
A good reminder from Kansas Bob.
Raised with Christ.
Jim Wallis on “The Bible”.
Fun facts about popes and conclaves.

Jared Murray on solitude and community.
Using social media.
Daniel Jepsen begins a series on being radical.
The prime directive of Scripture.
Zack Hunt on Christian unity.

Keith Giles begins a series on unbelievable truth.
The young goat god.
Alan Knox on ministry.
Lessons from an ass.
John Frye on discipleship.

Caffeine facts.
Scot McKnight  on the Sermon on the Mount.
The Gardner.
Frank Viola has a series on the Holy Spirit. Part 1 is here.
Doubt.

Have a blessed week!

Winter is hanging on here in the sunny South. We even had snow yesterday. Actually, it snows more in March around here than it it does during the other months. Does it seem like there are more winter storms now that they are named? I think we’re up to S or T. I don’t know.

Here are the links of the week:

Frank Viola asks a good question.
Being there.
Neal Paradise on spiritual gifts.
Scandal.

Neighboring.
Bill Kinnon on discipleship.
Lessons in faith.
Arthur Sido on an issue.

Matt Appling on equality.
Church models and methods.
Zack Hunt on the cross and evangelical Christianity.
12 resources for Christian generosity.

Keith Giles is annoyed.
How have you changed?
Another reason why March is one of the best months.
Talk like a human being.

This does not surprise me at all.
John Frye on the dark night of the soul.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Here in the sunny South, we saw the sun today for the first time in a few days. We seem to be in a pattern of rain for a couple days, then a couple dry days, then rain again. It is getting a bit warmer, and spring will be here before we know it. Last night, we went to hear Ruthie Foster perform. If you ever get a chance to see her in concert, go. You’ll thank me.

Here are the links:

In case you were wondering.
Magic books, grocery lists and silent messiahs.
The most sobering verse in the Bible.
More good news about coffee.
Defining the Jesus Way.

Keith Giles on distance.
Kansas Bob on failure.
Arthur Sido on powerlessness.
Matt Appling on modesty.
Alan Knox on beginning a relationship.

Wrinkled laundry.
What should we do?
Personal relationship.
Worship revision.
A good for nothing God.

The “Sunday thing.”
Afraid of the Holy Spirit?
Time killers.

I hope you have a blessed week!

It’s been about three weeks since I’ve posted the links of the week. It’s been a little more busy around here on the weekends than usual. Things have slowed down a bit, so hopefully I’ll be posting on a more regular schedule. Here in the sunny South, we’re waking up to a beautiful day with everything covered with snow. We had a quick moving storm some through Saturday evening, leaving about three inches on the ground. That’s a fair amount of snow around here. We even had lightning and thunder. It should be all gone by the time school is back in session Tuesday.

Without further ado, here are the links:

What makes Jesus angry?
Busyness or gluttony?
Ash Wednesday with Pancho and Lefty.
Die before you die.
Fasting.

Len on love.
Good post from Keith Giles.
Arthur Sido on the strong and the weak.
Alan Knox on the “Sunday thing.”
Stephen Watson on being uprooted.

Nice.
Values.
Vulnerability.
Faith.
Beards.

The jasmine filing cabinet.
In case you were wondering, evidently alligator is seafood.
Zealotry.
Here’s an article about an interesting exhibit.
VIPs in the church.

Have a blessed week!

Winter had made an appearance here in the sunny South. Thursday night saw a storm move into the area, bringing rain Friday morning. Thankfully there was not any ice. This weekend was a busy one. We went to a conference on food and togetherness put on by a group of local artists, many of whom are part of our church community. I may write more about that later.

Well, we survived the Fog Storm of 2013. At least, that’s what a local weatherman called it. Thursday was foggy and damp all day and the temperature ended up twenty degrees cooler than predicted. Oh well. Jan and I saw Les Miserables yesterday. The theme of grace and redemption was strong throughout the movie. I may write a bit more about it later.

Here are the links of the week.

Eric Carpenter on the priesthood of the believer.
Jared Wilson with some encouragement.
Jake Belder has the answer.
Chaplain Mike on the hidden God.

Brain drains.
Being human.
Hating change.
A modern day parable.

Scot McKnight on fellowship shaped faith.
Keith Giles on forgiveness.
Anna Clark on Sabbath.
Wayward Son on the church.

Good question.
Jon Acuff doesn’t believe in grace.
Hostile forces.
Jeff Dunn on saving evangelicalism.

That’s all for now. Have a blessed week.

Christmas vacation is over and school is back in session here in the sunny South. It’s been a good week here, with a great New Year’s Eve party on Monday, and a good time gathering with friends for dinner the next day. That ham was the best I’ve ever tasted! The decorations have been put away for another year, and things are getting back to what passes for normal around here. The students in Newtown are back in a different school. Continue to pray for them and all the families as there is still a lot for them to go through.

Here are the links for this past week:

Arthur Sido defines insanity.
Matt Appling asks a good question.
Alan Knox on edification.
Jeff Dunn’s purpose driven life.
Scot McKnight on reading.

Three marks of a successful American church.
Blessed are the undesirable.
42.
An explosion of joy.
Really?

The fiscal flop.
Michael Kruger on the forgotten second coming (HT: Jake Belder).
Gratitude at the gate.
Nate Pruitt on where God is.
The Gospel: fear or fulfillment?

A good post on discipleship.
Nice try, Sauron.
nakedpastor on competition.
Good post by Zack Hunt.
John Frye on facing a new year.

Questions and answers.
A new evangelical manifesto.
What is edification? 
Making headlines.
Something to give some of us hope (HT: Scot McKnight).

Have a blessed week!

This is the final Weekend Wanderings post of 2012. It’s been a good week here in the sunny South. Our daughter flew in from California for a few days to celebrate Christmas and we had a good time with her, our son and daughter in law, and Jan’s dad. It’s a bit chilly here, but nothing like it has been in the northern part of the country. The college football bowl season is in full swing, and it seems like just about everybody has been invited to a bowl. It’s easy to find someone to cheer for.

Here are the links:

Good post from Kansas Bob.
Two Christmases.
Look to the persecuted.
New Year’s resolutions?

An iMonk classic.
A challenging post.
Jo Hilder says, “Just love ’em.”
Good post on desire and God.

The relationship driven church.
A parable for our times.
Those who dance.
A Christmas Story.

Kim Gottschild on a Christmas tree.
John Frye on Les Miserables.
Daniel Wells on the beauty of Jesus.
Jonathan D. Fitzgerald on a Christian pacifist response to Newtown.

Resting.
A Christmas reflection.
Love is patient.
Keeping it physical.

Have a wonderful week and a blessed new year.