Awesome photo blog, now on the blogroll.
Update: I liked this picture so much I created a theme out of it – Texas Sunset (current theme, at least when I posted this). You like? This one will probably go onto the Bloo Themes Site soon.
[H/T Molly]
Molly’s settled at UMHB and appears to be enjoying herself and making new friends. Yesterday, we hugged Andrew and he got in his car and drove himself up to Baylor to begin his sophomore year. Tomorrow they will start classes, as will Bethany, who is now a Junior in high school, and Blake, who is – I can hardly believe it – going into junior high.
God has been very good to us.
I’ve been privileged to be in the teaching rotation in our College and Young Singles class as we’ve been exploring the Sermon on the mount. Today we were on Matthew 6:1-18. My notes, if you’re interested, are here. An excerpt:
6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
This statement sets up the rest of this section. The key phrase is “to be seen by them”. This passage is not to be mistaken as a contradiction to the “let your light shine before men” command in chapter five. Both have as their aim the same thing – glory to God, rather than to us.
In context, this follows directly after the holy life described by Christ in chapter five. Jesus knows our hearts; the first sin we commit once we’ve achieved any measure of righteousness is pride. This passage offers a corrective to our pride.
Our pastor, when discussing the impulse to communicate with people over email and texts.
“The New Testament calls us to be incarnational.”
His point wasn’t that email or texts (or blogs for that matter) are wrong. It’s just that we need to take every effort to be with people in person, to “get our hands dirty”, to know people intimately, in person.
Eric Bruntlett’s unassisted triple play
From what I understand, there have only been about fifteen of these in MLB history.
Bethany and I spent two hours today at the local DMV, trying in vain to get her learner’s permit. We left close to five, as she had to get to work. We were no where near even getting in the final line to the computer test.
I’ll vote for any politician who promises to privatize the DMV.
Does anyone else miss Margaret Thatcher?
Man, she rocked.
We are in Molly’s dorm, doing last minute things. We’re about to leave.
I love you, Molly, my precious daughter. I already miss you.
God speed.
This live sand-animation performance, by Kseniya Simonova on the television show Ukraine’s Got Talent, recounts the terrible suffering of Ukraine during World War II. Ukraine suffered horribly, beyond what most of us can imagine.
From Koffee Article:
The video tells the story of life during World War II or The Great Patriotic War, as it’s known in the Ukraine. It is no doubt the reason for the emotional reactions of some of the audience. The Ukraine was one of the most devastated countries of WWII, with 1 in 4 Ukrainians killed and nearly 20% of all people killed in the war being from the Ukraine!
The final frame of the animation shows the ghost of a fallen sailor and text that reads: “You are always nearby”.
This is a beautiful work of art. And you can see in the faces of some in the crowd that it surfaces painful and poignant national memories.
[H/T The Anchoress]
Andrew has been invited to write book reviews (and presumably other types of reviews as well) for the Baylor Lariat. He’s working on his first assignment this week, while recovering from wisdom-tooth extraction.
Very cool.