Mar

The Freakonomics blog post today is called “Before the Book, the Pants,” and it made me giggle. You should read it. Don’t worry; it’s clean.

Mar

I just wrote about my indecisiveness about reading current events. Today, I chose to read a few opinion pieces. Rather than write my own opinions, which can sound so much more extreme on paper than in my head, I’ll just link to the articles and make a few (very few!) comments about each.

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Mar

I fight a daily battle between the urge to read more about our country’s problems and the desire to ignore them all together. Part of my brain says that if I read more, I will understand things better, and somehow this will be a good thing.

But why? And how does throwing my brain up against our country’s problems solve anything? Is there the thought, however latent, that once I understand this crisis, I can somehow contribute to the solution? That seems so futile. The country’s brightest minds are devoting their energy to solving this crisis. Perhaps I should expend my brain power on something that I can actually change. Perhaps I should clean out my refrigerator.

Mar

This cartoon from World Magazine shows my thoughts after reading a New York Times article about recent White House demands on the Detroit automakers. Obama needs to figure out his own problems before presuming that government can make better business decisions than businesses can. He could start by balancing the budget.

Mar

I’m not allergic to peanuts, but it seems like this article from the NYTimes would be good news for anyone who is allergic to them.

I found this older article from Freakonomics amusing. The “complications” of doing a double-blind study involving God made me smile. Of course, Christians don’t need a study to tell us that prayer works, but it’s interesting to think about anyway.

Sometimes I like Peggy Noonan’s stuff, and sometimes I don’t. I liked this article, and not just because hedgehogs are cute.

Speaking of hedgehogs, if you like to sew, you might like this free pattern for a hedgehog softie from LollyChops.

That’s all for now.

Mar

Sometimes I wonder if we aren’t all a bit like Walter Mitty. We dream of living rich, exciting, adventure-filled lives. Ask kids what they want to be, and you’ll get answers like basketball player, actress, ballerina, president. When those kids say that they want to be president, they’re not talking about the Rotary Club, either. They’re aiming for the top. (more…)

Mar

I don’t like scary movies. Crime thrillers give me nightmares. However, after reading a fascinating crime story (about diamonds, see below), I was inspired to compile a few crime-related links.

Today I read The Untold Story of the World’s Biggest Diamond Heist and it is riveting, in my opinion. The best part is, no one dies, so I won’t have nightmares tonight.

I also recommend this short and somewhat humorous report of a recent jailbreak in Canada.

This story about the recent shooting spree in Alabama is more disturbing than fascinating, but I include it because it happened very close to where I grew up. I think some of my distant relatives live in Samson.

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the news about Manuel Noriega. Apparently he has served his time in jail and now the courts aren’t sure what to do with him!

This editorial in the Wall Street Journal suggests that Obama considers being rich as practically a crime. I understand that it is easy to assume that rich people much have done something illegal, immoral, or both to have that much money. However, if that is the case, then the answer is to prosecute them for their actual crimes. But if they haven’t committed any crimes, then leave them alone. It’s not fair to punish people just because they are rich. That’s jealousy and socialism at work, neither of which are good!

Mar

Just a week after our March snow, we have beautiful, sunny weather. Even more amazing than the weather change is the change in my daffodils. They have resurrected.

That pitiful daffodil lying on the sidewalk is now a picture of health. Amazing, isn’t it? I’m very happy about this. Now imagine what a real resurrection would be like!

While your brain imagines resurrection, stretch it a bit further by reading this article by Jason Boyett. It is called “Romance on Valentine’s Day is Lame: A Guide to Being Romantic,” and is quite close to miracle status in my mind. Usually when men write about what women want, I’m left feeling very misunderstood. Not so with this article. [That's a miracle. A guy wrote an article about women, and I concur.]

Mar

Sunday night Greenville got 4.5 inches of snow. That’s the most snow I remember seeing in the seven years that I’ve been here. Since snow is pretty rare for us, I enjoyed watching the flakes fall and stomping around in it a bit (even though I did have to put bags over my socks because my tennis shoes aren’t waterproof!).

The snow would have been much less enjoyable if we had lost power (like many people in the area). Snow is no fun when there’s no warm house to come back to. But we had working heat, so that wasn’t a problem.

The only downside to the snow (for me), was my daffodils. I love daffodils, and the snow crushed mine. Don’t they look tragic?

Mar

Tim and I are excited about traveling with BJU’s Musical Mission Team in Europe this summer. We served with the team last summer, and the ministry was so exciting that we decided to go back again. As a musician, I love using music to proclaim the truth of God’s word.

The team leaves for Europe on May 27, but the preparation started a long time ago. There are so many details, and I’m not even involved in most of the decisions! We meet each Tuesday and Thursday night to rehearse our music. On Wednesday evenings we travel to local churches for deputation meetings. We sing a few songs, report on last year’s ministry, and ask the people to pray for this coming year. It’s neat to see team unity grow as we spend time in the rehearsals and meetings.

This past Sunday we sang at a church in Atlanta. It was the first time that we got to sing more than one or two songs, and I think it was a big step in team unity. The pre-service prayer meetings really help, too. And I’m sure the traditional post-service trips to Sonic don’t hurt!

This mission team really needs your prayer. We can sing our hearts out, but God is the one who touches people’s souls. It’s the Gospel that saves. So please pray for us. Pray for the details, our health and safety, and that we’ll be able to raise the money that we need. But most of all pray that God will be glorified. Pray that we will be bold to give the Gospel. Pray that people will be saved as a result of our ministry.

In addition to praying, check out the official team website. Watch the video about the team’s history here or here or below. There’s also an MMT Facebook group. If you want to keep up with our activities, be sure to sign up for the team newsletter (at the bottom of the homepage).