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❦ 2025-03-14: Small talk does some big jobs. Here’s one: Instead of resenting small talk, I now see it as a gateway to a more meaningful connection. After some …
❦ 2025-03-08: Finished reading: The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament by Leon J. Wood 📚
❦ 2025-03-08: Kinnor Four interesting facts about the kinnor. The kinnor was invented by Jubal (Genesis 4:21) and is the first musical instrument mentioned in the Bible. …
❦ 2025-02-21:
“I’m Sorry” Isn’t Enough: Why Acknowledging the Hurt Is Vital to a Real Apology
A key part of a real apology—one people often overlook—is acknowledging the hurt. And that usually requires more than just, “I’m sorry I …
❦ 2025-02-21:
How to Say Sorry
When we hurt others, we should apologize. An apology helps set things right. This doesn’t mean that every mistake warrants a grand apology. …
❦ 2025-02-20: Robert McBride, a classical composer from Tucson, was born today in 1911. His Mexican Rhapsody was submitted in 1935 for his Masters of Music at the …
❦ 2025-02-18: The spying is not stopping. Can you please start using Signal? A significant Chinese hacking campaign, “Salt Typhoon,” is ongoing. The FBI recommends you start using apps like Signal, which I what I …
❦ 2025-02-14: 📚 Currently reading: Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell. I read one of her books last year, and so I put an audio version of this on in the car to …
❦ 2025-02-11: Currently reading: How to Save the World: Disciplemaking Made Simple by Alice Matagora 📚
❦ 2025-02-10: How AI affects thinking skills and if it matters:. “The data shows a shift in cognitive effort as knowledge workers increasingly move from task …
❦ 2025-02-08: ☄️ Bol Bol!
❦ 2025-02-08: Is understanding this paragraph part of the test? 🤨
❦ 2025-02-04: Currently reading: Uncommon Service by Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss 📚
❦ 2025-02-01: 🎨 So proud of my wife! Check out all these paintings Della did last month. Big images and sale links at dellachelpka.art. Follow her on socials …
❦ 2025-01-31: Arizona Luminaria wrote about yesterday‘s Point In Time Count, where volunteers helped count and survey the homeless in Tucson.
❦ 2025-01-30: Currently reading: Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L’Amour 📚
❦ 2025-01-28: What To Do When Management Won’t Take Your Side—Or Even When It Does | The Hedgehog Review
❦ 2025-01-28: What Is the Shephelah?
❦ 2025-01-25: The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall. Tucson Symphony Orchestra and Girls Chorus performed Mahler’s 3rd Symphony there last night.
❦ 2025-01-20: 🏀 Goodbye Josh Okogie, and thanks.
❦ 2025-01-18: The Christian Church as Family Norman Hubbard: Put yourself in the shoes of a traveler to ancient Tyre, a city conveniently located where the modern city of Tyre is, in Lebanon. …
❦ 2025-01-15: Reading: Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America by Steve Inskeep 📚
❦ 2025-01-14: Reading: On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice by Adam Kirsch 📚
❦ 2025-01-01:
The Best Books I Read in 2024
From a few different categories, here are the best books I read in 2024.
❦ 2024-12-31: Beautiful tomatoes.
❦ 2024-12-25: Christmas: History or Legend If you have some downtime and would like to listen to an interesting podcast, in this one, Shane Rosenthal does man on the street interviews asking …
❦ 2024-11-14: Watch this more than once. You’ll catch more each time.
❦ 2024-11-14: Out in beautiful Avra Valley.
❦ 2024-11-08: There is a lot to love about the Mushroom Color Atlas and it’s website.
❦ 2024-11-04: A Dyslexia-friendly edition of the ESV is coming this January. I just pre-ordered it. This will be a blessing to one of our kids and many others who …
❦ 2024-11-03: Tucson Louie
❦ 2024-11-01: I didn’t win, but one of my photos was chosen as a finalist entry for the new Pima County Library cards!
❦ 2024-10-31: Reformation Day Symphony
❦ 2024-10-02: In God Calls Samuel, I preach on communion and communication. We long for communion with God; we find it when we attune to his word in …
❦ 2024-09-26: Currently reading: Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law by Neil Gorsuch and Janie Nitze 📚
❦ 2024-09-25: A big gopher snake getting warm.
❦ 2024-09-20: “for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life …
❦ 2024-09-19: 🚲 If you loved riding a bike as a kid but now find it intimidating, you need to meet Grant Petersen.
❦ 2024-09-14:
Suddenly, Poetry!
Sometimes in the Bible, the narrator of a story will include some poetry that might surprise you. Often it’s in the form of heightened speech …
❦ 2024-09-14: Feeling trapped by your circumstances? Depressed, anxious, not eating…that’s how the book of 1 Samuel begins. Listen to Hannah’s …
❦ 2024-09-14: In Revelation 5:8, John reports seeing four creatures and twenty-four elders, holding golden bowls of incense and kitharas. A kithara (κιθάρα), …
❦ 2024-09-12: I’m super proud of Della. She recently entered a portrait of our dog Buttercup into a painting competition and it turned out amazing. Vote for …
❦ 2024-09-12: Max Richter summarizes the state of classical music and why he took a different path. When I went to university, in Edinburgh, I was like, “Let’s …
❦ 2024-09-03: Have you listened to the Humble Skeptic podcast yet? In the first episode, Shane explores faith and doubt through an investigation of his dad’s …
❦ 2024-09-03:
Measure twice, cut once (Bible study version)
Application is key when reading the Bible.
❦ 2024-08-30: 🎵 Listening to Copper State, an Arizona-inspired, jazz-country album from Arthur Vint & Associates released today. It’s great. (HT: Tucson …
❦ 2024-08-30: Christianity Today says that Crossway and the Gettys are working on a new hymnal. Hymnworks is helping according to its website.
❦ 2024-08-27:
Violin Narrator: Chloe Chua’s Butterfly Lovers
While working on my upcoming sermons for 1 Samuel this morning, I heard a new version of the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto released last month by …
❦ 2024-08-23:
What does it mean to forgive? The 4 Promises of Forgiveness
What do you you mean when you say “I forgive you”? What commitments should you be making to the other person?
❦ 2024-08-23: NASA Guide to Air-filtering Houseplants infographic by lovethegarden.
❦ 2024-08-13: Sunset at the Cortaro Equestrian Center.
❦ 2024-08-12:
Nearness vs. Accessibility: Trade-offs in Bible Translation
What are you missing when you read a good translation of the Bible instead of the original? This is hard question to answer, but biblical scholar J. …
❦ 2024-08-12: Interesting stat regarding the recent Arizona primary elections: “Statewide, there were 131 races with only one candidate, which comes to about …
❦ 2024-08-10: Finished reading: Bridge-Building Apologetics by Lindsey Medenwaldt. Audio available on Libby. 📚
❦ 2024-08-07: See how one of the most important rooms in America has been decorated over the years. It’s hard to choose a favorite.
❦ 2024-08-07: Edinburgh Theological Seminary is currently offering a great set of classes for less than $65. David Nixon: Unashamedly Christian Zachary Purvis: The …
❦ 2024-08-03: Finished reading: Christ-Centered Biblical Theology: Hermeneutical Foundations and Principles by Graeme Goldsworthy. Solid read. I have a better view …
❦ 2024-07-25: Good news: Apple Maps is now available on the web.
❦ 2024-07-25: Amazing time-lapse video of a storm forming over Tucson. Watch for when the rain starts to fall.
❦ 2024-07-23: From Psalm 137:1 The rest of the psalm describes why they wept, including the sorrow caused by a brother. I’ll be preaching on these topics …
❦ 2024-07-23: QUIZ: What generation are you when texting? - CNN If you don’t know how texting practices and expectations vary among age groups, this is a fun way to …
❦ 2024-07-21: I bought some strawberry tamales on a whim. They’re good! They remind me of strawberry shortcake.
❦ 2024-07-16: MARS prof, Paul Ipema, on catechism preaching: importance common objections guidelines
❦ 2024-07-16: 🌈 Did you know you can report rainbows in the iOS weather app?
❦ 2024-07-16: Days away from leaving the nest, these two braved Sunday’s storm.
❦ 2024-07-09: Paul, Envoy Extraordinary by Malcolm Muggridge and Alec Vidler
❦ 2024-07-07: Excellent book: None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God by Matthew Barrett. The forward by Fred Sanders is also very good.
❦ 2024-07-06: 🔗 graphic: the most common PIN codes
❦ 2024-07-04: Have any tips for keeping dogs calm during fireworks? I just found this: Calm Your Canine: Dog Calming Music: Through a Dog’s Ear
❦ 2024-07-03:
7 Keys to Generous Giving
I slow-preached through 2 Corinthians 8-9 earlier this year. In these chapters, Paul addresses the important topic of giving in the church. Here are …
❦ 2024-06-29: So many good books on sale right now at Reformation Heritage Books.
❦ 2024-06-28: Connection is Key Michael Reichert, “Here’s What I’ve Learned About Raising Boys in My 30 Years as a Child Psychologist”: We know what a child needs to …
❦ 2024-06-25: Tips for leading worship: You’re not performing nor leading a performance. You are guiding people in the worship of God. Help them attend to …
❦ 2024-06-25: Michael Horton has been working on a big project, and the first volume is out now. Shaman and Sage: The Roots of “Spiritual but Not Religious” in …
❦ 2024-06-17: Want to see a javelina yawn? Your browser does not support the video tag. Here is a link to the video instead.
❦ 2024-06-06: “She generally gave herself very good advice (though she very seldom followed it)” — Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
❦ 2024-06-04: The New English Translation (NET) of the Bible includes translation and text-critical notes, many more than other versions. Learn more: The …
❦ 2024-05-23: I lost some steam on the photo challenge because of a spike in pastoral and family needs. The Day 16 challenge to post a flâneur didn’t help …
❦ 2024-04-15: 📸 Day 15 of 30 | small
❦ 2024-04-14: 📸 Day 14 of 30 | cactus
❦ 2024-04-14: 📸 Day 13 of 30 | page Looking at John Owen’s commentary on Hebrews to prepare for tonights’s sermon on Hebrews 11v30-31.
❦ 2024-04-14: 📸 Day 12 of 30 | magic
❦ 2024-04-14: 📸 Day 11 of 30 | sky
❦ 2024-04-14: 📸 Day 10 of 30 | train
❦ 2024-04-14: 📸 Day 9 of 30 | crispy
❦ 2024-04-13: 📸 Day 8 of 30 | prevention
❦ 2024-04-13: 📸 Day 7 of 30 | well-being
❦ 2024-04-13: I haven’t forgotten my photo challenge. I had some trouble renewing my micro.blog account over the last week, but it’s fixed now and I can …
❦ 2024-04-06: 📸 Day 6 of 30 | windy
❦ 2024-04-05: 📸 Day 5 of 30 | serene Even though I was sick at the time, I enjoyed this quiet moment painting a watercolor of my bicycle at this beachside park.
❦ 2024-04-04: 🎵 Johnny Costa Plays Mister Roger’s Neighborhood Jazz very well.
❦ 2024-04-04: 🎵 Jay Nelsestuen, thanks for the the introduction to Djesse. After a month I’m still on volume 1, but…wow.
❦ 2024-04-04: 📸 Day 4 of 30 | foliage
❦ 2024-04-04:
Thoughts on private communion and ministry to the homebound
Presbyterians don’t do solo communion. This may seem strange if you think of communion as a purely private and personal act, but that’s …
❦ 2024-04-03: For several years Julie Beck has been publishing articles in The Atlantic on friendship. Check out: The Friendship Files.
❦ 2024-04-03: Some folks in Tucson are hoping to reduce homelessness with a tiny-home village. This is a bold experiment from which I suspect we will learn a lot.
❦ 2024-04-03: 📸 Day 3 of 30 | card A special birthday card from a friend who loves the American West as much as I do.
❦ 2024-04-02:
Arizona Gives Day 2024
I shared the following with my church this morning: Each year on Arizona Gives Day, Arizonans donate money and pledge volunteer hours to support the …
❦ 2024-04-02: 📸 Day 2 of 30 | flowers
❦ 2024-04-01: For April I’m sharing a photo a day for the Micro.blog April 2024 Photo Challenge. No foolin’.
❦ 2024-04-01: 📸 Day 1 of 30 | toy
❦ 2024-03-31: Big Resurrection Day at Covenant. In addition to our regular service, we also had two reaffirmations of faith, two baptisms, and a delicious, …
❦ 2024-03-30:
Forums of Five: Sources of Help and Inspiration
I’ve put together a new program at Covenant called Forums of Five. Forums of Five aims to provide our members with an easier path for fostering …
❦ 2024-03-30:
I'm in a good church. So why am I lonely and what can I do?
Loneliness is the sorrowful feeling being disconnected from others when a connection is felt to be needed. Or to use a standard definition, loneliness …
❦ 2024-03-20:
Not All Authority Is the Same
❦ 2024-03-20: Conversation-Based Soul Care: Notes on "Private Conference" Caring for the souls of others is an essential part of living as a Christian. During the Reformation, one tool for providing that care was sometimes …
❦ 2024-03-19: AZ, our Presidential Preference Election is today. Democrats and Republicans can vote for the probable candidates, or they can protest vote for whom …
❦ 2024-03-18: typography links Learn to kern, with a fun game. macOS Sonoma has an improved typography palette. Test your colors against accessibility standards. I …
❦ 2024-03-17: Should we take the Bible literally? I think the answer to this question is found in another question: Do you want people to take you literally? It depends, right? Generally, you mean …
❦ 2024-03-13: I loved Tyler Cowen’s interview with Masaaki Suzuki. Now I’m curious about enka, the music of Tori Takemitsu, and thanks to Mr. Cowen’s links, Music, …
❦ 2024-03-01: Infinite Craft at neal.fun is fun. My son showed it to me last night. He even made some never-seen-before creations. I tried to do that too, but …
❦ 2024-03-01: Remembering Peter Schickele and P. D. Q. Bach Peter Schickele died this last January. I never knew him, but I learned a lot from him. Through his funny albums and radio show, perhaps the central …
❦ 2024-02-26: Last week, ChatGPT went off the rails for a minute, but still… the fact that the most popular AI tool in the world and arguably the primary …
❦ 2024-02-20: Red Light Green Light, Sunset
❦ 2024-02-20: When analyzing Millennials, Gen Z, and other gens, we should be more cautious. I wasn’t able to make it, but the men at church discussed this …
❦ 2024-02-19: I learned a new chess rule! You can’t pass through a check when castling. ♟️
❦ 2024-02-19: Is there an official recording of yesterday’s NBA All-Star game that I can watch? 🏀
❦ 2024-02-16: Learning to predict better from the Samotsvety group. Austin Kleon shows how to make a zine from one sheet of paper. Eight ideas to get you through a …
❦ 2024-02-09: Wavelength has an Android app available now. They are polishing the app and asking for feedback. I hope they can get things working smoothly soon. …
❦ 2024-02-05:
🌵 Notes about CTE Programs in Arizona
A few quick notes on public career and technical education (CTE) programs in Arizona. 🚂 This is entry 3 of the blogtrain CTE.
❦ 2024-02-03:
How to Get Started with CTE
Tips on how to pick a career and technical education (CTE) program while in high school and when to get started. 🚂 This is entry 2 of the blogtrain …
❦ 2024-02-03: D. G. Hart and John Muether, “Turning Points in American Presbyterian History” Peter Schickele died on January 16. A reminder about the …
❦ 2024-02-01:
Why Your High Schooler Should Enroll in CTE
One of the most underrated options for high schoolers is career and technical education (CTE). 🚂 This is entry 1 of the blogtrain CTE.
❦ 2024-01-29: Selfie-portrait! 🤓🎨 This was a fun change of pace this evening. I liked painting the blue so much I decided to put the cactus in the border instead of …
❦ 2024-01-13:
Promises Made in Time: Overview of Westminster Confession of Faith 7
🚂 This is entry The story of how God fulfills the Covenant of Redemption is found in Chapter 7 of the …4 of the blogtrain The Covenants of God.
❦ 2024-01-13: Fish and Ships: Zach Purvis takes us to sixteenth-century Brazil with French Reformed missionary Jean de Léry. How to prevent someone from stealing …
❦ 2024-01-13: Among liberals, there’s just way higher levels of anxiety. The only level of religious attendance where that abates is those liberals who attend …
❦ 2024-01-10: A Mexican Gray Wolf looking comfy
❦ 2024-01-09: This internet train station will get you to some of the more interesting and fun parts of the web. Help for those who have a hard time telling people …
❦ 2024-01-06: Tucson 1: Wow. This photo of Adam Sandler playing basketball at the McKale Center is amazing. Tucson 2: A video of a coyote howling on top a Mustang …
❦ 2024-01-03:
I Rode El Burrito Sabanero All December: 5 Things I Learned
Early in December I was eating breakfast at Seis, and they were playing Spanish-language Christmas music in the restaurant. Some songs I recognized …
❦ 2024-01-02: If you’re looking for a good commentary on Revelation, you already have one if you have an ESV Study Bible. The notes on Revelation are written …
❦ 2024-01-01:
Pagan Prophesy Watchers: Sources to Go Further
For my last sermon in the Jesus and His World Series, I preached about the magi yesterday and spoke about Jesus and his relationship to magic. Please …
❦ 2023-12-27: The bats were out at sunset doing BMX tricks. So cool. The artist is Stephen Fairfield. 🚲
❦ 2023-12-24: 🔗 55 years ago today, Tucson’s Frank Borman saw ‘Earthrise’ As they circled the moon, they read from the Book of Genesis in a live …
❦ 2023-12-22: Music: The Incomparable Bola Sete by Bola Sete. Learn about Theo Global. I’m excited to see what they do in 2024. AI hallucinations are not a …
❦ 2023-12-22: We haven’t gone full Winterhaven yet, but the new Christmas lights we got from Costco are working great, and we love all the decorations in our …
❦ 2023-12-21:
Covenant Name Confusion
🚂 This is entry Think of all the names you have. Or all the names you call your pet. The covenants in the …3 of the blogtrain The Covenants of God.
❦ 2023-12-16: Listening to Navidades: Luis Miguel. What a singer! If only the album cover had less cheese rizz. 🎵
❦ 2023-12-15:
The Covenant of Redemption
🚂 This is entry AKA: pactum salutis, foedus redemptionis2 of the blogtrain The Covenants of God.
❦ 2023-12-07:
Some Books on the History, Shape, and Reliability of the Bible
I enjoyed today’s book discussion on Scribes and Scriptures by John D. Meade and Peter J. Gurry. Scribes and Scriptures is an informative book that …
❦ 2023-12-05:
Some Books I'm Using for 1st Century Background
Through this December, I’m preaching a series called Jesus and His World. I’m focusing on some of the different groups in Jesus’ world that the …
❦ 2023-12-02:
The Covenants of God: Introduction
🚂 This is entry What is a covenant? A covenant is a solemn promise that establishes a relationship.1 of the blogtrain The Covenants of God.
❦ 2023-12-01:
How Henry Kissinger Mentored Chris Christie on Foreign Policy
Chris Christie explains how of their sessions worked in his recent interview on The Dispatch Podcast.
❦ 2023-12-01:
Goofy door face
My wife found this crazy guy on the inside of our car door. Here are 3 other things I’d like to share.
❦ 2023-11-27:
Do you pay Arizona State taxes? You can help our family BIG time.
Because of the Arizona Tax Credit benefits, you can help us afford our kids' school tuition with no financial loss to you. Here’s how:
❦ 2023-11-27: Is Bach the greatest achiever of all time? He’s certainly one of the most inspiring.
❦ 2023-11-24: My daughter Clara and I had a blast yesterday making this Thanksgiving rap video!
❦ 2023-11-08: Currently reading: Scribes and Scripture by John D. Meade and Peter J. Gurry. I’m doing this with some others. If you want to read and then join …
❦ 2023-11-06: 🔗 Should We Capitalize Divine Pronouns? - Bill Mounce
❦ 2023-10-31: The annual Reformation Day Party was lots of pun.
❦ 2023-10-30: Who is Al Seinfeld? Can he still save the world?
❦ 2023-10-29: 🔗 How many friends do Americans have? A survey crunched the numbers - NPR
❦ 2023-10-25: War Crimes, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity, Explained - Emma Rogers - The Dispatch Understanding that these terms have specific legal …
❦ 2023-10-18: The new Eegee’s pretzel rueben sandwich is a winner.
❦ 2023-10-15: Wolfgang Musculus on the joy and fear of the Lord. Note, how joy in God, and fear of God, are combined. By joy the sadness and anxiety of diffidence …
❦ 2023-10-15: We were up on Mt. Lemmon earlier this week and saw the leaves starting to change colors. According to this map, the peak will be around October 23 …
❦ 2023-10-14: I forgot how much I love The Sons of the Pioneers. But that’s fixed now and I’ve been listening all day. 🎵
❦ 2023-10-10: 🔗 What are the five solas?
❦ 2023-10-09: Can we trust the Gospels? Finished reading: Can We Trust the Gospels? by Peter J. Williams. It’s a calm, thoughtful book that persuasively answers Yes, we can trust the …
❦ 2023-10-05: My daughter’s sculpture of Bilbo with the dwarves in barrels.
❦ 2023-10-04: Modern Reformation has unlocked 30+ years of archives on their redesigned website. 🤩
❦ 2023-10-03: 30 People in the New Testament Confirmed. Evidence for political and religious individuals.
❦ 2023-09-28: Beyond Bread (Oracle/Ina) went the extra mile for their bike rack. They do the same for their food.
❦ 2023-09-28: Getting Real About the Family Most of us know children who come from a single-parent household who are thriving in adulthood. Likewise, we probably …
❦ 2023-09-21: Sharing a meal is one of the best ways to help a friend. But what if you’re short on time? Adina Bailey has 6 great suggestions. And …
❦ 2023-09-20: Apple Reminders now auto-organizes grocery lists into shopping categories. It works great!
❦ 2023-09-20: Many people could benefit from learning this list of helpful questions (organized by use type).
❦ 2023-09-20: 📷 blog challenge | Day 20: disruption On a date with Della when this little guy showed up.
❦ 2023-09-19: 📷 blog challenge | Day 19: edge
❦ 2023-09-19: 🔗 10 Things You Should Know about the Most Famous Blessing in the Bible
❦ 2023-09-18: 📷 blog challenge | Day 18: fabric I got to try this 14’ quilting machine the other day. Amazing.
❦ 2023-09-17: 📷 blog challenge | Day 17: intense
❦ 2023-09-16: 📷 blog challenge | Day 16: oof!
❦ 2023-09-16: Confused about legal immigration? Play the Green Card Game to learn more. See if you could become a permanent resident in the United States.
❦ 2023-09-15: 📷 blog challenge | Day 15: red For the past few years we’ve been going to the fair that occasionally pops up at the Tucson Outlets. It’s pretty fun!
❦ 2023-09-14: 📷 blog challenge | Day 14: statue Someone figured out how to combine art, whimsy, and self storage. Someone should win an award.
❦ 2023-09-14: If it’s been a while since you’ve thought through the doctrine of baptism, I highly recommend Baptism by Guy M. Richard. It’s clearly written, uses …
❦ 2023-09-13: 📷 blog challenge | Day 13: glowing I couldn’t find a good picture for yesterday’s challenge: “panic”. But I think this is a great one for today. I …
❦ 2023-09-11: 📷 blog challenge | Day 11: retrospect 🚲 Since Christmas I’ve been slowly turning a 1982 Univega Gran Turismo frame into a super fun everyday bike. …
❦ 2023-09-10: 📷 blog challenge | Day 10: cycle 🚲
❦ 2023-09-09: The Belt of Truth and Problem of Identity I’ve been thinking about the intersection of truthfulness and identity this week. Partly because I’m preparing a Sunday School lesson for tomorrow …
❦ 2023-09-09: In Apple Maps you can get directions and travel estimates via different transportation modes, including bicycle. In Apple Calendar you can set your …
❦ 2023-09-09: 📷 blog challenge | Day 8: language Body language and symbolic communication all on one hilarious door.
❦ 2023-09-08: 📷 blog challenge | Day 8: yonder
❦ 2023-09-07: 📷 blog challenge | Day 7: panorama
❦ 2023-09-06: 📷 blog challenge | Day 6: well At our Bible study tonight, one of the kids requested that we sing It Is Well With My Soul Though Satan should buffet, …
❦ 2023-09-05: Tucson Sentinel: Tucson’s Molly Holzschlag, known as ‘the fairy godmother of the web,’ dead at 60 | Obituary
❦ 2023-09-05: 📷 blog challenge | Day 5: forest + bonus haiku I took this pic of a giant tree growing on top of a ginormous California Redwood stump. O how we can …
❦ 2023-09-02: Finished reading: Crossroads: a step-by-step guide away from addiction, by Edward T. Welch. Welch’s approach is helpful and theologically …
❦ 2023-09-02: Finished reading: The Enemy Within: Straight Talk about the Power and Defeat of Sin by Kris Lundgaard. I’m using this book, along with others, …
❦ 2023-08-29: Listening: K-LOVE 90s. On Music and iHeart. 🎵🩵🎸
❦ 2023-08-27: The Utter Folly of the Cross by Jeremy Treat reminds us why it is so shocking— especially in the first century—that people follow and worship Jesus.
❦ 2023-08-25: 🎵 Because of @craigmcclellan and music discover on Micro.blog, I am now a fan of The Arcadian Wild. Thanks!
❦ 2023-08-23: Scottish Presbyterian, Thomas Boston, (1676-1732) was a big fan of Martin Luther. Boston writes: “That great man of God, a third Elias, and a …
❦ 2023-08-22: James Fisher: Q. 25. How should we glorify God in eating and drinking? A. By taking a right to the supports of natural life, through the second Adam, …
❦ 2023-08-19: Getting ready for a wedding! Genesis 2:18.
❦ 2023-08-18: Can you do tent camping with a family of seven? Yes! And if you survive the night, everyone looks so sweet and comfy in the morning.
❦ 2023-08-17: Retiring the #GirlBoss by Lois McLatchie suggests a there may be positive change in the air for women.
❦ 2023-08-16: 🎙️Guy Waters does a great job in this interview explaining how and why the Sabbath is important. If this is something you’ve been wondering about, …
❦ 2023-08-15: Tucson-based classical composer Joshua Nichols has released an album of piano music called Metropolis. And the more I listen to it the more I love it. …
❦ 2023-08-15: The world can feel very big sometimes.
❦ 2023-08-12: If you heard my talk on Gregory of Nazianzus this week (and for orthers who might be interested), the autobiographical poems I mentioned are available …
❦ 2023-08-12: archives.design, collected and curated by Valerie Marier, is “a digital archive of graphic design related items that are available on the Internet …
❦ 2023-08-09: Grandpa doesn’t like AI Boyfriend! but why??? lol [via]
❦ 2023-08-09: Updated: My links page for Alan Strange’s commentary on the OPC’s Book of Church Order. The hits keep coming.
❦ 2023-08-07: Tonight’s sunset.
❦ 2023-08-05: Review: "The OC — A New Burned Over District” – the Context for “The Jesus Revolution” From the 1960s to the 1990s, a Christian scene in Orange County, CA created an enormous amount of influence and buzz. This was particularly true for …
❦ 2023-08-05: 🔗 Soft tech by Helena Jaramillo.
❦ 2023-08-02: Monsoon-wise, Tucson photographer Ray Cleveland is having a very good season. [via] 📷
❦ 2023-08-02: Paul and Timothy tell the Christians in Corinth that they must work with them in their ministry of the word, even though they are hundreds of miles …
❦ 2023-08-02: A picture of Mo’s. We try to go whenever we visit Oregon. And yet, just outside the restaurant was this sign pointing us the way home to Arizona.
❦ 2023-07-28: If you don’t know the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto, get yourself some headphones and 30 minutes of headspace to listen to this beautiful piece. …
❦ 2023-07-26: Nursery Care at Covenant We recently started a nursery at Covenant for 0-3 year olds. We found loving volunteers, updated our child protection policy, provided training, etc. …
❦ 2023-07-25: Now is a good time to build yourself your own little internet homestead. It’s so fun. I use Micro.blog, which is offering a summer special right …
❦ 2023-07-25: If you need some comfort and encouragement, listen to the sermon I preached last Sunday morning. If you want to hear about how foolish it is to think …
❦ 2023-07-22: Here's a godly way to pray for rain. I know it’s hot right now and easy to complain. But what would happen if we replaced complaining with praying? Like this from the Book of Common …
❦ 2023-07-21: The Golden Nugget reached 225,000 miles this summer. I’m thankful for all the adventures our family has had in this van.
❦ 2023-07-20: The Lord of the Rain Exodus 9:33 So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the LORD, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no …
❦ 2023-07-19: Russ Roca’s paintings are an inspiring reminder that many things are best enjoyed at a slower pace. Bicyclists will especially enjoy them. 🎨 🚲
❦ 2023-07-19: Memorizing the Westminster Shorter Catechism is one of the best things you can do. Read this article in New Horizons to get some inspiration and see …
❦ 2023-07-18: I took one of the dogs for a late night walk to enjoy the quiet and the smell of rain.
❦ 2023-07-17: We got to watch Sound of Freedom tonight. Go see this movie! Generous people have even provided free tickets.
❦ 2023-07-17: Do We Actually ‘Hear’ Silence? | Scientific American Does the brain actually “hear” silence as an input processed by its auditory system in the same …
❦ 2023-07-17: If you like J. C. Ryle’s writing, you will want to read his recommendation of the puritan Thomas Manton. As Ryle explains his admiration for Manton, …
❦ 2023-07-13: Listening to Tanto Tempo by Bebel Gilberto and waiting for the monsoons to samba over Tucson. 🎵
❦ 2023-07-11: I took this picture of a balloon man in Eugene, OR. He was giving life and purpose to balloons in order to bless others. God does this when he …
❦ 2023-07-09: One of my all time fav things is Growing Native by Petey Mesquitey. These 5 min. celebrations of life in the borderlands have storytelling like G.K’s …
❦ 2023-07-06: Want to fight perfectionism and dementia while boosting confidence and creativity? Do things you’re bad at.
❦ 2023-07-05: Fred Sanders considers the doctrine of God found in the Declaration of Independence.
❦ 2023-07-05: Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸
❦ 2023-07-03: American citizenship gives a person many valuable rights, but maintaining those rights requires Americans to fulfill certain obligations. Consider …
❦ 2023-06-28: Here’s my first try at painting with watercolor. It was fun and I’d like to learn more. Painters, what’s a great book to get me started? 🎨
❦ 2023-06-28: I explored the themes of loneliness and solitude in a recent pair of sermons. The first is on the sorrow of loneliness in Psalm 102; the second …
❦ 2023-06-28: Who else loves snuggling paper towels?
❦ 2023-06-27: If your the kind of person that just wants things to work, you might want to get off the internet superhighway for a while. Get some snacks, stretch …
❦ 2023-06-27: Jacob Phillips writes about an often unidentified cause of the crisis of loneliness.
❦ 2023-06-21: Good News from Iran: A Million New Christian Believers [via RCL] The house church participants, including recent converts, know very well that the …
❦ 2023-06-20: Bruce Waltke and Fred Zaspel offer some good pointers on how (and how not) to read the Psalms.
❦ 2023-06-17: An interesting aspect of presbyterianism in the OPC: congregations fund denominational work (like the General Assembly) directly instead of through …
❦ 2023-06-15: In Recovering the Art of Persuasion Shane Rosenthal says that we’ve been poorly trained by TV how to argue and persuade. When media professionals end …
❦ 2023-06-14: Listening: Bridges: Works for Violin and Piano by Greek Composers by Danae Papamattheou-Matschke & Uwe Matschke. I’m not crazy about one piece but …
❦ 2023-06-14: Russ Roberts and Tyler Cowen discuss the risks and impact of AI. This is the best discussion I’ve heard thus far on this topic.
❦ 2023-06-12: Buttercup and Teddy enjoying their longness.
❦ 2023-06-10: Want a quieter soul? Don’t get too attached the things of this world. Be resolute about seeking a peaceful soul and quickly repent when your passions get the better of …
❦ 2023-06-10: A history of Tucsonans visiting Sabino Canyon. A visit to Sabino Canyon always ends up becoming a highlight of the week/month/year.
❦ 2023-06-10: 2023 OPC General Assembly Daily Report
❦ 2023-06-09: Explore the ministry of Titus with maps Imagine that after working together with Paul to bring the gospel to the island of Crete, Paul leaves you there so that you “might put what …
❦ 2023-06-07: I’m building a custom commuter bike, and I got one step closer yesterday by overhauling this amazing derailleur. It’s a Sachs Huret Duopar Eco from …
❦ 2023-06-06: Being flexible and intentional is part of good parenting. John Beeson shows how this applies to leading your kids spiritually through each stage of …
❦ 2023-06-06: Learn about the inspiring story of Enoch.. The life and translation of Enoch display not only how it is that we come to please God but also what the …
❦ 2023-05-31: If you struggle with discontentment, you probably struggle with coveting. Jen Wilken shows how they are connected and offers some help. In a list of …
❦ 2023-05-30: The saguaros are blooming.
❦ 2023-05-30: Currently reading: The Compelling Community by Mark Dever 📚
❦ 2023-05-26: The Bible mentions the balm of Gilead as a famous healing agent. Here’s how to harvest it.
❦ 2023-05-26: Joshua Gibbs [via Short Letters] anyone who thinks that the way around ChatGPT is another bullet point on the school honor code is delusional. Sorry, …
❦ 2023-05-21: Kieth Wessel: Jesus’ ascension provides us with an awesome view from above—a glimpse of glory that assures us he has our lives and all things under …
❦ 2023-05-20: I’m happy to have found a Safari extension called Hush. It silences the constant cookie offers—a terrible thing for IRL, but needed right now for the …
❦ 2023-05-18: a quiet morning seeking a more quiet spirit
❦ 2023-05-18: Letters to a Younger Ruling Elder, No. 3: The Importance of the Devotional Life I have seen the eldership ruined more times by men, not because they …
❦ 2023-05-12: If you dug a tunnel down to the other side of the world, you’d end up in…
❦ 2023-05-02: Axios: Top 5 AI fears: Geoffrey Hinton and AI insiders sound alarm.
❦ 2023-04-07: You can pray the imprecatory psalms. PCA minister Benjamin Kandt explains how and why in 22 Reasons to Pray the Cursing (Imprecatory) Psalms.
❦ 2023-01-04: Updated: my Book of Church Order commentary links page. Alan Strange is cruising! He finished the Form of Government and is working on the Book of …
❦ 2023-01-04: Here is my book review of The Unfolding Word: The Story of the Bible from Creation to New Creation by Zach Keele.
❦ 2022-12-31: Goodnight, 2022.
❦ 2022-12-12: The Normalizing of the Nones Despite what some assume, the percent of those who say they have no religion in America is not fated to increase. In fact, the percent of Nones, as …
❦ 2022-12-09: What is prayer? Prayer ≠ mediation. Prayer ≠ spiritual desire How so, George? “Prayer is not meditation, because meditation is communing with our own souls, prayer …
❦ 2022-11-29: 🎧 Listening to The Drive Home by Austin Britton. His newest single.
❦ 2022-11-24: Finished reading Memoir and Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne by Andrew Bonar a few days ago. I was very blessed by it. To get a taste for …
❦ 2022-11-12: You are a theologian Gerhard O. Forde: Suffice it to say for now, though, that all of us are theologians in one way or another. Being a theologian just means thinking and …
❦ 2022-11-10: Did you take your grace supplement today? Gerhard O. Forde: Of course our theologian of glory may well grant that we need the help of grace. The only dispute, usually, will be about the …
❦ 2022-11-09: You can’t quit sin Gerhard O. Forde writes: The theologian of glory is like one who considers, curing addiction by optimistic exhortation. The theologian of the cross …
❦ 2022-11-08: Heidelberg Disputation > 95 Theses Heinrich Bornkamm argues that, as far as the theology of th Reformation is concerned, the Heidelberg Disputation is the most influential of all …
❦ 2022-11-08: Currently reading: On Being a Theologian of the Cross by Gerhard O. Forde 📚
❦ 2022-11-07: I’m preaching again Yesterday I started a new preaching series through Titus, which I’m really excited about. The first sermon was an overview of the letter. I share the …
❦ 2022-09-19: 3 great podcast episodes on faith and science White Horse Inn - the historical relationship between faith and science might surprise you Clear+Vivid - Alan Alda interviews one of the greatest …
❦ 2022-08-05: What I'm Doing on My Study Leave This week I began a three-month sabbatical. In another sphere of life, you’d call it a Professional Development Leave. I’m calling it a Study …
❦ 2022-08-02: Let’s not separate “going to church” from “being the church”. John Beeson explains why.
❦ 2022-08-02: One of my favorite stories: 25 WWII German POWs escape (sort of) from a prison in Phoenix
❦ 2022-08-01: Do you know how can I search multiple audio book collections (Librivox, Audible, Kobo, Open Culture, Libby, Gutenberg, etc.) with a single search?
❦ 2022-07-30: The rhinoceros is an amazing creature. We visited this one at the Tucson Zoo on Tuesday.
❦ 2022-07-30: Three examples of AI applied to historical research.
❦ 2022-07-30: Alfons Schmid released a major update this week for Notebooks App. It just keeps getting better.
❦ 2022-07-26: Finished reading: George Washington On Leadership by Richard Brookhiser 📚 Fantastic book. Washington continues to lead and inspire.
❦ 2022-07-22: Huntington Beach on Independence Day.
❦ 2022-07-21: the pleasant conditions of creative work I finished reading: If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland. 📚 Ueland says you can’t create anything good out of fear, griding away and trying to …
❦ 2022-07-18: How the cross helps you win Rule 17/22 from Erasmus' Enchiridion via Fred Sanders The one remedy that is most efficacious against every kind of adversity and temptation is the …
❦ 2022-07-18: When fighting sin is hard Rule 15/22 from Erasmus' Enchiridion via Fred Sanders Do not compare the hardship of the battle with the pleasure of sin, but compare the present …
❦ 2022-07-11: Finished reading: Geronimo’s Story of His Life by Geronimo. Tough man. Lots to learn from his story. 📚
❦ 2022-07-08: 📚 A couple weeks ago I heard The Life of Saint Macrina by her brother, Gregory of Nyssa, for the first time . It’s not long and worth a listen. She …
❦ 2022-07-07: Test your history skills with Wikitrivia. You only get three lives.
❦ 2022-06-28: 🔗 tosdr.org—Terms of Service; Didn’t Read—summarizes what you agreed to when you signed up for __________.
❦ 2022-06-27: What were the “high places”? Ellen White: It may then be easiest to understand high places not as a reference to temporal space, but to a “higher” …
❦ 2022-06-24: What’s the best app for listening to LibriVox recordings?
❦ 2022-06-23: 🎵 I love this string arrangement of Mock Morris. My dad taught us to play this in Jr. High. So fun!
❦ 2022-06-23: Ever wonder what to think of “Of David” or “Of Asaph” in the Psalms? And what about the collection as a whole? James M. Hamilton Jr. has an idea I …
❦ 2022-06-13: test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test …
❦ 2022-05-13: Were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Nineveh? Here’s some evidence.
❦ 2022-05-06: The Nictone Theological Journal is finally back.
❦ 2022-04-24: Read through the Shorter Catechism tonight with 20+ others from church. I took small breaks along the way to answer questions and the Mrs. made some …
❦ 2022-04-17: Fred Sanders: When you make a plan to kill a public person, the kind of public person who is animated by a powerful inner force, you’d better make …
❦ 2022-04-15: It’s Good Friday. I’m thinkinng about sympathy, empathy, and the cross.
❦ 2022-04-15: Sympathy, Empathy, and the Cross It’s Good Friday and I am reminded how good it is that the Son of God partook of flesh and blood, suffered when tempted, and ultimately died. He did …
❦ 2022-04-15: Here’s Thomas Murphy’s plan for memorizing scripture in 15 minutes a day.
❦ 2022-04-14: How to Memorize Scripture in 15 Minutes a Day, Thomas Murphy In Pastoral Theology: The Pastor in the Various Duties of His Office, Thomas Murphy shares a plan on how to memorize scripture. Here is a slightly …
❦ 2022-04-07: 🎧 Listen to Billy Collins tell Alan Alda about writing poetry. He has great advice for creative work of all kinds.
❦ 2022-04-02: C. B. Radio Store in Eloy, AZ.
❦ 2022-04-02: We’re big fans of BRBC Family Camp at Covenant. Check out the new website I made for this year. Registration is now open!
❦ 2022-03-21: a values-based definition of minimalism
❦ 2022-03-17: Caleb Miller on expressing uncertainty in the pulpit: A consistent practice of avoidance, or refusal to admit concerns publicly, especially from the …
❦ 2022-02-27: Good idea: Intentionally spiraling out - Austin Kleon
❦ 2022-02-21: Apparently, Morning Doves have color matching skills.
❦ 2022-02-11: Love this video of a couple #tucson burritos head home.
❦ 2022-02-08: I’m sharing with you the best advice I’ve received on how to revise your writing. Check it out.
❦ 2022-02-08: How to Revise Your Writing This document started as my notes from Amy Nichols’ lecture, “Make it Lean, Make it Strong: Revision Techniques” @ the 2016 Desert Nights, Rising …
❦ 2022-02-07: 📚 Mister Rogers’s Simple Set of Rules for Talking to Kids - The Atlantic
❦ 2022-01-31: “If you see yourself as a ‘little sinner’ you will inevitably see Jesus as a ‘little Savior’.” — Martin Luther
❦ 2022-01-31: candy canes from this year’s Winterhaven Festival of Lights #tucson
❦ 2022-01-03: Finished reading: Is Hell For Real? by Erik Raymond. Short, sensitive, biblical, and clear. It is a perfect introduction to this sober topic. Thanks …
❦ 2021-12-13: Non-parent mentors matter. And the upcoming school break is a good time to invest in a teen you know. So send a text and schedule something today.
❦ 2021-11-26: Currently reading and loving: Reformed Preaching by Joel Beeke 📚
❦ 2021-11-18: Finished reading: The Unfolding Word by Zach Keele 📚 Watch for a coming review.
❦ 2021-11-11: An important link (#2) in my better leading, better meeting blogchain was missing. It’s fixed, so now you get more reading recs.
❦ 2021-11-10: common curse or common grace?
❦ 2021-10-12: I’m enjoying the new Paleo Protestant Pudcast by @oldlife this week. Check it out. anchor.fm/darryl-ha…
❦ 2021-10-07: Idea: Grade multiple choice exams for accuracy AND confidence like this
❦ 2021-10-07: Grade multiple choice exams for accuracy AND confidence like this Instructions: Circle the correct answer. If you are unsure which is the correct answer, mark that by putting a (+) next to the question. Grading: …
❦ 2021-09-28: 🎵 Consider Abraham
❦ 2021-09-14: Takeaways from George P. Shultz on trust 13 page PDF: take the jobs you can do well, then do them keep standards high no empty threats care about the …
❦ 2021-09-08: Updated my OPC Form of Government Commentary page.. Dr. Strange has added commentary on meetings, ordination, installation, and more.
❦ 2021-09-07: 🎵 Ever wish you could have just one more day?
❦ 2021-08-31: What kind of idealist are you? There’s a kind you don’t want to be.
❦ 2021-08-31: What kind of idealist are you? “Idealistic people who have moralistic notions about how people should behave without understanding how people really do behave do more harm than …
❦ 2021-08-30: Some Fundamental Thoughts on Leadership Good leadership limits mistakes, creates opportunities, and increases flourishing at every level. This is because leadership, a system of thought and …
❦ 2021-08-29: Finished reading: Faithful and Fruitful: Essays for Elders and Deacons. Straightforward essays on a wide range of special topics including pastoral …
❦ 2021-08-20: Happy birthday #Tucson! Looking pretty good for 246 (maybe 4,000).
❦ 2021-08-20: La Luz del Dia in downtown Globe, AZ. Breakfast burrito: 👍🏻(x2). Best enjoyed with friends.
❦ 2021-08-19: Reformed Evangelism: “the promise of the gospel…together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be declared and published to all nations and …
❦ 2021-08-19: When John Calvin helped with the refugee crisis in Geneva, he was thinking about people made in the image of God. Learn more in this good article by …
❦ 2021-08-18: 🎵 Listening to Hank this AM… I Heard My Mother Praying for Me
❦ 2021-08-17: Fred Sanders: Imitating the Trinity as Trinity is not a biblical way of talking. We are told to imitate God the Father in his relationship to …
❦ 2021-08-15: Following up on my sermon today from 1 Corinthians 5, here’s a good article by Carl Trueman that’s worth your time: Discipline, Dirty Hands, and the …
❦ 2021-08-11: If you need a study Bible for older kids, mine like using the ESV Student Study Bible. It’s a good all-around study Bible, especially for jr …
❦ 2021-08-09: Being especially charming isn’t necessarily terrible for pastoral ministry, but it isn’t necessary either. Read more at 9marks.org.
❦ 2021-08-07: New post: For deeper relationships, learn to A.T.T.U.N.E.
❦ 2021-08-06: Communication Basics: A.T.T.U.N.E. to Bids Connection is an essential element of healthy relationships. And connections start with bids. Dr. John Gottman calls a bid “the fundamental unit of …
❦ 2021-08-06: we all got conflict. here are some things you should know and tips for what to do about it.
❦ 2021-08-06: Things you need to know about conflict and how to make peace Whatever kind of relationship you have, invest in it when there isn’t conflict. For married life, see these examples. Conflict is part of life …
❦ 2021-08-06: Currently reading: If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating by Alan …
❦ 2021-07-31: Putting public hand washing stations outside of the restrooms is a great idea. This one is at @TheTapAndBottle (North). I think the downtown #tucson …
❦ 2021-07-31: Finished reading: From Embers to a Flame: How God Can Revitalize Your Church by Harry L. Reeder, III 📚Not just for those feeling down about their …
❦ 2021-07-30: Finished re-reading: The Pastor Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision by Gerald Hiestand and Todd Wilson 📚 Two ideas I want to try: have project …
❦ 2021-07-30: Finished reading: A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today’s World by John Stonestreet 📚 A good starting point for …
❦ 2021-07-29: The Onym Guide is a really fun and helpful resource for people who like words, with some sweet web design to boot. Officially it is: “an on-going open …
❦ 2021-07-24: Went on a beautiful, rainy hike in the Santa Catalina Mountains today with some folks from Covenant. So refreshing. We even saw a deer.
❦ 2021-07-21: On top of Mt. Lemmon
❦ 2021-07-21: New post: Married? Use these 8 ways to cultivate your life together.
❦ 2021-07-21: Married? Use these 8 ways to cultivate your life together It’s one thing to interconnect your and your spouse’s lives , it’s another to cultivate a life together. Both are important, this post is about the …
❦ 2021-07-20: Change can be difficult and sometimes it should be avoided. But change is often an inevitable and even a desirable part of life. When change is …
❦ 2021-07-20: It’s interesting to think about the relationship between relationships. Today I answer: can I have friends and be married?
❦ 2021-07-19: Honey, where are my paaaaaaaants?
❦ 2021-07-19: Can I be married and have friends? Yes. You can be married and have friends. In fact, you should. You can have other types of relationships too. Sure, when a man and woman marry they …
❦ 2021-07-19: I’m sharing some more thoughts on marriage in the coming days. Next up: some presuppositions for a good marriage.
❦ 2021-07-19: Essential Beliefs for Building a Healthy Marriage A successful marriage is built on a set of principles.
❦ 2021-07-18: Currently reading: Design for Preaching by H. Grady Davis 📚 An unusual and good book on preaching from 1958. For the influence Davis' book had on him, …
❦ 2021-07-17: I put together a great list of questions for pre-marital counseling, but married people can use them to improve their marriage as well.
❦ 2021-07-17: Conversation Starters for a Stronger Marriage Whether you are already married or about to be married, you can grow closer by discussing the following questions. Togehter, you’ll reflect on …
❦ 2021-07-17: Daniel A. Cox: “The percentage of men with at least six close friends fell by half since 1990, from 55 percent to 27 percent. The study also …
❦ 2021-07-16: Took this on 1 June when the saguaro still had lots of fruit. Can you find the owl?
❦ 2021-07-16: David Burris is right. We have some unhelpful conceptions about authenticity that need revising.
❦ 2021-07-16: During a bad part of the pandemic, I did some research on loneliness. Here’s what I learned.
❦ 2021-07-16: Facts about loneliness and things that can help Facts About Loneliness Everyone likes to be alone; no one likes to be lonely. Being alone is fine. We need time by ourselves. Being lonely is not …
❦ 2021-07-13: check out this giant list of movies filmed in Tucson.
❦ 2021-07-12: Currently reading: The Trinity: An Introduction (Short Studies in Systematic Theology) by @scottrswain 📚"…we were baptized into …
❦ 2021-07-07: Classics education is a big deal. Without it, there would’ve been no Fourth of July.
❦ 2021-07-06: One down with a big win. Go Suns! 🏀
❦ 2021-07-06: Get inspired by Lisa Przystup’s Tucson Road Trip in The Strategist via @VisitTucsonAZ.
❦ 2021-07-04: Finished reading: Leading God’s People: Wisdom from the Early Church for Today by Christopher A. Beeley. So good. On my top ten list now for …
❦ 2021-07-03: “At what schools does Christ, as a prophet, train up his disciples? At the school of the law, the school of the gospel, and the school of affliction.” …
❦ 2021-07-03: Currently reading: How to Tell a Joke: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Humor (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers) by Marcus Tullius Cicero 📚 Heard about …
❦ 2021-07-02: 🎙 Listened: Praying in a Time of Pandemic with Christopher Beeley. Very good. What is prayer, why you should pray, how to pray.
❦ 2021-07-01: I’m starting a new blogchain called Decision Help. Check out the first entry: Discernment (discrimination, sound judgment).
❦ 2021-07-01: Discernment (discrimination, sound judgment) This is entry 1 of the blogchain Decision Help. Discernment is a gift of God (1 Cor 12:10) that allows us to accurately identify causes and predict …
❦ 2021-06-25: This weekend, listen to Carl Trueman‘s short lecture on The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. He is expanding on themes from his recent …
❦ 2021-06-20: Love my card.
❦ 2021-06-12: Tonight’s sunset.
❦ 2021-06-12: 🎵Listening: Skip, Hop, and Wobble. One of my all-time favorite albums.
❦ 2021-06-11: This week in the Confession Overview Class, I’ll be teaching on baptism, the Lord’ Supper, and church censures. We start at 11:15am after …
❦ 2021-06-05: The Anchor Devotional I wrote for today is about why God’s authorship of the Bible is important.
❦ 2021-06-05: Some people say the Bible doesn’t need to have God as its author in order for it to be helpful. That’s like saying you don’t need a …
❦ 2021-06-04: Currently reading: Leading God’s People: Wisdom from the Early Church for Today by Christopher A. Beeley 📚
❦ 2021-06-04: “When Christians trust God, they find themselves doing things that otherwise seemed impossible.” (From my devotional today in Anchor.)
❦ 2021-06-04: Watch out Denver. Here come the Suns! 🏀
❦ 2021-06-03: Big topics covered this Sunday in the Confession Overview Class. For example: How can you experience communion with God? And what does that even mean? …
❦ 2021-06-03: It amazes me that God uses human teachers to help us grow, but he does. As Paul said to the Thessalonians, “You became imitators of us and of the …
❦ 2021-06-02: Currently reading: The Christian Family by Herman Bavinck 📚
❦ 2021-06-02: Found a nest of quail eggs.
❦ 2021-06-02: Got a great intern coming from @wscal to officially start the Covenant Summer Internship Program next week. Thx to churches across the @OrthodoxPC for …
❦ 2021-05-31: This is so exciting. Go Suns! 🏀
❦ 2021-05-29: R. Scott Clark: “Are P&R Churches “Wholly Inadequate” To Investigate Abuse?” “This is not a binary choice. The church should fulfill its vocation …
❦ 2021-05-28: At Glover Ranch tonight. Saw paintings by students of @dellachelpkaart. Reminded me of the filmmaking comeback in Marana. Southern Arizona is great …
❦ 2021-05-28: It’s time for home economics to make a comeback.
❦ 2021-05-27: Reading: Thoughts on Family Worship by James W. Alexander. 📚
❦ 2021-05-26: As authoritative, powerful, helpful, and life-giving as God’s Word is, I hope you’re in a church where you get to hear lots of the Bible. @LigonDuncan …
❦ 2021-05-21: This Sunday at Covenant, I continue my overview the Westminster Confession of Faith after worship. Coming up: oaths and vows; civil govern; marriage …
❦ 2021-05-21: In Christ, we are also children of God and walk in the way of our Father. “Walk with God, before God, and after God” via @fredfredsanders
❦ 2021-05-21: Good: Jehoshaphat walked in all the way of Asa his father. Glorious: Jesus walked in all the way of God his father.
❦ 2021-05-20: Feedback can be very valuable for pastors or any kind of leader, but it can be hard to get, especially if you want it fast. Here are a few ideas …
❦ 2021-05-20: How To Get Immediate Feedback From a Group This is entry 4 of the blogchain Better Leading, Better Meeting. I was inspired by this post to share some ideas about how you can get immediate …
❦ 2021-05-20: Here is the secret to contentment:
❦ 2021-05-18: Trueman and VanDrunen are teaching one-week classes at @wscal this summer and you can listen in. Modern Self + Political Theology. Sign up!
❦ 2021-05-15: Christians, I’ve got some good news: “you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” —1 …
❦ 2021-05-14: A good prayer: “Be thou my dignity.”
❦ 2021-05-13: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116v15)
❦ 2021-05-13: Can’t find the Lost & Found. Now what?
❦ 2021-05-12: With the Trinity Psalter Hymnal App I’m able to sing with piano accompaniment during pastoral visits.
❦ 2021-05-11: Egg is sus.
❦ 2021-05-10: In yesterday’s Confession of Faith class, I taught about assurance, the law of God, and Christian liberty. Check out the class notes.
❦ 2021-04-26: Now available: the Trinity Psalter Hymnal as an iOS app, recordings included. Android on the way.
❦ 2021-04-23: Read: David VanDrunen’s reflections on race and racism. 📚
❦ 2021-04-21: Themelios 46.1 is out. Contentment, canonicity, civics, and more.
❦ 2021-04-15: Hooray! Tucson is reopening pools and splash pads.
❦ 2021-04-14: Register today to watch Arthur Brooks and Richard Wolff debate Socialism or Capitalism? tomorrow. Should be interesting.
❦ 2021-04-13: Casa Grande!
❦ 2021-04-06: Now that you know why posting for “free” on MySpaceBook isn’t a good idea. Check out Micro.blog. I just paid for another year, again. Totally worth …
❦ 2021-04-06: Beyond Feature/Bug Dualism: I don’t trust computers. I work with them, I use them, I program them, and I can generally understand how they operate. …
❦ 2021-04-02: Read: Compel Them to Come In: Calvinism and the Free Offer of the Gospel by Macleod, Donald 📚 So good!
❦ 2021-03-14: Riverview Park in Mesa, Ariz.
❦ 2021-03-13: Confessing: “As there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation; so there is no sin so great, that it can bring damnation upon those who truly …
❦ 2021-03-11: Currently reading: Church Leadership and Strategy by Harold L. Senkbeil 📚
❦ 2021-03-08: Added: chapter links “local church and its session" and “regional church and its presbytery” to my OPC Form of Government Commentary page.
❦ 2021-03-05: What’s a virtual book festival look like? We’re about to find out. Rooting for you @TFOB.
❦ 2021-03-02: From Axios: Americans agree about more issues than they realize.
❦ 2021-02-27: Reformed University Fellowship at the University of Arizona is a great ministry. Give online to help support it.
❦ 2021-02-19: Looking forward: Tucson’s Hotel Congress prepping for post COVID-19 world with expansion plans via @tucsonstar
❦ 2021-02-14: Today at Covenant, I’m teaching on chapters 6-10 of the Westminster Confession of Faith. We’ll meet after worship around 11:00am MST. If …
❦ 2021-02-13: Class: Overview of the Westminster Confession of Faith This is the web version of the paper handout for class. In each class, I answer previous questions, briefly overview the structure of the chapter, …
❦ 2021-02-12: What would “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” sound like if it were a Tchaikovsky violin concerto? Like this.
❦ 2021-02-11: “We are more sure to arise out of our graves than out of our beds. “ —Thomas Watson
❦ 2021-02-10: Hymn: “Saviour, if of Zion’s city I, through grace, a member am, let the world deride or pity, I will glory in thy Name: fading is the …
❦ 2021-02-10: What is our “moment" and how should Christians live in it? Check our Joseph Minich’s mini-series, The Woke and the Red-Pill.
❦ 2021-02-09: Cool: the greatest books according “an algorithm [that creates] a master list based on how many lists a particular book appears on. Some lists count …
❦ 2021-02-08: socks of many colors
❦ 2021-02-03: In some places, the last thing people are thinking about is going outside. But if you happen to be in Tucson right now, or somewhere else with good …
❦ 2021-01-29: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” –Romans 12:12
❦ 2021-01-29: Here are some things I believe about mentoring. What’s important to you?
❦ 2021-01-29: Some things I believe about mentoring re: mentorships in general Good mentors share the mental models and key skills that really make a difference. Good mentors also show how to use them …
❦ 2021-01-28: Liked: Why Does It Take So Long To Explain Infant Baptism?
❦ 2021-01-28: Our sunset tonight.
❦ 2021-01-25: Tucson’s snow in 2019 was a lot of fun.
❦ 2021-01-25: Snow tomorrow in Tucson? Yes, please!
❦ 2021-01-25: How to: Replace typed fractions with real fractions on iOS and Mac. It’s a work around. A toggle switch would be nice.
❦ 2021-01-25: Join me today from 12:45-1pm MST to hear the comandment Solomon receives from his dying father. It’s a command that Jesus fufills for us. Click …
❦ 2021-01-23: Beautiful evening sky; hoping for rain next week.
❦ 2021-01-21: The gadget scene in spy movies can help you understand Ephesians 6:10-18. Great insights from Emily Van Dixhoorn.
❦ 2021-01-21: Adonijah’s plot to be come king is foiled and he fears for his life. As promised, Solomon will be king. Join me for Afternoon Prayer, …
❦ 2021-01-19: Afternoon Prayer meets in 15 minutes for 15 minutes: 12:45-1pm MST. Join us as we begin reading and praying through 1-2 Kings. Join here: …
❦ 2021-01-19: Excellent overview of 1-2 Kings.
❦ 2021-01-19: Wish you knew the history of 1-2 Kings better? Here’s an idea: Challenge yourself with this quiz. Come join me online to read and pray through …
❦ 2021-01-19: We loved our first visit to Agua Caliente Park.
❦ 2021-01-19: The Meaning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day shared in poems, essays, songs, and more.
❦ 2021-01-13: Westminster Daily - Of the holy Scripture, part 8 “that, the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship him in an acceptable manner; …
❦ 2021-01-11: Big goals for 2021! Buttercup is trying to maximize her productivity by maintaining an optimal work-life balance and focusing on her core values. But …
❦ 2021-01-09: The Bible provides the best news from the most reliable source. You should read it. Learn more at Westminster Daily.
❦ 2021-01-09: Getting a drink.
❦ 2021-01-08: Because the work of the Holy Spirit by and with the Word, the Church is the pillar and buttress of the truth. Read more in today’s Westminster Daily.
❦ 2021-01-08: Hallelujah!
❦ 2021-01-07: ICYMI: Alan Strange is writing a commentary on the OPC Form of Government.
❦ 2021-01-07: A Commentary on the OPC Book of Church Order by Alan Strange *I dedicate this post to my friend and ruling elder co-laborer, B. F., who learns from the past to serve in the present.* The Book of Church Order of …
❦ 2021-01-07: The main reason I believe and obey the Bible is because God is the author of the Bible.
❦ 2021-01-06: Buttercup and the chickens are getting comfortable with each other. These things take time.
❦ 2021-01-05: Where can you learn how to glorify and enjoy God? Click for the answer.
❦ 2021-01-05: Just before quoting from Proverbs 3, Hebrews 5:12 says: “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?” This is one example of …
❦ 2021-01-05: “A clear conscience is the sure sign of a bad memory.” — Mark Twain
❦ 2021-01-04: Westminster Daily - Of the holy Scripture, part 2
❦ 2021-01-04: Burton Barr Cental Library in Phoenix is still offering curbside pickup, but I wish I could have gone inside. Lots of memories there.
❦ 2021-01-03: Westminster Daily - How doth it appear that there is a God?
❦ 2021-01-03: Reading Holy Helps for a Godly Life would be a good way to start your year.
❦ 2021-01-02: I start preaching 2 John tomorrow morning. It should be on the podcast later in the day. Interesting tidbit: Karen Jobes gives some good reasons to …
❦ 2021-01-01: OPCers in HI, AZ, and CA: @pscopc posted some important updates today regarding several upcoming meetings.
❦ 2020-12-30: After the workout after the win, Suns forward Jae Crowder in Arizona Republic: “That’s what I’ve been preaching to the guys. Make the days …
❦ 2020-12-25: Liked: Were Joseph and Mary ‘poor’?
❦ 2020-12-24: Rainer predicts more church fostering in 2021
❦ 2020-12-24: Rainer predicts more church fostering in 2021 Thom S. Rainer: Church fostering will move into the early adoption stage. Church fostering takes place when a healthier church helps a less healthy …
❦ 2020-12-22: Working together, scientists across disciplines were able find, produce, and even taste fruit from seeds thousands of years old. In Tucson, we’re …
❦ 2020-12-21: Hooray! Now you can use @AmazonSmile on a browser or in the Amazon mobile app. I support Westminster Seminary California with my purchases. You should …
❦ 2020-12-21: a Hamilton parody just in time for Christmas… Jesus Christ of Nazareth 🙂✨
❦ 2020-12-19: “The Spirit did not lead Jesus above natural life with its exposure to dangers, trials, temptation, and suffering, but deeper and deeper into …
❦ 2020-12-18: A good definition of biblicism + resource page from @heidelblog.net.
❦ 2020-12-16: “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24). Any ideas?
❦ 2020-12-10: On this day 1 year ago
❦ 2020-12-10: So thankful for the way @opchomemissions supported Covenant when we were a church plant. Watch to hear from two current church planters about ministry …
❦ 2020-12-09: Near the UFO junkyard in Ocotillo, CA.
❦ 2020-12-08: Strange… there doesn’t seem to be an emoji for video calls. Do these work: selfie 🤳 or a handshake+smartphone w/arrow combo 🤝📲?
❦ 2020-12-07: Baseball Sunset in Oro Valley 1
❦ 2020-12-07: I started a sermon series yesterday called The Promised Messiah. #1 The Last Word; #2 Mediator of a New Covenant.
❦ 2020-12-06: Take heed: David French on The Crisis of Christian Celebrity
❦ 2020-12-06: David French on Christian Celebrity David French: I’ve known a number of Christian public figures who haven’t fallen—men and women who’ve lived decades in the public eye and have lived …
❦ 2020-12-05: We hear more about angels during Christmas, but they’re around all year. I wrote a short post about one way God uses angels to encourage …
❦ 2020-12-05: Lord Sabbaoth and His Angelic Encouragements When we suffer for the name of Christ, we need biblical encouragement. And one form of biblical encouragement involves angels. Consider the …
❦ 2020-12-04: The sermon is an important part of worship. Here’s how to make the most of it.
❦ 2020-12-03: Learn about the @OrthodoxPC work in Mbale, Uganda. See how long-term committments make a difference. Faith and patience: it takes time for seeds to …
❦ 2020-12-02: light shimmering off Buttercup’s jet black fur
❦ 2020-11-28: Tomorrow I will finish preaching the Gospel of John and will be sad to say goodbye to Frederick Dale Bruner, who, via his 1,200+ pg commentary, has …
❦ 2020-11-28: Finished The Art of Neighboring by @jayrpathak and Dave Runyon. Great into. Deals with common struggles, helps avoid missteps, and is full of good …
❦ 2020-11-27: When Jesus comes “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4), but until then there is heartbreak even on the holidays. My heart …
❦ 2020-11-26: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” #psalm103v2
❦ 2020-11-25: Learn about New Horizons, the OPC’s monthly magazine. Watch on vimeo.
❦ 2020-11-23: Thanks to Christ Reformed Church in Washington, D.C., we now have a collection of links to most of the tunes used in Trinity Psalter Hymnal. You can …
❦ 2020-11-21: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18).
❦ 2020-11-20: Congratulations and thanks to David C. Noe for his new book, God or Baal: Two Letters on the Reformation of Worship and Pastoral Service.
❦ 2020-11-19: Where your clothes come from.
❦ 2020-11-19: This week Zondervan video courses are 50% off.
❦ 2020-11-18: Postmodernism: Some Corrections and Clarifications by Elena Shalneva
❦ 2020-11-17: Not all knowledge of Jesus is the same. Jonathan Edwards put it well: “There is a difference between having a rational judgment honey is sweet, and …
❦ 2020-11-16: Here’s last night’s sermon on Genesis 22, the sacrifice of Isaac, where we discover that closeness with God sometimes includes hard things.
❦ 2020-11-15: “Love is that liquor sweet and most divine, which my God feels as blood and I as wine.” (George Herbert). I invite you to listen to the sermon I …
❦ 2020-11-13: Attended a memorial service tonight where this quote by C. H. Spurgeon could have been the theme: “If I may die as I have seen some die, I court …
❦ 2020-11-13: I used to plant my flowers in my friend Tom’s yard, but I let them die and started all over because Mr. Zuckerberg said I could use his nicer yard for …
❦ 2020-11-11: Not every email needs military-level precision, but it usually helps. Here are some email rules I use (and sometimes break).
❦ 2020-11-11: Good email rules I sometimes break Use one subject per email thread with a good subject line. Keep it short. Five sentences or fewer usually works. For longer emails, consider writing …
❦ 2020-11-09: When I feel anxious, I use these words from Psalm 62: “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock …
❦ 2020-11-06: What would you do to ensure the integrity of an election? Here’s Arizona’s 2020 plan.
❦ 2020-10-20: Why China might have had the largest unknown modern Calvinist revival movement in recent history » MercatorNet
❦ 2020-10-17: New to me. Left to right: 🧼, 💦 , 💨.
❦ 2020-10-06: Q. How can you prevent instantly loosing all your stuff on Facebook/Instagram/Kindle, like these people? A: #ownyourowndata
❦ 2020-10-05: Curious about how Micro.blog can be used for business? Check out what I’m doing for @dellachelpkaArt. And if you’ve got feedback, …
❦ 2020-10-05: Some popular thinkers on shame have been helpful to me, but they could be much more helpful if they remembered that not all shame is the same.
❦ 2020-10-05: Not all shame is the same Yesterday morning I preached John 19:1-6 about the shaming of Jesus. If I may add a little something, there’s an important distinction about shame …
❦ 2020-10-03: At the Imperial Sand Dunes this summer.
❦ 2020-10-02: Over-functioners, beware of 1 Thessalonians 4:11.
❦ 2020-09-30: God connects us to each other in many ways. One way is through our shared watersheds. @WaterHarvester explains how and with beautiful maps in …
❦ 2020-09-29: Life is full of surprises. According to my source, what unicorn fairies do is sort papers.
❦ 2020-09-26: In a.m. sermon last week, Peter denies Jesus and then something amazing happens.
❦ 2020-09-19: From bud to blackberry and everything in between, a lovely picture by @BestofTimes.
❦ 2020-09-18: Here are a few of the books that have helped me improve the organizational and discipleship structures at Covenant.
❦ 2020-09-18: Read these to improve your church’s organizational and discipleship structures Comprehensive Treatments Although leadership is essential for shepherding the oranizational and discipleship structures of the church, the …
❦ 2020-09-17: The new podcast Ad Navseam is fascinating. Funny too. My son and I listened together today and loved it. And since he’s reading the Iliad at school, …
❦ 2020-09-12: Listening to Gautier Capuçon play Debussy. So beautiful.
❦ 2020-09-09: God punished Sodom and Gomorrah for several reasons, one is to teach us some things we need to learn.
❦ 2020-09-08: The greatness of Jesus on display during his arrest gives us confidence in his victory and love for us. Listen to my morning sermon from last Sunday …
❦ 2020-08-27: Beautiful beans from Bonita Bean in Willcox, AZ.
❦ 2020-08-26: re: your request @drantbradley I think you’ll like Bible Reading With Your Kids: A Simple Guide for Every Father.
❦ 2020-07-27: AZ Republic: Receive unsolicited seeds from China? Arizona officials want you to turn them in
❦ 2020-07-15: ETS et al. meeting online this year is a bummer in some ways, but good for folks like me who can attend now.
❦ 2020-07-13: Monsoons arrived on Saturday.
❦ 2020-07-09: Ouch! The key pad at the gas station was so hot today I had to take breaks typing my PIN.
❦ 2020-07-09: I published a new issue of Covenant Chronicle today. Updates about the church. Lots to praise God for. This marks the re-emergence of our print church …
❦ 2020-07-07: I want to live someday “in that world where such absurd and inhuman distinctions are unknown", just like Theodore Sedgwick Wright.
❦ 2020-07-06: Dr. Steve Baugh is a role model for me in so many ways. #deepwork is one of them, which comes out some in his conversation with @rscottclark about 37 …
❦ 2020-07-05: To better understand what it means to be “not of this world”, read What Did Jesus Mean by “The World”? by @Nick_Batzig.
❦ 2020-07-03: Took the kids up to Mt. Hopkins today. We stopped just up the road from from the Smithsonian Whipple Observatory. Down the hill, this momma and calf …
❦ 2020-07-03: John Calvin: To sum up everything in a word: The cross of Christ finally trumps in believers’ hearts—over the devil, the flesh, sin, and the …
❦ 2020-07-02: I’m going to try syndicating my posts to Twitter for a while.
❦ 2020-07-02: Pirate Lorem Ipsum Prow scuttle parrel provost Sail ho shrouds spirits boom mizzenmast yardarm. Pinnace holystone mizzenmast quarter crow’s nest nipperkin grog …
❦ 2020-07-01: Jump over to whimsical.club. With so many overly-serious websites these days, it’s fun to explore some “websites that spark joy.” HT: @chrisaldrich
❦ 2020-06-27: Photo by Clara
❦ 2020-06-26: I’ve tried to follow the directions but can’t figure out how to get canonical urls automatically added to tweets that have been cross-posted from …
❦ 2020-06-25: Did you know you can follow and even reply to some blogs that are not directly connected to the Micro.blog network?
❦ 2020-06-25: I’m designing a course on Christian maturity and discovered the Workload Estimator 2.0. If you are a teacher, bookmark this. Students might find …
❦ 2020-06-16: Over the next two of days, I’m attending Acton University Online. There are so many interesting sessions that choosing my schedule was tough. I’m …
❦ 2020-06-16: Gospel of John, 17v3: And this is eternal life, that they know you, the ony true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Epistle to Diognetus, …
❦ 2020-06-15: Last’s night’s sermon was on these words from Genesis 17:1: “walk before me and be blameless.” Listen to hear what that looks …
❦ 2020-06-14: This morning I preached John 16:25-33. In this passage, Jesus tells us three truths that steady our hearts and give us peace.
❦ 2020-06-11: Meredith Kline on p. 318 of Kingdom Prologue: …divine demand for godliness is therefore found in covenants of works and grace alike. The …
❦ 2020-04-16: Lessons on Counseling, Marriage, Gender Roles, and More (Todd Bordow) Todd Bordow is the pastor of Cornerstone OPC in Houston. He has degrees from Westminster Seminary California (M.Div.) and Reformed Theological …
❦ 2020-04-10: Video Conference Etiquette + Skills Checklist This is entry 3 of the blogchain Better Leading, Better Meeting. Meeting with people on the Internet has a specific set of blessings and challenges, …
❦ 2020-03-20: 🍎🥩🍌🍐🍉🍖🥚🍇🍓🥬🍆🥑🍗🥛 USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue salutes the heroes in the US food supply chain.
❦ 2020-03-18: Clara sings! A better way to wash your hands. Instead of counting to 20 when you wash your hands, sing a hymn. It’s a practical way to trust in God instead of getting anxious. And since each verse …
❦ 2020-03-14: The Berlin Phil is offering free streaming of its concerts. And starting Monday with Carmen, the Met is going to be streaming a free opera every …
❦ 2020-03-13: Want to limit germ spread during communion? Passing communion trays is a very common practice, but it doesn’t seem to be the best way if you are trying to limit the spread of germs. So are there …
❦ 2020-03-05: Check out the Coronavirus Misinformation Tracking Center by NewsGuard.
❦ 2020-02-29: How Hughes Oliphant Old Got Better at Praying I suspect all Christians would like to improve in their ability to pray. I know I would. Even though we don’t believe prayer is a performance, it is …
❦ 2020-02-15: Paul (Ephesians 4:26): Be angry and do not sin. Also true: Love and do not sin. Hate and do not sin. Desire and do not sin. Spurn and do not sin. …
❦ 2020-02-11: Day 11: Plain Click through to see how @dellachelpkaArt turned this plain wall into a work of art..
❦ 2020-02-10: Day 10: Sign
❦ 2020-02-09: For Day 9: Lull
❦ 2020-02-08: For Day 8: Contrast…this coloring book cover. 😆 <img src=“https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/4821/2020/b8ff1ceb85.jpg" …
❦ 2020-02-07: I’m late to the photoblog challenge, but I’ve got a great one for today’s word: Above.
❦ 2020-02-06: Read Players First: Coaching from the Inside Out by John Calipari and Michael Sokolove. I think this might be the first sports book I’ve ever read!
❦ 2020-01-28: Churches Should Protect Their Data. Tips and Links! Dear Church leaders, How are you doing at protecting the valuable data of your church and its members? Whether it’s less private information like the …
❦ 2020-01-28: Happy Data Privacy Day. Learn more: staysafeonline.org.
❦ 2020-01-27: Keep Current on Cybersecurity with These Four Blogs Cybersecurity needs and threats change. If you want to keep current on recent threats, get tips for online safety, and read other cybersecurity …
❦ 2020-01-22: My daughter and I are learning about God’s amazing planet Saturn.
❦ 2020-01-14: Reflecting on Attachment Theory in Light of Scripture This is entry 6 of the blogchain TBRI. TBRI is rooted in attachment theory, as seen in this animation. I’ve done some more reading and thinking about …
❦ 2020-01-11: If all goes well, these pieces of birch plywood are going to become tap dance practice pads for my kids.
❦ 2020-01-08: Rebecca McLaughlin (tweet): Friends sometimes tell me they wish they had my faith. When this happens, I gently point out that they do: they just put …
❦ 2020-01-04: Notebooks is about to get several major upgrades. According to Screen Time, it competes with Brave for my most used app. I still agree with what I …
❦ 2020-01-01: A Toolbox of Helpful Phrases for Parents and Other Caregivers This is entry 5 of the blogchain TBRI. Words are powerful tools to help get kids back on the right track. So it’s helpful to have a toolbox of …
❦ 2019-12-31: Empowering Things that Have Helped Our Kids This is entry 4 of the blogchain TBRI. Meeting the physical and connection needs of a person—big or little—can help with a wide range of behavior …
❦ 2019-12-31: Essential Skills and Beliefs for TBRI This is entry 3 of the blogchain TBRI. After working my way through an online TBRI course, I’ve concluded that there is an essential set of …
❦ 2019-12-29: We had a great time a few days ago at the Winterhaven Festival of Lights. It was put on for charity this year by these amazing Tucsonans for the 70th …
❦ 2019-12-28: Read Ultralearning by Scott H. Young. It’s a great book for anyone wanting to improve their ability to learn.
❦ 2019-12-25: For Classics Nerds: The PM Recites A Bit Of The IIiad From Memory (In Greek!) - The Heidelblog
❦ 2019-12-24: We’re feline festive over here.
❦ 2019-12-23: Last Saturday I went to Cello Christmas 2019 hosted by super-teacher Mary Beth Tyndall. About 40 cellists playing Christmas tunes, a scroll decorating …
❦ 2019-12-19: John Calvin: music is “a gift of God” “…among the other things which are appropriate to recreate man and give him desire, music is either the first …
❦ 2019-12-19: 🕵️♂️ on the trail of an ink thief!
❦ 2019-12-17: I read Music, Singing, and Emotions: Exploring the Connections in Themelios. What a great essay.
❦ 2019-12-14: Someone should write a Christmas carol based on Rev 21:16 and call it Angles from the Realms of Glory.
❦ 2019-12-13: It won’t be long now.
❦ 2019-12-11: Twitter aims to build an open standard for social networks - Axios
❦ 2019-12-10: Aquinas on Emotions: A Summary of Peter King’s Research Peter King has written a top-shelf article on Thomas Aquinas’s view of emotions. This is my summary of some of his key findings. What is an …
❦ 2019-12-07: An Invitation to Hope An old man named Zecharaiah is filled with the Holy Spirit. He prophesies about the miraculous births of two children: one his son, the other his …
❦ 2019-12-07: Better Leading, Better Meeting: What to Read This is entry 2 of the blogchain Better Leading, Better Meeting. At the most general level, any good book on leadership will give you insights that …
❦ 2019-12-06: Meeting are Gatherings This is entry 1 of the blogchain Better Leading, Better Meeting. You can lead better meetings and engage in them more fruitfully if you can learn to …
❦ 2019-12-06: 👎 Social Network + Like Button - Moderation = Incentive to Game the System. @manton explains in Purchasing Fake Likes.
❦ 2019-12-05: How do you wait on God? Among other helpful points, @mwerickson writes: Unlike generalized “waiting for the world to turn” or “waiting for a …
❦ 2019-12-03: What is Productivity? Productivity is a measure of your output divided by your input. Output is measured by the importance of the accomplishment to your goals. A person …
❦ 2019-11-28: 🦃 My daughter loves to choreograph, my son has a lot of energy, and we’re all thankful for the turkey. Happy Thanksgiving!
❦ 2019-11-27: Mercy and Empowerment This is entry 2 of the blogchain TBRI. When my wife comes home with groceries in the car, the kids and I will help her unload them and bring them …
❦ 2019-11-27: How to Improve Your Thinking and Conversations Learning how to think and have good conversations are two skills you can and should improve. They’re also related because thinking is relational. …
❦ 2019-11-26: How Much Does A Turkey Really Cost? How much do you really pay for a turkey after you subtract the weight of the non-edibles like packaging, bones, and blood. With Thanksgiving two days …
❦ 2019-11-26: 📚 Looking forward to reading @manton’s forthcoming book, Indie Microblogging.
❦ 2019-11-23: What is TBRI? This is entry 1 of the blogchain TBRI. TBRI stands for Trust-Based Relational Intervention. It’s a set of ideas and practices championed by …
❦ 2019-11-22: 🎨 Nice! This easy to use tool can tell you if certain color combos meet web accessibility standards or not. And when they don’t, it suggests close …
❦ 2019-11-17: ⚠️ Don’t leave your lightsaber on the floor. It’s dangerous!
❦ 2019-11-05: How to Change the Order of Posts in a Category (Micro.blog + Hugo) Like most blog themes, my current theme uses reverse chronological order to display posts. Newest posts show first. I like this, but I wanted the …
❦ 2019-11-05: American Cursive I’m on a learning adventure to master the fundamentals of cursive penmenship. It’s a relaxed adventure. More of a stroll, actually. My kids are …
❦ 2019-10-31: 🗺 Explore the future of blogging and the Internet by adding to this group blogchain. Or, if you prefer, just read along.
❦ 2019-10-27: 🧺 Beautiful day for a picnic! We had a relaxing time and got to meet some more of our great neighbors.
❦ 2019-10-24: 📚 Read: about Aquinas on emotions. Excellent…and fascinating.
❦ 2019-10-21: ⛪️ Great sermons yesterday at Covenant. Listen to Phil Kruis’s exhortation from 1 Timothy to godliness and contentment, and Paul Johnson …
❦ 2019-10-16: 📚 Members of my church are sharing books with each another through Inventaire. The UI could use some attention, but overall it’s working well.
❦ 2019-10-14: Improving Our Communication System at Covenant Over the next few months at Covenant, we are working to improve and align the various ways we share information at church. This includes how we use …
❦ 2019-10-12: 🌵 We saw a bunch of these little guys last Saturday at the Tucson Reptile and Amphibian Show. They don’t stay little!
❦ 2019-10-01: 👩💻👨💻 Let’s take some personal responsibility for our media landscape and diet. Jim VandeHei of Axios gets personal.
❦ 2019-09-26: 📖 Last night in Going Deeper, I taught the distinction between archetypal and ectypal theology. The great Francis Junius wrote a few excellent …
❦ 2019-09-25: 🧔🏻 Check out my new learning page. Thank you Jared Pereia for the idea.
❦ 2019-09-24: Being Spiritually Mature is Important According to Ephesians 4, it is God’s will that the church grow and become more mature. That the body of Christ, with all it’s members “attain to the …
❦ 2019-09-23: ✍🏻 @Dellachelpkaart’s peaceful meditation on the 23rd Psalm, which I preached last night. “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
❦ 2019-09-21: 📷 Lots of barrel cactus.
❦ 2019-09-16: ❤️ this picture of my daughter in front of a giant moon. @dellachelpkaArt made it with charcoal!
❦ 2019-09-14: 📚 Read The Whole Systems Approach by Bill and Cindy Adams. Great book! It helped me to better see the systems that comprise organizations. I feel more …
❦ 2019-09-14: Class: Going Deeper Going Deeper is designed to help you mature in Christ through twice per month, in-person classes a weekly online reading group Attending Going …
❦ 2019-09-14: Class: Covenant Life Starting next Wednesday, I will be teaching a micro-class called Covenant Life. We’ll meet twice: on 9/18 and 10/2 from 6:00-7:30pm at 3131 N. Country …
❦ 2019-09-11: 📚 Read: Catholicism Made Me Protestant by Onsi A. Kamel in First Things
❦ 2019-09-03: 🇭🇰 There are so many remarkable things about the protests in Hong Kong.
❦ 2019-08-31: 🎨 Maybe a tenth of the whole mural at Olé Mexican Grill. Who painted this? It’s so fun.
❦ 2019-08-19: 🎨 Another beautiful sunset in Tucson.
❦ 2019-08-18: ⛪️ In John 7, John says that the Holy Spirit had not come because Jesus was not yet glorified. What did he mean and why is this important? Today, I …
❦ 2019-08-16: Your Amazing Body A lady recently commissioned my wife to paint a helmet for her foster daughter. As usual, Della poured her heart into her painting and it turned out …
❦ 2019-08-09: 📕 You can now get a PDF of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Very handy.
❦ 2019-08-05: 🌴 I’ve seen prickly pear growing out of rain gutters before but never on the side of a palm tree.
❦ 2019-08-03: 📚 In another translation gift from David Noe, Beza writes a fervent letter to a Polish prince about the Trinity and against those who were leading …
❦ 2019-07-27: 🧘♂️ Mindfulness is Loaded with (Troubling) Metaphysical Assumptions by Sahanika Ratnayake is spot on. Ed Clowney wouldn’t disagree, and he goes …
❦ 2019-07-23: 🎯 Kevin Vanhoozer explains the goal of doctrine: The goal of doctrine is to help people understand the story of which they are a part—the drama of …
❦ 2019-07-22: 📚 Finished: Scaling Leadership by Robert Anderson and William Adams. It’s very similar to Mastering Leadership and better in a few ways.
❦ 2019-07-19: 🤔 Think about this: Jesus is one person with two natures. You can understand what that means by considering how the Bible says Jesus knows or doesn’t …
❦ 2019-07-17: 📚 Kevin Vanhoozer has a lot of great ways of explaining the connection between doctrine and discipleship in his new book for pastors. Loved it.
❦ 2019-07-17: Me and my sweetie. ❤️
❦ 2019-07-13: When it Rains it Pours A nervous exit into a parking lot and now we are standing on the side of Ft. Lowell Rd. It only rained for a few minutes, but now the road is a river. …
❦ 2019-07-12: 💯 I’m trying to help someone very special to me level up as a freelance professional. So I took Seth Godin’s Freelancer Course. He makes a lot of …
❦ 2019-07-11: 📚 I wanted to read a book of poetry on my vacation. So glad I chose Nine Horses by Billy Collins. Now I think I’m going to see how much progress I can …
❦ 2019-07-08: 📚 I read Andrew Thomson’s bio of Thomas Boston. Boston was zealous in man-fishing, intimate with God, loving toward family and flock, persevering in …
❦ 2019-07-08: 😲 I can’t believe how easy it was for our dachshund to blast up and down this steep hill. He did the full trip about ten times in a row!
❦ 2019-07-07: 🔊📚 Finished listening to another amazing Laura Ingalls Wilder book, On the Banks of Plum Creek.
❦ 2019-07-06: 📚 Finished reading Mastering Leadership by Bob Anderson and Bill Adams
❦ 2019-07-06: 😋 My son is harvesting our grapes today. Look at this juicy bunch!
❦ 2019-07-04: 🇺🇸📚 Watched fireworks from the roof tonight with my kids and read some pieces in What So Proudly We Hail, a superb anthology on what it means to be …
❦ 2019-06-26: 🦞 Celebrate crawdads!
❦ 2019-06-25: 🐾 Watching the ground squirrels from the window in my study.
❦ 2019-06-24: 💪🏻 I met and passed my goal of 40 push-ups. It was easier than I thought it would be; the encouragement helped. Thanks!
❦ 2019-06-23: ⛺️ The first campground was full. The second had one old man camping in his van and a zillion frogs. Still, we pitched the tent, that is until …
❦ 2019-06-22: 📚🔈 My family and I finished listening to The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. What an amazing story.
❦ 2019-06-22: 💪🏻 A week ago, I could only do 26 pushups spread out over three sets. Today, I did 36. I’m surprised how fast that happened! I’m almost at my goal of …
❦ 2019-06-19: ⏸ Let’s just stand here for a moment.
❦ 2019-06-17: 💌 I updated my Now Page yesterday. And if you want the extended play version, subscribe to my (relaunched) newsletter. It’s written and sent with …
❦ 2019-06-15: When Can My Child Receive the Lord's Supper? Covenant Kids Your child is already a precious member of the church. He (or, she, as the case may be) has already been marked by baptism as belonging …
❦ 2019-06-15: 🍔 From an Arizona softball game a few weeks ago. I didn’t know you could do this with bread.
❦ 2019-06-15: A Simple Liturgy on Ephesians Verses for a Prayer of Invocation “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) “Let the words of my mouth and the …
❦ 2019-06-14: Finished Reading Diakonia Studies by John Collins As I understand it, Diakonia Studies: Critical Issues in Ministry is a kind of updating and commentary and clarifying and restating of Collins’s …
❦ 2019-06-14: I suppose that when you create your own Indiepaper read-later feed on Micro.blog, you could share it with others. So it’s not locked. But is it …
❦ 2019-06-13: 🎵 For your summer playlist: My friend, Austin Britton, singing and playing his heart out on his album A Light for the Next Hour. Get yourself a copy …
❦ 2019-06-13: ⛪️ One of my elders asked me to write another ready-to-use liturgy in case I get sick or some planned pulpit supply falls through. I did that and …
❦ 2019-06-13: A Simple Liturgy on The Holiness of God in His Temple Verses for an Invocation Prayer: “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing …
❦ 2019-06-12: 📚 We have different reasons but Daisy loves books too.
❦ 2019-06-11: 📚 Currently reading: Diakonia Studies: Critical Issues in Ministry by John N. Collins
❦ 2019-06-11: Four Types of Meetings According to Patrick Lencioni For me, the most helpful point Patrick Lencioni makes in Death by Meeting is what he calls “Meeting Stew.” The single biggest structural …
❦ 2019-06-08: Calling God “Father” Let’s do a little theology. In the Nicene Creed we call God, “Father.” According to Scripture, there are several true ways we can understand the name …
❦ 2019-06-08: Sustained Focus is Not a Fad The necessity of focusing may be more difficult in the digital age, but it is not a new problem. Writing in 1827, Samuel Miller, the presbtyerian …
❦ 2019-06-07: 🍸 Lift a glass to this beautiful olive tree. It’s about 65 years old. I wrote a little meditation on Psalm 128:3 with this tree in mind.
❦ 2019-06-07: Review: Scripture Doctrine of a Call to the Work of the Gospel Ministry William Plumer (1802–1880) was a southern Presbyterian minister and professor. He held various positions within the church to help men prepare for the …
❦ 2019-06-06: Four Things Jesus Does With Miracles Jesus once fed more than 5,000 people using only five loaves of bread and two fish. With something as amazing as that, you’d be right to think that …
❦ 2019-05-30: 👋 Meet Watchman Wee. He was created by my dad, a meticulous craftsman who always keeps a bit of whimsy close by. I love that about my dad.
❦ 2019-05-30: 👁🗨 It’s the middle of the night. Do you know who your iPhone is talking to? from The Washington Post Apple promises privacy, but iPhone apps share …
❦ 2019-05-29: 🌀 “the household gods utter nonsense”
❦ 2019-05-29: 🐌 Loading problems for my website are fixed now. Thanks to the Micro.blog slack community, esp. @mikehaynes for the help.
❦ 2019-05-28: Multiple Names for God The beginning of the Nicene Creed refers to God as Father and Almighty. I believe in one God, the Father Almighty What do those two names mean to …
❦ 2019-05-27: 🌱 Inspired by the Johnny Appleseed of hollyhocks, I now have a bag of seeds and am on a mission.
❦ 2019-05-25: ⍟ If you’d like to better understand Jesus’s relationship to the Father, or the Trinity in general, listen to last week’s sermon. Tomorrow, I will …
❦ 2019-05-25: I Believe. Amen. The Nicene Creed contains core doctrines of the Christian Faith. It puts forth a set of objective truths about the triune nature of God, the work of …
❦ 2019-05-24: ⍟ How a journalist pretended to be scientist and fooled the media into reporting that chocolate helps people lose weight.
❦ 2019-05-22: A Pastoral Rule for Today I finished reading A Pastoral Rule for Today: Reviving an Ancient Practice. Drawing lessons from pastors of the past, the authors show how pastors …
❦ 2019-05-21: Review of Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport Most of us are accustomed to a maximalist approach to technology. As long as it’s new and has some value to us, we adopt it. But according to Cal …
❦ 2019-05-20: 🎵 Finzi, Parry, and Bridge: today is a great day for listening to English string orchestra music.
❦ 2019-05-19: ⍟ Spring flowers in the backyard.
❦ 2019-05-18: Tears of Love David sang, My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue. Without meditation He would have been a cold man …
❦ 2019-05-17: ⍟ I’ve had a my own website for almost two decades. But since I moved it to Micro.blog about a year ago, I’ve enjoyed it more and used it more than …
❦ 2019-05-17: ⍟ My most valuable app got a major update. Accordance Mobile 3.0 is snappier, the UI is so much better, and there are many other upgrades. …
❦ 2019-05-16: Love Incorruptible in Ephesians 6:24 Paul ends Ephesians, with the following benediction: ἡ χάρις μετὰ πάντων τῶν ἀγαπώντων τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ. What does this …
❦ 2019-05-14: ⍟ If you know a kid learning Latin, tell them they can win $150 and a beginning Greek course from the amazing Dr. Noe.
❦ 2019-05-11: ⍟ You think making pancakes is soooo easy. 🥴
❦ 2019-05-11: John Cassian Explains Suffering John Cassian (ca. 360-435) was a world-travelling ascetic who thought a lot about suffering. And in his work, On the Death of the Saints (conference …
❦ 2019-05-11: Preventing Shootings at Church What can a church do to prevent a shooting in their congregation? Here are a four practical ideas drawn from Safe Schools Arizona: An Action Plan to …
❦ 2019-05-08: ⍟ Beautiful California.
❦ 2019-05-05: ⍟ I love these lines in Michael Perry’s “O God Beyond All Praising”: And whether our tomorrows be filled with good or ill, We’ll triumph …
❦ 2019-05-02: ⍟ A family picture
❦ 2019-05-01: ⍟ Alan Jacobs (@ayjay) on Snakes and Ladders: I have come to believe that this is what almost all of our culture is about now: working the refs.
❦ 2019-04-28: Show Me the Evidence When the other disciples told Thomas that they had seen Jesus, risen from the dead, Thomas didn’t believe them. Their testimony to the truth wasn’t …
❦ 2019-04-25: Two Shortcuts for Quickly Sharing Books with WorldCat Shortcut: WorldCat Search Shortcut: WorldCat Markdown Link Until recently, I used Amazon almost exclusively for sharing links to books. But you may …
❦ 2019-04-24: ⍟ My mother is so creative. And she puts tons of love into her work. Congrats, Mom, for finishing this amazing quilt!
❦ 2019-04-23: ⍟ Listen to my two sermons from last Sunday on what Christians can expect concerning their resurrection bodies and why that matters: one and Two.
❦ 2019-04-22: ⍟ Chelpkid Number 3: “If you could snap your fingers and have anything if you want, what would you wish for? I would wish for infinity wishes, but if …
❦ 2019-04-21: Two Resurrections ⍟ Because Jesus’ rose from the dead, all who belong to him will be resurrected too. Westminster Shorter Catechism: Q. 38. What benefits do believers …
❦ 2019-04-20: ⍟ I hiked about 6.5 beautiful miles east of Tucson this morning with my son and some men from church. We went to Bridal Wreath Falls and had a great …
❦ 2019-04-15: ⍟ Read this mini-lesson about ancient copies of the Bible.
❦ 2019-04-15: ⍟ The power of the devil can be terrifying, but Christians overcome him “by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony”. Be encouraged in …
❦ 2019-04-15: ⍟ Congrats to Crema Coffee! Now open for business in northwest Tucson (near Bookmans on Ina). Go say, hi. They use beans from Exo Roast.
❦ 2019-04-13: ⍟ After his resurrection, Jesus said, “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Tomorrow, I’ll …
❦ 2019-04-13: How I Learned to Prune Mesquite and Palo Verde Trees This is the story about a 45-minute video on how to prune Mesquite and Palo Verde trees by Angelo Romeo. Feel free to stop reading, but if have at …
❦ 2019-04-13: When Jesus Won’t Do a Miracle Lutheran pastor, Johannes Brenz (1499–1570), writes in his Commentary on John: It is not a true faith which is conceived from miracles and wonders or …
❦ 2019-04-13: ⍟ If you are looking for ways to improve your teaching, check out my little guide called Links for Improving Your Teaching. I added new links and …
❦ 2019-04-12: Conversations on Focus and Distraction Here are three thoughtful conversations about focus and distraction. They approach the subject from different angles; all are worth listening to. I …
❦ 2019-04-11: ⍟ Seth Godin’s Avacado Principles are ripe and ready to use. 🥑
❦ 2019-04-09: ⍟ It’s probably true.
❦ 2019-04-06: ⍟ Will and Lee brought down the house at the Tucson Folk Festival this afternoon! This is how they started the show. Check out youngmacdonaldband.com …
❦ 2019-04-06: 5,860 Households According to the Post Office, there are 5,860 households within a half-mile of the church I pastor. If I introduced myself to 10 a week, it would take …
❦ 2019-04-05: ⍟ Lots of beautiful bells.
❦ 2019-04-04: ⍟ What would be a great set of classic texts to read on the doctrine of the Trinity? Fred Sanders gives his answer in this annotated reading list.
❦ 2019-04-04: Appreciate Worship to Participate in Worship When you understand what worship is, it’s easier to be active and truly present in worship. Like learning the rules of baseball before you go to your …
❦ 2019-04-03: ⍟ Giant butterfly at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park
❦ 2019-04-03: Introducing Young MacDonald Let me introduce you to a teenage Americana band that will knock your socks off, our good friends, Young MacDonald. Will and Lee MacDonald are …
❦ 2019-04-02: The Story of Reality This Sunday at Covenant, a young man we’ve been mentoring for a few months is going to profess his faith and be baptized. We’re so happy for him! One …
❦ 2019-04-01: The “Lost” Books of the Bible Were Never Lost Michael Kruger, author of Canon Revisited writes on his blog: So, no one hid or suppressed these books. On the contrary, early Christians were quite …
❦ 2019-03-30: The center of a clay tile mural handmade by Gail Roberts. You can see her amazing art all over Tucson.
❦ 2019-03-29: ⍟ According to this WaPo story, you should breathe through your nose.
❦ 2019-03-28: Dog? at (32.7299, -114.6378)
❦ 2019-03-26: ⍟ I learned a little more tonight about how to make my website more accessible to people with visual impairments. This is a fun topic! Now my links …
❦ 2019-03-23: How to Read Opposing Arguments A Play-by-Play Description Fred Sanders, professor of theology at Biola, on Twitter: Clarity ensues. But as I’m paraphrasing their own …
❦ 2019-03-22: Incline Your Ear, Listen Diligently to Me “Paying Attention in Worship” John Muether, professor of church history and dean of libraries at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, …
❦ 2019-03-22: Pictures of the Yuma Territorial Prison I took these photos of the Yuma Territorial Prison. Another picture worth seeing is the mug shot of Pearl Hart, a media savvy prisoner who was part of …
❦ 2019-03-21: Our Visit To Yuma, AZ Dear Covenant, As you know, this last Saturday through Monday I went with my family to Yuma. While there, my wife was able to take an art class with a …
❦ 2019-03-18: Helicopter on a stick.
❦ 2019-03-16: Golden fried alligator.
❦ 2019-03-15: ⍟ I’ve posted an update on what I’m doing now.
❦ 2019-03-15: ⍟ I wrote some summary notes on John Owen and Herbert Croft’s thoughts on deacons. Their books on the nature of the church were published in London …
❦ 2019-03-13: Review of Think Again: How to Reason and Argue by Walter Sinnott-Armstrong Every so often I find it helpful to read a book about reasoning. It was about that time again when Alan Jacobs recommended Think Again: How to Reason …
❦ 2019-03-12: Review of How to Think by Alan Jacobs, Plus Quotes The following is a repost from my November 2017 review on Goodreads. Alan Jacobs. 2017. How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds. Currency. …
❦ 2019-03-12: Thanks to @ayjay, I read Think Again: How to Reason and Argue by Walter Sinnott-Armstrong. This is an introductory book on the principles of good …
❦ 2019-03-12: Private Conversations in a Very Public World Prof. Kate Klonick teaches her students about privacy with a “creepy assignment”. She has them go to public places and then learn what …
❦ 2019-03-11: On a short walk at Thono Chul between classes.
❦ 2019-03-11: At the Ann Day Community Park.
❦ 2019-03-10: This is my sermon from this morning about Jesus’ conversation with a Samaritan woman. She wants to know what any of us could ask of God, “What do you …
❦ 2019-03-08: Hymnary.org Helps You Find Better Hymns Faster Hymnary.org is a fantastic tool for researching church music and for finding songs to sing in worship. I focus this article on finding songs for …
❦ 2019-03-08: How We Choose What to Sing at Covenant The following guidelines help us choose our songs for worship each Sunday at Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Choose songs from the Trinity …
❦ 2019-03-05: On the recent @monday episode, @macgenie and @manton discussed how and why M.b is not set up up for private groups/channels right now. My question is …
❦ 2019-03-05: My church has a long name: Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Here’s a short explanation of what it means.
❦ 2019-03-04: What the Gospels Say I asked my students taking New Testament Survey to read half of one of the gospels, then write at least one paragraph answering this question: …
❦ 2019-03-04: Why Reformed Preachers Read the Fathers Reformed preachers study the writings of our church fathers for many reasons. One reason is that new heresies are just the old ones, brought again by …
❦ 2019-03-02: I’m not sure what I’m listening to because I don’t know Danish, but it’s so beautiful. These kids sing with their hearts.
❦ 2019-02-28: How to Preach like a Child Sometime preachers are told, “Preach to the children.” The idea is that if you speak in a way children can understand then everyone will understand. …
❦ 2019-02-27: Long-term project I’ve been putting off. And my wife wants this done. Do you think I can DIY this? Maybe I should hire someone. Tips?
❦ 2019-02-26: How (Not) to Think About Time We think about time a lot, but not always in the best ways. Seth Godin explains.
❦ 2019-02-26: Arizonans, My Family Needs Your Help Two of our kids attend Veritas Academy of Tucson, which they love. But we need help paying their tuition. It’s is $4,812 per student. 👉 Here’s what’s …
❦ 2019-02-25: Tower Records and Apple Music When I was growing up in Phoenix, I used to buy classical music CDs from the Tower Records on 40th Street and Thomas. Inside the store, there was a …
❦ 2019-02-22: “Mind-blowing” is so overused, it’s _______________! staggering startling stunning stupefying a different synonym for …
❦ 2019-02-22: 📷 Today, it snowed in Tucson! This is what it looks like outside the window of my study.
❦ 2019-02-21: I deleted my LinkedIn and MeWe accounts tonight. 🥳
❦ 2019-02-21: When You Overpromise Have you ever overpromised on some work you were doing for someone else? Augustine did that when he promised to preach 1 John in a certain amount of …
❦ 2019-02-20: There is too much going on right now! 🤪
❦ 2019-02-20: Why Am I Suffering? Sometimes, when you’re in the middle of pain and suffering, it is difficult to trust that God is good. He promised me salvation! So, where is …
❦ 2019-02-20: δύο αἴλουροι
❦ 2019-02-19: Advice on Preaching Law and Gospel Charels Spurgeon once lamented how many Christians, especially ministers, don’t get the relationship between the law and gospel right. “O, when …
❦ 2019-02-18: Get Digital Minimalism I just wrote a review on Cal Newport’s new book, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. I’ll either post a link to the …
❦ 2019-02-16: Hospitality Requires “Systems, Not Just Smiles” Ti Adelaide Martin specializes in hospitality. She recently opened New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute and was featured in the Wall Street …
❦ 2019-02-16: I surprised my kids yesterday with personalized dance bags. Fun and organized! 😁
❦ 2019-02-15: Idelette was “the best companion of my life”, wrote John Calvin. Her biographers call her “a woman of some force and individuality”. As you might …
❦ 2019-02-14: Me and my sweets. Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️
❦ 2019-02-13: “Hey, guys! I’m at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show for a few more days!”
❦ 2019-02-13: If you love typography or the Bible or languages, you’re going to love Dodecaglotta. If you love all three, you better sit down before you click the …
❦ 2019-02-12: Is Capitalism Based on Greed?
❦ 2019-02-11: Della hand-painted this for my mom. It’s a little creamer pitcher.
❦ 2019-02-08: You’ve got to watch Dave Tull singing “Texting and Driving” while he plays the drums. If anyone can text and drive, it’s this guy. Just kidding. …
❦ 2019-02-07: Is there an easy way to pull all my posts off Facebook and add them to my blog without changing the post dates?
❦ 2019-02-07: Here is my Sunday morning sermon on John 2:1-12, where Mary says, “Do whatever he tells you.” I include a long quote from Luther that I found in F. D. …
❦ 2019-02-07: Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence - Imprimis “I soon realized that in all my years as a journalist I had never seen a story where the gap …
❦ 2019-02-07: If you haven’t seen my I Recommend page recently, take a look. I’ve added new links and lots more commentary over the last few weeks.
❦ 2019-02-06: Taken just before the dentist said, “That’s one of the weirdest cavities I’ve ever seen.”
❦ 2019-02-02: Augustine on humility: “For those who would learn God’s ways, humility is the first thing, humility is the second, humility is the third.”
❦ 2019-02-02: Ten Reasons I Write Everything in Notebooks App New writing apps are multiplying like rabbits, and the old standbys keep improving. Frankly, it’s hard to pick a bad app for your writing. That said, …
❦ 2019-02-01: I like your new profile pic @blot.
❦ 2019-01-28: techcrunch.com “Nasty FaceTime bug could allow others to eavesdrop on your microphone or camera” Better disable FaceTime until this gets …
❦ 2019-01-23: Three Lectures on the Trinity Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando has posted the three main lectures of the inaugural Paideia Center Conference on SoundCloud. I was blessed to …
❦ 2019-01-22: With the Humble is Wisdom This morning, I sent the following letter (edited here) to my students taking New Testament Survey. Perhaps it will help you in whatever you are …
❦ 2019-01-22: We’re mailing these to all the families in our church with young kids (ages 3–12). It’s a great book.
❦ 2019-01-19: Woody Guthrie’s Fan Letter To John Cage and Alan Hovhaness (1947) - Open Culture
❦ 2019-01-18: Updated my Now Page. Check it out to see what I’m up to these days. 🤠
❦ 2019-01-18: Links for Improving Your Teaching It’s easy to get in a teaching rut and rely too much on what’s comfortable. But those who use a wider variety of teaching strategies and …
❦ 2019-01-16: “The Top 6 Places To Try Sparkling Banana Milk” and other ridiculous headlines with this food hype generator.
❦ 2019-01-16: Isaac Watts Impresses Me Whenever I read Isaac Watts, I feel like I see in him the kind of pastoral disposition I want. His heart is always evident, but he’s never effusive. …
❦ 2019-01-15: James M. Wilson on The Office of Deacon You may be familiar with Samuel Miller’s book on on the ruling elder. As far as I know he didn’t write a parallel work on deacons, but in …
❦ 2019-01-14: “No one is afraid to climb the heights, at least not if they have brave hearts and high courage. But the heart that is little from lack of love does …
❦ 2019-01-12: I learned a lot at the Paideia Center’s conference on the Trinity this week. Thanks to RTS in Orlando for hosting us. Here are some pictures I took of …
❦ 2019-01-12: Is Sunscreen the New Margarine? - Outside Online You can guess what this is about. And you already suspected it was true you, didn’t you?
❦ 2019-01-11: Post-vacation: here’s what I’m doing now.
❦ 2019-01-07: Thanks to an @appademic article, I found and read “On Intellectual Craftsmanship” by C. Wright Mills today. At the end of my vacation and the start of …
❦ 2019-01-07: A few feral chickens by the night blooming cereus.
❦ 2019-01-05: I went to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum with two of my kids and about forty other people from church. The raptor free flight was, as always, …
❦ 2019-01-02: Snow in Tucson! My sweetie and I had fun taking the kids to play in the white stuff this morning.
❦ 2019-01-01: With the new screens, the iPhone is almost a Klingon P.A.D.D. now. Should Apple go all the way?
❦ 2019-01-01: My son wants to know why K’Tesh is wearing the Roblox logo.
❦ 2019-01-01: Twenty years later, I’m relearning this awesome game and playing it with my son. Wow, time flies.
❦ 2018-12-29: I added a kind of blogroll to my Now Page. Blogrolls are a great way to discover and help others discover useful things.
❦ 2018-12-28: Now I have a now page.
❦ 2018-12-27: I am determined to play the first movement of the a-minor Saint-Saëns cello concerto in tune and up to speed before the end of my vacation. Watch out! …
❦ 2018-12-26: Good news! You don’t have to wait until 2019 to start reading the Bible.
❦ 2018-12-26: Magnets: A Common Apple Magic Trick As a young kid, I thought magnets were about the coolest things ever. Here in my 30s, I feel the same way.
❦ 2018-12-25: Leo is having a very cute Christmas.
❦ 2018-12-24: Christmas Eve fondue!
❦ 2018-12-24: Should My Church Use GitLab? I’m trying to learn how to use GitLab. I know it’s designed for developers, but I think it may be useful for my church as a repository for important …
❦ 2018-12-24: Feel the fun.
❦ 2018-12-21: Salt River Canyon
❦ 2018-12-20: I just added Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ by Andrew David Naselli and J. D. Crowley to my I Recommend page. 📚
❦ 2018-12-18: Christopher Green’s talk on project management and teamwork is really good. And it includes some surprising advice about working faster. Pulling from …
❦ 2018-12-17: My dad’s beautiful handwriting.
❦ 2018-12-15: Do You Believe in the Trinity? Tomorrow, we have three people joining our church. One is a new believer. Yay! To join, each will affirm five questions, including this one related to …
❦ 2018-12-14: Your Blog Doesn’t Have to Be on Facebook or Twitter Anymore About ten years ago, a lot of people started to abandon their own blogs and personal websites because it was so much easier to blog and microblog on …
❦ 2018-12-14: Reading the various reflections tonight on the closing of the Weekly Standard reminds me of all the nice things people say after a person has died. A …
❦ 2018-12-14: Warning: this lost baby javelina might melt your heart.
❦ 2018-12-14: Robot celebrities are going to redefine the media, according to me, based on this.
❦ 2018-12-12: I am enjoying @manton‘s current “12 days of microblogging” series. If you are curious about blogging in general or Micro.blog in particular, these are …
❦ 2018-12-11: Our Trip to Concho Valley OPC This last weekend I took some of my kids to the White Mountains. We went to celebrate with the saints of Concho Valley Orthodox Presbyterian Church …
❦ 2018-12-11: You can greatly improve your knowledge of the Bible by memorizing these brief outlines of the Old Testament books. It may seem like a lot, but my …
❦ 2018-12-10: Christopher! Exercise is Really, Really Important Exercise Wins: Fit Seniors Can Have Hearts That Look 30 Years Younger 🖇 Every now and then I need a reminder that regular exercise is important. And …
❦ 2018-12-10: Check out Michael Kruger’s great list of books on the nature/authority of Scripture. He annotated it too. Although, he forgot to add his own excellent …
❦ 2018-12-09: My daughter thinks, “He’ll have a short but good life.”
❦ 2018-12-04: I’m looking forward to reading Cal Newport’s thoughts on digital minimalism.
❦ 2018-12-04: J. Todd Billings and Stephen Shaffer explain how pastors who tend to their theology strengthen their service to the church.
❦ 2018-12-03: To help my Old Testament studetns learn how to read Song of Songs, I shared with them Billy Collin’s 45-second Introduction to Poetry. You might want …
❦ 2018-12-03: Do you pray for librarians? Read John Dury’s (1596–1680) job description of the Reformed Librarie-Keeper and you’ll see why you should. 📚 🙏
❦ 2018-12-01: Musical Masterpieces Recomposed Only a month and a half ago I heard a new recording of Bach’s Cello Suites, which had been “recomposed” and performed by Peter Gregson. And now this, …
❦ 2018-11-30: How To Change Your Micro.blog Font (To Display Multiple Languages) With websites hosted on Micro.blog, you can edit the default themes by adding custom CSS. Here’s how I edited my CSS so that my website would properly …
❦ 2018-11-30: The Incarnation and God’s Eternal Presence And the Word became flesh. Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο. These words in John 1:14 testify to the incarnation of the Son of God, and it’s what Christians …
❦ 2018-11-30: What non-dance items would you put in your dance bag?
❦ 2018-11-29: Helping Men Find Good Work I learned about two new studies today that I can’t wait to study more closely. The first is Harry’s Masculinity Report, USA 2018, a survey of …
❦ 2018-11-25: Guess what I get to read? 😁
❦ 2018-11-24: When Telling Off the Devil, You Don’t Need to Say Much Be bold. Don’t hesitate. In a sermon on John 1:14, Martin Luther tells us how to beat back the devil when under his attack. Little is gained against …
❦ 2018-11-23: ProtonMail is 50% off!
❦ 2018-11-22: How To Give Thanks During a Civil War The following is Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1863: The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of …
❦ 2018-11-21: 😋 Some Thanksgiving veggies, with marshmallows.
❦ 2018-11-20: A Tucson sunset and moonrise at Christ the King Episcopal Church.
❦ 2018-11-20: 📚 I’m excited to read Loving God with Our Minds: The Pastor as Theologian today. Gonna start with Brian Daley’s chapter on Gregory of Nazianzus, then …
❦ 2018-11-19: 👍🏼 Manton Reece - Breaking up Facebook is up to us
❦ 2018-11-17: If you eat more mozzerella cheese, can you increase the number of doctorates awarded to civil engineers? No. But there are a whole lot more spurious …
❦ 2018-11-16: A Simple Liturgy for When the Pastor Isn’t at Church What do you do when the pastor isn’t at church to preach and lead worship on Sunday? This happened to Covenant last Sunday. About two hours before I …
❦ 2018-11-16: Guess who said this about Martin Luther. ”That great man of God, a third Elias, and a second Paul, (if I may venture the expression) though he was no …
❦ 2018-11-15: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone …
❦ 2018-11-14: String Musicians, Christmas Kaleidoscope is the Christmas Music Book You Need to Buy It’s almost Christmastime, and if you’re a string player wanting to play some Christmas music this year, I’ve got a great recommendation for you. Buy …
❦ 2018-11-09: Prof. Libbie Groves’s dramatic recitation of Jonah (in biblical Hebrew!) is both funny and serious, just like the book. Check it out! You’ll enjoy it …
❦ 2018-11-08: An Easy Way to Type Ancient Greek and Hebrew on an iPad I’m using an Apple Smart Keyboard with a 10.5” iPad Pro running iOS 12.1. 1. Connect a keyboard. You can’t access Greek accents or Hebrew niqqud …
❦ 2018-11-07: Today, I’m going to learn Hebrew like my daughter eats spaghetti.
❦ 2018-11-06: Learning about discourse analysis in Biblical Hebrew this morning.
❦ 2018-11-04: His first time seeing pumpkin seeds in a pumpkin. “Awesome!”
❦ 2018-11-03: Pie eating contest. Ready, set, no hands!
❦ 2018-11-03: Google+, Mike Elgan, and the Future of the Internet In order to reestablish the Internet as thee online social network, we need to study social network silos like Facebook and Twitter. Learning from …
❦ 2018-11-02: Good Customer, Bad Customer Everyone with a bank account, cellphone or online shopping habit has at least one CLV score, more likely several. And most people have no inkling they …
❦ 2018-11-01: Re-Scheduled Gregory of Nazianzus Reading Group Because I’m trying to get over an illness, I am rescheduling the last session of the Christian Theology Reading Group. It’s canceled for tonight and …
❦ 2018-10-31: Is Reformed worship boring? Imagine that for your whole life you had only eaten dinner at Medieval Times, the stadium seating dinner-theater event with knights, horses, and lots …
❦ 2018-10-30: Can an iPad Pro replace your laptop? It works for me. For a little more than a year now, I’ve been successfully using my 10.5” iPad Pro + Apple Pencil + Smart Keyboard as laptop replacement. I wanted to …
❦ 2018-10-27: Tomorrow, I’m going to start preaching through the amazing gospel of John. If you’d like to hear these sermons, paste our podcast feed into your …
❦ 2018-10-23: You can identify some cat breeds by the cat’s pawsition.
❦ 2018-10-22: Anyone want a pizza burrito?
❦ 2018-10-22: Covenant colors in Tucson.
❦ 2018-10-21: I saw the Salton Sea for the first time on my way home from presbytery yesterday. And since I only had one pair of shoes with me, I had to do some …
❦ 2018-10-17: Has anyone invented a spam filter for phone calls? I could really use one. 😩
❦ 2018-10-16: Thomas Watson has some good advice on how to read and search the Scriptures.
❦ 2018-10-15: This is my former professor, W. Robert Godfrey, as drawn by my seven-year-old. Note the handsome striped tie. He’s giving a lecture on the ancient …
❦ 2018-10-15: Q. What do you call four bullfighters in quicksand? A. Cuatro sinko.
❦ 2018-10-13: It’s been fifteen months since the accident. But after many repairs, Matt Haimovitz is getting his cello back. No more waiting, but now, it’s like …
❦ 2018-10-12: No school today and it was raining. So while the ground was easier to dig, the kids expanded our backyard rainbasin.
❦ 2018-10-12: I’m bad about overusing the word like. The Linguistic Evolution of ‘Like’ helps explain why.
❦ 2018-10-11: This one is for @MichaelHorton_: “Connected with this general view are the facts that he “learned obedience by the things which he suffered,” his …
❦ 2018-10-10: Ryan McGraw on Corporate Prayer: Why and How Today, I read Ryan McGraw’s exegetical defense for corporate prayer and its necessity for preaching. He bases his argument on John 14:12–14 and a …
❦ 2018-10-10: Charm, writes Joseph Epstein, is “a disappearing luxury”. Which is sad because charm makes our world brighter, lighter, and sweeter. …
❦ 2018-10-09: The dictionaries won’t tell you this, but when a scream and squeak have a baby, it’s called a screak. A screak is the high-pitched sound an un-oiled …
❦ 2018-10-09: If you do work that benefits your community, you can dramatically increase your impact by collaborating with other helpers. Learn more about the …
❦ 2018-10-06: I’m trying to get faster at arranging a little pile of Hebrew Strong Verbs into a chart. I give myself bonus points when the kitten is involved.
❦ 2018-10-04: It’s #NationalPoetryDay and my son, Samuel, is about to turn twelve. Time moves so fast! Here he is reciting a poem shortly after his third birthday. …
❦ 2018-10-04: I’m learning Latin so that I can read untranslated books. But, as this video shows, there are many good reasons to learn Latin.
❦ 2018-10-02: Learn to teach; teach to learn.
❦ 2018-10-01: The U. S. economy is massive. The GDP for just the Tucson metro area—where I live—was $39 billion in 2017. If we were a country, according to the same …
❦ 2018-10-01: Brent Orrell: “Amid the fast-forward distractions of our high-tech world, studying more durable subjects may be one of the best investments you can …
❦ 2018-09-29: Wouldn’t it be great if you could read an conversation between Bryan A. Garner and David Foster Wallace about language and writing? Well, you can! …
❦ 2018-09-28: In Christian Dogmatics, @jtoddbillings writes that ministers are “representatives of the unity of the community gathered” (p. 352). I’m not sure …
❦ 2018-09-27: “Let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe” 💬 Hebrews …
❦ 2018-09-23: Wisdom is reading and living the patterns of life well. 💬 Mark Strom, Lead with Wisdom
❦ 2018-09-22: I’m reading Divine Rule Maintained by Stephen Casselli and was blown away his description of England’s education system in the 17th cent. I thought I …
❦ 2018-09-21: So, I’ve been learnig and using Notebooks on my iPad all week and am loving it.
❦ 2018-09-21: “Siri, if I’m still using social media in six months, remind me to read this article by @ayjay again.”
❦ 2018-09-21: They were getting ready for school in the bathroom when I overheard one sibling say to another, “Maybe you’re supposed to play with it, that’s why …
❦ 2018-09-20: Thanks to @appademic for sharing these workflows for study and research.
❦ 2018-09-20: What happens when a we fail as a community to hear a true accusation or wrongly believe a false one? Elizabteh Bruening considers the first in the …
❦ 2018-09-20: This mostly vacant mall in #tucson is going to get redeveloped as a town center. 👏
❦ 2018-09-19: Scrivener’s zoom feature is very useful for those who speak/teach/preach from an iPad. So, I made a little video to show how it works. Apple has a …
❦ 2018-09-18: Watched the CSO perform Beethoven’s 9th tonight with the kids. You can too! With your own kids, of course. #csobeethoven
❦ 2018-09-18: Cool. With iOS 12, Voice Memos are now available on iPad.
❦ 2018-09-17: Have an opinion on Scrivener vs Notebooks (for iPad)? I’d love to hear it!
❦ 2018-09-14: Good news! We’re installing a new elder at Covenant this Sunday.
❦ 2018-09-14: WaPo: In a discovered letter, Ronald Reagan writes to his dying father-in-law about Jesus.
❦ 2018-09-12: Read @MichaelHorton_’s chapter in Locating Atonement: Explorations in Constructive Dogmatics (ed. @FredFredSanders and Oliver Crisp). Lots of great …
❦ 2018-09-06: I had a good time meeting teachers and students at the Quest Carnival tonight. Yummy food trucks! This year I’m teaching Old Testament Survey and …
❦ 2018-09-04: Watch out for these three enemies of productivity: excitement, frustration, and fear. Advice from C. S. Lewis.
❦ 2018-09-03: ⛪️ I preached from John 1 for my third sermon on wisdom.
❦ 2018-09-03: Celebrate Labor Day with Mark Twain, Mother Jones, Samuel Gompers, and more!
❦ 2018-09-01: Fowler’s Modern English Usage is Still Super-Duper Two weeks ago, I got a copy of the amazing Garner’s Modern English Usage. I thought it might replace my second edition of Fowler’s Modern English …
❦ 2018-09-01: Last night, I finished Loving the Poor, Saving the Rich: Wealth, Poverty, and Early Christian Formation by Helen Rhee. 📚 It’s rich with interesting …
❦ 2018-08-30: Tucson loves her murals. This one is at the Spay Neuter Clinic (Grant/Stone).
❦ 2018-08-29: A 📷 from my study: a nostalgic clown bank.
❦ 2018-08-28: Un-slumping yourself is not easily done. 💬 Dr. Seuss
❦ 2018-08-28: Christian Theology Reading Group (Tucson, Fall 2018) If you are in Tucson and interested in discussing classic Christian texts, please join me this fall for a theological reading group at the Martha …
❦ 2018-08-25: My church has a new website! What do you think?
❦ 2018-08-25: We woke up to a zillion flying ants in our atrium!
❦ 2018-08-24: Man Refuses To Join Local Gym, Claims He’s Just Part Of The ‘Universal Gym’
❦ 2018-08-23: 📷 from my study: Leo enjoys the new couch.
❦ 2018-08-23: NewsGuard uses a set of criteria to tell you if a news organization is trustworthy. And they just made plugins available for Chrome and Microsoft …
❦ 2018-08-21: I’m working to improve my Hebrew over the next few months with help from Matthew Patton. Thankful for my brother and for MTIOPC. Now, let’s get some …
❦ 2018-08-20: Wow. A father and son record their scary drive through a wildfire.
❦ 2018-08-20: 📷 from my study. This honeycomb party-ball hangs over my desk. Someday, I might replace it with a plant or a used chandelier.
❦ 2018-08-20: I finished The Writer’s Diet by Helen Sword. It is a brief guide to writing well. And it explains how to properly use the WritersDiet online test. …
❦ 2018-08-19: ⛪️ My a.m. sermon on Psalm 104; the first in a series on wisdom. O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is …
❦ 2018-08-18: Finished: Wisdom Christology by Daniel J. Elbert IV. He answers the question, “Why seek wisdom in Christ?” by introducing readers to six important …
❦ 2018-08-18: dare, drill, cram, hide, ambush, sling, haunt, walk, grapple, trade, sing, purr, absorb, suffuse, contract, plow, approach, convert, uproot, defy, and …
❦ 2018-08-17: I like the new Indiepaper integration. Since “read later” articles can be accessed within one’s account, I wonder if they could be accessed within the …
❦ 2018-08-16: I finished Paul’s Theology of Preaching: The Apostle’s Challenge to the Art of Persuasion in Ancient Corinth by Duane Litfin. It’s a masterwork of …
❦ 2018-08-15: This guy is perfectly mimicking our grape vine, just not on the grape vine.
❦ 2018-08-12: Master, the scribes are getting restless.
❦ 2018-08-11: Cloudy With a Chance of Wisdom Proverbs tells us that fools ignore the world God has made. They live their lives against the grain and then suffer for it. Wise people, on the other …
❦ 2018-08-10: Excerpt: Notes Nearing Ninety: Learning to Write Less by Donald Hall (HT: aldaily.com)
❦ 2018-08-10: I had planned to start teaching A Stronger Servant last week but had to postpone in order to prepare for my new sermon series on wisdom. These sermons …
❦ 2018-08-09: Definition of the wisdom of God: That perfection of God by which He uses His knowledge for the attainment of His ends in the way that glorifies Him …
❦ 2018-08-09: I just noticed that the Kindle editions of Vos’ Reformed Dogmatics are 80% off right now, only $5.99 per volume! They’re usually about $25/ea. I …
❦ 2018-08-09: Want free Greek/Latin lessons taught by an A+ classicist and educator? Check out latinperdiem.com by my friend, David Noe (Calvin College).
❦ 2018-08-08: In that last Gregory quote, Gregory was commenting on the book of Jonah. I thought I was done preaching on Jonah for now, but a farmer asked me: …
❦ 2018-08-08: I’ll have whatever he’s having tonight 👉 @ayjay
❦ 2018-08-08: For God alone of all things cannot be escaped from or contended with; if He wills to seize and bring them under His hand, He outstrips the swift, He …
❦ 2018-08-07: 📚 I loved Duane Litfin’s big-picture intro to Greco-Roman rhetoric in part one of this book. I’ve read a lot of other books on both ancient and modern …
❦ 2018-08-07: Use your frequent flyer miles to help families separated at the border (HT: Lifehacker)
❦ 2018-08-06: My wife just turned a big dream into a reality and finished painting the first of THREE large murals at Tucson Dance Academy. So proud of her! See the …
❦ 2018-08-06: It would be better for us to talk about attributes of canonicty instead of criteria of canonicty. Michael Kruger gives reasons for this in his book …
❦ 2018-08-05: 📚 Finished reading: Divine Covenants and Moral Order: A Biblical Theology of Natural Law by David VanDrunen. Theologians and ethicists, read this …
❦ 2018-08-04: Google has released its 2018 Scholar Metrics. You can see the most-cited articles from among the journals indexed by Google from Jan 2013 to July …
❦ 2018-08-02: A new version of the Westminster Shorter Catechism is under way. And anyone can help. 🚀
❦ 2018-08-02: ⛪️ In my recent sermon on Psalm 139, I compare Jonah’s feelings about the presence of God to David’s. You can learn a lot about true spirituality this …
❦ 2018-08-01: My son wants to teach himself how to code. He’s eleven. Any suggestions?
❦ 2018-07-31: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?” — Wisdom in Proverbs 1:22
❦ 2018-07-30: I’m planning to preach a series of sermons on the subject of wisdom. To prepare, I’m reading and thinking a lot about the book of the …
❦ 2018-07-30: “Like any other life-sustaining resource, language can be depleted, polluted, contaminated, eroded, and filled with artificial stimulants…. it …
❦ 2018-07-27: My son and I looked up what family the badger is in. It’s in the mustelid family, which includes weasels, ferrets, and wolervines. They are …
❦ 2018-07-27: Our lab mix and dachshund had themselves a real good time cornering this guy tonight. Thankfully, we were able to stop it before anyone got hurt.
❦ 2018-07-26: 📚 Life in the Trinity and The Trinity and the Covenant of Redemption are two books that need to fall in love and have lots of babies.
❦ 2018-07-26: 📚 Finished reading: Life in the Trinity: An Introduction to Theology with the Help of the Church Fathers by Donald Fairbairn.
❦ 2018-07-24: Finished Reading: From Topic to Thesis: A Guide to Theological Research by Michael Kibbe. It’s a well-written guide that helped fix a few friction …
❦ 2018-07-24: Some of the young adults at Covenant are challenging themselves to memorize Jonah 2. Way to go! I think I’ll join you and post a video link after I …
❦ 2018-07-23: Ever thought deeply about the story of Jonah? It’s a simple story, but its simplicity has a way of clarifying life—our priorities, our choices, our …
❦ 2018-07-23: Lampham’s: Where Writers Work
❦ 2018-07-20: On meditation: There is as much difference between a truth remembered, and a truth meditated on, as between a cordial in a glass, and a cordial drunk …
❦ 2018-07-19: I finished Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations today and I’m trying to take his advice: “To read attentively—not just to be satisfied with ‘just getting the …
❦ 2018-07-18: Dance classes have started again for the Chelpkas and all five kids are involved now. They love it so much and work hard. I’m very proud of them.
❦ 2018-07-17: The reading spree continues! 📚 Today I finished On the Apostolic Preaching by Irenaeus and Gregory of Nazianzus by Brian Matz. I picked up Irenaeus’s …
❦ 2018-07-17: Over the weekend I finished Eugene Peterson’s memoir, The Pastor. I highly recommend it. 📚 At one point, his son points out (as a compliment) that he …
❦ 2018-07-16: On being anxious : Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow—only today of its strength. — Charles Spurgeon, 19th century English preacher
❦ 2018-07-15: “Let’s make lunch for Mommy! I’ll pick the ingredients.”
❦ 2018-07-14: I finished Saving Eutychus: How to Preach God’s Word and Keep People Awake today. By Gary Miller and Phil Campell, it’s a breezy read with lots of …
❦ 2018-07-14: Singing this at church tomorrow: What thou, my Lord, has suffered was all for sinners’ gain: Mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly …
❦ 2018-07-14: The number of people in 2015 that watched a Bob Ross marathon: 5.6 million.
❦ 2018-07-13: The snuggle is real.
❦ 2018-07-12: “You can observe a lot by watching.” —Yogi Berra
❦ 2018-07-11: Mini-review of The Covenantal Life by Sarah Ivill For a class I’m teaching on covenant theology (i.e. the study of God’s promises), I read The Covenant Life: Appreciating the Beauty of Theology and …
❦ 2018-07-11: Currently reading: The Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene H. Peterson 📚
❦ 2018-07-10: Tim Herrera: “Our brains tend to prioritize immediate satisfaction over long-term rewards.”
❦ 2018-07-05: Quotes from Lead with Wisdom: How Wisdom Transforms Good Leaders into Great Leaders by Mark Storm Of the many books on leadership I’ve read, Mark Strom’s Lead with Wisdom: How Wisdom Transforms Good Leaders into Great Leaders is one of my …
❦ 2018-03-16: 21 Prayers for Mealtime I found a collection of mealtime prayers in a Bible that once belonged to my wife’s great-grandmother. (There’s no attribution information other than …
❦ 2017-08-04: The Productive Pastor Everyone wants a pastor who works hard and works smart. Productive pastors make good use of limited resources. And they bless the church with the …