microblog

    Who else loves snuggling paper towels?

    a dachshund laying on a paper towel roll

    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 your legs and take the dog for a walk. Because before Web 3.0 is built out, we’re going to struggle with a lot of construction, bad drivers, and getting lost. It’s going to be rough.

    James Vincent explains what is happening in his article, “AI is killing the old web, and the new web struggles to be born.”

    Jacob Phillips writes about an often unidentified cause of the crisis of loneliness.

    Good News from Iran: A Million New Christian Believers [via RCL]

    The house church participants, including recent converts, know very well that the aftermath of such raids can also be perilous: continuing threats of violence, lost employment, expulsion from school or university, confiscated cash, and the endangerment of other family members. And everyone knows that sexual violence against a mother, wife, girlfriend, or daughter is likely to follow. Still, with all this in mind, Iranian house church Christians are extraordinarily courageous.

    Bruce Waltke and Fred Zaspel offer some good pointers on how (and how not) to read the Psalms.

    An interesting aspect of presbyterianism in the OPC: congregations fund denominational work (like the General Assembly) directly instead of through the presbyteries. While there are weaknesses and strengths to this arrangement, it does reflect the kind of independence and interdependence that congregations have in the OPC.

    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 up having important conversations for us, they typically do so in brief segments, frequently interrupted by advertisements. Advocates of various positions are chosen to make segments more compelling, and the more fireworks the better! …

    Whether we realize it or not, we’ve all been mentored and catechized by these “conversation surrogates.” So when differences of opinion emerge among friends and relatives, it seems natural for us to raise our voices, ridicule the other side, offer caricatures, and throw bombs.

    We are also overly dependent on “conversational suragates”. Many times the best person to persuade your friend is you.

    Listening: Bridges: Works for Violin and Piano by Greek Composers by Danae Papamattheou-Matschke & Uwe Matschke. I’m not crazy about one piece but the rest is amazing. 🎵

    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.

    Buttercup and Teddy enjoying their longness.

    two dachshunds on a sleeping bag

    A history of Tucsonans visiting Sabino Canyon. A visit to Sabino Canyon always ends up becoming a highlight of the week/month/year.

    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 the early 80s. 🚲

    partially disassembled bike derailleur

    Being flexible and intentional is part of good parenting. John Beeson shows how this applies to leading your kids spiritually through each stage of childhood.

    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 reward is for those who live and seek God by faith. The reward is God Himself.

    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 clear prohibitions, the tenth word is unexpected. For all the other nine, our neighbor could hold us to account fairly simply by gathering witnesses to testify to our compliance or lack thereof. But here, at the end of the list, we find a sin of a different nature. Idol-making, Sabbath-breaking, dishonoring authority, murder, theft, adultery, and slander can all be identified by an onlooker, but not so covetousness. Covetousness hides in the heart. The Ten Words progress from “Don’t do it” to “Don’t say it” to “Don’t even think about it.”

    The saguaros are blooming.

    Me looking at a saguaro bloom

    Currently reading: The Compelling Community by Mark Dever 📚

    The Bible mentions the balm of Gilead as a famous healing agent. Here’s how to harvest it.

    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, but some things have to change. Homework needs to change. Writing assignments need to change. We need to take ChatGPT for what it is: a referendum on modern, non-classical teaching.

    Occasionally, I hear of a presbytery or session that gives theology exams as a take-home test. That should stop immediately.

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