Washington Post: Mark Driscoll

I really like Mark Driscoll who pastors Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. He was asked the question: "What makes the best 'case for God' to a skeptic or non-believer, an open-minded seeker, and to a person of faith and Why?" Here's his answer:

Jesus.

Christianity is not first and foremost about a sacred place to pilgrimage to, a philosophical system to ponder, a moral code to live, a religious tradition to honor, or an impersonal god to experience. Rather, Christianity is about a person who claimed to be the only God and said he would prove his unprecedented claim by living without sin, dying for sinners, and conquering death through resurrection. You can read the rest here.

Dug Down Deep

I'm looking forward to getting Joshua Harris' new book Dug Down Deep. The book is about his personal thoughts on theology, doctrine, and orthodoxy. You can read the first chapter here. I'm going to go read it and then I'll post some thoughts. : )

OK, finished the first chapter... it is SOOOOOOO good. : ) You HAVE to read it.

A Lil' Update...

I have a lot on my plate right now, but I kind of like to being busy. For some reason when I have a lot going on, I'm able to prioritize better and it makes me feel energized and productive when I'm busy. Not sure if that's good or bad... Here's a list of what I'm up to:

• Worship Choir on Sundays (with a Thursday evening practice)
• Christmas Choir rehearsals on Sunday afternoons
• Volunteering at CareNet on Wednesdays (teaching childbirth ed, training in ultrasounds, doing pregnancy tests)
• Teaching English as a Second Language on Tuesday nights
• Volunteering as a labor doula overnight shift once a week (usually overnight shift on Wednesday)
• Classwork and reading for labor doula certification
• Working at UMASS on various medical and surgical floors (usually Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays--days, evenings, and nights--whatever's available!)
• Childbirth educator certification (finishing that tomorrow!)
• Recording the alto rehearsal track for the Christmas choir (so fun and almost done!)

I also managed to get a few 1-2 mile runs in the mix too!

On my to do list (after I get some of the above OFF my 'doing' list)? Find a guy I like, get married, buy a house, and have some babies already! : )

AMEN!!!

Trust in Christ! He is SUCH a Savior!!

David's Palace Unearthed

...For a growing number of academics and intellectuals, King David and his united kingdom of Judah and Israel... is simply a piece of fiction. The biblical account of history has been dismissed as unreliable arguing that [it] was resurrected by the Zionists to justify dispossessing Palestinian Arabs.... Today it's become fashionable to say there was no David, no Solomon, no Temple, no prophets. But suddenly the facts on the ground are speaking, and those outspoken voices are stammering...

The world of archeology is rocked by evidence of King David's palace unearthed in Jerusalem.

HT: Between Two Worlds

Critters

A groundhog is one thing... a family of skunks is another thing altogether.



Skunks are usually nocturnal but they also sometimes come out during the early morning or late evening. This video was taken around 7am. YouTube has lots of videos of baby skunk sightings during daylight so I don't think they're rabid.

Isn't it funny how they notice me and run for cover? : )

The Purpose of the Book of Jonah

One of the first blogs I check (daily) in my feed reader is Between Two Worlds by Justin Taylor. He describes his postings as a mix of 'theology, philosophy, politics, and culture'.

Anyway, I like this recent post on the book of Jonah.

Mark Futato:

The primary purpose of the book of Jonah is to engage readers in theological reflection on the compassionate character of God, and in self-reflection on the degree to which their own character reflects this compassion, to the end that they become vehicles of this compassion in the world that God has made and so deeply cares about.

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7/6/09-After I posted this my pastor preached on Jonah the next morning! : )