Tomorrow is the day my oldest becomes legally old enough to drive. But today has a rich history. In 1626, Dutch explorer Peter Minuit landed on Manhattan Island. Native Americans later sold the island (20,000 acres) for $24 in cloth and buttons. In 1715, a French manufacturer debuted the first folding umbrella. And in 1886, Chichester Bell and Charles S. Tainter patented the gramophone. It was the first practical phonograph.

Incredibly Detailed Portraits Drawn Entirely With Coffee – Sometimes I wash I had an artistic streak. I would love to do something like this, but that talent has never graced my hands. So I will just have to enjoy the work of others. I wonder if I could buy the R2-D2 print…?

Those Who Think, Read – I love to read. And reading has caused me to become much more of a critical thinker than I ever was before. This article is interesting from that point of view.

The Ingenious Design Of The Aluminum Beverage Can – It’s simply amazing how something so simple, that we use almost daily, is so stunningly complicated and beautiful. This video is well worth ten minutes of your time, and will give you a greater appreciation for engineering and human creativity.

Worship Is More Important Than Your Small Group – Though the title is a bit abrasive, this article compares small groups, as good as they can be, to full corporate worship. There are some excellent insights here.

Biblical Eldership – Our leadership is working our way through several key books that help to define the role of a biblical elder and what that looks like in this day and age. This website has a lot of useful information as well.

7 Habits That Build A Lasting Marriage – Each of us needs to focus on strengthening our marriage, if indeed we are married. Here are seven great ideas to help you do that from Jon Stolpe

On this side of the cross misery persists, but the scales are tipped in favor of joy. – Ed Welch