Richard Owen Roberts
How much better to worship the God who carries us than the god who must be carried.
Coffee Break – 07.20.2015
Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration
Some significant things happened on this day throughout history. Here are a few of the more interesting: In 1801, A 1,235 pound cheese ball was pressed at the farm of Elisha Brown, Jr. The ball of cheese was later loaded on a horse-driven wagon and presented to U.S. President Thomas Jefferson at the White House. In 1985, treasure hunters began raising $400 million in coins and silver from the Spanish galleon “Nuestra Senora de Atocha.” The ship sank in 1622 40 miles of the coast of Key West, FL. And in 2003, in India, elephants used for commercial work began wearing reflectors to avoid being hit by cars during night work.
Art Using Spilled Food – While not all of these images use coffee as a medium, the art is still pretty fascinating. And the artist is incredibly talented.
1944 Paris Merged With Today – Blending the past with the present is a very interesting photography technique. These images of Paris at her liberation in 1944 have been merged with the same locations today. The results are very interesting.
5 Breakthroughs That Changed Everything – I hope I don’t need to explain that these are tongue in cheek… Blatantly so.
A Bee’s Life – We have a lot of flowers around the front of our house. As a result, we also have a lot of bees. This video of the first 21 days of a bee’s life is pretty cool to watch. It’s a glimpse into the hive, and into one of the biggest health threats that bees face.
Memorize Scripture: Philippians 2:3-4
As Paul moves into chapter two of his letter to the Philippians, he writes perhaps the most practical and much needed exhortation in the New Testament. His words here set up the comparison to Christ that will come in the following verses.
You can see this for yourself in Philippians 2:3-4:
Paul gives this practical instruction in the form of two negative terms followed by one positive term. This, in turn, is followed by a very practical example of how to do this, carrying on the thought of verse three.
All of this is in anticipation of the examination of Christ’s own humility, which is to come in the next few verses, quite possibly an old hymn that Paul uses to display this quality of Jesus.
But here, Paul specifies that we are to take emulate Jesus, by avoiding these negative qualities, and taking on the positive.
Negative Number 1 – Selfish Ambition
First, Paul states to do nothing out of selfish ambition. This is the spiritual sickness that rests in the heart of the church, potentially bringing its downfall. Paul uses this same word in Philippians 1:17, describing the divisiveness of his enemies. Here, it means more in line with petty squabbles and arguments. It is self-seeking, arrogant, and focused on nothing outside of one’s own self.
Being infinite, God is inexhaustibly interesting. It is therefore impossible that God be boring.
John Piper
American Indian Christian Mission
This week, I have the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Show Low, Arizona, with two of my daughters. We are headed to American Indian Christian Mission for a week, to work on their facilities at the mission compound, and to conduct some services and Vacation Bible School activities on the White Mountain Apache reservation.
We are looking forward to the opportunity to grow in our faith, and I am excited to be able to do this with two of my kids.
In the meantime, things will be quiet around here for the next week and a half. The weekend quotes, memorize Philippians, and Coffee Breaks will continue, but any additional content will pause for a few days until we return home.
Thanks for being a part of the JR.com community! We would appreciate your prayers for our trip!
Book Review – The Fold by Peter Clines
One of my favorite genres has always been science fiction. Some of the best novels I have ever read fall into this category. Sci-fi has always intrigued me.
When I received the opportunity to read and review The Fold, by Peter Clines, I wasn’t all that excited, to be honest. It was science fiction, and I love the genre, but I usually stick to the tried and true authors that I know and love. Most of the time, a new author just doesn’t cut it.
So I wasn’t too thrilled. And The Fold sat on my shelf for a few weeks. A couple of nights ago, I picked it up and began to read it. It is a fact paced novel, and before I knew it, I was a hundred pages in. The story line kind of grabs you and suck you in. Before you know it, you are hooked.
As I read, I was somewhat engaged by The Fold. Not completely, but enough. The book was both a hit and a miss for me. Let me give the areas it was a hit first.
As mentioned, the story line was good. The plot was well-developed and the characters were portrayed in detail. Convincingly so. And due to the nature of the inter-dimensional science fiction plot, when something in a character’s profile shifted, it was ok, because it fit the story line.
In that regard, The Fold was fun and easy to read, and difficult to put down.
Coffee Break – 07.13.2015
Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration
History is fun. Especially the history you don’t always learn about in school. Like these: In 1585, a group of 108 English colonists, led by Sir Richard Grenville, reached Roanoke Island, NC. In 1812, the first pawnbroking ordinance was passed in New York City. And in 1832, Henry Schoolcraft discovered the source of the Mississippi River in Minnesota.
How To Brew Coffee Without A Coffee Maker – I enjoy experimenting with different ways to make my morning coffee. I have several different methods that I use frequently, from pourovers to a Chemex to a Keurig. But this article from the Art Of Manliness shows how to do it with next to nothing. This will be great for when I’m traveling.
LEGO Minifigs In Amusing Situations – My kids have tons of LEGOs. And they have tons of LEGO minifigs. This photographer has created some incredible creative shots with minifigs in amusing scenarios. I have a couple of Star Wars minifigs. I wonder what I can come up with…
Field Notes At Everest – I love Field Notes brand notebooks. They are functional, and visually appealing. And they are created in limited runs, making them something that not everyone has, which I love. One journalist took his Field Notes to Mount Everest.
Don’t Kill That Quote – Sometimes, when I post a quote here or on Facebook, someone will come back and explain why that quote is wrong. It’s almost predictable. Tim Challies takes a look at this phenomenon and his conclusions are right on point.