Monday is my day off. So today I want to pause and say thanks to…Apple. I am one of those annoyingly satisfied Mac guys. I may not have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I have been on a Mac since 1992. Here are the seven Macs I have either owned or convinced my church to purchase for use:
My First Apple Computer
Performa 575 – During my first year of seminary, I got this through my Mom’s education discount. This wonderful computer lasted 10 years. It still functioned after our office was struck by lightning, but the image on the screen was distorted slightly thereafter.
…they will lie, deceive, and be downright cruel. At least that is what appears to be the case among a certain group of scientists, the ones who want to keep the public believing that the planet is warming, despite their own evidence. This Wall Street Journal article provides an overview of “Climategate” while this Telegraph column goes into more detail.
Ask anyone who knows me well…I have been a skeptic of this non-sense all along. Do you remember back in the 70s when all the science “experts” were predicting another ice age?
Well, dear reader, if you have been duped by the global warning lie, would it shake your confidence at all to know that the founder of the Weather Channel has called it “the greatest scam in history”? John Coleman, the founder of the Weather Channel, wrote an article exposing the lie. Here is a portion:
…then I wonder if it makes anyone think twice about supporting the death of Terri Schaivo. A man in England, in the same state as Schaivo, turns out to have been conscious all along.
All true NASCAR fans have one driver they pull for above the rest, with Dale Jr., Tony Stewart, and Jeff Gordon being the circuit’s most popular drivers. I would not consider myself to be a “true” NASCAR fan. I only watch the highlights on occasion and I couldn’t tell you who won last week, although I am pretty sure Jimmie Johnson is poised to win his 4th straight NASCAR Cup. Anyway, my main man is Bobby Labonte. I chose him because (a) he is purported from multiple sources to be the real deal as a Christian and (b) he is a champion.
In a recent BP Sports article by Lee Warren, Labonte commented on how he is handling a low point in terms of success on the track,
It’s definitely a struggle from one day to the next…I’ve been reading the Bible more and more and getting a lot of support from family and friends, especially my wife.”
I came across this quote this afternoon (in the midst of my ongoing wrestling match with the sermon for this Sunday). It made me laugh and encouraged me to keep my hand to the plough. If there are any preachers reading this today, take heart and be of good cheer, even Spurgeon thought preaching was a difficult endeavor:
Everybody thinks himself a judge of a sermon, but nine out of ten might as well pretend to weigh the moon. I believe that, at bottom, most people think it an uncommonly easy thing to preach, and that they could do it amazingly well themselves. Every donkey thinks itself worthy to stand with the king’s horses.”
Ever wonder why a genuine leather Bible lasts so much longer than a bonded leather Bible? Did you know that most “genuine leather” Bibles are actually pigskin?
In the past year, I have been doing a little reading and research about the design and production of Bibles. The most helpful website in this process has been Bible Design Blog. Another helpful site has been Leonard’s Book Restoration Station.
Bonded leather Bibles are a composite of leather strips and leftover particles, dust, and glue. Genuine leather is a whole piece of hide from the animal. As more than one Bible connoisseur has noted it’s kind of like the difference between particle board and real wood. Another appropriate illustration might be the difference between a hot dog and a steak. Through the years, I’ve purchased my share of bonded leather Bibles in order to save a few bucks. But they never last as long. It really is one of those cases in which you get what you pay for. That said, any Bible that is read and studied is better than no Bible at all.
Here is Eric Haley, Propietor of Leonard’s, demonstrating the difference in bonded vs. genuine leathers:
I was recently on the phone with the good folks at Leonard’s and secured permission to reproduce this helpful information about Bible from Eric regarding the different kinds of leather:
Do you remember the “W.W.J.D?” bracelet fad from a few years back? Inspired by the book In His Steps by Charles Sheldon, the bracelets were a big hit for a season. I wonder how many people are still sporting the bracelets? In my message this past Sunday I suggested we would do better to ask the question, “W.D.J.A.T.M.T.D?” Of course I was aiming at being humorous with 8 letters, but I was also making a serious point. Since most Americans don’t know much about what Jesus actually said or did and thus have a hard time actually answering the question “W.W.J.D?” accurately, I think it would be better if we focused on the question, “W.D.J.A.T.M.T.D?”
soundoftruth.org 