January 26, 2012
January 17, 2012
Brendan: A Novel
November 25, 2011
Adam's Gift
Adam's Gift: A Memoir of a Pastor’s Calling to Defy the Church’s Persecution of Lesbians and Gaysby Jimmy Creech
This is an inspiring story of faith and courage. Having had the opportunity to meet Jimmy Creech this past summer, and hear him tell his story, I wanted to read more about it. I am so thankful for people like Jimmy Creech who are providing leadership and examples of how to follow Jesus and bring the love and grace of the kingdom of God to ALL those in our lives. I hope that the organized church will leave their petty pious legalism and prejudice behind in favor of true Gospel of love and grace. I highly recommend this well written memoir of one of our generation's giants of faith.
November 4, 2011
Durham Men's Group
"This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes." - Morpheus
October 28, 2011
the gates of hell?
I would love to hear the story behind this gate! I know there must be one.
Calvary Baptist Church
Morrisville, NC 27560
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
October 11, 2011
TechRepublic: Steve Jobs' 100-year legacy: Humanizing technology
October 6, 2011
Steve Jobs NeXT computer...
August 30, 2011
Dawes!!!
My musically astute and very clever wife scored us 2 tickets to see Dawes at Cat's Cradle!!! WOO-HOO! Dawes opened for Alison Krauss at Koko Booth. Check them out on YouTube, they are fantastic!
August 14, 2011
Readnponder review of The Soul of a Soldier
Read the review here...
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/187302964
August 1, 2011
When Patents Attack
Something is very wrong with our nation's technology innovation process. Legal does not equal moral. Check out this enlightening yet disturbing story from "This American Life"
July 19, 2011
Kiva City Launches in Detroit
We were just in Detroit this past weekend, and we saw some of the areas of great need first hand. After living in the Detroit area for 2 years, I am excited to hear that Kiva is now making possible micro-loans to the people of Detroit. There is much to be done there. This is very exciting, and we are anxious to be a part!
July 5, 2011
Cheyenne Raiders by Robert Jordan
Cheyenne Raiders by Robert JordanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
One of my first ventures into historical fiction. This is a great story. It was also my first Robert Jordan book besides the Wheel of Time series. I recommend this book.
January 18, 2011
Today
Today...
One of my CS Lewis book club friends heard this from a native Indian (I think Navaho) at a morning presentation while staying in Sedona (AZ).
"The past is history, the future is a mystery, but the present is a gift, a gift from God. Don't return it unopened."
One of my CS Lewis book club friends heard this from a native Indian (I think Navaho) at a morning presentation while staying in Sedona (AZ).
January 6, 2011
Godric: A Novel
Godric: A Novel by Frederick BuechnerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is one of the best books I've read in a long time! To read it feels nearly like reading poetry or music lyrics, it pulls you in and along with a comfortable rhythm that just feels right. The story is rich and many layered; very human and at the same time very holy. It reminded me very much of my favourite novel by C.S. Lewis "Till We Have Faces" in its style, depth, creativitity, and excellent writing. I heartily give this book five stars, I wish there were six to give. I am looking forward to both re-reading it (so much depth there) and also to finding other novels by Buechner (actually, I have a friend who offered to loan them to me, so I won't have to search!). I encourage you to find a copy of this book and savour it. This is a must-read.
View all my reviews
December 17, 2010
December 16, 2010
A Goat!
Christmas Gift Idea: A Goat!
Give a goat. Goats nourish hungry children and families with healthy milk, cheese, and yogurt. Goats also give a much-needed income boost by providing offspring and extra dairy products for sale at the market.
A healthy dairy goat can give up to 16 cups of milk a day. Goat milk is easier to digest than cow’s milk and is an excellent source of calcium, protein, and other essential nutrients that growing children need. Goats are practical animals — flourishing in harsh climates while producing valuable manure to fertilize crops and vegetable gardens.
A healthy dairy goat can give up to 16 cups of milk a day. Goat milk is easier to digest than cow’s milk and is an excellent source of calcium, protein, and other essential nutrients that growing children need. Goats are practical animals — flourishing in harsh climates while producing valuable manure to fertilize crops and vegetable gardens.
December 13, 2010
November 8, 2010
843 pages!!!
October 11, 2010
Native Americans' Day
Maybe the traditional Columbus Day is a good time to consider what Columbus' arrival meant to North America and the people whose native home it was and is. Here is something I wrote Sept 2, 2005...
Haiti's first contact with Europeans
I found it very interesting and distressing to read about the first contact between Europeans and the natives (Arawaks) of the island on which Haiti is located. I was reading part of my daughter's AP US History assignment, from a book which tells about the U.S. history that MY generation was never allowed to study.
The island was referred to as Hispaniola when Columbus first arrived there. Out of the timbers of the Santa Maria, which had run aground, he built a fort, the first European military presence in the "new" world. His report to the Court in Madrid included:
His 2nd expedition returned with 17 ships with the clear goal to bring back slaves and gold. His expedition in Haiti found almost no gold. In 1495, he collected 1500 Arawaks and put them in pens. They picked the 500 "best" slaves and put them on ships for Spain. 200 died enroute. The rest were sold as slaves. Columbus later wrote "Let us in the name of the Holy Trinity go on sending all the slaves that can be sold."
In time however, most of the slaves died in captivity. So instead, Columbus enslaved them on the Island of Haiti and forced them to collect gold for him. He found, however, that the "fields of gold" did not exist. Each slave was given 3 months to collect a certain quantity of gold. If they failed, as most did, since the gold was not as plentiful as they imagined, their hands were cut off and they were allowed to bleed to death.
There are more horrific facts, too many for me to type here. My point is this... after reading these horrible things that OUR ancestors committed, I thought about how the Grace of God is allowing us to pay back just a small amount of the incredible injustice and evil our ancenstors did to the ancestors of our Haitian brothers and sisters. Thank God for his Grace, and for the privilege to do his work and help undo the evil of the past and of this world.
that's my 2 cents, altho probably closer to a dollar :-)
(source: "A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present" By Howard Zinn)
Haiti's first contact with Europeans
I found it very interesting and distressing to read about the first contact between Europeans and the natives (Arawaks) of the island on which Haiti is located. I was reading part of my daughter's AP US History assignment, from a book which tells about the U.S. history that MY generation was never allowed to study.
The island was referred to as Hispaniola when Columbus first arrived there. Out of the timbers of the Santa Maria, which had run aground, he built a fort, the first European military presence in the "new" world. His report to the Court in Madrid included:
"Hispaniola is a miracle. Mountains and hills, plains and pastures, are both fertile and beautiful... the harbours are unbelievably good and there are many wide rivers of which the majority contains gold .... There are many spices, and great mines of gold and other metals..."Columbus report of the natives:
"[the natives] are so naive and so free with their possessions that no one who has not witnessed them would believe it. When you ask for something they have, they never say no. To the contrary, they offer to share with anyone..."He promised the Court in Madrid that he would bring them back "as much gold as they need... and as many slaves as they ask." He promised this in the name of "God": "Thus the eternal God, our Lord, gives victory to those who follow His way over apparent impossibilities."
His 2nd expedition returned with 17 ships with the clear goal to bring back slaves and gold. His expedition in Haiti found almost no gold. In 1495, he collected 1500 Arawaks and put them in pens. They picked the 500 "best" slaves and put them on ships for Spain. 200 died enroute. The rest were sold as slaves. Columbus later wrote "Let us in the name of the Holy Trinity go on sending all the slaves that can be sold."
In time however, most of the slaves died in captivity. So instead, Columbus enslaved them on the Island of Haiti and forced them to collect gold for him. He found, however, that the "fields of gold" did not exist. Each slave was given 3 months to collect a certain quantity of gold. If they failed, as most did, since the gold was not as plentiful as they imagined, their hands were cut off and they were allowed to bleed to death.
There are more horrific facts, too many for me to type here. My point is this... after reading these horrible things that OUR ancestors committed, I thought about how the Grace of God is allowing us to pay back just a small amount of the incredible injustice and evil our ancenstors did to the ancestors of our Haitian brothers and sisters. Thank God for his Grace, and for the privilege to do his work and help undo the evil of the past and of this world.
that's my 2 cents, altho probably closer to a dollar :-)
(source: "A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present" By Howard Zinn)
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