Sunspots 666

Yes, I know that the number 666 may have some special significance. But, in this case, it is being

used because it comes after 665, and, I hope, before 667. We'll see what happens next week.


Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: A report on the death of Billy Graham, from National Public Radio. Also, reflections on Graham's life, in Christianity Today. Sojourners has a timeline of Graham's life.

Weekend Fisher discusses penitence.


Computing: Gizmodo reports on the possibilities of artificial intelligence being used for bad purposes.

Gizmodo also reports that Russia hacked the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Humor: (or, possibly, food) Grammarphobia on whether "fart" is a word that should be used in polite society.


Politics: Gizmodo, and other outlets, report that the Florida state legislature has declared pornography a health risk, but voted not to consider any controls on guns or gun sales, a few days after the latest Florida school mass shooting.

FiveThirtyEight considers the matter of how many people Kim Jong Un has to please, in order to stay in power.

Science: Gizmodo shows video of a male cardinal that's yellow, not red. Amazing!

Earther reports on the new heat records being set in the Arctic.


Thanks for looking!

Image source (public domain)

The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11 by Thomas Watson. Excerpt 16

If men are poor, they learn to be envious; they malign those that are above them. Another’s prosperity is an eye-sore. When God’s candle shines upon their neighbour’s tabernacle, this light offends them. In the midst of wants, men can, in this sense, abound, namely, in envy and malice; an envious eye is an evil eye. They learn to be querulous, still complaining, as if God had dealt hardly with them; they are ever telling their wants, they want this and that comfort, whereas their greatest want is a contented spirit. Those that are well enough content with their sin, yet are not content with their condition.

Thomas Watson lived from 1620-1686, in England. He wrote several books which survive. This blog, God willing, will post excerpts from his The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11, over a number of weeks, on Sundays. My source for the text is here, and I thank the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for making this text (and many others) available. The previous excerpt is here.
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. (World English Bible, public domain.)

Calladium leaf, Billy Graham Library grounds, Charlotte, NC

 

The leaf pictured above has long since withered and died, and so will I. The photo was taken on the grounds of the Billy Graham Library, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mr. Graham died recently. He will be buried on the Library grounds, beside his late wife.

Graham had his faults -- who doesn't? -- but he was apparently a humble, Christ-honoring man. I have profited from reading his books, and some of my family attended two of his rallies, back when he was holding them.

The photo was taken June 8, 2009. It should serve as a link to a larger version. Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 665

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

The Arts: Gizmodo reports that Crayola is coming out with a pen that turns pieces of crayons into ink that will write on any surface.

Christianity: (Or, at least, outstanding generosity) Listverse tells 10 heartwarming stories of unselfishness, around the world.


Food: (and maybe Finance) Listverse tells us, and shows us, some really expensive desserts, such as a $1,685 Krispy Kreme doughnut.

Health: (and, maybe, humor) National Public Radio posts a poem about a woman who (really) had 14 roundworms in her eye.

Politics: Russian entities began sowing discord soon after the Florida school shooting, according to National Public Radio.

Science: (or something) Gizmodo reports that a California woman is suing her state for Bigfoot Denial.

Listverse has 10 facts about the Andromeda Galaxy. Gizmodo also has a post on this group of stars.

Gizmodo, and other outlets, report that some ants administer medical care to their wounded sisters.

Gizmodo also reports that we don't know when rabbits (some of them) became domesticated.

Sports: FiveThirtyEight examines what would happen if men and women skiers competed against each other.

Thanks for looking!

Image source (public domain)

The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11 by Thomas Watson. Excerpt 15

Here is a just reproof to such as are discontented with their condition. This disease is almost epidemical. Some not content with the calling which God hath set them in, must be a step higher, from the plough to the throne; who like the spider in the Proverbs, will “take hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.” Others from the shop to the pulpit; (Nu. 12. 2) they would be in the temple of honour, before they are in the temple of virtue; who step into Moses’ chair, without Aaron’s bells and pomegranates; like apes, which do most shew their deformity when they are climbing. It is not enough that God hath bestowed gifts upon men, in private to edify; that he hath enriched them with many mercies? but, “seek ye the priesthood also?” (Nu. 16. 10) What is this but discontent arising from high flown pride? These do secretly tax the wisdom of God, that he hath not screwed them up in their condition a peg higher. Every man is complaining that his estate is no better, though he seldom complains that his heart is no better. One man commends this kind of life, another commends that; one man thinks a country-life best, another a city-life; the soldier thinks it best to be a merchant, and the merchant to be a soldier. Men can be content to be anything but what God would have them. How is it that no man is contented? Very few Christians have learned St Paul’s lesson: neither poor nor rich know how to be content, they can learn anything but this.

Thomas Watson lived from 1620-1686, in England. He wrote several books which survive. This blog, God willing, will post excerpts from his The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11, over a number of weeks, on Sundays. My source for the text is here, and I thank the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for making this text (and many others) available. The previous excerpt is here.

Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. (World English Bible, public domain.)

Sunspots 664

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Computing: Gizmo's freeware recommends a Facebook tweaker, which can hide lots of things that you don't really want to see.

Gizmodo reports on another scheme by Facebook to gather data on users. Sigh.

Food: Gizmodo reports that the Trump administration wants to deliver food in boxes, instead of using food stamps.

Health: (of dogs) Gizmodo discusses built-in health problems of purebred dogs.

History: Relevant reports on six black women of significance that you've probably never heard of.

Politics: FiveThirtyEight examines the hard line on crime and punishment taken by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. And here's a different report, on the same subject.

National Public Radio reports on Russian cyberinterference with the 2018 elections.

FiveThirtyEight on why the attitudes of both Republicans and Democrats on the  FBI are dangerous, and not consistent with the usual history of party attitudes.

Science: Scientific American reports on techniques to make wood much stronger (so it can stop a bullet) and making it transparent.

ListVerse debunks 10 "facts" about the human body, such as that we lose most of our heat through our heads.

A new species of crayfish is reproducing by cloning, according to the New York Times, and other sources.

Thanks for looking!

Image source (public domain)

The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11 by Thomas Watson. Excerpt 14

Comfort depends upon contentment; Jacob went halting, when the sinew upon the hollow of his thigh shrank: so, when the sinew of contentment begins to shrink, we go halting in our comforts. Contentation is as necessary to keep the life comfortable, as oil is necessary to keep the lamp burning; the clouds of discontent do often drop the showers of tears.

Would we have comfort in our lives? we may have it if we will: a Christian may carve out what condition he will to himself. Why dost thou complain of thy troubles? it is not trouble that troubles, but discontent; it is not the water without the ship, but the water that gets within the leak, which drowns it; it is not outward affliction that can make the life of a Christian sad; a contented mind would sail above these waters, — but when there’s a leak of discontent open, and trouble gets into the heart, then it is disquieted and sinks. Do therefore as the mariners, pump the water out, and stop the spiritual leak in the soul, and no trouble can hurt thee.

Thomas Watson lived from 1620-1686, in England. He wrote several books which survive. This blog, God willing, will post excerpts from his The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11, over a number of weeks, on Sundays. My source for the text is here, and I thank the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for making this text (and many others) available. The previous excerpt is here.
  Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. (World English Bible, public domain.)

Sunspots 663

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else: 

Computing: (And sports, and politics) Hackers are targeting the Winter Olympics, according to Wired.

National Public Radio, and other outlets, on the question of whether or not there is such a thing as screen addiction, and, if so, how important is it?

Health: (and food) NPR reports that eating leafy foods has significant positive health benefits.

History: There is a Presidential Culinary Museum, in Grover (apparently named after a President) North Carolina. Why not? Among other things, the institution has china from a number of first ladies.

Humor: (or something) Anyone can edit most Wikipedia pages. (I've done that myself) Listverse discusses 10 cases of feuding edits.

Literature: The Wired Guide to Star Wars.

Politics: FiveThirtyEight analyzes resignation by members of Congress, where there has been an unprecedented number of such, for various reasons.

Listverse discusses 10 examples of how Donald Trump has (they say) manipulated the news media, to his advantage.

NBC News reports that Christians have been arrested for providing water to immigrants crossing the border in the Southeast, and that federal agents have destroyed water caches left for immigrants crossing on foot.

David Brooks compares the US to a divided Germany, on the question of immigration access, or not, in the New York Times.

Science: Wired doesn't think the moon should be called blue, blood, or super.

Long Beach, California, is taking steps to cool down its temperature, in some interesting ways, says Wired.

Thanks for looking!

Image source (public domain)

The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11 by Thomas Watson. Excerpt 13

CHAPTER VIII
Use I. Shewing how a Christian may make his Life comfortable.

It shows how a Christian may come to lead a comfortable life, even an heaven upon earth, be the times what they will: by Christian contentment. The comfort of life doth not stand in having much; it is Christ’s maxim, “man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he doth possess,” (Lu. 12. 15) but it is in being contented. Is not the bee as well contented with feeding on the dew, or sucking from a flower, as the ox that grazeth on the mountains? Contentment lies within a man, in the heart; and the way to be comfortable, is not by having our barns filled, but our minds quiet. The contented man, saith Seneca, is the happy man.

Discontent is a fretting humour, which dries the brains, wastes the spirits, corrodes and eats out the comfort of life; discontent makes a man that he doth not enjoy what he doth possess. A drop or two of vinegar will sour a whole glass of wine. Let a man have the affluence and confluence of worldly comforts, a drop or two of discontent will embitter and poison all.

Thomas Watson lived from 1620-1686, in England. He wrote several books which survive. This blog, God willing, will post excerpts from his The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11, over a number of weeks, on Sundays. My source for the text is here, and I thank the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for making this text (and many others) available. The previous excerpt is here.
 
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. (World English Bible, public domain.)