sunspots 821

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

Christianity: Relevant tells us why Lent matters.

Education: Listverse tells us about three-dimensional shapes.

Politics: Politico describes some case studies of QAnon believers.

Relevant debunks conspiracy theorists who claim that the snow in Texas was fake. (And that Bill Gates was responsible for it.)

Science: The Scientist reports that researchers in four countries have been able to communicate (in both directions) with subjects who are asleep and dreaming.

The Scientist also reports on experiments that show that dogs have awareness of their own bodies. This seems obvious, but isn't really.

DNA from a cave bear, about 360,000 years old, has been recovered, and usable sequence information has been found, according to Gizmodo. The cave was not in permafrost, from which much older DNA has been recovered.

The AP reports that an almost extinct ferret species has been given more potential genetic variety by a clone of an animal dead for a few decades.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

Thanks for looking!

What to give up for Lent - complaining

 

What to give up for Lent? (if anything)

Our pastor suggested an idea. It's based on the Bible:

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without complaining and arguing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation ...

1 Corinthians 10 has some severe warnings about four things that the Israelites did, and that we ought not to do:

7a Don’t be idolaters ...

8a Let’s not commit sexual immorality ...

9a Let’s not test Christ ...

10a Don’t grumble ...

Jude gives a warning about some dangerous people: 1:16a These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their lusts—and their mouth speaks proud things— ...

So what was her suggestion? Give up complaining for Lent. 

We love to complain, about COVID-19, the weather, politics, having to wait in line for something, how hard it is to get through a phone tree, how many robocalls we get, about what we have (or don't have) to eat, what's on (or not on) TV, you name it. But complaining is dangerous. It puts me, and what I want, first. It questions what God gives us, or what God allows. It's not a good example.

Here are the results of a search for "complain" in the Bible. It's clear that God allows complaining, with Job being a prime example -- although he was finally rebuked for his griping. But Job wasn't commended for his complaining, but in spite of it.

Thanks for reading!

Sunspots 518

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

Christianity: Relevant posts "3 Big Myths About Calling." Hint: a calling is not your job.
Relevant also warns that gluttony, one of the classic seven deadly sins, is, if anything, more pervasive now than ever. Have you ever heard a sermon against gluttony?
The Barna Research group on what "Millennials" really want in a church facility. Surprise - by 2 to 1, they preferred "quiet" to "loud."
Heart, Mind, Soul and Strength has been doing some spiritual self-examination. Have you been in these situations?
Health: National Public Radio has posted maps, showing how the frequency of risk factors for cancer vary from state to state. (exercising, obesity, smoking, diet)
National Public Radio reports that leisure activity, such as doing electronic games on your information appliance, jigsaw puzzles, reading the newspaper, listening to music, all reduce stress. Good.
Politics: FiveThirtyEight, the statistical site, tells us where each state in the US gets its money. (Sales taxes, property taxes, corporate taxes, and other categories.)
Science: I had never heard of sea pigs. Now I have, and I've seen photos and brief videos, thanks to Wired.

Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 511

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to

someone else:
Christianity: Todd Wood considers the question of whether it would matter if we discovered intelligent life on other planets, somewhere.
A Lenten meditation on dust (i.e. ashes) in the BioLogos forum.
Computing: Gizmo's Freeware tells about alternativeTo. The idea is that you type in the name of a software application, and the web site can respond with a list of alternatives that do more or less the same thing, and indicates whether they are free or not, and what platforms they work on.
Gizmo's Freeware also recommends Print My Fonts! Our computer has over 300 of them, which I didn't know until I ran the program. We don't need them all. (Actually, our computer says that some of the ones I thought I didn't need are protected system fonts.)
Health: National Public Radio reports that there are bacteria in your soap.
(or cooking) I'm not a "foodie," but you may be. Wired has reviewed 5 meat thermometers.
Humor: (or something) Wired reports that a beehive that is made so that honey will flow from it, without the necessity of removing the combs, has been developed.
Science: FiveThirtyEight Science considers the question of whether or not we can taste fat.
Wired reports that the Amazon basin depends on the Sahara desert for it's continued existence as a diverse ecosystem. Who knew?
Relevant reports that NASA has found two lights on Ceres, a large asteroid. (There's a photo.)

Image source (public domain)