I want to thank myself

19-year-old Mirra Andreeva won the French Open women's tennis tournament, a major competition, on June 6, 2026. Tennis tournament winners (and often losers) are expected to make a speech, acknowledging the skill of their opponent, thanking their trainers and coaches, and saying other appropriate things.

Andreeva wore a jacket with the words “I want to thank myself” during the trophy presentation and explained that she was pleased with her own reaction to adversity. Andreeva played well, and, no doubt, is to be applauded for this accomplishment. But her slogan reminds me of one of humanity's most common flaws -- pride. We often praise ourselves, or think that we deserve praise that we didn't get.

One of the most dramatic stories in the Bible is the story of the fiery furnace, in Daniel 3. King Nebuchadnezzar produced an enormous statue of himself, or had others do this. It was about 90 feet tall. Self-promotion on a grand scale. The king had all of the important people in the kingdom brought together, and, at a signal from the band, they were supposed to worship the great statue.

But that self-promotion didn't amount to much. God sent an angel to rescue Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from a fiery furnace, and Nebuchadnezzar realized that people should not be worshiping a statue of himself, or any other gods but the God of Israel.

I wish Andreeva the best. She has accomplished an important milestone in what may be a distinguished career. But she didn't do it by herself. God gave her strength and accuracy and endurance. God allowed her to have good coaching and training. Andreeva's opponent in the French Open finals had to play a few more games than Andreeva did, because she wasn't, it was thought, good enough to win an automatic berth in the tournament, and so she was fatigued for a reason that didn't affect Andreeva.

Pride goes before a fall. Politicians, entertainers, athletes, bloggers do not do things by themselves. May I honor God, not me.

Thanks for reading.

Women singers in the Old Testament choir?

1 Chronicles 25:4 Of Heman; the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth. 25:5 All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. 25:6a All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of Yahweh, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps, for the service of God’s house; (World English Bible, public domain)

This seems to suggest that the three daughters were among the musicians under Heman, their father, in the time of David. The few other versions I checked said the same thing. The question, of course, is who "all these" refers to. I'm not sure.

Thanks for reading. 

Sunspots 900

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

The Arts: A Christianity Today writer on Tolkien's world, and ours.

Christianity: A Christianity Today writer on how corporate worship may bond us together in ways we don't realize.

Christianity Today has posted links to several articles on the late Mickail Gorbachev.

Politics:  A Conversation writer says that Iran is winning the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Gizmodo notes that former President Trump has incriminated himself on his own social media platform.

Science: Gizmodo on 7 animals that use tools.

A web page that tells us that fruit flies have been important in Nobel-prize-winning research.

A writer for The Conversation points out that over half of human fertilized eggs die before the woman knows that she is pregnant, but that laws protecting human embryos don't take this into account.

Another writer for The Conversation discusses what we know about fish sleep.

Sports: FiveThirtyEight tells us which of the big universities are football schools, and which are basketball schools.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

Sunspots 899

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

The Arts: Gizmodo  describes 13 streaming services, ranging from free to ad-supported to paying, that you have probably never heard of.

Tor.com has published an article on Galadriel, as Tolkien portrayed her. (Note that the article isn't based on the upcoming Rings of Power video series.)

Christianity: (or something) A Conversation writer discusses the role of dragons in religions.

A Christianity Today writer writes about the possibility of having artificial intelligences as worship leaders and preachers.

Health: NPR on how sweat that smells stinky protects us.

Politics: FiveThirtyEight reports on Republican election deniers who won their elections.

Science: (or something) CNet tells us about things that make us more attractive to mosquitoes.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading. 

Sunspots 831

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

Computing: Gizmodo reports that a number of entities are calling for a national strategy on fighting ransomware.

Education: A ListVerse writer tells us about 10 subjects that used to be taught in public schools, but aren't any more, and, says the writer, should be.

I am presently a member of a Wesleyan church. The Wesleyan Church has 5 institutions of higher learning in North America. An African-American has been selected as President of one of them, for the first time.

Health: Gizmodo on home smell training to help recover from loss of the sense of smell due to COVID.

And Gizmodo on why our skin itches, sometimes (or, in some of us, all the time).

FiveThirtyEight analyzes the likelihood of getting COVID from un-vaccinated children.

The Scientist reports that the risk of blood clots is higher in those infected by COVID than the risk of such in those who have been vaccinated.

Humor: (and Christianity) A Relevant writer has ranked worship instruments in order of their expense and/or complexity, or something.

Science: Scientists are trying to sequence the DNA of all animals with backbones, according to NPR.

Gizmodo reports on glacier melting, caused by climate change.

The Scientist reports that single-celled organisms, or single cells in higher organisms, may be capable of learning.

Sports: FiveThirtyEight says that you can't really tell how good an NFL team's draft picks were.

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

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 765

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

Christianity: (and Sports) A "prophet" has apparently claimed that, if the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl, it will be an important sign of Christ's return, or something, according to Relevant.

Relevant also has an article on the difference between praise and worship.


(or something) Relevant also reports that President Trump's spiritual advisor prayed that "satanic pregnancies" would miscarry. What?!


Computing: NPR tells us how to avoid having a smartphone hacked.

Gizmo's Freeware tells how to add a webpage address to a smartphone's home screen.


Environment: The Trump administration has taken steps to drastically change water protection regulations, making it easier for some polluters to pollute, according to Gizmodo.
Politics: The New York Times has an article discussing the different challenges facing the two main parties. Basic conclusion: Democrats have to stay close to the center if they want to win. I thank one of my sons-in-law for a link to the article.

Science: Listverse tells us 10 things our body has or does, that you probably didn't know about. Sample: we give off light.


Sports: Maya Moore, one of the best WNBA players ever, has put her career on hold to work for the release of a man she believes was imprisoned unjustly.

FiveThirtyEight says that there will probably never be another Kobe Bryant -- he took shot s that aren't taken now.

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

Thanks for looking!

With Christ in the School of Prayer, by Andrew Murray, 8

SECOND LESSON.
‘In spirit and truth.’
Or, The True Worshippers.

‘The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth:  for such doth the Father seek to be His worshippers.  God is a Spirit:  and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.’—John iv. 23, 24.

THESE words of Jesus to the woman of Samaria are His first recorded teaching on the subject of prayer.  They give us some wonderful first glimpses into the world of prayer.  The Father seeks worshippers: our worship satisfies His loving heart and is a joy to Him. He seeks true worshippers, but finds many not such as He would have them. True worship is that which is in spirit and truth. The Son has come to open the way for this worship in spirit and in truth, and teach it us.  And so one of our first lessons in the school of prayer must be to understand what it is to pray in spirit and in truth, and to know how we can attain to it.

To the woman of Samaria our Lord spoke of a threefold worship.  There is first, the ignorant worship of the Samaritans:  ‘Ye worship that which ye know not.’  The second, the intelligent worship of the Jew, having the true knowledge of God: ‘We worship that which we know; for salvation is of the Jews.’  And then the new, the spiritual worship which He Himself has come to introduce:  ‘The hour is coming, and is now, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth.’  From the connection it is evident that the words ‘in spirit and truth’ do not mean, as is often thought, earnestly, from the heart, in sincerity.  The Samaritans had the five books of Moses and some knowledge of God; there was doubtless more than one among them who honestly and earnestly sought God in prayer.  The Jews had the true full revelation of God in His word, as thus far given; there were among them godly men, who called upon God with their whole heart.  And yet not ‘in spirit and truth,’ in the full meaning of the words.  Jesus says, ‘The hour is coming, and now is;’ it is only in and through Him that the worship of God will be in spirit and truth.

Among Christians one still finds the three classes of worshippers.  Some who in their ignorance hardly know what they ask:  they pray earnestly, and yet receive but little.  Others there are, who have more correct knowledge, who try to pray with all their mind and heart, and often pray most earnestly, and yet do not attain to the full blessedness of worship in spirit and truth.  It is into this third class we must ask our Lord Jesus to take us; we must be taught of Him how to worship in spirit and truth.  This alone is spiritual worship; this makes us worshippers such as the Father seeks.  In prayer everything will depend on our understanding well and practising the worship in spirit and truth.

This post continues what is intended to be a series of excerpts from With Christ in the School of Prayer, by Andrew Murray. I thank the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for making this public domain work available. To see their post of the book, go here. The previous post is here. As usual in this blog, long quotations are in this color.

Sunspots 740

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

Christianity: A Relevant writer points out that worship isn't about church music.
Deborah Haarsma, of BioLogos, discusses the implications for Christians, if there is intelligent life elsewhere, or if there isn't.


Computing: Christianity Today reports on a study that indicates that we trust big technical companies less than we used to. And churches more. 

Education:  Grammarphobia discusses can not, cannot and can't.

Gizmo's Freeware tells about a phone app that uses your camera to solve math problems.

Environment: Gizmodo reports that climate change may have reached a tipping point for the Arctic.


Ethics: The Scientist tells us that a Chinese team is developing human-monkey chimeras.

Finance: Catherine Rampell is concerned about what President Trump might do to US fiscal policy.

Health: (and finance, and politics) Catherine Rampell points out that medicare-for-all plans have ignored how much we pay providers, particularly doctors. We pay about twice as much to these as Canada.

National Public Radio reports on the use of the CRISPR genetic engineering system to treat a woman with sickle-cell anemia.

Politics: FiveThirtyEight analyzes the second round of debates -- who spoke most, etc.

Relevant reports that over 50 people were shot in Chicago last weekend.

NPR has posted graphs, comparing gun death frequency in the US with that in many other countries.

FiveThirtyEight says that Republican politicians are much more resistant to gun control measures than GOP voters are.

Science: NPR reports on a study that indicates that children prefer men without beards, up until the child reaches puberty. (Note: I have a beard.)

Gizmodo reports that Japanese scientists may try to grow human pancreases, for transplant to people who need them, in pigs.

In 2006, there were 1411 tigers in India. NPR reports that the population was up to 2967 in 2018, a little more than doubling, thanks to serious steps taken by the Indian government.

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

"oil to make his face to shine"

Psalm 104 is a great nature poem, probably written by David. I've read it many times, and you probably have, too. Here's part of it that recently struck me:

14 He causes the grass to grow for the livestock,
    and plants for man to cultivate,
    that he may produce food out of the earth:
15 wine that makes glad the heart of man,
    oil to make his face to shine,
    and bread that strengthens man’s heart. (World English Bible, public domain.)

OK. Grass for pasture for livestock, plants for garden vegetables and fruit, wine, and bread for food. But oil to make our faces to shine? Where did that come from?

The Bible Gateway, using the World English Bible, indicates that the word, "oil," occurs about 200 times in the Bible, with only a few of these in the New Testament. Oil was used as fuel for lamps, and was used on people who had been injured. It was also used in cooking, and to anoint people, as a sign of honoring them.

The first use of the word, in the Bible, is in this verse:
Genesis 28:18 Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top.

Jacob was fleeing from the wrath of his brother, Esau, and this use was a form of worship, of thanking God for showing Jacob a vision. It is interesting that Jacob, presumably running away with only essential possessions, would have had oil among those possessions.

Leviticus mentions oil more than any other book in the Bible does. It was to be used in some types of offering to God, and was also to be used to anoint the priests, as a sign that they were separated for the Lord's work.

I Samuel tells us that Saul was anointed with oil, as a sign that he was to be the first king of Israel. David, who took Saul's place when Saul didn't obey God, was also anointed as a sign of God's calling.

1 Kings 17 tells the story of how a widow fed herself, her son, and Elijah, by cooking or baking them a mixture of oil and meal, for at least several days. The containers of meal and oil were miraculously kept from being empty.

Luke 7 tells the story of how a Pharisee invited Jesus to eat with him. Jesus rebuked the host because he hadn't anointed His head with oil. (A woman anointed His feet with her tears.)

OK. Back to Psalm 104. That Psalm doesn't mention oil as an offering, oil for food, or oil for healing. It probably doesn't imply using oil for anointing. It just says "to make his face to shine." A couple of thoughts on that. One is that, although the Bible doesn't say that cleanliness is next to godliness, God apparently appreciates cleanliness, in spirit, and in body and in our surroundings. The other is that Psalm 104 seems to be endorsing the use of cosmetics. Like so many other things, cosmetics can be, and are, over-used. But making our faces look good seems to be part of God's best plan for us, and doing so by application of at least one substance seems to be endorsed by Psalm 104.

Thanks for reading!

What the Bible teaches us

This is an attempt to distill the Bible's teachings in to a single page. No doubt I've left out important ideas. I welcome your comments.

What does the Bible teach us?

There is a deadly sin problem, but Christ has solved that problem. God hates sin, but He loves us. We can be forgiven! (We must also forgive others.) The Holy Spirit helps us to be holy, and to live above sin. (Holiness: “… to be set apart to reflect God’s character in all of our ways – his goodness and love, his kindness and compassion, his concern for justice and the poor” – Rankin Wilbourne, Union with Christ: The Way to Know and Enjoy God) God wants us to tell others that there’s a cure for the sin problem, by our life and our words. Our lives are part of God’s plan for redemption.

Individuals, including children and females, are important to God. (See, for example, the “begats,” and the genealogies in 1 Chronicles.) God is especially concerned about the poor and oppressed. God can speak to us, and do miracles, but He almost always does these things through some human agent. (Examples: Moses, Gideon, Deborah, Samuel, Esther, Peter and John.) Since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit guides believers in these things. Such guidance is often through the Bible, and we should study it prayerfully.

Worship, private and public, is important. Praise and giving should be part of worship. So should Communion.

God answers prayer, but not always in the way we expect or hope for. Believers sometimes get sick, have accidents, are rejected by others, become poor, and die.

God expects to be first in our affections. Pride – putting ourselves first – leads to destruction. Examples: Saul, Uzziah/Azariah (2 Chron 26:16-21), Judas. We are to have, and show, unselfish love for others. Allegiance to a flag or country, a prominent person, or an earthly cause or group, should be secondary to our allegiance to Christ. One way of showing allegiance to Christ is baptism, which is expected of believers.

The world, as God planned it, was good, but sin has messed it up. Part of that goodness was diversity. (Psalm 104:24-5) God apparently loves diversity, in beetles and flowers, and in human personalities and characteristics. God will fix the world so it is, again, entirely good, and sin free. Those redeemed from sin will live in that world, with Christ. Eternal issues are far more important than current politics, sports, or the stock market.

Thanks for reading.