What’s a billion?

JP: A somewhat humorous but informative blog article by Rob Loach who teaches French at Bob Jones University. Below the block quotes is a link to a graphical representation of 1 Billion pennies.
ivman’s blague: What’s a billion?
Excerpts:
It’s hard enough for me to get my mind around one million, but to try to understand the concepts [...]

Hudson Taylor: “I can scarcely think…but I can trust”

From Hudson Taylor In Early Years: The Growth of A Soul by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor; Morgan & Scott; 1911
JP: Brief post by Dianne Heeney with Hudson Taylor’s “spiritual secret”:
Strength For Today: One of Taylor’s “Spiritual Secrets”
Taylor returned to England with ill health and was brought to the very doors of death by the [...]

Pastor Doug Roman on giving

Does Tax-Deductible Giving Impact Church Offerings?
Introduction:
I had another fleeting thought . . . would removing the tax-deductibility of a monetary gift impact church offerings? While there is no reason to think that suffering (i.e., flogging, imprisonment, beatings, etc.) for our faith is imminent in our country, some of these kinds of legislative impediments are [...]

“Scutum Fidei” and the Athanasian Creed

JP: “Scutum Fidei” is Latin for “Shield of Faith”. From Wikipedia article:
The only name for this diagram which was in any regular use during the Middle Ages was “Scutum Fidei” (a Latin phrase meaning “Shield of the Faith”, taken from the Vulgate of Ephesians verse 6:16).
The particular phrase “Shield of the Trinity”, which is now [...]

Photos from the 4BYA men’s breakfast

The difference between men and women:

The men ate about twice as much food as the women (at the 4BYA women’s brunch in September)
The men drank less coffee
The men left no left-overs

Breakfast menu:

Egg casserole with sausage
Egg casserole with bacon
Melon and grapes
Homemade blueberry muffins
Homemade cranberry bread
Bagels (7 varieties) with cream cheese
Orange juice, cranrasberry juice, coffee

Pastor Roman spoke [...]

No Resources . . . No Returns . . . No Regrets

JP: A very powerful blog entry by Dave McGuire. More on William Whiting Borden below the quote.
No Resources . . . No Returns . . . No Regrets
Excerpts:
… the story of William Borden. His father founded the Borden Dairy Company, but William was called to be a missionary to Muslims in China. While enroute to [...]

Veterans Day thoughts

JP: Thank a Veteran for the freedoms we enjoy.
It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country in wars far away. The imagination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, [...]

Celebrating Luther’s 525th

JP: Good read remembering Martin Luther: Thank God for Martin Luther
His life (through reading his biography while in college) had a profound impact on me.
In one of my history classes (I think either World History or European History) one of my assigned books was Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, by Roland [...]

Missionaries in Uruguay involved in a van accident

JP: Prayer request forwarded on by Paul Harmon. See update (11/12) below.
Secrest Accident
Last night we received news that fellow BWM Uruguayan missionaries, Barry and Barbara Secrest, had an accident in their Volkswagon “Combi” van. The vans brakes went out near a T intersection. Barry attempted to make a wide turn and the van tires went [...]

Book Review: The ESV Study Bible

JP: Book review of the ESV study Bible. Check out the samples.
Book Review: The ESV Study Bible
Samples: Introduction to Psalms | Introduction to Isaiah | Introduction to Ezekiel | Jonah (full book) | Introduction to Luke | Introduction to Ephesians | Introduction to Colossians | Introduction to Revelation | Article: Reading the Bible