Psalm 143:8 New International Version (NIV) — from biblegateway.com
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
On 01/28/2015,
in Daniel S. Christian, faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
On 01/16/2015,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right.
On 12/23/2014,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
Merry Christmas all!
The Birth of Jesus
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Jesus Presented in the Temple
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
On 12/23/2014,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
On 12/15/2014,
in art, creativity, faith, global / globalization, relationships, religion, society,
by Daniel Christian
iPad Art: The Majestic Forgiver — from ipadinsight.com
Excerpt:
It’s titled ‘The majestic forgiver’ and is the work of Woon Tien David Chong. Here are the artist’s own words on this iPad painting:
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
On 12/02/2014,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father”[a]?
Or again,
“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son”[b]?
6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”[c]
7 In speaking of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels spirits,
and his servants flames of fire.”[d]
8 But about the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.”[e]
10 He also says,
“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
12 You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.”[f]
13 To which of the angels did God ever say,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet”[g]?
For those of you from the U.S. —
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
We have much to be grateful for.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
On 11/25/2014,
in 3D, education technology, Europe, faith, geography / geology, history, user experience (UX),
by Daniel Christian
Rome 320 AD – Interactive App — from indianajen.com by Jennifer Carey
Excerpt:
The app follows the lives of four Romans as they travel through the city on a summer day in 320 CE. You can explore 3D, interactive models of the city in high resolution and detail.
Also see:
- Rome320AD — by Noho Ltd.
- Professor Bernard Frischer
On 11/25/2014,
in Daniel S. Christian, faith, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships,
by Daniel Christian
On 11/10/2014,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
On 09/05/2014,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
Here are two really interesting pieces of scripture. Seldomly do I read where the LORD Himself is amazed by something. But note His being amazed in these cases — and they both involve the topic of faith (one on the negative side of things and one on the positive side of things; emphasis mine):
4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.
8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
Other examples from scripture:
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?
Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.
On 08/21/2014,
in career development, faith, future, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, society, student-related,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
This posting has a spectrum of perspectives/content on it. First some faith-based items:
Description
Is it possible to know the world and still love the world? Of all the questions we ask about our calling, this is the most difficult. From marriages to international relations, the more we know, the harder it is to love. We become cynics or stoics, protecting our hearts from the implications of what we know. But what if the vision of vocation can be recovered—allowing us to step into the wounds of the world and for love’s sake take up our responsibility for the way the world turns out? For decades Steve Garber has come alongside a wide range of people as they seek to make sense of the world and their lives. With him we meet leaders from the Tiananmen Square protest who want a good reason to still care about China. We also meet with many ordinary people in ordinary places who long for their lives to matter:
- Jonathan who learned he would rather build houses than study history
- Todd and Maria who adopted creative schedules so they could parent better and practice medicine
- D.J. who helped Congress move into the Internet Age
- Robin who spends her life on behalf of urban justice
- Hans who makes hamburgers the way they are meant to be made
- Susan who built a home business of hand-printing stationary using a letterpress
- Santiago who works with majority-world nations in need of capital
- George who has given years to teaching students to learn things that matter most
- Claudius and Deirdre whose openhearted home has always been a place for people
- Dan who loves Wyoming, the place, its people and its cows
Vocation is when we come to know the world in all its joy and pain and still love it. Vocation is following our calling to seek the welfare of the world we live in. And in helping the world to flourish, strangely, mysteriously, we find that we flourish too. Garber offers a book for everyone everywhere—for students, for parents, for those in the arts, in the academy, in public service, in the trades and in commerce—for all who want to discover the virtue of vocation.
From DSC:
Some quotes from the book:
“It is possible to get all A’s and still flunk life.”
“From mime artists in Paris, to attorneys walking the killing fields of Rwanda, to young, eager human rights activists in Washington, to graduate students at at Yale, how does one learn to see with the eyes of the heart, to see oneself as responsible for the way the world is and isn’t? Not a cheap question, and there are no cheap answers.”
From DSC:
The above book was recommended to me by the Director of CIC NetVUE, Dr. Shirley Roels. For more information about CIC NetVUE, see the items below:
NetVUE is a nationwide network of colleges and universities committed to enriching the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation among undergraduate students.
The purposes of NetVUE are to:
- Deepen the understanding of the intellectual and theological dimensions of vocational exploration;
- Examine the role of vocational exploration in a variety of institutional contexts;
- Share knowledge, best practices, and reflection on experiences across participating campuses;
- Develop a network for sustaining an extended program in the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation; and
- Facilitate the incorporation of additional colleges and universities into this enterprise.
Now, for some items that are not (necessarily) faith-related:
Blackboard Debuts Free College and Career Guidance App — from thejournal.com by Joshua Bolkan
Excerpt:
Blackboard has a released a free mobile app, Job Genie, designed to help students explore career paths and college options.”The app is a result of qualitative research with students that indicated a large amount of apprehension around key academic decisions, such as picking a school, major or career path,” according to a news release. “Designed to be a non-threatening way to explore various education and job options, the app uses casual language and aesthetics to reinforce that these choices are part of a journey and that students should not feel locked into a single recommendation.”
Be Employed When You Gradate –a book by Jonathan Blake Huer (2014)
Excerpt:
College isn’t about getting a job; it’s about earning a degree. So, when do students learn how to find meaningful employment? From choosing a major to negotiating a job offer, author and educator, Jonathan Blake Huer, offers his perspective to finding your way through today’s job market in his first book, Be Employed When You Graduate.
The advice and exercises in each chapter offer an honest and practical guide to setting measurable professional goals in college, and how to transform those experiences into internships, freelance positions and post-graduate jobs.
On 08/06/2014,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
“This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear* God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
* Respect, hold in awe, obey, revere, seek, love
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”**
** For me, to consistently obey the word of God is not at all easy.
I mess up frequently. So I greatly appreciate that the LORD
extends His grace and forgiveness to me.
On 07/07/2014,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships,
by Daniel Christian
4 In that day you will say:
“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.
6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”