Finished reading: The Doodle Revolution by Sunni Brown. I loved working slowly through this book; learned a lot. I even adjusted my sermon prep process as a result. đź“š

Reading: Saving the Reformation by W. Robert Godfrey đź“š

Reading: How to Lead Your Family by Joel R. Beeke đź“š

Is there a mail client that is better than Apple Mail? I feel like I can’t get signatures to work consistently correct, search is slow and has trouble finding things. Copy and paste creates weird formatting sometimes.

List of plants on a whiteboard under the heading to plant. The whiteboard is surrounded by plants.

Finished reading: The Pastor and the Modern World. R. Kent Hughes’ chapter is gold. Although there’s not a single word about A.I., preacher’s wondering if and how to use it will find this chapter very helpful. It’s a must read. Also, Alfred Poirier introduces Gregory of Nazianzus’ thoughts on pastoral ministry—ancient wisdom from modern times. 📚

Finished reading: Feeding the Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teenagers into Adulthood by Kenneth Wilgus. đź“š

Why McDonald’s Coffee Tastes So Good

Finished reading: Sanctification of the Sabbath by Robert Haldane. This one came from her church as mini library. I’ll put it back next week for those who might like to read it. His main purpose is to prove two things, which I think he does. 1) Our duty to observe a day of rest every seven days day comes from its institution in creation before the mosaic economy. 2) The pattern of 6+1 always remains the same, but God changed the Sabbath from the seventh day of the week to the first day of the week. 📚

Finished reading: Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall B. Rosenberg đź“š

Currently reading: Writing with Style by Lane Greene đź“š

Small talk does some big jobs. Here’s one:

Instead of resenting small talk, I now see it as a gateway to a more meaningful connection. After some soothing chitchat, I now feel more confident about taking risks and asking questions that I might have once worried were too far afield.

Read more in the Wall Street Journal.

Finished reading: The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament by Leon J. Wood đź“š

Four interesting facts about the kinnor.

  1. The kinnor was invented by Jubal (Genesis 4:21) and is the first musical instrument mentioned in the Bible.
  2. It was the instrument that David played for Saul.
  3. Chinnereth/Kinneret—an ancient city—might have it’s name because it looked like a kinnor.
  4. The kithara, which I’ve posted about before, is probably a derivate word and instrument as well. The Greek translation of the Old Testament translates kinnor as kithara in twenty out of forty places. (Sachs, The History of Musical Instruments, 106)
A statue of an astronaut holding a flag stands outside a colorful building with a sign reading "Americana Motor Hotel."

A key part of a real apology—one people often overlook—is acknowledging the hurt. And that usually requires more than just, “I’m sorry I hurt you.” You need to be specific.

For example, imagine a dad who’s late to his son’s piano recital—for the third time.

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When we hurt others, we should apologize. An apology helps set things right.

This doesn’t mean that every mistake warrants a grand apology. Over-apologizing for small missteps cheapens the value of apologies that truly matter. For minor errors, a simple and genuine “Pardon me” or “I’m sorry” is best.

But when you’ve hurt someone in a big way, your apology should match. Ken Sande’s Seven A’s of a Biblical Confession, help us get that right.

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Robert McBride, a classical composer from Tucson, was born today in 1911. His Mexican Rhapsody was submitted in 1935 for his Masters of Music at the University of Arizona.

Last fall a major Chinese hack began, collecting text messages, phone calls, and other data on Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and many other networks around the world. By December, Yahoo News reported that

The scope of the data breach — which Microsoft has nicknamed “Salt Typhoon” — is so significant that officials are unable to provide a timeframe for when the threat will be under control.

The FBI warned that everyone should be using encrypted apps for communication.

I also use Signal. It has everything I need: messages, calls, video calls, group chats, etc. I’d use Apple’s encryption which is on Messages and FaceTime, but Apple’s encryption doesn’t work when connecting with friends who use Android.

Well, it’s mid-February now and the threat is still not under control. Just a few days ago, Wired reported that spies are still hard at work and not even slowing down.