Thoughts of Grace

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Thu, 02 May 2013 16:15:47 -0400

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Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:20:21 -0400

chicagopubliclibrary: Library Slide By Moon Hoon via...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:24:28 -0400

Library Slide By Moon Hoon

via Colossal:

Architect Moon Hoon recently designed the Panorama House (scroll down), in Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea. One of the most unique features incorporated into the home is a wooden slide built directly into a library which also functions as a stair-stepped home theater seating area.

Click here to see more photos of the Library Slide!

Lesson Planning

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:36:24 -0400

teacherthoughtbubble:

In a perfect world:

In the real world:

9 Reasons You Can Face Anything

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:18:00 -0400

God’s sovereignty is a precious reality.

Now chances are this truth didn’t seem too precious when it first confronted you. The natural, fallen response to hearing we aren’t the ones in control is to white-knuckle our will and refuse to bow. Humans tend to like the idea that we are the captains of our own destinies. Motivational glib like that will pack out self-help seminars. But sooner or later, and hopefully sooner, we learn how bankrupt it all is. We are not in charge, and that’s a good thing.

Any peace and hope we have in our lives right now can be traced back to the fact that God alone is God, that he is the sovereign power behind everything. And this has future-creating wonder. God’s sovereignty, John Piper explains, is not mainly a theological problem with the past, but an invincible hope for tomorrow.

God’s sovereignty means the good he intends for his children will not be deterred. This means we can face anything. All his promises to us will be fulfilled. Pastor John lists nine such promises.

By the blood of his Son, God has promised infallibly…

I will meet all your needs according to my riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
My power will be made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
I will strengthen you and help you and hold you up with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).
I will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
I will not let any testing befall you for which I do not give you grace to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).
I will take the sting away from your death with the blood of my son (1 Corinthians 15:55f).
I will raise you from the dead imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:52).
I will transform your lowly body to be like my glorious body, by the power that enables me even to subject all things to myself (Philippians 3:21).
I will do this without fail because I am absolutely sovereign over everything and therefore, I can do all things, and no purpose of mine can be thwarted (Job 42:2).

by Jonathan Parnell adapted from the sermon When Jesus Meets Disability

favorite movie

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:06:38 -0400

favorite movie

huatunan: 街头山水。“shanshuihua” - street art of landscape. street...

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:52:54 -0400

huatunan:

街头山水。“shanshuihua” - street art of landscape.

street art in Foshan city,China.

blending old with the new

Intertextuality

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:52:34 -0400

shitmystudentswrite:

Romeo can’t really be blamed for Ophelia’s death.

On Sunday nights from September to June

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 21:41:54 -0500

teacherthoughtbubble:

instagram: Lunar New Year Ushers in the Year of the...

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 21:33:00 -0500

instagram.com/p/VeuTDyLcbo/#zhangwawa

instagram.com/p/VWU-JhnD98/#jillmariethomas

instagram.com/p/VTgJF7yzpE/#donatella_xiao

instagram.com/p/VdmKggzhxZ/#rishat_garu

instagram.com/p/VDYrcuBJ7V/#vnikali

instagram.com/p/VY9EOIvIe-/#ladyan

instagram:

Lunar New Year Ushers in the Year of the Snake

Starting today, more than 1.5 billion people around the world will celebrate the Lunar New Year—a time for gathering with family, honoring ancestors, and eating! The holiday is celebrated at the beginning of the year in locations that utilize the lunar calendar, and this year marks the Year of the Snake, one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac.

In China, the Lunar New Year is celebrated as the Chinese New Year, or “Spring Festival,” and is one of the most important Chinese holidays. Instagrammers are sharing photos from the 2013 festivities, including traditions like giving children lucky money in red envelopes, hanging lanterns, setting off fireworks, and performing the iconic dragon and lion dances.

To catch a glimpse into today’s festivities, be sure to browse through the #lunarnewyear, #LNY, #chinesenewyear, and #CNY hashtags.

P.S. IT’S MY YEAR!

kuizslilla: Magic grass oil paintings on canvas 60x80cm and...

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 21:31:29 -0500

kuizslilla:

Magic grass

oil paintings on canvas 60x80cm and 40x50cm

lohrien: Mixed Media Illustrations by Miki Sato dA l tumblr

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 21:30:58 -0500

lohrien:

Mixed Media Illustrations by Miki Sato dA l tumblr

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Sat, 09 Feb 2013 21:29:54 -0500

"A billion galaxies will not satisfy the human soul. God and God alone is the soul’s end."

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 21:29:11 -0500

“A billion galaxies will not satisfy the human soul. God and God alone is the soul’s end.”

- John Piper, The Pleasures of God (via littlethingsaboutgod)

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Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:26:00 -0500

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Sat, 12 Jan 2013 17:43:47 -0500

wetheurban: WHEN POKEMON MEETS FASHION If you like fashion...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 22:36:39 -0500

wetheurban:

WHEN POKEMON MEETS FASHION

If you like fashion editorials and Manga (especially Pokémon), then you’ll love this Pokemon meets fashion inspired Tumblog that incorporates Pokémon characters into Couture Ads and editorials. The strange thing (or maybe not so strange) is that the Pokémon really fit right in; whether they’re trolling Meryl Streep or just chillin’ with Lindsey Wixon. Check out some of the cool illustrations below!

Read More

So good!

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:31:45 -0500

So good!

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Sun, 16 Dec 2012 20:45:00 -0500

theburiedlife: 19 Things To Stop Doing In Your 20s 1. Stop...

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:11:18 -0400

theburiedlife:

19 Things To Stop Doing In Your 20s

1. Stop placing all the blame on other people for how they interact with you. To an extent, people treat you the way you want to be treated. A lot of social behavior is cause and effect. Take responsibility for (accept) the fact that you are the only constant variable in your equation.

2. Stop being lazy by being constantly “busy.” It’s easy to be busy. It justifies never having enough time to clean, cook for yourself, go out with friends, meet new people. Realize that every time you give in to your ‘busyness,’ it’s you who’s making the decision, not the demands of your job.

3. Stop seeking out distractions. You will always be able to find them.

4. Stop trying to get away with work that’s “good enough.” People notice when “good enough” is how you approach your job. Usually these people will be the same who have the power to promote you, offer you a health insurance plan, and give you more money. They will take your approach into consideration when thinking about you for a raise.

5. Stop allowing yourself to be so comfortable all the time. Coming up with a list of reasons to procrastinate risky, innovative decisions offers more short-term gratification than not procrastinating. But when you stop procrastinating to make a drastic change, your list of reasons to procrastinate becomes a list of ideas about how to better navigate the risk you’re taking.

6. Stop identifying yourself as a cliche and start treating yourself as an individual. Constantly checking your life against a prewritten narrative or story of how things “should” be is a bought-into way of life. It’s sort of like renting your identity. It isn’t you. You are more nuanced than the narrative you try to fit yourself into, more complex than the story that “should” be happening.

7. Stop expecting people to be better than they were in high school — learn how to deal with it instead. Just because you’re out of high school doesn’t mean you’re out of high school. There will always be people in your life who want what you have, are threatened by who you are, and will ridicule you for doing something that threatens how they see their position in the world.

8. Stop being stingy. If you really care about something, spend your money on it. There is often a notion that you are saving for something. Either clarify what that thing is or start spending your money on things that are important to you. Spend money on road trips. Spend money on healthy food. Spend money on opportunities. Spend money on things you’ll keep.

9. Stop treating errands as burdens. Instead, use them as time to focus on doing one thing, and doing it right. Errands and chores are essentially rote tasks that allow you time to think. They function to get you away from your phone, the internet, and other distractions. Focus and attention span are difficult things to maintain when you’re focused and attentive on X amount of things at any given moment.

10. Stop blaming yourself for being human. You’re fine. Having a little anxiety is fine. Being scared is fine. Your secrets are fine. You’re well-meaning. You’re intelligent. You’re blowing it out of proportion. You’re fine.

11. Stop ignoring the fact that other people have unique perspectives and positions. Start approaching people more thoughtfully. People will appreciate you for deliberately trying to conceive their own perspective and position in the world. It not only creates a basis for empathy and respect, it also primes people to be more open and generous with you.

12. Stop seeking approval so hard. Approach people with the belief that you’re a good person. It’s normal to want the people around you to like you. But it becomes a self-imposed burden when almost all your behavior toward certain people is designed to constantly reassure you of their approval.

13. Stop considering the same things you’ve always done as the only options there are. It’s unlikely that one of the things you’ll regret when you’re older is not having consumed enough beer in your 20s, or not having bought enough $5 lattes, or not having gone out to brunch enough times, or not having spent enough time on the internet. Fear of missing out is a real, toxic thing. You’ve figured out drinking and going out. You’ve experimented enough. You’ve gotten your fill of internet memes. Figure something else out.

14. Stop rejecting the potential to feel pain. Suffering is a universal constant for sentient beings. It is not unnatural to suffer. Being in a constant state of suffering is bad. But it is often hard to appreciate happiness when there’s nothing to compare it to. Rejecting the potential to suffer is unsustainable and unrealistic.

15. Stop approaching adverse situations with anger and frustration. You will always deal with people who want things that seem counter to your interests. There will always be people who threaten to prevent you from getting what you want by trying to get what they want. This is naturally frustrating. Realize that the person you’re dealing with is in the same position as you — by seeking out your own interests, you threaten to thwart theirs. It isn’t personal — you’re both just focused on getting different things that happen to seem mutually exclusive. Approach situations like these with reason. Be calm. Don’t start off mad, it’ll only make things more tense.

16. Stop meeting anger with anger. People will make you mad. Your reaction to this might be to try and make them mad. This is something of a first-order reaction. That is, it isn’t very thoughtful — it may be the first thing you’re inclined to do. Try to suppress this reaction. Be thoughtful. Imagine your response said aloud before you say it. If you don’t have to respond immediately, don’t.

17. Stop agreeing to do things that you know you’ll never actually do. It doesn’t help anyone. To a certain extent, it’s a social norm to be granted a ‘free pass’ when you don’t do something for someone that you said you were going to do. People notice when you don’t follow through, though, especially if it’s above 50% of the time.

18. Stop ‘buying’ things you know you’ll throw away. Invest in friendships that aren’t parasitic. Spend your time on things that aren’t distractions. Put your stock in fleeting opportunity. Focus on the important.

19. Stop being afraid.