Blogs of the Week - Photo Blogs

There are three photo blogs that I frequent at least once a day because of the humorous daily additions.

Awkward Family Photos - This is a great site because it usually involves pictures of families that are just plain weird. Be careful about viewing the Saturday Night Specials. Some of those entries are a bit risque. As a side note, my church's youth minister and his family's photo will be included in a book to be published by the website next year. His son threw a temper tantrum while the photograph was trying to take a picture for the church directory, and the results were amusing to everyone but the family! (Unfortunately the picture was not published in the directory but I am glad to see that it will reach a much broader audience.

Sexy People - This site leaves you to provide any commentary. I like how it allows the pictures to speak for themselves. It is nostalgic too because if you are like me, you remember many of the same backgrounds and clothing styles that these normal people were wearing at the time of the photographs. The expressions on the faces of the kid photos are often priceless.

People of Wal-mart - I often laugh, cringe, and feel a wave of nausea when viewing the photos on this site, but it is definitely entertaining. I do have three gripes about this site. (1) The commentary provided by the administrators of the website and those submitting the photos can be PG-13 or R rated at times including language, and even downright cruel. (2) The photos often contain offensive material, but, then again, these people are shopping at a neighborhood Wal-mart dressed that way or parking in the parking lot, so it isn't worse than what you might see on a trip to Wal-mart. (3) The administrators update too many times in a day on some days. Seriously guys, give me one or two pictures a day or it becomes overkill. It also keeps the suspense as a low whereas one or two posts a day would make me anticipate the next day's photo that much more (and probably make it more enjoyable).

I do realize that some people will find these sites repulsive because the sole purpose really is to laugh at the way people look. I think that even those people should frequent the sites though. Why? Because you need to make sure that none of your enemies submits a photo of you! Trust me, I have many photos that those who wanted to ruin my day could submit to any of the three sites. Well, maybe not the People of Walmart site unless someone is holding onto some blackmail photos I do not know about. I do remember several trips during the college years in my pajama pants, but at least they were G rated!

Powerful

This video is powerful.

Blog of the Week - Let the Nations Be Glad

I read this blog post and watched the video embedded in it last week. After watching it and watching the entertainment focused musical act that was at my own church this last Sunday*, I could not help but think that God's ears were more pleased by the autistic boy and his simple act of worship (and the worship that he caused to flow out of my heart watching it) than by the show we put on. Let the Nations Be Glad is a wonderful blog that often highlights gospel efforts to the physically and mentally disabled all over the world. How precious they are in His sight!

* Chad, you will have to forgive me for the comparison, but as I sat in church Sunday, I was really wishing I had not watched the video and thought about expressions of worship all last week. Or maybe it was a good thing that I did because it kept me from being entertained and made me more appreciative of purer forms of worship. I am not sure! I was lacking in humility and sufficiently convicted of that on Sunday :).

Blog of the Week - WVSM Trips

This year the youth group at my church has started blogging their summer trips. Since they are at youth camp in Jackson, Tennessee this week, it seems appropriate to feature the blog as the blog of the week.

Blog of the Week - Garfield Minus Garfield

This blog is only funny in a dry humor sort of way, but it is still worth sharing. You take Garfield out of Garfield, and you realize how weird John really is conversing with his animals. Some days are incredibly boring, others mildly funny. It is still worth checking out.

Blog of the Week - Not for Sale

I am recommending the blog Not for Sale this week, in part, because I just finished listening to the audio version of the book. I am still processing book, and I am sure that I will have more to say on the issue. However, I highly recommend reading even the brief blog posts about an issue that so many people in our churches, our country and our world know so little about. I was shocked to hear some of the examples of human slavery that are going on in our world today, especially since we think that we are so educated and so well informed about issues facing us. I highly recommend this blog as a starting point for becoming familiar with the issue, and I will write more on the book by the same name in the near future.

TYLA Newsletter

I am the secretary of the Texarkana Young Lawyers Association, the local affiliate of the Texas Young Lawyers Association. One of my responsibilities as secretary of the organization is to put together and publish a newsletter each month. This months newsletter was posted on the Eastern District of Texas blog, which happens to be one of the most read blogs by patent attorneys and attorneys practicing in the Eastern District of Texas. This is a pretty big accomplishment for our local affiliate!

Blog of the Week - Cake Wrecks

In celebration of my birthday, I want to share with you one of the highlights of my morning each morning -- Cake Wrecks. This blog posts pictures of the messed up, creepy, scary or just cakes that make you scratch your head and say - huh? In keeping with the day, I thought I would share some of the birthday cake wrecks. I am sure every 4 year old needs to play Grand Theft Auto (isn't it rated mature?). Or that every 9 year old loves bones in a graveyard complete with worms. Of course this one is perfect if you turn 26 and get divorced on the same day - except it was meant for a person celebrating self-employment. Maybe since I am inching nearer the big 3-0, I should ask for a cake with Tom Selleck on it - minus the chest hair.

I think I will play it safe and skip the cake this year :)

Blog of the Week - 22 Words

I like this blog by John Piper's son Abraham because it is short, sweet, and to the point. It also does not take much time to read, which is a plus since I use reading blogs like other people use coffee and smoke breaks. Often funny, sometimes serious, this blog has quickly become one of my favorites. Given my habit for using too many words to describe so little, I should try to follow his example in using less words to get the point across!

Blog of the Week - Anderson Cooper 360

I often go back and forth over whether I like the Anderson Cooper 360 blog. This week has been a treat on the blog for me because it has been running articles that go along with the CNN documentary Black in America. I have not been home to watch the documentary, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the articles that have run on the AC 360 blog. Today's article that I read first thing this morning is no exception and is probably my favorite of the week. I guess I enjoy it in part because I can see someone who is working to become part of the solution instead of just complaining about the problem, and I hope that there will be more black men like him that take an interest in young black teens and encourage them to become more than what society expects them to become. AC 360 is also a good blog to read when natural disasters happen because they often send in reporters to cover from a more personal perspective. The writers are often liberal, and obviously do not come from a Christian viewpoint, but I think it is still beneficial to read the stories and think on the subjects biblically.

Blog of the Week - Following Judah's Lion

It has been a while since I posted a blog of the week.  Sometimes I wait for something to catch my eye.  Sometimes I use the posting as a break from work.  Since nothing has jumped out at me and/or I haven't taken many breaks while at work (at least not for blog writing), it has been a while since I posted from another's blog.  Today, that changed.

One of my favorite hymns of all time is When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.  When all of the verses are sung, the listener cannot help but obtain a picture of the cross and the theology behind the cross.  At Following Judah's Lion, the author of the blog has written reflections on each of the phrases in this great hymn.  I hope that you take a few minutes to read over the words of this hymn and the blogger's reflections, then spend some time reflecting on the wondrous cross and the Savior.

Blog of the Week - Albert Mohler

I know that it has been a while since I posted a blog of the week, so maybe I should change the name! Anyway, I thought that it would be a good time to mention the blog that Albert Mohler, President of Southern Seminary, writes to update on current issues facing culture and the church. I enjoy reading the blog because he addresses things with a Christian perspective. It is important for the church to view current events through a Christian worldview based on the Scripture instead of just taking news with the media's spin on it. His views on culture are very conservative, and I agree with him most of the time. I suggest reading this blog in order to see the greater implications of news stories that we may see and pay little attention to.

Blog of the Week - ESV Bible Blog

It is time for the blog of the week.  This week's blog is the ESV Bible Blog.  I chose this blog this week because of an interesting post from today where they link to a website that provides a visual for all of the cross-references in the Bible.  It is pretty amazing to see a visual reminder that Scripture interprets Scripture.  This blog mostly contains news about the ESV translation, which is currently my favorite translation for devotional reading (NASB for study), and basically is a link to some other pretty cool blogs, sales, or websites.

Blog of the Week - Jesus Creed

Now upfront, I want to point out that I rarely agree with this week's blog of the week theologically.  I do not have any desire whatsoever to read the books that he suggests to read (for the most part).  I do not support his theological views or his views on how to do church.  All of that may leave you wondering why this blog would even be a blog of the week for me.  The answer is quite simple.  Through this blog, I have been able to learn quite a bit about the emerging church and the leaders of the emerging church from one of their own.  I think it is important to see what they are saying about themselves.  

Some of the blog posts are quite helpful as reminders that we are on the same team as some of the emerging church (I am not quite sure that all in the leadership of the movement are Christian, but that is an argument for another day).  Additionally, by reading this blog, I am encouraged to think through what I believe, why I believe, and how it differs from what he is saying.  The blogger also summarizes books that I do not wish to waste my time reading (because some of them are by authors that differ on first tier theological issues - also a topic for another day), but it is helpful to be informed about what is contained in the books.  By reading what someone who endorses the books reads, I am better able to understand where someone I may come in contact with is coming from who has read the book.  

I would suggest reading this blog only if you are grounded in your theological beliefs so that you are not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.  I would also suggest reading this blog as a reminder that there is diversity in the body of Christ.

Blog of the Week - Legal Blogs

It has been a while since I posted a blog of the week, so I am going to post a few.  I realize that I rarely post anything regarding the legal profession even though I am a lawyer, so this week I am going to share some of my favorite legal blogs.  Warning - for most of you, you could care less about these blogs.

Civil Procedure Prof Blog - this blog is written by two professors at Baylor (neither of which I had in law school, especially since one was a third year when I started).  This blog is helpful because it gives updates on important cases in state and federal court, and I have already used one of the cases they review in my work.  Helpful for court updates and overall news in this part of the legal world.

Eastern District of Texas Federal Court Practice - this blog is updated by the author of the O'Connor's Federal Rules.  Most of my federal court practice is in the Eastern District of Texas, so it is nice to have someone updating about Eastern District cases and imporant cases that come from the Fifth Circuit affecting the Eastern District of Texas.  Sometimes the rulings are humorous, sometimes serious, but it is helpful to see what judges in our area are deciding.

That's What She Said - If you are a fan of The Office, you can probably guess that this blog has to do with The Office.  However, it also has to do with legal stuff.  A lawyer who specializes in employment law analyzes episodes of the office and gives her opinion of what each case would be worth should the incidents that happen on the show happen in real life.  It is quite informative on the area of employment law, but it also shows the nerdiness of those like me in our profession. 

There is a list of the legal blogs (that the ABA calls "blawgs", but I think that is a little too dorky) that I like to frequent.  There are others that are less helpful or entertaining, but these are the ones that I like the most and keep me the most updated.

Interesting Questions and Clarifications

Some of you may have seen the list of 21 questions that the Mormon church offered answers to on FOXNews.com.  I found it interesting that there were more than 21 questions posed, but these are the 21 questions that the Mormons felt were worthy of answering.  Makes me wonder what the other questions are.  What struck me is that they repeated themselves too much, made sure that the answers sounded Christian enough, and really (to me it seemed) tried to answer things in a misleading way.  If you can't be straightforward about your doctrine, then you have problems.  I found it interesting that in their attempt to sound like Protestant Christianity, they really failed in my opinion.  What scares me is that people that do not know their own beliefs within Protestant Christianity or those who have a misunderstanding of Protestant Christianity will read those answers and think that Mormons are not part of a cult.  I especially liked the postmodern definition of "cult."  I would encourage persons within the Christian community to realize what is not talked about -- the Holy Spirit was left out of each answer.  I know that they claim to believe in the Trinity and Holy Spirit, but that person of the Godhead was not mentioned.  Additionally, Jesus was created instead of co-eternal in the answers that they provided.  They mention that Jesus is immortal, but they leave out that He is, always was, and always will be.  All things were created by Him, and to Him, and through Him.  He is the Word.

Today I ran across another blog that clarified the Mormons' answers to the questions.  I would definitely suggest reading both since the Mormon faith will be a topic of conversation at least a little while longer while Romney is in the running for president.  What impressed me about Rob Bowmans additional information and clarifications was that he pointed out how the answers were misleading or lacking essential information to be a true representation of what the Mormons believe.  

Blog of the Week - Creed Thoughts

I stumbled across this blog, and I have to say that as a fan of The Office, this blog makes me laugh!  For those of you that are fans of The Office, you know that part of what makes Creed work on the show is his mystery, serial killer type personality.  The same is true in his blog.  There are random comments that are so funny because of the randomness.  I think that someone who does not watch the show may find the blog mildly funny, but as someone who watches The Office (when it comes out on DVD - I don't like it with commercial breaks so I haven't watched any of season 4), many of the random comments make me laugh out loud.  Enjoy!

Blog of the Week - Under the Dome

It has been a while since I did a blog of the week.  This blog is the blog of the state representative from the Arkansas side of Texarkana.  Steve Harrelson is also an attorney in town (and a good one in my opinion).  His blog not only addresses things that would be of interest to his Arkansas constituents, but to Texarkana as a whole by addressing various issues in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma as well.  Listening to Steve speak makes me wish that I had him as a representative in Austin instead of the Arkansas side having him as a representative in Little Rock.  He does a great job of keeping the public informed about what is going on so that you feel like you have a bit of a say.  Granted, Arkansas is a lot smaller than Texas, and so he does have more say than what our representative on the Texas side does, but I am still impressed about how committed he is to keeping his constituents informed about what is going on.  He updates his blog many times a day with different things that are of interest.

Blog of the Week - Tominthebox News Network

I haven't taken much time to post anything this week because I bought a new phone and have been playing with it (Samsung Blackjack, very nice, but also complicated), but I will take a few minutes to suggest a blog for this week.  I love dry humor and satire, mainly because there is a mix of truth to it, so I love this blog.  Tominthebox News Network (or TBNN as it likes to refer to itself in the blogs) has some of the best religious satire that I have read.  Some of it is just nonsense type writing, i.e. this article about a guy that wanted to be a missionary to Krakozhia.  Some of it is so close to the truth that it would not surprise you to be reading it on CNN or Fox News tomorrow.  All in all, very entertaining although some of it may not make sense if you are a follower of TV preachers (especially the ones who are "incredibly good-looking" to quote Zoolander, I think).

Blog of the Week - GospelDrivenLife

In light of the fires that are burning in California, I am choosing this blog as the blog of the week.  This blog is written by the pastor of a church in the San Diego area.  The church is part of Sovereign Grace ministries (the ministry that CJ Mahaney leads).  This pastor has been good about giving just brief updates that remind us of the need to pray for the churches and the leaders in the churches as they have a wonderful yet emotionally exhausting ministry opportunity ahead of them.  Hopefully the church will respond in some of the same ways that the church responded following Katrina.  This blog is a reminder to pray for the people and that God will be glorified in the days and weeks to come.