From a brilliant article by Kevin Young

"What shall we call the unborn in the womb?

"If the entity is a living thing, is it not a life? If your person began as a single cell, how can that fertilized egg be something other than a human being? Isn't it more accurate to say you were an embryo than that you simply came from one?

"So when does a human being have a right to life?

"Shall we say size matters? Is the unborn child too small to deserve our protection? Are big people more valuable than little people? Are men more human than woman? Do offensive linemen have more rights than jockeys? Is the life in the womb of no account because you can't hold him in our arms, or put him in your hands, or only see her on a screen?

"Shall we make intellectual development and mental capacity the measure of our worth? Are three year-old children less valuable than thirteen year-olds? Is the unborn child less than fully human because he cannot speak or count or be self-aware? Does the cooing infant in the crib have to smile or shake your hand or recite the alphabet before she deserves another day? If an expression of basic mental acuity is necessary to be a full-fledged member of the human community, what shall do with the comatose, the very old, or the fifty year-old mom with Alzheimer's? And what about all of us who sleep?

"Shall we deny the unborn child's right to life because of where he lives? Can environment give us value or take it away? Are we worth less inside than outside? Can we be justly killed when we swim under water? Does where we are determine who we are? Does the eight inch journey down the birth canal make us human? Does this change of scenery turn "its" into persons? Is love a condition of location?

"Shall we reserve human dignity only for those humans who are not dependent on others? Do we deserve to live only when we can live on our own? Is the four-month old fetus less than human because she needs her mom for life? Is the four-month old infant less than human when she still needs her mom for life? What if you depend on dialysis or insulin or a breathing apparatus? Is value a product of fully-functioning vitality? Is independence a prerequisite for human identity? Are we worth only what we can think, accomplish, and do on our own?

"If the unborn life is human life, what can justify snuffing it out? Would it be right to take the life of your child on his first birthday because he came to you through sad and tragic circumstances? Would you push an 18 month old into traffic because she makes our life difficult? Does a three year-old deserve to die because we think we deserve a choice?

"What do you deserve now? What are your rights as a human person? Did you have those same rights five years ago? What about before you could drive? Or when you used training wheels? Were you less than fully human when you played in the sandbox? When you wore a bib? When you nursed at your mother's breast? When your dad cut your cord? When you tumbled in that watery mess and kicked against that funny wall? When your heart pounded on the monitor for the first time? When you grew your first fingernails? When you grew your first cells?

"What shall we call the child in the womb? A fetus? A mystery? A mistake? A wedge issue? What if science and Scripture and commonsense would have us call it a person? What if the unborn child, the messy infant, the wobbly toddler, the rambunctious teenager, the college freshman, the blushing bride, the first-time mother, the working woman, the proud grammy, and the demented old friend differ not in kind but only in degree? Where in the progression does our humanity begin and end? Where does life become valuable? When are we worth something? When do human rights become our rights? What if Dr. Seuss was right and a person's a person no matter how small?

"Why celebrate the right to kill what you once were? Why deny the rights of the little one who is what you are?"

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Fishing bird-style

This smart bird uses a piece of bread to trap a fish.

I'm sure there is a potential sermon illustration in this!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Is Genetic Selection our 'Moral Obligation'?

My thoughts on an article that Genetic Selection is our 'moral obligation'

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Abortions done to save the life of the mother

My latest post, where I try to address the question,

"What if the mother's life is in danger because of the continuing pregnancy, and the doctor must make a choice between saving the mother or saving the child? Wouldn't an abortion in such a case be justified?"

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Homemakers likely to get monthly salary from husbands soon

"Housewives may soon start getting monthly salaries from their husbands with the government mulling a proposal which would make it mandatory for men to share a certain percentage of their income with their wives who stay back and do household chores."

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/homemakers-likely-to-get-salary-from-husbands-soon/289922-3.html

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Exam Time!

A classic from Mr Bean to illustrate what I am going though these days!

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Travelling back to Vellore

Today, I will be, God Willing, travelling back to Vellore in a low-cost airline.

Hopefully, the experience will be better than this!

(HT: Kingdom People)

Friday, July 20, 2012

Caine's arcade

This is a superb video that you must watch.

(via S. D. Smith at Story Warren)

His write up sums up my own thoughts on this video.......

1) This boy! What a kid. I love this guy. He is so creative, hardworking, and dedicated. What will he do in his life? I love his work, his imaginative recreation of something he has experienced and loved, and his desire to share it with others.

2) These people loving this boy! It really revs up my heart to see this little boy receiving such care and love, to see him given such a gift. We all know stories, heartbreaking, devastating stories of children being mistreated. They blanket the news. There’s an epidemic of fatherlessness, like a cancer in the gut of the world. To see children loved, even one little boy, is a deep delight. I keep thinking of how this short film might inspire many others to do something special (even if not so grand) for a young person they know.

In addition, I admire the kid's father. Caine is creative, imaginative, enterprising and entrepreneurial because his father has given him the freedom to set himself up outside his store (and eventually take over the whole store!) given him challenges rather than easy answers, given him the simple resources and encouragement to be creative, and then supported this idea to give his kid a special treat.

Caine's Arcade is reminiscent of one of the links on one of my old posts on The 5 Best Toys of All Time. Kids do not need much to create toys that they (and we) enjoy.

I wonder what damage is done to children while growing up, so that exciting, creative, enthusiastic children become boring, busy, pre-occupied adults.

I hope I can be such a father to my kids......

Thursday, July 19, 2012

"What makes you Beautiful"

Did you think that video below was the best way to play the piano?

Think again!

(HT: 22Words)

A beautiful collage of national anthems

My cousin, Sanjay Poonen plays a number of national anthems to demonstrate what makes his company run..

.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Uterus eradication Programme

I am reminded today of something that used to happen quite often while I was working in Bihar,

A lady in her late twenties or thirties would come to the hospital with abdominal pain, and we would find that she had appendicitis, and advise that she have an appendicectomy. The relatives would agree, and I would leave instructions for the operating rooms to be opened, and prepared for surgery.

When all was ready, I would be called to the operation theatre. As I entered the operation theatre, I would be met by the relatives (lots of men, and the mother-in-law) of the lady we were going to operate on. The conversation would go something like this.....

Relatives: Dr Sa'ab, are you going to do the operation?

Me: Yes.

Relatives: We have decided that we would like you to remove the gall bladder and uterus also.

Stunned silence..............then,

Me: Why?

Relatives: Since you are anyway opening the abdomen, it is better you remove the gall bladder and uterus also.

Me: But the patient has a problem only in the appendix, It is swollen and infected, and should be removed. The gall bladder and uterus are absolutely okay.

Relatives: But they may give problems later.

Me: (with an air of finality): Anything could happen later. That does not mean we should remove everything in the abdomen even before a problem happens. We are talking about a living patient here. She is not a bicycle or television set that we can remove whatever you want. There are no disposable parts. There is a problem in the appendix, and so we will deal with that. I am not going to remove anything else. Why should the lady have an unnecessary operation.

Relatives (by now quite worried, and starting to get agitated): But she is our patient! We are telling you we want you to remove the gall bladder and uterus. Suppose our patient gets cancer later? We will not be able to afford any treatment then.What's your problem? Just remove the uterus and gall bladder.

Me (also getting agitated): Look here, it is not good for the patient to have unnecessary operations. I am not willing to do anything unnecessary. If you are not happy, you can take the patient to another hospital.

The relatives would then go into a huddle, while I waited in theatre to know whether to go ahead or not. Phone calls would be made, and calculations done. I was aware that there were doctors who would be willing to do what the relatives wanted, but they were 40km away.

Finally, a grumpy and disgruntled husband would return and permit me to go ahead with the operation.

The truth was that many women had their uterus removed because they were afraid they would get cancer later. This prophylactic remedy for cancer was recommended and perpetuated by many unscrupulous doctors around. Removing a uterus (especially a normal one!) was a relatively easy operation, that could be performed in any of the small nursing homes around, and was a great source of income.

And now that the government is paying for these operations, I am not surprised to read these reports from BBC News and Hindustan Times that at least 2000 unnecessary uteri have been removed in Chattisgarh. The state opposition parties have been quoted as saying that 50,000 hysterectomies have been done over the past 5 years.

Obviously, this problem is multi-factorial. On the one hand, you have doctors who are keen to continue doing unnecessary hysterectomies to keep the money flowing. They would not mind a little misinformation and fear-mongering to help this practice along.

On the other hand, this would not happen if women in these areas were not exploited, under-privileged, poor, ignorant and uneducated. Have you heard of men lining up to have their gall bladders or prostates removed for fear of cancer?

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Turns out Women are Cleverer than Men

I have been suspecting this for some time.........

Finally here's the Evidence.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Image bearers

This is an important un-edited photo that deserves to become better known.

It was taken by my colleague Sundeep Kisku, in the room between the CB-2 and CB-3 operating rooms (where doctors from Pediatric Surgery and Gynaecology perform surgery).

Why is this picture so important?

It is very rare that a photo can be taken of a fetal human being within his/her amniotic sac. This pregnancy was taking place in the abdominal cavity, and drawing its nutrition and blood supply from the intestinal blood supply. The mother had developed abdominal pain, and investigations had shown that the fetus was growing outside the uterus. This is why, when surgery was being performed, the baby could be removed without rupturing the sac.

It is also very rare that a photo can be taken of a complete human being at approximately 3 months of life (12 weeks gestation).

Isn't it beautiful? A tiny face. Perfectly formed little fingers and toes. Two ears.

I am reminded of the familiar passage from Psalms 139.

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

My son, Anand, saw this picture a few months back. At that time, we were reading through the passages that talk about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. I really do not know what thoughts were passing through his little 4-year-old brain, but as soon as he saw the picture, he asked me, "Dada, is that Jesus?". Scandalised by his question, I began to explain that this was the picture of a baby who had died.

And then, the truth of his question hit me.

Yes, indeed! This baby too was made in the image of God. And, Yes! The Son of God, Jesus, was once a 12-week old fetal human being like this!

Wow!

And yet, isn't it tragic.......
That 950,000,000 such unborn human beings have been deliberately killed until April 2010?

That 1,237,000 abortions take place, on the average, every MONTH? (That translates to about 29 abortions every minute!)

That it is absolutely legal to kill such babies in India? That a million such unborn babies are killed every year in India for the crime of being female? That approximately 10 million more are killed in India every year for other crimes that are yet to be committed.........like the distress they might cause to their parents once they are born?

Recently, I have been saddened by how accepting we are of these crimes against the unborn who bear the Image of God. I have seen that there are so few, even among Christian doctors who should know better, who are willing to stand up for the rights of these humans who do not yet have a voice.

Weep with me.......

Countertrend

My resurrected blog.

Don't worry! Whatever I post there will be cross-posted here. I hope the rest of you will also post from time to time, so that all the blogs do not look identical!

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Our Name

When we forget our name of Magdalene - that's our name - we usually forget it in one of two ways:

We either become self-righteous because we've forgotten our past,

Or we are guilt-ridden because we've forgotten our future.

Doug Wilson

Friday, July 6, 2012

Healthcare overhaul: Indians will now get free generic drugs

Another success for Satyamev Jayate?

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Subliminal advertising

A scary video on the effects of subliminal advertising...

A Maternal Death every 10 minutes!

It seems that there is a maternal death every 10 minutes in India. I am, frankly, quite shocked. I thought our health situation was better than that.

And, remember, these are the statistics for the whole country. The 'bad' states are being balanced by the 'good' states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Imagine what the statistics for UP, Bihar, Jharkand and Assam must be!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Nice flowchart

See how I landed up where I did!

Friday, March 30, 2012

The 5 best toys of all time

Judging from my experience with Anand, Namrata and Dheeraj this article is hilariously accurate.

Do click over, and make sure to read some of the comments.

(HT: Joe Carter)

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

For those of us Seuss readers....30 inspirational Dr Seuss quotes

(HT: 22 Words)

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Let this send a chill down your spine.....

I have just learnt two new words....

"Wrongful Birth"

and

"After-birth abortion"

Weep!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Letter to Dheeraj

Our dearest Dheeraj,

Someday (perhaps very soon!) you will look at this blog, and wonder how such a momentous event as you coming home to us has gone unnoticed for so long. As you will see, it is because your coming has been an earth-shaking and life-changing event. You have a very special story, and I have been waiting to write about it for a long time. I am now in Delhi to attend a Pediatric Surgery update. It is 11:30 in the night as I start typing, and I hope you and your mom are fast asleep together with Anand and Namrata, far away in Bangalore. I too feel terribly tired, but I had decided, when I started this journey, to finish writing this letter to you before I return to Vellore tomorrow evening. So without further ado, let me plunge in and tell you your amazing story........

A couple of years ago, before Namrata came home to us, we visited Vathsalya one day to have a chat with their director. During the course of that conversation, we told her that we were interested in having a ‘big’ family, and that we would be coming back to adopt more children if possible. We also mentioned that as a young Christian family, with both of us qualified doctors, and me training to become a doctor who treats little children, we would be open to the option of adopting a child with some medical needs. As you know, in a few months, God blessed us with Namrata, and she, like Anand, has brought so much joy and delight to us.

A few months ago, while I was at work, Mommy was doing family prayers with Anand and Namrata. That day, she read to them the story of Solomon, and about how God had come to him in a dream, and said He would give Solomon whatever he wanted, and Solomon had asked for wisdom.

Out of curiosity, she asked them, “Suppose God were to come to you, and say He would give you whatever you want, what would you ask Him for?”

Anand thought for some time, and then replied that he would ask for a little brother “like Rohan”. As you know, Rohan and Anand are great friends, and have such fun together.

Mommy said, “You say you want a little brother, but I have never heard you pray for one!”

Anand has never been one to let grass grow under his feet! He quickly knelt down and asked God for a baby brother. He then began to get more passionate in his prayers. “I want you to give me a baby brother like Rohan right now. In the afternoon, please send somebody, and let them ring the doorbell, and when we go to the door, let them say, ‘Here’s your baby brother!’”

When family prayers were over, Mommy called me at the hospital, and told me about Anand’s prayer. She said, “Maybe we should apply to adopt another child now!”

I told her we could wait till Namrata turned two, and then we would apply.

About a month later, while Mommy, Anand and Namrata were at Bangalore, and I was at Jhansi on work, we suddenly got a call from Vathsalya telling us about you. It seems they were finding it difficult to place you in a family because you had been found to have a medical problem. They had then remembered the conversation we had with them two years ago, and thought they would contact us. The next day, when I got back from Jhansi, we went over to Vathsalya, and met you for the first time. It happened to be Namrata’s second birthday (see God’s perfect timing!), and we took cake over for all the children at Vathsalya.

Even then, you were a little charmer. As we went through all your previous medical records, you were brought into the room. As soon as you saw us, you gave us your beautiful toothless grin. As we prayed and talked about this with our family and some friends, and did a basic test, and remembered Anand’s prayer, we could not help being amazed at how God had worked things out to ensure that you were brought into our family. We told Vathsalya that we would be happy to adopt you.

The next day, you became our little baby! We are so excited and thrilled at the way God planned and worked this out to every last detail.

You came to us even before we had registered to adopt another child. God gave you to us as a precious gift even before we asked, and so we were just so totally caught unawares. We did not have ready any feeding bottles, or diapers, or toys or clothes. In fact, we were so taken by surprise that we did not even have a name for you! (There was a little icing on the cake.....while in Vathsalya, you had been called Rohan!) But we were just so happy to have you! Anand and Namrata, especially, were super-excited. They brought their toys to Vathsalya to give to you, and tell you how much they love you. Anand told us, “I think God is answering all my prayers!”

So why have we waited two months before telling the world about you? Because our full lives have now become even fuller, more exciting, and loads more fun!

We have had to scramble to complete the requirements and register for adoption.

We have had to find a name for you. For some time we called you, ‘The Baby’, or ‘The Little Chap’ and things like that.

Dheeraj Timothy Ninan.......how does that sound?

Dheeraj...for patience, endurance, constancy. Interestingly, Dheeraj, Anand and Namrata are all found in Gal 5:22,23 as fruit of the Spirit. May God make us a Spirit-filled family displaying His fruit to those around us!

Timothy.......after this wonderful young example in the Bible. I hope you will also inherit, like him, the faith which dwells in your mother!

Ninan......because you are now a part of us! We are so blessed and grateful.

In the middle of all this excitement, we have had to child proof again our new house. We have also had to get some new furniture, Since you came home, you have been on an accelerated development spurt! You now crawl all over the place, climb over obstacles, sit without any support and pull yourself to standing. In a short while you will be running!

You have had immunisations, and tests and somehow managed to get measles and recover from it. We are still not sure if you have any real medical problem at all!

I have had to finish my thesis, and work has been especially hectic.

Your grandmother has had a slipped disc, and then a procedure under anesthesia for her shoulder.

Through this all, we have been so blessed by friends and family, who have showered love on us. You have been welcomed wholeheartedly by everybody in the community around us.

It is now past 1:30 am, and I need to go to sleep soon. We are so happy God has given you to us, and love you so much.

Your own,
Daddy and Mommy

Friday, February 3, 2012

How Much is a Home Maker Worth?

$96,291 per year it seems!

(HT: Z)

Thursday, February 2, 2012

The Three Little Pigs

As I will tell my kids tonight...

(HT: Challies)

Friday, December 9, 2011

Calcutta

A nice video picked up on Arpit's blog

Monday, December 5, 2011

How Doctors die

An interesting article that I completely agree with.

It is important to talk these things over, so that there are no misunderstandings and strained relationships among those left behind when our time finally comes!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

When the Saints

I love this song and this version of it. Sara Groves has made a newer version, but it's not as profound to me for some reason.

I find the pictures on the you tube video to be terribly distracting so maybe minimize the screen and just listen. :) It's beautiful!

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEtVikNFPS0

Monday, October 10, 2011

What an idea, saar ji!

Marriage contracts with an expiry date!

Monday, September 12, 2011

The would-be kamikaze of 9/11

Disturbing and gripping reading!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Real Male Leadership at home: Always Apologize First

(HT: Vit Z)

Barnabas Piper:

I occasionally get asked for advice about being a new husband or a first time dad. Since I got married young and had kids young I have “experience”, I guess. By “experience”, of course, I mean battle scars and bruises from my regular encounters with my own idiocy and penchant for mistakes. I must look like a weathered veteran or something.

When the question is put to me “what piece of advice would you give to a new husband/dad” I always want to come up with something that would make Solomon jealous and Confucius plagiarize. Instead, all I have ever been able to come up with is this: “Always apologize first.”

Somewhere along the way I was given this piece of advice (or pieces of advice that added up to it) by a particularly wise counselor, and it has been an astoundingly prescient word by which to live. It falls under the banner of “A soft answer turns away wrath.” It enforces humility and self-examination. And it douses the flames that threaten to burn bridges between wife and husband or father and children.

For your Weekend Enjoyment!

Calvin and the Snowmen:
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
(HT: Trevin Wax)

(Click on the Images to see a bigger version: Or, just click on the link above to see them on Trevin Wax's blog)

Friday, September 2, 2011

Thou art coming to a King! Wow!

John Newton

Come, my soul, thy case prepare
Jesus loves to answer prayer
He Himself has bid thee pray
Therefore will not say thee nay

Thou art coming to a King
Large petitions with thee bring
For His grace and power are such
None can ever ask too much

(HT: Dane Ortlund)

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Our latest family photo (22/8/2011)

We are now planning to photoshop out the background, and get this printed

Monday, August 22, 2011

Enough to Feel Guilty, But Not Enough to Be Happy

Ray Ortlund, Sr. to his son, Ray Ortlund, Jr.:

“Listen, son. Half-hearted Christians are the most miserable people of all. They know enough to feel guilty, but they haven’t gone far enough with Christ to be happy. Be wholehearted for him!”

(HT: Pure Church)

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Five Ways to Make God Known at Work

John Piper in 1988:

I have in mind at least five things—five ways to make God known through your secular job and all of them are important. When one of them is missing, the witness to the truth of Christ suffers.

1. The excellence of the products or services you render in your job shows the excellence and greatness of God.

2. The standards of integrity you follow at your job show the integrity and holiness of God.

3. The love you show to people in your job shows the love of God.

4. The stewardship of the money you make from your job shows the value of God compared to other things.

5. The verbal testimony you give to the reality of Christ shows the doorway to all these things in your life and their possibility in the lives of others.

Excerpted from "Tentmakers" in Minneapolis.

(HT: Desiring God)

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Less Like Scars, More Like Character

It's been a hard year
But I'm climbing out of the rubble
These lessons are hard
Healing changes are subtle
But every day it's

Less like tearing, more like building
Less like captive, more like willing
Less like breakdown, more like surrender
Less like haunting, more like remember

Less like a prison, more like my room
It's less like a casket, more like a womb
Less like dying, more like transcending
Less like fear, less like an ending

And I feel you here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation
But you are able
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars and more like
Character

By Sara Groves from the album All Right Here

(HT:Josh Harris)

Friday, August 19, 2011

I'm Back!

It has been quite a while since I did any serious blogging. As you all know, I have been very busy with work for the past three months. In addition, I had an exam on August 1st.

But, I must say, the main deterrent to blogging has been the depression of having lost all our photos and videos when our computer crashed. I had saved the photos taken before December 2010 on a disk, but had not gotten around to saving the photos taken subsequently. This has been a terrible loss.

I have begun saving the photos and videos taken after May 2011. I have also uploaded a number of photos on a new Flickr page. Some of the older photos can be seen on the older Flickr page.

Here is one beautiful photo taken by a student at CMC, that has survived.

I have made an important change at the blog, and would like to know what you think about it.

I have now set things up so that a copy of every post and comment on this blog will be delivered to our gmail inboxes. I am doing this in the hope that each of us will be aware of all that is being posted and be able to particpate more in this blog.

At the rate things are going, I don't think our inboxes are likely to be flooded, but do let me know if you feel that is a concern. I, personally, would love to have my inbox flooded with stuff from each of you!

I am looking forward to blogging more over the next few days while at Delhi.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

My thoughts during this vacation!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

A path worn by the feet of many pilgrims

“Thousands and tens of thousands have sought for pardon at the mercy-seat of Christ, and not one has ever returned to say that he sought in vain. Sinners of every name and nation—sinners of every sort and description—have knocked at the door of the fold, and none have ever been refused admission.

If the way which the Gospel sets before us were a new and untraveled way—we might well feel faint-hearted. But it is not so. It is an old path. It is a path worn by the feet of many pilgrims, and a path in which the footsteps are all one way. The treasury of Christ’s mercies has never been found empty. The well of living waters has never proved dry.”
— J.C. Ryle
"Forgiveness"

(HT: Of First Importance)

Monday, April 18, 2011

Precision marching

(HT: 22words)

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Speak, Lord, and give me understanding

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.
I am your servant.
Give me understanding that I may know your ordinances.
Incline my heart to your commands.
Let your speech distill as the dew.

The children of Israel once said to Moses:
“Speak to us and we will hear you. Don’t let the Lord speak to us, lest we die.”

Not so, Lord, not so do I pray.
Rather with Samuel the prophet I entreat humbly and earnestly:
“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Do not let Moses or any of the prophets speak to me;
but you speak, O Lord God, who inspired and enlightened all the prophets;
for you alone, without them, can instruct me perfectly,
whereas they, without you, can do nothing.
They, indeed, utter fine words,
but they cannot impart the spirit.
They do indeed speak beautifully,
but if you remain silent they cannot inflame the heart.
They deliver the message;
you lay bare the sense.
They place before us mysteries,
but you unlock their meaning.
They proclaim commandments;
you help us to keep them.
They point out the way;
you give strength for the journey.
They work only outwardly;
you instruct and enlighten our hearts.
They water on the outside;
you give the increase.
They cry out words;
You give understanding to the hearer.

- Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ (adapted)

(HT: Trevin Wax)

Monday, April 11, 2011

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire like you've never seen it before

Is this for real or is this a prank as well?

(HT: Denny Burk)

A neat prank

(HT: Challies)

Friday, April 8, 2011

Instead of a show....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrY1-gPM0KY