Ok, so I’m not focused this year on “the reason for the season”(or frankly even the secular celebration of Christmas) … therefore it is really time to do something about it.
Thankfully turning to Truth For Life and Alistair Begg’s teachings and message “It is HIStory” and from the Book of Isaiah 9:1-7, I’ll soon be better prepared for Christmas and our family this coming weekend. For now, let me send out a Merry Christmas to those who occasionally check in with MyDesultoryBlog.
Alistair Begg – Truth For Life | “It is HIStory” (mp3)
Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace. These phrases from the prophecy of Isaiah are familiar to many—but have you taken the time to consider who it is that they describe? In this series of messages on Isaiah 9, Alistair Begg takes us on a journey to the heart of the Christmas narrative, helping us to see that the incarnation of Jesus Christ was and is the fulfillment of God’s plans and purposes in redemption. The season of Advent provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the Lord Jesus as all that Isaiah anticipated. He is the Light that overcomes darkness, our sinless Substitute, the risen Savior and reigning King.
This past weekend was enjoyable for our family as we celebrated Brenda’s sister Chris Skinner‘s 70th Birthday.
It was a surprise party planned by her grown children and it was pulled off wonderfully. Ann and Gary drove up to our house from Atlanta and we drove 30 minutes to meet up with the family and some of her friends at Bishop’s Quarter Bar in Loveland, Ohio. What a great night and surprise.
This week was also the first snow (video below break) … nothing crazy as of yet, but as I look out the window on Monday evening, the grass is still showing … but only a little bit. 😉
My buddy Jeff and I enjoy debatingand learning from each other while sharing what we are reading. We are far from experts on anything (I should speak for myself), but that doesn’t stop us from opining. HA!
Last week with the Federal Reserve “pausing” on interest rate hikes with inflation coming down and semi-telegraphed that in 2024 we may likely see the first of rate cuts (and possibly three — although dialed back that optimism a day later) … so the two of us dove head first into economics and the economy.
NASA’s Perseverance rover continues on its Mars exploration mission that I’ve followed from the start. The Twitter feed along with the geology exploration and rock sample collection is spacescience at its best. For those not following the mission as closely, a YahooNews/CNN story last week that summarized the 1000 days of “roving” and of Ingenuity flights (the rover’s helicopter companion) is a quick way to catch up (link to PDF saved version).
Martian rocks tell a story
Scientists believe that Jezero Crater formed when an asteroid slammed into Mars 4 billion years ago. Perseverance began its mission by studying and sampling the crater floor soon after landing. The rover’s detective work helped scientists determine that the crater floor is made of volcanic rock that formed either due to magma that bubbled up to the surface or volcanic activity on the Martian surface.
As Perseverance rolled along, the rover came across examples of sandstone and mudstone, suggesting that a river flowed into the crater millions of years after it formed. A top layer of mudstones rich with salt is all that remains to signify that a shallow lake filled the crater, reaching 22 miles (35 kilometers) wide and 100 feet (30 meters) deep, before some climatic shift caused the lake to evaporate.
Just a little light “rumor reading” to close out the year when it comes to future Apple iPhones. Not that it makes any difference to most users, but it is possible the “side by side” camera lens (see below photo with my iPhone 7 Plus) could go vertical again (iPhone X thru 12)? Recent ones have been diagonally configured … change for the sake of change?
The vertical lenses are the most immediately obvious design change coming in the 16-generation iPhones, but they’re not the only one. MacRumors says Apple also plans to revamp the hardware buttons. The haptic-enabled unified volume button, which was developed for the iPhone 15 Pro but eventually canceled, still isn’t going to happen on the iPhone 16. But we are getting two new capacitive buttons: the Action button, which did make it into the 15 Pro but will be standardized across the range in 2024, and a completely new Capture button with an unknown purpose, which appears in only some of the prototypes and may not make the final design.
As MacRumors says, these are early prototypes and may not match the eventual shipped product. To keep up with the latest news and rumors, check our regularly updated iPhone 16 superguide.
Since I was a heavy phone booth user as a sales guy back in the day (usually drive up style) … hence #TBT post … I couldn’t help finding humor in this social media meme.
The song “Best Of My Love” by The Emotions was a song that I only listened on the radio to when it was released in 1977 (it was not in my music collection), but over the years I do enjoy how it reminds me of being “back in my younger days.” Hm, perhaps Don Williams should have a future Music Monday song?
“Best Of My Love” The Emotions | 1977
As for today’s song, “Best of My Love” reached Number 1 on the Billboard Pop and R&B charts and won a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a duo or group with vocals. It also won the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single and has been certified Platinum in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Ok, so I’m not focused this year on “the reason for the season” (or frankly even the secular celebration of Christmas) … therefore it is really time to do something about it.
