For about an hour, I had a very nice, very expensive aluminum paperweight.
In life, some days are very productive, and everything just clicks. Other days, your 4 year old knocks your latte over, spilling it all over your almost brand new MacBook Pro. Today was the latter.
Even people who know nothing about Africa still know that it’s a veritable treasure trove of pictures. It’s a continent full of exotic plants, exotic animals, and even exotic people. From the densely populated urban centers to the open plains, from north to south, east to west, and coast to coast, tourists flock to Africa, cameras in tow. Here are ten pictures that (almost) everyone takes in Africa.
Those who know me best are well aware that I don’t shy away from conflict. Though I don’t seek out arguments, I’m not put off by them, and I don’t back away from them. In fact, I think sometimes arguments and disagreements are some of the most healthy conversations we can have. They make us better. They give us new perspective. If we’re truly listening and engaging in the conversation, they can persuade us to change our minds, or they can help us solidify our point of view.
Racist assumptions come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they show up in subtle ways, and sometimes they show up wearing a white hood. Most often, they are couched in attitudes and platitudes that let the racists off the hook, while attempting to validate the bigotry bubbling beneath the surface.
A few years ago, I began a journey through the bible that forever altered my view of scripture. I had always held the bible in high esteem, but this adventure caused me to dig into it in a completely different way I ever had before.
The premise was simple. Every day for a year, I would read several chapters of the bible, then I would blog my thoughts and response to what I read. This wasn’t an in-depth study or a theological thesis. This was a daily reflection – sometimes pretty raw and unprocessed – on the words of scripture as I read them that day.
I did it again. Once more, my first activity of the day, before coffee, shower, or even getting out of bed, was to fire up my phone and check in on all the activity that happened while I was sleeping. Perhaps you do the same. Yes, I’ve read the articles warning of the negative consequences of this habit, but like so many vices, I continually fail to heed the warnings.
