I've never lifted a barn, but Herman Ostry, a farmer in Bruno, Nebraska has. Shortly after buying a piece of land and a barn, a nearby creek rose, and the barn was under twenty nine inches of water. He half-jokingly said to his family, "I bet if we had enough people, we could pick up that barn and carry it to higher ground." To his surprise, one of his sons, Mike, started thinking about it, and by counting the number of boards, timbers, and nails, he estimated that the barn weighed about 19,000 pounds. ...
Today is the last day of the church year. The church year starts four Sundays before Christmas, so next week when I wish you all a happy new year, I hope to get a better response than blank stares. The last Sunday of the church is called both “Christ the King” Sunday, and “Reign of Christ” Sunday. This festival goes all the way back to 1925, when Pope Pius XI added it to the calendar. It was set as the last Sunday of the church year in 1970. When I learned this I was a little surprised. I love looking into ...
... the judgment of God on their supposed wisdom are counselors and judges. Humans may recognize the former (Heb. yoʿatsim, “counselors”) for their ability to give good guidance and direction because they “know the times” and thus ... his own affidavit in support of his claims (19:23; 31:35). In his reference to the sins of my youth, by “youth” (Heb. neʿurim) Job most likely means the period of time between infancy and the early teen years. Since such “youth” have not yet reached the age ...
Earlier this month in some parks, farms, and yards of the UK, British sheep have been experiencing a new sense of freedom. Even as parks and open spaces are shut down due to coronavirus, and people are secluded in their homes, sheep have taken to roaming about the newly open spaces. But rather than wandering aimlessly through the fields, it seems, sheep have been seeking out children’s playgrounds, and have begun [wait for it] to play! It appears, their favorite activity is to take turns riding the “ ...
Caspar David Friedrich: Wanderer in a Sea of Fog The artist Caspar David Friedrich is known for his ethereal, spiritual, otherworldly-looking paintings. In order to grasp the meaning of his art, one needs to contemplate the visuals, noting the colors, shades, objects, and the location of the figure, among other noticeable details. For example, the painting above, called “Wanderer in a Sea of Fog,” lacks clarity. The fog, in the title and in the painting, obscures vision with misty white. The man appears to ...