1 Million Coffee Beans – The world record for murals created with coffee beans is pretty amazing. I’d love to see something of this sort. I’d love to create something of this sort. But I would need a lot of coffee to see me through…

Detailed Closeups Of Van Gogh’s Paintings – I’ve always enjoyed art, generally speaking. But I’ve never really looked some of the great masterpieces up close. These images from some of Van Gogh’s artwork show how stunning the detail really is.

Astronomy Photographer Of The Year – Here is a short list of the competitors in the 2013 contest. The artist here has painted on a much grander scale than Van Gogh, and these photographers has captured a piece of his work.

On Fear – This is a thought provoking post on the fears we had as a child, the fears we have as adults, and the solution to them both.

The Benefit Of Stopping To Smell The Roses – I recently read The In-Between, by Jeff Goins. This post has spawned from that book, and is the beginning of a multi-day challenge to slow down the frenetic pace of life.

Why You Can Trust Your Bible – Have you ever wondered whether the Bible we have today is the same as it was a thousand years ago? Or two thousand? The infallibility of God’s Word is a major theological doctrine that many don’t understand. This article helps you understand it better.

Never traffic in unpracticed truth. – Howard Hendricks

Top Five Common Coffee Mistakes – One of my pursuits is after the elusive perfect cup of coffee. I’ve come close… Very close. But there is always something more I can do, or tweak, or change, or fix. Here are the top five most common mistakes people make when it comes to coffee.

When Street Art Meets Nature – I am continually amazed at the creativity that people are capable of. We truly are created in the image of our Creator. These images are proof that art and creativity can be found anywhere.

Borrego Stardance – Speaking of creativity, check out this time lapse video. It’s pretty amazing, and shows the creativity of both man and the Creator.

20 Quick Tips On Writing Great Blog Posts – As a writer, tips like these are helpful to spark some creativity. If you write, these might help you as well.

7 Key Principles For Interpreting The Bible – “On the whole, Scripture’s key points are clearly presented and are meant to be understood.” But you might be surprised at how many read the Bible with no idea of how to interpret and understand what they are reading. Here are seven point to keep in mind, or to share with others.

Why Do We Need Physical Rest? – One of the things I’ve been convicted of recently is in the concept of Sabbath. But outside of honoring God, what is the point? The point, or at least one of the points, is rest. This article gives a great overview of the theology of rest. Maybe more people need to get a handle on this…

Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be won. – West Point Cadet Prayer

The Coffee Bean Color Spectrum – One of the most frequent questions I hear when people ask me about roasting coffee is how to know when it’s done. This chart gives a great breakdown of what the beans look like through the roasting process. Most of the time, I like to pull my beans somewhere around 9 or 10. Occasionally, depending on the bean, I will go as far as a level 14.

Next Level Origami – The art of origami has always intrigued me. I can make a paper airplane, but that’s about it. These paper masterpieces blow my mind.

Camera Lens Jewelry – I have a coffee cup that looks like a camera lens. And I’ve seen other interesting crossovers. But this is just cool. Not sure I could justify the price to buy one of thee for my wife though…

Lord Of The Rings And The Modern Surveillance State – There has been a lot of talk of “big brother” over the past few weeks, months and years. This article presents an interesting view of our modern data mines of information by the Nation Security Agency. And it’s compared to the work of Tolkien, no less.

Confrontation – Not too many people seem to really enjoy confrontation. It’s not something that comes easy to very many people. But sometimes it becomes necessary. So, how do you handle it?

Christians, Protect Each Other From Busyness – Our culture seems to be more and more inundated with frantic busyness. There comes a time when you must say no to things, even good things. As the body of Christ, we need to help protect one another in this area.

A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. – General Douglas MacArthur

The 4 Best Coffee Pairings For Autumn – I love a good cup of coffee. But when you pair that cup with a great little bite to eat that goes well with it, you create an explosion of taste in your mouth. The Roasterie lists the top four pairings for the fall, three of which sound incredible.

Adrift – Time lapse photography has become almost ordinary. It seems like everyone has created one. But this one is stunning.

Time Warp – Ever wonder why time seems to speed up or slow down, depending on circumstances? This article gives a nice explanation of the theories involved in our understanding and comprehension of time.

Traffic Ghost Hunting – I hate it when all of a sudden, traffic slows down to almost a stop, for no apparent reason. Apparently, there is a whole field of study trying to figure out how and why this swarm mentality behavior happens.

(End Of) Summer Life Hacks – Even though summer is almost over, the weather should be nice enough to employ most of these for a few more weeks. Regardless, they are fascinating enough to be aware of for next year.

But He’s Not My Neighbor – Sometimes, the one with the smaller need is just as “in need” as the huge need like the one in the parable of the Good Samaritan. this article gives a good reminder of that.

If you do not die to sin, you shall die for sin. If you do not slay sin, sin will slay you. – C. H. Spurgeon

The Five Best Coffee Tourism Spots – It would be nice to structure all of my travel and vacations around the best locations to get coffee. Not only do I have a few places in the US I’d like to visit, but now around the world as well.

Bizarre Borders: Canada & The US – Ever wonder why our borders are the way they are? This YouTube video takes a brief and fun look at the border we share with Canada. I found it entertaining and informative.

23 Best Wildlife Photos From National Geographic Traveler – The National Geographic sponsors a photo contest every year, and the images submitted are simply stunning. Here is a post with the top images. Incredible shots!

8 Email Mistakes You Make – I’ve been convicted lately about my use of time. I want to be as effective as possible, while at the same time realizing that I can’t accomplish everything. One of the biggest drains in my day can be email, and this post has some helpful hints on how to manage that behemoth better.

Get Rid Of These Six Things – Along with email, Tim Challies has written this post encouraging me to eliminate distracting things from my life. While I’m not sure I can do all that he suggests, the underlying principles here are helpful for maintaining a healthy plugged in life. However, if you want to unplug, either temporarily or for good, these are six ares to start with.

Dates, Doctrines, And Dead People – One of the areas lacking in American Christianity is our understanding of church history. Our history classes don’t touch much on the church, and even those in Bible college only get a couple of semesters. But understanding where we came from is important to understanding where we are going. This post explains why, and continues into part two at the end.

Christian giving is to be marked by self-sacrifice and self-forgetfulness, not by self-congratulation. – John Stott

11 Of The Craziest Coffee Terms You’ve Ever Heard – Sometimes, when I start talking coffee, I notice people’s eyes starting to glaze over, because I’m speaking in a language they can’t understand. Here are a few of the terms you’ll hear frequently from coffee aficionados.

Weird And Geeky Wedding Rings – Custom wedding rings seem to always be popular, and the only limit is people’s creativity. These two posts have several pretty cool designs. I really like the Stargate themed rings, the Triforce, and the intertwined rings. (11 Rings, 11 More Rings)

Return Of The Cicadas – One of my favorite night sounds in the summer is the sound of the cicada. I have lots of memories from my childhood of sleeping with the windows open and listening to these noisy creatures throughout the night.

Underwater River in Mexico – What? Yep. And underwater river. Due to something called a halocline, where waters of different salinity stay separate, this river actually exists. That’s probably the coolest thing I’ve heard all day.

Short Films And Cartoons On Economics – Cartoons used to have an educational side to them, and many short films were created that taught important life lessons. Here are several on the subject of economics. It’s stunning to see how things have changed in just about half of a century.

Back To School, Back To Bedtime – Since we’ve always homeschooled, bedtimes have never been a big issue in our home. But now that my oldest daughter is in public school, this is all of a sudden more important. And, it turns out, research indicates that a bedtime is a critical structure needed in the lives of our children.

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. – Viktor Frankl

Coffee From India – Most of the coffee I drink comes from either South/Central America or Africa. Occasionally, I enjoy a good bean from the Philippines. My favorite bean is from Brazil or Costa Rica. But I would love to try something from India. This article has piqued my curiosity.

A Spectacular Supercell Caught On Film – Storm chasers are an interesting breed. My instinct is to run the other direction and watch from a safe distance. But there are some who run right into the thick of things. But I guess that’s how you get shots like this… [Vimeo]

News Is Bad For You – I’ve never been one to dwell too much on news sites or watch much news on TV. This article reinforces my desire to watch it less than ever before. Ironic that this is on a newspaper’s website…

The Evolution Of The Swimsuit – This made the rounds on social media a while back, but it’s worth checking out if you missed it. As a youth minister for more than two decades, this was an issue I faced more than once. And now, with three daughters, it’s just as big of an issue as ever before. This makes a great case for modesty and honoring God by what you wear.

Accountability, Grace, and Cigar Smoking – I’ve never felt the temptation to smoke anything, whether that was my dad’s pipe, a cigar or even a cigarette. But I know people who do. While this article uses the cigar as a prop, the real issue is accountability and grace. And it makes a good point.

World’s Top Missionary-Sending Country – Think it through. Pick a country before you click through to Christianity Today’s website. The answer might surprise you.

If you get upset, offended, and go off and sulk, and nurse your grievance, you will die. – T. Austin-Sparks