What Drinking Coffee Does To You – I drink a lot of coffee. And I’m pretty picky about what coffee I typically drink, though I have been seen with an occasional cup of Folger’s or some other mainstream brand (gasp!). People often say things to me about coffee, such as “Do you know what that does to you?” Yes. I do know. And here’s a brief list with a few of both the good and bad things that coffee brings with it.

Dream Homes Built For Books And The Nerds Who Love Them – I am a self-admitted bibliophile. I love books. Some of these dream homes just made their way onto my bucket list.

One Reason I Don’t Play The Lotto – Time recently posted an article detailing the pitfalls that plague the big lotto winners. But the temptation of easy money is simply too strong for many. The Borrowed Light blog gives a compelling reason to skip over the temptation to buy a ticket: God’s provision.

You Can Get In My Face – Accountability seems to have largely disappeared in the church. It’s as if no one wants to open up and allow others the permission to call them out when they see sin in their lives. Kimberly Wagner shares a pointed article on the True Woman blog about this. While the blog is aimed at women readers, the principles here apply to us all.

Marriage Bliss – Or Not – One of the books on my list to read is Timothy Keller’s book, The Meaning Of Marriage. It’s on my Amazon wish list, if you are interested in placing it in my hands… This review, on the Not So Common Sense Blog, caught my attention and has moved the book from my “that looks like a good book to read” list to my “I think I really should read this book” list. You might want to add it to your list as well.

The Lost Art Of Modesty And Humility – Our kids are growing up in a different world that the one we saw, or our parents saw. As a nation, we have shifted away from humility towards pride and arrogance. The potential ramifications of this are staggering and mind-blowing. Tim Elmore has a few suggestions and tools that can help us teach our kids what humility is, and how to live it.

The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. – Samuel Johnson

3 Ways To Drink Great Coffee While Traveling This Holiday Season – One of the worst tragedies to ever occur in the coffee industry was when food service companies started marketing it in hotels, convenience stores, and most restaurants. You can easily taste the staleness of coffee roasted and ground too long before. It’s tragic. So this Christmas, when you travel, you can take your own excellent coffee with you. Here are three suggestions on how to make this happen easily.

2012 Coffee Lover Gift Guide – In keeping with the season, Dear Coffee, I Love You has posted their 2012 coffee lover gift guide. Much on this list seems extravagant, but it’s fun just the same. And there are a couple if items that I would love to find under the tree Christmas morning…

Scenes From World War II Photoshopped Onto Today’s Streets – History is a favorite subject of mine. And when someone takes history and merges it successfully with today, I’m intrigued. That’s the case here: old photos have been merged with new, showing portions of a bygone era in a modern setting. It brings history to life. At the end of the article, you’ll find a link to another artist with similar ideas. Check it out.

5 Benefits Of Admitting You’re Wrong – I don’t know about you, but I find myself wrong about something frequently. Most of the time, though, I don’t want to admit it. Geoffrey Webb identifies five benefits that can only come when you let go of your pride and admit you are wrong. Only then can you say “you were right,” and open the door to forgiveness and restoration.

Excellence In Preaching – One of the main parts of my job as a minister is communication. And much of that communication centers around the most important message there is. So, it only makes sense to make sure I am the most effective that I can be in that communication. Simon Vibert looks at some of the most dynamic preachers of today, seeing how they combine the timelessness of God’s Word with today’s culture in a timely and effective manner. And it’s only 2.99 on Kindle right now $9.29 on the Kindle, or $12.00 in print.

Is Everyone A Leader? – One of my favorite blogs is written by Tim Elmore. His articles about growing leaders hit me where I live, both in my family and personal life, as well as in my youth ministry. In this post, Tim identifies eight excuses people resort to when they can’t lead. I’ve had discussions centered around several of these with teens in my ministries, and am trying to instill leadership qualities in my own children as well.

I’ve learned that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while climbing it. – Andy Rooney

The Holdster – A small company in Burlington, Vermont, has created a way to turn any small canning jar into a travel mug. They’ve created the Holdster, a leather wrap, either with or without a handle, that can turn a jar into a coffee mug. This has officially been added to my wish list.

The Deepest View Of The Universe – Using over 2000 photos taken by Hubble’s cameras and stitched together, this image and video covers an extremely tiny portion of the night sky, and reveals just how incredibly crowded it is. Prepare for your mind to be blown!

12 Stats On The State Of Bookstores In America Today – As an avid reader and bibliophile, the state of bookstores in America intrigues me. While things aren’t as bad as many think, and perhaps smaller stores are making a comeback, the online and ebook industry has definitely made itself a niche in the market.

100 Abandoned Houses – I’m inspired by the creativity of others. Kevin Bauman has captured the state of a steadily declining suburb in Detroit. As sad as the circumstances may be, the beauty of his project is undeniable.

The Day My Dad Chopped Down An Idol – Sometimes when God transforms lives he does it in dramatic ways. Beverly Chao Berrus grew up in an idol and ancestor worship environment, and experienced a drastic life change when her parents accepted Christ. Her story is thought provoking.

How God Saved A Hardened Atheist – Hudson Taylor was one of the first missionaries to China, and lived there in the 1800s. But before he went, he had a job as a medical assistant. Even in this humble position, he still allowed God to use him to reach people with the message of Jesus. This story is powerful and inspiring.

Man is so made that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish. – Jean de la Fontaine

Monday Mocca – This is a quick but well-done video done by students in Sweden. Great way to spice up your Monday morning.

Lagoons In The Brazil Desert – Every year, a desert in northeastern Brazil receives a rainy season. And, every year, the valleys in between the sand dunes fill with water, creating a stunningly beautiful landscape. And it looks like a lot of fun, too.

The 5 PM Quiz: George Costanza’s Resume – This is the first of two articles from MentalFloss.com. However this one was too good to pass up. One of my favorite TV shows of all time is Seinfeld. I’ve watched every episode numerous times. This quiz covers the myriad of jobs that George had, wanted to have, or made up during the nine years that the show ran. I scored 80% (I am ashamed…). How well will you score?

9 Things Invented For Military Use That You Now Encounter In Everyday Life – Have you ever wondered where something came from? Often, the technology that we take for granted every day was first developed with a military application in mind. I found these nine examples interesting. Some I knew, but others surprised me.

Did Jesus Turn Water Into Wine Or Grape Juice? – This is a question I get a lot, especially from teens. When Jesus turned the water into something else at the wedding party in Cana in Galilee, was it grape juice, unfermented wine, or regular wine? This article looks in depth at the issue, what it meant then, and how it applies today.

3 Benefits Of Praying with Your Wife – One of my passions in life is to be an excellent father. But in order for that to happen, I first need to be an excellent husband. Some Wise Guy gets straight to the point with these three things that you can gain in your marriage by praying with your spouse.

Between saying and doing, many a pair of shoes is worn out. – Ancient Proverb

The Compendious Coffee Chart – The guys over at Pop Chart Lab have created a chart detailing the various ways to make and enjoy your coffee. The only problem I found is that they listed the AeroPress as an espresso maker. While $27 seems a bit steep, it would make a glorious addition to your wall.

Stunning Long Exposure Fireworks Photographs – I love the creative inspiration that comes from viewing someone else’s work. These photographs of fireworks make me wish it was the fourth of July so I could play with my camera a bit. I don’t think I could duplicate the beauty here, but it would be fun to try.

Liquid Nitrogen And 1500 Ping Pong Balls – Have you ever wondered just how powerful liquid nitrogen can be? If so, then this video is for you. Professor Roy Lowry, of Plymouth University, decided to see what could happen with liquid nitrogen and 1500 ping pong balls. The results were, well, explosive.

Fire – I occasionally dabble in writing poetry. I know, I hardly seem like the poetic type. But I enjoy the occasional limerick, as well as writings that are a bit more thought provoking. Fire is one such poem, written by Jean Williams.

Student Are Overwhelmed But Under-Challenged – Tim Elmore has written a two part series examining the idea that students aren’t being challenged enough, even though they are overwhelmed with busyness in life. As a youth minister, I have to agree. There is a lot out there that challenges our students, but not with very many meaningful activities that prepare them for life. Part 1. Part 2.

3 Things I Do To Grow My Affection For Jesus – Knowing Jesus isn’t enough to sustain our faith. We must be in love with Jesus, more than anything else. Nick Bogardus has listed three things on the Mars Hill blog that he does to grow his love for Christ. Are these the only three things you can do? Of course not. But there are definitely beneficial.

If you want to be big enough to lead, you must first be small enough to serve. – Brent Crowe, in Chasing Elephants

AeroPress: How MacGyver Brews Coffee – I grew up watching MacGyver. While my brother was more of a fan that I was, and was always dismantling something to figure out how it worked, I was just as excited each week to see what MacGyver would do, and more importantly… how he would do it. This video demonstrates how MacGyver would use an aeropress to brew his coffee. Worth a laugh or two.

The Deep Sea Mystery Circle – Have you ever noticed just how much order God instilled into his creation? It’s everywhere, from flowers and trees, to animals, and even in the oceans. Divers off the coast of Japan found some intricate designs in the sand on the sea floor. You’ll be surprised to find out what the culprit was.

Above The Clouds Photography – On my recent trip to Colorado, I looked out my window of the airplane and saw some similar images to what you’ll see here. The thought even crossed my mind that some shots would be cool to have, but my camera phone, and a scratchy airliner window were not conducive to great shooting conditions. So I guess we’ll have to settle for these instead.

Hurricane Sandy, After Landfall – Last week, we saw what many describe as the most damaging storm to ever hit the eastern seaboard. Whether or not that is true, Sandy did significant damage, estimated to be in the billions of dollars. Here are several sobering and saddening images from the aftermath, along with some statistics of superstorm Sandy.

Why Zombies Matter – I’ve never been a huge zombie movie fan. Sure, I’ve seen my share of Night Of The Living Dead revisions, but the appeal has always been lost. In an article by Russell Moore, however, my thinking has been broadened. He takes a look at the concept of zombiism from a biblical perspective and comes to some stunning conclusions that blew my mind away. (Like all the brain references?)

3 Ways to Nourish and Cherish Your Wife: Practical Advice C. J. Mahaney Would Give You If He Met with You at Starbucks – All too often, family gets sacrificed on the altar of ministry. I’ve seen so many families fall apart because of the lack of spiritual leadership in the home of many in the ministry. Andy Naselli shares his notes and a video from Strengthening Your Marriage In Ministry, a one day convention in August at Southern Seminary. The video is an hour long, so plan some time to watch it, because it is well worth it.

To think is easy. To act is hard. But the hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with your thinking. – Goethe

Coffee Planet Photographs – Some people see coffee when they look into their cup. Others see much more, such as Mark Youd. He sees planets. And they are beautiful!  See more of his work on Flickr.

Typographically Inspiring Quotes – I love seeing the creativity of others. So when I saw these creative designs, it sparked my own. The ones on this page are excellent, but be forewarned, if you go to the original source linked in this article, a few may be offensive.

What Hemingway Can Teach Photographers – This could be called What Hemingway Can Teach Writers as well, because the principle holds true no matter what you’re doing.

A Lesson On Impermanence From A Ruined Baseball – Most of us regard our possessions too highly. I know I am guilty of this. I get too protective and grouchy when the kids want to use something of mine. Maybe we just need to let go.

Eric Lomax – While the obituary page isn’t where I normally find inspiration, in this case it does. This obituary tells briefly the story of Eric Lomax, who was a Japanese prisoner of war during World War 2. Interrogated and tortured ruthlessly, Lomax eventually was released, only to be continually tortured by his mind, memories and post-traumatic stress. What eventually led to his healing was the forgiveness and reconciliation of his primary captor. With a heavy theme of forgiveness and grace, his story is simply incredible!

6 Warning Sings We’re Becoming Accidental Pharisees – We’ve all experienced it. We get judged by someone. And it’s never comfortable. But then we turn around and do it ourselves. Accidental Pharisees. In this article, Larry Osborn gives a brief synopsis of six things we can do to avoid such legalistic attitudes.  If you want to read more, you can purchase the book.

You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do. – Henry Ford