On this day in history: In 1874, a patent was issued to Samuel W. Francis for the spork. In 1901, Queen Victoria of England died after reigning for nearly 64 years. Edward VII, her son, succeeded her. And in 1930, excavation began for the Empire State Building in New York City.

Today Is National Blonde Brownie Day!
You need to make some blondies, and come right on over!

How to Make Iced Coffee in a Chemex – My favorite method of making coffee is definitely my Chemex, but I typically use it to make a hot pourover. But did you know you can use it to make iced coffee as well? This article explains how, and you can grab a Chemex here.

Can You Identify These Cities From Their Light Signatures? – I got most of these correct. Can you?

The Awkward 17th-Century Dating Practice That Saw Teens Get Bundled Into Bags – Here is an interesting historical article about the practice of bundling, although it may need a bit of fact-checking. The article mentions the biblical book of Ruth, but doesn’t accurately depict what happened in it. Regardless, it’s an interesting perspective on a bit of history.

Every State In The US – This is a fascinating video that makes a connection from state to state to cover all 50. While it is essentially an ad, it’s still really interesting.

Today In Church History
John Bacchus Dykes, composer of the famous hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy, died on this day, January 22, 1876. He was just fifty-three years old. Read more about him here.

The Jewish Calendar – Often, especially in the Old Testament, the Bible references different portions of the year according to the Jewish calendar. Here’s a handy reference point to help you understand what part of the year those passages are talking about.

Why I Love Psalms – Someone recently made the comment to me that, the older they got, the more the book of Psalms resonated with their spiritual journey. I have been chewing on that thought for several months now, and have decided that it is true for my own life as well. This article gives some more insight to the value the psalms have for our lives.

7 Writing Tips From Charles Spurgeon – One of the greatest preachers of recent history gives some excellent advice for writing as well. Here are seven tips for writers.