e-Books: Free & LEGAL

I came across a site that offers free legal e-Books for download.

From the WOWIO website:

WOWIO is a new kind of online bookstore that enables readers to download ebooks for free, using commercial sponsorships to compensate authors and publishers. Readers get free ebooks. Sponsors get a powerful new channel to communicate their message to precisely the people they want to reach. Publishers get a new means of distributing their books, expanding their readership, and monetizing their intellectual property.

Auschwitz Through the Lens of the SS

I was browsing through some old links today and came across one that I had visited some time ago. It’s called Auschwitz Through the Lens of the SS. It’s a stunning piece of work and shows a side of Auschwitz you may have never seen. Of course, some of the images are very disturbing.

Courtesy of Yahoo! picks:

In 1944, a German SS officer named Karl Höcker was stationed at Auschwitz as an adjutant to the camp’s commandant. During the time he was there, the Nazi official kept a scrapbook. But this isn’t like any Auschwitz documentation you’ve seen before. In these images, Höcker and other camp leadership and staff relax at a wooded retreat, hold sing-alongs, and smoke cigars. Josef Mengele, the camp’s monstrous doctor, smiles and socializes. SS auxiliary women lounge on deck chairs, snack on berries, and get caught in a rain storm. Höcker lights a Christmas tree.

In January of this year, these rare, unnerving photographs were donated to the U.S. Holocaust Museum. Now, the museum has made them available online, along with background on Höcker and a moving comparison with the “Auschwitz album,” the one other known photographic collection from the camp. The contrast between the two is terrifying, and unforgettable.

“Here I am, Lord. Entertain me…”

I love attending different churches and experiencing the various liturgies and forms of congregational worship. I attend where I attend not because it is a particular denomination (although it is denominational), but because the congregation actively participates in the liturgy. That is not the case in many other churches I’ve visited where the congregation is more of an observer than participant. I am not judging or criticizing. It’s just an observation, but it’s not for me.

Thankfully challenged?

Blessed1 has challenged her fellow blog-mates to post thanksgivings on Fridays. Well, since I haven’t had much worth saying lately, I thought I’d take her up on that challenge. I am thankful for so many things: family, friends, food, shelter, a job. But for this installment of Blessed1’s Thankful Friday’s, I thought I’d offer up a prayer to ask the Lord to help us to remember to be thankful. After all, it’s so easy to forget, isn’t it?

Lord, there are so many things for which we are thankful. So many things you have given us and done for us. Help us remember the many blessings you have given. The world offers so many distractions that steal our time away from our loved-ones and from you, the real life giver. Help us see when get so caught up in ourselves that we are blind to the joy and beauty of your creation that surrounds us. Help us show our thankfulness by giving when we are tempted to take. Help us pray with a thankful heart. Help us to be thankful for the smallest acts of kindness shown to us by showing kindness to others. Help us be thankful for what we have and not moan for what we want. Most of all, help us never take for granted the birth, death and resurrection of your son our savior Jesus Christ. Through him we are given the gift and promise of eternal life with you. Thank you. It is in his holy name I pray. Amen.

Bacon, bacon, bacon!

I found this on my desk this morning. A friend of mine knows about my genetic disposition to high cholesterol and how much I like bacon! It was a great way to start my day with a laugh! (Click the image…)

Oh, I’m pleased to report my HDL is 60 and my LDL is 92 (thanks to Zocor, diet and excercise). Time for a greasy bacon cheeseburger!

Congratulations! You may already be a whiner!

Are you a whiner? A complainer? Do you know someone who is?

Even after God had miraculously taken care of them while they wandered in the wilderness, the people of Israel constantly complained. They whined, “There is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (Num. 11:6). Geez, thanks for nothin’! What ingratitude!

Yes, we have all done it from time to time. I’m sure I whined or complained about something today. Things don’t go our way and we complain about this and whine about that. Be careful you don’t step on that lower lip! The Bible clearly says that complaining is a sin. It is shows an attitude of an ungrateful spirit. Sometimes, we tend to focus on the negatives rather than the positives of life. We murmur against the Lord when we should be praising Him for our countless blessings. We let ourselves be distracted by the disappointments and deprivations that God may be allowing for our spiritual good.

1 Corinthians 10:10 - And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

Job 10:1 - I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.

While the Bible says that complaining is a sin, it also states that it can lead to further disobedience. If you complain too much or focus on the negative things, you can lose sight of all the good things God does in your life. This can lead to an attitude where you lose faith and cause others to lose faith, too.

Psalm 106:25 - They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the LORD.

Things will go wrong in your life. You will not always get your way. Stuff happens. You can spend your time complaining, taking your eyes off of God, or you can find a way to make things better. You can remember all the other things God has provided. Not only will you be happier, but you will be a positive Christian example to everyone around you.

Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Image courtesy of: fruityoaty

Ashes to ashes…

Tonight we gather to celebrate Shrove Tuesday. Or, depending what part of the world you are from, also known as Fat Tuesday or Pancake Day. Today is also “Super Tuesday”, but with the gene pool being as shallow as it is for this election I’m not sure what’s so “super” about it. But, I digress… We will have the traditional pancakes, but we also be serving gumbo, jambalaya, and other Cajun delicacies to throw in a touch of the Mardi Gras spirit.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten season. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the holiest time of the Christian year. For centuries, the faithful have gone to church on this day to have their brow symbolically marked with a cross of ashes. Traditionally, the ashes come from burning the palms saved from the previous Palm Sunday. And so, tomorrow, our rector will use his right thumb to apply the ashes to our foreheads while saying the prayer, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” The 40-day Lenten season will then commence.

It’s common for Christians to sacrifice something for Lent. No, not small animals, virgins, or anything of the sort. Generally folks will give up a favorite food, beverage or behavior. It should be something that is actually difficult to give up so the idea of “sacrifice” is real. It’s also common for folks to take on a discipline, such as a Bible study, joining a small group, or new ministry. For me, it’s always harder to take something on than to give something up. I haven’t decided yet, but I actually may do both this year; give something up and take something on. I’m open for suggestions! You know…when I stop and think…how small is my sacrifice compared to the one made for me? Saying, “Thank you, Lord.” is not enough, but, thank you, Lord!

So, if you are so inclined, what are you giving up or taking on this Lenten season?

Beautiful view…

I wish I could remember where I saw this.

The question was:

What do you consider to be the most beautiful view in the world.

Response:

The smile and eye contact made by an elderly husband and wife as they speak to each other through their silence.

Very touching.

Casting Stones

Nearly every day (work day, that is) a group of 5 to 7 guys gather down in our atrium for lunch. Most of the time it’s typical guy talk: sports, movies or just friendly banter. We’re all Christians and we share similar life and world views. However, lately I’ve noticed some of our conversation ends up being more like gossip and judgmental in nature. At one point it turned into a downright bashing of a former employee. Comments about how rude, disrespectful, and annoying Mark was. (Name changed to protect the innocent…) After a few minutes of this, someone, in a very poor imitation of Forest Gump, said, “Momma said if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Now, I don’t recall that being a quote from the movie, but it made a point. Turning to Forest, one of the Mark-bashers responded, “Tell me one positive attribute Mark has.” Forest thought for a moment and said, “He washes his hands before leaving the restroom.” Laughter filled the air.

Though I didn’t actively participate in the bashing, I didn’t do anything to turn the conversation either. So, I was just as guilty. Mark is certainly not the only one with faults. We ALL have them and I know that my faults could fill many a lunchtime bash or gossip-fest. I’m reminded of another old adage, “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones”.

Scripture is filled with instruction regarding gossip and unwholesome talk. Time for me to review those lessons.

Proverbs 26:20 – “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.”

Ephesians 4:29 – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

One Minute Languages

I came across a cool site called One Minute Languages.

One Minute Language teaches you the basics of a language in a series of, you guessed it, one minute lessons via the website or podcasts. The idea is to introduce you to a new language from scratch. Each language features ten lessons covering greetings, talking about names, saying you understand or don’t understand, counting and making friends. I subscribed to the Irish podcast, but they also have German, Polish and Russian one minute lessons.

Not sure if they plan to add more languages or increase the number of lessons, but it’s a good way to get a taste of a new language.