Monday, December 22, 2008

A blog for those who think all PitBulls should be banned.

Found this blog through a link on a friend's blog.  BAD RAP Blog is the blog home of "Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls".  These guys have a lot to say about the breed that so many Americans hate and fear.  The blog contains news on rescue operations, adorable pictures and videos of well-cared-for pits and their friends and families, and all kinds of info for those who just don't know much about this breed.  But most importantly they hold to the belief that you can't blame a dog for having bad/cruel/evil owners.  Kudos guys!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

A bit of Christmas Cheer...

Sophie trimming the tree


I had to doctor Masha's picture because her fur picked up the yellow from the floor and looked all golden. She's smiling though -- really!


Vali does NOT like the tree -- this is as close as he would pose with it!


Tuesday, December 09, 2008

I <3 WebComics

Ok, so as I started to say yesterday, now and then the internet is a good place. Or at least directs me to a good link.

Many of you may have noticed the Project Wonderful ad display over there on the right. Sometimes the folks who apply for ads here have really crappy blogs or sites and I don't even give them a second look. I do approve most of them though. Other times something pops up that is simply GREATNESS.

Yesterday morning fell into that second category.

I've always loved webcomics. Unfortunately more often than not the views expressed in them (and the language/violence/sexuality/whatever) are not something I'd be comfortable linking here. There are a ton of great comics I read on a regular basis but I don't promote. But now and then one comes to my notice that doesn't offend any of my sensabilities. The one that submitted an ad for my PW widget yesterday went a step further.

This guy actually drew a comic I COMPLETELY AGREE with. It starts out as him explaining his own faith. Pretty much everything written in that section is something that I could have personally spoken. Several are things that I HAVE personally spoken. That's right -- a webcomic that promotes faith in Christ, rather than laughs at it, dismisses it, or is openly hostile toward it. And then, as if that weren't enough to make me pass on the link to everyone I know, he begins a superhero story based on a Christian character. WOW. I simply don't have the words. So, to RHJunior, THANK YOU for The Fellowship of Heroes. I hope it's ongoing. I'm afraid that it might not be. Can't really tell for sure, but I can't wait to read the next page. Also, for what it's worth, you've earned a permanent link here on my blog. Any comic that correctly uses the term Hineni has earned my utmost respect.

Monday, December 08, 2008

Life, the universe and everything.

Every now and then the web hands me a gift.  Something I'm not expecting that practically jumps into my lap and makes me glad to be a part of this crazy thing called the blogosphere all over again.  Lemme back up a bit. 

I've always enjoyed having a blog.  Even when I don't really maintain it well, I've always liked being part of a larger community.  I know my readership is small at best and I'll never rank up there with the top bloggers in the world, and I'm completely happy with that concept.  I don't think I want to be well known or well read.  That comes with some pretty hefty responsibility, and I'm 99.99% certain I'm not up for the task. 

Still, being a blogger carries certain perks.  I can write whatever I want and I don't have to edit it down to something fit for consumers.  I don't have to worry about keywords or sellability.  I don't have to dumb it down for the masses.  I can write whatever pleases me, whatever's on my mind, and no one can tell me "you can't say that."

I'd like to think that some of the things I've written here have impacted those who've read them at least in some small way.  I'd like to think that somehow God has used my writing for His purposes.  If I'm wrong, I simply don't want to know.  I've been told that the internet is my mission field.  Sounds strange I know, but it seems true to me. 

But now and then the internet becomes too much.  Lets face it, this "information superhighway" is a lot scarierer than the name implies.  There are all kinds of horrific things out there and every time I read about some webcam suicide or child predator, I guess I lose a bit of heart.  I wonder how any one person can make a difference in the face of such darkness.  I forget two crucial things:
  1. It's not about me.  Never was.  Therefore it's not UP TO me to make a difference.
  2. Even in the darkest place, a single point of light is visible to all around.
I guess I've always known there are others out there who feel the same way.  I know some of them personally and others I've only read, but I know they're there.  Then there are the billions I've never even heard of.  I know there are plenty of Christians out there striving to make a difference here on the web, and I know that more than a few of them are bloggers like me.  I guess from that I know that there are others that feel the way I do about it all, though I don't often think about it. 

So I wonder, how do other Christian bloggers keep going when it seems pointless?  How do they continue to be a light in the darkness even when they can't see another light for miles around?  Even when the darkness seems solid and thick, an impenatrable wall?

But that's not really where I intended to take this post.  This was supposed to be a plug for another site...  I guess I'll do that in a separate post since this one has gotten so lengthy. 

So does this mean that I'm getting back to my daily scripture messages?  In truth, I don't know if that feature will ever come back.  I never claimed that those came 100% from me in the first place -- so I don't know if the inspiration for them has dried up or if it's just kind of sleeping right now.  I know that I can't write them without God's help, so until He says it's time for another round, they're still tabled.  Though I wouldn't be surprised if they pop in from time to time.

For now, I guess I'm a bit unfocused but willing.  I'll try to write here more often and I'll try to make it more relevant than acapella tributes to John Williams (though I still am impressed with that particular video). 

It's sure to be an interesting ride for those who want to join me. 

Check back tomorrow for the link that inspired this post. 

Verse of the Day