Happy weekend! I’m writing to you from the road on the way to the North Carolina coast, where we’re spending a few days enjoying a family wedding. This week was PACKED full of interesting stories, and world-changing events.

So flag this email for later, or grab a cup of coffee and pick out a few links that interest you.  Let’s begin with the anniversary of 9/11…

Here’s a great little youtube documentary on 9/11 from the eyes/perspective of President Bush, who, as it turns out, had an eerie prediction of the situation we now face in Iraq.  FoxNews had a short 13-slide timeline of the day’s events 13 years ago. For you Twitter lovers, you need to check out former Press Secretary Ari Fleischer’s feed from the Wednesday. He tweeted out the memorable events from 13 years ago as if they were live. His perspective is interesting to say the least. Lastly, here was the President’s speech standing atop the rubble 13 years ago – the bullhorn speech! 

President Obama gave a speech about taking the war on ISIS to Syria on Wednesday evening…not quite Churchill’s Famous ‘Fight on the Beaches’ speech…Assuming you read your quota of those stories, check out this interesting perspective from a muslim who wants us to consider Saudi Arabia’s role in supporting terror networks like ISIS and Al Qaeda, and gives some history of their genesis.  Also Robert H. Scales, a retired Army major general and former commandant of the U.S. Army War College, had an Op-Ed in the WaPo this week about how to defeat ISIS that I found worth the read….and if all that wasn’t enough, apparently the President has fallen victim to a good ol’ fashioned caption contest! (h/t Tracy Lear).

Meanwhile, on the home-front, the wealthy aristocracy of New York City are pondering whether its worth an extra million for a parking spot in NYC.

Speaking of the ridiculous, this actually happened…

Now back to something encouraging…Pastor Tim Challies has a great little summary on chapter 2 of John Owen’s classic ‘Overcoming Sin and Temptation’ in which he boils some things down very nicely.

I’m sure you’ve heard, thought about, discussed the new iPhone this week. Apple announced their new iPhone (the 6th edition), iWatch and Apple Pay and I think critics were pretty much satiated that the technology giant had really moved the ball forward for the first time in a few years. Of course there are haters who disagree with my generous assessment. 

Speaking of tech, the net neutrality battle is heating up in case you didn’t notice….AND in addition to his work on Owen, Challies penned a short 5 point list on how to protect your information online which I found very helpful.

Continuing in that genre, not all technology is thrilling the masses these days…meet the simple technology that some say has ruined baseball. 

If that story doused your inner tech spark, then scroll through this one which is sure to ignite it again: advanced DNA technology solved the 126 year old mystery of Jack the Ripper this week!

On to TV…PBS has partnered with Ken Burns once again, this time on a documentary featuring the Roosevelt family. I have no clue if its going to be good or not, but its worth taking a peak…Burns will always find a place in my heart for the ‘Civil War’ and some really love his exhaustive (and exhausting) ‘Baseball’. 

This past week, Kate and I took in a little series posted to YouTube called ‘Tales from the Green Valley.’  Even if you just watch one episode of the 12 part series, you’ll enjoy watching 5 experts try and run a farm with all 17th century technology, clothes, and food. Fascinating stuff, and lots of little things you’ll learn you never new before. (h/t Katie W.)

Now some random stuff…

I appreciated this little piece on titled ‘The Problem with Reclining Airplane Seat Design’

Now THIS is cool – Whole Foods is a pretty hip grocery story, now they’re bringing hip to your door – check it out!

How to pay for all that food?  Well check out what John Piper has to say about ‘How to Decide About Your Next Job’.  Great little resource here. If you don’t read it now, file it away for a rainy day.

Vitamins or no vitamins? Nate Silver’s blog is advocating in the negative – mostly because of the way the results/benefits of vitamins are tested. This is a story for you stats geeks out there.

And…some more on the culture

Now this is a terrific little post that will crack you up and have you saying “amen!” One man edits Oprah’s coffee cup cliches. 

Challies also had a nice little follow up on last week’s nude celeb photogate scandal.

But not all celebs are scummy – check out Carrie Underwood singing ‘How Great Thou Art’...whoa! (h/t Senator Dan Hall!)

And a wonderful man of God, and terrific businessman Truett Cathy died this week. What an impact and legacy that man had!

Jared Wilson is in fine form here with an article about the church titled ‘He Must Increase; Our Churches Must Decrease’.

One thing not decreasing is the moral shift in America. Al Mohler’s daily briefing from earlier in the week is an indication of where the battle lines are. The collegiate Christian group InterVarsity has been kicked out of the California State University System. 

Kuyperian Commentary has a really solid resource on confronting deep sin utilizing 2 Corinthians. This meant a lot to me personally because a) I love 2 Corinthians and b) I’ve used many of these verses to confront sin in very difficult situations. It’s hard to describe the sense of fortitude one has when the rock of Scripture is firmly under one’s feet in such a moment.

The Twitters were tweeting this week about grade inflation at ivy league schools, which may be interesting to some of you ivy leaguers out there.

Lastly, and wonderfully, Jon Bloom ever at Desiring God had a fantastic piece called ‘The Antidepressant of Wonder’ in which he uses football and the changing of seasons as analogies for God’s work in this world, and how taking time to enjoy that work lifts our spirits vis a vis our changed perspective.

These articles remind us that we live in a rapidly changing world. Let us hold fast to our convictions in every sphere, knowing that He is able to help us hold them in integrity until the final day:

But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. (2 Timothy 1:12)