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This week we had a group visiting the ministry, which means I got to sit in the back of a few of my classes instead of teaching them. It also means I gave my first historical tour of the capital yesterday!! Did you know that the oldest church in the Americas is located in Santo Domingo?! Because I did.

After a long Friday, this mug is totes apropes today.

Articles/blog posts:

This Father’s Illustrations Of Things He’s Said To His Children Are Splendid at BuzzFeed – Oh, parenting.
Fat Girls in Bikinis… We’re Just Like You at Brittany, Herself – Brittany looks amazing in a bikini and even though I have no desire to wear a bikini, seeing how amazing she looks makes me feel better about how I look in anything. Cool how that works, huh?
In Which Jesus Offers Financial Independence That No One Wants :: a guest post by Ed Cyzewski at Sarah Bessey – Ed talks about the story of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-26). “We shouldn’t approach this story asking ‘how much am I allowed to own?’ That misses the point. We should approach this story asking, ‘What would keep me from following Jesus?’ This is a story about finding freedom from the control of money and possessions, not about living in condemnation because of what we own.”
The Gratitude Experiment at Momastery – I’m super late on the whole Lent thing (Ash Wednesday was March 5) but Glennon offers a really great explanation of the Lent season. “I think of Lent as a purging of what we don’t need in order to create space to receive bigger and better things- like peace and love and joy. It’s like putting down your phone so you can hold somebody’s hand. It’s like emptying your bedroom of clutter so you can really see that beautiful antique bed your mama passed down to you. It’s like that. Lent Is A Spiritual Spring Cleaning.”
House for All Sinners and Saints’ 40 Ideas for Keeping a Holy Lent by Nadia Bolz Weber at patheos – Again, a little late, but it’s never too late to start being more holy!
Cigarettes, Multiple Wives, and Loving Jesus at a life overseas – When our culture (in our minds, hearts, and lives) trumps our Living Word Jesus. Be careful.
7 Things I Wish I Knew About Christianity Before Becoming A Christian at Relevant – This could also be entitled 7 Things Christians Should Keep in Mind When Trying to Sell Christianity to Others.
Why Does the Child in the Hands of the Beggar Always Sleeping? at Buddhist Broadcasting Network – A heart-wrenching truth uncovered about what people will do to survive. Desperate people do desperate things. (If you’d like to read more about engaging the homeless/panhandling population, check out what I wrote here.)
Americans use the internet to abandon children adopted from overseas at Reuters Investigates – I watched an epiode of Criminal Minds where a woman staged a kidnapping of her niece. What she really did was “re-home” her. I wanted to know if the practice of “re-homing” or “non-legalized adoption” was real. Hoping it was some awful practice Criminal Minds made up, I went to Google. I found this article. What can we do about this?
How to Declutter in 5 Simple Steps at 5 Kids Is A Lot Of Kids – During this Lent season Beth is working on 15 minute projects each day (that she can). Here are her decluttering tips that help her get the job done.

Movies/TV:

The Tale of Despereaux on Megashare – I read this book as part of my Challenge and although the movie was pretty different from the book, it more or less kept the same spirit. It was cute. I enjoyed it.
Criminal Minds Season 9 on Megashare – I’m all caught up now!
Will and Grace Seasons 4-5 on DVD – Will and Grace are like comfort food for me.

(YouTube) Videos:

Viral Video: Father sick of ‘Let It Go’ at Fox 13 News – Seriously.
Wild Cub – Thunder Clatter by wildclubVEVO on YouTube – Fun song!
Vote for Darris at Woobox Offer – This guy was a freshmen when I was a senior at Cedarville. He is INSANELY talented. Just take a little listen and consider clicking “Vote” so he can win a record contract!
5th Sinfonia de Beethoven Orquesta de Reciclados Cateura Teatro Carre, Amsterdam Febrero 2014 by Orquesta de Reciclados Cateura on YouTube – This Paraguayan orchestra, called The Landfill Harmonic, plays instruments made from recycled trash. “Having nothing is not an excuse to do nothing.”
His Star Student Wants To Go To College. She’s Not Getting In. by Upworthy on YouTube – Every issue has a thousand faces behind it. Undocumented immigration is not an issue, it’s people and their lives. Put a face on things.

General good finds:

Trips for Every Traveler on Leave Your Daily Hell. This guy is a world traveler! Here he shares some tips and even itineraries! So handy!
Ban Bossy. “When a little boy asserts himself, he’s called a ‘leader.’ Yet when a little girl does the same, she risks being branded ‘bossy.’ Words like bossy send a message: don’t raise your hand or speak up. By middle school, girls are less interested in leading than boys—a trend that continues into adulthood. Together we can encourage girls to lead.”
“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – A.Rand