He chose the nails

landscape photography of green mountains
Photo by Gareth Davies on Pexels.com

Easter Sunday, 2024.

I thought I’d share something from Max Lucado

Want to know the coolest thing about the coming? Not that the One who played marbles with the stars gave it up to play marbles with marbles. Or that the One who hung the galaxies gave it up to hang doorjambs to the displeasure of a cranky client who wanted everything yesterday but couldn’t pay until tomorrow. 


Not that he, in an instant, went from needing nothing to needing air, food, a tub of hot water and salts for his tired feet, and, more than anything, needing somebody – anybody – who was more concerned about where he would spend eternity rather than where he would spend Friday’s paycheck. 


Or that he resisted the urge to fry the two-bit, self-appointed hall monitors of holiness who dared suggest that he was doing the work of the devil. 
Not that he kept his cool while the dozen best friends he ever had felt the heat and got out of the kitchen. Or that he gave no command to the angels who begged, “Just give us the nod, Lord. One word and these demons will be deviled eggs.” 


Not that he refused to defend himself when blamed for every sin of every slut and sailor since Adam. Or that he stood silent as a million guilty verdicts echoed in the tribunal of heaven and the giver of light was left in the chill of a sinner’s night. 


Not even that after three days in a dark hole he stepped into the Easter sunrise with a smile and a swagger and a question for lowly Lucifer – “Is that your best punch?” 


That was cool, incredibly cool.


But want to know the coolest thing about the One who gave up the crown of heaven for a crown of thorns? 


He did it for you. Just for you.

Max Lucado, He Chose the Nails

7 November 2023

Quote of the Day

“When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movement becomes headlong—faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thought of obstacles and forget that a precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it’s too late.” (Frank Herbert, Dune)

"When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movement becomes headlong—faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thought of obstacles and forget that a precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it’s too late." (Frank Herbert, Dune)

Musical Interlude

I ran across a great TikTok account a few days ago, Somewhere Soul, and have loved the music recommendations. Here’s an album from Azymuth, a Brazilian jazz-funk trio.

https://open.spotify.com/album/4I9UOJK8FuHBPel9IFMIMT?si=tf5dKm-vR3m9hmijksloRg

Long Read of the Day

The best piece I’ve seen on the downfall of Twitter (I, too, have been on the platform since 2007) and why I’m not really paying attention to it any longer.

If you see a man claim that he’ll have ‘full self-driving’ working ‘next year’ for half a decade and can’t make fun of that just a little, you are probably blinding yourself too, but it does’t matter much. And maybe you don’t care much about this, or have decided not to see it. But I was on Twitter since 2007, and built a meaningful part of my career on it, and I won’t be posting at all, for the foreseeable future, because I think it does matter.

https://www.ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2023/10/23/leaving-twitter

Photo of the Day

South Boundary Trail: Colter Peak viewed near the Yellowstone River and Thorofare Creek confluence
Yellowstone National Park South Boundary Trail: Colter Peak viewed near the Yellowstone River and Thorofare Creek confluence

Final Thoughts

Big life update today: I’ve found the final member for my dissertation committee. It’s a small milestone, but a milestone nonetheless. Each day, this journey becomes more real. Thanks for coming along for the ride.


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