"Wisdom of the Day"

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." -- Hebrews 11:1-2

A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman
(Mark 5:21-43)

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

At once Jesus realized that power had gone out of him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'"

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the Teacher anymore?"

Ignoring what they said, Jesus told Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe."

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing?" The child is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said, "Talitha Koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

How cool is that! Our Heavenly Father is compassionate, loving, and he has complete control over everything. Even sickness and death! If he can resolve such devastating events such as these -- with just the power of his word -- then how much easier is it for him to heal the various struggles that befall us every day of our lives. We need only trust Him, have faith in his promises, and know that no matter what happenes, he is in complete control.

Afterall, as he said... "Don't be afraid; just believe."

UPDATE: - (11:51 PM)
After I posted this, I decided I needed to offer a word of warning in taking this wisdom too literally. You may have heard the recent news about the parents who put their trust in the Lord to heal their dying daughter, refused her vital medical treatment (which could have saved her), and then when she died, expected God to bring her back to life.

I think it needs to be said: Yes, we should put our complete trust in the Lord, have faith, and believe that he will resolve your struggles -- just as he promises. But we need to understand that our trust also requires the wisdom God already gave us. And that is the wisdom to know that God's healing power often exists within the means and blessings of the logical world around us.

Faith is often blind, yes... but it should never be foolish. If we believe wholeheartedly in God's promises, and he offers us a set of stairs... do we still jump off the cliff and hope he catches us?

"Don't be afraid; just believe." But be open to taking the stairs too.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:21 PM |

"In Honor of Mom"

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! And to my mom: thank you for 28 years of encouraging me, supporting me... and yes, scolding me when I did wrong. Your leadership (together with Dad, of course), has made me who I am today. And I am proud of who I've become.

Thank you -- with all my heart! Happy 28th Mother's Day!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 4:37 PM |

"Friday in Review"

Awoke to discover that my computer had blown it's power supply; Quite frustrated. Went off to paint an apartment. Gave thought to alternate weekend projects (since my computer was dead and non-functioning). Came home to find that my roomate (Scott) had replaced the damaged parts. Unexpected surprise; Made my day! Took a much-needed nap. Went for an evening walk. Sitting down to watch the movie, "The Wedding Planner". Going to bed when it ends.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:13 PM |

"Ancient Theaters"

Some of the most fascinating man-made structures on earth are the massive auditoriums that were once used for theatrical performances, music shows, and violent gladiatorial contests. These awesome theatres still exist, and in some cases, remain in use today -- over 2,000 years later.

Here's a photo list of some of these ancient theatres. Take a peek, and enjoy!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:12 PM |

"T-Shirt Thursday: Fruit T-Shirts"

In an effort to show off some of my popular (or new) t-shirts, artwork, and gift ideas exclusive to my online store, Jon Baas Designs, I've decided to feature a few of them here on my blog every Thursday. I call it, "T-Shirt Thursday". Feel free to comment, and enjoy!

Today's Featured Designs:
(click on each image to see available products)


More T-shirts & Gifts: .... Fruit T-Shirts .... Occupation T-Shirts

And for those of you who like to shop, weekly sales and coupons are available on the front page of my store. Feel free to use them for special discounts!

Have a wonderful Friday everyone!

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:18 PM |

"Smells Like Morning"

I love this time of day. The sun isn't up yet, and it's still dark outside, but the air is crisp, the temperature cool, and everything smells so fresh and new.

I awoke early this morning, and have been up working on a few things already. Right now I'm going to go have something to eat and watch a movie. But later -- if the weather is as nice as it's been lately -- maybe I'll go exploring again. Sounds like fun! Smells like it'll be a good day!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 4:15 AM |

"David Wasserman -- Tin Can Artist"

David Wasserman (1917-1999) was a graphic designer and cartoonist who experimented in his spare time with the artistic possibilities of metal collage. For more than thirty years, he nailed small pieces of tin cans, aluminum soda cans, and other metals to sheets of plywood. The results were large-scale but incredibly detailed pictures.

Since he wanted to explore all the possibilities of his chosen medium, the style of his work ranges from abstract to cartoon to realistic, and his subject matter includes famous people, powerful beasts, the depths of space, family photos, and an urban cityscape. Take a look, and enjoy!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 3:44 AM |

"In Celebration Of Pixel Art"

Pixel art is a form of digital art, created through the use of graphics software, in which images are edited on the pixel level. Graphics in most old computer and video games, graphing calculator games, and many mobile phone games are mostly pixel art.

Smashing Magazine presents over 50 excellent pixel art designs, illustrations, paintings, and posters. Some of these works presented have an extremely high level of detail. So much so, that you can observe pixel art for hours, and still miss some details!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:17 PM |

"Rain Cometh; Storms Predicted"

And... now it's raining outside, the drops pattering heavily upon my window(s). Scattered thunderstorms (some potentially severe) seem to be in store for us this evening, with gusty winds and small hail possible. I don't think I'll be going for a walk tonight.

UPDATE: - (7:42 PM)
Well, that was fast. The rain has stopped, and the storm is gone. Out over Lake Michigan, the sky is still dark and gloomy, as the clouds move east. But coming from the west, all I see is blue sky and patchy not-so-dark clouds. So much for a rainy evening!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 7:21 PM |

"May Flowers"

Today is the first time this Spring that I've seen dandelions. Literally overnight, they've sprung up in my front yard -- little flowers of yellow punctuating a grassy field of green. It's kinda pretty, if you ask me. Very colorful. And a sign that winter is far behind us.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 4:05 PM |

"Shipwrecks And Sea Disasters"

They were once proud magnificent vessels, eagerly sailing the open seas. Now they haunt the coastlines as sad empty shells, their skeletons battered by the wind and waves. Here are some amazing photos of these beautiful shipwrecks, a lonely testement to days gone by.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 1:51 AM |

"T-Shirt Thursday: Military T-Shirts"

In an effort to show off some of my popular (or new) t-shirts, artwork, and gift ideas exclusive to my online store, Jon Baas Designs, I've decided to feature a few of them here on my blog every Thursday. I call it, "T-Shirt Thursday". Feel free to comment, and enjoy!

Today's Featured Designs:
(click on each image to see available products)


More T-shirts & Gifts: .... Military T-Shirts .... Patriotic Hearts

And for those of you who like to shop, weekly sales and coupons are available on the front page of my store. Feel free to use them for special discounts!

Have a wonderful Friday everyone!

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:33 PM |

"A Day in the Life of Jon -- (April 30, 2008)"

-- 12:01 AM --
Wednesday begins. Being on a non-traditional day/sleep schedule, I'm still awake from Tuesday... and I plan to continue well into the morning. As it just so happens, I begin today in front of the television watching the 2006 animated film, "Flushed Away".

-- 12:55 AM --
The movie concludes (an excellent, and very humorous one I might add!). I return to my computer to do a little of this, and a little of that. I'll check email, sign into MySpace/Facebook, work for a bit, and hang out in my online chat circles. If you see me around, feel free to say hi!

-- 1:44 AM --
I notice (with great glee!) that the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 10-7 on Tuesday! It's always nice to see the hometown team crush the nearby rival! :)

-- 3:58 AM --
Well, time to take a break from the computer. Time for me to go find some dinner, and maybe watch the ABC early morning news. Pizza, here I come!

-- 5:31 AM --
Dinner's over, and might I say, that was one very tasty pizza! Pepperoni, with extra cheese and toppings. Mmmm! Good stuff. But, now it's back to work. My projects: A number of things relating to my online store, a little marketing,... and some networking! See ya in a bit!

-- 7:51 AM --
Taking a break to grab a shower and watch some television.

-- 9:12 AM --
All showered, shaved, and clean. At the moment, I'm out in the living room sitting comfortably on the couch, ice water in hand, and watching "Live with Regis and Kelly".

-- 10:09 AM --
I've returned to my computer. Done watching TV. Time to design a few T-shirts.

-- 12:06 PM --
Alright, I'm off to bed. I'll see you all again in a few hours!

-- 6:52 PM --
I'm up and about, rested and ready to resume my day. I didn't sleep quite as long as I would have liked, but, if I grow tired later, I can always crawl back into bed and take a nap. Right now, though, I think I'm going to go find something to eat for "breakfast". I'll be back in a bit.

-- 7:53 PM --
Ok, back to work. Time to design a few more T-shirts.

-- 11:59 PM --
And thus ends my Wednesday. I've spent the last four hours designing new T-shirts for my store (I'll have a Military category online later this morning). Like yesterday, my "day" will continue into tomorrow, but for now... I think it's time for a break. :)

Have a wonderful Thursday all. Thanks for joining me as I blogged my day!

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 12:01 AM |

"No Comments"

Do not leave any comments on this post. No really, I mean it. Don't leave me any comments. Seriously, now... no comments. Good. None. Nada. Zip.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:23 PM |

"16 Abandoned Hotels"

There is something utterly intriguing, mysterious, and beautiful about old abandoned buildings. Asylums, Hotels, Hospitals, ghost towns, that sort of place. For some reason, I'm completely entranced by them. Maybe it's my love of history... and mystery, I don't know. Whatever it is, I do know this: If those walls could tell tales, I would eagerly listen for hours!

That said, here's a fascinating photo list of 16 abandoned hotels from around the world. Feel free to take a look, and let me know if you feel the mystery too!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 2:43 AM |