Here’s what I’ve loved in the month of February:
1. Faith Biblical Counseling Conference
This is easily one of my favorite conferences on counseling. It’s long, five days worth of workshops, classes, and plenary sessions. It is also a collection of the “who’s-who” in the Biblical counseling world. Faith brings in the best and most competent instructors on various topics, including medical doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, professors, and licensed group counselors of various kinds. It’s a great conference and I always leave with practical skills to help me develop as a counselor.
2. Copper Moon Cafe
This was a great little local establishment in Lafayette, IN. I met a friend for lunch here and had a delicious gourmet sandwich, and add to that the fresh roasted coffee. A fantastic place!
3. 2018 Winter Olympics
We loved watching the Olympics as a family this year, and I found myself watching a ton of events. I especially enjoyed watching the U.S. Men win their first gold in Curling. Just awesome and super exciting.
4. Labeled, Episode 19: Plankeye: Chasing the Dream
I stumbled on to this great podcast about the indie record label Tooth & Nail. The podcast, hosted by two guys from inside, explores the bands, the stories, and the legends of the label. In this episode they discussed one of my favorite 90s bands, Plankeye. They discussed Scott Silletta’s departure and how and why the band’s remaining two members kept it alive.
5. Lotus Pond
We have struggled to find a good Chinese food restaurant in the metro. A friend pointed us to this place in Warren, and it’s our favorite now. Great portions, wide variety, and quality dishes.
6. No New Kinda Story: The Real Story of Tooth & Nail Records
The podcast got me fixated on this label and finding out more about the early days, so in a google search I stumbled upon this documentary (available through iTunes). Narrated by T&N President Brandon Ebel, the doc. tells the story from humble beginnings to industry changing! This is the story of how Christian rock migrated into the mainstream music world. It’s a pretty awesome story, with hosts of interviews from the guys who were part of the groundbreaking scene at the time.
7. The End of Memory: Remembering Rightly in an Age of Violence by Miroslav Volf
This book was stunning. I had never really considered the “ethics of remembrance” but Volf does an amazing job of presenting the issue, and guiding readers through the arguments and practices relevant to using memory for God’s glory and love of others. Volf himself knows something about the challenges of remembering rightly when violence has been committed against you. As a victim of an eight year interrogation under the Communist regime of Yugoslavia, he has struggled to remember rightly. He writes, then, from personal experience and not just theory. His interest, however, is that we might remember violence in a way that promotes the gospel of grace and reconciliation between wronged and wrongdoer. It is a truly unique book by a truly unique author.
Pastor Dave Online 