In my weekly Works & Wonders column, I combine a brief devotional with other interesting and uplifting bits and pieces I gleaned throughout the week. I hope you enjoy this week’s collection! It includes:
- Devotional: The Wonder and Beauty of It
- Older and Rarer
- His Love
- Ferrari Luce
- The Covenanter Story
- Curds
- The Pilot Who Sacrificed His Life
1.
The Wonder and Beauty of It
In ancient times, God made this promise to his people: “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:13-14). Though that was a promise made to a specific people in a specific context, it powerfully displays God’s tender heart. God turns away none of those who come to him with empty hands and a broken heart, none of those who come to him with a humble sincerity. Later, Jesus said, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37). He tells us that the people who are loved by God will inevitably come to God, find acceptance, and be held safe forever in his unbreakable grip. What’s more, God waits patiently, for it is not his will “that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The reason God gives us knowledge of his being is so we can respond to the wonder and beauty of it, so he can save us by his mercy and grace. No wonder we love to join with our fellow believers to praise him Sunday by Sunday!
2.
Older and Rarer
This is a fun story from the Washington Post. It tells of a couple of relic hunters who were searching a farm field in Virginia, hoping to find artifacts from the American Civil War. Much to their surprise, they actually discovered artifacts from the Revolutionary War.
Crabtree and Lagasse had stumbled onto a find rarer than any Union bullet or Confederate belt buckle: evidence of a French encampment from the Revolutionary War. On this sloping cornfield that has changed little since 1782, French soldiers who helped defeat the British at Yorktown rested on their way to rejoin Gen. George Washington in New York.
No other encampment of the French march across a country they helped create has been thoroughly documented in Virginia, historians said, and only one in Connecticut has been fully surveyed and excavated.
That must be the dream of every treasure hunter, right? They set out to find one thing and found something even better!
Read: They searched for Civil War artifacts. What they found was older and rarer.
3.
His Love
Skye Peterson released a new album last week. A couple of the tracks stood out to me, but I especially appreciate “His Love.” It’s got a great sound and a great theme, so what more could you want?
4.
Ferrari Luce
So listen, I’m not defending the purchase of a Ferrari. However, I think we are free to appreciate luxury products as works of art. They are, after all, created by some of the greatest designers and are built out of some of the greatest materials, so they can achieve some of the greatest results. There’s beauty in that! Ferrari recently unveiled their newest model, which is also their first EV. It was designed by Jony Ive, who worked at Apple for years and who played a key role in designing the iPhone and many other products.
Not surprisingly, Ferrari purists are decrying the design, saying that it looks more like an iPhone than a Ferrari. I see their point. But I think it has a real beauty to it that’s displayed in several ways, not least in the symmetry Ive seems to love. Anyway, give it a look and let me know if I’m wrong. You can see it at the Ferrari site or read this story at The Verge. (I can’t find any photos of it that allow me to share them, but I can share this video.)
5.
The Covenanter Story
Banner of Truth recently released a documentary on the Scottish Covenanters. If you’re not familiar with that term, you can read the appropriate entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica—or just watch the documentary since it’s free on YouTube (though only three of the four parts so far—the other is coming soon). It begins with The Sure-Footed Guthrie, then moves to The Pentland Resistance, and John Brown of Priesthill. If you would like to learn even more about the Covenanters, be sure to look at the descriptions for the different episodes, since they contain an extensive list of resources.
6.
Cheese Curds
Last weekend, my family went to St. Lawrence Market in downtown Toronto. It’s a popular spot in the city where you can find lots of good food and groceries, and, less interestingly, lots of mediocre souvenirs. I went in search of one of my favorite foods—cheese curds. What are cheese curds, you ask? According to Wikipedia, “cheese curds are moist pieces of curdled milk, eaten either alone as a snack, or used in prepared dishes. They are consumed throughout the northern United States and Canada.” They are, of course, an essential ingredient in Canada’s favorite dish, poutine. (And yes, they are essential; you can’t have proper poutine with grated or melted cheese. It must be curd because of the unique texture and high melting point.)
I will admit that the description makes them sound rather unappealing, but I assure you that they are an extraordinary food that wonderfully combines fat, salt, and texture. You know you’re eating a good curd when it squeaks between your teeth. If you happen to live in Canada or the northern United States, then maybe you should grab some and let me know if they are as good as I say they are.
7.
The Pilot Who Sacrificed His Life
It’s amazing that World War II continues to divulge its stories of bravery and sacrifice, like this one, which tells of a brave American pilot who sacrificed his life for others.
