Local Moose Closeup

We had another “only in Alaska” experience today we thought you might appreciate. This moose cow and calf show up at our house periodically, but this is the first time we have captured them on video.

Local Moose Closeup from Chris Harper on Vimeo.

We were also able to pass along this picture of the moose via Twitter.

2008 Favorite Websites

All of these sites are worth a visit, though you may want to focus on one category more than (or to the exclusion of) the other. My online reading usually fits under two broad headings: Christianity and technology. By the way, I cannot endorse any of the moral or political viewpoints of the tech industry sites mentioned. While most would express little more than full-time geekery, one never knows what secular authors may say or advocate.

Christianity

• an oxgoad, eh? - A Canadian Pastor’s view of the current state of Fundamentalism.

• The Gospel in China - Timely and down-to-earth updates from a Baptist missionary in mainland China.

• The Marantha Sermon Podcast - Messages preached at the Marantha Baptist Bible College chapels and other services.

• Sacred Audio.com - A terrefic selection of conservative Christian music for 99 cent download.

Technology

• Scobleizer - Robert Scoble is one of the smartest and most tuned-in tech minds in the country.

• Weblog Tools Collection: Great resources for the best Open Source blog software in the world.

• A List Apart - I have never found a more valuable series of articles for those of us in charge of creating/managing websites.

• Alaska Photo Graphics Blog - A local potographer that educates on photography and displays his best work.

Keep up with what we are reading daily by clicking Latest above or following us on either Twitter or FriendFeed.

Fairbanks Cold Snap

Cold air has settled over the Fairbanks area in the past several days, sending temperatures near 50 below zero in outlying areas. Lows at our house only reached 35 below due to our elevation above average terrain. However, my drive to work is mostly down hill and the closer I get to town the colder it becomes. Journey with me into the ice fog on this morning’s commute.

Fairbanks Cold Snap from Chris Harper on Vimeo.

I’m am planning to use a portion of this video on Inside Alaska, a site I maintain for work, which is why I mention it near the end. If you are interested in other things about our area, head over there and take a look.

Strong Men Slain

I had the privilege of preaching for the 2008 Teen Winter Retreat at McGrath Road Baptist Church. Our focus was Proverbs 7:6-27 in this difficult and important message titled “Many Strong Men Have Been Slain”. It will take almost an hour of your time to listen, but the subject matter is invaluable for young and old. If you endure to the end, please let me know your thoughts.

Download Many Strong Men Have Been Slain

Exodus 29:46

“And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.” As I read this chapter and contemplated the details of each ritual and offering required for the priests of Israel, I began to be thankful for life after the law’s fulfillment. It was not until I arrived at this verse that I started to put things into perspective. Certainly this age of law was somewhat more burdensome than our age of grace, in that the rules were plentiful, full of specifics, and (one more thing) totally impossible. Still, God did not intend for His people to be weighed-down to do His will. All of the great men of the Old Testament spoke of their love for His law, not for the rules in and of themselves, but for the remembrance it gave them of their wonderful and faithful God. The list of rules in this chapter end on exactly that note, reminding Aaron and his sons (and indeed all Israel) of their Mighty Deliverer. As we live by the rule of scripture, even in this age of grace, we must view our obedience in the very same way. Christ wants us to know that He is “the Lord our God”. Any believer’s righteous action is a testimony of allegiance to a Lord that seeks only their own good. Let us do the Lord’s will not out of duty, but out of devotion to a great Savior.

Time to Upgrade

This site was long-overdue for a design upgrade, which we succeeded in bringing to it late Christmas evening. Those who follow us on Twitter will know that I am a big supporter of WordPress, and with the recent release of version 2.7 most older themes became, not obsolete, but definitely less useful. I had customized a theme called fSpring back when I was on WordPress 2.1-something and hadn’t done an upgrade since. These months of neglect opened a few security holes that I have been eager to fix.

Thanks to the folks at CodeScheme for the original layout, which I am continuing to modify. Next I will be working on some new photo functionality, reformatting of a few past articles and minor alignment changes. Other than that, the redesign is finished and the security issues are resolved. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Our Typical View

Several weeks ago, before the snow piled up another seven or eight inches in Fairbanks, I decided to get some video of my walk to the mailbox. This mundane task is made special because of the location of our new house, which overlooks part of Fairbanks and has a view of the Alaska mountain range.

Our Typical View from Chris Harper on Vimeo.

The main feature of the view that afternoon was the sunset behind the mountains. It seems every sunset from this vantage point is amazing! I wish the quality were better, or that you could come view this wonder of God’s creation yourself!

Merry Christmas 2008!

The photo above was published on our Photo Blog this evening. You may download the full-size version there.  Merry Christmas from the Harper family!

Exodus 28:2

“And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.” In the detail of the previous passage outlining every square inch of the tabernacle, we see example and representation of God. Bible scholars could show us line upon line revealing the character and nature of Jehovah by these earthly means. I believe the revelation was far from stopping there. Even the priestly garments testify of our Lord. His ministers were to present in their clothing the glory and beauty of the One True God. We understand that a bit of fabric is nothing of itself. Apart from the choosing of God nothing on this cursed earth does Him justice. Even these priests, as fine a men as they no doubt were, could never have hoped to reveal a glimpse of their Creator without His own specific intervention. These garments had no holiness because of earthly cost. They were common garments, selected by the King to evidence His greatness. We are equally common, offering our Savior no value, and we can give Him nothing except a willingness to be used “for glory and for beauty” in a world of dishonor and ugliness.

The Christmas Contrast

I was able to preach a Christmas-themed sermon at our church this evening. As this blog had been sitting almost dormant and I felt the content of the message timely and worthwhile, I determined to post it. If you have 35 minutes to devote, you may open your Bible to Luke chapter 1. Play or download below.

Download The Christmas Contrast