Note: This is a guest post somehow I miss scheduling for when I am overseas.  This is by our dear brother Josh Niemi.  Sorry Josh!  He is an author of the book Expository Parenting and the website can be found here.  The book’s Facebook page can be found here and he also tweets here.

When Education Lacks a Telos (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18)

What’s the point of education?

For many, the answer is purely materialistic: learn so you can have a good career; get a good career so you can make a lot of money; make a lot of money so you can buy and do a lot of “stuff.” Obviously, this perspective is fraught with danger. With self-indulgent consumerism as the ultimate pursuit, ethics are often just an obstacle to be overcome.

Akiane Kramarik SELRES_7fbc6685-c539-42b9-a240-1c33d417945ewas born exceptionally gifted. She was a self-taught child prodigy who is most known for her painting the “Prince of Peace.” She revealed her newest painting in a video of her inspiration for “Today.” Below is that video:

She tells her story in the following video of her childhood and the making of the “Prince of Peace.”:

I hope you have enjoyed this post. Until next time, “God Bless.”

There are very few singers who bring me to tears.  Andrea Bocelli is among them.

The beauty of this man’s voice is a gift from God.  I was a fan of Luciano Pavarotti  as was most of the world, but even he did not evoke such deep emotion as to bring me to tears.

But there is a story about Bocelli which most of the world knows little or nothing about.   If you have not heard this story, after reading this piece -you will never  forget it.

Here is Bocelli telling this story during a concert. It is in Italian with English subtitles:

Andrea Bocelli and Katharine McPhee singing “The Prayer”

From telegraph.co.uk

Andrea Bocelli praises mother for rejecting doctor’s advice to abort

Andrea Bocelli, the blind Italian opera singer, has praised his mother for rejecting the advice of doctors to abort him on the grounds that he would…

As the followers of my blog know, I’ve had ALS for twenty-two years, I’m completely paralyzed and unable to speak. I use an eye-tracking computer to communicate and I am totally reliant on Mary to take care of me.

Chipping away at my pride

I remember when I first started having to rely on others to help me with simple tasks. Even though my body was beginning to fail me and I sounded like a drunk when I spoke, I fought so hard to keep working after being diagnosed. Not just because we needed my income, but also because I just couldn’t imagine not working.

With my job as a Regional Sales Manager, I usually traveled two or three days per week, and usually left for the airport at five in the morning. I remember attending a convention and having to ask a coworker to button my shirt and put…