This video shows the winner of “Ukraine’s Got Talent”, Kseniya Simonova, 24, drawing a series of pictures on an illuminated sand table showing how ordinary people were affected by the German invasion during World War II.

The images, projected onto a large screen, moved many in the audience to tears and she won the top prize of about £75,000.

She begins by creating a scene showing a couple sitting holding hands on a bench under a starry sky, but then warplanes appear and the happy scene is obliterated.

It is replaced by a woman’s face crying, but then a baby arrives and the woman smiles again. Once again war returns and Miss Simonova throws the sand into chaos from which a young woman’s face appears.

She quickly becomes an old widow, her face wrinkled and sad, before the image turns into a monument to an Unknown Soldier.

This outdoor scene becomes framed by a window as if the viewer is looking out on the monument from within a house.

In the final scene, a mother and child appear inside and a man standing outside, with his hands pressed against the glass, saying goodbye.

The Great Patriotic War, as it is called in Ukraine, resulted in one in four of the population being killed with eight to 11 million deaths out of a population of 42 million.

Kseniya Simonova says: “I find it difficult enough to create art using paper and pencils or paintbrushes, but using sand and fingers is beyond me. The art, especially when the war is used as the subject matter, even brings some audience members to tears. And there’s surely no bigger compliment.”

Please take time out to see this amazing piece of art.  I recommend that you click the little button on the bottom right corner, and watch this as fullscreen.

A Christmas Adaptation of 1 Corinthians 13

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny glass balls but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But giving the gift of love will endure.

From Celebrating a Christ-Centered Christmas by Sharon Jaynes

You’ll have to ignore the graphics on this first one, but check out an awesome tune by Denison Witmer called “Are You a Dreamer”

Next is an awesome Canadian, Coeur De Pirate with her song “Commes Des Enfants” If you’e a fan of Cat Power, or Regina Spektor, and speak French, you’ll probably love her.

I’ve also been listening to a lot of The Rest, but can hardly find any of their stuff online, so this mediocre quality video of “The Close Western” performed live will have to do.

Hope you enjoyed!

I’m married.
My wife is awesome.
The Lord is still amazing.
I love being married.
I’m working on a big volunteer project right now. So excited to see where the Lord is going to take it.
I think I want to go fishing at some point this weekend.
I visited Sleepy Creek State Park while on my honeymoon. It was completely amazing. Remote, beautiful….I definitely want to return there on a camping trip soon.

I think that that’s about it for now. I’m getting ready to head home and wait for Kristen to finish work.

Watch it.

I was going to post a commentary on it, but I think that Ted at Boundless summed it up pretty well.  Though he didn’t touch much on the relevance of this song from a worldly or non-monotheistic viewpoint, I think it’s well written and sort of hits it’s message from a number of different religious viewpoints.

What do you think?

Jeremy Enigk  – Canons

Dominc Balli – Warrior

Hope you enjoy those videos.

So my life is continually amazing.  80 days untill I marry the woman of my dreams.  The Lord has just proven himself faithful through his provision and blessing and presence time and time again througout our relationship.  I can’t even describe the range of emotion, from joy to awe to wonder and happiness that I’ve been experiencing.  We’ve been doing things like creating a registry, shopping for wedding bands, talking about the future, preparing for a life together….Its really quite awesome, in the truest sense of the word.

So go read here and check out how amazing the Lord is.  Maybe even read it twice.  Pretty amazing what He’ll do for just one man when he gives Him glory and calls out His name.  It is God who arms me with strength.  His Right Hand sustains me….yeah….vs 35…..think about it.

And on top of that, I’ve been spending most all of my free time with the love of my life, planning our wedding!  I don’t really think I can mention Kristen without pointing out the fact that I fall more and more in love with her each day, and that she continually blesses me each and every day.

Mike at G & G Studio Creations took care of some amazing engagement photos of which a sampling can be found HERE.

Stay tuned for some more announcements about the upcoming wedding on September 6th.

Because I don’t really feel like typing out anything else, I suppose I’ll leave you with a random, good song.

Should’ve Known by Doug Burr