I have it so good (Sunday Ten)

There is so much to be thankful for this week:

1. wonderful friends to host us in sunny Xiamen
2. a bookstore with books in English
3. great bumper cars (which you can steer a full 360 degrees!)
4. excellent restaurants in Xiamen
5. the opportunity to gain a sunburn at the biggest Starbucks in China
6. an internet connection that works more than often enough
7. adequate time to prepare for my classes
8. St. Olaf Choir albums on my computer
9. God's desire to be relational to us in addition to His greatness
10. that my identity comes from Him

It's so easy to get grumpy when I don't get what I want or expect. And I've been spoiled in other periods of my life. But my situation is so good that complaining would be ridiculous.

The ethics of advertisement

For some time now, I've been a user of an add-on to my internet browser that blocks most internet advertisements, leading to a significantly more pleasant browsing experience, even blocking advertisements in videos from sites such as Hulu.

For most websites, their only source of revenue comes from their advertisements. They provide a service, and get paid for it from advertisers. If someone uses these websites and doesn't "pay" them by viewing the advertisements, is he stealing from them?

My question is: to what extent is it ethical to use ad blocking software?

Thursday's Sunday Ten

I was in beautiful Xiamen on Sunday, so last Sunday's Sunday Ten is coming out now.
I thank my God for:

1. affordable plane tickets
2. my first payday here
3. meeting more people who work at my school
4. discovering a nearby vegetable shop
5. figuring out how to order at a nearby restaurant
6. ways to communicate with people all over the world
7. a good first week of lessons
8. Pizza Hut's fine dining experience
9. a beautiful ring
10. a beautiful woman to wear it
    

Sunday Ten time

Can you believe I've been in China for almost a month? So many things to be thankful for this week.
Thank you God for

1. Cafe Alayna and the persons who run it
2. a place to go running (school's dirt track)
3. my new running shoes
4. the new counter and shelves in my kitchen
5. a class of only seven students
6. further information about my job
7. the new Xi'an Metro line (not that Metro, though it's good too)
8. photos from my girlfriend and father to decorate my apartment with
9. my dog back home for providing poop stories that are hilarious from afar
10. My Utmost for His Highest

How can I keep from singing?

I was listening to the St. Olaf Choir singing two arrangements of this hymn. These lines especially stood out to me:

No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that Rock I'm clinging.
Since love commands both heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing?

The full text:

My life flows on in endless song:
     Above earth's lamentation,
I catch the sweet, tho' far-off hymn
     That hails a new creation.
Through all the tumult and the strife
     I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul--
     How can I keep from singing?
What tho' my joys and comfort die?
     The Lord my Saviour liveth;
What tho' the darkness gather round?
     Songs in the night he giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm,
     While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
     How can I keep from singing?
I lift my eyes; the cloud grows thin;
     I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smooths,
     Since first I learned to love it.
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
     A fountain ever springing;
All things are mine since I am his--
     How can I keep from singing?

Computer Technician

While I was out with a friend for lunch yesterday, I got a call from my school asking where I was and why I wasn't home because the computer technician needed to look at my (their) computer and they couldn't get their keys to work in my door. This was the first I had heard about it. I was told that the technician had come from far away and that this was important, so I got home from lunch sooner than I would have. When the technician came, he seemed younger than I. He went to my office, took out a sheet of paper, and wrote down the serial numbers of my computer, printer and air conditioner and left.

Sunday Ten, belated

Well, it looks like I'm already behind on my new tradition. Here's my Sunday Ten, written on Tuesday:
I'm thankful for

1. new friends
2. cheap buses (1 RMB)
3. the apple seller who talked on my phone and gave my friend directions
4. blue skies
5. good novels
6. interesting blogs to read
7. easy, yet tasty, stir frys
8. technology to communicate with the important people in my life
9. Rosetta Stone
10. the humor God gives me in my daily life here