Twilights & Sundries

Well, I guess the sundries are first:

Whew! Things are busy.

The family and I are doing renovation projects to a new house we purchased last Friday and, of course, all estimates of the size of a job is on the small side! But we are very excited to get it done: new paint, new crown moulding, new baseboards, and refinished hardwood floors! And then, we get to move in and plant some roots.

And my producer and I have been very busy getting things together for filming the first installments of Dead Reckoning.TV. We've had killer original music composed (Jay and I each independently had huge grins on our faces), and our graphics and animation (which I think will blow us away) should be ready soon. We've also nabbed a new filming location at the last minute, and we're very pleased with the space and the lighting.

So there is a lot going on, as you can see. I also have done a little work on the website, and notice that I'm garnering a large number of unique visitors to this website every month, for which I am so grateful! However, I cannot help but notice that the vast majority of you have not subscribed to Dead Reckoning. Nor have you "liked" my public Facebook page. Nor have you "liked" the Dead Reckoning.TV Facebook page. And, last but possibly of first importance (If you're on Twitter) you have not followed me on Twitter.

Don't hear me wrong. I'm not complaining. I just want to inform you of these truly amazing technological opportunities that allow me to keep in touch with you. I will not spam you, send you lots of junk you likely won't want. But I do want to have the ability to reach out and let you know of exciting projects, events, and news.

It's been awhile since I've done a Twilights feature ("highlights" from my "Twitter" feed), so let me give you a few:

1. Tuesday was the 40th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Joe Carter writes nine things you need to know.

2, If you want to read what the logic of the pro-abortion lobby has come to, read this sickening, odious piece from Salon.

3. If you don't know why that logic is sickening and odious, Marty Duren spells it out for you by painstakingly showing the connections to the Third Reich.

4. Russell Moore and Robert George explain why its a big deal that evangelical pastor Louis Giglio was dumped from praying at the inauguration.

5. Marvin Olasky talks to a former unbelieving, lesbian English professor who became the wife of a Reformed pastor.

6. For that matter, Amazon Prime members can borrow her memoir for free on Kindle. Or buy the hardcopy here.

7. Speaking of memoirs, I very much enjoyed this excerpt from Nashville producer Charlie Peacock's forthcoming one. He's the genius behind The Civil Wars, and a fine Christian gentleman.

8. And since I just mentioned them, why don't we take a few moments and give them a watch and listen? Yes, just what the doctor ordered. Enjoy!

In some ways, music doesn't get much more modest or minimalist than it is in the hands of The Civil Wars, a duo comprised of California-to-Nashville transplant Joy Williams and her Alabaman partner, John Paul White.

Brian Mattson