1. Arizona's Monsoon Season Begins: Incredible footage of an incredible season here in Tucson.

2. How the Worst Moment in My Life was Also the Best: David Murray shares the story of Matthew Bryce and considers it in light of our salvation: "Just over a week ago, Matthew Bryce decided to go surfing off the Scottish coast. Within a few hours the tide and wind had blown him thirteen miles out to sea. He watched the sun set, knowing he would not survive the night."

3. How Self-Forgetfulness Makes us Happier: Randy Alcorn on how self-forgetfulness makes us happier: " However, people who think a lot about Christ and His grace, the great doctrines of the faith, and how to love and serve others tend to be happy people. By redirecting attention from ourselves to God, we adopt a right perspective that brings happiness."

4. What to do when singleness lasts longer than expected: Marshall Segal shares, “Marriage is a good gift and a terrible god. Most of my grief in my teenage years and even into my twenties came from giving more of my heart to my future marriage than to God. It’s easy to anchor our hope and happiness in a wife or husband and to define our growth, maturity, and worth by our marital status. And when we worship love, romance, sex, or marriage—and not God—we welcome the pain and disappointment.”

5. 7 Things to Consider Before You Make a Political Post: Thanks to Tim Challies who pointed me to Scott Slayton’s sage advice.

Monsoon came late this year but dang, it started strong! This is part 1 of a 3 series showcasing my timelapse journey around Arizona during Monsoon season. "The Beginning" is a collection of scenes captured Saturday July 8th – July 10th around Tucson, Arizona. 15+ hours of storm chasing, 500+ miles, and 200 GB+ of rendered 4K content was used to create this film in the last 3 days. Please enjoy the 4K video with your sound on from the talented Isaac Hananiah. Be sure to watch until the end where all my favorite clips are. I hope you enjoy the film. If you’d like to read more about the story, please read my blog below for more information and behind the scene photos. Likes, comments, and shares are always appreciated. Prints and Licensing available, please email me for more info. http://www.sean-parker.com/Blog/Monsoon-2017-the-beginning Gear Used: Canon 6D MK 1 Sony A7S2 Canon 16-35 LII F/2.8 Canon 70-200 L F/4 Tamron 15-30 F/2.8 Vanguard Tripods PNY Memory Audio track used with permission from Isaac Hananiah

Photo credit: Brandon Morgan/Unsplash