By Linda Sladkey

CHICAGO, IL (August 12, 2016) — Covenanters routinely share links to social media articles and videos that Covenant News Service believes may be of interest to others. Each Friday we post five of them. Following is a sample of those submissions—their inclusion does not represent an endorsement by the Covenant of any views expressed.

Lobsterman Catches Rare Bright-Blue 2 Lb. Lobster Off the Coast of Cape Cod

It’s not always sad to see creatures in captivity. Consider the fate of this rare blue lobster—an aquarium is better than being served up on a plate with a cup of butter.

From the article: “Oceanographers estimate that just one in two million lobsters is blue, according to the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine. The coloring comes from an excessive amount of a particular protein produced by a genetic defect.”

The Explosive Reason Why Hawaii Island Is Rapidly Getting Bigger

Erosion may be eating away shorelines around the globe but the big island of Hawaii is actually increasing in size due to an active volcano called Kilauea.

From the article: “What happens when lava reaches the ocean? As explained by the U.S. Geological Survey, ‘Lava pouring into the ocean from either surface flows or lava tubes cools rapidly, usually shattering into sand—to block-size fragment.’ The phenomenon is called lava delta. A small delta has already been formed and in the past week, the flow extending to the water measures approximately 150 meters (492 feet) to 240 meters (787 feet).”

USA Men’s Basketball Finds the Right Substitute

Daily chapel services are available in the Olympic Village, but what if your team is lodging in a cruise ship just off the shore of Rio?

From the article: “Athletes in Action has provided chaplains to both men’s and women’s basketball teams in the past, but this year the chaplains were not given personal access to the players due to security and logistics. Despite the absence of a team chaplain, assistant coach Monty Williams has taken on the role of spiritual mentor.”

Bride Is Walked Down Aisle by the Man Who Received Her Father’s Donated Heart

There could not have been a dry eye in the sanctuary the day that Jeni Stepien was walked down the aisle by the man who received her father’s donated heart.

From the article: “The wedding took place on Friday in the church in Swissvale, Pennsylvania, where Ms. Stepien’s parents were married. Mr. Thomas and the bride formally met one day earlier, when he suggested she grip his wrist, where his pulse is strongest.”

Ancient Ice Reveals Cold, Hard Facts on the Earth’s Climate

The National Ice Core Laboratory in Lakewood, Colorado, houses nearly 56,000 feet of ice used to obtain historical information on the earth’s climate, much like studying the rings of a tree.

From the article: “Ice cores have led scientists to significant conclusions about climate, including the fact that CO2 levels in the atmosphere today are higher than at any other time recorded in the ice. ‘The only reason we can make that statement is because we have the ice core air archived,’ said Murat Aydin, a researcher at the University of California-Irvine.”