There are a few Kindle deals from Christian Focus that may interest you: Pastoring the Pastor by Tim Cooper and Kelvin Gardiner is at $2.99, while Planting for the Gospel by Graham Beynon is $0.99. William Still’s The Work of the Pastor is supposed to drop today as well (to $2.99), though I don’t see the change yet.

Top Theology Stories of 2012 - Collin Hansen looks back at the year that was and digs up what he considers the top theology stories of 2012. I tend to agree with most of his picks. Meanwhile, you can visit Gene Veith’s blog to see the top news stories as chosen by Associated Press. 

The Offended Brother - Dave Kraft: “Good leadership is about maintaining healthy relationships in all directions. Here are a few examples of my own experience with people who have been offended.”

Sworn Virgins of Albania - I had never heard of this odd cultural tradition: “For her project Sworn Virgins of Albania, photographer Jill Peters visited to the mountain villages of northern Albania to capture portraits of ‘burneshas,’ or females who have lived their lives as men for reasons related to their culture and society.”

The Largest Mass Execution - “It was the day after Christmas, 1862, in the town square of Mankato, Minnesota, that 38 Dakota warriors were hanged at the order of president Abraham Lincoln. After 150 years, it is still the largest mass execution in American history.”

Evil and the Purposes of God - Joey Newton takes a look at evil and the purposes of God, a much-discussed and always-relevant topic.

The best use of one’s life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. —Oswald Sanders