A La Carte (1/24)

Best American Books [2] - If you are into anthologies you may be interested in today’s “Gold Box” deal from Amazon. They’ve got 7 of the “Best American” series marked down to $1.99 for the Kindle. They include anthologies of American mystery stories, essays, short stories, sports writing, and more.

Stand for Life [3] - This interview is well worth watching. John Ensor and Scott Klusendorf interview John Piper and discuss the still and always-urgent topic of abortion.

Triumphs of Grace on the Mission Field [4] - Conrad Mbewe shares some encouragement from some of the pastors he meets with. “Today, eight of the men shared how the year 2012 was in the providence of God. The situations in which these men labour varies. However, it was a source of great joy to hear stories of progress in each church plant. Here are summaries of what they shared with us.”

When You Just Can’t Pray [5] - “Sometimes silence is the best you can do. Maybe you want to pray and just don't know how. Maybe the press of life is so bad that you're not even sure you want to pray. Either way, the prayers won't come. You're stuck. Now what?” (Here’s another article on a similar topic: When He Feels Far Off [6])

Women in Combat [7] - Denny Burk responds to the news. “Our civilization just took a gigantic leap backward today, though I'm wondering if anyone will notice. Today Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta removed a rule that restricts women from serving in the front lines of combat.”

Facebook Makes Us Miserable [8] - Two years ago I wrote an article titled “Facebook Makes Us Miserable.” Facebook Envy [9] is a new study on Facebook that says the problem persists: “The researchers found that one in three people felt worse after visiting the site and more dissatisfied with their lives, while people who browsed without contributing were affected the most.”

You must keep all earthy treasures out of your heart, and let Christ be your treasure, and let Him have your heart. —C.H. Spurgeon