Sweet Sadness and St. Valentine - This is a sweet reflection on being single on Valentine’s Day. “I am lonely, sometimes, which seems ridiculous because my world is full of people. But in a society of couples, there is not much room for the party of one. And friends are all very well - mine are the best, in fact - but I crave companionship. I'd like to do life with someone who doesn't have to go home at the end of the day.”

How Could God Command Genocide? - How could God command genocide in the Old Testament? Justin Taylor takes on the question. “This is a good, hard question. The way we answer it will both reflect and inform our understanding of justice and mercy.”

D.A. Carson’s Most Painful Things - I think most Christians can identify with what D.A. Carson says in this Q&A: “The most painful things I've ever borne are betrayals by Christian friends.”

The Big Storm - You knew The Big Picture would put together a photo gallery of the big snowstorm. Here it is.

TMS Theological Resource Center - Nathan Busenitz introduces The Master’s Seminary’s new Theological Resource Center. “The featured resource on the site is a growing library of video lectures taught by the TMS faculty. … The site currently contains seven full courses, consisting of 162 individual lectures. Over the next few months, the library will grow to include over 20 courses, offering hundreds of hours of seminary-level lecture content.”

Holding Hands, Holding Hearts - Richard Phillips’ book Holding Hands, Holding Hearts: Recovering a Biblical View of Christian Dating is on sale for Kindle.

You can always give without loving, but you can never love without giving. —Amy Carmichael

Here are a few Kindle deals: The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon is just $0.99 and includes 14 of Spurgeon’s best-loved works (Bonar’s Essential Works are at the same price). Wayne Mack’s Sweethearts for a Lifetime is down to $3.99 while Lydia Brownback’s Fine China Is for Single Women Too is down to $3.50 (Lydia was my editor for The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment).

5 Things a Daughter Needs to Hear - Daniel Darling: “There is something about having a daughter that softens a man, adds a certain tenderness to his soul. In that spirit, I'd like to share five things every daughter needs to hear from her father”

Downton Abbey - Matthew Miller provides a compelling take on Downton Abbey. “I'm willing to concede that Downton has definite strengths-I have taken the time to watch a little over two seasons, after all-but my overall evaluation of the show is getting progressively more negative with each new episode. To explain why, I need to go back to Jane Austen.”

The Greatest of All Protestant Heresies - Sinclair Ferguson looks at church history and asks, “What is the greatest of all Protestant heresies? Perhaps justification by faith? Perhaps Scripture alone, or one of the other Reformation watchwords?” His answer may surprise you.

Center Church - Jonathan Leeman has a very long, very helpful review of Tim Keller’s Center Church. He recommends that you read the book, but also recommends that you first tear out a couple of chapters.

10 Foolish Obstacles - “God chose the foolishness of Gospel preaching to save them that believe. The Gospel message is foolishness to the world. But so is the Gospel medium - preaching. And he did it knowing that this method of communication would upset many people and cause them to find many foolish reasons for not listening. Some of the foolish obstacles I've come across (in myself and others) are…”

Kindle Content - Monergism has a program where they will deliver free content straight to your Kindle.

Men in general do not live as if they looked to die; and therefore do not die as if they looked to live. —Thomas Manton

You have undoubtedly heard of the pope’s decision to resign, effective February 28. This legal-humor blog asks, Can the pope legally resign? Russell Moore suggests two of the pope’s legacies that we ought to honor and conserve. Carlton Wynne says that at a time of papal succession, “we would do well to remember the futility of all competing alternatives to the supreme and sufficient priesthood of Christ.”

I Will Not Let You Go - “I got into a fistfight last week. Well, I suppose you could call it a fistfight. I got hit about 10-12 times without landing a single punch myself. It's been a while since I have been in a fight. As a police officer, I probably get into more fights than the average middle-aged man. But at 46, my reflexes are not what they used to be--so I got a little beat up.”

Putting Your Spouse First - “One of the greatest takeaways from my parents’ lifelong romance was to set priorities in the proper order: God first, then spouse, after the spouse the kids, and then everything else. No doubt they had a unique perspective, having been in love with each other since Dad was five and Mom was three.”

How Jesus Rescues Any of Us - Skip Ryan was pastor of Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas, until he resigned, having confessed an addiction to painkillers. This video shares his testimony to God’s grace in his life.

Beauty Is For Everyone - This post is from a couple of weeks ago, but I only saw it yesterday. I love the big point of it: Beauty is an artist’s gift to everyone else.

End Times Infographic - The end times was infographic I was never brave enough to take on. Josh Byers did quite a good job of it here.

A Religious Group Loses Funding - This very well may be a sign of things to come: a religious organization in Canada was receiving government funds “to help dig wells, build latrines and promote hygiene awareness in Uganda through 2014.” But because of their religious convictions, they have now lost that funding.

Train up a child in the way he should go - but be sure you go that way yourself. —C.H. Spurgeon

For those who track the Kindle deals, here is what I’m aware of at the moment: What Did You Expect? by Paul David Tripp ($3.74); Loving the Way Jesus Loves by Philip Ryken; Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick ($4.99); Think by John Piper ($4.61); The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love by Jonathan Leeman ($5.99); The Joy of Calvinism by Greg Forster ($4.61); This Momentary Marriage by John Piper ($5.99); Crazy Love by Francis Chan ($3.74); Becoming the Woman of His Dreams by Sharon Jaynes ($2.51).

The Abundance of Giving - John MacArthur argues that of all the things we look forward to when coming to church, giving should be near the top of the list.

Evangelism as a Mom - This article is really encouraging. A mother of young children shares how she learned to share the gospel. Sometimes it’s as simple as just making the opportunities; people may be more eager to hear the gospel than we imagine.

Like Naughty Kids - Tullian shares an interesting quote on how pastors should be like naughty kids. “They ought to be naughty enough to tiptoe up on dozing congregations, steal their bottles of religion pills...and flush them all down the drain.”

The Difference a Decade Makes - Al Mohler serves as a guest voice for the Washington Post and marvels at the difference a decade makes when it comes to moral decline.

The Next Web - Here is one projection on the metaphor that may well define the future of the web.

Head Over Heels - This is a fantastic short film with a great message. “After many years of marriage, Walter and Madge have grown apart: he lives on the floor and she lives on the ceiling. They live separate, parallel lives, never talking, barely even looking at each other. When Walter tries to reignite their old romance, it brings their equilibrium crashing down, and the couple that can’t agree which way is up must find a way to put their marriage back together.”

Tolerance is the virtue of men who don’t believe in anything. —G.K. Chesterton

The God of Job - Carl Trueman: “Do we make too much of suffering? Is depression sinful? Is it always the result of personal sin? Or poor preaching? Or defective theology and unbalanced homiletic emphases? I am convinced that this is not so. Once one moves in that direction, one is positing a tight and necessary connection between personal issues and specific suffering. That is not biblical and is pastorally very dangerous.”

Anger - “Many solid resources address the issue of how to deal with anger. Here are just a few to consider for personal study, one-to-one discipleship counseling, and your small group.”

An Emotional Return - I really enjoyed this touching article from Conrad Mbewe as he describes returning to his childhood home.

35,000 Prayers - This is a pretty amazing moment from a recent True Woman conference.

Ultra Ever Dry - Arthur C. Clarke once said “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Ultra Ever Dry looks like witchcraft to me!

Cherishing Virginity - Jared Wilson asks “How Do We Cherish Virginity Without Moralistic Fearmongering?” If you haven’t seen Matt Chandler’s “Jesus wants the rose!” clip, you ought to.

One-Man Crime Wave - I love what the Lord is doing at Niddrie Community Church. Here is a baptism testimony of a former one-man crime wave.

The Father did not strip the Son of His eternal glory but the Son agreed to lay it aside temporarily for the sake of our salvation. —R.C. Sproul

Writing Is Easy - Peggy Noonan on writing and speaking: “If you try to write ‘good lines’ you'll likely wind up with strings of dumb, unconnected applause lines. The audience will probably applaud--crowds of supporters are dutiful that way, and people want to be polite--but they'll know they're applauding an applause line, not a thought…”

Our Universe - Fox: “The week’s best images of our solar system, the galaxy and everything out there, putting you in touch with the most distant parts of the heavens.” That description is a wee bit dramatic, but the photos are well worth a look.

Christian Liberty - Erik Raymond is learning and teaching what it means for a church to be gospel-centered. Most recently he looked at Christian liberty. “Paul's true freedom is not in what he can enjoy but what he can freely give up. He is not a slave to the weak, the Jews, the Greeks, or anyone else. He is a slave of Christ and a servant to all. This is for the sake of the gospel.”

Audio Books - ChristianAudio has a few good books on sale. Just click the link and scroll down; you can get God’s Smuggler for free and several others for $4.98.

$5 Friday - Ligonier Ministries has some good products on sale today for $5—a couple of books by Sinclair Ferguson, several teaching series by R.C. Sproul, and even $10 gift certificates at half price.

Watching Porn - Al Mohler linked to this article yesterday that traces how watching pornography leads to the acceptance of homosexuality. Meanwhile David Murray says to Prepare for Gay Marriage.

Dramatic Iceland - This is a great timelapse video of Iceland.

Nothing sets a person so much out of the devil’s reach as humility. Jonathan Edwards

How’s Your Bible Reading Going? - Just over a month into the new year it’s probably a good time to ask how your Bible reading is going.

Parenting Young Children - Steve McCoy has some helpful counsel for parenting young children. (Note: Some of it reflects a particular cultural context. If you have your kids call people “Miss Gail” or “Mr. Ryan” up here in Canada you’ll be met with blank stares.)

On Sermon Illustrations - H.B. Charles Jr.: “There are three basic elements to a sermon: explanation, application, and illustration. At any given point of the sermon, you are doing one of these three things.” He focuses is on illustration giving tips on doing it well and wisely.

Biblical Personal Finance - This article provides a broad overview of biblical personal finance. “It never ceases to amaze me that algebra is required in school but personal finance is not. We desperately need to hear what the Bible says about personal finance.”

Should I Get Re-Baptized? - Writing at Gospel Coalition, Bobby Jamieson answers this question (which is very, very common): Should I get re-baptized? I also really appreciate the answer J.D. Greear provides in Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart.

We may force our Lord to punish us, but we will never have to force Him to love us. That's His nature. —Thomas Watson

Watch Out or the Devil's Gonna Get You - “In rural America, off a country road, on the soft soil of a weathered field, stands a sobering message for every passer-by: Go to church or the devil will get you!”

Will You Be My Facebook Friend? - Tim Chester has a small ebook titled Will You Be My Facebook Friend? You can get it for free for the next 24 hours if you use voucher code 10ofthosefb. “Image, identity, idolatry and self-promotion are just some of the challenges that social networking can present. Dr Tim Chester looks at these issues pastorally and biblically, in his usual clear and candid manner. He asks pertinent questions to help us tackle them head on.” (Make sure you are buying the ebook, not printed book)

Crazy Love - Francis Chan’s Crazy Love is on sale for $4.99 (Kindle edition). It’s worth reading, even if just to understand what all the hype is about. Remember as well that the Kindle Fire is on sale for another couple of days. Use coupon code FIRELOVE.

What Happens at an Atheist Church? - “An “atheist church” in North London is proving a big hit with non-believers. Does it feel a bit like a new religion?” Whatever it is, you can be confident that it won’t last for long.

Seven Deadly Thoughts of Leaders - I don’t usually go for this kind of article, but this one stood out to me, probably because I know just how prone leaders are to exactly these kinds of thoughts.

This Digital Life - I think it is worth just looking at these images and pondering them for a couple of minutes!

A good teacher like John the Baptist, clears the way, declares the way, and then gets out of the way. —Derek Prime & Alistair Begg

We Already Have a Messiah - What is the role of celebrity in spreading the gospel? “In our human hearts, for some reason we are constantly seeking some legitimacy to the faith we proclaim to have. We perhaps think that if only there were enough famous people to endorse our religion then there might be revival that would break out. It even often times appears that if we can't find good enough celebrities, then we will just exalt some of our pastors to celebrity status.”

Kindle Fire - The Kindle Fire (8.9” version) is on sale for another couple of days. Use code FIRELOVE and you can get up to $50 off. Also, while we’re on the subject of Kindles, Chesterton’s Orthodoxy is free right now.

Losing Adam - What happens if we lose the historicity of Adam? “Losing Adam means losing so much more besides. That is because losing Adam is likely to prove the beginning of losing our Bibles. Like the gardener who decides to trim his hedge, he finds that an aggressive cut at one point leaves a lopsided creation which requires further cuts here and there in order to restore a sense of balance and proportion to his judging eye.”

Desiring God Conference for Pastors - The 2013 Conference for Pastors is underway and you can catch the sessions via livestream. Today you can hear Jason Meyer, Tope Koleoso, John Piper and Darrin Patrick.

Should We Cheer for God? - “When you're watching a football game and your team scores, what do you do? You Cheer! You burst out of your seat and pump your fist and yell and clap and slap five with those around you!. So why aren't you like that toward God? You should express that same kind of excitement and joy toward Him!” Barnabas Piper pokes a hole in this line of reasoning.

Goodbye to the Penny - “Today marks the last day of Canada's one-cent coin, as the Royal Canadian Mint starts to phase it out of circulation.” Finally!

America’s Baby Bust - This is a very interesting article that shows how America’s falling birth rate may well be her biggest problem right now. “The nation’s falling fertility rate is the root cause of many of our problems. And it’s only getting worse.” (Here is a dissenting take, if you like to read both sides of an issue.)

It is easier to cry against one-thousand sins of others than to kill one of your own. —John Flavel

There are a few new Kindle deals you may want to look at: What Did You Expect? by Paul David Tripp ($4.99); Loving the Way Jesus Loves by Philip Ryken; Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick ($4.99); Think by John Piper ($4.61); The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love by Jonathan Leeman ($5.99); The Joy of Calvinism by Greg Forster ($5.99); This Momentary Marriage by John Piper ($5.99).

Downton Abbey’s Anti-Snobbery - Downton Abbey is obviously something of a cultural phenomenon. WSJ interviews the mind behind it and looks at it as a kind of anti-snobbery.

A Bitter, Salvaged Life - From True Woman: “Jennifer cussed the chaplain out when she arrived at prison to serve her sixteen-year sentence. But in the privacy of her cell, she repeatedly beat her head against the concrete wall until it bleed. Without drugs, she knew no other way to mask the anger and bitterness she had known from childhood.”

Let the Republican Party Split - This is sure to get people talking. Denny Burk says you’ve got to write Peter Leithart’s article about the Republican Party. “ If the price of regaining power is to abandon any semblance of Christian sexual morality, the price is too high. If the Republican party can't bring itself to endorse a traditional understanding of marriage, let it split.”

Founders Week - It is Founders Week at Moody Bible Institute. Many of the sessions will be streamed online. Speakers include John MacArthur, Al Mohler, Tony Evans, David Platt, Janet Parshall, and others. You can find a schedule at the link.

Dealing with Lust - Joseph Pipa goes all the way back to John Flavel in an article teaching how to deal with lust.

Take away the cross of Christ, and the Bible is a dark book. —J.C. Ryle