A.W. Tozer has been in the news lately (or in the blogosphere at any rate) following the release of A Passion for God, a biography of the man written by Lyle Dorsett. Dorsett dealt honestly with some shortcomings in Tozer’s character and I, like many readers, was surprised (and perhaps even shocked) by some of…
Monday June 30, 2008 A Welcome BurdenMike Delorenzo has an exceptional post about spending a day with his critically ill father. “I saw my father as never before. In his helplessness, I saw him strong. In his humiliation I saw him the most amazing person I have ever laid eyes on. In this, his most…
Several times a day a train rumbles along the tracks that cross our street—Eureka Street—just a few houses up from our home at number thirty-eight. It is a passenger train, one made up of a long string of double-decker cars. In the morning it shuttles commuters from Markham and Unionville into downtown Toronto and in…
I came very close to tossing this book away. With so many books coming my way these days, I need to move assess them quickly, determining which are worth a closer look and which are not. I cannot read them all. In this case, I saw the cover, I saw the title, I skimmed the…
Friday June 27, 2008 ApologiesMy apologies for not posting A La Carte yesterday. I had to fly to Vancouver and needed to leave the house at 4:40 AM to get here. A La Carte just didn’t happen… Wright on TimePaul compares Tim Keller’s recommendation of the new N.T. Wright book with Tom Schreiner’s review of…
Over the past few weeks I’ve been writing down some memories. It has been a fun process of just thinking about the past and recording some significant events and moments. While I’ll probably post them mostly on weekends, I thought it would be fun to post this one today. I see this as a testament…
To this point the “Reading Classics Together” effort has gone very well, at least by my assessment. We’ve read J.C. Ryle’s Holiness, John Owen’s Overcoming Sin and Temptation and A.W. Pink’s The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross. We’ve had hundreds of people participate by reading the books together and discussing them each…
Since last week’s little contests went over well, I thought I’d try another one. The style is similar—here we have a list of 21 quotes. Each of these quotes are endorsements for a book and each is written by J.I. Packer (quite the prolific reader and endorser!). As I am flying to Vancouver for a…
Wednesday June 25, 2008 12 Sins We Blame on OthersHere is sound wisdom from Ben Reaoch, pastor of Three Rivers Grace Church in downtown Pittsburgh, PA. WORLD on The ShackWORLD has an article about The Shack. An interesting quote: “Young is no longer a member of a church, nor are his publishing partners, both former…
I think it is safe to say that, of all theologians contemporary or ancient, few have had as profound an affect on my life as Francis Schaeffer. Though I’ve read little of what he wrote, though he died when I was only a young child, and though I have never heard even one of his…
Tuesday June 24, 2008 Chapman Family UpdateSteven Curtis Chapman’s manager posts an update on the family four weeks after the tragic death of Maria. Jewellery SaleMy friend Becky, whose ad is on the site this week, is offering free shipping on her handmade jewellery today. Husbands, you know what to do… Standing FirmHere is the…
Only on rare occasions can I bring myself to buy greeting cards. When it is Aileen’s birthday or when it is our anniversary, I either tell her how I feel (not something I’m particularly good at most of the time) or I buy a blank card and fill it with my own words. Or occasionally,…
Monday June 23, 2008 Fireproof, the MovieHere’s a forthcoming movie starring Kirk Cameron and created by the guys behind Facing the Giants. No Greater LoveAnd speaking of movies, here’s another “faith-based” one that’s coming soon. When to Leave Your ChurchJohn MacArthur on a subject that is always difficult to address. InuredTed Slater has a warning…
The Snake Charmer is one of two books I plucked from Dr. Al Mohler’s suggested reading list for dads. It is a book that is rather unlike any I’ve read before. It is a biographical account of the life of Joe Slowinski, one of the world’s great herpetologists. Slowinski dedicated his life to studying snakes…
A short time ago I was trying to help a friend redesign the bulletin for our church. In need of inspiration, I took to the web and began looking for examples of bulletins. I was rather surprised to see that there was really not a whole lot available out there. The majority of sample bulletins…
Earlier today Dennis Rainey sent the following email to some of his friends. I share this because it is just such a wonderful testament to God’s grace in the lives of these people. Only Christians can have such hope even in the face of devastating adversity. On Thursday, Miss Molly made her way to her…
“An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.” So begins what is undoubtedly the most famous (or most notorious) chapter of Proverbs. Written by King Lemuel, this chapter, the thirty-first, includes a poem praising the excellent wife. It has provided fodder for shelves of books and for countless sermons. You…
Friday June 20, 2008 Critiquing My ReviewSomeone has seen fit to post a seven-part video review of my review of The Shack. You can find it all on YouTube. (And, in case you’re wondering, he mispronounces my name every time). The Ramshackle ShackAnd speaking of The Shack, Tom Neven has a good article about it…
You may well know of Dennis Rainey of FamilyLife (he is executive director and co-founder of FamilyLife and the daily host of the radio program Family Life Today). He has authored or co-authored several books. Rainey’s daughter Rebecca recently gave birth to Molly Ann, her first child. Molly was unexpectedly born with a life-threatening medical…
Two days, two contests. Both were a lot of fun, I think, and I hope to do a few more in the same vein. I started doing a bit of research yesterday on one that I’m sure is going to be unique and hopefully a little more difficult than the last ones. Book Cover Contest…