A La Carte (9/25)

Lambs In the Midst of Wolves – “Over the weekend, enemies of Christ made themselves apparent by attacking his followers. One of the attacks was carried out by the Islamist terrorist group Al-Shabaab, in a Nairobi mall. … The other attack occurred at the hands of two suicide bombers in a Pakistani church of 500. … How are believers supposed to respond to such violent opposition? From 1 Peter, let me suggest six godly reactions.”

She Chose Grace – Catherine Parks: “Below is the first in a series of guest posts and thoughts on the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship. This post, written by Kim Shay, was such a blessing to me and I pray it is to you as well. So many good things to take from this…”

Dubious Reporting on International Adoptions – “Yesterday, the New York Times ran a piece by a writer named Kathryn Joyce on the supposed exploitation of orphans in the developing world by Christian ministries. The piece is based on her book, The Child Catchers. The Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) has written a gracious but powerful response to Joyce’s claims; it should be read by anyone concerned about the international adoption movement.”

Caring for the Caregiver – “Most congregations have at least one member who is serving as a caregiver of a loved one. Many caregivers are women. The single mom who puts her child with cerebral palsy in daycare so she can work. The woman who is rearing her teen aged daughter and her daughter’s daughter at the same time. The wife who had to put her husband in a nursing home after his stroke. Most of these caregivers stagger under spiritual, emotional, and financial burdens that few people understand. The church has an opportunity to help them.”

The Site of a Mass Murder – “The house in Milwaukee where Jeffrey Dahmer committed his grisly acts of murder and cannibalism was just torn down. Who would want to live in a place where such evil happened? The Amish community tore down the schoolhouse where a killer murdered five little girls. … So should we do the same with that movie multiplex in Colorado or the office building at the Navy Yard?”