The God of love and peace be with you, my friends.
Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of excellent and relatively recent choices that I highly recommend: Kathleen Nielson’s Making Good Return and Scott Mehl’s Redeeming Sex in Marriage (which I think is the best book I’ve read on the subject). You’ll also find a book about winning the battle against lust. On the general market side, Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink is a fun read.
(Yesterday on the blog: Grief Can Be So Lonely)
Grumbling
“Grumbling’s evil Siamese twin is discontentment. Refusing to recognise the providence of God, that He is sovereignly in control of my life and that the circumstances I face are not random fate will lead to discontentment. Discontentment inevitably leads to grumbling and vice versa, they go hand in hand but they are also contagious.”
Life’s Little Day
I appreciate Ashley’s reflection on life’s little day. “Summer reminds me how time moves at a breathtaking clip, how major decisions are fast approaching, how my lifespan is so temporary. How did the semester pass so quickly? Is it rest or idleness to not be doing anything ‘productive’? How have three months of summer gone by already? How much time do I have left to live, anyway?”
Your Holy Deeds Are Not Filthy Rags
John Piper wants to be sure we know that our holy deeds are not filthy rags. “Think what a horrible thing it would be to say that the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life is filthy rags. I can hardly stand to even think about it. They are not filthy rags. They are God’s precious gift and work in us.”
Augustine, AI, and the Demon Heuristic
This is quite thought-provoking. “The ‘demon heuristic’ is when a human being encounters what it thinks is an animate, divine or superhuman entity which preaches enlightenment, human flourishing, purity, love, and so forth; then, suddenly, the same entity will unmask or switch into a jeering or “trolling,” misanthropic mode.”
As a Single Man, I Felt Little Pressure to Get Married. I Wish I Had.
Brett McCracken: “I lived a satisfying life in my 20s as a single guy. I earned two college degrees, did internships in Hollywood and in the U.K., traveled abroad, settled into my first job, published my first book, helped plant a church, and developed deep spiritual friendships with a solid group. I’m grateful for all of it. But my life became so much richer when I became a husband. And it was further enriched when I became a father.”
Gospel-Fueled, Spirit-Wrought Gumption
I think this is the first time I’ve linked to an article about gumption!
Flashback: How To Pray For Someone Who Is Dying
In his book Facing the Last Enemy, Guy Prentiss Waters offers wise counsel to those who have the responsibility and even the privilege of this task. Here is his simple guidance on praying for those who are dying.
God intends to use human prayers to accomplish his most ultimate and universal purposes.
—John Piper
