A La Carte (August 3)

Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

My weekend went in an unexpected direction when an elderly relative in Quebec needed assistance after experiencing some medical issues. I drove here a few days ago and am holding down the fort until my mother can make the journey from Georgia to take over. This time has been a blessing in many ways, and I’m thankful for it.

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include some excellent books for younger (or older!) readers: 12 Truths Every Teen Can Trust, Scrolling Ourselves to Death, and Surviving Religion 101, among others.

Recommended Reading

For the Joy of Japan. Ten years after a tragic accident that claimed the lives of an entire family, Brett Rayl remembers them and expresses his confidence in the Lord. “A picture of the family, taken shortly before their passing, still hangs in my office: Jamison and Kathryne seated on a porch, smiling, their arms filled with three precious, small children — Ezra, Violet, and Calvin. When I arrive at work and see the photo, I feel their loss afresh, ten years later.” (You can see my first mention of that family in an A La Carte post from 10 years ago.)

Do You Really See Those Around You? “Those with disabilities are all around you. From the visible disabilities like those with mobility challenges to the invisible disabilities often ignored, undiagnosed, or mislabeled. I am not asking you to become a doctor or to try and diagnose everyone but you need to see everyone made in the image of God for who they are.” There’s the challenge: To really see those around you.

The Gospel Way Catechism for Kids. Based on its adult counterpart, this innovative question-and-answer book equips parents and Bible teachers with a tool to help middle-grade children grasp the truth of God’s Word and recognize the many mistruths present in today’s culture. (Sponsored)

The Slow Drift of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage. Though some of this article speaks specifically to the context of India, its principles apply far beyond. Karan Thomas writes, “Most marriages do not collapse overnight; they erode quietly. Between demanding careers, long commutes, financial pressure, and the constant pull of a screen, husbands and wives can become excellent managers of a shared life while becoming strangers to one another. They share a home, a table, even a bed, and still feel miles apart.”

Gutting Old Books to Feed AI: What Could Go Wrong? Last week we learned that AI companies are buying up millions of books so they can scan them and use them to train their AI. The reason is ironic: They value writing they can be certain was created by people rather than AI. “This is almost a metaphor for AI’s destructive relationship to literary culture. But there’s even greater irony in the reason why AI companies prefer old books for training — it’s because they want to avoid contaminating their bots with AI slop. I wish they had the same concern for us.”

Justice and Clemency. Stephen Kneale: “For the most part, it seems, not many people can imagine forgiving their child’s killer, ever, under any circumstances. Many cannot fathom how this couple manage it. The overwhelming noise, however, is how unjust it all seems. Not only how can they forgive this man, but why would they. There is rage against the criminal justice system, rage that he should be let out of prison at all, rage that this family dare to defy justice and forgive him. Many are particularly angry that this horrible killer might go on to have any sort of life at all, especially when his victim has no such chance. People seem angry at forgiveness and are adamant there is no redemption for such filthy, rotten sinners as this.”

“This I Call to Mind”. Mary Nolte calls to mind what matters most. “Caring for my mom as she is slowly lost to this disease has been one of the more difficult sorrows of my life, everyday a new challenge brought on by its cruel progression. Sometimes the grief of it is overwhelming, coming on unexpectedly as there is the daily disappearance of one who has been a steady presence in my life for the whole of my life, having a front row seat to precious memories now scattered.”

Your Recommendations

Once a week, I like to ask what you recommend. What books, products, videos, sites, or experiences do you recommend to others who read this blog/newsletter? Let me know, and I’ll share a collection on Saturday. (If you’re reading this via email, you’ll need to visit my site to fill out the form. Go here to read last week’s recommendations.)

Flashback

One of the Greatest Challenges We Will Ever Face. If we truly love Jesus, we will love the body of Jesus, the people of Jesus, the church of Jesus.