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A La Carte (August 9)

thursday

Today’s Kindle deals include just one single, solitary book.

(Yesterday on the blog: Twenty Years Ago Today)

“That’s Us Someday,” I Told Him.

I enjoyed this one. “Clear and sharp, a remembrance of once-upon-a-time played inside my mind. A day long ago I reached for my husband’s attention, my hand brushing his, while three little girls giggled and wiggled around our legs clamoring for our attention. We were in an amusement park, and our girls were in orbits of excitement when I saw a family of five coming toward us. ‘That’s us someday,’ I told him.”

Who’s Responsible for Your Bad Tech Habits? It’s Complicated

Here’s one for all of us to reflect on. “First the phones gave. They gave connection and communication. Then they gave music and movies and maps. Then came the apps, and with the apps came… well… everything. And we took it all gladly. But somewhere along the way, the phones began to take, too. They took our attention, distracting us from dates and family dinners. They took our time, devouring hours of our days a few minutes at a time.”

The Gardens Behind Monet’s Masterpieces (Video)

“Claude Monet led the way in art history as the father of French Impressionism. But his paintings of water lilies and peonies weren’t confined to canvas. In addition to his work as a painter, Monet maintained stunning gardens, the inspiration for his masterpieces. Tragically, after World War II, his gardens were destroyed and left neglected. In the 1970s, Gilbert Vahé along with a team of gardeners brought the landscape back to its former glory, taking cues from Monet’s paintings to recreate the scenery. Ever since then, Gilbert has been watching over Giverny, protecting and preserving the legendary gardens.”

Pursue Useful Knowledge

“Nothing is as arrogant as ignorance—unless it’s being puffed up with knowledge.” This is a good little video clip/article from Robert Godfrey.

Bonnie Banks and Communion Tokens

“The roots of communion tokens actually go back to John Calvin. It was his desire that the members of his church would be given these tokens. He wanted to have a company of pastors at the church of Geneva meet with members of the church throughout the week, and the pastors would give tokens to those whose souls were ready to participate in the Lord’s Supper. When the Lord’s Day rolled around and it was time for the Lord’s Supper, parishioners would present their tokens and would be allowed to partake at the Lord’s Table.”

The Cutthroat World of Orthodontic Invisible Aligner Startups

I found this article interesting, perhaps because of the sheer volume of orthodontic work I’ve had to pay for as our kids have grown up. (Note there is one swear word in a quote.)

The Best Place to Flourish

Colin Smith: “Focus your best effort on what God has given you to do right now. It’s easy to waste your life, always looking at the next thing, but the best place to flourish is where God has set you down. Whatever God has given you to do, do it with all your heart!”

Flashback: The Mark of the Most Successful Worship Leaders

A worship leader serves his congregation best when he chooses songs they can sing and sing well. He is highly attuned to their ability. He prioritizes the singability of songs over their newness or oldness or author or theological density. He gauges his success not by his own worship, but by theirs.

Can we follow the Savior far, who have no wound or scar?

—Amy Carmichael

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    We All Want More of God

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    A La Carte (October 7)

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  • Breadth and Depth

    Breadth and Depth

    One of the key principles of properly understanding and applying the Bible is this: Scripture interprets Scripture. Christians sometimes speak of “the analogy of faith” to express the fact that we have properly understood one part of the Bible only when we have interpreted it in the context of the whole Bible.

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    Weekend A La Carte (October 5)

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    This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by The Good Book Company. They are giving away a bundle of books for Christians who want to deepen their relationship with God. The Bundle Includes…. Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. When you enter, you permit The Good Book Company to send you marketing emails which…

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    We are not lacking when it comes to daily devotionals. To the contrary, there are more options than we could possibly read in a lifetime. Yet not all daily devotionals are created equal, so it can be difficult to find a good one—one that is worthy of a full year’s attention.