A La Carte (February 12)

Sometimes I think I should begin these A La Carte posts with a personalized message. But then I wonder, how would I possibly vary that across the 320 or so I prepare each year? That seems unlikely, so I usually just get right down to business…

… by mentioning that I dug up some new Kindle deals.

Logos has individual volumes in the NIC series at just $19.99—an amazing price. Many are considered top-quality, (e.g. Genesis, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, Proverbs, Matthew, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, etc).

(Yesterday on the blog: Why Authors Want You To Pre-Order Their New Books)

10 Flavors of Works-Based Salvation

Works-based salvation takes on many forms, as this article demonstrates. “By nature and by training we all seek solutions to our problem of sin. To varying degrees, these solutions include doing something—law keeping, good works, etc—to please or appease or satisfy the God who is one day going to judge us. The idea of contributing to one’s own salvation is universal. It’s the engine which propels every religion.”

Japan’s Lost-and-Found System Is Insanely Good

I found this fascinating. “The scheme for reuniting unlucky people with their wayward valuables relies on a complex mix of infrastructure, carrot-and-stick legal encouragement, and cultural norms. Taken together, they form a shockingly efficient system that has long been a source of wonder for Western observers.”

Acts 29 CEO Removed Amid ‘Accusations of Abusive Leadership’

This article from Christianity Today reports on Acts 29. “Two weeks ago, internal reports raised similar concerns about Timmis’s leadership in Acts 29, and the board voted on Monday to remove him as CEO. Acts 29 president Matt Chandler announced the news in a video sent out to the network the following day, saying, ‘For where we’re headed next, we needed to transition Steve out of this role.’”

A Couple’s Final Words to Each Other Accidentally Recorded (Video)

This is quite a video, and quite a story.

Valentine’s Envy

Lisa LaGeorge: “Envy creeps in, whispering that something good has been withheld from you. It tempts us to be snarky, to protect ourselves from feeling the lack of affection, of flowers, of spatulas. Envy build barriers to ‘rejoicing with those who rejoice,’ and it casts shadows on the gifts we have been given. Envy tends to the seeds of bitterness and cheers their growth.”

How Your Laptop Ruined Your Life

We blame our mobile phones for many of our woes, but perhaps we should look as well to an older foe. “If staying home with a cold still requires a full day of work or you can’t find a seat at your local coffee shop on a Tuesday afternoon, iPhones are not responsible for ruining your life. The novelty and early popularity of smartphones seem to have distracted America from how quickly its laptops were also dissolving much of the boundary between work and home.”