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A La Carte (June 21)

monday

Good morning. May grace and peace be with you on this day and through the week ahead.

Today’s Kindle deals are a bit of a hodgepodge, but there are lots of options.

(Yesterday on the blog: The Children’s Hour)

When I Discovered I Had 3 Fathers

This is quite an article by Blair Line. “When my grandmother died in the summer of 2019, my family bought our black suits and dresses and packed our bags. After the service, a family member commented about a poem I recited during the service, ‘Lil Man’s daughter is so talented.’ The comment caught me by surprise. It wasn’t because of the grief we shared, nor because of the generous compliment he had given. It was because Lil Man is not my father’s nickname. Dee is.”

Jen Hatmaker Quits “church” and Invites You to Join Her

Joshua Rogers: “I quit being part of a church for a few months when I was in my mid-twenties. I had been a regular churchgoer my whole life, so it wasn’t something I (or those who knew me) expected.”

The Power of Reviling and the Response of the Gospel

“I am convinced that the single biggest thing that keeps Christians in the West from being open about their faith is the specter of being reviled.” I’d tend to agree.

Why Do You Want to Be Happy?

We take it as a given that we all want to be happy. But have we considered why we want to be happy?

What Meek Family Leadership Looks Like

Justin Huffman offers some thoughts on what it looks like to lead your family while displaying meekness.

The Ordinary War with Irritability

Bobby Scott: “If your consistent response to testing circumstances or challenging people is to become annoyed or angry, then you are irritable. But I have good news for you. Because of Jesus, believers can have godly attitudes even when our patience is tried, and we don’t have to make self-justifying excuses when we don’t. We can confess our failure as sin, knowing Jesus forgives.”

7 Ways Not To Provoke Your Children

This article by Oyewole Akande was written specifically for an African context, but applies far beyond.

Flashback: God Does Not Owe Us a Happy Ending

There is danger in our dedication to happy endings. We may come to believe that God extends his goodness and grace only in those situations that end happily.

…what is the best means of cheerfulness in such a world as this? How shall we get through this valley of tears with least pain? I know no better means than the regular, habitual practice of taking everything to God in prayer.

—J.C. Ryle

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    A La Carte (July 14)

    A La Carte: Distorted doctrine destroys lives / Making sense of bad things / Be the Jonathan / A bridegroom of blood / Administrative sludge / Musical elements / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Prayer

    Spread Too Thin

    With so much to do, we can easily begin to wonder whether prayer is an appropriate use of scarce time. Wouldn’t it be better to give my attention to something that would let me cross something off my to-do list?

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    Weekend A La Carte (July 12)

    A La Carte: Where art thou Rob Bell? / The case against in vitro fertilization / Praying and weeping for those suffering in Texas / Greet each other with a holy hug / The example of Jimmy Swaggart / and more.

  • Thriving Marriage

    Thriving Marriage

    I have often wondered about the best time to write a book about marriage. When a couple is young, there is so much about marriage they have not yet experienced. They can still impart wisdom and teach lessons, of course, but there is so much of marriage that remains unknown to them. Yet when a…

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    A La Carte (July 11)

    A La Carte: Falling out of repentance / Tattoos as confession / The Epstein List and secret sins / Teaching generosity / Lessons from a former youth pastor / Bedbugs in the bowels of the city.

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    A La Carte (July 10)

    A La Carte: Questions for a maturing marriage / The lesbian seagulls that weren’t / But mommy, why? / A time to be tired / The modern rise of Stoicism / and more.