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A La Carte (November 26)

thursday

I hope my American friends and family enjoy their Thanksgiving celebrations today. While you are doing that, I will begin scouring the web for Black Friday deals geared toward Christians. Check in tomorrow for the annual roundup.

Today’s Kindle deals include three solid picks that span three different genres.

Not Much to Be Thankful For

Jim Elliff tells why some people don’t have much to be thankful for.

So Grateful, So Grateful

Leah Farish: “It has been a hard year. And as we prepare for Thanksgiving, we may have to look at smaller things, like potato chips, or higher things, like God’s covenant love for us, before feeling thankful. Look either direction—His grace is everywhere—but look you must.”

Stay Safe?

I’ve noticed this, too—that the new way of saying, “bye” is saying, “stay safe.” “I would suggest to you that an unmitigated desire for safety is manufactured by the human idol factory–the heart. And always has been.”

Why Would God Allow My Disappointment?

We all experience disappointments, and ones we know God could have prevented. Why would God allow them? “The implications of past disappointments can loom heavily over the present, and the possibility of future disappointments sits as a constant threat on the horizon. Yet along with every disappointment come promises from God that are strong enough to steady us, comfort us, and lift our eyes to him.”

Encouragement for Hard Times from Saints of Old

In times of disappointment or grief, here’s some encouragement from saints of old.

Love is the Mark of a Christian

“When we think about the marks of a person who is a Christian, our love for other people in general and the people of God, in particular, is one of the chief characteristics that should come to our minds. After all, it was Jesus who said that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Why is this true, though? What is it about love that sets it apart as one of the chief marks of a Christian?”

Flashback: How To Get Things Done: Deal With Interruptions

Dealing with interruptions requires an awareness that God is sovereign and you are not. When you trust a sovereign God you know that no interruption has caught God by surprise. This frees you from outbursts of anger or depths of despair.

Lament is how you live between the poles of a hard life and trusting in God’s sovereignty. Lament is how we bring our sorrow to God. Without lament we won’t know how to process pain.

—Mark Vroegop

  • 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.

  • The Stranger

    The Stranger: A Short Film For You

    Based on a true story and inspired by the truth that character comes before competence, “The Stranger” is an honest, light-hearted and meaningful picture of what it means to truly serve others.