Here are some of the thought-provoking reads discovered this week:
On Worship. A very clear, simple, and helpful explanation.
Trusting God in the Midst of Tragedy, HT to Challies. “How do you go on in life when something like this happens? How do you move forward as a husband, a dad, a Pastor? There is no training that can prepare you for this.”
When God Contests His Children, HT to Challies. “During the fight, God caused Jacob to undergo a complete reversal. Jacob went from striving against God to clinging to Him, and that is where he received the blessing.”
Love Your (Imperfect) Pastors, HT to Challies. “When our expectations for how our pastors must act or behave center on our preferences or pet agendas, we likely will lose the eager anticipation we should have when gathering with God’s people.”
Being Discerning and Being Critical Are Not the Same Thing, HT to Challies. “There seems to be a fine line between discernment and just being critical. So, how can you tell the difference between a discerning person and a critical one?”
A Spirituality of Quitting, HT to Challies. Sometimes it’s the right thing to do.
Kindness: More Than Just a Random Act, HT to The Story Warren. “While there’s nothing wrong with encouraging people to do nice things, the Bible has a radically different take on kindness. It teaches that kindness is a fruit of the Spirit, a supernatural gift from God. Kindness is much more than being friendly, generous, and considerate. Kindness is what God is.”
Using a Literature Approach to teach Early American History, HT to The Story Warren. I’m not endorsing the product mentioned–I don’t know anything about it beyond this article. But I love this idea. I had zero interest in history until college, when a professor made it come alive for me. And I’ve learned so much reading historical fiction which then leads me to look up more about the history it covers.
How to Talk to Kids About Their Art. I wish I had thought of some of these approaches when my kids were young! And it’s an interesting observation that “too much empty praise can have negative effects on our kids’ motivations.”
Sorry, I don’t have any videos or graphics today. 🙂
Have a great Saturday!
Stray Thoughts 
Looks like some good non-fiction this month. Do you enjoy fiction? What other genres do you like?
The blog posts I read are all nonfiction. With books, I read a mixture. I gravitate to Christian fiction but work in a fair amount of nonfiction, too, mostly biographies.
Good to know.