It’s probably time for my occasional reminder that these links do not imply complete endorsement.

The Faith of Jacob. “I want to be like Jacob. That might seem like a strange statement if you know the story of Jacob.”

Nathanael, HT to Challies. “On a quiet Friday in 2016, Wanjiku’s world was shattered when her young son, Nathanael, suddenly passed away despite her desperate ‘decrees and declarations’ for a resurrection. In the aftermath of her loss, she was met with a theology that blamed her for ‘opening a door to Satan,’ forcing her to confront a terrifying question: Is God so weak that He can be outmaneuvered by human error?”

What God Is Healing While Not Healing My Health Problems. A number of fellow bloggers have recommended this. “I’ve been praying for the Lord to heal me from significant chronic health problems for a long while now. I will continue to. In the meantime, I marvel at what He IS healing me from through this course of pain…”

Raise Kids to Be Reality Respecters, HT to Challies. “Years ago, my coworker and I were sitting at our desks with the office door open. One of our colleagues walked by with his young daughter, and we overheard him say to her, ‘You can be anything you want to be.’ Instinctively, my office mate and I turned toward each other with our eyebrows raised. Although the fatherly intention behind the inspirational pep talk was good, it just wasn’t true. We can’t be anything we want to be.”

How to Raise Curious Kids in a World Designed to Distract Them, HT to the Story Warren. “Curiosity helps kids learn, adapt and think deeply. Here’s why it matters more than ever and how parents can help it grow.”

Advice for College Graduates, HT to Challies. “For all the full schedules, not everyone who walks across a stage and receives a diploma is entirely settled. The season can bring about a lot of anxiety. Graduates might wonder if they’re the only ones in their class who haven’t figured out what comes next. While others are starting jobs, heading off to graduate school, or embarking on what appear to be clearly defined new paths, there are far more graduates than we might imagine who are quietly asking themselves the same question: What am I supposed to do now?“

The Pastoral Virtue of Avoidance, HT to Challies. Though this is written to pastors, it is good for all of us. “At least seven times in the pastoral epistles, Paul directly charges Timothy and Titus to ‘avoid’ and to ‘have nothing to do with’ ideas and people who pose a threat to their flock. This is jarring since one of the main purposes for these letters is to encourage Timothy and Titus to engage false teaching and teachers. Yet here is where the paradox emerges: Paul teaches a pastoral virtue of avoidance—showing that sometimes the wisest form of engagement is careful restraint.”

This is what detransitioning looks like. Eight stories of regret, HT to Challies. This is from a secular source, but shares that transitioning sexuality didn’t solve people’s main issues.

Encouragement Through Letter-Writing. Writing letters has almost become a lost art. But a timely note or letter can be a great encouragement.

What if God ruined your plans so your plans wouldn’t ruin you? J. C. Ryle