Laudable Linkage

Posted on October 24, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Here are some of the good reads found this week:

When Imperfect Faith Meets a Perfect Savior. “Sometimes we come to Jesus with strong faith. Other times, our faith is trembling, confused, and imperfect. We may even wonder whether we have enough faith to approach Him. The story of the woman with the issue of blood reminds us of a wonderful truth: We do not come to a perfect Savior because our faith is perfect, we come because He is perfect.”

I’m Rich! (in Hope). “Somehow I ran across a post on social media in a group for ‘unhinged’ homeschool moms. The atheist poster was lamenting that another child told her six year old that there is a Heaven. She said her child doesn’t need an ‘eternal security blanket’ because ‘his life is so wonderfully built for his well-being that he has nothing to seek eternal comfort from.’ When I saw her words I was struck by how pitifully inexperienced this woman is in some of the harder realities of life, and I wondered how long she might be able to maintain the illusion that she has this much power over her child’s existence.”

Joseph, Daniel, and the Secret to Changing the World. “According to the Bible, God often works through the weak, unimpressive work of people the elite of the world write off. But is this always the case? The Old Testament in particular gives us two somewhat surprising stories that buck this trend.”

When You Can’t Say, “I’m Sorry”: Finding Freedom from Regret. “When you can’t say ‘I’m sorry’ to someone who has died, how do you find peace with your regrets? God offers a way forward through His forgiveness.”

This Is Why Your Marriage Conflicts Never Get Resolved, HT to Challies. “People enter marriage because they love each other. But if they don’t learn how to navigate their differences and handle conflicts well, they end up tearing down the very person they committed their lives to. And because marriage is so intimate, words said in anger and conflicts that turn ugly hurt more than in any other relationship. If your conflicts don’t get resolved, there may be one or more of these three problems getting in the way.”

You Become What You Listen To; You Are Formed by What You Read, HT to Challies. “Podcasts are like information fast food. Hosts ask questions and are given answers that are rarely cited. Each answer is given out of context by the very nature of fast consumption. What I mean is that you don’t really have time, as you do with a book, to think through and process a claim. Instead, you are forced to either accept the information or forget it. Rarely does one hear something on a podcast and dig into the historical record to verify it.”

Your Life Will Slip Through Your Fingers, , HT to Challies. “Your family, your health, your work, your wealth – all of these are good gifts from the Lord. And if you live long enough, you will likely have to watch some (or all) of them fade away in slow-motion. The Lord will ask you to let go your hold on many of the things that made your life your life. Yet he does not do this out of cruelty, but out of love. The losses we face in our aging, though worth grieving, though they are a real form of suffering, are opportunities to taste Christ as our greatest treasure. And they are opportunities to let go of that which we cannot keep so that we will more deeply desire and anticipate and dream of that which we can: treasures in heaven.”

When Journalism Crosses a Moral Line, HT to Challies. I’ll say it sure did here. It’s hard to fathom that Christianity Today published an article positing that Elisabeth Elliot might have been bisexual. Denny Burke discusses the article and what’s wrong with its reasoning. “In spite of Austen’s historical caveats and theological error about same-sex attraction, her article ends up giving oxygen to the idea that Elliot was a bisexual. But this claim goes far beyond anything supported by the evidence she provides. Readers would do well to leave this salacious theory behind.”

Help Your Children Understand AI’s Place: 3 Foundational Truths for AI Use, HT to Challies. “AI is an amazing tool. As a teacher, I have used it to compile research, format communications, and spark creative output and interaction for students. It has saved me hours and headaches creating review games and practice standardized tests. However, as a parent and a teacher, I have an important, overarching concern about AI. I regularly witness AI strangle creativity and critical thinking skills.”

Why I Don’t Like Smartwatch “Sleep Scores,” HT to Zak Mellgren. “I have a Garmin smartwatch, but I hate the sleep score feature. So much so that I take my watch off before I go to bed so it records no data at all on my sleep. Why am I against it? Here are four reasons.”

“We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and privacy: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.” C. S. Lewis

Laudable Linkage

Posted on October 17, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Here are several good reads found this week. I hope you find something of interest!

What Draws Me Back: 3 Arguments for Faith on the Days I Doubt, HT to Challies. “I can’t point to a time I considered myself agnostic or atheist, or even on the fence about Christianity. Though I’ve known seasons of suffering and disillusionment, I have no story of losing, then regaining, my faith. I first believed the gospel as a child, and my earliest confession of faith has only deepened over time. But even if my testimony isn’t as dramatic as some of my friends’, it isn’t the case that I’ve never dealt with doubts about God and the gospel. I have. I still do.”

How to Deliver a Difficult Message by Speaking the Truth in Love. “God has placed us in the body of Christ (a.k.a. the Church) so we can help one another mature and grow in Christlikeness (Eph 4:14–15). Often growth involves hearing hard truths. Sometimes we need to have difficult conversations, such as when a spouse does or says hurtful things, a close friend makes harmful decisions, or an employee isn’t performing to standards.” I especially liked the questions concerning whether we need to say anything at all.

Not All Christian Websites are Good for your Health, HT to Challies. “I wonder what the Apostle Paul would say about online Christian discourse? What kind of encouragements and warnings would he give followers of Jesus as we hear and discern and collate the vast quantities of religious speech that’s available on YouTube, Facebook and X?”

We Cannot Afford to Weaken Each Other. “hortly before England’s entry into World War II, Winston Churchill said, ‘We are so few, enemies so many, the cause so great, that we cannot afford to weaken each other in any way’ (The Gathering Storm, p 331). When I read Churchill’s words, I immediately was struck with it’s applicability to our spiritual warfare. It is an easy thing to weaken each other as Christians with verbal sparring.”

Three Steps Forward in Your Walk of Faith. “As women, we find ourselves pulled in a thousand directions as we juggle the demands of family, work, church, and friends. We want to honor God and others, and we want to grow in our relationship with Christ, but frankly, we’re struggling to do it all. We read Isaiah 40:31 about mounting up on wings like eagles, running and not growing weary, and walking and not fainting, but it feels like we’re walking and fainting more than running and flying. But we know the Bible is true, and God never lies. So there must be a way to walk in faith. How do we access this superpower God promises to believers?”

Are We Raising Pharisees? HT to Challies. “Each of these decisions involves different considerations, varying degrees of wisdom, and answers that may differ from family to family. Some decisions have clear biblical implications, but Scripture does not prescribe one specific answer for every situation. You can make all the ‘right’ choices and still miss what matters most.”

Parents, Meet Your Gospel Tutor, HT to Challies. “Compliant kids make our parenting look strong. They make us feel competent. On Sunday morning, our family beams like an online advertisement for biblical parenting. But then God gives you another child. A different kind of gift.”

Are You Being Discipled by Your Device? “I don’t walk with the wicked, stand with sinners, or sit with scoffers, right? But the truth is even if you’re surrounded by solid Christian friends in real life, the media you consume online may well be the counsel of the wicked.”

A Testimony of Spiritual Mothering. “When I left my hometown and moved to Knoxville, I left behind a host of spiritual mothers, many I had known my whole life, including my own mom. I still had them of course, but I prayed before the move that the Lord would prepare a place for us in Knoxville and by a place, I meant a people. He slowly began providing this through friends at work, friends in my grad school program, and eventually in a church home. But the absence of a spiritual mother lingered. Spiritual mothers are people you can melt into. They are safe women, honest women, wise women. Women who feast on the Word and women who battle for you in prayer. Their presence is life-giving, so their absence is noticeable.”

What Are the Noahide Laws? I had not heard of these and didn’t know there was a controversy about them, apparently sparked by something Ben Shapiro said. But Ben Hicks explains them well.

Thank You, Lord, for My Local Pastor: Thirty Reasons for Gratitude. October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and this article presents many reasons to be grateful for the gift of a godly pastor.

Fear not because your prayer is stammering, your words feeble, and your language poor. Jesus can understand you.–J.C. Ryle

Laudable Linkage

Posted on October 10, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good reads found this week:

The Mercy of God When Formulas Fail, HT to the Story Warren. “There is certainly personal responsibility for every Christian; disciplines that must be present for growth to occur. Yet a problem arises when those disciplines become the formula for how we think God ought to respond. . . The problem with this formulaic faith is that it boils faith down to a sum of actions as the key to unlocking results. Yet the goal of faith is not that our desires might be fulfilled, but rather it is knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection, sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in death (Phil. 3:10). It is knowing Christ and making him known; experiencing more of him and becoming like him.”

4 Ways to Let Go of Perfectionism in Your Quiet Time. “I used to think my quiet time only ‘counted’ if it was done the right way—uninterrupted, organized, meaningful, and preferably with something underlined in matching ink. But more often than not, I walked away feeling like I didn’t have time to do it like that. The house offered me a different equation: clean it well and I could see the results. Order the mess and everything would feel right again. But my quiet time with God didn’t work that way. I often didn’t see immediate results. No visible proof I had done it ‘well.’ No checklist to confirm I had gotten it right.”

Being Filled with the Spirit. “Few ideas in the Christian life leave believers as confused as being filled with the Holy Spirit. Some picture a mystical event that lands on a lucky few. Others claim it is a technique to be mastered. The apostle Paul gives a simple command in Ephesians 5, and the answer turns out to be more practical than either picture. The people who are filled with the Spirit are the people who are spiritually active and alive.”

No, Not All Sin Is the Same in God’s Eyes. “Perhaps you have heard a well-intentioned believer say, ‘All sin is the same in God’s eyes.’ . . . But as with every spiritual sounding mantra that isn’t actually a verse, we must ask if it lines up with what Scripture teaches. A careful study of the Bible will show us that, contrary to what many believe, not all sin is the same in God’s eyes. And rather than being a discouragement, the truth ends up being more helpful, encouraging, and fair than we might at first realize.”

Shame vs. Conviction: What’s the Difference? “At first glance, the two may look like twins, and the sinking feeling each produces may leave you thinking they’re synonymous. Don’t fall into that trap. One leads to freedom, while the other will leave you shackled in dark despair.”

Is Jesus the Social Justice Champion of Progressives? HT to Challies. “Progressive Christians often present a truncated portrait of Jesus, highlighting the parts of his ministry that fit their emphasis on social reform. In their view, Jesus was a social justice warrior who stood in solidarity with the poor and marginalized, challenged unjust systems and structures of power, and called his followers to pursue love, inclusion, and liberation.”

What I’ve Learned in the Cancer School of Wisdom, HT to Challies. “Drawing from his own cancer ordeal, John Piper has urged many of us not to ‘waste our cancer’ but rather to redeem it for good. I’m trying to do that. By the grace of God and, I dare to hope, for the glory of God, I truly want to live well and then to die even better. God’s Word taught me—long before my diagnosis—to live life and walk wisely, as if on the edge of eternity, and to avoid complacency and presumption by keeping my mortality in mind.”

Some Marriage Advice: Just Shut Up, HT to Challies. This is good for all conversations! I especially liked the imagery about the furnace. “Did you know that you don’t actually have to say every thought that comes into your mind? You can actually take a thought, examine it, and throw it away. Our minds are fickle. We often think things that are mean, rude, unkind, and downright untrue. It is so important that before these thoughts make it out of our mouths that we sift it through the sieve of God’s word.”

How You Handle Criticism Is a Test of Your Humility. HT to Challies. “Your character will grow in direct proportion to your willingness to accept correction. It will also make you a better Bible student and a better Christian because frequently when you read the Bible, the words will be a form of criticism, and the Holy Spirit speaks through that criticism. If you are defensive and not open to criticism, you will not have a good walk with God.”

The Problem with So Much More: A Critique and Apology, by the Authors, HT to Challies. I have not finished reading this whole piece, so it’s unusual for me to share it yet. I had never heard of the book, So Much More: The Remarkable Influence of Visionary Daughters on the Kingdom of God by Anna and Elizabeth Botkin. But I had heard of their concept that young women should stay home under their father’s influence rather than go to college, get a job, or go on missions trips. Many years ago, before Facebook, before message boards, there were subscriber lists for different subjects. Communication was by email and everyone who was accepted to the list got every email from every other member, all on the topic of the group. This group was made up of Christian moms, and my kids were around 3-12 then. I knew I didn’t hold to all the practices of the group, but I felt there was enough we were agreed upon that we could have some good fellowship. One day I shared some blessing from my college years and was told they didn’t believe in young women going to college. I had never heard that before and was incredulous. I tried to share, in what I thought was a gracious way, how God used a Christian college in my life. I was removed from their list. I found out later a lot of their teaching came from Bill Gothard.

What amazes me hearing now about this book is that it was written “by two unknown teenagers with no theological training or life experience” and yet “became the manifesto of the burgeoning ‘Stay at Home Daughter’ movement.”

The authors now say “with better hermeneutics and a better understanding of church history and historic theology . . . [we] realized our entire case was exegetically hollow. And that the life we had given up so much to live, and worst of all had called others to live, was built on a theological house of cards.” They are not deconstructing their entire faith, but they realized they were wrong on this issue and explain why.

Inside a Gilded Age Mansion, HT to Challies. This 11 1/2 minute video by Architectural Digest shows details of the Elms, a Gilded Age Mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. Some of the architectural tricks are amazing.

“Christians that shine by reflecting the light of the Sun of righteousness, do shine with the same sort of brightness”–Jonathan Edwards

Laudable Linkage

Posted on October 3, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I have just a short list to share today. I thought about saving these til next week, but that might make next week’s list overly long.

Ten Truths to Cling to in Your Fight Against Sin, HT to Challies. “When you feel caught somewhere between the guilt that clings to you and the truth of Scripture, what does it actually mean to leave a sin struggle at the foot of the cross?”

A Beautiful Dependence. “Several weeks ago, a single phone call turned a quiet Saturday morning into a flurry of panic. . . . Blair’s life has become a picture of something I too easily forget: dependence isn’t a problem to solve but part of God’s good design. Just as Blair relies on me, I am utterly dependent on my heavenly Father for everything I need.’

Caring for Women in an Abusive Relationship. “One of the ways we, the women of the church, can help is by holding these sisters’ hands as they go to their brothers to get help. Now, the church is not the police. The church is not an attorney or a judge. But the church does hold authority over its members. There’s a reason we take membership vows.”

The 11 Deceptive Tactics of Seduction. Peter Krol has been doing a series on sexual sin and temptation from the book of Proverbs, and this nicely summarizes the issue.

Every day is a fresh beginning,
Listen, my soul, to the glad refrain,
And, spite of old sorrow and older sinning,
And puzzles forecasted and possible pain,
Take heart with the day, and begin again.

Susan Coolidge

Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 26, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I got caught up on some blog reading this week, so I have quite a few good articles to share:

Am I Good Enough? HT to Challies. “No matter what stage I was in or how much effort I put in, the feeling was always the same at the end of the day: it still wasn’t enough. There was always something more I should have done or done better. Maybe your story looks different from mine, but I imagine you’ve felt like you’re falling short of expectations—from the people around you, from your own inner voice, or even from what you think God expects of you.”

You Must Go On. You Can’t Go On. You Will Go On. HT to Challies. “God brings His people to do what they do not have the power to do themselves (walk on water, Peter) and God’s people choose to respond, knowing they can’t, but trusting that somehow—in some way—God will meet them with the power they need.”

A Three-Read Method for Understanding Scripture. HT to Challies. “A single pass over a passage, followed by a sprint towards meaning and application, will tend to produce either cold, informed Christians who never really worship, or busy and obedient Christians who never learn to delight. Our study needs to affect our whole being. It needs to impact our minds, affections, and will. There are methods that are close to what I do, but they mainly focus on the mind and will, while skipping the affections. The Beholding Method is my approach to improving this.”

Watered Women of the Word. “As rainwater replenishes gardens, we see the whole garden grow and each drop of rain is needed to bring forth the harvest. So it is with the Body of Christ. As we drink in Christ’s living water, it soaks into our hearts and replenishes us with His soul quenching love. Over the course of a fruitful season in the Word, I had the privilege to watch one woman water the seeds of faith in two precious beloveds, drop by drop of kindness, care, attentiveness, and love.”

On Women Who Think They Regret Motherhood. “A mother loves without condition, without reservation, without regret. I’ve seen podcasters frame this trend as women revealing that they hate their children. I disagree. These women love their children. But their love for their kids is being overshadowed by what I’m convinced is Satan’s most effective strategy to keep humans from flourishing, doing good, experiencing joy, or seeking God.”

Are You a Contentious Wife? HT to Challies. “This past Sunday I preached a sermon that contrasts two types of wives. One is a crown (Proverbs 12:4), and the other is contentious (Proverbs 19:13). One builds her home, while the other tears it down. One strengthens her husband, while the other slowly crushes him. One makes home a place of peace, while the other turns it into a war zone.”

2 Ways to Fail Your Child, HT to Challies. “There are two ways to fail your child, and they move in opposite directions. You can fail by keeping too much out. . . . You can also fail by letting too much in. . . . Both are failures of love. Most of us are guilty of one of them, and probably both at some point.”

Where Is God When Sleep Won’t Come? HT to Challies. “It’s difficult to overstate just how desperate I felt when I’d still be awake at 4:00am, 5:00am, and then 6:00am when the alarm would sound and the day would officially begin. Many nights I despaired. But then slowly, over time, a surprising thing happened: God trained me, as he has countless others of his children, to ‘kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.'”

When People Say Things About You. “So how should a Christian respond when people talk about us? I don’t think the answer is to believe everything people say about us. But neither is the answer to dismiss everything people say about us. Scripture calls us to respond with both humility and discernment. Here are four principles that have helped me think through this.”

How to Have a Soft Heart. “As women, we work hard to hide the visible marks of wear. We’re encouraged to roll ice over tired eyes and add concealer to circles revealing sleepless nights. But it isn’t just our bodies that carry evidence of hard days. Our hearts can weather too.”

10 Reasons Marxism Is Bad for Humanity, HT to Challies. “This type of message may be popular. But is it true? Hardly. Beginning with God’s Word as our standard for truth, let’s look at 10 reasons why Marxism is bad news for humanity.”

Your Social Media Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story. “Rage-stoking flaws and failures in churches move to the top of our news feed. But far more common is the care and generosity that takes place among Christians. As a pastor, I have a front-row seat in this theater of love.”

Don’t let me ever think, dear God, that I was anything but the instrument for Your story.
–Flannery O’Connor

Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 19, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the blog posts that stood out to me this week:

The Face We All Look For, HT to the Story Warren. “Somewhere deep in their little hearts, children know attention equals value and belonging, for we give our time and eyes to the things we value most. To a child, attention is also affection, and they long to be the objects of our affection.” “Believers, when we gaze on the person and work of Christ, we find the one our souls long for. We find home. Because of Christ’s redemptive work, we who were once blind now see with open eyes and can behold his beauty.”

By No Means Pardon the Guilty, HT to Challies “If we are willing to legalize abortion up until the point of birth, I assure you, we have been desensitized to the value of life and are unable to discern evil from good. We are not walking in Truth.”

Devotions: Duty or Delight? “Many people are hesitant to do their devotions if they don’t feel like it. After all, if they only read their Bible out of discipline, that would be hypocritical. Authenticity is all the rage these days. Reading my Bible if I don’t really want to read my Bible seems inauthentic. Warnings about checklist Christianity abound and are not entirely without merit. A Christianity that is based on merely doing the right things so that God will like me is no way to go about Christianity. But does that mean I should not read my Bible if doing so would seem fake?”

Seven Reasons Why Churches Fail. “All ministries seem to have a shelf life. It doesn’t have to be that way, but it most often is. The failure that comes at the end does not discount the great accomplishments for Christ over a long history of faithful ministry. However, our desire is to see Christian ministries—especially churches continue to prosper spiritually and in their effectiveness for Christ for as long as possible.”

The Only Thing Green Are the Weeds, HT to Challies “When the earth is starved of rain the only thing that grows are the weeds. They look healthy. Yet, if they are allowed to remain, they will strangle the growth of good plants and eat up, ruin and kill the grass of your lawn. It’s a parable of our Christians lives: if you starve yourself of God’s Word and Prayer, take yourself away from gathering with God’s people, you become impoverished. You dry out. But it is not only that, in the midst of the dryness, other things will grow. The seeds of sin manage to flourish in that arid ground, growing up through the cracks. “

The Dark Side of Mindfulness, HT to Challies “At that point, she had spent years both meditating and studying the brain. Because most kinds of meditation aim to enhance concentration, the practice can act like a stimulant. And just as chemical stimulants such as caffeine and Adderall can interfere with sleep, so, too, can excessive meditation.”

Neither Burnout nor Sloth: Honoring Christ in Our Work, HT to Challies. “Christians can debate about the Genesis 3 impact on the Genesis 1 reality, but they cannot deny the Genesis 1 reality—God made mankind in his image, and defined this in the context of our work, of our vitally important endeavors. In economics, we refer to this as ‘production.’ In Christian theology, it is service, it is labor, and it is worship. And today, too often, it is considered something to be frowned on.”

Am I Responsible? “I think one of the most important lessons to learn in life is recognising the difference between what we are responsible for and what we are not responsible for. I say that as someone with a tendency to feel responsible for everyone and everything around me. I can very easily feel like I have keep everyone happy or that if there’s a problem, it is up to me to fix it. Trust me, it’s a tiring way to live!”

Just Doing Your Job: The Matter of Mundane Faithfulness. “Just how valuable is mundane faithfulness? The day-to-day routine seems so monotonous. Does what I do and how I do it really matter?”

When the Silence Is So Loud in the Hardest Times and Your Question if God Has Forgotten You. I’ve mentioned before the Dead Man Talking podcast, where Bob Roberts talks with long-time friends about his terminal cancer diagnosis, suffering, and faith. Occasionally they have a guest on, and this one spoke to my heart–a young man in his thirties had some kind of infection that went septic, causing doctors to have to continuously remove tissue a bit at a time to stay ahead of the infection. He almost died–his family was called in. His wife had their third child during the eighteen days he was unconscious. He’s had 40+ surgeries to remove tissue and skin grafts to repair the damage. He walked through some dark valleys, questioning why God allowed this to happen. I liked how they said his story of still processing it all shows that suffering and hard times aren’t always tied up in a bow, but the ramifications can last for years. Yet it’s through those times that God humbles us and shines His strength through our weakness. What I linked to is the You Tube video, but the podcast is available where most podcasts are.

On a lighter note, somehow Instagram put Melodies in Motion in my suggested accounts to follow. It’s memorizing to watch the little lighted dots hit all the notes. I am not a musician. I had one semester of piano which ended with just beginning to be able to play with two hands. Having both hands do something different was a challenge for me. I don’t know how composers and arrangers manage multiple levels of melody and harmonies. The site has a variety of music, old, new, classical, lighter fare, and even some Christian songs. This is probably my favorite piece of classical music.

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A temptation is an opportunity to choose God over self.–Elisabeth Elliot

Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 12, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Here are some of the blog posts that spoke to me this week:

I Joined a Violent Chicago Gang. Then a Church Moved onto the Block, HT to Challies. “I questioned how I had gotten to this point. How had I thrown my life away for people who had no regard for me? My situation was hopeless. I knew there was nothing I could do to change it. But all of a sudden, it occurred to me that God could change my situation. For years, I’d had conversations with church people about a God who could raise the dead to life. I thought of all the times a certain youth pastor had shared the gospel with me. And so, closing my eyes to my reflection, I prayed.”

Pleading My Righteousness? HT to Challies. When David prays for God to act according to David’s righteousness, what does he mean? And how does that gel with the Bible’s teaching that we’re not righteous in ourselves, only in Christ? I don’t think I have ever seen this dealt with, though it’s something I have wondered about. I think this article gives a good explanation.

How to Pray When You Feel Like You Pray the Same Thing Every Day, HT to Challies. “If you don’t want to pray the same things all the time, praying Scripture might be helpful. When we pray Scripture, whether it’s a psalm or any other passage, we have fresh ideas to fuel our prayers each day. And it helps us ask for things according to God’s will (1 John 5:14–15) because we’re praying God’s word back to him.” Courtney then gives a few examples of what that

Five Ways God’s People Minister Grace to Each Other, HT to Challies. “God has provided our counselees with Christian brothers and sisters—fellow church members—as vital means of God’s grace to help them know Jesus initially and grow in Jesus continually.”

The Ministry of Saying Less, HT to Challies. Though this is written primarily about preaching, I think it holds true for blogging, writing, teaching, even commenting during Sunday School or Bible Study. “In preaching, teaching, counselling, and leadership, there is something to be said for saying less. I am not suggesting that we become aloof and mysterious. But there is a danger that we can say so much that people start to miss what they most need to hear.”

Why Don’t We Ask God for Big Things? “Scripture and experience make it clear that God is not a genie in a bottle who is obligated to give us whatever we ask for. He is an omniscient deity who has His own counsel, will, and plan. Yet in mysterious ways known fully only to Himself, God invites humans into those councils and listens to their requests.”

Don’t Let AI Steal Your Blessing, HT to Challies. “What we lose in the process is blessing from God. ‘But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing’ (James 1:25). Who is it that receives the blessing? The one who ‘looks’ and ‘acts’ gets the blessing. If I let AI do all the looking, then I’m missing a crucial piece of the blessing.”

Taking Time Off Takes Humility and Faith. “Maybe you wrestle to slow down, delegate, or admit you’re weary and empty. Perhaps, like me a few years ago, you’re currently in a season where the brokenness of the world—and of life right under your feet—has become a heavy weight on top of you. Circumstances God has allowed are confronting you with your weakness, limitations, and, let’s call it what it is: your humanity! He is inviting you to trust and love him by stepping aside for a time—perhaps even stepping out of current responsibilities—for the sake of rest, recalibration, and renewal.”

The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.–J. R. R. Tolkien

Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 5, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I wasn’t online much this week, with family visiting and spotty Internet coverage due to our provider’s work in our area. But I found a few good reads to share:

When Unhealed Illness Brings Shame, HT to Challies. “As a Christian, as one who sincerely believes that God can and does heal in miraculous ways, I know that the God who worked wonders in the past is still working wonders today. If he wills it, he can heal me (Matt. 8:1–3). Which leads to the question for those who don’t get a miracle: Why does God not will my healing?“

Put It Somewhere Visible. “In our day of prolific productivity tools, one of the biggest battles we face is resisting the urge to overcomplicate everything.”

Help! My Child Is Entering Puberty, HT to Challies. “Though we love our children deeply, many of us feel unsure about how to talk about bodies, development, privacy, safety, and growing up. We want to be honest without saying too much and clear without sounding clinical. We want to protect our children without making them afraid. And some of us are trying to offer our children something we did not receive ourselves: calm, faithful words about the body.”

When Your Child Moves Out as an Unbeliever, HT to Challies. “I had developed some ideas about what this day would look like throughout the years, but as it draws near, I have to accept that he will be moving out as an unbeliever.”

How Do I Respond to My Gay Family Member? “I gave my students the chance to ask any question, and one student basically asked, ‘What do I do at Thanksgiving if my sibling living a gay lifestyle shows up?’ I had confidently told them I would answer all their questions in class, so I was stuck. It was a hard question, and I didn’t know that I had any nice, clean, easy answer. So I did what any good assistant pastor worth his salt would do, I went to my church’s senior pastor and asked him what he would say. His advice was spot on, as is often the case for senior pastors.”

16 Stunning Animal Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards, HT to Challies. This is the 62nd year of this competition, and the photos are amazing.

“Our Lord in His infinite wisdom and superabundant love, sets so high a value upon His people’s faith that He will not screen them from those trials by which faith is strengthened.”
— C.H. Spurgeon

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 29, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good reads that stood out to me this week:

We Need Humility to Study the Bible. “The very existence of the Bible should fill us with gratitude. How wonderful that God has made himself known! It should also kindle humility within us—we need him to reach to us because we could never reach him ourselves. Humility must be the beginning—indeed, the ongoing foundation—of Bible study. But it is also necessary in each stage along the way.”

Why Good Stories Have Bad Examples. “To be sure, stories can be written in such a way that presents negative behaviors in a positive light. In such cases, wise parents will talk with their kids about the issue or choose to pass over the story in favor of others that more clearly illustrate the good, true, and beautiful. And yet, let’s not be too quick to dismiss that a ‘negative example’ equals a negative effect on your child.”

Why Walking in Faith Can Be Our Place of Greatest Victory. “I understand why believers need supernatural help to soar. And to run. But why would we need God’s help to walk? Compared to flying or running, walking requires much less strength and stamina. Or does it?”

Young Woman, What’s Your Legacy? “When we hear the word legacy, our minds often go to older women––the wise ones at church with white hair and Bibles so well-loved that the gold edges have faded, pages have yellowed, and words that were once jet black have turned gray. We might think of the teachers and professors who have shaped us, the mentors who have poured into us, and the church leaders who have faithfully loved the Lord and His people. But when is the last time you took a minute to think about your legacy?”

Of Love and Keychains. “Sometimes those with the highest confidence and well-honed social skills hide a deadly insecurity underneath. Celebrities have 3 to 10 times the rate of depression vs. the general population. These are people who are beautiful, wealthy, and adored.It’s not just you and me. So where do we go with this inner ache? This hunger to belong? To be loved?”

Why the Internet Is Making Men and Women Hate Each Other, HT to Challies. “The Internet is, of course, very interested. And the way particular social media platforms and groups are participating in the discourse illustrates again one of the most important things anyone can realize about the modern Internet: It’s a place where each sex is learning to loathe the other.”

Advice for Parents of New College Students, HT to Challies. “But what about the parents? There’s plenty out there for all we’re supposed to do for the years, months, and weeks leading up to dropping them off to college. Yes, start that 529 savings account early. But my experience is that while a lot of parents are prepared for the lead up to “launch,” few have given much thought to what happens after.”

To be meek is to have a sane and proper estimate of one’s place in the scheme of things. Elisabeth Elliot, from Let Me Be a Woman

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 22, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I haven’t been online as much this week, but here are some of the noteworthy articles I found:

The Sweetest Reasons to Read the Bible, HT to Knowable Word. “If we’re honest, we neglect the Bible for the same reasons: because we find something either more desirable or more delightful than God’s word. Sure, the consequences may not be as spectacular as Achan’s or Samson’s, but, if we’re honest, our excuses are just as lame. I’m too busy. I’m not feeling it. Understanding is hard. I just can’t focus. These are no better than Ooh, shiny! or Oh, sweet! They share the same tragic taste.Thanks be to God that the Bible itself cultivates our taste for something far better.”

This Old Prayer Changed the Way I Read My Bible. “Mindless prayer is always a danger, but particularly so when we recite memorized prayers. But one day I discovered a prayer that inspires me to slow down and ponder as I pray rather than speed up. This old prayer has become my new favorite to pray before reading my Bible.”

Store Treasure in Clay, HT to Challies. “The Clay Pot Conspiracy reminds us: our lives exist to showcase the worth of the gospel, not the strength of the vessel. When I appear strong, my progress says something about me. But when I’m cracked and still standing, still serving, still pressing on—it says something about God.”

15 Resolves for Maintaining Spiritual Balance in Severe Interpersonal Conflicts, HT to Challies. “The pain of interpersonal conflict may seem too acute to bear. Sometimes we see these conflicts erupt suddenly among families, or between church members, or at work or school. They may involve serious allegations that tend to rip people apart in ways that seem irreparable. In these most severe ruptures of confidence, when the necrosis of sin is eating up the lives of those involved, is it possible to rise above and maintain a spiritual composure? Certainly that must be so. But we have to apply biblical principles ruthlessly, without wavering.”

Family Prayer Is Inconvenient and Worth It, HT to Challies. “This happened most every night in our home. Everyone at the table prayed — out loud. Not just Mom. Not just Dad. It didn’t matter how old the kids were. If you could talk, you got to pray. Different than a dreaded duty, prayer was a valued habit around our table. My parents showed us what a privilege and joy it was to talk to our all-powerful God, who hears every prayer.”

Are Images of Christ OK? “Throughout history (especially in premodern times), visual representations of biblical stories have fostered biblical literacy. But there’s also a long history of opposition to biblical images. This opposition is largely rooted in the belief that the second commandment prohibits visual depictions of Jesus. Yet not all depictions of Jesus serve the same purpose. An icon, designed for veneration, doesn’t work the same way as an illustrated Bible storybook or a biblical show (like The Chosen).”