Laudable Linkage

Posted on May 30, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Here are some thought-provoking reads found this week:

What Does It Mean to Be Discerning? “Spiritual discernment is the skill of distinguishing what is true from what is false, what is right from what is wrong, and what is wise from what is foolish. In its fullest form, it is the skill of distinguishing what is true from what is almost true, what is wise from what is wiser still, and what is a matter of absolute right and wrong from what is a matter of conscience or legitimate disagreement.”

Harness the Power of Failure. “You are going to fail at some point in your life. You will probably fail at many things at many points in your life. The question is not whether you will fail, but what you fail at and how you will handle your failure. Believe it or not, failure can be valuable if we think about it and respond to it rightly.”

The Best Way to Resist Temptation, HT to Challies. “People talk about resisting temptation. How exactly does that work? Not very well, in my experience—at least, not if you try to face it head on and just say ‘no’ and ‘no’ and ‘no’ over and over again until you’re worn ragged and hoarse and half-mad from the relentless effort. There is, of course, no way around the fact that resisting temptation requires effort. But I believe there is a better way to focus and expend that effort than to simply lock eyes with your temptation and see who blinks first.”

Rushing Our Quiet Times, HT to Challies. “How long should quiet times take? . . . Lately my answer to this question has become simple: the right length for a quiet time is long enough to be unhurried. An unhurried quiet time means there is enough time to soak in God’s word. Time to savour and meditate on it. Time to explore, to follow a cross-reference. Time to read slowly, to reflect and perhaps memorise some verses. Not rushing allows enough time for God’s word to change us.”

The Most Awkward, Important Part of Prayer, HT to Challies. “If you find yourself skipping a certain element of prayer—Adoration/praise, Confession, Thanksgiving, or Supplication/asking—which one of these is it likely to be? Which one is the most awkward for you? Which one might you find yourself thinking, ‘I’m not sure exactly what to say here,’ and shortening or eliminating that part? I’m going to wager that it’s the first part: Adoration.”

The Lord of the Traffic Jam, HT to Challies. “But none of these statistics are as big a challenge in my daily commute than my own sinful heart. I find that my commute is the most difficult environment in which to remember that I am in fact a Christian. Even in gridlock, I am an ambassador for Christ, called to shine the light of Christ to my half a million neighbours.”

The Genuine Beauty of a Fruitful Life. “Appearances can be copied, but true fruitfulness cannot be manufactured. As Christian women, we can become so deeply dazzled by counterfeit fruit that we lose sight of what God’s kingdom actually values. The beauty of a truly fruitful life is found in faithfulness to the King, whose work in us produces a legacy that endures long after every imitation fades.”

Are You Willing to Show Up? HT to Challies. “Friend, in a world that is disconnected and distant, let’s be the people who show up. Not just once or twice. Not to check off a box for good deed of the day. But to be present. Imperfectly, awkwardly, perhaps even wordlessly, present.”

Actually, Having a Baby Has Slowed Me Down, HT to Challies. “When I was nine months pregnant, a colleague of mine informed me that pregnancy didn’t slow his wife down. Good for her. To be fair, pregnancy barely slowed me down either. I worked out the entire time, kept up with my too-many jobs, submitted my doctoral dissertation, and even recorded the audiobook for Spirit-Filled Singing while dealing with the worst of my first trimester nausea. But having a baby? Having a baby has slowed me down.”

You Can’t Give Your Children What You Don’t Have, HT to Challies. “Look carefully at how the passage is structured: God doesn’t start by saying, ‘Teach your children My words.’ Rather, He starts with the father: ‘These words that I command you today shall be on your heart.’ What a significant and often overlooked foundation. The command to teach your children comes second.”

Does a Promiscuous Past Affect a Christian Marriage? HT to Challies. “There are earthly consequences to sexual sin that can affect a marriage. If I said there weren’t, I’d be a liar. So, let’s look at the claims and understand the true dangers. But if you’re someone who walked a path similar to mine, stick around because there is so much hope. I promise.”

The Dangerous Days Past Middle Age. “I have an image in my mind of the godly old lady I want to be someday: soft-spoken, kind to all, full of wisdom. Having logged half a century under God’s sanctifying sandpaper, I should be well on my way by now. And, taking stock, I can see that I don’t have to rein in my temper as much as I used to, and there’s precious little out there that tempts me to covet. What I am learning, however, is that as I age, I sin differently. Sin is still ‘crouching at the door.’ It just comes in a different form.”

If you’re not hungry for God, what’s ruining your appetite?

Laudable Linkage

Posted on May 23, 2026 by Barbara Harper

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

Laudable Linkage

Posted on May 16, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good reads found this week:

So Many Dumb Ways to Die. “By my count, the song offers 21 ways to die, each one dumber than the last. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg, for there are many more ways to die than these—some avoidable or dumb, some unavoidable or heroic, but all tragic. Sadly, humanity has never come to the end of the ways we can die. Yet there is also a sense in which there are merely two ways to die: There is the death of the righteous and the death of the wicked.”

Help Please: The Christian’s Ceaseless Plea, HT to the Story Warren. “Though made in the image of God, these little dustlings are largely helpless, so it’s no wonder they continually ask for help. What should come as a surprise is that we, the ‘grown-up’ children of God, do not avail ourselves of the same ceaseless cry.” This article not only shares wonderful truth, but it’s a lovely piece of writing.

8 Gentle Truths for Exhausted Hearts, HT to Challies. “Do you feel weary from carrying too much? Here are 8 notes I wrote to myself during my 3 month Sabbatical, where I was reflecting on my habit of over-functioning—of being a daughter, wife, mother, worker, church leader, and pastor’s wife who is often driven by an urgency to do better, do more, and do it all.”

Advice on How to “Preach the Gospel” to Yourselves. We used to hear that phrase often, without any explanation as to what was actually meant. I appreciated this unpacking of its meaning and application.

The Gratitude Shift. “It’s a simple concept. In fact, it almost seems trite. How many times throughout life have we been told to be grateful for what we have? Yet, gratitude, even in its most elementary, basic form, works. It causes us to think about our blessings and the Source of our blessings, and in those thoughts we find true affection for God and all that He’s done.”

Is Your Women’s Ministry Accessible to Single Moms? HT to Challies. “When I became a single mom, going to church was the hardest part of my week. After juggling everything for the previous six days, I’d do the heavy lifting of getting to the Sunday morning pew, only to be asked questions about my husband. If I wanted to join any other aspect of church life like a Bible study or ministry team, I felt like I had to move mountains. So when I read that only one in four single moms attends church regularly, I wasn’t surprised.”

In Defense of Purity Culture. “No good deed that a culture or subculture sets out to perform will be without flaw. There were excesses in the movement, and those excesses resulted in real hurt to real people. But I think purity culture was a net good. I think it was on the right track, and I think that the best parts of purity culture should be and have been absorbed by the church as we hold up purity as an ideal for the next generation.”

He knows your case as thoroughly as if you were the only creature he ever made, or the only saint he ever loved. Approach him and be at peace. Charles Spurgeon

Laudable Linkage

Posted on May 9, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I have quite a few good links to share this week. I hope you’ll find some of them of interest.

What Biblical Women Reveal About the Journey To and Through Motherhood. “One seminar I would pay a small fortune to attend would be one on motherhood, led by the mothers in the Bible. I’m not sure if a week would be long enough to learn everything their stories teach us about mothering, about God, even about marriage, but I’d settle for a weekend.”

Don’t Let Her Die Before You Say This. A young believer asks John Piper how to minister to his dying, unbelieving mother. “The best thing I could do is to make the connection between your love for your mother and the love of Christ for you. It seems to me that you already have the right instincts for how to love her, because you say you’re going to stay by her and comfort her, and that you’ve tried to share the gospel with her. And I would urge simply that you keep on doing what you’re already doing, and that you see it as an expression of Christ’s love for you and through you to your mother.”

A Prayer for Graduation Day. A mother’s prayer amidst the mixed emotions when a child graduates.

Not Every Hurt Is Church Hurt: Discerning the Difference, HT to Challies. “Not every pain that happens in a church is ‘church hurt’ as we often frame it. Sometimes it is human sin, human immaturity, and human blindness. If we don’t learn to carefully separate those, we risk letting our wound reshape our entire view of God’s people.”

Your Body is a Temple, So Act, HT to Challies. “It’s one thing to read that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). It’s another thing entirely to believe it and live it. This is especially true in a culture that degrades the body, that consumes the body, that commodifies the body, that abuses the body, that teaches men that women’s bodies are there to be tortured for sexual gratification, that teaches women to torture their bodies for the male gaze, that teaches both sexes to give into their fleshly passions instead of developing chastity.”

What Changed When I Taught My Small Group Leaders to Slow Down. “The most important thing they can do for their group is not to have all the answers. It is to help people see what is on the page. If your group can learn to read carefully before they respond quickly, you have given them something that will shape them long after your group semester ends.”

Searching for a Sign, HT to Challies. “‘God, please give me a sign’, I said quietly, as I stepped outside. I was in the middle of a confusing situation. I didn’t know what to do, or how. I couldn’t see how anything could work out well. I wanted to know that God was near, and involved. I wanted to see a display of his care, and power. I’m not sure what kind of sign I was looking for, exactly.”

The Foundation of Christian Time Management. “Everyone has a motivation for getting stuff done, whether they can name it or not. For most of the world, it’s something like status, money, survival, or career advancement. But for the Christian, the motivation should be categorically different. In fact, if we miss this we are missing Christian productivity altogether. Our motivation is the foundation.”

From Friend to Friend, HT to Challies. “The gospel has always had a way of moving in the most beautiful and ordinary way. Indeed, it has crossed oceans, shaken cities, overturned temples, angered kings, outlived empires, and outburied its enemies. This is fascinating alone, but very often it has moved in the simplest way imaginable, from friend to friend, from brother to brother, from one ordinary conversation to another, from one man saying to another, with whatever mumbling, stumbling, and trembling he could manage, ‘I want to tell you about Christ.'”

5 Things We Lose When We Subtract Evangelism from the Christian Life. HT to Challies. “If we’re ever to overcome our fear of evangelism, not only must we love others more than ourselves, but we must also believe that evangelism’s benefits outweigh any risks involved. But what are the benefits associated with sharing the gospel? Rather, what might we lose if we subtract evangelism from our lives? Here are five things to consider.”

Peacemaker vs. Peacekeeper: Understanding the Biblical Difference. “When Jesus said peacemakers are blessed, He wasn’t calling us to avoid hard conversations. He was calling us to pursue true peace—even when it’s uncomfortable.”

Help Her Go: Why World Missions Needs Women, HT to Challies. “Ever since Mary Magdalene ran from the tomb to tell the disbelieving disciples, ‘He is risen!’ He is born again! God has used women — single and married — to take the good news of Christ’s resurrection to the ends of the earth. Sometimes, however, our sisters face greater difficulties finding acceptance, financial support, and even respect on their way to the field.”

So Much of Parenting Is Just This Simple Easy* Thing, HT to Challies. “So much of parenting is holding the balance, arms stretched across chasms. So much we don’t say;
so much we wish we had. So much I can’t change; probably a lot I should change if I knew better. Swallow my pride, swallow a million words, spare them the lecture and step into the gaping empty room of silence with head nods and ‘Tell me more.'”

More Than Wrinkles: 11 Blessings of Growing Older, HT to Challies. After reading a native post about aging, the author began to “think about what the blessings of aging could be, and also of what our biblical response must be. Is this just a cruel joke at end our life – that of getting old? Has God forsaken us who are over 60? No!!!”

Faith of our mothers, living still
In cradle song and bedtime prayer;
In nursery lore and fireside love,
Thy presence still pervades the air.
-From “Faith of Our Mothers”
by Arthur Bardwell Patten

Laudable Linkage

Posted on May 2, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I don’t understand when people say blogging is dead. There are multitudes of good bloggers out there. Here are a few:

AI Is Coming for Your Systematic Theology as well as other books. The problems with AI-generated books and ways to spot them.

Finding True Identity in an Age of AI. “People turn to AI for lots of things, and I see value in many of the services it provides. It helps organize my scattered ideas into a logical flow. It’s great at suggesting conversation starters to spark deeper connections. It can generate a meal idea from the random ingredients in my pantry and refrigerator. It can even take an existing talk and swiftly build a slide deck. But if we look to ChatGPT to speak into our identity, we begin cultivating something artificial. AI cannot replace personal connection or Spirit-led truth—and it must not replace Christ-centered encouragement. “

Because of Jesus, Our Best Years Are Always Ahead of Us, HT to Challies. “The words ‘finish well’ mean more to me than they ever did, and I am more determined than ever to complete my race to the glory of God. Especially because I know that after the finish line, what awaits us is eternal goodness, glory, beauty, a restored earth, and a depth of relationship with God and each other beyond what we can imagine.”

Courageous Waiting. “We tend to see waiting as a pause in activity. As in ‘I’m going to wait out this economic downturn.’ Or ‘you’ve been added to the waiting list.’ But in Psalm 27, David presents a dramatically different perspective on waiting. I call it ‘courageous waiting‘. Let’s consider David’s mindset in these two verses.”

Weakness as a Canvas: The Anatomy of a Sacred Lament. “Suffering is not a sign of God’s absence, but a unique venue for His presence. What does this look like?”

Fur Babies and Pet Stewardship, HT to Challies. I don’t think I have ever seen an article on this topic, but this brings out some good things to think about.

“Acceptance of the will of God means relinquishment of our own. If our hands are full of our own plans, there isn’t room to receive His.” Elisabeth Elliot

Laudable Linkage

Posted on April 25, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good reading found this week:

The Kind of Man It Takes to Marry a Woman with Past Sexual Sin, HT to Challies. “It seems to me that the kind of man who would choose to marry a woman who has been redeemed by God and transformed by his grace, willing to take upon himself any burdens that might come along with her past, is a man who is like Jesus. In taking me as his bride, my husband is a picture that points to what Christ has done for us. It doesn’t get more godly than that.”

The Paradox of the Brightening Path, HT to Challies. “There’s a paradox you’ll encounter the longer you walk with Jesus. The more you experience the light of his love, the more clearly you see the remaining spots and stains in your life. Progress seems lacking. Stumbles continue to mark your journey. The more you know the Lord’s love for you, the more you feel your unworthiness and your dependence on his grace. This doesn’t mean you’re going backward. I call it the paradox of the brightening path.”

Stay in the Present Moment During Your Seasons of Transition. “The weather and the calendar eventually reconcile, but we all know that other transitions don’t resolve themselves so dependably. Here’s the question, then: What can I do with what’s right here in front of me today?”

5 Simple Ways to Extend Biblical Hospitality. “Thankfully, we can live out God’s command to practice hospitality in ways as different as we are. Remember—there’s a huge difference between entertaining and hospitality. Entertaining usually involves fancy dishes, silverware, and expense. Hospitality can be as simple as takeout pizza on paper plates. If God is nudging you out of your comfort zone and into greater obedience in the area of biblical hospitality, consider these five simple ways to practice it.”

Is Your Fatherhood Like a Rubik’s Cube? HT to Challies. These truths are good for mothers to remember as well as fathers. “I call this The Rubik’s Cube Effect. One side starts to come together, but in the very act of bringing order there, something else is thrown out of place.”

Random Thoughts About Preaching and Being Preached To. “There are few matters more foundational to pastoral ministry than preaching, and few matters more common to the Christian experience than being preached to. Most pastors will preach thousands of sermons over the span of their ministry, and most congregants will listen to thousands of sermons over the span of their lifetime. This means we should think about preaching often and well!”

The deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able to honestly to pray what He taught His disciples to pray: “Thy will be done.”–Elisabeth Elliot, Passion and Purity

Laudable Linkage

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the thought-provoking reads found this week:

The Heavens Are Still Declaring–and Not Just to Astronauts, HT to Challies. “What seems to happen for the astronauts is that they gain enough distance from the distractions that it interrupts their internal suppression. They move far enough away from the static of everyday life that God’s signal can once again be heard with clarity. And what they hear profoundly changes them.”

Don’t Skim the “Minor” Bible Stories. “While the amount of ‘real estate’ given to a particular story in the Bible is worth noting, it doesn’t give us license to ignore or rush past the little moments. All of it is included for our ‘teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work’ (2 Tim. 3:16–17). This truth opens the door for the ‘smaller’ (and sometimes more confusing) stories to come alive.”

When Christian Formation is Tough, What Will Keep You Going? HT to the Story Warren. “Walk long enough with believers who are seeking the Lord through prayer, Bible reading, and service in the church, and you’ll hear comments like this. Words of weariness. Fragments of discouragement. Maybe you’re there right now—demoralized by division in your church, disillusioned by unanswered prayers, disinclined to open God’s Word when carving out time already feels impossible. What will keep you praying in circumstances like this? What will keep you going to God’s Word? What will keep you in the church?”

6 Arguments Satan Uses to Tempt You and 6 Responses to Use When He Does, HT to Challies. “We often want to change the consequences of sin but not the sin itself. We want to do something about the guilt, the fear, the damaged relationships. These outcomes can be a strong motive for seeking help, but in our heart of hearts, we still desire the sin itself.”

Once a Promiscuous Woman, Always a Promiscuous Woman, HT to Challies. “Tell me you don’t understand the gospel without telling me. I really wish this was a niche belief . . . It seems there are a lot more Christ-proclaiming men and women who don’t understand how far the grace of God can reach. They don’t understand how far it had to reach to save them, too.”

Nothing to Hide: Encouraging Transparency in our Relationships. “Here I was, a biblical counselor, helping others with their problems, and yet I was struggling, too. Should I share this with the women at the study? The study I was leading? What would they think of me? Or should I push through, pretending to be someone I was not? I stayed with my conviction to confess these things from my heart.”

Christians must make dating great again, HT to Challies. “In response to the excesses of ’90s hookup culture, many well-meaning parents and churches told their children to ‘kiss dating goodbye.’ The intention was good: avoid sexual sin, take relationships seriously, aim for marriage. But the unintended consequence was that many young adults stopped dating altogether.” I think the advice here is good not just due to lower birth rates, as seems to be the author’s main emphasis, but to encourage young people in their relationships and to help counteract some of the wrong advice from the past.

“I Just Want You to Be Happy” and Other Things I Don’t Tell My Single Friends. “Proverbs 27:6 says, ‘The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.’ An enemy, literally ‘one who hates,’ may appear to be a friend because she doesn’t offer criticism or rebuke. Yet, ironically, a true friend is more loving because she is willing to offer wise correction, even if it stings in the moment or isn’t what the other person wants to hear. That’s why I’ve stopped using these three statements with my single friends.”

Look for the Light. “My children carefully observed all that was going on that day. They saw my grandmother’s frailty and despite her inability to connect, they loved her without condition. Then, they generously shared their joy with another man they barely knew. How can one not see God at work there?”

“The name of Jesus Christ is hell’s terror, heaven’s delight, and earth’s hope.”– Charles Spurgeon

Laudable Linkage

Posted on April 11, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good reads found this week:

Why Pray Prayers of Adoration? “Why do we need to pray prayers of adoration? In my unceasing love for efficiency, I’ve asked this question many times. Doesn’t God already know who He is and what He’s like? Why do I need to remind Him repeatedly of His own character? Maybe you’ve quietly asked questions like these at some point in your life with God. When your to-do list includes more items than your day allows, it can feel like spending whatever minutes you have petitioning God for needed help makes the most sense, not naming His many attributes. The truth is our need to adore God is greater than any other need.”

I Will Most Gladly. “Rather than being in danger of losing myself as I served my family, I usually faced the opposite danger of holding myself back, of measuring out my service. Too often I’ve missed the blessing that comes from giving all I have, then witnessing the Lord’s provision as he meets me at the bottom of the empty barrel and gives me more to spend. So I set these words where I would see them daily.”

The Refuge of Repentance. “These song lyrics by author Michael Ledner, made popular by the musical group Selah, are based on Psalm 32:7: ‘You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah‘ (Psalm 32:7 NASB95). Surprisingly, though, the context of those words is not deliverance from an enemy but from sin through confession.”

Hiding from God. “Unfortunately, when one discipline goes haywire, it affects others. Prayer, for instance. I’ve realized that when I feel I’m failing at my Bible reading plan, I tend to avoid prayer, as if God won’t want to hear from me because I lost three weeks in Leviticus and can’t seem to make up the difference in a timely manner. In a sense, I’m attempting to hide from God like he’s an angry, disappointed father, although I know that’s a lie. This desire for spiritual perfection is really a cancer in my walk with Christ, because it keeps me from experiencing the joy and abundant life that Jesus came to provide for me. That rest and peace is right in front of me, that delight in God’s word, that life-giving truth, but I can’t see it for the list of rules that I impose upon myself. I identify with the Pharisees, except I do see Jesus for who He is.”

Winter’s Cold and Heaven’s Joy. “There are views, scenes, and landscapes that are almost too beautiful to behold. But few things move me more deeply than a Christian who holds joyfully steadfast under severe trial. Few things are more supernatural than a person who knows the Lord’s providence has directed a great loss, yet who continues to love and serve him all the more. True faith is especially vivid and beautiful when it takes the form of unshakable joy.”

What Does It Mean to Live at Peace with Everyone? “Jesus didn’t say, ‘Blessed are the conflict avoiders.’ He said, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Mt 5:9). Peacemakers are active, intentional, and sometimes face uncomfortable situations.”

Wear Your Own Armor, HT to Challies. This is written to pastors, but applicable in many ways to all of us. The author uses David not being able to use Saul’s armor in his fight against Goliath as a metaphor for not trying to model our ministry for the Lord like other people do.

Why Nietzsche Was Wrong About Weakness, HT to Challies. “Paul’s calculus is upside down: More suffering in my life means more of Jesus at work in me. This logic collides with our culture’s instincts. We’re obsessed with bravado, with bullying, with pathetic claims to power that must look so small to the God of the universe.”

If your life is broken, it may be because pieces will feed a multitude.–Elisabeth Elliot

Laudable Linkage

Posted on April 4, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I have just a short list to share today:

Easter Week in Real Time, HT to the Story Warren. Russ Ramsey has put together the Bible accounts of the last week of Jesus’ earthly life in chronological order.

The Day Between Loss and Glory, HT to Challies. “Easter weekend has always been one of contemplation for me; and much more so over the last three years as we continue to navigate what life is like after the death of our eldest son, Ezra. I often think about Friday and Christ’s crucifixion; the incredible sacrifice he made for sinners like me. I love to celebrate on Sunday; the glory and hope of the resurrection. In recent years, however, I find Saturday is much more dear to me.”

All Thinks Considered. Thinking about overthinking. “Overthinking, on the other hand, is getting stuck in woulda, shoulda, what-ifs, and whys, analyzing and reanalyzing the same thoughts, situations, and interactions—past, present, and future—and obsessing about the outcome. It’s that kind of overthinking that can trap us in all kinds of worry and the highest anxiety. It can freeze up our decision-making abilities.”

Spirit-Empowered Growth. “Spiritual growth is possible because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit actively works in our lives to make us more like Christ. He accomplishes His sanctifying work in a number of different ways.”

Why Did God Reject Cain’s Offering? “The second sin in the Bible is Cain’s anger at and murder of his brother. This story is both incredibly relatable, as is seen from the scores of families that have been strained, divided, and ultimately ripped apart from envy, anger, and jealousy. Yet it is also confusing. It’s confusing because it isn’t immediately obvious why God is displeased with Cain’s offering. Several theories have been proposed, and I have a theory of my own to throw in at the end. I want to work through each of these and examine the strengths and weaknesses of each position.”

Grace in the Struggle: 5 Truths from Life with Fabry. Ashley writes about what she’s learned from a chronic illness called Fabry disease, but these truths are applicable for other conditions as well.

The devil thought he was defeating Christ, but Christ was reconciling us to God, defeating the devil and delivering us out of His clutches. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Laudable Linkage

Posted on March 28, 2026 by Barbara Harper

The internet is full of good blogging. Here are a few samples I found this week:

How Do I “Look to Jesus“? HT to the Story Warren. “For all the inspiration we find in the phrase “looking to Jesus,” we may struggle to know exactly what it means. Look to Jesus, yes — but how?”

The Black Sheep and the Laptop Girl, HT to Challies. “I am pleased to share a true story of a decade-long friendship and sisterhood that I hold close to my heart. It is a story of how God once challenged my apathy for the lost in my city. It is a testimony of God’s power and goodness despite my fears and presumptions. It is an example of the value of small talk and sincerity, in a world starved of authenticity and hope.” I enjoyed this a lot.

Love the Hard Ones, HT to Challies. Ths is written for pastors, but it’s good for everyone. I’ve had trouble loving “hard people,” too. “Christ has filled his church with many kind, generous, and gracious people. His Spirit is clearly at work in them. But the Spirit is working in others too, even the opinionated and ungrateful. These men and women may not be a joy to pastor. They like to argue, or they’re grumpy, or they chronically complain—or all of the above. They might be cantankerous, but they’re still God’s. And he calls us to shepherd them as well.”

4 Ways to Combat the Fear of Man, HT to Redeeming Productivity. “Thankfully, as I’ve grown in my faith, the Lord has given me tangible freedom—more than I could’ve imagined when I was younger. While fearing man will always be a temptation, I’ve found tools to combat it when it arises. Here are four habits that have helped me.”

Embracing Slow Sanctification. “In these middle years of life, after walking with Jesus for decades, not days, this is how I’m learning to see the sanctification process. It’s slow by design. The finish line isn’t a moment of arrival but a spiraling closer and closer toward the heart of Jesus.”

When Your Spouse Stops Being Your Project. “Though both husband and wife may acknowledge they have sins and weaknesses of their own, they are convinced that the greatest holdup belongs to the other person. Many spouses remain stuck here almost indefinitely, trapped in the conviction that the transformation of their marriage lies just on the far side of the transformation of their spouse.”

8 Things Caregivers Should Know About Dementia, HT to Challies. “It’s important to remember dementia is a physical disease that causes psychological symptoms. Dementia patients can’t always control their behavior. But for the more than 11 million U.S. adults caring for someone with dementia, it can be hard to remember that when a parent lashes out, empties every kitchen cabinet, or wanders outside at 3:00 a.m. It can be hard for me to remember, and I’ve spent my career in the medical field. Dementia can drive a caregiver either to exasperation or to the cross.”

Wonderfully Woven Personalities. “Even though personality profiles are man-made, it seems self-evident that every child enters the world possessing a unique, one-of-a-kind personality. How can we explain the natural bent that manifests itself so early on in life? Doesn’t it stand to reason that our inner personhood receives God’s attention just as much as our outward formation?”

Three Reminders for Spring. “Last week I got in the car and saw a thick yellow film across the windshield. I turned on the washer fluid and got the wipers going. When that layer of pollen comes to rest on everything everywhere, there’s no mistaking—spring has arrived, and with it, a special level of frantic activity. Here are three things to remember as you usher in the spring with your kids.”