Category Archives: Laudable Linkage

Laudable Linkage

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I’m here again today with my almost weekly round-up of interesting reads from the last week or so:

Gospel-Centered Reduction: Slighting the Spirit. There has been something bothering me about the term “gospel-centered” being used as an adjective on just about everything in Christianity in recent years, but I couldn’t quite articulate why. This article touches on some of the reasons.

Coffee With Facepalm Jesus Calling, HT to Bobbi. The various problems with portraying Jesus as saying things He wouldn’t say, from memes to cartoons to Jesus Calling.

Fred Phelps and the Anti-Gospel of Hate.

9 Things We Should Get Rid of to Help Our Kids.

31 Days of Purity: The Throne of Grace. I especially appreciated the paragraph by Lambert in the middle about the difference between condemning self-talk and confession.

This Mother Tore Off labels and Nurtured Her Son’s Hidden Genius.

Soldier Finds Lifeline in Letter Exchange With Vermont Author, HT to Sherry. I have never read either of these authors but want to now. I espcially liked this: “I needed that reminder that there was still hope and still beauty in the world. At that time in my life there was none. There was nothing except guns and fear. I was really not at all sure that I was ever going to get out of that place. This book gave me a little bit of beauty at that time, and I needed it. Not the way I need a new app for my iPad. I needed it to keep my soul alive.”

Threads: Loved this: “Every great story tells in some part The Great Story. Each truth revealed helps us make sense of our world. And through each tragedy, comedy, and fairy tale, the Truth is woven through the fabric of our being.” I don’t know that I’d say that about every story – I’ve read some awful ones with little redeeming value – but overall, yes, truth even in fiction points us to the ultimate Author of truth.

Happy Saturday!

Laudable Linkage

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Here is a round-up of interesting reads from the last couple of weeks:

I am afraid of this indisputable pro-choice argument. You can tell by his tone and answers that he is not. Some thought it sarcastic, but I felt he was just trying to be ironic.

They’ll Be Dead by Morning (What Difference Will It Make?)

A good series on rethinking short-term missions:

Don’t Be the Team that Refuses to Shower (can you imagine?!)
The Limo From Beverly Hills in Your Neighborhood.
How to Make Sure They Love You on the Other Side.
Don’t Be So Predictable.

7 Mistakes We Make in Women’s Bible Study.

What You Really Need in Marriage, HT to Challies.

Why Do Teenagers Rebel? Thoughts From a 19-Year-Old Who Didn’t.

Pray For Your Missionaries. HT to Kim.

Unhappy Meals.

The Gap. For writers, your first efforts are not usually your best, but they’re necessary to get to your best.

The BBC believe most people have only read 6 of these 100 classics. I gt 25, but may have read more – some I couldn’t remember if I had read the books or just seen the films. For what it’s worth, I made my own list of Books to Read Before You Die and 98 Books That Have Enriched My Life. I’d probably have 100+ now if I updated it.

And this made me smile:

DST

Happy Saturday!

Laudable Linkage

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Here are some noteworthy reads from the last couple of weeks:

An Invitation. “I don’t want to be grouchy and discontented. I don’t want to become angry with my kids, short-tempered with my husband, or aloof with my friends. It is my desire to be more. To be patient, kind, and others-centered.”

Dear Lonely Mom of Older Kids.

Why Miscarriage Matters If You’re Pro-Life.

Don’t Be Original.

There are two helpful posts concerning the issue of Christians not wanting to give business to situations that would violate their consciences and whether or not that is hypocritical: Against Christian Hypocrisy and On Weddings and Conscience: Are Christians Hypocrites?

The Heartbreak of Foster Care. “We don’t do it because we aren’t afraid of heartbreak, but because we are afraid of what would happen to them without us.”

Trailer for “Unbroken” Movie. I loved the book about Louis Zamperini, Olympic runner who became a POW in WWII. The trailer looks good: I hope the movie does it justice.

Teddy Roosevelt’s Rules For Reading. I especially like the idea that there is no list of the 100 best books that will fit everyone.

Infographic: Top Ten Reasons for Choosing a Paper Book Over an E-Book. I do read e-books – can’t pass up the free or deeply discounted chance to get books, plus they’re convenient to carry around – but I do still prefer paper books. This graphic shows the top reasons other people prefer them, too.

Why Some Kids Can’t Spell and Why Spelling Tests Won’t Help.

And a couple of fun things:

Tiny Lego Photographer. Really neat photos.

The Man Who Built the Settlers of Catan game.

20 People Who Tried Things on Pinterest and Totally Nailed It. This is hilarious. I’ve written before of some of my cake disasters: these look like something I would do.

I saw this going around Facebook: a math teacher whose students never suspected his secret softer side:

Laudable Linkage

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Here is my Saturday collection of some great reads discovered in the last week or so:

When God Does the Miracle We Didn’t Ask For.

15 Reasons I Stayed in the Church.

O Zion, Haste. How missionary work offers not only help for eternity, but also for the here and now, and some reasons why that is.

My Take: DIY, Pinterest, and the Rise of the New Domesticity. This and the two links directly above are all from the same blog. Someone put a link to one on Facebook and I really enjoyed looking at some of the other posts as well.

Use Your Words to witness as well as your life.

5 Things Modesty Never Taught Me.

25 Ways to Communicate Respect to Your Husband.

Five Lies About Your Body.

Sometimes Valentine’s Day Is About the Moldy Drywall. Loved this.

Tips for Possible Power Outages. Glad we didn’t have to use these during the last storm, but it’s good to review them occasionally.

Happy Saturday, or as my son said, “Happy Discount Love Candy Day to all! ‪” 🙂

Laudable Linkage

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Here are some noteworthy reads discovered over the last few weeks:

Has ‘Authenticity’ Trumped Holiness?

Authenticity, Honesty, and the Stay-at-Home Mother.

Would That Be Okay? “What if your kid never really does all that great in sports?…never really gets it when it comes to reading?…isn’t wired for college?”

3 Questions You Must Ask Before Reacting.

How Will I Compare?

Don’t Give My Husband Romance Lessons, Thank You.

Before You Were Mommy.

“I Feel Like a Mean Mom”

When Mothering Is Hard and No One Sees.

Valentine’s Day Single? No Problem…Seriously.

The Historical Reality of Adam.

The Beginnings of a Dark-Tinted, Truth-Filled Reading List

Selling Hope: How Christian Fiction Makes a Difference.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Laudable Linkage and Videos

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Here are just a few good reads from the past week, with more commentary than usual:

A Tale of Two Comparisons. Most times we get into trouble when we compare ourselves with others, and the Bible warns against the wrong kinds of comparisons that provoke jealousy, envy, discouragement, or discontent. But we can do so in a way that spurs us on to grow and to follow them as they follow Christ.

7 Do’s and Don’ts of Welcoming People to Your Congregation.

Gary Thomas’ ‘Sacred Marriage’: Not the Last Word on Marriage, HT to Challies. I kept thinking “Yes!” as I read through this. The author takes issue with the premise “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?” by pointing out that marriage was created before the fall and its purpose is primarily companionship rather than sanctification (although God can use it in our sanctification, but I have read so many “holy, not happy” posts about marriage that if I weren’t married and read those things, I’d be discouraged from ever getting married, because they made it sound so dreary.)

Let Your Husband Love You, HT to Challies. “I get it. The kids have been climbing on you all day…you’re sick of being clawed at, sucked on, licked, punched, kicked, pulled, snotted on, cried on, spit up on, pooped on, and peed on….I know you don’t want to be touched and for some reason, an innocent compliment can offend you. But…” Excellent. She also responds here to some of the feedback she got from her post.

My friend Lou Ann has been conducting a survey of singles and shares some results of it in The Singles Survey: Introduction and Part 2. Very important. We so often unwittingly wound our single friends..

And here are a couple of short videos that made me smile:

Shared by my son, a little girl meets her father’s twin brother for the first time and gets confused. The look on her face is priceless.

And I clicked on this after looking at one The Story Warren shared about a camera shaped like an egg in a penguin colony. That was pretty neat, but this one was funny:

Have a great Saturday!

 

Laudable Linkage

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Here are a few good reads from the last week:

When Your Calling Frightens You.

The Distinct, Positive Impact of a Good Dad.

The Mother I Meant To Be.

I Signed Up For This. Accepting the difficulties of motherhood, by God’s grace.

The Dark-Tinted, Truth-Filled Reading List We Owe Our Kids.

Russian Mother Takes Magical Pictures of of Her Kids and Animals. Some of the most gorgeous photos I’ve seen.

And if you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you threw boiling water into freezing air:

And here’s one way to walk a dog:

I didn’t watch the whole thing – it’s about the same for the first couple of minutes.

Hope you gave a great Saturday!

Laudable Linkage

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Here are a few interesting reads found this week:

Head Knowledge = Good. Heart Knowledge = Good. We need both.

Reading the Bible Like Jesus: Matt. 22:31 and Reading the Bible Like Jesus: Luke 24. I would just caution, with the first one, that though we do need to read the Bible as written directly to us, we need to remember that not every instruction or promise is for us to follow. Some things were given specifically to Israel or to an individual. But, yes, even that is written to us for a purpose.

Don’t Pray in Circles!

Coming Home: When Missionaries Come Off the Field. Ways to be helpful rather than hurtful.

Rescued. Beautiful.

How Do Birds Keep Warm in Winter? HT to FFF friend Kathie (who always has gorgeous photos!) I thought our resident cardinals were just getting fat, and though they do eat more to stay warm, they also fluff layers of air amidst their wings as insulation. Very interesting article.

Saw this at Bobbi‘s. Very sweet. I don’t know if falling makes you stronger, as it says at the end, but I do hope I’ve taught my kids that falling isn’t the end. This is a good reminder, too, that though Olympic athletes are talented, they also have years of hard word leading up to their feats.

Have a good weekend!

Laudable Linkage

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I was going to wait until next week to share these since I only had a few – but last time I did that I ended up with a very long list the following week. So here’s a fairly short list of posts I found interesting this week, and thought you might, too:

My long time “real life” friend Debbie blogs at Purple Grandma, and we share a love of missionary books. When my own kids were young and then recently when I compiled a list of missionary books for children, I noticed there were none for toddler/preschool age. The earliest missionary books were early-reader chapter books. So Debbie compiled some of her own just for general reading or family devotions, etc., that she is beginning to share on her blog. I really enjoyed the first about Jennie Atkinson and look forward to reading more.

Ringing in the New Year. “The character of your life won’t be established in two or three dramatic moments, but in 10,000 little moments. Your legacy will be shaped more by the 10,000 little decisions you make in 2014 rather than the last-minute resolution you’re about to make….That’s a lot of moments. Too many, in fact, to accomplish successfully on our way. No wonder we settle for one big resolution instead of a day-by-day resolutions. But here’s what makes 10,000 little resolutions possible – GRACE. Relentless, transforming, little-moment grace.”

2 Year Bible Reading Plan. I love reading the Bible through, but trying to do it in a year always seems rushed to me.

Food Is Not Your God. I’m not into the whole foods movement as a movement, though I agree they are better for us, but it seems some kind of emphasis about food sweeps through the Christian community occasionally. I appreciate the balance and focus of this post.

Communicating With People Who Have Dementia.

Saw this at Bobbi‘s – quite moving:

Happy first Saturday of the new year!

Laudable Linkage

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If you’re like me, there hasn’t been a lot of time for Internet reading the past week, but here are some things I found interesting over the last couple.

5 Things Christians Should Stop Saying.

My Preferred Way to Read the Bible. I tend to go back and forth – more general reading some times and then camping out in one book some times.

Dear Kids: What You Need to Know About Duck Dynasty, Justine Sacco, and Christmas.

Is a Simple Christmas a More Godly Christmas? While the message to simplify is a good and needed one, and we could all probably simplify in some ways (in life as well as at Christmas), there are some times that we can’t, and there are some times that what we call simplifying = selfishness and unwillingness to sacrifice and serve. This is one of those areas that will look different for different people and requires discernment and wisdom.

Aren’t There Enough Christian Books Already?

My Take on “The Hobbit” 2. Pretty much my take as well.

This is the US Air Force Band staging a flash mob at the National Air and Space Museum. I was amused that at the end they were all organized in neat rows, unlike most flash mobs. 🙂 I always wonder what it is like for the very first person to step out into a crowd and start singing or playing.

Hope you have a great weekend! I’ll have some exciting news next week. 🙂