Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 21, 2024 by Barbara Harper

Here are some of the good reads found this week:

Will God Forgive My Worst Sin? “When I hear this question that’s so filled with self-recrimination and doubt and fear and guilt, I want very much to introduce this woman — I wish I knew her name, as I could call her by name — to what I have for many years called ‘gutsy guilt.”

God Is Good to Forbid Sin. A helpful lens with which to view God’s commandments.

How Do Spiritually Mature Christians Handle Suffering? “Much of our thinking about suffering is unbiblical. We tend to think that spiritual maturity somehow inoculates us against the pain of suffering. We falsely imagine that the more spiritually mature we are, the less emotional pain we will experience when we suffer.”

What If the Worst Happens? “I found myself growing fearful. Not a heart-stopping, all-encompassing fear, but the kind of constant gnawing that occurs when you look at the discouraging trends of the present and assume things will never change. When you think about the future and wonder, ‘What if the worst happens?'”

John Piper on Brokenhearted Boldness: A Christian Alternative to Outrage Culture. “Boldness can become brash, harsh, severe, cruel, angry, impatient, contentious, belligerent, coarse, crude, snarky, snide, loud, garish, obnoxious — all in the name of Christian courage. Or more subtly, boldness in the cause of truth can become, even if less brash and severe, more all-consuming. It can become such a fixation that all other beautiful affections and dispositions are eaten away from within.”

How to “Get Over It” When You Taught Poorly. “If you teach the Bible regularly, you know the experience of wishing you had done better — sometimes much better — immediately after you finished.” This is true for writing as well as speaking.

Is That Person Male or Female? “Is there a scientific and effective way to discern whether someone is male or female? The answer is yes. There have been established methods for a long time. It’s only with the recent rise of transgender ideology that there has been any substantial pushback to these methods. Here are three ways to determine whether someone is male or female.”

How to Have Better Conversations. “The problem is that if asked, most of us would have no plan for how to improve our conversation skills. We have goals for our weight and physical exercise but not for what occupies more time than anything else in our day. If you don’t have ideas on how you can improve your conversation skills, you won’t.” This is something I have struggled with over the years. Numbers 1 and 2 have been the most helpful to me.

In the past, I’ve included a phrase a phrase behind the links in these posts—a “HT” to another site. Occasionally someone will ask me what “HT” means. It refers to “hat tip,” a way of giving a nod to the place where I saw the link I’m sharing. I used to see this designation in many places, but it occurs to me that I don’t anymore. So I decided to take it out. Let me know if you have a preference for it to remain.

God shields us from most of the things we fear, but when he chooses not to shield us,
he unfailingly allots grace in the measure needed.
–Elisabeth Elliot, Secure in the Everlasting Arms

Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 14, 2024 by Barbara Harper

Some of the thought-provoking posts found this week:

A Sycamore Tree. a Car Crash, and God’s Provision, HT to Challies. “When we think of God’s providential provision for his children, we often think in immediate terms—the unexpected financial gift that comes on the day the bill is due, the odds-defying recovery, or the new job starting right when the severance pay ended. These kinds of immediate interventions are marvellous. They should lead us to praise and give thanks to the God who gives them. But we should also be ready to see that many of God’s provisions are prepared for us long before our needs arise.”

Brussels Sprouts or Brownies? How Would You Describe Your Bible Reading? “I wanted to love my Bible, but I didn’t. It seemed more like brussels sprouts than brownies. Something I consumed because it was good for me, not because it tasted good. I wish I could say my attitude toward the Bible changed overnight. Instead, it was a slow but steady transformation that began when I read a passage the apostle James wrote to the church. There I learned how to position myself to learn from and love God’s Word.”

Let the Cursor Blink, HT to Challies. “The path of wisdom has footprints of restraint. It’s the idea of holding back or keeping back. There’s an intentional restriction of what is said. This is the self-control that knows that sometimes it’s better to be slow to speak (James 1:19) or even not to speak (or text, or email, or post).”

Are Christians Parents Too Protective of Their Children? HT to Challies. “As nervous Christian parents, we sometimes think our number one job is to make sure our kids are never exposed to any non-Christian thinking. We may be tempted to place them inside a sanitized theological bubble, safe from all forms of intellectual contamination. But, as for germ-conscious parents, this may not be accomplishing what we think.”

You Can Parent Teens with Hope in a Secular Age. “All this leads Christian parents to their greatest concern: Is it possible for my teen to develop a strong faith in God amid a culture that celebrates sin, promotes self, and declares truth to be whatever feels good in the moment?“

Exercising an Idle Mind. “I see in myself the need to flee not just from idle hands but also an idle mind. As is true of many women, unless I’m sleeping, my mind is quite active. And if I do not give my mind a steady intake of good fuel to burn, I will often be burning whatever fuel I can find. The result? Lots of thoughts about aimless things.”

Walking Our Wives Through the Valley of Miscarriage: An Encouragement to Husbands, HT to Challies. “Miscarriage brings a unique grief in the valley of death; and it’s not an area well-known to us, especially us husbands. There are no maps; no entry and exit signs. There is only darkness, grief, and pain. And while, as fathers, we certainly grieve when our unborn children die, mothers seem to bear a far greater burden, a far deeper wound to the soul.”

Why We Worry When Choosing a Bible Translation, HT to Challies. There are difficulties but also benefits of having multiple Bible translations.

Why a Good God Commanded the Israelites to Destroy the Canaanites, HT to Challies. This is something atheists love to throw at Christians, and it’s something difficult to understand. This post raises some good points.

This hard place in which you, perhaps, find yourself, is the very place in which God is giving you opportunity to look only to Him. –Elisabeth Elliot

Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 7, 2024 by Barbara Harper

Here are some of the thought-provoking reads found this week:

Abortion vs. Free Speech. “Which of these election issues is more important to a believer?” The writer gives some compelling reasons why free speech might be, partly because we need it to speak out about abortion and other things. Some of the links to incidents curtailing free speech are frightening.

Suicide–When Hope Runs Out, HT to Challies. Reason people commit suicide, reasons not to.

When Resilience and Grit Aren’t Enough, HT to Challies. “I have pretty high odds, statistically, of having numerous, overwhelming problems as an adult, whether mental or physical, relational or marital, financial or housing-related. But in all of those areas, despite the odds, I’m doing okay—and immensely better than the generation before me in my family. Why is that?”

Where Are the Children? HT to Challies. “For many of us, apprehension about the faith of our children and the young people we care about runs deeper than concerns about how they will provide for themselves, whether they will find a spouse, or even if they will enjoy good health. Nothing is more critical than where they stand on this issue because it undergirds and informs everything. Yet, despite its importance and the significant influence God has given parents in guiding children’s faith, we struggle to wield that influence well.”

What a Rare Brain Tumor Is Teaching Me about the Art of Remembering and Forgetting, HT to Challies. God tells us to remember some things and forget others, but we so often get it backwards. A brain tumor affecting memory and cognition has taught the writer more along these lines.

How Do I Serve Without Becoming a Doormat? HT to Challies. “’How do you serve without becoming a doormat?’ This question, posed to me during a marriage counseling session, gets to the heart of a common misunderstanding of the biblical call to serve others. The short answer is that Jesus’s call never entails allowing another person to assert their will over you as you passively obey. However, we often struggle to understand key distinctions due to our failure to properly define our words.”

The Dutiful Introvert. “There was a time in my life when I allowed introversion to provide a ready excuse when I did not want to do something—when I did not want to accept an invitation, attend a gathering, or meet a new person. After all, why would I do something that clashes with my personality, that drains me, and that I can find exceedingly difficult?”

An Upside-Down Guide to High School, HT to Challies. “Within moments of high school, my subconscious was flooded with expectations, ideals, and possibilities for a happy life. Fast forward four years and I now have my diploma in hand and high school in the rear view mirror. Looking back I can confidently say my hopes were not all they were cracked up to be (but there is truth in all of them).”

Writing Prayers for Others, HT to Challies. “Especially when someone is suffering, I’ve found that a written prayer that includes the kinds of things I’m already praying ministers more effectively to my hurting friends than simply writing: “I’m praying for you.” I’ve also found that it is a helpful way of communicating to Christian friends the kinds of virtues that I’ve been praying will develop in their lives.”

Why We Haven’t Turned Off Our Live Stream. Stephen Neale responds here to a post by Tim Challies asking Is It Time to Stop Steaming Your Service? Both raise good points, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. My own two cents: we have appreciated live stream quite a lot both in visiting churches and in being able to watch while home sick. I don’t think we have to worry about whether we’re enabling people to avoid being part of a church. That’s not our purpose when we live stream, and if people misuse it, that’s between them and the Lord. I also don’t think we need to turn the service off during communion to emphasize that the people at home aren’t actually there–they’re aware and feel out-of-it as it is. I also think it’s good to acknowledge those who are watching online, though not entirely necessary. In our current church, the person making announcements will sometimes say something like, “We’re glad you’re here, in person or online.” At one church we visited for several weeks, the pastor would look into the camera directly and invite watchers to come in person or to call him if they had a need.

A Season of Singleness: Confronting the Coaches. I don’t know if we realize how much we wound young people when we try to “fix” their singleness with glib, thoughtless advice. Katie shares some godly responses.

How to Ask a Girl Out, HT to Challies. “If you are rolling your eyes about whether or not we even need this article, you may be losing touch with the current cultural climate and the effects of the internet-age.” It’s one of my parental regrets that we spent more time emphasizing to the boys not to pair off too soon, but didn’t go into the positive aspects of how to date and build relationships.

Tozer quote: Jesus is the only way to God

Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways;
He is the only way.–A. W. Tozer

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 31, 2024 by Barbara Harper

Here are some of the good reads found this week:

If You Confess: How to Bring Your Sins to God, HT to Challies. “When it comes to confessing our sins, many Christians fall into one of two errors — both of which steal joy, disrupt peace, and undermine assurance.”

When Life Feels Crushing, HT to Challies. “Some seasons are like that. They aren’t just overwhelming. They aren’t just hard. They aren’t just exhausting. They’re paralyzing, and from a humanity standpoint – they feel unbearable.” Sarah offers some helps for those times.

What Are Spiritual Gifts and How Do I Discover Mine? HT to Challies. This is probably the most helpful piece of writing I have seen on this subject.

Is “Allah” Just Another Word for God? HT to Challies. “There’s confusion about the word ‘Allah.’ Recently, a commentator claimed that ‘Allah’ is just the Arabic word for God, and that it doesn’t specifically refer to a different god. Her reasoning? ‘Arabic-speaking Christians pray to ‘Allah.’’ Is that true? Yes and no. Some nuance is needed. Here are four points to understand.” I appreciate clarity on this from one who knows.

Transgender, Intersex, and the Olympics. I appreciate the advice and example to wait and be sure we have the facts before we speak out on something. The topic here is two Olympic boxers who identified as female. “Political and religious conservatives jumped on the story immediately, decrying transgenderism and the unfairness to women in allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.” That’s a valid concern but wasn’t the issue here. The women were intersex, not transgender.

More Than Bodies: Examining Our Assumptions About Disability, HT to Challies. Our prayers ad concerns for disabled friends tends toward a desire for healing, for whatever their disability is to be “fixed.” But their needs go deeper.

Eliminating Negative Self-Talk: 4 Key Reasons and Actionable Tips. “Do you respond to a compliment by putting yourself down? Do you verbally attack yourself because of your own clumsiness, forgetfulness, or aging body? You, my friend, may struggle with negative self-talk. So do I. And I’m guessing we aren’t alone. What a relief, huh? But the everybody-does-it response won’t cut it. It can be a comfort but not an excuse.”

Come boldly, believer, for despite the whisperings of Satan and the doubting of your own heart, you are greatly loved.–C. H. Spurgeon

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 24, 2024 by Barbara Harper

I have several good reads to share today:

Hope In Hindsight: Navigating Unexpected Journeys, HT to the Story Warren. “Just as Stephen looked to the stories of Scripture to remind him of who God is and what he has done, we can do the same when we face uncertainty in our futures. When plans are interrupted, when hardship comes, and when we’re confronted with the reality of sin and death in a fallen world, we can look to the story of Scripture and the story of our life and see the goodness of God woven throughout.”

Maybe You Don’t Need a Therapist, HT to Challies. “I’ve found that for a growing number of people there is an assumption that to be a human is to need therapy. We’re all maladjusted, and the purpose of therapy is to adjust us so that we’re high-functioning members of society, living flourishing, mentally healthy lives. In this model, therapy is something like a weekly medicine we all need to mentally survive a hostile world.” But such an approach raises concerns, which the author discusses.

When Spiritual Disciplines Took Over My Life, HT to Challies. “Scrupulosity can be jaw-droppingly deceptive. Spiritual disciplines are essential for growth, and we want to encourage one another to practice them. But there’s a difference between healthy spiritual practice and someone who’s struggling with OCD. Since the outward behaviors may be the same, we need to look below the surface to identify scrupulosity.”

On Biblical Mandates and Cultural Expectations, Part 3. “Once we’ve invested the time and effort it takes to be informed about what the Scripture says, and what the law requires, and what the culture expects, we need to get down to the business of making decisions about how we respond to specific demands from those authorities.”

The Rise of Hyperpleasures, HT to Redeeming Productivity. “If humans experience pain and pleasure on a 1-10 scale, then hyperpleasures are those activities which take us ‘off the scale,’ so to speak. They give us experiences that make us feel like a 20, 30, 100, 1,000, and so on. The particular number is arbitrary, of course, but the principle remains — these are pleasures that go far beyond the ordinary range of enjoyment, principally by removing those discomforts we experience in our ordinary pleasures.”

It Takes Years to Grow, HT to Challies. “We think transformation will be quick, and sometimes it is. But generally speaking, God isn’t in a rush. There’s a certain kind of holiness and beauty that develops only after decades of walking with God. You can’t microwave it. But when you see it, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Mom and Dad: Show Your Need, HT to Challies. ““I have one regret of how I parented . . . I wish I would’ve shown my kids my need for Christ more. I worked so hard to show them my godliness that I didn’t show them my need. I should have been more transparent. I should have shown them just how much I needed Jesus.”

To Everything in Motherhood, There Is a Season. “It would have been impossible for me to explain my grief in that moment. I was missing something. Not people necessarily, but a time of life with those people. . . Yet, each new season brings new joys.”

People Who Were Bookworms As Children Often Display These Seven Unique Traits, HT to Linda. “Many of us were those so-called bookworms as kids, and it’s fascinating to see how this early love for reading has shaped us into the adults we are today. You see, spending all that time with our heads buried in books did more than just help us ace our English tests. It subtly carved out traits within us that are not only unique but pretty advantageous, too.”

Do Quests, Not Goals, HT to Redeeming Productivity. “The conventional term for this sort of personal campaign is a ‘short-term goal.’ But I suggested to OBW participants that they drop the G-word in favor of something more fanciful: the quest. If that sounds a bit whimsical, hear me out. Whereas ‘goal’ has become a tired and bloodless descriptor for the (supposed) intention to do something great, the word quest instills the right mentality for achieving a real-life personal victory.” I’ve never thought of a “goal” as tired and dull, but the quest mentality does have some good points.

This is a good time for my occasional reminder that linking to a site doesn’t mean 100% endorsement of everything on that site.

Any theology that minimizes God’s holiness and tolerates people’s deliberate sinfulness
is a false theology. — Warren W. Wiersbe,
from Be Decisive (Jeremiah): Taking a Stand for the Truth

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 17, 2024 by Barbara Harper

I have not done as much blog reading this week with family here, but I have found a few thought-provoking posts:

How Can Christians Fight the War on Lies, HT to Challies. “This post-truth age poses profound challenges for Jesus followers. How does the church proclaim the gospel in a world where all truth claims are viewed with suspicion? How do we engage in meaningful dialogue when emotional resonance often trumps logical argument? And perhaps most critically, how do we maintain the integrity of our witness when the very concept of objective truth is under assault?”

Is Modern Tolerance an Aspect of Love? “What is the role of government? According to scripture, it is to protect us from evil, not protect evil.”

Impossibly, Gradually, Miraculously Changed, HT to Challies. “The apostle Paul talked about our slow path to holiness. We are, he said, being transformed (that’s the certain part) from one degree of glory to another (that’s the slow part) into the image of the Lord (that’s the beautiful part). More miraculous than an ocean of polished shell and glass, more changed than a river full of rocks is the transformation of a human heart by the Holy Spirit.”

Don’t Forget to Remember: Lessons from a King and the Pride That Hides. “Asa didn’t fall into overt, obvious pride. The Scripture doesn’t say anything about his rebellion or foolishness, arrogance or selfishness. His was a sin harder to detect: the pride that hides. It hides behind Bible readings and worship songs, formal prayers and spiritual disciplines.”

Seven Encouragements for Parents of Prodigals, HT to Challies. “I don’t think we or anybody has ever gotten to the bottom of it and its amazing portrait of the gracious heart of God.”

I Do Not Know This Year, Lord, HT to Challies. This poem about trusting God for the year ahead was apropos for me since my birthday is coming up next week.

Better a brief warfare and eternal rest, than false peace and everlasting torment.
—C. H. Spurgeon

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 10, 2024 by Barbara Harper

Here are some of the good reads found this week:

Everything Short of Hell Is a Mercy, HT to Challies. “Everything short of hell is mercy. This one truth should change the way we view our hardships and frustrations, no matter how terrible they may be. If we, as sinners, are not facing the wrath of the infinitely Holy God at this moment, our life is better than we deserve. That is true for every Christian and non-Christian alive right now.”

What to Say to Dave About Regular Bible Reading, HT to Challies. “Few of us have it fully sorted, and so we don’t feel qualified to tell others what they should be doing. I certainly don’t feel like I can speak from anything other than the wisdom that comes from regular failure. But failure is a good teacher, even if I’m not a good student, so here are five tips I might give to Dave.”

Should You Send Your Kids to Catholic School? HT to Challies. Some considerations.

In a Day’s Work: God’s Pattern for Productivity. “I’ve been studying the book of Genesis in depth, and something struck me recently about how God structured the days of creation. I think there may be something in this pattern that we can imitate in our own work.”

How Vocational Stewardship Leads to Human Flourishing, HT to Redeeming Productivity. “By ‘vocational stewardship,’ I mean the intentional and strategic use of one’s vocational power (skills, knowledge, network, position, platform) to advance human flourishing.” I would add that those things can be done on a smaller scale with neighbors, relatives, and church members.

The Porcelain Room. “Do I worry so much that I’ll forget to give them something they’ll need that I forget to point them toward the Lord who knows what they’ll need—and who will make sure they have it? Am I so preoccupied with the thorns and thistles of life that I allow them to crowd out the good growth of the gospel in our family?”

The Best a Man Can Get, HT to Challies. I enjoyed watching the American men’s gymnastics team win their bronze medal, the first US men’s team to medal in some time. This article about the team was great, too. “It’s a quintessentially American success story about a quintessentially American team, made up of distinct, memorable characters. The phrase ‘Diversity is our strength’ has become a cheap leftist nothing, but there are times and places when it actually means something, and the Olympics is one of them.”

The Curse of Knowledge, HT to Redeeming Productivity. “Have you ever had a teacher who was very smart but terrible at teaching? An expert who used so much jargon you could not follow their explanation? This is called the ‘curse of knowledge.'” The author shares ways to bridge the gap.

The Quiet Grief of Caregiving: Four Balms for the Overburdened, HT to Challies. “I forced a smile, swallowed down the tightness in my throat, and struggled against the tide of grief that’s become as familiar and worn as a tattered coat. It’s a mantle common to many who walk beside the hurting — the heaviness that presses upon the heart when we’ve witnessed others’ suffering over and over and over.”

Church Skills: Use Them or Lose Them, HT to Challies. “You might not think you have church skills, but you almost certainly do. You will have developed ways of making conversation, showing interest in people, caring for them, serving in all sorts of ways and lots of other such things. But as with anything we have learnt to do, if you don’t keep using it, you will lose it.”

I’ve experienced His presence in the deepest darkness hell that men can create. I’ve tested the promises of the Bible, and believe me, you can count on them.” — Corrie ten Boom, survivor of Ravensbruck concentration camp after helping hide Jewish people during WWII

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 3, 2024 by Barbara Harper

It turned out to be a busy week, but here are a few good reads I saw online:

How Can a Writer Survive When Chaos Is All Around? “Some days I’m not certain living unruffled is a possibility for someone as flawed as me. Anytime life throws me a curve, I begin reacting to the busyness instead of concentrating on walking with God through the chaos.” Good thoughts, not just for writers.

The World Tells Us How It Really Feels. “What should we say, then, to the world which so regularly mocks Christianity, blasphemes Christ, and hates Christians, especially if they dare preach the gospel?”

Driven by Fear to the God Who Casts Out Fear. “Whether it’s a career goal, a desire for a child, or an avenue of service to God, it’s easy to allow the sheer size of the dream to overwhelm us with fear. By grace, may we let our fear drive us to the One who casts out all fear.”

The False Identity of Vanity, HT to Challies. “Vanity is often defined as someone who has an excessive love of themself—an over-the-top, prideful attitude that thinks, “I am the fairest.” Vanity is certainly not less than this. There are many who live in self-admiration of the way they look or in excessive pride over their gifts and talents. . . . But there is another aspect to vanity that is equally harmful.”

The Crooked Apple Tree, HT to Challies. “There’s no way that tree could ever hide the fact that it has seen terrible trouble. And yet, for all that, the tree still fills up with apples every year. The old crooked apple tree beside my friend’s home in a restored ruin encourages me. Living in this broken world brings trouble to humans, too.”

Words That are Fitting, HT to the Story Warren. “Suffering is uncomfortable—certainly for the person enduring it, but also for those who witness it. We can feel uncomfortable with a friend’s expressions of grief or anger or agony, so we may say things to her to cheer her up or calm her down that does the opposite of what we intend—our words hurt rather than heal. We may even say things that are ultimately true but said at the wrong time.”

Seasons of a Reading Life, HT to the Story Warren. “In some seasons, reading happens as easily as breathing. It is the thing I will prioritize and order my free time around. In other seasons, reading is more work. I find myself giving way to other demands on my time, to other things that take higher precedence.”

The Issue of Wealth in the Bible, HT to Challies. “We examined every case in the Bible where an individual was identified as having substantial material possessions and the means of acquiring these goods was disclosed. We found that in the twenty-one cases meeting these criteria, the means of acquisition was a reliable indicator of whether a person received approval or disapproval”

Mom, Will You Hold This? Just as kids ask us to hold their stuff while they play, so we hold their imaginations. Sarah Dixon Young shares ways to both guard and foster children’s imaginations.

My quote for today is longer than usual, but it was so good, I wanted to share it. I heard it on Chuck Swindoll’s Insight for Living program on BBN Radio on August 1. I had trouble getting such a large quote to fit with the program I use (WordSwag).

“I may, I suppose, regard myself, or pass for being, as a relatively successful man.
People occasionally stare at me in the streets–that’s fame. I can fairly easily earn enough to qualify for admission to the higher slopes of the Internal Revenue–that’s success.
Furnished with money and a little fame even the elderly, if they care to,
may partake of trendy diversions– that’s pleasure.
It might happen once in a while that something I said or wrote was sufficiently heeded for me to persuade myself that it represented a serious impact on our time–that’s fulfillment.
Yet I say to you — and I beg you to believe me–multiply these tiny triumphs by a million, add them all together, and they are nothing–less than nothing, a positive impediment–measured against one draught of that living water Christ offers to the spiritually thirsty,
irrespective of who or what they are.”
– Malcolm Muggeridge

Laudable Linkage

Posted on July 27, 2024 by Barbara Harper

I found quite a few good reads this week:

Yes, God Really Does Desire Your Happiness, HT to Challies. “I have heard that exact line so many times (“God wants us holy, not happy”), and I agree that it contributes to untold, unnecessary suffering in the lives of Christians.“

When Suffering Shakes Your Faith. “For the last decade, I’ve wanted to write to her: the woman overwhelmed by suffering, who feels herself crumbling under the weight of all that’s on her shoulders. But recently, I’ve been paying more and more attention to the woman watching from the other side of the television and the other side of the table. Her faith is also formed as she witnesses someone else’s suffering—her faith will either be forged by the reality of a sovereign and good God or be weakened one storm at a time.“

Maybe We Make Meditation Too Difficult. “What is meditation? Meditation is pondering the words of the Bible with the goal of better understanding and sharper application. Ideally, meditation leads us to understand the words we have read and to know how God may call us to work them out in our lives. It is one of the ways that we output wisdom after inputting knowledge.” Tim points out that we usually think of meditation as something done in solitude and silence, but that may not always be the case.

Cultivating Christlike Compassion on Social Media. “As followers of Jesus, we should be known for our Christlike compassion, but the anonymity of social media can make it easy for us to forget that there’s a person created in the image of God on the other side of the screen. This sometimes leads us to forget our call to be different from the world and causes us to abandon the compassionate ways of our Lord.”

Confessions of a Chronic Yeller. “I didn’t set out to be a yeller. There were many aspects of my childhood I vowed not to repeat in my own family, but yelling somehow didn’t make the list. I was Portuguese Italian, after all. Portuguese Italians had dark hair, ate pasta, and yelled. Then I became a Christian. And strange things began to happen.”

A Mother to Me, Too, HT to Challies. “Mothering well does not depend on having Instagram-worthy kitchens or the laundry neatly folded and put away. Instead, it is about welcoming and nurturing the ones within our circle, caring for their hearts and their hurts through the tender love of Jesus. And then opening that circle to include those hungering outside the door.”

‘Never Look Your Age’: Shiny Lies We Often Buy, HT to Challies. “In Christ, the physical signs of aging are not marks to despise, but signs of how God has worked through your circumstances to turn you into the person you are today. Seen this way, they can encourage you to trust him with your future, whatever your fears.”

What Does It Mean to Die with Dignity? HT to Challies. Clue: it’s not what those who advocate euthanasia say it is.

If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed.
If you look within, you’ll be depressed.
If you look at God you’ll be at rest.

— Corrie ten Boom

Laudable Linkage

Posted on July 20, 2024 by Barbara Harper

Here are some of the good reads found this week:

Contentment Isn’t Only for Hard Times, HT to Challies. “I was about as happy as a person could be. I say ‘about’ because one unwelcome thought intruded: It’s not going to last. I was only visiting for a couple of weeks, and then I’d be back to the daily grind of work and responsibilities. In that moment, amid deep joy, the grace of contentment was just as essential as it is when my life is falling apart. I need contentment to receive God’s immense blessings gratefully, even knowing they’re temporary.”

It’s OK to Be OK, HT to Challies. “We need to fight two battles at once. We need to keep telling people that life is hard, the world is fallen, and we all fall short in sin. It’s OK to struggle, and when we do, we need to ask for help . . . However, we don’t need to equate authenticity with struggle. We need to leave room for people to be authentically happy—for life to go well sometimes.”

On Magic. “What is magic, in essence? It’s an attempt to get the gods to do what you want. And that is to turn the universe upside down and inside out. God is not our servant; he is not here to do what we want. We are here to do what he wants. If I do this or this or that, God will do what I want. That’s, ironically, godless thinking.”

Don’t Be Proud of What You Had No Say In, HT to Challies. “Many of the things that people tend to be proud of are things that we have no say in at all,” like height, natural beauty and abilities. “There is a difference between a gift and a talent. A gift is something you receive that you did not earn. A talent is something that you have developed over time, often based on a gift you have received.”

15 Resolves for Maintaining Spiritual Balance in Severe Interpersonal Conflicts, HT to Challies. I’d add one that has been a help to me: remembering the other person is beloved by God, and God wants the highest and best for that person, too.

Beware the Instagram Bible. I think I shared this a few years ago, but I needed to look it up again this week. “Beware the Instagram Bible, my daughters—those filtered frames festooned with feathered verses, adorned in all manner of loops and tails, bedecked with blossoms, saturated with sunsets, culled and curated just for you. Beware lest it become for you your source of daily bread. It’s telling a partial truth.”

When You Can’t Forgive Yourself After an Abortion, HT to Challies. Although the context is about abortion, the truths here are good for anyone who feels they can’t forgive themselves for something they have done.

Updated to add: I stay away from politics here on the blog, but I wanted to say I was saddened and shocked by the events of last weekend. Violence is not the answer no matter what party one is in.