things we never did | Stray Thoughts

Here are some of the posts that stood out to me this week:

None Too Old to Serve the King, HT to Chalmers Blog. “I love this scene with the feeble follower and the deposed king. What a touching moment for David, and a beautiful invitation to Barzillai. It reminds me that I serve the greater King David, and stirs in me the desire to “appear with him in glory” as he rides across the Jordan (Colossians 3:4). Does it do the same for you? I want us to imitate this elderly saint by meeting the King in the wilderness and serving him until our dying day.”

Reading the Bible for the Ten Thousandth Time. “By instinct we know that first-time readers of the Bible need guidance. But long-time readers need help too. In this article we’ll explore some of the ways to combat boredom and lethargy for experienced Bible readers.”

A Biblical Template for Prayers of Confession from Daniel 9. HT to Knowable Word. “For God’s promises and sure word aren’t a reason for inactivity and passivity. They’re fuel for confident prayer.” Though the author makes a case for corporate confession, these principles are true for private prayer as well.

All Those Things We Never Did, HT to Challies. “There remains a powerful temptation in midlife to nurse and rehearse dreams unfulfilled. The loop snags and captures with: We never did this, we never went here, we never bought this . . . The all those things we never did is a thorny and fruitless path, often culminating in a sour, self-centered existence. For the Christian, all those things we never did may humbly be replaced with: Your kingdom come; your will be done.“

The Picture on the Nightstand, HT to Challies. “When a marriage is strong, it is a fortress. It shields what is fragile. Spouses are safe. Children thrive. Its strength creates overflowing benefit into entire communities. When a spouse breaks the marriage covenant, the impact is brutal. It exploits vulnerability. Spouses bleed. Children bear the weight. And the effects ripple outward.”

Should You Take Your Children to a Funeral? “Whatever the size or venue, here’s a question for parents to consider: should you take your children to a funeral? My answer is a sure yes, and here are several reasons why.”

The Rare Jewel of Contentment in Childlessness. “Paul’s testimony of contentment encouraged Bethany and me to ask God for that kind of contentment in our state of childlessness. Jeremiah Burroughs describes Christian contentment as ‘that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.’”

Silent Women, Speaking Women, HT to Challies. This is one of the clearest explanations I’ve seen on the Bible passages about whether and when women are to teach in church.

Beware the New Notebook Energy. “A new planner gives me an avenue to blame my lack of follow-through on a bad system. If I can blame the system, that saves me from the day-in and day-out-ness of life. I call this New Notebook Energy: fleeing actual responsibility and good habits in favor of reorganizing and starting again.”

Ways to See and Support Foster Families. “All of a sudden, we were a part of the foster system, which came with all of the staff, the rules and regulations, the visits with social workers, the paperwork, the doctor’s visits, and so much more. I quickly realized that before this happened, I didn’t understand how much support the foster families in our church probably needed from me but hadn’t been getting. So I thought I would outline a few things that each of us can do to help foster families in our churches.”