Blessings to you today, my friends.

(Yesterday on the blog: Christmas Hope for the Broken-Hearted)
The Sunset, the Symphony, and the Gift
Darla poignantly describes the discovery, misuse, and (eventually) proper use of a wonderful gift. “I was eight or nine when I received the gift and discovered that I could make music. I wasn’t just listening or singing along. I was making it. With my hands, I could bring forth sounds that evoked … something. I couldn’t put words to it then.”
A Certain Kind of Evangelical Christian
I don’t often link to Twitter, but thought I’d make an exception for this thread from Michael Clary. It begins like this: “There once was a certain kind of evangelical Christian I felt free to make fun of. I was pastoring a fast growing church in an urban environment, and a spirit of elitism had infected us. No one would correct me on it because they made fun of them too.”
‘Though He Slay Me’
John Piper comments on a key verse from the book of Job. “The first thing to say is that I love the truth — and it is the truth, spoken from God’s own mouth — that God, in his absolute ownership and sovereignty over all life, appoints the time and the kind of every death of every person on this planet. And this fact of God’s right to give and to take life is not a reason to reject him, but a reason to hope in him.”
Can Cancer Be God’s Servant? What I Saw in My Wife’s Last Four Years
On a somewhat similar note, Randy Alcorn reflects on cancer being God’s servant in the death of his wife. “By saying sickness comes only from Satan and the fall, not from God, we disconnect Him from our suffering and His deeper purposes. God is sovereign. He never permits or uses evil arbitrarily; everything He does flows from His wisdom and ultimately serves both His holiness and love.”
Survey on Singleness and the Church
My friend Lisa is writing a book on singleness and asking for people (both married and single) to help her out by completing a questionnaire.
No, Christmas Is NOT Pagan (Video)
Tim from Red Pen Logic takes on the so-common claim that Christmas is just built upon pagan rituals.
Flashback: Our Lust Is Furious and Our Greed Limitless
If you have ever wanted a taste of Calvin’s Institutes but without committing to the whole thing, you may want to try reading A Little Book on the Christian Life.

Discontent never made a rough path smoother, a heavy burden lighter, a bitter cup less bitter, a dark way brighter, a sore sorrow less sore. It only makes matters worse. —J.R. Miller

May the God of love and peace be with you today.

(Yesterday on the blog: Longing for What’s Second Best)
Think Little
This article explains why we, as Christians, might to do better to think little than to think big.
The God of Your Troubled Heart
“Jesus knows your heart. He knows your doubts and fears. Tell him. He already knows. And, in your moments of greatest fear and doubt, you can trust that his mercy comes running to you.”
You Won’t Improve on This Definition of “Worldliness”
No, you probably won’t.
The Quartersawn Sermon
“A good sermon must be strong. Gospel preaching must be powerful. Pulpiteers may be tempted to manufacture this power by screaming and pounding the pulpit or crying on cue or displaying their learning with cloudy philosophical musings and psychobabble. But Paul instructed the young pastor Timothy to seek another source for force in his preaching, saying ‘preach the word’ (2 Timothy 4:23).”
Beware the Idols of an Overseas Life
An overseas life can breed its own temptations and idolatries. “Our lives are interesting. Fulfilling. Living as an expat means we get the benefits of two worlds: the richness, beauty, and adventure of our host country, but with all the safety nets from our home country. We get to travel to exotic places. We become exotic people. We get to stand out–not only in our host country, but back at home too. We are respected, set apart, even put on a pedestal.”
Avoid the “Us vs. Them” Trap
“Everywhere you turn today, people are split into to two groups: us vs. them. Good guys vs. bad guys. Conservatives vs. Liberals. Vaxxers vs. Anti-vaxxers. Tolerant vs. Intolerant. CNN vs. Fox News. You’re either with us or against us; there is no third option.” Cindy warns us not to fall into this kind of us vs them trap.
Putting Our Contentment to the Test
You may benefit from reading this reflection on contentment.
Flashback: Danger Signs of an Unhealthy Dating Relationship
There is nothing more important to a dating relationship than communication, so take time to talk about everything. Talk, listen, and pursue harmony.

It will always be found that when prayers are few, grace, strength, peace, and hope are small. —J.C. Ryle

I am finally on my way home from a ten-day speaking trip through the West Coast and Texas. It was a wonderful time but, as always, I will be glad to be home.
Today’s Kindle deals include some excellent picks from Crossway. If I had to pick one, I’d probably go with What’s Your Worldview? by James Anderson.
(Yesterday on the blog: A Book Unlike Any Other)

This article challenges the notion that we should allow ourselves to be guided by opposition or affirmed by the lack of opposition. “Difficulty and conflict, in and of themselves, are not good indicators that our work is finished. We so easily give in to the temptation to think that if we are serving where God wants us to be, then there won’t be any opposition or difficulty. We need to be reminded that such is not necessarily the case.”

“I am convinced that electronic communication, especially social media, makes it even harder to communicate righteously. There are several reasons this is true.” Jeff Johnson explains.

Kraig remembers a particularly memorable sermon. “It was entertaining, gripping, mesmerizing, and attention grabbing. He had lots of conjecture, guesswork, and speculation. Those last three words, while accurate to this sermon, are not the marks of biblical preaching.”

Brianna Lambert: “We all crouch down at every starting line, clueless as to what lies ahead. The unknowns start with our first cry and extend to every beginning to come: The turn of the tassel, a job acceptance, the walk down the aisle, two pink lines, or an empty home. What will come of our own piece of land called life? Like Abraham, we hold only a promise.”

“Here’s the thing: atheism is more than a denial of God with our words. It can also be a denial of God with our lives – with our thoughts, deeds, and words. Atheism can also be a denial of God with what we do and what we leave undone. Each time we sin, we actually deny God and his claims over our lives – effectively denying his existence. All of us still have the remnants of the old nature, and we have to admit that those remnants stink with the rot of atheism.”

It is so important to know and believe this about sin: that it wants us isolated.

I’ve examined the evidence and have chosen to believe it’s not wrong, but right. I’ve chosen to believe it’s good and pure and true, infallible and inerrant and sufficient.

Oh, [Christianity] is a great religion to live by, and it is a great religion to die by.
—De Witt Talmage