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Failing to Respect Authority
This is the article I wrote for the Peacemaker Ministries emagazine “PeaceMeal” that will be published tomorrow. If you don’t subscribe yet, I encourage you to do so! Cutie-bear Fred Barthel sends it out every week and it’s a blessing. Hope you enjoy … Failing to Respect Authority Another common source of conflict is the abuse of or rebellion against the authority God has established in the church, the government, the family, and the workplace. All legitimate authority has been established by God, primarily for the purpose of maintaining peace and order (Rom. 13:1-7). He has given those in authority strict commands not to take advantage of their positions, but…
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Grace in Marriage–Thank You, God!
The other day I was out in the living room reading and I asked Fred if he would please bring me some water when he came. He said sure. And that was pretty much that. But then I got to thinking about the many “miserably married Christians” that my pastor and I have mediated over the years … and I was struck yet again by how hard a simple exchange like that could have been. – I could have been a nagging, critical wife for twenty years so that when I asked Fred for some water, it was just another DRIP on the metal roof of his misery in marriage…
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Contradicting my faith …
I’m reading an amazing new book (that I highly recommend! hopefully Fred will add it to my list of “Recommended Books” just as soon as Amazon starts carrying it): How People Change, by Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp. (Yes, yes another Paul Tripp book. I know! I know! I keep recommending these astoundingly biblical and practical CCEF authors and I keep selling hundreds of their books. Simply said, I really do think that they are writing some of the best resources out there these days.) The first chapter is entitled, “The Gospel Gap” and I’ve had to slow down and read it carefully with a pen in hand.…
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I’m going to nominate someone!
Have you ever heard of something like this? Since I don’t really read many blogs, I’m not really up to speed on a lot of the nuances of the blogworld … but … I’m totally going to nominate Carolyn McCulley over at Solo Femininity. She is always worth the read! 🙂 Who else would YOU recommend? I’d recommend Ligon Duncan if it were open to men (which it is not). I’m assuming that these sites get thousands of hits a day and really huge. What a fun and strange time we live in, eh? Sending you love as we head into our Saturdays, Tara B.
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What do you think of this AD?
I am working with a wonderful graphic design artist (who I highly recommend!) on an advertisement for the magazine to be published at a large women’s conference this fall. What do you think of this … (the quality is a lot better as a .pdf file but I can’t load that type of file onto my website) …
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NEW Retreat title & desciption
OK, guys, no holds-barred … (well, if you have a LOT of harsh criticism, maybe you can take it offline and just email me directly? 🙂 ) … I’d REALLY love to hear what you REALLY think of these titles & descriptions for my “all new” women’s retreat. (Same content because the gospel is the gospel, right? But must shorter Tara teaching times; totally different examples; and MUCH MORE interaction/discussion/reflection.) Thanks for your counsel! Love ya, t Title for Retreat Becoming Who You Already Are—How the Gospel Transforms our Lives and Brings Us Peace Description for Retreat Do you ever sense a disconnect between what you claim to believe and…
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Would YOU go to this retreat?
So I’ve been working on a brand-new retreat and the event host has been incredibly patient as I’ve tried to figure out what in the world I’m trying to pull together. (Thanks again, Liz!) Today I emailed her some (very rough) brainstorming / off the top of my head thoughts in response to some of her questions … and I’d be curious to hear what YOU think about what I said. (I’ll copy a small portion of our email exchange below.) Thanks for letting me know if YOU would want to go to a women’s retreat like this. “Question: Tara, have you found the Friday night, Saturday day schedule pretty…
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NOT “Lord, help me to trust in You” …
Andree Seu has done it yet again … – encouraged – confronted – challenged – edified all for God’s glory! Listen to just a tiny excerpt from one of her recent articles: “A friend objected to my piety. Not “Lord, help me to trust in You” (quoth he) but “Lord, I trust in You! Yea, by Your grace I trust in You!” There’s something psychologically different here, my chastened soul took note: The first prayer has a pious sound but never gets around to business, letting me postpone the joy it seeks a month or two, the meanwhile dithering in unbelief while waiting for divinity to bring me ’round…
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Seriously–I laughed until I CRIED.
Many thanks to blogger Crystal for this link. I laughed until I cried and watched it three times immediately. (OK, maybe even without my weight loss goals being totally met, we should try for another baby?!? SO CUTE!)
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To receive is NOT to accept …
I started a new book this morning … A.W. Tozer’s Faith Beyond Reason. Wow! You know it’s a good book when even in the first few chapters you’re reading words you don’t know and learning things (or remembering things) that are IMPORTANT. Like this … John 1:11-13 says this: He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–children born not of natural descent, nor or human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. Did you know that the word “receive”…
