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    Today

    Today was the first day in a week that I didn’t wake up sick and then spend the next fifteen hours doing my best to fulfill my duties all while fighting a headache, fever, nausea, and clammy, dizzy exhaustion. All of that would’ve been unpleasant at home in my bed–but flying a family across a continent and then spending five days in theme parks, water parks, and teaching at this conference? Well. Let me just say that I was a blessed woman today to be able to walk around in daylight without the pain of a spike going through my eye and forehead. And wow! It’s a lot easier to…

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    Please pray.

    Today I learned of a prayer request from someone who is that new category in my life of, “haven’t had any contact with that person in 20 years but now we sort of overlap on Facebook” and I would appreciate it if you would please pray for him (Mark) and his family. Here is his request: “My stepson has a mental illness called schizo effective disorder. Late Saturday night while Kim and I were sleeping he took an overdose of Tylenol. We did not find out until it was too late. The enzyme levels in his liver are dangerously high. He may require a transplant if they cannot stop the…

  • Relationships & Peacemaking

    Calvinists & Controversy (HT: Ligon Duncan)

    Couldn’t get back to sleep after 3AM or so. Fred is restless with his fever/getting meds. And I have way too much swimming through my brain re: my workshops for next weekend. Mostly, I’m wondering WHY, O WHY I ever consented to teaching so many! A) I can’t believe I really have anything that interesting/helpful to say; and B) I’m old and tired! 🙂 Please remind me next year–if I receive the privilege of an opportunity to serve again–to only teach, you know, ONE workshop. Or maybe two. BUT NOT FIVE. Anyway … one of them is on relationships among women especially when we disagree on important topics–and around 5AM…

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    Robust Doctrine (HT: PureChurch)

    Can’t believe we’re only one week away from Pastor Anyabwile’s keynote at the Peacemaker Conference! I’m psyched. I just love his blog. What a churchman! Today he linked to a great quote from Between Two Worlds: The Answer to Practical Problems Must Involve Robust Doctrine (It’s a great quote, but I’d skip the comments. Nothing too edifying there.) Here’s a snippet to tempt you: “Theology exists in order to be applied to the day-to-day problems of the Christian church. Every doctrine has its application … (Re: Paul …) It’s not only that you have the emphasis on the unity between theology and practice but you have the emphasis on the…

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    Little Lamb, Who Made Thee?

    Fred’s home sick now too. Soph continues to decline–but she’s such a sweet little trooper. Even tolerates the Zycam NOSE SWAB that neither Fred nor I will put up with. And yes, I’m disinfecting everything and anything including our toothbrushes. AND thanking God for Aquaphor. (We love Aquaphor!) Besides caring for an ailing family, I HAVE TO get a paid writing project done today–but other than that, I don’t have many goals for the day. I don’t know why, but this morning I thought of one of the first poems I ever memorized as a brand-new baby Christian. I must’ve been, what? 14 or 15 years old? “Little lamb, who…

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    Exalts himself to show mercy to you …

    Our entire church is reading through Isaiah right now and today we reached chapter 30. Enjoy and be drawn to worship by just a few verses: Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water…

  • Relationships & Peacemaking

    CGO Forum on Denominational Renewal

    Oh, that PastorJollyBlogger! Always pointing us to something important (and helpful!). Today it was a link to the CGO Forum on Denominational Renewal. The speakers look amazing and I am particularly interested in catching the dialogue that will follow in the weeks to come. Hope to see you there!   Blessings, Tara B.  

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    Doctrine of Workmanship

    As our pastor preaches through Galatians, our entire church is reading through Martin Luther’s preface to Galatians (the abridgement and paraphrase by Tim Keller–we’re not reading it in German or anything 🙂 ). This week we have been encouraged and refreshed by “The Doctrine of Workmanship” (applying Galatians 1.10 – 2.10). I feel like retyping the entire excerpt! But instead, I’ll just give you a few highlights: “The word workmanship is very important; it is the Greek word poema–from which we get our word, “poem.” It means that every believer is essentially a work of art–God’s art! Consider how artists work … sometimes they do very little, only a stroke…

  • Grace in Daily Life

    So he was a Christian! Explains a lot …

    If you’ve heard my testimony, you know that I was saved by God after having heard the gospel through some friends in public high school when I was a freshman. As I reflect on God’s grace to me throughout my entire life–especially in the years when I did not even know Him, but He knew me!–I’ve often thought about how many Christians I probably stumbled across without even knowing it. A great aunt or second-cousin-one-removed. A Girl Scout leader here. A band teacher there. How many of the parents of my little friends saw what a messed up kid I was and prayed for me? How many of my friends…

  • Grace in Daily Life

    Speak kindly …

    An email/blog/becoming “real life” friend signed off a recent email with this line: “Remember that God delights in you, is the one who fights your battles, and to speak kindly to yourself in the midst of this difficult time …” Good advice, eh? To speak kindly to myself. ‘Twould be a grace.  (Thanks, friend.) Yours, Tara B.