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    Gospel Coalition

    Wow! You don’t want to miss this! Live Webcast of The Gospel Coalition 2009 National Conference — Entrusted with the Gospel Many of my favorite preachers (and even a few of my all-time favorite heroes of the faith) are speaking: – Ajith Fernando – Tim Keller – Phil Ryken  – Bryan Chappell – D. A. Carson Click through and enjoy (learn! be edified! be called to worship!). Yours, Tara B.  

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    Comforted by God’s Justice

    This past weekend, I had the joy of reflecting on how COMFORTING it can be to meditate on God’s JUSTICE. Does that sound counterintuitive? Aren’t we supposed to be afraid of God’s justice? Not if we are Christians. You see–the Bible makes it perfectly clear that, for God’s children, His justice and punitive wrath (which we fully deserve!) were completely spent on Christ on the Cross. God punished His Son. He will not punish us. We deserve His wrath, but He will not condemn us. Why? Because God is a Just God.   I deserve death, but instead I get life because the Son of God paid my penalty. I…

  • Singleness & Marriage

    Two Posts from Jess

    Don’t miss two great posts by Jess over at Making Home: Intimacy is a Step (on a One-Way Street) Study Your Husband Like Jess, I wish I had heard (and LISTENED TO!) advice like the first post when I was still single/in my teens and twenties. And the second post? Well. Let’s just say that I’m a) convicted; and b) grateful for the Cross.   Hope your Friday is a great one! Yours, Tara B.  

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    Playtime in the Rain

    You know you live in a desert when your daughter eagerly asks to play OUTSIDE when it RAINS because, well, it’s just so novel and fun: And if the child gets to play in the rain, then the puppy surely does too:    

  • Singleness & Marriage

    Fighting on Family Vacations (??)

    Do you ever find yourself tempted to FIGHT when you are on a family vacation that is supposed to be FUN? Fred and I had a few minutes of that temptation this morning when, on his day off, we started to fall into this TRAP: Tara: “Fred, how would you like to spend your day off?” (Wanting to bless him.) Fred: “Oh. I don’t know. What would YOU like?” (Wanting to bless me.) Tara: “Well, we could hang out at home after gymnastics and violin. Or we could go for a hike. We could be productive or totally relax and just veg out / play games / read. What would…

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    Easter Morning!

    Ahhhhh … Easter Morning! Fresh air blowing through the window. (Hooray for NO snow! Those pesky April blizzards sometimes get me a little down.) A sweet daughter snoozing away in her room. A kind husband snoozing away next to me. A baby kicking away in utero and my Golden Retriever awake at my feet. Yes, yes, I am a blessed woman and I am rightfully embarrassed to think about how often I fail to be grateful. But of course, I am most grateful that God saved me from my sins and adopted me into His family 24 years ago when I was just about as messed up a teenager as…

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    Four Signs of the Fear of Man

    Can’t remember if this is from the Sonship materials or “When People are Big and God is Small” … But here are four signs of the fear of man: 1. I want credit for the good I do. 2. I am defensive. 3. I compare myself with others.  4. Reputation fixation—I want my performance to prove my righteousness. Eek! Makes you grateful for the Cross, eh? (A little Canadian “eh” thrown in there in honor of my cross-cultural day today. 🙂 )