• Uncategorized

    Our Work Serves a High View of the Centrality of the Local Church

    Preach it, Dr. Powlison! The Local Church is THE Place for Biblical Counseling I appreciated every word, but especially the postscript (emphases mine): Postscript. By the way, these wonderful advantages to local church counseling do not mean that  “para-church” ministries are per se unhelpful or wrong. God blesses the counseling that occurs through educational institutions, campus ministries, military chaplaincies, publishing houses, crisis pregnancy centers, mission agencies, and many other para-church Christian works. CCEF is a para-church ministry, and I happily work here, as well as participating in my local church.   But there are pitfalls that any para-church ministry must avoid. We must guard against generating an autonomous existence. We…

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  • Hope in Suffering

    Not Giving Thanks

    There really is no question why Dr. Ed Welch continues to be my favorite contemporary author. His blog this week is spot-on: I am Not Giving Thanks Thank you, Dr.  Welch. And thank You, Heavenly Father, that you are with us in our suffering, that You care, and that One Good Day, there will be no more physical or spiritual/emotional pain. Maranatha! 

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  • Hope in Suffering,  Perfectionism & Shame

    I Love to Tell the Story!

    I love to tell the story Of unseen things above, Of Jesus and His glory, Of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story, Because I know ’tis true; It satisfies my longings   As nothing else can do. I love to tell the story, ’Twill be my theme in glory To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story; More wonderful it seems Than all the golden fancies Of all my golden dreams, I love to tell the story, It did so much for me;  And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee. I love to…

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  • Teens & Technology

    If only we listened with the same passion we feel about being heard …

    I heard this quote today and did a little research to learn more about the speaker: “If only we listened with the same passion we feel about being heard.” Dr. Shirley Turkle Much to think about there. Dr. Turkle  has a fascinating TED Talk here: Connected But Alone. This is worth 19 minutes of your time!  . Sorry to be so brief! Time is short this week— Blessings and joy, Tara B. 

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  • Uncategorized

    Off the Grid

    My body felt like it was 1AM when I finally made it home to Billings on Saturday night and then, after a refreshing and edifying church service, I headed back to the airport at noon. I’ve never had such a quick turnaround before—but that’s the way our week has been ordered. And I may be off the grid because where I am headed is a remote location. So I’ll try to have some posts or re-posts for you—but if I go dark for a few days, you’ll know why. Blessings to you!  Tara B. PS THANKS for all of the prayers for my, um, “thing” last week. I made it through…

  • PCA LiveBlogs

    “PLEASE! Make this topic more than just the men’s pancake breakfast that addresses lust!” (Preach it, Ellen Dykas!)

    Highlights (tweets) from Ellen Dykas’ plenary session tonight: “A woman once told me that covenant women don’t struggle with these things. She was wrong.” “Our souls are bent in such a way as to lead us to disordered living.” “Broken-hearted women do broken-hearted things.” “Our women are struggling with secrecy; especially our ministry leaders.” “In my 6 years at Harvest, I’ve only met 4 or 5 women who haven’t been sexually abused/misused. I can count them on one hand.”   “We are all bent toward sin. We have all tried to find life where there is no life.” “Does the church have anything to say? The world is so loud and persuasive.”…

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  • PCA LiveBlogs

    LiveBlog of PCA Women’s Leadership Conference General Session #2: Ellen Dykas – The Gospel for Our Real Lives: Courageous Compassion for Relationally and Sexually Broken Women

    ** Please note: At one point in this LiveBlog, Ellen refers to the testimony of an ex-porn star. I just checked and apparently I heard (and typed) the name wrong and linked to the wrong website. Sorry about that! Ellen referred to Shelley LUBBEN (not Ruben) and that website is: https://www.shelleylubben.com. (Please view with caution as the content is obviously redemptive—helping people to get out of the porn industry and out of porn addiction—but due to the topic, not appropriate for all ages.) ** Also: I mis-typed two lines in the LiveBlog:   Where it says “Our bodies are bent in such a way as to lead us to disordered living,” it should…

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