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Become What You Are
Justin Taylor hits it out of the park with his recent post on GOSPEL CHANGE: Imperatives without Indicatives = Impossibilities Please read it. For yourself, your spouse, children, friend, pastor, sheep. If only we could really GET THIS and live it out! Oh, the sweetness of grace that would overflow in our own lives, families, churches, workplaces, communities. Let me tempt you with just a snippet: “The dominant mode of evangelical preaching on sanctification, the main way to motivate for godly living, sounds something like this: You are not _____; You should be _________; Therefore, do or be ________! Fill in the blank with anything good and biblical (holy; salt…
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Shepherding a Church Member Who Doesn’t Like You
Brian Croft’s blog (Practical Shepherding) is quickly becoming one of my must-reads each day. This post is one example of why: How Do I Shepherd a Church Member Who Doesn’t Like Me? His first point is CLASSIC: “1) Take an interest in what they love and enjoy. I confess I have walked an indoor track with elderly ladies, gardened, played with rabbits, visited people in the hospital I didn’t know, ate food still unidentifiable to me, all to take an interest in what they love so to communicate love for them. Even if they don’t receive it well, this act of humility will sanctify you.” SO true. And SO wise.…
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Looking for a GREAT Mother’s Day Gift? Buy this book! Real Love for Real Life (by Andi Ashworth)
My gracious event host in Tennessee gave me many treasures this past weekend, but one that I am just beginning to open up and enjoy is this book by Andi Ashworth: Real Love for Real Life: The Art and Work of Caring (That’s the link to its Amazon page so that you can read all about it, but you’ll definitely want to buy it here from her husband (Charlie Peacock’s) online store to avoid the $38 Amazon price. Yowza! It’s $10 on his site.) I’ve only gotten into the first couple of chapters, but already I’m thinking of many “unpaid caregivers” (her words) whose work is “fundamental to sustaining the…
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WHOOPS — That’s “D.Min.” NOT “Demon”
Falling squarely within the “let’s tighten up that wording next time, Tara, so that you communicate in such a way that you CANNOT BE MISUNDERSTOOD” category … Today a woman (so gently and graciously) asked me to clarify what I meant when I said: “My pastor is a demon.” OK. Seriously. I’ve been asked a LOT of questions over the years at women’s events and I have to say, to a certain extent, I’ve kind of felt like I’ve heard them all. At least in a big-brushstroke-kind-of-way. But this? (Oh! She was SO sweet and SO kind.) “It’s just not clear to me, dear, what you meant by saying that…
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All I Have is Christ
I’ve watched this video a few times in the last week (well, technically, I had it playing in the background—I’ve never actually watched the video, I just appreciate the words and music). Each time, I’ve been tremendously blessed to be drawn by the Holy Spirit into intimate, abiding worship of the Triune God. I hope it likewise helps to lead you by the Spirit to the throne room of Christ our King and God the Father. What a Savior! What a God.
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Audio from Willow Creek Conference
‘Course I’ll never listen to them (because hearing my own voice gives me the heebie-jeebies), but if you’re interested in hearing some recordings from a recent event I did, the church was kind enough to send me a link: Willow Creek Ladies’ Conference (April 2010) These are pretty much equivalent to my standard retreat sessions 2a/2b & 3.
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Marriage — One for Better and Worse
Fred and I just registered for the 2010 CCEF Conference — Mariage: One for Better and Worse and I hope to get to see you there too! If you’re not familiar with CCEF (the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation), I hope you’ll get to know them. Their materials are the finest practical theology (counseling the heart) resources that I know of. They are biblical, Christ-centered, and yet imminently practical and readable. (I’m obviously a big fan.) See you in November? Gratefully, Tara B.
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People at their worst, but the gospel at its best …
The world’s cutest webmaster and blogger (my hubby Freddy B.) posted this at the Peacemaker Ministries blog and I just CHEERED as I read it: Quail Springs Church of Christ Heals Rift Through Mediation What a (painful! beautiful!) testimony of God’s grace at work in a congregation and a wonderfully gifted Christian conciliator. Enjoy.
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Grateful for Hand-Me-Downs
We continue to live off of charitable grants from the Kent Family Foundation (of adorable hand-me-downs from six years ago) and gifts from Auntie Kali and Uncle Fred … and I am so grateful for them both! Without generous gifts from friends and family, I could never enjoy such pink & frilly girls on a Sunday morning: Sorry that my blog was dead all day long. Technology problems. Hopefully they’re squared away (or SQL’d away) or whatever technie term is appropriate. And hope you had a great Monday! G’nite, Tara B.
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Great Preachers are Great Listeners (and Lovers)
Worth the read over at HeadHeartHand: Great Preachers are Great Listeners (and Lovers)
