Wisdom For Your Weekend: your weekly installment of things we’ve been reading around the web.
Articles of the Week
Top 10 Relationship Killers, Debra K. Fileta. “As a Professional Counselor, every day I see couples who come into therapy with their marriage on life-support. But their struggles often have nothing to do with the trauma of affairs, addictions or abuse. Instead, they are dying a rather slow and painful death. Phrases like, ‘We’re too different’ or ‘We’ve grown apart’ or ‘Life has just gotten the best of us’ sound so innocent, yet are extremely lethal. There are so many factors that can get in the way of a good marriage, but often, they are the small, unnoticed things that make their way in.”
Hobby Lobby Wins: Where Do We Go From Here? , Ed Stetzer. The Supreme Court verdict is in: our government cannot require people of faith—particularly those in business—to violate their religious convictions by providing contraception and (potentially abortive) birth control. Many evangelicals are ecstatic; many others are fuming. Stetzer gives us four considerations as we think about religious liberty in our nation’s future.
Six Steps to Wise Decision-Making About Psychotropic Medications, Brad Hambrick. Is it sinful for a Christian to consider medication for mental illness? Is it a sign of weak faith, a short-cut in what should be a spiritual walk with God? Hambrick shows that these are important questions, but aren’t nearly as black-and-white as we usually phrase them. We need to think wisely about medicating for mental illness, and these six steps are an invaluable step forward.
Having It All At Work And Home, Nikki Daniels. For all of the full-time laborers and wives/mothers, Daniels’ transparency and application of the gospel to both of her roles is encouraging. “I don’t have a ‘day job.’ Anyone who has ever worked for a nonprofit and/or had three people under the age of 7 in their care knows that neither of those roles starts—or stops—at any particular time. Each day is its own adventure.”
Seven Tips To Help You Preach Every Sunday . . . Without Dying, Mark Driscoll. “Preaching expends a great deal of energy emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically. Once the preaching is done and the adrenaline wears off, most preachers hit the proverbial wall physically and emotionally. I’ve heard it said that Monday is the most common day that a pastor resigns, often because of the depression that sets in after they have poured themselves out on Sunday. With all of that in mind, here are a few practical tips.”
On The Lighter Side
12 Things Tim Howard Could Have Saved. Even if you aren’t into soccer, by now you’ve probably heard about the US-Belgium World Cup match on Tuesday, in which despite a losing effort, U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard had a remarkable and record-breaking 16 saves. America responded online by gushing over Howard’s prowess. The result: a viral internet meme of Tim Howard making other ridiculous “saves.” Enjoy.
