Your weekly installment of things we’ve been reading around the web.
Articles of the Week
Oh Yeah, and Here’s Another Reason for You Dudes to Be Generous, Arthur Brooks. “Charitable giving is even good for our looks. In 2009, Dutch and British researchers showed female college students one of three videos featuring the same handsome actor. In the first, he gives generously to a beggar on the street; in the second, he hands over just a little money; and in the third, the man gives nothing. The more he gave, the more handsome he appeared to the women in the study.”
How to Deal with Holiday Family Tensions, Russell Moore. “We tend to idealize holidays, but human depravity doesn’t go into hibernation between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. One thing that will hit most Christians, sooner or later, are tensions within extended families at holiday time. Here are a few quick thoughts on what followers of Jesus ought to remember, especially if you’ve got a difficult extended family situation.”
The Facebook Status: A Barometer of Mental Health? Amy Simpson. Whether we put much time into our social media posts or not, a recent study indicates that they are candid indicators of soul-deep health. So what does a “healthy” Facebook post look like? Even more importantly, what does this mean for those of us in the church, who want to minister to people whose souls are hurting, struggling, and broken?
Engagements Are the New Weddings, Courtney Reissig. “Our obsession with the perfect proposal is in many ways an off-shoot of a lingering expectation of the perfect wedding. All of these peripheral obsessions can often miss the point of it all. A marriage is coming. And Lord willing, it will last much longer than a 20-minute proposal or a three-hour wedding and reception.”
How to Do Date Night Right, Matt Heerema. “Of course this is an idealized list, and of course many of our relationships are in a hard spot where even the idea of spending time alone together is a little terrifying. Discussing this is a little out of scope for a blog post. However, I’d urge you to remember the Grace and Mercy that God extends to us through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. In other words, I’d urge you to first remember the Gospel. The Gospel is what makes this all possible in the first place.”
On The Lighter Side
Seven Uses of the Email Signature. Looks like I need to find a fancy quote to go with my email signature . . . or at least some colors!
