I discovered so many worthy words this week, it seemed impossible to narrow the list down. In the end, I kept seven. That’s still a lot, but it’s less than half of what I really wanted to share, so I think I did well!
This week on the blog: Bible Study Tips for Beginners: The Importance of Context
BEAUTY AND TO SPARE | CASSIE WATSON
“It’s one thing to intentionally seek out the beauty in your ordinary life. But what do you do when you long for the beauty someone else enjoys? Or when—as is common in our fallen world—you lose a beauty you once enjoyed? As Madelyn and I have discovered in our friendship, you have a choice to make.”
WHEN THE RIGHT ANSWERS ARE NOT ENOUGH | SUSAN NARJALA
“Why, God, is there so much pain? Why do these people have to endure such sorrow? There are answers that tick some boxes… But the answers don’t always feel like they are enough. They are good answers and true answers, but they sometimes fall short… God didn’t come just to give us answers. He came to be the answer.”
THE UNCOMPROMISING LIFE IS A DANGEROUS LIFE | CARA RAY
“People who live like Daniel are the real lions. Meek and mild, yes. Obedient to authority, yes. Excelling in their work, and earning favor among men, yes. Blameless in their conduct, yes. Willing to bow to the idols of culture, no. Willing to suffer the consequences that may bring? By God’s grace, and with his help, yes.”
SOCIAL | KRISTIN COUCH
“In the spring of our senior year, Jon and I were driving along the country roads of Indiana, hemmed within vast fields of corn. It was a high spring day, with the sky stretched out in crisp, blue brilliance. Everything lovely it was. Until we hit a deer.” This piece is such excellent writing! I couldn’t resist sharing it. Packed full of fantastic word choices throughout.
THE GOAL OF SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION IS NOT RECITATION | GLENNA MARSHALL
“Though the programs of my childhood smartly utilized games and competitions to encourage us to memorize, the goal was to store up God’s Word like a treasure so that when we needed to remember the gospel or God’s character or how to live as His people, the words of the Bible would already be buried deep within us. The point of Scripture memorization, I realized, was to remember.”
THE GREATEST TREASURE | JESSE WELLIVER
“Our world is full of things that demand our attention, distract us, and make us happy. They burrow their way into our hearts, often without notice. Some are beneficial; others are not. For example, we can all likely remember the words to long-forgotten songs from our childhood as soon as we hear the tune. But are we convinced that Scripture is the best thing we could possibly internalize?”
ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE | DARRYL DASH
“When things are bad, we have even more potential to do good. When things are bad, one person has the potential to bring change. One person can change the spiritual temperature of things. One person can make a difference.”
