Bite size commentary delivered daily. In today's edition: The Great Divorce on stage, how to know God's will, biblical messages in Frozen, and more.
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Coming soon to a theater near you: a stage adaptation of C. S. Lewis' The Great Divorce. Though his Narnia books have garnered much more attention over the years because of the movie adaptations, I think this is one of his more underrated books. This could be a very promising play.
Hat tip: Breakpoint
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Finding God's will is a lot easier than you think:
Discovering God’s will is one of those topics that Christians (at least, North American ones) never seem to tire of. We want to know if what we’re doing is what God wants for us, his “best” for us, if you will. There are tons of books on the subject (only a couple that are worth reading in my opinion, though), lots of sermons and blog posts. And, honestly, if you read most of them, you’d think there was some sort of big secret—that God was leaving his will for our lives shrouded in mystery.
A mystery you must solve in order to have your best life now™.
Or something.
But God has not left us to flounder on this, as if we were to wander about aimlessly with no hope of finding an answer. But he’s also not provided an answer that will satisfy some to the degree they’d like. Instead, God directs us to his word, where he’s pretty clear-cut about no less than five things that are his will for our lives, which are helpfully detailed in John MacArthur’s book, Found: God’s Will and Kevin DeYoung’s Just Do Something*****************
6 questions writers should ask. Some good advice for anyone who wants to write effectively.
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One of the surprising things about Disney's Frozen (which we really enjoyed) is that it has some biblical truth embedded in the story. I hadn't really thought about it until I read the article. (Hat tip: Home Front)
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When a friend is in crisis what's the best thing to do?
The start of a New Year always seems to bring with it a sense of promise, a renewed hope that life will somehow get better or easier or lovelier. When the first of January came to pass last year, I had a lot of expectations for what the next twelve months would hold. I prayed for new mercies, new opportunities, new avenues for service.
While several months were marked by those truths, the beginning half of the year was also characterized by a lot of difficulty, hurt and overwhelming loss—not on a personal level, but for those close to me, those I care deeply about.
Numerous friends grieved the loss of one or both parents. and multiple couples I know lost a child at birth. While some faced newfound unemployment, others have struggled tirelessly but are still unable to find work. I have friends mourning broken relationships—familial, romantic or otherwise. It’s all incredibly confusing, and yet the heartache is all too real.
Knowing what to say at these times presents us with a challenge. A sentiment doesn’t exist that can change the current condition. As hard as we search for the most consoling words, they still feel empty, they come up short. I learned an important lesson years ago that has never failed me, a phrase that is my North Star in any and all circumstances. It’s a simple truth, which I believe resonate with us the most. It’s one thing true friends do, even when they can’t do anything else.
Show up.
Be sure to read the whole thing.
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