Precious Picks

A heap ‘o good links for you to check out…

Rekindling the Gratitude
John MacArthur shares 5 things he is most thankful for this holiday season: “Let me encourage you not to allow this Thanksgiving to come and go without taking inventory. Biblical gratitude isn’t something that should pass from our minds with the passing of a season. It’s an attitude, a God-focused response to circumstances that should pervade each moment of each day of each year.”

Christmas Offerings
You can download Third Day’s album, Christmas Offerings, for $5 at Amazon. One of my favorites!

The Six-Second Kiss
Jani Ortlund shares one of her secrets for keeping romance alive in marriage: “What can six seconds do for you? Woman to woman, let me encourage you that just six seconds a day can help safeguard your marriage.”

Don’t Waste Your Sports
C.J. Mahaney has a new booklet out that is much needed among Christians involved with sports: “Don’t Waste Your Sports is for athletes, parents, and coaches. It provides a biblical worldview of sports so that we don’t waste this gift. ‘I had the opportunity to glorify God in my sports,’ C.J. writes, ‘and I fumbled it. I wasted my sports. You have the opportunity, by the grace of God, not to waste yours.’”

Pastor Mark’s Daddy Christmas Tips
Mark Driscoll shares a list of ideas that will help dads make Christmas a blessed time for their families. Pass it on to a daddy who may need it! “Dad needs a plan for the holidays to ensure his family is loved and memories are made. Dad, what’s your plan?”

Illustration: Svilen Milev

Precious Picks

More great links I came across over the last week…

Trophy Kids
John MacArthur encourages parents to make sure their goals for parenting line up with the Lord’s, “God’s goal for parenting is much loftier than mere behavior reformation. He wants our children’s hearts, and our goals as parents must reflect His.”

The Myth of Marital Compatibility
In an article on the Mars Hill Church blog, Phil and Jen Smidt address common misconceptions about compatibility and offer 5 tips to becoming more compatible within marriage, “Instead of finding a compatible mate, Christians are instructed to marry and become a compatible mate. This requires the grace and transformation of Jesus–good news to those already married who are struggling to live in unity with their spouse.”

Isaiah’s Story
Another beautiful adoption story from Together for Adoption has been making the rounds online lately. If you haven’t seen it, you need to check it out. “On one of the chairs was a small little bundle of blankets, and I thought that it was moving. To be honest, I thought maybe it was a puppy wrapped up in a blanket…I began to unwrap the blankets and it was just a really tiny baby.”

Prayer Warriors
Tim Challies is blogging from the True Woman Conference in Fort Worth this weekend. His first reports have been very encouraging, “One thing I’ve loved to see at True Woman is the very obvious reliance on prayer. This conference is soaked in prayer, bathed in it.”

Illustration: Svilen Milev

Precious Picks

This week, I’ve come across more good stuff than I could share with you through individual blog posts, so I thought I’d give you the links and a brief description of each in case you’d like to check them out yourself.

Are You Distracted, Anxious, or Troubled?
Teaching on Luke 10:38-42, Mark Driscoll explains how God wants us to live in a Mary world with Martha moments instead of vice versa: “The truth is, Martha, you’re never going to get everything done that you’ve got on your list, and if Jesus is last, you’ll never get to Him. So, make sure that time with Jesus is first.” This is a great clip.

Don’t Judge the Depressed
Stephen Altrogge gives some helpful tips on ministering to the depressed, “Don’t make my mistake. Don’t judge the depressed, care for them.”

The God We Praise
David Platt’s church, The Church at Brook Hills, has just released a beautiful worship album called The God We Praise. You can hear the music, get chord charts and lead sheets, and watch song bios on the website.  

Growing Impact from True Woman ’10
True Woman compiled a number of video testimonies from women who attended their recent conference in Indianapolis. It’s exciting to see what God is doing through this movement!

Illustration: Svilen Milev