Links I like (weekend edition)

Why I’m Not Reading in 2013

Josh King:

Instead of adding things like diet, exercise, and reading, I am cutting stuff out. The most life changing, for me, will be reading. I have decided that in 2013, I will not read any new books. Crazy, right? I know, like most resolutions, I will probably fail at this sometime mid-February but my motivation is centered around changing my personal attitude through an attempt at reading less.

Change hearts, change Haiti

Amber Van Schooneveld:

It has been three years since the catastrophic earthquake that crumbled much of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Hundreds of thousands were killed and over a million lost their homes. Natural disasters can sink countries into deeper despair, or they can be the catalyst for change. Although thousands are still displaced, we’re beginning to see a massive rebuilding effort, improved building regulations and, in the end, we’ll hopefully see safer, cleaner cities in Haiti.

But it’s not only material changes that are taking place—and often it’s the immaterial changes that are the most important.

Many Haitians don’t believe there is any future for them in Haiti. Instead of working for its progress, many seek to leave the country and join the vast Haitian population living abroad. But God has given Compassion’s leaders in Haiti a huge vision: a vision that the Church in Haiti will lead the way in changing their country through transformed hearts.

Cheap eBooks

Here are a whole whack of cheap eBooks for your Kindle:

• Practicing Affirmation by Sam Crabtree – $3.06
• God, Marriage, and Family by Andreas Kostenberger – $4.66
• Family Vocation: God’s Calling in Marriage, Parenting, and Childhood by Gene Veith – $5.38
• Sex and the Christian (Ebook Shorts) by Matthew Lee Anderson – $2.99
• Found: God’s Will by John MacArthur – $2.51
• Lasting Love: How to Avoid Marital Failure by Alistair Begg – 99¢
• All Of Grace by C.H. Spurgeon – 96¢
• How to Pray by R.A. Torrey – $1.00
• The Confessions of St. Augustine – 96¢
• The Making of an Atheist: How Immorality Leads to Unbelief by James Spiegel – 96¢
• Sex, Sushi, and Salvation: Thoughts on Intimacy, Community, and Eternity by Christian George – 99¢
• Unfriend Yourself: Three Days to Detox, Discern, and Decide About Social Media by Kyle Tennant – 99¢
• Godology: Because Knowing God Changes Everything by Christian George – $1.99
• Voices of the True Woman Movement: A Call to the Counter-Revolution by Nancy Leigh DeMoss – $1.99
• Hello, I Love You: Adventures in Adoptive Fatherhood by Ted Kluck – $2.01
• The Reason For Sports: A Christian Fanifesto by Ted Kluck – $2.01
• Why Trust Jesus?: An Honest Look at Doubts, Plans, Hurts, Desires, Gripes, Questions, and Pleasures by Dave Sterrett – $2.01
• Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will or How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Impressions, Open Doors, Random … Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, etc. by Kevin DeYoung – $6.43 (here’s my review from 2009)

Books by Erwin Lutzer:

• Oprah, Miracles, and the New Earth: A Critique - $4.03
• Is God on America’s Side?: The Surprising Answer and How it Affects Our Future - $4.07
• The Truth About Same-Sex Marriage: 6 Things You Need to Know About What’s Really at Stake - $4.66
• When a Nation Forgets God: 7 Lessons We Must Learn From Nazi Germany - $5.06 (I reviewed this one back in 2010)

The Essential Edwards by Owen Strachan and Douglas Sweeney:

• Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell - 96¢
• Jonathan Edwards on True Christianity - 96¢
• Jonathan Edwards on the Good Life - 96¢
• Jonathan Edwards Lover of God - 96¢

What Does “coram Deo” Mean?

R.C. Sproul:

Recently a friend asked me in all earnestness the same question. He asked, “What’s the big idea of the Christian life?” He was interested in the overarching, ultimate goal of the Christian life.

To answer his question, I fell back on the theologian’s prerogative and gave him a Latin term. I said, “The big idea of the Christian life is coram Deo. Coram Deo captures the essence of the Christian life.”