Productivity

Last year Tim Challies did a series on productivity at his blog. I thought about posting it a few months ago, but I figure that the middle of the semester is not a good time to reevaluate productivity and the tools you use. Now that you are out of "survival mode" and hopefully not in "hibernation mode," I thought I'd encourage you to read over his articles and think about productivity. I think you'll benefit from his biblical view of productivity and the practical tools (and examples from his own life). Perhaps it will help you not be ruled by the "tyranny of the urgent."

Here are the posts in his series on productivity.

1. How to Get Things Done
2. Define Your Areas of Responsibility
3. Time, Energy & Mission
4. Finding the Right Tools
5. Organization & Systems
6. Task Management
7. Information Management
8. Using Your Calendar Effectively
9. Taming the Email Beast
10. Maintaining the System
11. Deal With Interruptions

"Women in Combat and The Undoing of Civilization"

A few weeks ago the Secretary of Defense announced that all combat roles are now open to women. In one sense this is not too new as women have been in combat roles for a while now. But this move is one that is serious. 

Denny Burk has a very helpful post on what exactly all this means and how we might think about it as Christians (or even just as a a society in general).

As usual I'll give you what I think is one of the most helpful sections (but you ought to read the whole article):

What kind of a society puts its women on the front lines to risk what only men should be called on to risk? In countries ravaged by war, we consider it a tragedy when the battle comes to the backyards of women and children. Why would we thrust our own wives and daughters into that horror? My own instinct is to keep them as far from it as possible. 

Perhaps some people believe that women ought to be able to volunteer for whatever job they are qualified to do. But what if the draft were reinstituted?

Advent Music

I started thinking that it might be good to recommend some Christmas music to help you worship the Lord and rejoice in the first advent of our Savior. Here are a few recommendations:

1. Prepare Him Room: Celebrating the Birth of Jesus in Song, (the whole album is great) by Sovereign Grace. If you can only buy one album, buy this one.
2. "Come Though Long Expected Jesus" this is the only song from his Christmas album I have, but the others might be worth a listen,  by Fernando Ortega
3. Joy: An Irish Christmas by Keith and Kristen Getty (the whole album is good)
4. Christmas Offerings by Third Day
5. Handel's Messiah

Do you have any favorite songs or albums?  Maybe some Will Tucker? Feel free to share in the comments section (unless your initials are SM).

Advent Readings

Advent simply means "coming." December is a good time to spend time reflecting on the first advent of our Savior and to long for his second advent. Here is an article at Desiring God with "seven reasons to celebrate advent" and it has links to some of John Piper's free advent readings (short readings to read from December 1st-25th.

Articles On The Shooting at Planned Parenthood in Colorado

Last Friday there was a shooting at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado. Let's be clear that a pro-life Christians we value all human life as made in the image of God - including those outside the womb. We firmly reject violence such as this.

Here are a couple articles I suggest reading about the shooting.

1. Denny Burk has a good article about it here.

2. The Cripplegate has a good article on the Christian police officer killed in the incident here

Eternal Life Depends on Right Doctrine

We live in a day when doctrine is often downplayed. A false spirituality seems to be all too common, even among many well meaning Christians (spirituality in our culture is often a synonym for sincere or strong feelings about some spiritual things). Doctrine matters, and our eternal life depends on having right doctrine.

I talked to a man the other day who told me he knew he was going to be with Jesus when he died because he has been a pretty good person. Just because he mentioned Jesus, does not mean he knows the true Jesus. Let's not assume everyone who "likes Jesus" actually knows him in a saving way.

Kevin DeYoung has a good, short article on the importance of doctrine. I suggest you take a minute to read it over. Here is a good quote:

Let us not send people into the world with merely a vague notion that Jesus saves without teaching them particulars about the Jesus who does save. Jesus is a Savior for every kind of person, but not every kind of Jesus saves.