Friday Links Roundup: Two Notes about Blogging Edition

I  love this blog. It is a way for me to get information out there that might not get spread around any other way, and it is a wonderful way for folks to “stumble across” what we think is some decent material. Yes, it is a lot of work, but I truly find it to be a labor of love. For our introduction to the Friday Links Roundup today, I want to share with you two quick notes about this blog, in case you are new to our site.

FIRST, yes, we have another new “look.” I keep searching for the “perfect” background for our blog. I may have found it (may, may, may have found it!). I hope these constantly changing templates haven’t distracted you. We still have a couple of “clean-up” issues with this one, but I love several things about this one, and Leah likes it, too! I like that it is “clean” looking, but very customizable. Enjoy, and let us know what you think.

SECOND, I never write a blog post to air out anything concerning Lebanon Road or any other congregation. Some might see a post like the one I wrote on Wednesday concerning deacons and think, “Wow, they must have a lot of elder/deacon problems at Lebanon Road.” That is not the case! (And, no, there wasn’t anyone who said this to me, but I am just trying to make sure that everyone knows where this information comes from.) Is everything always perfect at Lebanon Road? Nope. We’re human and make mistakes. But we are filled with humble, Godly people. I would never feel right about ranting about a particular person or congregation in this format.

When I write posts like that one, just see them as things I notice in a general way from watching many congregations and studying the Scriptures. I love Lebanon Road and always want to be her biggest earthly “cheerleader!” I hope you feel the same way about the congregation you attend. We need to encourage and teach, and there is a way to do both without ranting all the time.

With that in mind, let’s go to the links (no, not St. Andrew’s…although, if anyone would like to fly me there for Saturday’s round of The Open Championship, I wouldn’t object!)…

1. At Lebanon Road, we LOVE having visitors. Thankfully, we have some at virtually every service. But we always need to make sure we are treating them the right way. Joe Palmer provides some helpful suggestions (and a hilarious video) in his post “How Do We Treat Visitors?”

2. With the Tour de France going on, I found this post from Tim Hall very inspiring. Enjoy “Live Strong.”

3. How often do we pray, “Lord, we pray you’ll be with us”? Tim Pyles gives a beautifully challenging thought in his post “Changing My Prayer.”

4. Ever find yourself whining and complaining? (If you answered, “no,” do you ever find yourself lying???) Christina Gillim shares her struggle with that in a great post entitled “Oy Vey.”

5. If you read our blog at all, you know that I read quite a bit. However, there are always ways to improve reading and the use of money in purchasing books. I like this simple post on Biblical Preaching entitled “A Reader; A Wise Reader.”

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We hope you have a wonderful weekend. We have a group going to North Carolina on a mission trip on Monday. The trip will include physical work, door knocking, a Vacation Bible School, and a Gospel Meeting! Please remember this group in your prayers as they seek to reach many folks in Forrest City.

Also, make sure you remember the Lord on His Day!