1. Thankfulness (and other habits): Marli Scarborough says our gratitude is tied to our identity, “So when [Paul] says “don’t BE anxious,” he’s not saying “don’t FEEL anxious,” or “don’t have anxiety.” He’s saying that anxiety doesn’t have to be your identity. Your identity is in Christ. Joy and gentleness and peace are already yours for the taking.”

2. Before you gather, mourn your sin: Paul Tripp offers a surprising recommendation for how to make your Thanksgiving special. He begins, ““Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4). We don’t tend to like to be sad. We hate bad news. We work to avoid problems. We apologize when we cry in public. Being depressed scares us. In our avoidance of sadness, we often numb ourselves to death with endless social media fluff and vacuous Netflix entertainment.”

3. Four aspects of being made in God’s image: Doug Eaton concludes with the social dimension of our being, “In addition to these four aspects, there is a social dimension to being made in the image of God. God himself is a social being. He is one being, comprised of three persons—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He has eternally existed in a loving social relationship. We are designed to live in relationships with both God and others.”

4. What is Mormonism? And is it different than Christianity? This video provides a brief and clear response to that question.

5. Why I no longer support the death penalty: Matthew Martens begins, “The death penalty is the most significant moral issue on which I have changed my mind. In law school, I was a full-throated supporter, but I have come to the view that, as currently practiced in the United States, the death penalty is unjust as the Bible defines justice.”

6. Admire the creative facial hair from the beard and moustache championships: I’m intrigued, tickled, and a little jealous.

Photo by Meritt Thomas on Unsplash