The Warren & the World is Story Warren’s weekly newsletter, providing a round-up of our favorite things from around the web as well as a review of what was on our site over the past week. We’re glad you’re here!
Around the Web
Sharing Jesus at Home and with the Nations
Jennifer Brogdon explores what it means to have a heart for evangelism as a busy mom.
- I’ve cared about evangelism for as long as I can remember.
Three years or so ago, the old me wouldn’t have believed my struggle with evangelism and the number of excuses I’ve made since becoming a mom. It’s true we’re busy, and our life goes from taking care of ourselves to not looking in the mirror for an entire 6 hours while also forgetting to eat lunch again—something I never would’ve done in my pre-mommy life.
Riveting Robot Books for Kids
- Robots rock, right? (See what I did there? rrr …) Get your STEM-loving kids jazzed about robots with these books all about robots! From picture books to nonfiction tomes, these books will get your kids excited about robotics.
When You’re Tired of Pretending Everything’s Okay
- So you can look up at the calendar today and exhale:
It’s okay to feel bone tired — you have One who gives His bone and His body for you and beckoned: Come Rest.
It’s okay to feel disillusioned — you have One who destroys cheap illusions of perfection and offers you His.
It’s okay to feel done — you have One who listens to the last nail be driven in and proclaims all the hellish things finished.
Awaken Oh My Imagination
- I was born on a Sunday, and as the story goes, the next Sunday I was in church. As a child, I nodded off to sleep at night as my mom read to me the stories of Joseph and his technicolor coat, David slaying Goliath, Daniel in the lion’s den. As an adult I’ve committed my life to the serious study and preaching of scripture. Basically, I’ve never been far from the Bible. But over-familiarity with the text and a lack of discipline on my part has, at times, caused my reading of scripture to feel like listening to Billy Joel’s “For the Longest Time” on repeat and then suddenly never wanting to hear Billy Joel’s “For the Longest Time” again. When Bible reading feels stale, projects like Russ Ramsey’s Retelling the Stories, help to break up the fallow ground in me. They evoke new wonder at readings of The Old Story.
Around the Warren
Potent Art
James Witmer reminds us that the necessary repetition of parenting makes for potent art.
- It’s harder to write a meaningful radio song than a thoughtful album; when you have only three minutes to make your point, it’s easier to be catchy than deep.
It can be harder to write a short story than a novel; you need to accomplish the same things – character development, rising conflict, resolution – in less than 1% of the space.
It is unlikely that you will change someone’s mind in a single argument, no matter how brilliant and beautiful your rhetoric; so debates often come in sets of three.
Dare To Be a Daniel…Or Not?
We’re sharing an old post by Sally Lloyd-Jones again–since VBS season is a good time to remember the power of the stories of Scripture in and of themselves.
- When I go into churches and speak to children I ask them two questions:
1. How many people here sometimes think you have to be good for God to love you? (They tentatively raise their hands. I raise my hand along with them.)
2. How many people here sometimes think that if you aren’t good, God will stop loving you? They look around and again raise their hands.
These are children in Sunday schools who know the Bible stories. These are children who probably also know all the right answers—and yet they have somehow missed the most important thing of all.
They have missed what the Bible is all about.
Something to Do with Your Kids
Slime is always a fun project for when you need a quiet day. Here’s a great recipe for the “Best Ever Butter Slime“–I don’t quite know why it got the word “butter” in its name, but it sure looks like fun!
And Something to Watch
The World Cup comes to a close this weekend, with England and Belgium playing the third place match, and France and Croatia (yay!) playing in the final. Perhaps you’ve taken the opportunity the World Cup provides to explore the countries of the world, or perhaps you’ve been ignoring it altogether. But either way, today you’re in for a treat: TWO videos–one for each World Cup Finalist. Here you go, Geography Now! videos on Croatia and France.
Thank you for reading. We’re on your side.
You can find her at carolyncgivens.com or on Facebook or Instagram at @carolyncgivens.
- The Warren & The World Vol 11, Issue 30 - September 16, 2023
- The Warren & The World Vol 11, Issue 29 - September 2, 2023
- The Warren & The World Vol 11, Issue 28 - August 19, 2023
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