1. What ‘gentle parenting’ misunderstands about human nature: Michael Reneau and Megan Dent explain, “A core feature of Jesus’ gentleness to sinners was his understanding that they were trapped in a world in which the sinful parts of their nature were likely to be tempted and exploited, again and again. In this sense, sinners were indeed victims. But Jesus suggests that their problem was not that other human beings weren’t catering to their every emotional need (and in the process, eliding their own), but rather that they had become lost in a longing that Augustine called concupiscence: an immense desire, or ardent longing for fulfilment that often leads one astray, toward hubris, power, violence, lust, or material greed.”

2. Flop and sweat: Musician Andrew Osenga shares a relatable story about the power of failure, “By this point, there was no room in my brain for the lyrics—only shame. The feeling that I was letting Andrew down at this big, important show. The embarrassment of making such a fool of myself when all I had to do was sing one single song. I’ve played thousands of concerts in my life; why couldn’t I sing one single song tonight? Why can’t I be someone people can count on?”

3. Why we can’t focus: In this video, Jared Henderson sums up the thinking of Neil Postman and Nicholas Carr and tells us why we are losing the ability to concentrate and think deeply. I appreciate his practical advice at the end.

4. Prayer dies without delight: Marshall Segal shares, “We instinctively know what to do when we’re desperate. But tell me, what is your prayer life like when life isn’t that desperate? Do you pray less and with less expectancy? Do you pray at all? And what do your peacetime prayers suggest about the purpose of prayer?”

5. Why you can’t remember anything before the age of three: This is an intriguing one minute video.

Photo by Jordan Whitt on Unsplash