Saturday Good Reads

Maureen Doallas gets inspired by a rain of spiders. David Muray sets records for answering email. Tim Good finds beauty in dandelions (dandelions!). Troy Cady finds innovative ways to teach children. And Ed Stetzer, author, speaker and contributing editor at Christianity Today, says it’s time for the church to recognize that American society is becoming increasing less friendly to Christianity.

And happy birthday to Janet, my beautiful wife of almost 42 years.

Culture and Society

Evangelicals, Culture, and Post-Christian America – Ed Stetzer at Christianity Today.

Calling Out Evil: One Man’s Stand – David Rupert at Red-Letter Believers.

Engaging the Bible & Evangelical Distinctives – Rod Dreher at The American Conservative.

Photography

Dandelions – Tim Good at Photography by Tiwago.

Writing

Novelists Need to Show AND Tell – Mike Duran at Novel Rocket.

Why do I answer my email so ridiculously fast? – David Murray at Writing Boots.

The Former Life I Once Loved – Mick Silva.

The Slow Growth of Ideas – Chris Yokel at The Rabbit Room.

Eureka – Tess Gerritsen for Strand Magazine.

Poetry

Windmills – Richard Maxson at the Imagined Jay.

Blooming Arachnids – Maureen Doallas at Writing Without Paper.

Poem for Pentecost – Mary Harwell Sayler.

Pessimists’ Lullaby – Jim Schmotzer at Faithful Skeptic.

Faith

For when you’re weary – Billy Coffey at What I Learned Today.

Disciple-making by worshipful play – Troy Cade at T(r)oy Marbles.

Being a Man of Shovel and Sword – Mike Yarbrough at Manturity.

Conflicts: Our Laboratories of Love – Bill Grandi at Cycleguy’s Spin.

Photograph: One of my favorite pictures of our trip last year to London – the office building known as “The Shard” and its nearby neighbor, Southwark Cathedral.