Every week I compile a list of interesting articles from around the web. Check out this week’s list.
1. “The Subversive Act of Friendship” by Karina Kreminski
This is a beautiful article on friendship as a subversive act to change our world. It begins with a look at the friendship of God, and progresses then to our own earthly relationships.
2. “The Christian Life Isn’t Meant to be Effortless” by Donald S. Whitney
Dr. Whitney has written a good corrective to certain kinds of spirituality that promote a passivity in Christian living. There are some views of the Christian life that suggest you just need to “let go and let God.” Dr. Whitney demonstrates that the New Testament actually demands activity on our part. A great reminder of the call to action that God gives us, and the power He grants us to do what He commands.
3. “The Necessity of Remembering” by Kyle Cayton
My dear friend Kyle has written a great little piece on the important role of reminding ourselves of God’s character and goodness in the battle to “keep the faith.”
4. “Karma: Pill mill doc’s home gets new use” by Chris Graves
This story is a good reminder of God’s sense of humor and justice (despite the author’s mention of and personification of karma). One of the major contributors to the drug epidemic in Portsmouth were the notorious pain clinics that sold narcotics to just about anyone. In this story one of the doctors involved in that problem, and who launched many other doctors into that field, has had his home turned into a rehab facility. It’s a neat symbol of hope for a community that has been plagued by the problem of prescription drug abuse.
5. “Addiction treatment hard to find, even as overdose deaths soar” by Liz Szabo
There’s much that I am inclined to pick at with regard to this piece, yet the overall point is well taken: the need for more addiction treatment facilities, and more assistance in getting treatment is huge! “Only 11% of the 22.7 million Americans who needed drug or alcohol treatment in 2013 actually got it,” reports Szabo. One of my burning desires is to be able to launch a church-based inpatient treatment facility. The needs are huge and the church is, I believe, uniquely equipped to do such work.
6. “Why Humility is Doubly Important in Marriage” by Brad Hambrick
Hambrick offers up two important benefits of humility within marriage. This is a great post and his description of humility displayed is incredibly insightful. It can serve to refuel those frustrated in their relationships now.
7. “Medication sharing, storage, and disposal practice among U.S. adults with recent opioid medication use” by Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, Andrea Gielen, Eileen McDonald, Emma E. McGinty, Wendy Shields, and Colleen L. Barry
This is an important study from John Hopkins, found in a recent edition of JAMA Internal Medicine. It highlights the urgency and need for better instruction on disposal or return of unused opioid medications. In the report 60% of adults prescribed an opioid said that still had leftover pills, and nearly 14% were willing to share with friends and family in pain. Sharing of opioids is extremely dangerous and improper disposal or retention is equally bad. This is the other side of the epidemic problem we have in America.
Pastor Dave Online 