Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

Avail thyself of this ... Desiring God Ministries is offering The Pleasures of God for $4.99. That's a sweet deal for Christmas! I took my Sunday school class through this a few years back and it was awesome. Buy them in bulk for your church and they won't go to waste.


Get in on the ground floor as Lance of the Scrawny Pulpit starts a new blogging experience on January 1 with Solid Food for Fellow Pilgrims.


Read George Will Lowers the Hammer on Huckabee, courtesy of Denny Burk.


Read 13 Ways to Bless Missionaries Without Paying for Postage.


Read Peter Mead's thoughts on That Time Before [Preachers] Speak.


Read this NY Times piece: An (Un)easy Guide to Holiday Tipping.


Read about Huck and Rudy now running neck & neck.

"Giuliani, the former New York mayor who has led most national polls since early in the year, saw his support drop from 29 percent to 23 percent in the survey. His one-point lead over Huckabee was well within the poll's 4.8 percentage point margin of error."

Read these thoughts on Charity: where people give and why.

"Whom do you give to, and why? How important is anonymity — or, conversely, how important is the recognition? How consistent are you in your causes, and what makes you change your thinking? Do you prefer microcharities and/or people you know, or do you prefer big institutional charities, and why? How important is the tax deduction in your giving — and, since it rewards money but not time, does it make you less likely to donate your time? What are some particular charities that you love? If you were the King of Charity for a day, what would you change about the state of charitable giving?"

Read about how Romney's campaign motivates fellow Mormons to dip into pockets.

"Mitt Romney's Mormon religion is enough of an obstacle for him among some voters that the Republican presidential candidate was prompted to give a much- advertised speech on faith last week.

There is one area, however, where the former Massachusetts governor's religious affiliation gives him an important advantage: money. Fellow Mormons are pouring millions into his candidacy and promoting his campaign."

Read as Rev shares A Different Christmas Poem.

"A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child."

Read as Luke Bobo asks (1) Are we a culture of cheaters? and (2) Do cheaters win?


Dig this: Instead of collecting it, an Ohio church hands out money.


Read about Desiring God's suggested gift for your pastor. I should have put this on my wish list as well!


Read Joshua Harris' thoughts on Affluenza
Part 1: The Real Money Problem
Part 2: The Deception of Greed
Part 3: Greed Destroys Us
Part 4: Our Unique Vulnerability


Read about the upcoming Hobbit movie, part of the Lord of the Rings slooge.


Read Lionel Woods' thoughts on "The New Phariseeical Movement." (P.S. If you've not check out his site, it's worth it just to hear his great background jam.)


Check out Time Magazine's 10 Biggest Religion Stories of 2007.


Read Denny Burk's thoughts on the incarnation.

"How could any of this be? God is in the flesh now! I cannot get my little pea-brain to comprehend it, yet this is precisely what the Bible teaches."

Read as Johnny Mac answers the question, Does Hebrews 6:4-6 teach that a true believer can lose his salvation?



Comment of the Week:
"... our young girls are under relentless pressure to look older before their minds catch up. what is more tragic is that some moms are struggle with identity too and when they 'grow up' they want to be just like their teenage daughter." (from Luke Bobo)

“Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind.”
--"Kris Kringle" in Miracle on 34th Street