Skip to content ↓

Explore A La Carte

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/23)

    Because I am now working out of the church offices a couple of days a week, I am starting to haul my library over there (since that’s where I anticipate doing the bulk of my study). That’s no small task, as it happens. But little by little I’m moving it over, a few boxes and…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/22)

    I’ve got a slightly abbreviated A La Carte today after having a busy day yesterday–the kind of day that just didn’t allow me a lot of time to do online reading. The Virgin Birth – Dr. Mohler takes on the question: “Must one believe in the Virgin Birth to be a Christian? This is not…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/21)

    Tonight I’m off to a performance of Handel’s Messiah with Toronto Symphony Orchestra. I can hardly wait. A lot of people I know have already been and are saying great things about this year’s adaptation. Just twelve hours to go… Last Minute Gifts – My good friend Becky is offering up a lifesaver for guys…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/20)

    Yesterday evening our church was able to enjoy a baptism service and see 3 people make that public profession of faith. What an awesome thing God has done in giving us baptism, a visible rite that speaks so clearly about the inner change he has wrought. The Half-Life of Celebrity – “Is it possible to…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/17)

    I’ve got nothing to say today, so we’ll just get straight to those links… $5 Friday – Ligonier is having their weekly $5 Friday event today, and R.C. Sproul’s commentary on John is one of the items that you can buy, today only, for just $5. The Christmas Tree Industry – Just in case you’ve…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/16)

    Amazon Free Shipping – You’ve got just 1 day left to order stuff from Amazon, get their free shipping, and still have it show up before Christmas. This is the time of year when Amazon is shipping 10 million items per day. Which is utterly amazing. Love Is Here – Another great little article from…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/15)

    Yesterday my wife, who was feeling lousy, had me take my daughter, who was feeling lousier, to the doctor. The doctor asked me things like, “Is she allergic to any medications?” To which I answered, “Um…I dunno.” “Has she had a sore throat?” “Um…I dunno. I’m only here because Aileen’s sick.” “Didn’t an antibiotic we…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/14)

    I need help with a strategy here. My children are constantly creating great works of art and giving them to me as gifts. Were I to add them up, their number would be greater than the stars in the sky, I’m sure. What’s a good strategy for dealing with this art? I can’t possibly keep…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/13)

    When listening to the winter weather forecasts, my wife is always cheering for snow while I’m always cheering for clear weather. Usually I win. When it comes to the side we cheer for, I don’t think it’s mere coincidence that I am the one who does the shoveling around here and my wife does not.…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/10)

    The Yankees are bidding on Cliff Lee, offering him ridiculous amounts of money to come to New York. The Red Sox are buying up superstars. And the Blue Jays are pretty much standing firm, letting free agents walk and working toward 2013 or so. Such is life in the AL East. I don’t know if…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/9)

    There is snow all around us–several feet of it to the north, a couple of feet to the east, west and south. And barely a flake to be seen here in Oakville. My wife is dismayed; I am thrilled (you can probably guess which one of us is responsible for doing the shoveling around here).…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/8)

    Yesterday was the first day in 8 or 9 years that I spent a work day in an office away from home. This new role at my church will be keeping me out of the house at least a couple of days a week. I have to say that I quite liked it, though it’s…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/7)

    Yesterday we went out and put ourselves through the yearly ritual of buying a Christmas tree. Those things aren’t getting any cheaper, are they? The local place had really nice trees but wanted $55 for them. After seeing how nice they were (and comparing gas prices to the distance we’d have to drive to get…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/6)

    I enjoyed a great weekend with the men of Heritage Baptist Church in Johnson City, Tennessee. I flew out to Tennessee on Friday and spent a couple of days on retreat with these guys, discussing issues related to sex and purity. What a godly group of men they are. And what an awesome thing that…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/2)

    Here are a few links to help get your day started. Those who like free stuff will particularly enjoy this, I suppose… Free from ChristianAudio – This month’s free download from ChristianAudio is Calvin Stapert’s Handel’s Messiah. It’s a good one to listen to before you head to a performance of Messiah this month. Free…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (12/1)

    I’ve got nothing to say today. Nothing except these links: Job for a Taxi Driver – Carl Trueman cracks me up. This article is a good (and short) one. “Few things make my blood boil more than those who spend their lives doing things they love in pretty comfortable environments, who take so much pride…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    You Have Seen Him

    You’ll usually find the ninth chapter of John placed under a heading such as “Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind.” You know the story, I’m sure. It is the one where his disciples, as they passed a man who had been blind since birth, ask him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (11/30)

    And another month draws to a close. I may have said something like this at the beginning of November (or October or September). But somehow it feels like the pace of life is accelerating, like time is just going by at a ridiculous rate. If you have figured out a way of slowing down time,…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (11/29)

    I hope and trust that you enjoyed your weekend. I’m glad to report that it was a good one for the Challies family. It was quiet and mostly-unremarkable–just the way we like it. Cyber Monday – I have put together a roundup of Cyber Monday deals (and it’s being continually updated). Check the link for…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (11/25)

    Well, happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends. This is one of those days where I feel like I’m the only one out here on the Internet. I trust you all have better ways to be spending your time today. I’m thankful for you and glad that you get to take a day to…