In a previous post, I presupposed that we humans are somewhat obsessed with physical beauty. We wrap up the firm and the youthful in the stretchiest and clingiest fibers the modern textile industry can manufacture, photograph the result, photoshop it for good measure, then publish it with all our might and to every available channel.

My wife, Lexy, and I recently attended a local marriage conference. We were able to do this without our kids (thanks, Mom!), which is the equivalent of a two-week, all-inclusive cruise for you single people.

You're probably familiar with the concept of searing your conscience, that is, holding it under the flame of unrepentant sin until it's well past medium rare. This is a weighty, awful thing. Probably the worst judgment you can receive from God on this side of the wedding supper of the Lamb is being given over to your own sin-enslaved will.

Implications are important things. An implication is a thing that is true because another thing is true. For example, a dual implication of my intemperate use of dad humor would be frequent hoots from my kids and weary looks/polite laughs from my friends. You get the idea. Implications are important things.

Here's one that is probably under-appreciated: If Christianity is true, there are parts of yourself that you consider positively essential that God would like to crucify.

You don't shack up with wolves, nor do you tacitly endorse them with your movie ticket budget, soliloquize about the artistic merits of their work in Facebook posts, or wonder aloud if they might just be misunderstood—you whack them with a stick.

I'm really sick of reading stuff about church vision. When I click a link and start reading, only to find that the seemingly benign title is actually another [Blank] Steps to a More Visiony Vision piece, I hit the back button with the kind of catlike dexterity…

Let’s go ahead and rip the band-aid, shall we? Here goes: Not everyone is good looking.