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One morning six months before my wife Nanci died, she said to me in pure excitement, her Bible open in front of her, “I have been reading Psalm 119, and it says in verse 91 that ‘all things are God’s servants.’”

Charles Spurgeon, who fought depression most of his life and found great comfort in animals, wrote tenderly to his wife Susannah about their beloved dog Punch. Visitors also often spoke of the Spurgeons’ affection for animals.

God has a literal lifetime of good works laid out for us (Ephesians 2:10). Instead of burdening us, this should excite us! He has purposes, sometimes hidden, in every person and opportunity that crosses our paths.

The “spiritualized” thinking goes, Care nothing about your happiness; devote your life to making others happy. The biblical and realistic thinking is, You can make others, God, and yourself happy at the same time—by serving others.

I had a great time talking with Melissa Kruger and Courtney Doctor on their podcast from The Gospel Coalition called The Deep Dish. We discussed the New Earth, and also covered some questions about animals related to my new book All God’s Creatures.

In context, the Apostle Paul is warning us not to let bodily appetites rule us, because the body is for the Lord, not for sin. He is not claiming that resurrected people will never eat on the New Earth.

Countless people will assure you Heaven is your default destination, or the reward for working hard or avoiding certain sins. This is false. Salvation comes only through Jesus. Still, the question remains: how can we possibly know God, and be confident we’ll go to Heaven, not Hell?

Parenthood is a calling, far more important than any vocation. When it comes to being a faithful dad, the best thing you can do for your children is to love God with all your heart, and the second best thing you can do is to love your wife with all your heart. 

What else can contemplating the unceasing steadfast love of God, and His great faithfulness to us, do but give us strength for the day ahead? Jesus is my closest and dearest friend as I’ve walked this journey of grief.

In God’s providence, this article by Anna Russell appeared on The Gospel Coalition around the same time our ministry posted an article about Hannah Strege, who was the first embryo ever adopted. Anna’s article is remarkably consistent with what we shared, and is the perfect follow-up.

I enjoyed sharing about my childhood dogs (Ranger, Champ, and Spike) and my adulthood dogs (Champ II, Moses, Maggie, and Gracie) in my new book All God’s Creatures. My life without animals simply would not have been my life, and I know many other people who feel the same way. 

Our ministry received some remarkable messages from a woman who translated my book Happiness into Ukrainian in 2023 and just finished translating Heaven. She shared how the books have helped her and others in this season of war and suffering in Ukraine.

As my grandson Ty was preparing to marry his sweetheart Ava earlier this summer, one of the things we were discussing was how nothing is more important in marriage than humility.

I listened on audio to Jen Wilkin’s new book Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World. She does a wonderful job of connecting those decreasingly helpless at the beginning of life with those increasingly helpless at the end of life.