The Bible for Your Kayaking Kid and Psalm-Singing Surfer

Need to buy a gift for your favorite kayaker? Like to have devotions in the hot tub? Love to sing the psalms while surfing?

The ESV Waterproof Bible is the answer for you! It's 100% synthetic pages are almost indestructible. You can write, underline and dry highlight in it. And...it FLOATS!

It is available in blue, pink, and tree-bark covers. (I'm fairly certain it is a tree-bark pattern, not actual bark...though I'd buy one of those!)

No word yet if the ESV Study Bible will be made available in a waterproof edition, though conventional wisdom suggests that the ESV Study Bible would sink even the most sea-worthy of vessels, displace all the water in most hot tubs, and bog down the best of boogie-boarders.

When Your Pastor is Neither Pitt nor Piper, Depp nor Dever

Tim Challies offers some encouraging insight for the average pastor (and the congregants of such) in "I've Never Been Mistaken for Brad Pitt."

My blog, by the way, has never been mistaken for Challies.com.

When Your Preacher is NOT John Piper

So, you go to the conference, download the sermon or watch the DVD - you see/hear John Piper preach (he's the guy to the left, imitating Morris the Moose). Then, you head back to your local church and it quickly becomes apparent - your preacher is not John Piper.

That can be discouraging - particularly if that preacher is you!

The folks at BulletinInserts.org offer some good advice in "When Your Preacher is Not John Piper." To summarize, here are the five points:

1. Rejoice that your preacher is a man who proclaims the gospel.
2. Recognize that certain men are uniquely gifted by the Lord to have an international ministry and appeal, but this is not the norm.
3. If your pastor is (honestly) dull, but he preaches the truth faithfully...remember: "The mature worshipper is easily edified."
4. Listen "outwardly" to the preaching.
5. Verbally encourage the preacher(s) in your church [with specific, meaningful feedback on how you were convicted and taught].