1. Why Aren't More Intellectuals Christians?

What Your Passions Say About You, from Desiring God: 

Apart from Christ, sinful and self-centered pleasures will lead us toward unimaginable pain and eternal judgment away from the presence of God. But in Christ, no matter how strong those old desires tug at you, your sins have all been paid for, you have been covered with God’s righteousness, and as a result of God’s saving grace you will find in yourself new desires that only God himself can satisfy

The Mother of All Swear Words - from Jen Wilkin: 

In order to guard your child from acting on natural curiosity in a potentially harmful way, you must become the fountainhead of “forbidden knowledge”, starting with swear words and progressing to sex. You want to be the go-to when your child has a question. Don’t ask an internet filter service to be your first line of defense – attack the problem at its root by inviting your child into dialogue early and often about their questions concerning the forbidden, the embarrassing, the secret. Invite them to trust you as the most reliable and safe search engine they can consult when their curiosity on any topic is piqued.

1. How to Look at Art: squint at it, flip it over, find the negative space, define the moment, re-construct it, let the artist guide your eyes, say what you see, use background knowledge, and THEN look at the label on the wall.

Seven Ways to Pray for Your Heart from the Desiring God blog:
Whatever it takes, Lord--
give me delight in You as the greatest treasure of my heart,
align the desires of my heart with Yours,
increase my awareness of my dependence on You in everything so that I will live continually by faith,
teach me to discern good from evil through the rigourous exercise of constant practise,
keep me desperate for You because I tend to wander when I stop feeling my need for You,
discipline me for my good so that I may share Your holiness and bear the peaceful fruit of righteousness,
increase my resolve to do Your will with all diligence.
Whatever it takes, Lord.

Training Heart Identities in Boys and Girls --wise blog post about this critical issue from Luma Simms over at Desiring God. 

Solid career advice from Carolyn McCulley: Pay your dues, get to the point, address conflict, and put your confidence in the Lord.