Author: Andy Farmer

Schooled in Mentoring by Shaun White

Schooled in Mentoring by Shaun White

Posted by | Apr 11, 2022 | |

One of the big stories from the recent Winter Olympics was the end of the long career of snowboarder Shaun White. White was a pioneer in the halfpipe competition, a sport that sends riders down a deep chute of ice where they cross from one side to the other, launching themselves skyward into all manner of tricks and spins on the way down. White had won three gold medals in four Olympics and had come back for one more try in his fifth games at the ripe old snowboarder age of 35. He wound up finishing fourth, off the medal podium. Though clearly disappointed to finish without a medal, White put on a clinic of gracious and thoughtful reflection on the close of his Olympic career. Continue Reading →

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Camping in the Valley of Vision

Camping in the Valley of Vision

Posted by | Jan 17, 2022 | |

This week’s mini-series on the Grace and Truth Blog offers a sample of Puritan writings and their influence on biblical counseling. In our first article, Andy Farmer shares about the impact of The Valley of Vision on his devotional life. In other contributions to the series, Greg Gifford looks to Jeremiah Burroughs on the teaching of contentment, and Kyle Johnston explores John Newton’s treatment of humility. Continue Reading →

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New Roles for the Older Years

New Roles for the Older Years

Posted by | Nov 12, 2021 | |

In their book The Art of Aging, Howard Eyrich and Judy Dabler offer very helpful insight for people like me who are entering the later years of life. “For the Christian, vocation refers to the manner in which you live your life. My vocation concerns living as a Christian. My avocation refers to my remunerative work. Then, the biblical conception of retirement would mean cessation from remunerative labor, not cessation from work.”[1] I tend to get this mixed up. I think of my vocation as how I earn a living and “avocation” as the things I get to do when I’m not working. But if my vocation is the manner in which I live, retirement from work for pay is meant to free me into deeper vocation. As I think about the next season of my life, what I am calling my “draw down years,” I am starting to plan my new vocation. In the process, I’ve realized an important principle. Continue Reading →

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Comfort for the Question of an Uncertain Eternal State

Comfort for the Question of an Uncertain Eternal State

Posted by | Aug 6, 2021 | |

I’ve been to a lot of funerals and officiated a number as well. I’ve never been to one where everyone was confident the deceased person was not in “a better place.” Thankfully, I’ve been to memorial services that were joyous celebrations of a person’s fruit and impact as a professing Christian—services that radiated confidence in our eternal hope. However, I’ve also been to many where there was uncertainty: services where those gathered seemed to be groping for some assurance that their departed loved one was in heaven. These are the hardest ones of all for me. Continue Reading →

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My Parable of Market Square

My Parable of Market Square

Posted by | May 3, 2021 | |

Back in the late 1990s, I had the opportunity to meet up with my brother for some travel in England while he was on a missionary break. Our touring led us to the city of Cambridge, the birthplace of the English Reformation. It was early December. That evening was the beginning of the annual Christmas celebration, so we went to Market Square, where all the festivities would occur. Continue Reading →

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