There are deaths to be died. Daily deaths. Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). These smaller, daily deaths are not without great pain and suffering. As I chase after Christ, I’m collecting wounds. Each act of dying […]

Today I’m pondering tests. My boys are wrapping up our homeschool year and that has included standardized testing. They don’t enjoy these tests and basically try to rush through them to be done as quickly and painlessly as possible. At some point during the middle of the three-hour test, they will inevitably ask me, “Do […]

Today I’m pondering questions. I have many. When I woke up one Sunday morning to an unimaginable reality, my fractured brain could only think in questions. Why, Lord? Why would you do this? How could you let this happen? What are you doing? Where do we go from here? Grief is greedy. It fills us […]

From Christy: For the last three years, my family has been caring for a little Ugandan girl named Gracious. We have been pursuing her adoption for the last eighteen months. Recently, we received the news that she had passed away from complications due to pneumonia. She was seven years old. Our local church, Imago Dei, in Raleigh, […]

Today I’m pondering emptiness. Specifically, this empty chair beside me. This week my family is at the beach. Stephen and our four boys are walking along the sand tonight, and I opted for some quiet time on our balcony. The ocean lies in front of me in all its beauty, with the soothing, rhythmic rolling […]

Today I’m pondering boldness. We all want to be bold, right? Being bold feels brave. Confident. Capable. We respect those who stand up for the weak, take risks for the kingdom, fight giants, and never falter in their faith. No one wants to think of themselves as weak. I’ve tried to live a bold life […]

I love reading articles online. I enjoy the musings of another’s brain as they present an idea, flesh it out with three subheadings, and wrap it up in a logical, Christ-exalting conclusion. It’s tidy. Smooth. Orderly. Normally, I enjoy contributing to this practice as I process God’s truth and how it applies to different scenarios […]

Injustice fills today’s headlines. Christians are hunted and killed in Somalia. Men are auctioned off as slaves in Libya. Imperfect babies are murdered in Iceland. Gang violence claims the lives of young men in America. Daughters are discarded in India for not being sons. Orphans are transported across borders and forced into prostitution in Nepal. […]

In the late 80s/early 90s, many families spent Friday nights gathered around their televisions watching the TGIF lineup on ABC. Full House was one of the most beloved family sitcoms. John Stamos played the loveable, Uncle Jesse, who is best remembered by his catchphrase, “Have mercy!” While Uncle Jesse’s weekly need for mercy amused us, our need […]

Believers have the privilege of knowing God in many different ways. He’s our refuge, companion, helper, rescuer, and provider, just to name a few. We might experience him more as our comforter during seasons of suffering. In seasons of growing, we may know him more as our teacher. While I enjoy getting to know him […]