I was at a party when a friend introduced me to someone. To get to know me, my acquaintance predictably asked, “So, what do you do?” I groaned. For years I was a stay-at-home mom. I had four boys in the span of six years. As thankful as I am for the privilege of investing […]

We recently heard the sounds of the celebration of evil. The sounds are haunting. The cheers and claps of New York state legislators as they celebrate the passing of the ironically named Reproductive Health Act. This legislation, which greatly expands women’s access to abortion, was signed into law by the governor of New York, Andrew […]

Christians talk a lot about glory. We hear it in sermons, read about it in books, and teach our children how they should do all things for the glory of God. This word is beautifully splattered across the pages of Scripture. Glory is a big deal. Despite my familiarity with the word, I’m realizing that […]

The start of a new year brings hope. This new beginning delivers the courage to believe that anything is possible. Our past days are behind us, and we anticipate better days are ahead. We boldly step into this new season armed with our expectations for how things will be better this year. I began 2018 […]

No one would describe me as a slow processor, yet I still don’t know what to think about this past year. 2018 didn’t go down like I thought it would. This year hurt so much more than I believed it could. It disappointed. It surprised. It revealed things I didn’t want to know. 2018 stretched […]

We usually associate fear with the anticipation of something unpleasant or the expectation of our safety being threatened. We think of fear in terms of what we’re afraid of. Scripture teaches about another kind of fear—the fear of the Lord. Psalm 128 addresses the fear of the Lord in terms of the reverence and awe we […]

It’s Thanksgiving week, so naturally I’m pondering the many things I have to be thankful for. The Lord is sweet to continue to fill my mind with examples of his provision for which I’m grateful. But mixed in with my gratitude, is my constant companion — grief. I’m grateful and I’m grieving. Past Thanksgiving seasons […]

Along with crisp air and beautiful leaves, November also brings an awareness of broken families. It’s this month, more than any other, where our gaze is directed, perhaps uncomfortably, to the fatherless. That’s because November is National Adoption Month and November 11 is Orphan Sunday. Many people live their whole lives without giving any thought […]

In her new book, The Gospel Comes with a House Key, Rosaria Butterfield writes: “I know I can’t save anyone. Jesus alone saves, and all I do is show up. Show up we must.” When Christians fail to show up, those around us remain unreached. Complacency is a sickness that keeps us from loving our neighbors. […]

I was serving in rural Kenya with a mission team building an aquaponics system that would benefit a local church. It was hard work, and we were behind schedule. One afternoon, with precious few hours of daylight left to work, a local woman came to visit and see the project. Our team leader asked me […]