When I think of what it means to be a parent, I am always drawn to this quote by writer Elizabeth Stone: “Making the decision to have a child—it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” Parents move mountains to protect and nurture their children,…
“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18 CSB) Like everyone else, I went through some discouraging times in 2020. To understate the obvious, things were a bit difficult last year. It seemed like the general feeling of discouragement bled over into simple, everyday tasks as well….
Dear God, I shoveled my elderly neighbor’s stoop this morning. He was angry that a closer neighbor, one he shares a porch with, never does his side. I shoveled the other neighbor’s side too, and it made the elderly neighbor angry. He said his neighbor didn’t deserve it. I told him nobody deserves anything. And…
When COVID all but shifted the world on its axis early in 2020, it was incredibly jarring. The shutdown was so quick and life-altering that it took us all a moment to get our bearings. If I’m truthful, what got me through those first few months was Jesus—and a lot of adrenaline. “We can do…
It’s been a rough season. This year has tested us in ways we could never have imagined. We are likely sliding into the final days exhausted and overwhelmed. When I reach the place where I am undone, I reach for what I know to be true and look to examples of those who survived much…
Recently, while studying the Book of Ephesians, it occurred to me that the apostle Paul wouldn’t be any more popular now than he was in his day. Sure, he had his converts. Yes, Christians were turning the world upside down. But there has never been a time when the majority welcomed what he called good…