If I’m being honest here, the past year has been tough. My husband was injured on the first day of our long-awaited three-week vacation, and we had to rush home so he could have surgery. After months of rehab, just as he was regaining his strength, he lost his job. Then I suffered a traumatic…
Recently, while reading through 1 Corinthians, I came to a full stop at chapter 3, verse 5. Paul was talking about how he had heard the Corinthian believers were dividing into factions. They seemed to have been bragging about who were the better Christians. “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” or “I…
The experiences of those of us who grew up in the church vary greatly. The older I get, the more I understand that the people who mentored me throughout my formative years, especially high school and college, understood that I would encounter challenging questions and experiences that could cause me to question my faith in…
Are you happy? I would have cringed if you had asked me that five years ago. Not. Even. Close. I was utterly overwhelmed after my husband and I adopted seven children—some who’d faced past trauma. The kids’ attitudes were messy, the house was messy, and my heart was messy. As time passed, trauma therapy helped…
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt. 11:28-29 NIV) When we think about the busiest times of the year, we tend…
Not long ago, my son and I took a walk in the woods. We were in search of signs of spring. Before we set out, I grabbed my digital camera and gave instructions to my five-year-old. I found my old camera while cleaning out a filing cabinet in my office. My husband and I bought…