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article | December 9, 2020

Last Christmas morning, I didn’t want to get out of bed. I was war weary. Exhausted. Sick of the “It’s not supposed to be this way” feeling. My family’s beloved traditions were waiting for me, but they couldn’t change the mess that …

article | April 16, 2020

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) This past week many of us have felt some combination of shock, sadness, and anxiety. Suddenly, many of us are homeschooling moms with hordes of toilet paper and very little …

article | July 29, 2020

Hope scares me now. Hope feels dangerous. Hope feels vulnerable. Hope even feels . . . a little silly. I’ve learned to be gut-level honest here in the valley of the shadow of death—the place that seems like my permanent residence these …

article | March 28, 2013

Raise your hand if you've been going to church since you were in the womb. Keep it up if you've celebrated at least fifteen Easters in church. I can't see those hands through the computer screen, but I am sure there are …

article | June 22, 2015

At the conclusion of the women's Bible study last year, I was deluged with cards and emails from participants expressing their gratitude, reflecting on what they had learned, and, almost uniformly, uttering a confession I have heard so often that it no …

article | January 9, 2019

I used to think disappointment was a word for minor bummers. I’m disappointed she had to cancel our coffee date. He’s disappointed because he missed his flight. We were disappointed in the food at our favorite restaurant on date night. But I’m …

article | May 25, 2020

He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord.” Remember my …

article | May 21, 2018

One of my greatest joys as a women’s ministry director has always been walking alongside women, pointing them to God’s sovereignty and goodness in the midst of trials and testing. As a recipient of gospel grace, I’ve had a lifetime of experiencing …

article | February 26, 2020

You’re okay most days. You’re okay with watching movies alone and grocery shopping for one and not having to worry about syncing up your schedule with someone else’s. You’re happy serving Jesus in your church, and you know you’re not wasting this …

article | February 10, 2020

Years ago, when I was an inexperienced ministry leader, a woman with years of counseling experience mentioned a boundary she kept in her professional life. She wanted to remain emotionally healthy, so she placed guardrails on her availability to others. I don’t …