If you could design your perfect day, what would it look like? Maybe it starts with getting up early for some quiet time with God. And then everyone gets dressed without an argument. You feed your family something healthy, keep the house reasonably clean, and even answer the emails you've been ignoring (all without losing your patience!). You have enough time for your marriage, your kids, your health, your ministry, and that very thing you've been wanting to start. Basically, everything goes...
15 days ago • 2 min read
Have you ever woken up early, determined to spend a few quiet minutes in God's Word before the chaos starts, only to spend the next hour breaking up a fight over the iPad, cleaning spilled cereal off the floor, and hunting down a shoe you specifically asked to be put away yesterday? By 9am you already feel like you've failed. Not because of one big thing, but because of the quiet, running tally you keep all day. The Bible reading you skipped. The moment you snapped at your kids. The way you...
22 days ago • 1 min read
Right now, I'm deep in back-to-school mode. Buying school supplies. Making sure the kids have haircuts, gym shoes, and clothes that fit. Scheduling doctor's appointments, fall extracurriculars, and volunteer opportunities... In just a few weeks, my daily schedule will look radically different than it does now. Everyone will wake up and go to bed MUCH earlier. The house will be quieter (which sounds nice!), BUT it's because I won't have my big helpers around to help watch the toddler while I...
27 days ago • 1 min read
How many times have you started a new Bible reading plan, fully determined that this time will be different? You get the fresh journal. You pick the perfect plan. You tell yourself you mean it this time. And then life happens. The kids need breakfast. The laundry needs folded. Your phone won't stop buzzing. You have nothing thawed for dinner and somehow it's already 4:00. So you miss a day. Then two. And before you know it, you can't even remember the last time you sat down and opened your...
29 days ago • 1 min read
Does it ever feel like you barely have five minutes to spend in God's Word, let alone the hour you'd need to really dig into a passage? If so, the NLT Every Woman's Bible from today's email sponsor, Tyndale, might be just what you're looking for. This gorgeous study Bible includes rich devotional and study resources written by more than one hundred women from all around the world. In these pages, you'll explore the heartfelt needs, gritty challenges, and uncommon faithfulness of women...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Can I say something that might ruffle a few feathers? Sunday school is great. Church is great. I am genuinely grateful for every pastor, children's ministry volunteer, and Sunday school teacher who has poured into my kids over the years. But here's the truth... Even the best pastors have gaps. Some are more theologically equipped than others. Some have more time to prepare than others. And even the really good ones can only cover so much in a 45-minute service or a 30-minute Sunday school...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Something I've noticed: When I skip the basics, everything falls apart FAST. Getting enough sleep. Getting outside. Drinking enough water. Eating real, healthy, whole foods instead of snacking on the kids' leftover pizza. Moving my body. These things feel optional when life gets busy. They are not optional. They are what make everything else possible. For me, in this season, that means going to bed EARLY so I can wake up a couple hours before the rest of the family starts stirring. As an...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Ever feel like you're turning into that person who complains about everything? The world seems to be falling apart. Christian leaders keep disappointing you. Social media makes you want to throw your phone across the room. And meanwhile, you feel guilty because you know you're supposed to have this supernatural joy thing figured out. But here's the thing: you're not a bad Christian for feeling frustrated with the state of things. You're human, living in a broken world, watching people make...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Ever ask your teen "How was your day?" and get nothing but a grunt and "fine?" You miss the days when they were little and told you everything. They'd chatter away in the car, share every detail about their friends, and come running to you with their problems. Now they've gone quiet right when you need to know what's going on most. They disappear into their room, give you one-word answers, and you feel like you're living with a stranger. You know these years are critical. You know there are...
4 months ago • 1 min read
