Lost in decisions about faux greenery and glass floating candles, I’m navigating territory that so many of you—my longtime readers—have already traveled. I’m the mother of the bride. Our only daughter, our firstborn, is getting married in a matter of weeks. She’s the one who made me a mom, and Jeff a dad. She was…
It all started with a gleeful, almost giddy grin. I came home from grocery shopping to find Jeff slack-jawed over the neighbor’s high-powered backpack leaf blower. “This is awesome,” he said, looking at the machinery like it was the Mona Lisa. If you’ve ever heard Jeff at one of our marriage weekends, you can “hear”…
Before we plant both feet into a new year, I always appreciate taking a minute to look back on all that God has done. Friends, 2025 was a year for the books! Our daughter got engaged, we launched a new book (When Hurting People Come to Church) and a podcast (I Wish You Could Hear…
Whether you’re hopping on a plane or hosting a houseful of people next week, it’s good to take a minute to think ahead about bringing kindness into our Christmas celebrations. Although Christmas can sometimes bring heartache (for example, if we have suffered loss), in general most of us find it to be a beautiful season,…
One of the most encouraging research interviews I’ve conducted in recent years was a phone conversation with Carey Nieuwhof. I explained that I was seeking the perspective of Christian leaders for an upcoming book and initiative to equip the church to become a key solution to the mental health crisis. Carey is one of the…
As Christians, we live in expectant hope that this world is not our home. But have you ever pondered the wonder that Jesus left that home—His home—to come to this world? He left heaven to come to earth as a baby. We often view the Advent season as a time of preparing our hearts for…
