Having a son in prison has been one of the most heart-wrenching experiences of our lives—yet, because of faith in Christ, this season of difficulty has been transformed into a time of profound purpose and spiritual growth. Gene and I know many of you have also walked through your own challenging circumstances this year. God…

The Christmas season can be challenging, especially when you’re carrying the weight of loss or hardship. It’s okay to acknowledge your grief and adjust your expectations during this holy time. But even in the midst of struggle, there are ways to find hope and experience the peace that Christ brings. 1. Grieve your losses.Christmas may…

The alarm awakened me at 5:00 a.m. Gene and I hurriedly dressed and jumped into the car to drive to the prison to spend the day with our son.  An hour and forty minutes later we arrived. I walked up to the entrance to check us in and was told that the Department of Corrections…

It was so sudden.  In January of 2023 she was vibrant—co-leading a retreat for fellow authors and speakers—but a month later the diagnosis was Stage 4 cancer.  I stood next to the bedside of my friend in Wethersfield, CT, thanking her for the major investment she made in my life and in the lives of…

When Gene and I got married, I thought I loved adventure—but by the time Jason was in his pre-teen years, watching the way my husband and son engaged in new experiences, I realized I had a lot to learn. We lived near Lake Huron, and my guys greatly enjoyed our secondhand Sunfish sailboat—falling off, getting…

Most of us have become experts at waiting.  We can better describe the feeling than the word.  The whole concept is filled with experiencing delay, discomfort, desire for resolution, or longing for an end to the reason we are in limbo.  The dictionary says waiting means “the action of staying where one is or delaying…

I once heard a health-care professional speak about tears.  She claimed that tears caused by laughter are very different from tears caused by sorrow.  I discovered that photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher put dried tears formed from different kinds of trigger points under the microscope and the pictorial results were stunning.  Tears contain different molecules depending upon whether they are formed due to sadness, happiness, or by reactions to onions or tear gas.  She discovered that tears formed from hard laughter aren’t even close to the appearance of tears formed from sorrow.

God has a purpose and a plan for the gifts and dreams He’s given to us. But—have you ever wondered how to measure the success of your ministry?  It’s tempting for us to look at other Christians who appear to have large ministries, bestselling books, popular podcasts, large social media numbers, and multiple speaking engagements. …

I was baffled.  As a young adult, how would I ever figure out what to say “yes” to and what to say “no” to?  I passionately loved Jesus and wanted to follow His call anywhere He wanted to send me and to do whatever work would further His Kingdom, but I couldn’t figure out the…

Most of my life has been lived in a hurry. As the firstborn of six preacher’s kids it was my responsibility to help on multiple levels—with caring for younger siblings, volunteering for jobs at church, filling in when Bible teachers were absent, organizing events, praying for individuals who were hurting—and on and on. I was…