“Take care of yourself!” How many times have you heard that phrase? How many times have you said it yourself? Probably more than you can count. But now, more than ever, self-care must be a priority. I know what you’re thinking: I’m busy taking care of everyone else. I’m  busy working from home. I’m so…

I walked into Trader Joe’s just before 9am, in plenty of time to beat the crowds. Or so I thought. Lines of people, with grocery carts heaped high, stretched from the cashiers to the back wall. Shelves were bare and, in some cases, empty. There was not one item in the frozen food section. Not…

Hope. Life is joyless without it. But how do you get it? How do you maintain it? Occasionally, a friend peels back the layers of her life and allows us to peek inside the inner workings of her heart. In doing so, she unearths a way of thinking, or doing, or living that allows us…

“God didn’t come through and I’m not sure I can’t believe anymore.” The confession broke my heart. I found myself wishing I could reach across the table, take her sweet face in my hands, and take away all her pain, hurt and confusion. Can you relate? How do you respond when you feel like God…

Have you ever prayed hoping to feel a burden released, but don’t? Have you ever prayed wanting to believe, but can’t? Have you ever prayed for something over, and over, and over, but see no change? Most of us can relate. I know I can. However, some people know how to pray in a way…

“Mom, why do we give gifts at Christmas?” I was driving down the highway when Ashton asked this question from the backseat of our black SUV. She must have been six or seven, tops, and every Christmas, from that one to this, I replay our conversation in my mind. Because while we’ve been planning, shopping,…

Where are you, God? You’ve asked the question. So have I. The question of where God is when we hurt is a universal cry–one whispered by all humanity in the face of pain, heartache and suffering. Oh sure, we may never ask the question aloud, but inside our fragile souls, we wonder. We wonder in the…

Kylie sat snuggled in a circle of 8thgrade girls. As their youth leader, she was eager to hear how each would answer the ice breaker question:  Name three things you’re thankful for. “Food, family and friends” the first girl declared boldly. “Food, family and friends,” said the second girl, too. As did the third. Not…

If this is your first time here, welcome!  Hundreds of you have recently subscribed and I couldn’t be more excited for you to join this community. I hope you’ll pull up a chair, make yourself comfortable and find the wisdom you need for the life you want! So today, I thought I should simply be…

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you know JP and I have been out of the country for the last two weeks. What you don’t know is how one seemingly random conversation between us changed my perspective and filled me with peace. Read on for how our conversation can do the same for…

Should I give up? I sped down the freeway at 70 miles per hour, but the question swirled around my brain at about 100. Part of me wanted to wave the white flag of surrender; the other part wondered if I should press on. I wasn’t quite sure how to proceed, and I didn’t want…

We never saw it coming. I expected this kind of behavior from a non-believer, but from a Christian? Never. The gap between my expectations and my reality left my tender soul shredded into tiny little pieces, like the bits of paper you throw as confetti. Except this was no celebration. I wondered how a heart…

“I AM SO MAD AT HER!” The tears in my daughter’s eyes told me she was more than mad. She was hurt. There’s not a female alive who hasn’t been hurt by a friend at least once. We might be 10, or 20, or 40, or 60, but it happens; a friend’s actions or words…

Today’s post is one of the most important I could share. Please read until the end. Share it with someone who needs the truth it contains. I’m pretty sure I know the single biggest issue Christians grapple with. How could I possibly know our biggest struggle? Because I’ve heard the same universal thread whispered by…

Several years ago a friend asked how she could broach the topic of God with her teenager. She was a new Christian, so church attendance hadn’t been part of their family routine, although her kids had joined her recent visits and liked it. Then, out of the blue, her eighth-grader complained that he no longer…

Congratulations Jody Landon!  You’re the winner of the book giveaway!  I know you’ll enjoy reading Exhale. ________________________________________________________________ I hate it when someone tells me I should do something without telling me how.  A “should” without a “how” is like a cake without the frosting–simply not worth having. When we know we should do something, but we don’t…

One unrealistic expectation can ignite a hundred unhealthy emotions. I know. I’ve lived it. Likely, so have you. Today two of my favorite author/speaker friends, (seriously, they’re great gals!) Amy Carroll and Cheri Gregory, share their insights into the issue of expectations. As an added bonus, they are giving away a FREE copy of their…

My southern relatives had a saying I remember to this day: “She’s running like a house-a’fire”. Translation? That person never stops. It was not a compliment. Because they knew something we often forget: A house-a’fire eventually turns to ashes. We are a culture that runs like a house-a’fire; sometimes as a result of our choices,…

What wisdom does a 90-year-old possess the rest of us wish we had, but don’t? God willing, many of us will find out someday, but my mother-in-law knows now. We celebrated her 90thbirthday this weekend. In honor of her birthday, I asked what she wanted. Her answer was pretty similar to how I suspect I’ll…

Being married to a pastor comes with definite advantages. I can get my Bible questions answered at the drop of a hat, or receive godly counsel about how to handle a difficult person (hypothetically, of course–wink, wink) without making an appointment. These conversations usually take place while I make dinner and JP sits perched at…

If you walk through my house you’ll notice a variety of crosses scattered throughout. Not a ton–just enough that a casual observer would realize we are Christians. The crosses have become so familiar to me now, I hardly notice they are there. Until today. This morning I walked through our quiet rooms before everyone else…

“You two are real Christians, aren’t you?” The question took JP and me by surprise. I mean, how do you answer a question like that? Behind the question laid an implication: some people aren’t real Christians. Or, at least, some people don’t seem like real Christians. JP and I eyed each other before we answered…