Have you considered how to care for your body pre-pregnancy? It can make such a difference in how your body responds to pregnancy. When you’re pregnant or soon-­to-­be pregnant, it’s essential to treat your body with care and respect, because you are bringing a new life into the world, and this little person is totally dependent on you for his or her health. No matter where you are right now in your physical and spiritual health, this is the perfect time for you to soar ahead to new heights—using good principles of health, prayer, and reliance on God’s strength. Many years ago, I became a Cer ..read more

Managing stress during the hard days takes a bit of intention and skill. If you’re the parent of a disabled child, this may encourage you. It’s an established fact backed by mounds of research: couples parenting children with chronic illnesses or disabilities experience significantly higher levels of everyday stress than couples parenting children without special needs. What’s more, one of the greatest predictors of marital satisfaction for caregiving parents is our stress levels. There are two generally accepted approaches to managing stress: either eliminate or reduce the cause of the stres ..read more

Remembering God seems to be a bit of a lost art today as our busy schedules keep us moving from one thing to the next. How can we pause and remember? In our Instant Pot world, we have learned to shave time from every task because we are people in a hurry. But knowing God doesn’t happen overnight. Part of the beauty of knowing God is that He is far more than our minds can possibly bear understanding. God is unknowable and yet He invites His people over and over again throughout Scripture to know Him because of His steadfast love for them. These are His ways, who He is, and how He loves. We nee ..read more

We may not always understand why we’re going through hardship but when you seek God, you will find peace and direction. This post is a selection from the book What Really Matters: How to Care for Yourself and Serve a Hurting World. We hope it encourages anyone struggling to see God in the midst of hardship.  When enduring physical or emotional pain—and with no relief in sight—hope can fade into uncertainty. When I was twelve years old, my parents were driving to a business meeting when they were hit by a drunk driver. My father was killed instantly, and my mother suffered numerous broken ..read more

Being grounded in your faith is great! But do you understand the theology you believe? It’s good to know what you believe and why. On a Tuesday, in a brick cafe in Virginia, theology became essential. I should not say “became”; rather, theology revealed itself as essential as it has always been. But it became essential for me. My friend and I were sipping coffee, talking about the gray weather outside, warmer places, and the intersection of politics and religion (just as Emily Post advises NOT to do). These discussions were not new for us; I am a Christian and she was, at the time, an explori ..read more

If you grew up with father wounds, they can affect you deeply and your other relationships, but you don’t need to stay there. I was married for eight years before I realized there was a name for my pain: father wounds. I was stunned and overwhelmed as I realized how my adolescent interactions with boys, my insatiable need for attention, my insecurity, my fear of failure and of the successes of other women—the absence of my dad had impacted all this and more. Suddenly I faced a choice. I could continue to mask my pain, or I could deal with it by choosing the less-traveled path of healing and w ..read more

Summer is for slowing down and catching up on some reading. If you need some new captivating Christian fiction, why not start with these? Is there a better time to read fiction than the summer? Below we’ve gathered a list of our current and past favorite summertime novels for you to read as you hang out at the beach, by the pool, or in your backyard this summer!  Captivating Christian Fiction Hope Harbor by Irene Hannon Add this one to your summer vacation reading list ASAP! This book centers on Tracy Campbell, Michael Hunter, and the cranberry farm that brings them together in the beaut ..read more

Do you struggle to get your kids involved in cleaning the house? Here are some suggestions to help them feel part of making their house a home. When my first child was just 3 years old, I began having her help me empty the dishwasher. The plastic plates and cups were in a low cupboard where she could reach them and easily put items away. She emptied the dishwasher like this until she was old enough to reach the upper cupboards and handle the glass carefully. At that point, she was also able to load the dishwasher. She was probably about 8 years old at that time. Once she turned 14 years old ..read more

Do you ever get “stuck” in conversations during date nights with your spouse? You need some date night questions to get to know each other at a deeper level. Everyone has a story … a fascinating tale involving adventure, laughter, courage, pain, and romance. You have such a story, and so does your spouse. Sometimes you just need the right questions to help you share your stories, as well as write together the intriguing saga of your shared life in marriage. For example, how would you answer the following question: If you could keep only one memory from your childhood, what would it be, and wh ..read more

If you’re looking for the perfect Christian gifts for dad and inspiring gifts for graduates, check out this list of encouraging and challenging books. In May, we get so busy with celebrating moms, but we can’t forget that Father’s Day is right around the corner, too. We’ve gathered a few of our favorite books for our favorite men below, so if the man in your life is a reader, we know he’ll love these books! Dads: From WWII fiction to books written specifically for Christian men wanting to grow in their faith, we’ve made sure to include a variety of books for men. We especially love the book s ..read more