Most buildings in America aren’t built to last forever—a fire, hurricane, tornado, or other natural disaster could easily destroy them. So on a recent trip to Washington, D.C., I was struck by the permanence of the buildings. All the essential government buildings, the national monuments, the White House, and even most of the museums are made of stone. As I walked their white marble corridors, I felt a sense of peace. Many disasters could befall these buildings, and they would still stand firm.  But if you’ve ever visited Washington, D.C., you know that some important building is alwa ..read more

I grew up on a small farm in Canada. One time, a vet misdiagnosed one of my parents’ horses as having strangles, a highly contagious bacterial disease. It was only after a large vet bill that my parents took a closer inspection and saw the true issue: a brewing infection from a stick stuck under the horse’s leg.  From a lack of closer inspection and unwarranted assumptions, we can sometimes approach an illness or even a knotted-up sin from the wrong angle. We try to treat the symptoms, but because the source of the problem has been misdiagnosed, we see no difference or improvement. I’v ..read more

Have you ever tried to fake joy? If I’m honest, I have. Sometimes I wake up on Sundays and have to remind myself that I “get to” serve and worship with my church family. Then, on Monday morning, I prod myself with reminders that I “get to” enjoy the roller coaster ride of entrepreneurship and homeschooling my child. But joy is hard to force and impossible to fake. When I’m struggling, I tell myself to push through because God deserves my faithfulness. I wonder if joy really matters, so long as I do what God has entrusted to me. Joy is a Command While it’s true that our feelings shouldn’t in ..read more

Several years ago, a friend invited me and my wife to their magnificent home in Hawaii for a delightful vacation. Among our host's many recommendations of restaurants, ice cream shops, beaches, and hiking trails was a list of the ten best spots to watch the sunset. It intrigued us, and we went to spot number one on our first afternoon there. We were not alone in our maneuvering of beach chairs to secure the best vantage point for the momentous event. A party atmosphere permeated the area, with toasting of drinks, telling of jokes, and sharing of stories of the day's events. But as the sun l ..read more

My brand-new brown and pink Bible sat on my bed in front of me. I flipped through the various books of the Bible, feeling a touch overwhelmed. As a new believer who hadn’t grown up going to Sunday school every week, I knew I wanted to study the Bible and seek God in his Word. But I wasn’t sure where to start. Thankfully, God placed other believers in my life to guide me. Sometimes we need someone to come alongside us and remove the guesswork. I’d love to be that person for you. If you’re new to reading the Bible, here are three books that establish a basic understanding of God’s Word and th ..read more

For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with the burden of longing for the next season—eyes set on the next shiny milestone—while being told not to miss a single second of the one I’m in.  As a sixteen-year-old girl, I romanticized the idea of going off to college and living out my grown-up dreams. But they told me, “Don’t blink! You’ll be away from your friends and family and responsible for your own laundry before you know it.”  Once I was in college, I saw some truth in their words. But since I couldn’t go back, I looked ahead to the perfect job and a prospective husband ..read more

On a warm summer morning, I set up a table and two chairs in our backyard. While the baby naps, my oldest son and I sit next to zinnias and bees and dip our brushes in water and paint. I watch from across the table as he purses his lips in concentration, exploring the mix of colors in front of him. Only a moment later, he jumps up and announces, “Okay, I’m done!” and runs off to play with a smile. He has painted a single-colored blob, yet his joy in the process is captivating.  I focus on the bright yellow lemon I’m painting, occasionally glancing up to see him spraying water from the ..read more

Editor's note: Content taken from Sunday Matters: 52 Devotionals to Prepare Your Heart for Church by Paul David Tripp, © 2023. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.   I wear a fitness ring. It is an amazing piece of modern technology that charts my sleep. It tells me how well I rested, that is, how much of my sleep has been deep, light, or REM sleep. My ring has alerted me to how important physical rest is. It has reminded me how much the body needs a regular time to rejuvenate and recharge. You and I cannot live well without sleep and the physi ..read more

I’ve lived in Minnesota for almost eighteen years, and sometimes winter still surprises me. The harshness of the bitter cold, the sting of the wind, and the abundance of cloudy days can make it hard for even the hardiest Minnesotan to persevere. By late February, we wonder, Will winter ever end? Some seasons in life can feel like a harsh winter. Maybe you’ve invested in a relationship only to be rejected without explanation. Perhaps the financial provision that once flowed freely suddenly dried up. Or maybe you’re facing life without a loved one this year and can’t imagine a day without the ..read more

I creep down the dark halls of the church basement, a one-year-old clinging to my side like a baby monkey. All is silent. I pad past closed classroom doors, all dark except for a beam of light slanting through the high windows. I wiggle my eyebrows at my companion on my hip. She shrieks with joy, nestling her head into my shoulder. Three boys bolt around the corner, laughing and yelling, “There’s a monster!” As I walk into the open area of the basement, two more boys scamper under a table, giggling. This is Sunday morning, an hour before church starts. Upstairs, my husband practices on his ..read more