When you buy a house you first make a large down payment. Then, to keep the house, you must make a smaller payment every time it comes due. You can’t change your mind and say, “I don’t feel like making payments!” without serious consequences. The same is true of your relationship with God. To make…
Trusting in the Master Gardener
Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east in Eden. — Genesis 2:8 The Butchart Gardens of Victoria, British Columbia, enjoy a worldwide reputation. Begun in 1904 in Mr. Butchart’s abandoned stone quarry north of the city, the gardens now contain fifty acres of year-round blossom and sculptured greenery. I first visited the…
The Easter that was a Disappointment
We sat beside each other in the back of the church, with our knees touching and our deflated hearts mirroring the same overwhelming discouragement. Everyone else sat in front of us, their backs to us as they sang the last few worship songs, oblivious to the spiral of defeat we were swirling in a few…
Come and Rest
Rest in Me, My child. This time devoted to Me is meant to be peaceful, not stressful. You don’t have to perform in order to receive My Love. I have boundless, unconditional Love for you. How it grieves Me to see My children working for Love: trying harder and harder, yet never feeling good enough…
The Upside: Purpose
One cool Saturday night in September 2015, my mama hung the next day’s church clothes on her closet door. She placed a cup of water on her nightstand next to my novel and climbed into her plush bed. Sometime during the night, while my mother slept, her soul went to be with Jesus. I watched…
Here, Now: The Better Thing
There are no holier moments on earth than birth and death. But it’s the moments in between that make up a life. A whole God-given, genuine life. Each moment sows into the whole, slowly revealing who we become. But do we show up for them, really show up? Or do we categorize them as pleasant…
Books for Joy, Comfort, Grace, and Fun
Editor’s note: Joy. Comfort. Grace. Fun. Those are our words for this spring! I don’t know about you, but I think we need more of all of the above, right? I think you’ll enjoy the titles we’ve curated for your spring book bag… Personally, I’m underlining Brave Surrender more than not! Enjoy! * Kim…
7 Things to Do When Your Adult Children Make Poor Choices
When an adult child violates our values, makes poor choices, or gets in deep trouble, we often question our parenting abilities. Our doubts shout at us: Was it something I did? Would this have happened if I’d been a better parent? Would this have happened if I had been more spiritual, or if we had…
Settle My Soul: Martha Martha
You know the drill. When retiring for the night, you have every aim that tomorrow you will carve out time to meet with Jesus. You envision an early morning summit alone with the Lord — Bible wide open — joined only by perhaps a helpful devotional book and a steaming mug of something hot. It…
Clear the Clutter and Give Your Heart a New Focus: Simply Content
We’re members of one of the most privileged societies in the world. So why do we yearn for more when we have so much already? I feel uncomfortable even writing about it because I’m still dripping in disobedience and greed. Tens of thousands of people every day die from hunger, yet we’re throwing out food we forgot about because we had so much other…