There’s something about turning the calendar to January or watching the first buds appear in spring that feels like God whispering, “Let’s begin again.” These seasonal rhythms—New Year’s resolutions, fresh planners, longer days, the faint green returning to the world—have a way of stirring renewed purpose in my heart. Maybe it’s because creation itself seems to proclaim what Scripture has said...
This morning, according to the calendar, is a new year. I hope so. Last year was a hard year. The caboose to a long, hard decade. I listened for our grandson, who sleeps like he’s training for the Olympics. Our little slumber-lord. Four years ago on this very day, I discovered our youngest adult daughter was pregnant. She was never able to raise her son. Several years ago, at the age of sixty...
So often at this time of year, we need clarity. It seems so easy for us to miss it. As I reflect on Isaiah 9:1–7 while looking forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior, I need a fresh reminder of what Christmas really means and what Jesus has done for our world. At the center of Christmas, at the center of what Jesus has done for us, there is joy. But first we must grapple with the darkness...
Not long after my wife and I purchased a brand-new seven-passenger van for our growing family, a friend asked if they could borrow it for their vacation to Florida. We lived in Pennsylvania. Loaning our van was more than simply sharing; it required sacrifice. They would leave us with their smaller car, which meant that for the whole trip we would need to take two cars to transport our family...
Did you think marriage was going to get easier? The early years can be difficult as you learn how to live together and manage the roles and expectations of being husband and wife, not to mention starting a family. However, the struggles don’t just end after ten, twenty, or thirty years—they change. Life is different than it was on your wedding day years ago. You are different, your spouse is...
