HEATHER NELSON|CONTRIBUTOR As I moved into middle and high school, shame became a familiar companion (though I couldn’t name it as such). As I feared exposure of weaknesses and social rejection, I began to withdraw. I presented as shy and quiet in the halls and classrooms of my high school. I didn’t date, not by choice but… Read More
SHARON MORGINSKY|GUEST My husband and I are planting a church in the city where we live and we have 4 young children. Most of our days and nights are filled with meeting with neighbors, having people over for dinner, and mentoring young adults walking out of poverty. Our house is always on the brink of… Read More
KRISTEN HATTON|CONTRIBUTOR Recently I spoke to the women at our church on the topic of gospel friendship, a term Susan Shepherd used at the Women’s Ministry Leadership Training in Atlanta. Before I could show our ladies what a gospel friendship should be, I had to uncover what keeps us from it. In the image of… Read More
HOLLY MACKLE|CONTRIBUTOR Right after my first daughter was born, a very specific and ridiculous lie taunted me: Mary gave birth on a dirt floor in the dark with animals all around and in every picture you see she’s got a smile on her face. Wait…WHAT?? That is some nonsense right there. Let’s chalk it up… Read More
SUSAN SHEPHERD|GUEST Several years ago at a writer’s forum, noted author Lydia Brownbeck made this comment: “If you find yourself saying something over and over, you probably need to write it down for people to read.” That’s not an exact quote, but her words gave credibility to the inclination that I had to write about… Read More
CHRISTINA FOX|EDITOR Shame. It’s a word we all know but avoid saying out loud. We avoid it, hide from it, and often deny it. Yet it’s like a shadow that follows us wherever we go. It’s like a mark tattooed onto our heart that no amount of rubbing will remove. But for the grace of… Read More
MELISSA KRUGER|CONTRIBUTOR In the midst of bottles, diapers, and sleepless nights it’s easy to understand why motherhood is a season when we’re apt to miss the harvest that surrounds us. Often we’re like the workers Jesus spoke about in John 4:35, believing the harvest is months away when, in reality, the fields are ripe before… Read More
CHRISTINA FOX|EDITOR I recently moved from one state to another. As anyone who has moved knows, purging is an essential part of the process. When it came to my books, I struggled to make the decision about which books to give away and which to keep. Each book held… Read More
Shari Thomas|Contributor “What is my role as his wife in this new ministry? I knew that we could decide if this is right for us. How are we supposed to determine if we as a couple are called to a certain ministry, if I don’t even know what is expected of me?” Sound familiar? We… Read More