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So far Christina Fox has created 1041 blog entries.

On Parenting and Letting Go

JAMYE DOERFLER | CONTRIBUTOR This summer, we’re preparing to take our eldest child to his final year of college. We’ve gotten pretty used to this by now, but I remember the particular angst of taking him his first year. I counted down the days of summer, relishing every last hug, anticipating the emptiness of the house without him. Once he was gone, I counted down the days until fall break, reconciling myself to the reality that even though he was coming home, we had already begun the process of letting him go. Of course, every family situation is different: children may go far away to school or stay close to home; some may join the military or get a job and be out of the house for good. Regardless of the specific details, when our child graduates from high school and begins the next chapter, it becomes clear that, as parents, we are losing our daily “ownership” of them, which can be difficult to accept. Whether we are anticipating that our child will thrive or are anxious that our child will struggle, this transition usually comes with some strong emotions. If the emotions of saying goodbye to your child are overwhelming you, consider this reality: our children were never only ours; they have always been the Lord’s....

On Parenting and Letting Go2026-08-14T17:38:55+00:00

A Fruitful Farewell

CHERYL MULLIS | GUEST What do you say to those you love? I just returned from a trip to Colorado where I had the joy of celebrating the high school graduations of both my niece and my grandson. As I attended the ceremonies and parties, I experienced a mix of emotions. Both graduates had displays filled with photographs capturing significant moments in their lives, and as I looked through them, I couldn’t help but wonder, where has all the time gone? It seemed like only yesterday when they were taking their first steps, starting school, growing, and learning. Attending the graduations of these two special ones was a true gift—one that I don’t take for granted. When the day came for me to fly home, I found myself lingering, sometimes with tears in my eyes, because I was not quite ready to leave. There was much that I still wanted to say to them. As my niece and grandson reach these milestones in their lives and prepare for new adventures, I find myself reflecting not only on their future, but also on the years we have shared together. Have I told them often enough how much I love them? Have I pointed them to Christ? Have I reminded them of God’s grace and faithfulness? Have I made the most of opportunities God has given me to invest in their lives?...

A Fruitful Farewell2026-08-14T17:38:14+00:00

Rest and Refreshment for a New Ministry Year

KARI STAINBACK | GUEST A new year of ministry is about to begin. How in the world did the summer months fly by so quickly? Are you ready to launch a new year of ministry to women? Perhaps you are coming off a fabulous restful vacation with loved ones or friends. Or maybe the summer brought you anything but rest. Maybe you have walked through unexpected trials and troubles which have left you drained and feeling depleted. Maybe you are wondering where the energy will come from to begin another year of ministry to the women in your church. Or perhaps this finds you doing fine as a ministry leader. Nothing out of the ordinary is happening in your life, and you feel ready to crank up the engine of your ministry again. Wherever you are today, each of us share this prayer or something like it each fall: “Oh Jesus, will you refresh my soul that I might shepherd other women according to your will and way?” In Mark 6, Jesus sends His disciples out in pairs to do ministry. They were hard at work, proclaiming that people should repent, casting out demons, and healing the sick. Meanwhile, Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist, was murdered by Herod. This had to be a terrible blow to Jesus and the disciples once they found out...

Rest and Refreshment for a New Ministry Year2026-08-14T17:37:33+00:00

Christ’s Presence in Our Weakness

GABRIELLA DJUNATAN|GUEST “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” I have seen 2 Corinthians 12:10 all over Instagram bios and on water bottle stickers. It’s one of those catchy one-liners that every Christian has heard or quotes in times of sickness or personal loss. However, what does true strength in weakness actually look like? And how do we know that we have it? Do we just need to feel weak physically or emotionally to “unlock” Christ’s strength? Returning this verse to its context teaches us that true strength in weakness is not simply positive thinking or manifesting good thoughts, but it is rooted in Christ’s work, who was also glorified in weakness. Paul’s Painful Thorn Preceding this verse, Paul shares how he was given a thorn in his flesh to keep him from becoming proud (verse 7). He has just shared of great, heavenly revelations that he experienced in 12:1-4. But God allowed this thorn to teach him humility. Paul had to deal with an ongoing negative situation that kept him from becoming self-absorbed. There are broad opinions around what this “thorn” was that Paul experienced—whether a physical illness, psychological condition, or external persecution. Though the text is silent as to the specific identity of Paul’s pain, the location is clear that he was afflicted physically in his flesh. Moreover, the “thorn” is not just a random weakness but one given by God to teach him humility and keep him faithful in his service....

Christ’s Presence in Our Weakness2026-08-04T15:33:32+00:00

Entrusting Your College Student to the Lord

SHEA PATRICK | CONTRIBUTOR Our first child was born eighteen and a half years ago. My husband and I could not believe that after only a couple of days the hospital was going to send him home with us. We felt unprepared and out of our depth to deal with the needs of a newborn. Truthfully, he has served as the “guinea pig” as the oldest of five siblings. As he has grown through the years, we have grown along with him as parents, facing new challenges, situations, and transitions. From the first days of elementary school to the first day of high school, we have attempted through God’s grace to guide him in the ways of the Lord. In less than a month, he will move 6.5 hours away to college. This move will end the family life that we have known for so many years. The change is bittersweet. After all, we want our children to grow and mature and develop into young men and women. It is a natural part of life. However, I must admit to mixed feelings and questions during this time of transition. Maybe you find yourself in a similar situation and are asking similar questions to these: Have I done enough?...

Entrusting Your College Student to the Lord2026-08-04T15:28:17+00:00

Serving God in Weakness

BETHANY BELUE | CONTRIBUTOR While in my twenties and living in NYC, I was given the opportunity to interview for a leadership position at a large church. I was excited about the opportunity, confident to interview, and hopeful to step into this role—that is, until the second round of interviews began and an older, wiser woman with pointed eyes looked across a table from me and said “What makes you think you have anything to offer this role? You are young, you are single, and you have no children? Do you believe parents will listen to you?” I was stunned, humiliated, and didn’t know how to respond.   The Corinthians’ Misunderstanding of Strength The book of 2 Corinthians was written because the apostle Paul had the opportunity to minister to a church that was filled with people who were being influenced by false teachers and seeking to live out a gospel that was driven by knowledge and prestige. The church had fallen into a trap that contradicted the gospel of Christ. In doing so, the Corinthians were doubting Paul’s role as an apostle and the truths he was so desperately urging them to believe...  

Serving God in Weakness2026-08-04T15:04:30+00:00

When Pain Has Purpose

KATIE POLSKI | CONTRIBUTOR I have a friend who’s been going through a rough season. I’m not sure “rough” is an adequate word. Deep pain, unimaginable pain, has touched her marriage, her kids, and her parents all at once. She expressed recently that she simply didn’t know how to put one foot in front of the other. Other friends are currently grieving an unwanted diagnosis and the awful effects of chemo. Several sisters are confused about how to help aging parents; and still, many are just exhausted, silently disappointed, or deeply lonely. The honest question we ask in seasons of hurt and hardship is, “Why would God allow this?” As honest and real as that question is, so is our response to pain in this life: anger, numbness, and striving to “just get through.” But what would it look like to stop viewing suffering as an inconvenient detour…as an awful back road you just have to survive to reach something better? What if instead you saw your pain as part of your life with Christ… as part of belonging to his family? Suffering is and will be a part of life until Jesus returns. We were never promised otherwise. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Yes, there is real pain, but do you hear the hope in that verse? Because Jesus has overcome the world, defeating sin at its root, those who belong to God can trust that even our suffering is not meaningless. In His sovereign wisdom, God works through every hardship for His good and perfect purposes and for the good of His children...

When Pain Has Purpose2026-07-25T19:38:09+00:00

Weakness as Warfare Strategy

CHRISTINE GORDON | CONTRIBUTOR Unless you or someone close to you has a military background, warfare strategy isn’t something you probably think about much. But as believers, we are in a thousands-year-long conflict with the world, the flesh, and the devil. In 2 Corinthians 10, we read a snippet about that war. A Plan for Battle Some of Paul’s friends had been taken captive in the city of Corinth, and his strategy for freeing them included the ancient practice of siege warfare. His battle plan included three distinct steps: First, demolish the fortified military stronghold. Second, take all enemies captive. Finally, punish any remaining resistance. Any citizen in first century Corinth would have been aware of such battle tactics, and all would have understood that the resisters in the city would eventually lose against the invading commander.  Don’t remember this part of 2 Corinthians? Perhaps a clue will help: Paul’s battle was not conducted with maps and guns but with the power of God. He and his fellow soldiers were waging war in the spiritual world with a different kind of munition... 

Weakness as Warfare Strategy2026-07-25T19:29:30+00:00

Communion with the Body of Christ

JULIANNE ATKINSON |GUEST A popular teen came to me voicing her main concern about our upcoming road trip to camp in the Colorado Rockies. Though the 14-hour bus ride often brought excitement of its own– with broken AC in the Texas heat, getting stuck in a ditch on the mountainside, or the dead of night gas stop--her worries rang true to the most persistent issue students came to me with: “I don’t have a bus buddy,” she confessed. The kids planned ahead of time hoping they wouldn’t have to navigate the social awkwardness of spending the long trip with a stranger. One neglected thing about loneliness is that it infects everyone. From kids perceived as popular to classic nerds, students from every walk of life feel the same thing. As data now reveals regarding Gen-Z and their mental illness crisis resulting from a phone-based childhood, the outpouring of these comments has started to make more sense. Teens are less competent in real world relationships. They navigate their transition to adulthood and wrestle through becoming their own person. They push and pull, distance themselves from their families and find belonging in outside relationships. Historically these were real world peers. Now, teens find community online through YouTube, video games, and social media... 

Communion with the Body of Christ2026-07-25T19:20:22+00:00

Gospel Shaped Generosity

TATIANA ANDERSON | GUEST The trajectory of my life has been drastically impacted by the generosity of strangers. More than 25 years ago, after I came to know Christ and applied to a small Christian college in the United States, someone I had never met paid the remaining balance of my tuition deposit so I could pursue studies in theology and Christian ministry. Another anonymous donor generously covered part of my airfare. While I was an undergraduate student, a group of women from the church I attended organized a "love shower," providing everything I needed to live on campus as a 17-year-old international student. These faithful women, along with many others, gave generously, joyfully, and wholeheartedly during a season when I needed it most. Generous Hearts These acts of kindness were especially meaningful given the circumstances in which I had grown up. Having been raised in Ukraine during and after the fall of the Soviet Union, I am more than familiar with financial hardship. During my teenage years, my family and friends were personally affected by economic collapse and its far-reaching implications for daily life. Yet it was during that season that I came to know the Lord and the riches of His mercy. What I lacked financially, I gained spiritually and relationally. Much of what I needed to own, eat, or experience was provided through the generosity of others. Through their sacrificial giving, God faithfully met my needs and demonstrated His loving care....

Gospel Shaped Generosity2026-07-18T19:10:17+00:00
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