Focal verse “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Reflection I often can’t keep myself from scrolling online and catching up on the latest news—violence in […]
Focal verse “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Reflection Most summers, when we plant our garden, the same pattern emerges: we work the ground and soil, we weed and […]
Focal verse “Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10). Reflection As the sun set on an unusually warm spring day, our small town gathered for an evening of food, music and support. The street was closed off. Local stores and restaurants had donated food. Little kids ran around […]
Focal verse “As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). Reflection “I don’t want to practice!” My daughter draws out each syllable. “Do I have to?” I get it. She’s tired from a full […]
Focal verse “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray’” (Matthew 26:36). Reflection “Come sit with me, Mama,” my son, Isaac, says to me with wide eyes and a hand pointing to his bedroom. It’s his invitation for […]
Focus verse “I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Reflection January bought our first official snowstorm of the season. To my children’s delight, they had four snow days off from school. Each day they bundled up with their snow pants, gloves, hats […]
Focal verse “‘Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means, ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23). Reflection “Can I text, Mama?” The morning light streams through the windows, and before anything else can happen, my daughter wants to text. She writes the same […]
Focal verse “You show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:3). Reflection My son’s eyes light up, and his arms zoom up and down with […]
Focal verse “Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18). Reflection Every afternoon, no matter the weather, I pull into the gravel lot next to our school and wait. When I put the car in […]
