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It’s been a well-known fact for decades. Young adults are leaving the church in droves. The retention rate is abysmal–according to a Barna study, 59% of youth will leave the church either permanently or for an extended period after age 15. And that study is ten years old now; the problem is likely worse today, especially […]

The feeling hit the day after Thanksgiving—that rush of Christmas urgency. I quickly formulated the to-do list in my head: put the decorations up, order the Christmas cards, start buying presents. The deadline of December 25 waits for no man, after all. It all must be done, and it all must be perfect. How else will I be

May we have a moment of honesty and admit that the exhortation of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks,” is not a particularly easy word to hear. Giving thanks for the good things is easy, but not everything that comes into our lives is good.  Hardship, difficulties, contrary or even evil people, and

Thanksgiving is always one of my favorite days of the year. I’d say it’s in my top five—maybe even my top three. There is something so nourishing to the soul about sharing a warm, comforting meal with the ones you love most and reflecting on the things you’re grateful for. However, cultivating an attitude of

We are all familiar with the feeling. The secret envy of the friend with the job you wish you had. The bitter jealousy of someone more well-dressed, prettier, or in better shape. The resentment harbored over a family member with a larger, more luxurious home. Sometimes it seems like everyone around you is getting what

I still remember the day I got the text in late 2019. It was from Liz, a lady from my church I had become acquainted with since marrying my husband Matthew. She and her husband had kindly invited us to their house for dinner once or twice, but I still didn’t know her very well. The message

Humans have an ability no other animals have – we can project our actions into the future. We can connect today’s actions with tomorrow’s results. In fact, we are very good at this, often running complex “simulations” in our heads about projected outcomes of various actions in an effort to make good decisions. If we

Recently, I “tweaked” my back. Initially, it did not seem serious. I finished my task and went about my business. But shortly thereafter, my lower back seized up in a gripping spasm that stopped me in my tracks. I took some deep breaths, tried to relax my muscles, and continued with my day. I had been in this situation before and felt I could recover without seeking help or

My heart is broken today as I observe the anger and destruction that has taken place all over our nation. As if one tragic death was not enough, we now have seen additional deaths, violent protests, looting, and destruction of many businesses and national monuments. It is hard to watch people resort to animalistic behavior while trying to solve human problems. One has to

The other day I saw a Babylon Bee article that gave me a laugh, but also made me wince—“Historians Now Believe American Revolution Never Would Have Occurred if Colonists Had Netflix.” Ouch! Sometimes satire hits just a little too close to home, doesn’t it?   The point I took from the article is this: how many