“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” —Numbers 6:24-26 One of the best things about being a parent is getting to watch your child grow up. That’s also one of the hardest things, particularly when the paths our kids choose don’t line up with our vision for what their “happiness” is supposed to look like or when we aren’t really sure what God’s best plan is for their lives. We want our children to become the people God meant for them to be (“God’s handiwork, created…

Editor’s note: Margaret Feinberg wondered, How can people understand the promise of a land overflowing with honey when we buy it in a bear-shaped bottle? So she set out on a journey to find out the significance of honey… and sheep and wine… to better understand God and have a richer relationship with Him. Enjoy this excerpt from Scouting the Divine. * One of the most popular sweeteners in history, honey is a rich, nutrient-filled food mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. Even though bees are the ones who make honey, God is portrayed as the One who provides the honey. Nearly two dozen references throughout the Old Testament describe the Promised…

Be patient, bearing with one another in love. — Ephesians 4:2 NIV He picks his teeth in public. She has this odd manner of clearing her voice every few moments. He can’t watch the news without spouting his opinions. She must apply her makeup with a putty knife. He cuts off cars in traffic. She cuts off people in conversations. He’s as edgy as a porcupine. She is too laid back and soft spoken. He rubs you the wrong way. She gets on your nerves. Irritating. Aggravating. Exasperating. Infuriating. Grrr. If only people would stop behaving like people. If only people would wear deodorant, use mouthwash, close their mouths when they chew, quiet their…

I made a trip to a new state to investigate a new home to live in. While we were in town, we found the house! I was delighted. Yet, as soon as we got back home the owner called; she changed her mind. What do we do now? Get a place, without even seeing it? Thanks to online images, from afar, we found another decent place. Sight-unseen we put in a bid. After some time passed, they called me back, saying, “Sorry, someone else got it before you.” More time passed. Days were flying off the calendar. My heart was beating faster. Minutes were evaporating. My kids needed to be in school…

Are you old enough to remember when “the Facebook” came out? I was a freshman in college when I received that initial email invite and quickly saw the appeal. Before Facebook, I would have had to make several phone calls or send dozens of texts to figure out what all my high school friends were up to. And I didn’t have time for that. But Facebook listed all those updates in one seamless news feed where I could get my fix of what’s going on with my friends in just a few minutes between classes. It was a new world. Now, I could make new friends and keep up with the old.…

Laura Story performs ‘You Cannot Be Stopped‘ from her new EP with a little help from her daughter Josie!

“This woman is driving me crazy.” Luke 18:5 NLT I love the parable of the persistent widow. I don’t mean any disrespect, but I think persistent is a nice word for crazy. This woman is crazy, but when the cause is a righteous one, it’s a holy crazy! We aren’t told what injustice took place, but she was on a mission. Maybe her son was falsely imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Maybe the man who molested her daughter was still on the streets. We don’t know for sure. But whatever it was, she wouldn’t take no for an answer. And the judge knew it. The judge knew she would circle his house until…

I Declare War on My Mouth There’s no other area that is easier (for me) to mess up with, and that has caused more heartache afterward, than talking. I’ve shot my mouth off and felt remorse so regularly that it is a great source of sadness for me. I measure how well a meeting went not by the number of good ideas I had or whether the content was covered but by whether it ends without me having said something I want to take back. You know that feeling when you walk away from a conversation and the perfect insult comes to your mind just a minute too late? (“Well,…

It doesn’t take very long for a couple to figure out that marriage isn’t a continuously fun and easy ride, a big bundle of happy days tied up with a sparkly bow of hugs and kisses. It’s often the sandpaper of chafing personalities, unmet expectations, and hurt feelings that rub us the wrong way and leave us feeling rather raw. Being able to forgive past offenses and let go of past hurts is an essential component for growing a strong marriage and maintaining an intimate relationship that lasts a lifetime. On the other hand, unforgiveness blocks intimacy on an emotional and physical level. The Gottman Institute, a research-based relationship organization,…