✨Debriefing Christmas✨ This morning, while the house was still quiet, I sat in the darkness of my living room, gently illuminated by the silent glow of my Christmas decorations, opened gifts still scattered across the floor and coffee table. It was a beautiful day; the boys make it more so, especially Isaac, who’s so grateful and delighted, opening each gift as if it was exactly what he wanted. I love Christmas. And in recent years, I’ve embraced the long call to retreat into

✨God, Our Everlasting Father✨ My papà was an extraordinary human. He had a warm, vibrant personality—brilliant, inquisitive, and knowledgeable about many things. He was extremely hard-working, capable, charming, and fun. Plus, he was a great cook. He also had some very destructive issues that left scars. I miss him deeply—both the relationship we had in the best of times, and the relationship we never had. He died 25 years ago. Our human fathers can be tremendous resources—ro

These days, I have an artificial tree that folds up tight and deploys neatly into a fine shape—no pruning required. But in years past, I shopped for a cut tree. Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I have beautiful ornaments, so I was particular about the shape. Yet no matter how carefully I chose on the tree lot, there was always pruning involved—snipping here and there to optimize the silhouette and leave plenty of room at the base for gifts. My former home in Berkeley Spr

As someone quite prone to control and self-reliance, I’m (still)learning a better way: Trust God. Many of humanity’s current problems are God-sized. Realigning with God realigns our perspective, enabling us to turn our problems and ourselves over to the One who has all power. I can’t fix it, them, me. God can. Let Him. 💪🏽 Big God. Small problems. “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT) PRAYER: Mighty God, help us live with gre

I’ve had a few counselors in my life, along with mentors and sponsors. Some were wise and caring; others weren’t a great fit, or carried bias and baggage. Still others were harsh or overly critical. All were human—and therefore fallible. Not Jesus. He’s perfect, knows me perfectly, and offers perfect counsel. Wonderful Counselor indeed. Looking back, much of what brought me to counseling came from living out of alignment with God’s design—for me, my life, and my place in the

Pray with me today for those who are struggling —and for tender, generous hearts that reflect Christ’s compassion.🙏🏽💖 “If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?” 1 John 3:17 (NLT) “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40 (NLT) Know that even secular economists like Jere

I love this Christmas prophecy in Isaiah, predicting Jesus’s arrival and job description. His first assignment? Carrying government on his shoulders. Some days I’m tempted to ask, “Are You on the job now, Jesus? Things are looking pretty sketchy all over.” The beauty of God‘s Word is that it is dynamic, ageless, unfolding, eternal, and true. Free-willing, we forfeited paradise way back when, though Christ is on His throne, waiting for us to align, and Our Father to say, “Go!”

And here’s my very favorite Neapolitan nativity in all its glory:

During the holiday season, many people wrestle with complicated feelings about relationships—absent, distant, antagonistic, or otherwise. Often, expectations (which we know can be a problem) simply don’t match reality. As always, Jesus helps. Sometimes His help comes in unexpected ways. Matthew 10 may not be very Christmassy, but it contains some of Jesus' clearest words on relationships I’ve returned to and shared again and again. Challenging our understanding of Christian l

✨I nearly forgot that I am one of the contributors to this popular Guideposts Christmas treasure, including five advent devotions by yours truly. It’s not too late to got it overnight from Amazon here: https://a.co/d/5QUXYhs

Something has been shifting, and I want to speak plainly about it. Some of you may have noticed that I haven’t shared Sage Sayings content in a while. It’s not because I’ve been quiet—if anything, God has had me writing more than ever. When He puts something on my heart, it pours out. There’s never a strategy behind it. It’s always Spirit-led obedience. When I first published Sage Sayings & Slogans in the spring, I created a separate page out of sensitivity to the principle o

Woopsie! In the midst of the holiday hubbub, looks like I failed to post this on Monday so I’m posting it today. The power of this truth...

And here’s the famous Neapolitan, San Gregorio Armeno nativity, a visual reminder of how the God of the Universe came into this messy,...

True confession: When I was a teenager, I had a job cold calling for the world-famous adjustable beds. I have a good phone voice, could...

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful...

This time of year, we can all get mighty distracted by all the hubbub and totally miss the real Reason for the Season. This quote by C.S....