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

Dig Deeper: “For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.” — Mark 4:22 (NLT) Jesus never exposes anything to shame us. He brings things into the light so He can heal them.

(+How to escape the game for good.) I’m no chess master, but I know the basics. Most people don’t realize that pawns aren’t just tiny pieces on a board. They’re: • the most abundant • the least valued • the first to take the hits • the most easily sacrificed • and the ones used to protect the power behind them They’re the frontline for a reason. Pawns absorb damage so the “king” or “queen” never risks himself and can advance. In most games, a pawn is sacrificed long before an

It’s pretty hard to be thankful for all circumstances. Should we be thankful for a broken marriage, a broken leg, a broken heart? Paul isn’t asking that of us. He’s inviting us to be thankful in all circumstances—not for them. For many years, I exchanged a daily gratitude list with a few women. We were writing to God and to ourselves more than to each other, but sharing our lists kept us connected. In the beginning, I had to work to come up with even a few things. Later, I of

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

(Teresa’s phrase for the courage to keep praying when prayer feels impossible) I’ve shared what felt like a prolonged dry spell—yet the Lord has recently shown me it was simply a different season of prayer. A forgotten, ancient road walked by countless believers before us. If your well feels dry, I hope what I’ve learned brings comfort and clarity. It helps so much to know we aren’t alone in these seasons. Many of the most devoted saints wrote openly about prayerlessness and

Dear friends, I’m so grateful to share something with you that has been stirring in me for a very long time. I'm thrilled introduce Waterworks , my newest book. Though one of these stories was published in a juried literary anthology twenty years ago, I’ve quietly carried most of this manuscript through many seasons—adding, refining, waiting. I was simply not released to publish it until now. God’s timing is always perfect, even when His formation takes decades. Twenty-five y

Bearing the Burden of Seeing Discernment is one of the most beautiful—and one of the most brutal—gifts God gives. It is a gift you want, because it brings clarity, protection, wisdom, truth, and spiritual sight. And it is the gift you don’t want, because once you see something, you cannot unsee it. Heavy. Discernment is both a light and a sword. A comfort and a burden. A gift and a responsibility. And if you’ve walked with this gift—especially since childhood—you already kno

“We can be proud of our clear conscience. We have always lived honestly and sincerely, especially when we were with you. And we were guided by God’s gift of undeserved grace instead of by the wisdom of this world.” —2 Corinthians 1:12 (ESV / CEB) Wow! What a verse. The apostle Paul is writing to the wild and wacky Corinthians who had gone off the deep end with all kinds of compromise, conflict, and chaos. This paragraph is like a mini manual for human relationships. Paul make

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 (NLT) There are times when it feels like the wheels have come off the bus and we’re careening down the highway with a load of screaming metaphorical children—and no brakes. Sometimes it’s global chaos—a perfect storm of crises that seem unmanageable. Other times, it’s our own little universe collapsing due to something we d

Years ago, I had a long-term freelance engagement with a biotech company. My job was to translate complex, highly scientific clinical trials into short, readable news items for their global employees. I’d read dense reports, interview PhD scientists and MDs, and then write a few hundred words summarizing the findings. Somehow, I could take this technical information and make it understandable to anyone—effortlessly. As a decidedly non-scientific person, I have no idea how I p

I’ve shared that I started reading Psalms 27, 37, and 40 several months ago during a challenging dry spell. If you’re struggling, Google a psalm that fits and try declaring it aloud with zeal—and see what happens! It works. There’s something powerful about rereading Scripture. God will often highlight a passage and reveal something spectacular in it. Our part? To seek Him. He wants to be found. He delights when we dig deep and mine for spiritual treasure. Such was the case wi

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18 (ESV) My 18-year-old son and I recently jumped out of an airplane. I had zero fear. I’m not bragging; it’s more God’s credit than mine. He has walked me through decades of unrelenting fear that once had a profoundly destructive grip on my life. I simply couldn’t take another minute of living that way. Many people would never guess that fear was ever an issue for me. I’ve bungee-jumped 150 feet, started a

I just got the author galleys for Mornings with Jesus 2027. These are the final proofs before a book goes to press. I know—the lead time is really long—but it’s fun to reread what I wrote months ago. Even more interesting is revisiting those entries a year or two later when the book finally releases. As I reread my own reflections—written in moments of spiritual zeal or deep contemplation—I’m reminded of so much. I remember good times and rough ones, problems that were solved

I love the exquisite romance of the Song of Songs—not only as a breathless portrait of marital love, but also as a picture of Jesus’ love for His Bride. Heady stuff. In this fragment (Song 2:10–12), the Bridegroom calls: “Arise… winter is past… the rain is over… flowers cover the earth… it’s time to sing..” (NIV) You can almost feel the joy after a long storm—the invitation to step out of the dark and into delight with Him. If you’ve ever been in love, you know the ache and e

This is just another variant of familiar encouragement along the same lines: “Be still and know that I am God…” “And those who wait on the Lord…” “Fear not, stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord…” They’re everywhere—on mugs, plaques, bumper stickers, and journals. We hear them, see them, read them… a lot. But do we do it? Do we actually sit still and wait? And even if we do, do we do it the way God invites us to—calm, confident, trusting? Oh, boy. I'm reading Psalm

How gracious of God to leave us stories that show who He is and how He operates—in spite of us. Scripture gives us instructive, encouraging, and even warning stories about Bible “heroes” who are a hot mess—jars of clay through which God’s mighty power is displayed. Have you ever wailed something like, “If you love me, God, why is this happening?!” Gideon had every reason to be discouraged when the angel of the Lord appeared, urging him to battle the invading forces. After all

Walking it out, trusting God, year after year, no matter what…That's the ticket to big muscles! He’s faithful! P.S. Let the record note: And I haven’t started shrinking yet either! Still all of 5'6.75" inches don'tcha know.

I have faced an unusual number of challenges in my life—many more than most, and fewer than some. From an intensely dysfunctional childhood, to intense opportunities, through all sorts of messes of my own making and at the hands of others, I have endured a lot. I’m not complaining, since I now consider my garden-variety trials and traumas my superpower. Just as God promises, when we navigate them grounded in Him, they produce extraordinary endurance, perseverance, strength, w