What Have I Gotten Myself Into?
Sometimes we simply need to “do the thing.” I often feel like the phrase “bite off more than you can chew” was invented specifically for me. Anyone who knows me is aware that I rarely have just one thing going on, whether a work project or hobby. For instance, I started last year with nine projects on my docket. By the end of the year, I had whittled that down to one, which was still plenty of work. And when I was deep in the throes of being a hobbyist, I accumulated quite a collection of beading, paper [...]
Thy Kingdom Come
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” —Matthew 6:10 Last week, I attended the 2026 National Religious Broadcasters International Christian Media Convention here in Nashville, Tennessee. I didn’t even know the event was taking place, but I was tipped off by a colleague in Boston. We were texting each other, and he said he was going to be in town for NRB, and it would be great to meet in person. “What’s NRB?” I texted. He told me, and I checked out the website. After exploring the site, including the presenters [...]
Giving Up to Gain
Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. —Daniel 9:3 It feels somewhat strange to say it, but I look forward to Lent every year. I look forward to a time of self-deprivation, fasting, and penitence? Yes, I do. As an unbeliever, when I was growing up, my understanding of Lent was that it was something Catholics did in the weeks leading up to Easter, and they weren’t allowed to eat meat on Fridays the whole time. They also gave up something, like chocolate, and [...]
What’s Love Got to Do with It?
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. —1 Corinthians 13:13 Our society is obsessed with love. Songs, movies, and books abound on the topic. If we grow up immersed in pop culture, as I was, media portrayals of love can have a deep and abiding effect on our ideas about love. And many of those ideas can be warped, unhealthy, and altogether false. One example is the popular modern saying, “Love is love.” While that might make us feel good and like we ourselves are being loving when we say [...]
Protecting the Least of These
Children are a heritage from the Lord. I must be blunt when I say this: childhood sexual abuse is an extraordinarily prevalent evil in our world. In the United States alone, statistics indicate that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys are victims of childhood sexual abuse. If these statistics are accurate, this means that anytime you’re having coffee with a few of your girlfriends, there’s a high probability that one of the women sitting at that table was sexually abused as a child. However, many experts believe—as do I—that the number of victims is probably [...]
Weathering the Storm
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. —Psalm 90:12 Last Friday, I wrote about the impending winter storm, which did turn out to be a doozy. Snow and sleet created treacherous conditions, destroying trees that blocked roads and downed power lines. Thousands of people were left without power, and some still don’t have it. Linemen are coming to the area from around the country, and we’re grateful for their willingness to help us in our time of need, as we are appreciative for everyone who’s serving others during this difficult [...]
Let It Snow?
To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven —Ecclesiastes 3:1 If the forecast proves accurate, we’re in for a doozy of a winter storm this weekend. I grew up in New York State, so I’m no stranger to snow and cold. In my hometown, with the lake-effect snow off of Lake Erie, it wasn’t unusual to go to bed with no snow and wake up unable to find your car. However, because such weather was common, snow days were rare. I have many memories of trudging to school with snow up past my [...]
Why Did I Write One Nation Under God?
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33 One of the most common questions I’m asked about One Nation Under God: 40 Devotions for Patriotic women, is: Why did you write the book? The short answer to that question is: Because our country needs prayer. But the longer answer is contained in the book’s introduction, which I’m sharing with you today. As you read it, I hope it encourages you to pray for [...]
The Epiphany of Our Lord
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” —Matthew 2:1–2 Epiphany is a church season I didn’t know about until joining a Lutheran church. It’s celebrated on January 6 every year, and it marks the end of the Christmas season. Although it wasn’t always the case, in many modern churches, Epiphany is also associated [...]
New Year, New Intention
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. —Ephesians 5:15–16 Once upon a time, I obsessively made New Year’s resolutions. Year after year, I’d craft elaborate lists of things I wanted to accomplish in the upcoming months, whether personal improvements or projects. The excitement of a clean slate energized and inspired me to dream big. When I underwent cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) over a decade ago, I learned that one of my most common “thinking errors” is something called “all-or-nothing thinking.” This is a rigid mindset [...]