The Final Walk

Have I told you about my son’s pigs? When my son was in high school, he showed pigs. Yes, live, eating, drinking, pooping, smelly pigs. Cole decided to join Future Farmers of America (FFA) in the 8th grade, and he excelled! He showed pigs and sheep. He judged livestock. And he was surrounded by some […]

An Ordinary Day

If I have never told you, my daughter is an amazing vocalist. She joined choir as a sophomore, and she made the Oklahoma All-State Choir her first year. Now that she is a senior, she is the school’s only three-time all-stater. This week, we are in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for the OAKE National Honor Choir. Today, […]

Four Things to Remember When You Have Been Hurt by the Church

I read a Facebook post by a friend recently, and it absolutely broke my heart. In the post, he talked about all the ways he has been hurt by the Church. By the congregations that shamed him when his marriage fell apart. By the pastor who fired him when people responded to his message. By […]

What Makes a Marriage?

Gary Thomas has become one of my favorite authors and marriage mentors. There was a time when I didn’t feel this way, mostly because his book Sacred Marriage was used as a weapon to tell me I should have stayed in my marriage. While I agree that marriage is sacred and divorce should never be […]

Why We Should Pray “Even If” Prayers

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to […]

When You Have a Prodigal Child

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them […]

4 Lessons From Lysa Terkeurst’s Divorce Announcement

Three years ago, Lysa Terkeurst and her husband stood before man and God and renewed their vows following a painful separation after infidelity. They gave so much hope to those walking the painful journey of infidelity, a reminder that God is able. And God truly is able. He is able to heal the most broken […]

An Open Letter to Lysa TerKeurst Revisited

On New Year’s Eve, Lysa TerKeurst, founder of Proverbs 31 ministries, announced her marriage is ending after nearly 30 years. It’s been several years since she made a similar announcement and I penned the following words to her. You see, in 2017 she announced her husband had been unfaithful and she was pursuing a legal […]

One Word for 2022

We are on the cusp of a new year, filled with 365 brand new days. A new beginning. A fresh start. New opportunities. Full of promise. New mercies every single day. These last two years have been difficult for so many. We’ve seen so much pain, so much loss, so much division. Many of us […]

The Truth About a Silent Night

Silent night, Holy night, All is calm,  All is bright As my daughter led the congregation in worship with these words, my heart was heavy and burdened. Yes, it’s that time where we celebrate the peace brought into the world by our Savior, God incarnate who came into the world as a precious baby wrapped […]