How to Tell the Difference Between a Good Relationship and the Right Relationship
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice. – Proverbs 27:9 (NIV) Most people know toxic relationships hurt us,…
5 Ways to Be Generous Even If You’re Broke
God calls us to be generous. But what if you’re broke, barely making it through each month? Can you be generous when your bank account is hovering on empty? The…
Culture’s Worst Lies About Falling In Love
As a teenager, I read my fair share of Christian romance novels. They were full of dramatic plot lines, sexual tension, one-room school houses and Canadian Mounties. The leading men…
‘All the Feels’ and How to Manage Them
I feel more than most. Maybe you can relate. One moment I’m perfectly fine and the next I’m crying because a young immigrant mother of two won $10,000 on Chopped…
8 Things You Should Never Say to Your Single Friends
“It’s OK, your Prince Charming is out there!” I was told recently. Frozen smile on my face, I wasn’t quite sure how to respond. I knew it was said in…
6 Ways to Avoid Early Marriage Mistakes
You’re in your first year of marriage. This is the time you imagined, prepared for and were pressured about through your dating life, and likely long before. You recall watching…
4 Ways to Help a Hurting Friend
A couple of years ago my life was upended. You probably know the type of thing I’m referring to—a major loss, a game changer. The devastation uprooted me, so it…
How the Church Makes People Terrified of Sex
There’s a shirt my youth pastor used to wear that said, “I practice safe sex. Instead of crossing my fingers I cross my legs.” He told us guys want to…
God Has a Purpose in Your Disappointment
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,” says King Solomon. Proverbs, which Solomon wrote, speak to the human condition, and this one is no exception. We’re all familiar with disappointment. You…
Enneaneighboring: Forming Community in My Neighborhood Out of Different Types of Normal
Ann Voskamp said it in her book The Way of Abundance, and the words sink deep: “We will never reflect the image of Christ to the world unless we first…
God Uses Your Suffering for Your Good—And Others’
“God uses suffering to strengthen our faith.” That was the quote of the day in Our Daily Bread, and isn’t it the truth? God allows us to go through suffering,…
5 Things You Need to Know Before Having Your First Kid
Growing up in the church, I listened to numerous teachings each Sunday. From sin to salvation, Sabbath to the Samaritan, sanctification to the sacraments, I tuned in. Those messages on…
4 Ways to Give Before You Have Extra Money
When I was starting my career, I thought about success like a dog thinks about the tail it’s chasing in circles. I was sprinting around to get ahold of success,…
The Most Important Virtue People Forget
Whenever my father prayed, he prayed out loud. As a boy, I would stand outside his study at home with my ear cupped against the door. I listened to him…
What the Church Taught Me About Being Fat
I grew up fat and loving Jesus. I was frequently distracted and burdened by what I saw as my biggest spiritual and personal flaw: my weight. I was fat. I…