We live near the ocean. In our part of the world, residents of coastal communities don't have to worry much about tsunamis. Our concern is erosion. Continue »

In Minnesota, where I live, Lent comes at just the right time for penance. February and March are the dreariest months of the year. The skies are gray, often for weeks at a time. Temperatures can be quite cold, and the snow no longer covers the earth like a beautiful white blanket. Continue »

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). When a mother watches her little child get on the school bus and head off to kindergarten for the first time, her heart may be filled with a swirling eddy of emotions—pride, loss, sadness, nostalgia, excitement, joy, and fear—all with a little faith mixed in. Continue »

The relative wealth of our nation sometimes desensitizes people to the problems of poverty. During the Great Depression, almost everyone knew what "hard times" were all about. Continue »

Ten-minute guides, ten-minute workouts, ten-minute meals, ten-minute devotionals—the bestsellers aimed at busy people often give the impression that everything can be accomplished in ten-minutes or less. This is hardly true of parenting. Continue »

You wouldn’t accomplish much in a day if, every morning, you got into your car and drove away—without a destination in mind. Likewise, it isn’t productive to just wander down the road of marriage and family life. You’re far more likely to get where you want to go when you target goals and adopt strategies to achieve them. Continue »