We don’t often confront or acknowledge the way we devalue marginalized groups. In today’s world, treating certain populations as if they are less than human is all too normalized. We are hardly conscious of the way we fail to respect and dignify so many of God’s beloved children.

What do you delight in the most? What is your primary source of pleasure? These are critical questions to ask—the answers reveal who or what directs our decisions and defines our identity. Humans crave pleasure, and we often orient our lives in pursuit of it. The source of our delight is often the first thing we think of when we wake up and the last thing we think about before we go to sleep. The source of our joy is the thing we bow down to and serve. When we reflect and name the chief provider of our pleasure, we see if we are placing God at the center of our lives or remaining loyal to our idols.

God invites us to taste and see that He is good. Other parts of Scripture compare reading God's Word to the delightful taste of honey. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus promises those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will find themselves filled.

As a child of the '60s and '70s, I had all the best, especially the music (sorry, Mike, but it was far superior to the '80s). The neighborhood kids played after school until dark - roller-bat, kickball, football, riding bikes, and skateboards. Summer was filled with sprinklers and putting baby oil on us as we lay in the sun with our radios blasting and the kitchen timers on to tell us when to turn over for the most even tan. Of course, Sun-in sprayed on our hair, which turned your hair orange if you had dark hair like mine, but we were part of a do-your-thing generation, so I was too cool to care.

As my husband and I have gotten more settled in our careers and our kids have gotten older and more connected with friends and activities, this idea seems more and more like a faraway dream. It looks like a grand idea that will likely never come to fruition, and there are days when that feels very daunting. There are days where I think I should fight for what I want. Sometimes I'm tempted to settle on the idea that I have a right to my desires.

Over the course of my faith journey, my relationship with conviction has been a complicated one. For far too long, I bought into the lie that conviction was God’s way of slapping me on the wrist and shaming me for not being good enough. When I messed up, I was afraid to come into God’s presence. Spending time with Him felt like swimming in a pool of guilt and self-defeat. I left time with God feeling ashamed and burdened, rather than light and free.

If I’m honest, I think several things I want to happen in my life are impossible. At the very least, the chance of them occurring is highly improbable. As a result, I have given up faith that certain circumstances in my world can be transformed, redeemed, or resolved. However, I cannot help but think that God has given me a deep yearning for these “impossible” things to happen for a reason.

I recently talked to my kids about freedom in Christ, and it hit me how abstract this concept is for me as an adult, let alone a child. But if my 4-year-old can learn about volcanoes on Mars in preschool, I figured why not give painting a picture about freedom a shot? Even with my best explanations, this complex concept seemed just out of their reach. When I asked what it means to be free, they said, "you can do whatever you want, or it doesn't cost you anything." Both were honest answers and, for me, interesting thoughts to process.

My parents have jumped headfirst into retirement. From traveling all over the place to trying out new hobbies, they truly are living their "best life yet." These social butterflies are thriving. Every day is an adventure for them, thanks to the calendar they got for Christmas…

I remember how nervous I was proposing to my now wife. My concern wasn't because I thought her answer swung in the balance (after all, I'm quite a catch...I kid, I kid). Instead, it had everything to do with making it a memorable moment and smoothly planned…

Our eternal destiny is determined by Jesus’ atoning sacrifice alone—the Bible is clear on this. However, our relationship with God is damaged and scarred when we withhold forgiveness from His children. God sees us all as worthy of forgiveness, no matter what we’ve done wrong and how gravely we’ve hurt those around us. It is offensive to God when we decide that one of His children should not be pardoned for their sins. The cross has declared us all “not guilty.” Who are we to claim, through our unforgiveness, that our judgment is superior to God’s?

There is a slight irony that I am sitting down to write a devotion today about being pressed but not crushed. Sometimes that feels like my story. Maybe it feels like yours. Nothing is ever too devastating that you are not here to tell about it, but you feel pressed from every side more often than not…

When we were newlyweds, my parents surprised Jenn and me by gifting us a trip to Cape Cod. They failed to mention that it was at a timeshare resort, which meant that we were obligated to listen to a sales presentation sometime during the vacation…

If you could have God satisfy any craving you have right now, what would it be? If I’m honest, asking God to give me the privilege of dwelling in His presence forever isn’t the first thing that comes to my mind. There are several things I think I’d ask Him for long before saying, “Hey God, you know what I want most? I just want to be with You.” King David’s song holds a mirror up to my heart: spending time with God isn’t my greatest joy or strongest craving… but I want it to be.

Final words are important. When someone realizes their time on earth has come to an end, they sense what truly matters and attempt to express these words of wisdom to family and friends…

Even when our schedules are packed and our bank accounts are drained, we have the power to speak uplifting words to others. Words have power. Giving a kind word can change someone’s day. Going out of our way to let someone know that we care about them, we are praying for them, or even that we simply like the shirt they’re wearing can be uncomfortable. But those around us are worthy of hearing loving words, because every person we encounter is made in the image of God. Jesus shed His blood for every person we come in contact with.

Living on the coast of North Carolina, chances are good you know of someone whose world got turned upside down because of a hurricane. It might be a co-worker, neighbors down the street, family, or friends. Perhaps it's even you…

The elementary school I attended wanted to expose students to arts and music as early as possible. One way they accomplished this goal was our 5th-grade band. During the year, every student tested out different instruments to see if one sparked their fancy. We all got a turn playing things like the saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, and violin…

During troubling times, the world longs for a calming and gentle voice. For most people my age raised on PBS, that individual was Mr. Rogers. Let's be honest: we all wanted to be his neighbor…

We rarely turn on the lights in a room to stare directly at the lights themselves. (In fact, doing so can cause eye damage. Don’t do that.) Lights are a means to an end—they serve to illuminate the things around them. They help us to see clearly and navigate our surroundings skillfully.