Mother’s Day was a week ago, so this is probably a late sentiment — but it’s something I can’t let go of. In my Bible-in-a-year plan, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the Gospels and just recently hit the Gospel of Luke. As a mom, this gospel resonates with me more than the others, likely because much of it was written as Mary’s biography. Luke is alleged to have actually met with her before beginning his writing. One verse in particular has continued to run through my mind. It’s from Luke 2, when Mary and Joseph arrive at the temple to dedicate Jesus to the Lord. They are confronted by two very devout followers of God — Simeon and Anna — both fairly advanced in years. This is one of those passages where you have to read between the lines to understand what’s really transpiring. The Temple of

When God’s Promises Face The Storms of Life There’s a saying my parents always shared with my brother and me during my teen and early adult years: “Build your well before you’re thirsty.” Others might know it as “Build your roof before it rains.” It was one of many principles they wanted us to carry into life—the idea of doing the hard, quiet work of strengthening yourself before the storms hit. Life has a way of testing us: jobs disappear, children or parents get sick, tragedy arrives without warning. Now, as I move forward in my adult years, I’m watching that lesson bear fruit. And it turns out this simple truth has everything to do with building a strong home. When you first get married, it’s easy to live in the glow of idealism. You picture the home you’ll create, the children you’ll have, and which traits they might inherit