4 Ways to Build Sisterhood Among Planting Spouses
What do church planting wives need to thrive? In Research Findings on Church Planting Spouses, when...
Resources for Personal Spiritual Growth
Church Planting Wives — Navigating Adversity in Church Planting
Adversity and church planting typically go hand in hand. Watch as seasoned church planting wives detail...
Fears That Church Planting Wives Face in Church Planting
Annie Garman, Christine Hoover and Amy Rager describe the fears they faced in the initial stages...
4 Ways Church Planting Wives Relate to Their Calling
Four ways church planting wives relate to their calling.
It was a quiet night in my house; my toddler was sleeping, my teenager was busy...
“Patience can persuade a prince and soft speech can break bones” (Proverbs 25:15). “Lord, give me...
When you wonder if God really sees you
We know that God is sovereign, right? We teach that truth to our people. We talk...
The comfort of God in our darkest hour
Recently, my husband was invited to contribute to a LifeWay resource called Pray Like This: Living the...
When you are tired of caring for the ones you love
“I’m tired of caring for Miles.” I actually spoke those words out loud in our small...
Self-Awareness: Why we need it and how to grow it
“Know yourself. Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.” — Ann...
What we need to embrace about character development
Recently, we asked women this question, “What qualities and characteristics should healthy and effective ministry wives...
Why spiritual leaders should cultivate their spiritual vitality
Recently, we asked women this question, “What qualities and characteristics should healthy and effective ministry wives...
How to cultivate a desire for God’s Word: An interview with Christine Hoover
We all know it’s best to be in the Bible regularly, but … life. We love...
Hope for when you hit the wall
We are posting a personal letter written to planter’s wives in one of NAMB’s Send Cities....
Just because God’s timing is perfect does not mean life is free of difficulties. My husband’s...
“If only our church had a full-time children’s minister …” “If only our women’s ministry could...
Two telling truths about anxiety
The internet is watching us. We are increasingly becoming aware that the internet knows us too...
The secret to joy-filled obedience
My kids love to make chocolate milk. When they pour chocolate syrup in the milk, the...
Three ways weakness changes us
When my mother died, I held on to the worn, dingy safety belt that adorned her...
A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; but jealousy is like cancer in the bones....
Four actions that cultivate emotional health
Until a few months ago, emotional health sounded like hogwash to me, like the luxurious self-reflection...
The only way to win at the comparison game
Why do we torment ourselves by playing the comparison game? It’s part of human nature—evaluating the...
Sitting in my inbox was an email from the Loft with a subject line that read:...
When we’re tempted to take ministry failures personally
My kids are going through a stage in which they often start a conversation with their...
When you pray, “Yes, Lord” to the unknown
My husband, Kelly, and I lived in Granbury, Texas, and life was great. We had four...
Recognizing the painful reality of racial divide
In a small town outside Selma, Alabama, shortly after my dad graduated high school in 1960, my...
Vulnerability: The currency of bravery
As we conclude this series on True Bravery, we end with the ultimate factor that produces...
God calls the unlikely to be used for the extraordinary
There are many examples of bravery in the Bible. Esther. Moses. Ruth. Joseph. Rahab. Paul. The...
We are to be courageous as we give ourselves completely to God’s work. But how? Lately,...
I sat in my elven-sized, silver Toyota Yaris, crying. My family was miles away on the...
God’s people have always been called to bravery
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the...
The most significant viewpoint we can have of ourselves
A statement on Twitter three years ago revolutionized my version of baby Jesus in the manger....
God’s heart in reproof is to make us more holy
“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the...
I love the whole holiday season, from the first signs of fall to the beginning of...
Waiting for the bus in a frigid, biting wind reminded us of the ease of transportation...
On Monday, I stayed in my pajamas until 4 p.m. Although I woke up early and...
Are you an emotionally healthy woman?
I have found much enjoyment these last few weeks in telling my friends, “I’m reading a...
In the middle of a busy day, I found myself having a mental “conversation” in which...
How to praise God on the most awful days
On Monday, December 15, 2014, I found myself somewhere I really didn’t want to be. I...
God brings redemption into our mourning
Attachment to one’s mother is a mystery of the heart. The desire to know my mom...
How to respond when the wicked prosper
She was weeping over the phone. Grief, anger and frustration were pouring out of her as...
A good, hard look at sin and repentance
This summer has been rough in some ways. Not in every way, of course. I did...
What does it mean to meditate on the Bible?
“The Psalms represent the Bible’s own spiritual root system for the great tree we call Christianity.”...
How the Psalms speak words of life into the dark
Trouble brings out the best in some. I am not one of those people. Externally, I...
One phrase in a powerful sermon completely paralyzed me. Dr. Robert Smith Jr., who serves as...
Proverbs 31:26, “The law of kindness is on her tongue. . .” The Proverbs 31 woman...
Finding freedom from your own expectations
If you are like most women, you are your own worst critic. Being hard on ourselves...
The danger in entertaining lies
It would be convenient if Satan would show up as a talking snake. Then, we could...
When it’s better to be weak than strong
The following is a journal entry I wrote in May on Mother’s Day: Today was Mother’s...
How to battle discontent and despair
I have known the antagonism of discouragement. In early adulthood I was a newcomer to marriage...
I made an observation recently, and found it interesting when a friend said something similar to...
I’ll admit it…I care what people think about me. Oh, I talk a big game of...
When I got pregnant in early 2010, I feared that something was wrong with our baby....
When Suffering Produces Endurance
…the testing of your faith produces endurance…” (James 1:3) Several years ago, our daughter and her...
wrote the blog below on the 10th anniversary of my husband Rick Ferguson’s death in a...
How to face adversity and anxiety
Adversity is wrapped up in anxiety. Where there is trouble, there is also fear, worry, fretfulness...
Don’t be surprised: on facing struggle, adversity, and suffering
Today we launch a new series on how to endure adversity, struggle, and loss well. Suffering and hardship...
The Maturing of Self-forgetfulness
This blog by Michael Kelly was posted on my last birthday. I read and reread this...
Four truths to fight the anger monster
Aisle Two was not the place to be this morning. Today at WalMart, I heard a...
He crushes me- when leaders lament
Chauffeuring children to frequent doctor’s appointments, therapy, and extracurricular activities; spending hours reteaching school material to...
Your Blind Spot Is Only Blind to You
For our series on leadership we are reposting this old blog on blindspots. Leaders, especially ones that...
Not long ago I listened as another pastor’s wife confided some problems she was facing. It...
Five lessons from Elisabeth Elliott
We’re re-posting some of our favorite blog posts from 2015. This encouraging and challenging post by Susie, from...
The stack of books on my nightstand inches higher everyday. Some were recommended and loaned by...
What You Need to Know About God {in this very moment}
I had a little self-talk after getting up from my face and knees bent to the floor....
Comfort in the Bitter Face of Disease
Family stood by on Face Time, while we held our breath and stared at that ultrasound...
I did not know I was depressed until I got married. Over time I would see...
Recently I was sitting in the back of my mini-van with my 5 month-old after a...
We checked no. Did I ever tell you that? When Keith and I sat down to...
The kids decided to get creative in the kitchen. Five year old Ben chattered on excitedly...
“The goodness gospel is a friend as long as life is neat and tidy …” – Christine...
Giving Grace {From Good to Grace}
Grace is a big deal. A mighty God gave us grace and we sometimes give grace...
Receiving His Freedom {From Good To Grace}
This was one of my favorite chapters. It took me far too long to understand that...
Receiving God’s Help {From Good To Grace}
We are continuing to read along in Christine Hoover’s latest book, From Good to Grace. If...
Death To The “Try Harder” Life {From Good To Grace}
A friend gifted Good to Grace: Letting Go of the Goodness Gospel to me. I wondered...
You Can’t Go Back Again {From Good to Grace}
(The Flourish summer series is a blog crawl through Christine Hoover’s book “From Good to Grace:...
For Your Summer Reading: From Good to Grace
Join us this summer in reading through the new book From Good to Grace: Letting Go of...
Every Pain Repurposed for His Glory
As my husband held down my three-month old son, I buckled the braces in place and...
Five Prayers to Prepare for Time on Facebook
It hasn’t just been one conversation. It has been multiple conversations. Recently someone was sharing with me...
Finding Strength When You Face the Impossible
Though many of us have not walked through the grief and pain of losing a child,...