I’ve experienced a lot of loss over the past 12 months, but I’ve gained so much more.

The decision I made is not the right one for everyone, but it was the right decision for me.  I have zero regrets and a million reasons to be grateful.

You'd think after my public confession last year, I would have turned away from my life of crime. But here we are...

Last week, we hosted our annual conference at the Tinley Park Convention Center. It's always fun, but it's also a very long and exhausting week. Many of our staff, including me, stay in a hotel in Tinley to avoid the commute because of the late nights and early mornings.

I wear it to keep warm, hide my arms, and sometimes to dress up an otherwise casual tank top or sleeveless dress for work or special events. It flexes with my fitness level, and at every weight, I’ve found it to be quite slimming. Like I said, magical.

One of my fashion-forward coworkers even complimented me once on the button details on the sleeves. Well, that sealed the deal. This would be a sweater I’d cherish forever. And I have. There are students in the youth group younger than my cardigan.

In 1986, Janet Jackson released one of her catchiest tunes of the decade. The amazingly easy-to-memorize chorus—don’t look it up or it’ll get stuck in your head—asks a question that could just as well summarize the entirety of the Old Testament.

“Oo-oo-ooh yeah, what have you done for me lately?”

In fact, the Bible tells story after story about a VERY forgetful group of people.

There was nothing peculiar or particularly amazing about the picture itself. Emma sends me these kind of photo updates regularly, and this one, as images go, was a little on the dark and blurry side.

But it was a happy, candid image, capturing a beautiful moment in time—a moment of love, joy and contentment. And it reminded me of a similar image I had seen several times before.

We arrived at the center, and I psyched myself up for what was sure to be a difficult goodbye. I could already anticipate the guilt I’d feel as she’d tearfully beg me to stay. But we walked in anyway. The greeter efficiently welcomed me, and then she ushered us to Emma’s new home away from home.

That’s when it all fell apart.

I thought about gathering all of the girls tonight and giving them a mom talk of confidence. But a) I'm not sure we'll have the time backstage, and b) I'm pretty sure half of them already think I'm a crazy old lady. So, instead, I write this public letter to the girls of Matilda and anyone else who needs a reminder.

t’s not what you’d call the “typical” response to bad news.

When art dealer and author Forrest Fenn was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 1988, he hid a bronze chest in an undisclosed location, attempting to create the ultimate treasure hunt.

Barnabas Foundation announces the upcoming release of Money and Spirit: Surrendering Our Finances to the Work of the Holy Spirit by Heather M. Day. A biblically grounded study on the intersection of faith and finances, Money and Spirit is designed to be a practical resource for individuals, couples, and small groups.

Adding insult to injury, he was wearing his last resort, worn-out socks, and they had once again slumped to his heel. Exasperated, the man yanked the limp cotton stockings back to their proper position. Then, with unbridled passion, he bellowed his rage to the world.

“These SOCKS are RUINING my LIFE!”