the idol factory “An idol is anything that is central in my life, anything that seems to be essential. Anything by which I live or depend.” D. M. Lloyd-Jones Theologian John Calvin said that the heart is a “perpetual factory of idols.” We are constantly looking for things to worship, and making the good things […]

Growing up in the church, I often heard about the fruit of the Spirit and could list them off to you, but I had never gone through each virtue and studied them in light of the gospel. As I wrote this study with my sister, Kara Holmes, God opened my eyes to realize this truth: […]

the cycle of seclusion It’s been a long day. You are exhausted as you pull into your garage and close the door behind you, grateful for a neighborhood that values seclusion as much as you do. Life regularly looks like closed doors and quiet evenings. On Sunday your pastor might mention hospitality. You cringe a […]

When February 14th rolls around each year, chocolate hearts and fragrant flowers promise us a day full of warm and fuzzy feelings. Cheesy cards and red roses fill the stores, reminding us all that love is in the air (or at least it should be). And while a day spent eating candy and passing out […]

If you were to flip through the back of my Bible, you would notice a lot of underlining, highlighting, and notes in the margins. Should you flip through the Old Testament, however, you would notice the notes and highlights become few and far between. In my time with the Lord each day, I consistently flip […]

There have been times in my prayer life when I’ve felt I was asking God for too much. The amount of faith required seemed like a stretch to get to the end goal, to receive the thing I most wanted. In the midst of such requests (like wanting to be engaged, wishing for the perfect […]

Western culture loves its buzzwords, and “balance” is one that’s been circulating for a while. We constantly lament the lack of balance in our lives, search for the right methods to secure it, envy others who seem to have it, celebrate when we manage to feel we’ve achieved it, and even make it the object […]

the weight of words I walked down the aisle in the white dress I’d dreamed about pretty much my whole life. My dad gave me away, and almost everyone I loved watched as I turned to face the man who was about to become my husband. My heart raced while the pastor spoke, and when […]

I often find myself drifting into contemplative states—ones in which I look back and replay certain parts of my life to analyze them all over again. They can be sweet, nostalgic trips into my past, but they can also take me back to seasons that do not feel worth reliving. Regardless of where my thoughts […]

I have learned, and am learning still, that we are called to pour forth every facet of our lives in worship. There are many spheres of our lives (motherhood being one that I am knee-deep in at the moment) in which we have the opportunity to present a beautiful aroma of worship to the Lord […]