God built into Israel’s calendar about thirty days of feasts per year. Add the weekly Sabbaths, and the total celebration time comes to around eighty days of feasting and rest annually. God is serious about celebration! When God mandated celebration among His people in the Old Testament, He used three Hebrew words: hâlal, châgag and shâbath. At the dedication of Jerusalem’s rebuilt wall in Nehemiah 12 (ESV), these three essentials of celebration are included. Celebration Keeps God Central Nehemiah’s celebration plans included instruments and singers filling the air with triumphant praise. The people sang and offered sacrifices to God with praise that centered their hearts on the source of their joy (verse 27). God is both the reason and the focus of our celebration. Without celebration we lack the strength we need to face life’s greatest challenges and opportunities. In the middle of a day of celebration, we read this familiar phrase in Nehemiah 8:10: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Celebration holds the key to the strength we desperately need—the Lord. And, it is powerful when it is habitually practiced. Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). Celebration Claims God’s Promises…

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” — Epistle to the Ephesians 5:15–16 (ESV) Sweet friend, motherhood can feel like a race we never signed up to run. There are meals to cook, laundry to fold, emails to answer, practices to attend, and a calendar that seems to fill itself. We live in a culture of hurry—and if we’re not careful, hurry becomes the rhythm of our hearts. When we rush through our days, we often miss the sacred invitations hidden inside them. The little voice that says, “Mom, watch this.” The quiet nudge of the Holy Spirit calling us to pause. The opportunity to choose connection over completion. Sometimes the people we love most begin to feel like interruptions instead of our ministry. But what if the very moments we’re tempted to rush past are the holy ground God has prepared for us? Present parenting isn’t about perfection. It’s about posture. It’s choosing to be unhurried, relaxed, and attentive—trusting that God will help us steward both our time and our hearts. Five ways to practice being present 1. Come Away and Be…

Maybe next year will be different, I thought as one difficult season came to a close. Maybe next year I wouldn’t have to fight so hard or struggle so much. Maybe next year I wouldn’t be so sick and could spend more time with my family. Maybe next year I would meet the man God has for me instead of listening to the lies that I would always be alone. Maybe next year I would finally have victory over depression instead of feeling defeated. Maybe next year the financial strain would ease. Maybe next year I wouldn’t have to say goodbye to someone I loved. It is easy, after a hard season, to focus only on the pain behind us. Many hardships filled the past year—sickness, financial strain, loss, and long periods of waiting when I wanted to move forward. I fought battles I never imagined I would face. Yet in those same battles, God gave me strength I never knew I had. It is tempting to say “good riddance” to a difficult year and hope a new one will fix everything. But we do not know what God is doing while we are in the middle of the struggle.…

Last month, while shopping, I saw a shirt I just had to have. It read, “Motherhood is my ministry.” So often, as mothers, we can feel overlooked and unimportant in the church because we are not always able to help in visible ways. But when we begin to view motherhood as our ministry, we realize we are preparing our children for the great things God will do in their lives. Eleven years ago, I became the mother of twin girls. Before they were born, I was very active in various church ministries. I had the freedom to serve because I did not yet have little ones depending on me. When I became a mother and chose to be a stay-at-home mom, everything changed. I watched many women in my church serve faithfully, and I often felt I should be doing more. I wanted to help and be a blessing, yet I felt motherhood was preventing me from serving God’s kingdom. I looked at my sisters in the Lord who were able to participate in church activities and felt useless. I prayed, “God, what can I possibly do for You? What can I do for Your kingdom when I am so…