Growing up, my younger brother, sister, and I made the coolest living room tents. Couch cushions, pillows, blankets, heavy books, the coffee table, and every chair we could take by eminent domain were brought for the building of these subcommunities. As the oldest city planner, I calculated the most efficient placement of the tallest pieces of furniture for maximum living space. We brought in amenities such as snacks, flashlights, and books, and we visited each other’s caves by wriggling our little bodies forward on the carpet like worms with elbows. The quality of life in these spacious tent cities was ranked very high, often attracting

Have you ever sat down with your Bible, a fresh cup of coffee in hand, and a heart ready to connect with God, only to realize five minutes later that you’ve been reading the same sentence about genealogical records while mentally adding “buy more laundry detergent” to your grocery list?

I have been there more times than I care to admit. Once, during a particularly quiet morning, I found myself so deeply distracted that I actually started wondering if there was a  biblical Greek word for “espresso.” Spoiler alert: it is not in there.

We want to tell people about Jesus. What in life could be better than knowing Him? I’m sure that, like me, you want so badly for every single person on the planet to know the freedom and joy and peace and forgiveness and sheer transformation that comes from life in Christ. But let me be real here for a second. People are sometimes wary of Christians.