CANDACE COFER

Dancing invites joy and smiling, and as my friend, Kathy Izard, points out in her reflection of Psalm 100, dancing also invites gratitude. These "holy spirited steps" as she says are welcomed by God.

If we want our children to become curious about God's Word and love God with all of their heart, mind and soul, the most important thing we can do is love God's Word and love God with all of our hearts, minds and souls in front of them. Read this excerpt about how Fred Rogers' intentionally cultivated curiosity in children on the Neighborhood to understand more why this is so.

There's no better way to be the Summer heat than with a splash. But, sometimes we get more than a splash. We get a wave or waves of chaos. My good friend, Valerie Ellis, is sharing her reflection of Psalm 93 with us today and reminding us of the stark contrast between chaos and Christ and the invitation that awaits us in these inconvenient and overwhelming waters.

What does it mean to "live by faith"? Relying on our know-how and limited understanding while also trying to be a follower of Christ is a common picture of a divided heart. And, we're not the first to struggle in this way. King David prayed for God to give him an undivided heart in Psalm 86.

Maybe this Summer, foreign is exactly what you need. But no bags need to be packed. Not a single one. No airline reservations need to be made. You see, praise in times of plenty, that's easy. It's natural. But praise in want, it's never easy. It's unnatural. Foreign may be an even better word. It feels strange, unfamiliar, unsettling.

My good friend, Sarah Philpott, shares her reflection of Psalm 72 with us today and the gentle redirection meant for all us - who are we worshipping? In whom or what have we put our hope?

I want us to embrace a moment of nothingness, as hard as it may be for us. Keep the TV off, put the phone away. If not for a whole summer, how about today? How about for five minutes? For, it's only when we're bored that we start to ask ourselves the question: "What sounds fun?" Fun. We need more fun!

If we want our children to become curious about God's Word and love God with all of their heart, mind and soul, the most important thing we can do is love God's Word and love God with all of our hearts, minds and souls in front of them. Read this excerpt about how Fred Rogers' intentionally cultivated curiosity in children on the Neighborhood to understand more why this is so.

As we begin our Summer in the Psalms series this Summer, we're getting to hear from my friend, Cole Feix, as he helps us understand the Psalms as "the nervous system of the Bible."

Connecting "The Clock" to the promise of eternal life and the gift of second chances.

As we continue thinking about how we can experience God's presence through our five senses, we are going to focus on feeling God's embrace through our closest relationships - family. It may be a parent or grandparent, a sibling or neighbor, or someone else who has served in a nurturing or mentoring role for you. God is so very faithful to bring the family of God around us, especially when our earthly family may fail us.

Connecting "The Giving Tree" to Easter and what this absurd gift of grace means for our relationships with others.

And that is what life is really all about - our relationship with God. So it makes sense we will see God in everything when we learn to look for God in everything. And that, my friend, is what I want us to practice together. Because I want to be us to be a people who are green thumbs, not necessarily with plants but with our faith. I want us to be keen observers, taking in every opportunity to see and experience the wonder of God's love in everything around us everywhere we g

I sure am glad God doesn't play games with us with the longings and questions of our hearts. Today, we're connecting Dr. Seuss' Please Try to Remember the First of Octember! to Jesus' final words to highlight the certain hope we have and to help our kids anticipate God's promise of heaven confidently. Let's get to it!

It's not a question of whether our kids are loved, but do they feel our love? In the same way we have a love language, our kids do too. As we are intentional to speak their love language, we can ensure their "love tank" is full and they grow emotionally healthy. Before you choose a word or make a resolution start with another rhythm of reflection: a new year's prayer. I'll walk you through one. You can do this individually or with your fam

Whether you're looking for a Bible as a gift or for your own family's collection, there are a lot of options for young readers. I thought I'd offer some thoughts from the ones we have on our shelf to help you know which may be a great fit for the little(s) in your circle.

What if 7 words could change your day? We're talking about practicing the presence of God in what we hear on the podcast right now, and I'm honored to share with you a reflection from 1 Samuel from a pastor of mine, Daniel Rankin. I hope you join us in practicing these seven words and resist the urge to rush or hurry through, but intentionally pause and open your heart and your mind, indeed your whole being, to really listen.

New Year resolutions are the most common and widely practiced rhythm of reflection in our culture, and these can be helpful and good. Same with choosing one word to be mindful of in the year. I, myself, have found this practice very meaningful. Do those things, but may I suggest a pre-requisite? Start with prayer. Before you choose a word or make a resolution start with another rhythm of reflection: a new year's prayer. I'll walk you through one. You can do this individua

In the rush of our days and amidst all the sound pollution we experience, we become numb to sound, especially sounds which come from an invisible source. When we do not see the bird before us, we may not give much attention to its song and may move on without even hearing it. But there is another sound which comes from an invisible source we are prone to miss. It, too, is very real, a constant in our presence but we often miss it because we are not tuned in to listen. It's th

Seeing these lies are impacting girls as young as first grade, I believe we must start this conversation and teach them early and often. One way to reinforce this message for those in early childhood is through the beloved children's author, Dr. Seuss. His book, The Shape of Me and Other Stuff, can be a great launchpad for a more intentional conversation about how we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. Let's dive in.