I’m still behind in my online reading, but I did find a lot of great links to share. I hope some of them will be helpful to you.

How Do We Minister to Parents with Broken Hearts? “For every family in church where the children seem to be well established in the faith, there will be another family where one or more of their children have deserted it. They have tasted Christianity first-hand and want nothing more to do with it. This may apply to you; it almost certainly applies to someone you know. So how can we help and bring comfort to parents in pain?”

To the One Who’s New to and Nervous About Reading Scripture. “I heard you set a goal for the new year to read Scripture more faithfully. That’s great! A commendable goal. But I also understand that now you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed. You want to be in the Word, but you’re just not quite sure how that’s going to work. I get it. And if you don’t mind, I’d like to offer you a few pieces of advice.”

You Have Time to Read the Bible, HT to Knowable Word. “I’ve often been told by others that they don’t have time to read the Bible regularly. It’s one of the most common excuses I get now as a Bible teacher. It might be the thing holding you back right now. But I’m lovingly calling your bluff. You do have time to read the Bible. And so did I during all those years I swore I didn’t. Here’s how I know.”

7 Tips for Regular Bible Reading. “Most Christians realize they should probably read their Bibles every day. Most Christians want to read their Bibles every day. Yet many Christians (the author of this post included), have found it difficult to be consistent in reading their Bibles every day. If you find yourself wanting to more faithfully read the Bible in 2026, here are some suggestions that will hopefully help you start (or reinforce) a habit that sticks.”

No One Is Going to Make You, HT to Challies. “No one is going to wake you up tomorrow, tie you to a chair, tape a Bible to your hand, and force you to read it. No one is going to throw you into the prayer closet and lock the door until you’ve prayed. And even if someone did do that to you (call the police if they did), no one can make you do it with the right heart. Just to say it plainly, if you want to seek the Lord, you have to take personal responsibility and just do it.”

Dieting to the Glory of God, HT to Challies. “My purpose is not to over-spiritualize dieting (or not dieting). But for me, I am realizing I look to food for answers because I start with the wrong questions. I have been at times guilty of gluttony and asceticism, vanity and self-loathing. None of those extremes honored God. None of them helped me serve him better.”

What Is Your Responsibility in Sanctification? “The million-dollar question about sanctification is this: whose job is it to make us more holy? Ours or God’s?”

The Joy of Bible Journaling, HT to Challies. “Journaling through the whole Bible was a long process, and not always easy. But think about it: When was the last time you walked down the street and stumbled across a pile of gold? It doesn’t work that way. Finding gold requires time and effort digging for it. In fact, that very picture is used in the book of Proverbs.”

6 Means Through Which God May Choose to Guide You. “Providing a list of ‘tried and true methods for finding the will of God’ or prescribing how God will work in a life is presumptuous—and probably harmful. Our God is in the heavens, and He does whatever He pleases. However, an understanding of how God has worked in the past helps discern how He may work in the future, so I offer here six means through which God may choose to guide us in the new year.”

Motherhood Is a Mission, Not an identity. “Motherhood is absolutely an eternal mission. But our position and prominence in our kids’ lives is temporal, and if we find that we are living in a cloud of hurt and sadness as each phase moves and changes, then it may be a symptom that we have built our identity on a good, but wrong foundation.”

5 Ways to Honor an Aging Loved One (Even When It’s Hard), HT to Challies. “I’ve experienced tough situations in my adult life, including a divorce, single parenting two young boys, and telling them at ages 8 and 14 that their dad had been killed in a car accident. Despite those challenges, I’ve told many people that caring for an aging loved one is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.”

Beyond Shame and Showmanship: Why You Should Read Christian Books, HT to Challies. “The question is not whether we will be readers, because we read all sorts of things every day. The question of this article is, ‘Why and how should I start a habit of reading Christian books?’ I still love listening to music and playing drums.¹ However, I personally needed to grasp the purpose behind reading books, particularly Christian books.”

Don’t Forget to Pray for the M’s, HT to Challies. “I have an unfortunate talent for getting easily distracted from a task. One way this shows itself is when I decide I’m going to pray through the church membership list. I start strong. I make my way diligently down the list: Adams, Ainsworths, Bolens, Bonds, etc… To my shame, by the second month, my ‘praying through the list’ has lost its focus. I start praying for other things, and I just keep forgetting to look at the membership list to see who is up next. And you know what that means? All the ‘M’s get missed. Here’s your reminder to pray for the ‘M’s.” Jacob shares not just a reminder but tips to help.

5 Fun Fiction Challenges to Spice Up Your TBR. “If your TBR (to-be-read) pile looks like a skyscraper and your reading motivation feels like a puddle, it’s time to shake things up with a fiction reading challenge! These challenges aren’t just about finishing books—they’re about adding a dash of adventure to your literary life. Ready to play? Here are some creative ideas to get you started:”

If you’re thinking that you don’t deserve a second chance from God, it’s important to remember that you didn’t deserve the first one, either.–Unknown

(Updated to add: I think this quote is meant to encourage rather than discourage us. All the chances God gives us are based on His grace, not what we deserve.)