My wife, Kissy, and I have come to realize that our shared experience of “The Church” through serving has given us the gift of knowing one another, our church communities and the Lord by serving in all these ministries together. We now have friends, successes, miracles and shared stories—sad, happy, hilarious and perplexing—that are a part of the story the Lord has been writing for OUR marriage.

Many of us have cried out to God as David did in Psalm 96:1. We’ve found ourselves sinking as we tread the depths of uncertainty and loneliness. As we navigate these unfamiliar waters we, like David, have become intimately acquainted with anxiety, depression, grief and fear, as well as anger and frustration.

Now, more than ever, it’s important that couples treat each other with kindness and compassion. But how, when it’s so easy to let the stress of this extraordinary time cause us to lash out or retreat inward instead?

God visits us in our dailiness. He endows the ordinary—the inglorious relational moments of marriage (conversations in a dirty kitchen while dinner cooks, phone calls during rush hour) with holy significance.

As we begin the season of Lent, take time to consider if the Holy Spirit is calling you to undertake a fast during this season, and if so, in what manner. Fasting is never easy and can be quite frustrating. But the promise is that it will give us more of Christ and that it will form us more and more into his image.

Lent is about rhythm. We are rhythmic creatures. We do things in sequences and steps, marching to the beats of drummers. The problem is, there are many drummers out there, pounding away to capture our attention, calling us to follow them and submit to their stories. Lent is the Jesus drum, calling us back into the left-right-left of God's story.

Effectively working with children and families requires an understanding of the stages of child development and family dynamics, as well as of the essentials of the faith. The following resources may provide some helpful ideas for where to begin or how to move this important ministry to the next level.

Consistency, curriculum and caring volunteers are the major building blocks for a successful childrens' program.

Jesus had a singular, loving approach to children, in contrast to his status-seeking, impatient disciples. Jesus welcomed the little ones with open arms and set their simplicity and unselfconscious humility as a standard for all his followers. We can do no less.

Brief reviews of "Remaking a Broken World" and "The Household of God: Lecture on the Nature of the Church."