Friends,

How is 2026 starting off for you? We’ve sent our boys all back to work and school, and I’m already trying to figure out how and when I can see them again. It helps to know the days are getting longer and spring is around the corner.

Plus, I am so encouraged by my daily Bible reading. This year I am using the Bible that my parents gave us for Christmas in 1997. My dad’s unique handwriting is such a warm greeting when I happen to flip to it, and I am enjoying having notes too. For 2024 and 2025 I read through the whole Bible in versions that did not have notes, which is important. Let’s not be too eager to rely on someone else’s interpretation. Still, on occasion it is really convenient to have a little help. Hopefully I am striking the right balance with it.

One verse that no one would need a note for is Mark 10:49 (NIV 1984):

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”

This is true every day of our lives: Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling YOU.

It doesn’t matter what you may be facing in life, Jesus is calling you. He’s calling you to know Him better through His Word, through prayer, through Christian community. He’s calling you to obedience and to abide with Him in the vine. Maybe your 2026 is going swimmingly thus far, Jesus is still calling you to your feet. He’s still drawing you closer.

But maybe your 2026 is already one of disappointment and heartache. Jesus is there to provide forgiveness and healing. Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you. He’s calling you to know He will never leave you nor forsake you. He’s calling you to stand up and do the next right thing. He’s calling you to have an eternal perspective and to ponder the verse below:

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV 1984).

May 2026 be a year we all recognize what is truly important and know it’s not anything that is in our news feed. It’s much much simpler. What’s important is that Jesus is calling. And we always answer, one way or the other.

Blessings,

Kristie

P.S. This little graphic below is so apt. I would give credit to the maker but I don’t know where it came from. I re-posted it a few years ago, but it is still on point.

I recently had a fascinating interaction with a hairdresser. He told me he has the same conversation over and over again. Women sit in his chair and lament that their children do not want children.

He also told me about one client who is in her 50’s. This woman cares for her aging mother and wonders how her mother could possibly get by without the help she is able to provide. She worries about what will happen when she herself begins to require help yet has no children.

These are sad conversations. I have compassion on this man who navigates them daily. Meanwhile, I have multiple friends, roughly my age, who are already blessed with grandbabies. How can these divergent paths be explained? I think it’s just one word: evil. Satan is the father of lies and it’s a lie that anything in this world could be better than family, than trusting and obeying God’s design to procreate.

Jim Carrey said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” He’s on to something. One of the privileges of success or wealth is to know that it is not the answer. I’m sure you know some very successful people. I’m sure you know some wealthy people. I certainly do and none of them would claim that either is as satisfying as spending time with their families. Nothing we do is as impactful or joyful as building a strong family.

And yet no family is perfect. Even with attentive and loving parents, the world is a fallen place and there will be problems. But a Christian family that tries to live out the teachings of Jesus can point to the perfect peace and perfect belonging that we will enjoy in eternity. Of course there are people who are not blessed with a spouse or with children despite their intentions and desires, but I think their God-given roles are still family-like. We are all called to invest in future generations, to care for the aging in various capacities, to help every person we encounter to know that God loves them.

An older friend of mine has a granddaughter who will not speak to her. The granddaughter’s values do not “align” with her family’s and she has cut off ties with all of them. A willingness to do this should be met with shame by everyone. Every single person in this woman’s life (I think she’s around 30) should be telling her that she’s being ridiculous. A true friend will always encourage forgiveness, and reconciliation, if appropriate.

Satan wants us bitter and alone. Jesus wants to gather us like a hen gathers in her chicks. Satan wants us to focus on being aggrieved. Jesus wants us to be celebrate being grafted into the family of the One True King. Satan wants us cut off from our families and to live in uncertainty about our destiny. Jesus wants us to know that, as believers, nothing can separate us from Him.

Jesus said,“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16. How are you putting these words into practice today? Do you know who the wolves are? Do you recognize and fight against the lies of our culture? I hope so.

Blessings,

Kristie

Hi Friends,

I started writing this blog in August of 2008. It was a nice outlet for me to think and write deeply about various facets of life with three young sons. On occasion I would write posts specifically to commemorate events that I found particularly amusing or interesting. When I flip through my volumes of the early days from Spur, I have zero recollection of some of the stories. Had I not written about them they’d be forever lost.

So, I am shamelessly admitting up front that part of my motivation here is to remember the events of last night.

Yesterday we drove up to St. Augustine to attend an Alison Krauss & Union Station concert. Will bought the tickets when the tour was announced months ago and we’ve had it on the calendar as our first empty-nester trip. We stayed in a lovely hotel and Ubered to the Amphitheater.

The crowd was especially friendly, and we talked to various people around us. In fact, as we we walked in we saw an older couple we had chatted with at the hotel. When we were introduced to their friends, one woman hugged me “Hello.” As we entered the venue Will said, “Did you just hug that woman?”

But the funniest part was when we met the group sitting in front of us. The woman’s name was Alison (with one “l”) Kraus (with one “s”). After we had talked for a few minutes, Will said, referencing another band member, Jerry Douglas: “It’s funny that’s your name because my name is Jerry Douglas with one ‘r.’”

It was never clear whether they knew he was joking because they proceeded to call him “Jerry” the rest of the night. But the very best part was when we decided to walk partway back to hotel because the Rideshare line was too long. There we were walking down a pretty dark street in street in St. Augustine when a car zoomed by with a woman hanging out the window yelling, “JERRY!!!”

What a delightful time we had! I climbed into bed laughing about “Jerry,” and savoring hearing such fabulous live music. Making sweet memories is so good for your soul. As Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything, including a time to laugh.

The picture above is of Saint Augustine and his mother Monica. I took this picture yesterday inside the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. In his Confessions, Augustine said that those who knew his mother felt God’s presence in her heart. What a lovely sentiment! We do know that she prayed fervently for her son during his years of rebellion, and we know she was full of joy to know those prayers were ultimately answered.

Anyway I’ll close this with a refrain used as part of closing out the concert last night.

In Your Love I Find Release
A Haven From My Unbelief
Take My Life And Let Me Be
A Living Prayer, My God To Thee

Take My Life And Let Me Be
A Living Prayer, My God To Thee. (written by Ron Block)

With Love,

Kristie

Hi Friends,

I’ve had a winner of a day. First, I finished reading the Old Testament for 2025 (and tomorrow I get to dive into the Book of Matthew). Second, I finished my Continuing Legal Education hours for 2025, making it possible for me to practice law (more on that another time). Third, I whittled down my stack of papers to almost nothing — no unpaid bills, all important documents neatly filed. Perhaps this level of organization is the norm for you. But it is not for me.

The truth is, I am knocking out lots of little things in preparation for my next era. Will and I have a couple of trips coming up (one short, one long) and when we get back from the second one, it will officially be the end of my new-to-empty-nesting sabbatical. And I’m ready. As much as I love walking on the beach whenever I want, or going to swim laps if the notion strikes me, I want and need more structure. Six weeks to myself has been enough. I am struck once again by how I get more done when I have more going on.

Another thing that may have contributed to my winning day mentality is not having much time to doom scroll, which I have to admit I have done a lot of in recent days. It can be so discouraging to see how hateful people can be, how willing they are to take things completely out of context, how quick they are to voice opinions without giving an issue any time or research.

Yes, since Charlie Kirk was assassinated, I have been spending too much time doom scrolling, but I have also opened my Bible each morning in books like Hosea and Jonah and Zephaniah. These books paint a picture of a loving, long-suffering God who will rejoice over us with singing if we will repent.

Then this week, I was struck by this verse in Zechariah: “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” (7:9).

In addition to praying for revival in America, I am praying that this verse would be lived out. Let us render true judgments (let us not implicitly or explicitly allow untruths to go unchallenged). Let us be kind and merciful. Let us help the widow and the fatherless. Let us act in ways that do not oppress sojourners and the poor (let our churches care for these people, not the government — this needs its own post, but government “helps” are often a means of oppression). May God’s redeeming love root out the evil that some devise against others. Isn’t it amazing how much is packed into that one little obscure, yet timely, verse?

As always, thank you for reading and abundant blessings on your weekend! And how about reading the New Testament with me these last few months of the year? You can find the daily readings (through December 6) below.

With Love,

Kristie

Friends,

Last week I wrote a post about how we need to submit to God by walking in obedience and trusting His plan and purpose. I argued that we have opportunities daily to practice through microsubmissions. These may be things like overlooking offenses, using formal manners or obeying our parents. I also said that while the idea of submission is repugnant to our culture, we should do it anyway because it is ultimately for our good.

While this is true, I regret writing it. The primary reason we should be worshipping and submitting is because HE IS GOD! It feels like I could rightly be amongst the people R.C. Sproul yelled at: “What is wrong with you people?”

I hope to never again write about how submission benefits me before I argue that it is what we owe the One True King.

Interestingly, on Sunday afternoon my husband and I listened to a Tim Keller sermon that happened to address this exact point.

Keller said, “We hate the idea of a king. We hate the idea of someone who has rights over us. We hate the idea of a king who has a yoke on us that says, ‘You belong to me. You are not your own. You must do as I say.’”

Our lives are marked by a perpetual search for belonging, even those with the most secular worldview would admit as much. Yet we will not know true belonging so long as we reject the yoke. It is this symbol that so aptly depicts our ultimate belonging, and this principle that our sinful nature so consistently and adamantly rejects.

Keller also quoted George MacDonald who said, “The central conviction in hell is ‘I am my own.'”

The truth is that you are not your own. You were bought at a price and the cost was immense. Jesus offers to put his head in the yoke with you, to love and to guide you, but you need to be yielded and trusting. How wonderful that even in the midst of this world that feels so out of control and full of hate, we can trust these gentle words of Jesus, which solve the paradox of belonging.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11: 28-30.

I am praying that revival breaks out all across our nation and the world. It is how we will know rest for our souls.

With Love,

Kristie

Hi Friends,

The term microaggression is not a favorite of mine since I believe we are called to overlook offenses (Proverbs 19:11), but the term undoubtedly planted the seed for a new one that occurred to me on Sunday.

Our sermon, based on Psalm 100, was excellent. I particularly liked the teaching on verse 3 which says, “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

My pastor said, “We are not our own.” As I was taking notes, that’s when the new term came to me: microsubmission. We should regularly acknowledge that we are not our own. We are His. We are sheep. We are His sheep. These acknowledgments are microsubmissions. We should be in church each week to worship and to acknowledge we are His. We should wake up each day, thanking the Lord for a new day, acknowledging that we are His and that He loves us with an unquenchable love.

On a different, but somewhat related note, I think we can apply the microsubmission principle to many aspects of our lives. It is useful to remind ourselves that the world is not about us. We are here to be like Jesus — to serve, not to be served. We are here to treat others well, often swallowing our own pride to do it: microsubmission. We are called to forgive others as we have been forgiven which can be a microsubmission, or it can be a daily battle only accomplished through the Holy Spirit.

Every time I visit the South, I am reminded of how much I admire good manners. It’s not just about pleasantries; it is a posture of the heart to treat others with the utmost respect. It’s a microsubmission and one I wish was more widely valued. The act of the will to use formal manners requires you to surrender a tiny little piece of your pride. What could be more worthy of practice? Plus good manners, a smile, and an ability to converse make encounters with strangers delightful. Why did we ever get away from teaching formal manners?

The parent/child relationship can be sanctifying in all sorts of ways. We understand a tiny bit about how God loves us when have a baby. We understand a little bit about how God knows better than we do. We understand a minuscule fraction of Jesus’ willingness to die for us. The sanctification can go the other way as well. Submitting to parents in obedience and in the microsubmission of using respectful manners helps a child maintain a soft heart and a godly reverence for rightful authority.

We know that in the end, every knee will bow. In my Bible reading plan I am in Ezekiel. It’s a tough book. There’s a lot of judgment, a whole lot of judgment. But the phrase “Then they will know that I am God” appears more than twenty times. If our microsubmissions are daily, even hourly, doesn’t it make sense that we have an advantage? No one can stand in front of our Holy, Perfect, Almighty God. We can live into that ultimate reality by practicing now.

As an aside, maybe you are not a Christian. Maybe the the idea of submitting to God is off-putting to you. I want you to know that the God of the Bible is so full of love that even our praise, worship and submission ultimately benefit us. The happiest people I’ve ever known are the ones who praise, worship, obey and submit the best. Yes, it may sound paradoxical, but as G.K. Chesterton said, “Paradox is indeed at the heart of Christianity, for it is precisely the paradoxical shape of its doctrines that allows it to answer deep and philosophical problems.”

The least will be greatest, the last will be first. Justice and Mercy met on the Cross. And submission is joyful freedom.

With Love,

Kristie