At a zoo tour years ago, I stood outside an okapi’s enclosure with a zookeeper who told me this story: Okapis are sensitive creatures. They are shy and gentle animals, and they struggle particularly in situations where they are repeatedly exposed to loud noises. The Sydney zoo is fairly close to the Sydney Opera House. … More Turn Down the Noise * 10 Minute Devotional
An old Wheaton acquaintance of mine, Brett McCracken, created this great graphic. I came across it on Facebook last week and it stopped me in my tracks. You guys, yes. It seems so obvious – build everything on Scripture, learn from our local church and the great church tradition, spend time in nature, read books (actual, … More First Things First * 10 Minute Devotional
Our almost-5-year-old son is in a be-naughty-and-then-feel-terrible-about-it phase. He’s a really good kid almost always, but some days he gets this look in his eye (all parents know the one) and then he’ll disobey, and struggle to move on from the offense. “I’ll never be bad again, Mommy,” he told me a few days ago, … More He Loves Me, He Does * 10 Minute Devotional
I heard Andrew Peterson perform a few weeks ago. The guy’s profound and thoughtful, and I ended up scribbling a bunch of notes on the back of a pew envelope because I wanted to remember all his nuggets of wisdom. He spoke of a season of suffering that he railed against at first. No one … More The Shape of Things * 10 Minute Devotional
When was the last time you came to the end of yourself? You’re exhausted, spent, tapped out completely. Your well has run dry and you aren’t sure what to do next. There comes a week or two each year when I feel this way. My family and I just returned from a two week vacation … More 10 Things to Do When the Well Runs Dry
If you haven’t seen the movie Hacksaw Ridge, it’s pretty great. Lots of gore (it’s a WWII film about one of its most deadly battles), but also a really compelling story of faith. The film got me thinking about the damage a sniper can do. In war, a sniper can take out soldiers from a … More A Sniper-free Zone * 10 Minute Devotional
There are a few things in life I’m really good at doing. I can bake a mean gluten-free cupcake. I know how to tell a story. I can almost always hold the attention of a group of kids (in part because I don’t have any problems acting ridiculous…). But waiting? I am bad at waiting. Like, super bad. Terrible, … More Grace for In-Between Times * 10 Minute Devotional
Because sometimes opening up room for spiritual growth starts with t-shirts. … More The Great Closet Clean-Out (Soul Space Thursdays)
Ever feel like there’s too much stuff in your life? Things to clean, appointments to squeeze in, closets to organize, schedules to keep? Oh, I feel you. The amount of things and stuff and places to be can be utterly overwhelming. We fly through life by the seat of our pants, stopping only to pick up the dry cleaning, step … More The Opposite of Scarcity (Soul Space Thursday)
Ever feel like you have too much stuff, you’re way too busy, and your soul is just plain tired? Me too. That’s why I’m so excited to introduce Soul Space Thursdays! Beginning next week, Thursdays will feature posts about how to pare down the clutter, step off the busyness train, and create space for your soul … More Introducing Soul Space Thursdays
Courtney Ellis 