You know her. Maybe you are her. The woman who feels like she must always be “on.” The one who is always performing. She walks into every room relentlessly hard on herself, always attempting to deliver an A+ performance, because she believes this is the bare minimum standard she has to achieve just to be invited to most tables.
From energy and injury to surviving middle school, moms are asking questions. They want to know about training, role models, overcoming fear, dealing with ADD, how to talk to their teenagers and how to get them to have a conversation. Moms want to know if they have permission to take care of themselves, how to not act shocked, and how to experience God’s grace and joy in being a boy mom.
The fruit of the Spirit isn’t just something we display. It’s the way God loves us! Every Christian cherishes the famous passage in Galatians 5:22–23 that lists the fruit of the Spirit. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. And self-control. These are the marks of godly character that we strive to display. But has it ever occurred to you that these are also the characteristics of God? Can it be that God loves us with the fruit of the Spirit? And only when we are secure in that love can we display it to others?
Growing up as a Chinese American daughter of a mail-order bride and a busboy working in San Francisco Chinatown, Bonnie Gray had never truly felt beautiful or beloved. She had built her life to look pleasant and ordinary, with a wonderful husband, two amazing boys, and a thriving career. But despite these blessings, she still felt the tugging emptiness of a missing piece.
Is it just me? Am I the only one who’s lonely? Am I the only one without friends? If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnston, founders of the widely popular “Sister, I Am with You,” are raising their hands to say, “Yeah, us too.” And they want to encourage, equip, and reassure you that you have what it takes to build the kind of friendships you want.