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Yep, I’m going there. There’s no sense in pretending the subject does not exist, so buckle up. I recently came across a website that INFURIATED me. In fact, that is probably a serious understatement. Since my life’s passion is single moms, I am always researching single parent topics. I happened upon an article regarding sex and singles. I would not dare give you the name of the site, because I will not give them the satisfaction of multiple hits. But here is what the meat of the article said, loosely translated, “My name is Sally. I am single. I have been for some time. I am also a Christian. I have been for some time. And I am sexually active. I have been for some time. God created sex. Sex is good. And since no normal human being would be able to abstain fo...

It was when I confessed what I had done–and what I do–that I began to know Jesus for the first time. Growing up learning about him was one thing. Seeing his face? Hearing his voice? Feeling the Spirit’s heat burning from my insides? Confessing to Jesus what I was loving more than him–in this case, my pride–led me to experiencing God rather than looking at him from a distance. Confession was letting God create space in my heart so I could experience Jesus living in me. When we stuff down our sin, refuse to confess our sin to God, we say yes to pride. We say yes to our desire for independence and self-sufficiency. We say yes to everything our culture tells us is perfectly good, an example of strength and success: work hard;&nbs...

A friend reminds me how gratitude is an act of defiance–wielding a sword against the struggles of this world. She searches for beauty, knowing she will find it if she searches for it with God’s heart, eyes focused on Him. And then another friend, one who lives across the waters from me, speaks how gratitude is what pulls us out from a posture of survival and to one of joy. It is where we see Jesus’ face. I need to remember these things. Yet it is difficult for me to see what He sees–and be grateful for it–when I cling to insecurities and fears. Below are words I wrote a few years ago. They are ones I needed to read again today. I am eager to hear how you are this day, and how He is reaching for you, too. How a friend’s simple observation leads to healing and truth “You have to co...

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 59:16 NIV Wrestling with time and grappling fearEnduring the world’s grievous paradigmYet peace be a conqueror when Jesus is near Days spin like whirlpools drowning drearIndispensable tasks an insurmountable climbWrestling with time and grappling fear Alluring illusions of control appearClose your eyes to hear Heaven’s song chimeAnd peace be a conqueror when Jesus is near Like a great waterfall shed many a tearEach day holds no reason or rhymeAs you wrestle time and grapple fear Holy promises offered oh so sincereHope blossoms as florets in springtimePeace be a conqueror because Jesus is near Prayer brings hope from the heavenly sphereMajesty of our ...

“One, two, three! Blow!” Her little lips pursed as she blew with all her might. The small hand grasped the slender green stem. The sweet air from her breath brushed my cheek.  We watched in delight as the dandelion fluff caught the wind and slowly sailed away. Some pieces flew up into the blue sky, seeming to wave goodbye to the earth below. Some tiny seeds jumped only a few feet and reconnected with the green grass.  “That was so fun, Mommy. Let’s do it again. This time,  you make a wish.” I smiled at my tow-headed girl. A mini-me, her love for flowers and nature not falling far from this tree. We laughed and wished for dreams small and large as we continued our stroll through the park. That day, wishes were made of dandelion fluff. Fast f...

1. Have fun with your kids. Get crazy. Relax. Giggle. Dance. Sing karaoke.  Enjoy time together. If you are such a rigid, unyielding, disciplinarian, your kids probably hate to see you coming! Enjoy your kiddos. 2. Mean what you say. Don’t be fickle. Kids crave stability. Give it to them. If they know you can be easily manipulated into changing your mind, they will definitely pursue it! 3. Have expectations for your children. Even toddlers can put away toys. Teens can clean their rooms, vacuum, take out the trash, etc. Chores are only part of your expectations. Line out what you expect from them in their academics. Push them to achieve their very best — whatever that may be. Challenge them. Stretch them. 4. Hug them. This is such an easy one when we hav...

1. Have fun with your kids. Get crazy. Relax. Giggle. Dance. Sing karaoke.  Enjoy time together. If you are such a rigid, unyielding, disciplinarian, your kids probably hate to see you coming! Enjoy your kiddos. 2. Mean what you say. Don’t be fickle. Kids crave stability. Give it to them. If they know you can be easily manipulated into changing your mind, they will definitely pursue it! 3. Have expectations for your children. Even toddlers can put away toys. Teens can clean their rooms, vacuum, take out the trash, etc. Chores are only part of your expectations. Line out what you expect from them in their academics. Push them to achieve their very best — whatever that may be. Challenge them. Stretch them. 4. Hug them. This is such an easy one when we hav...

There are days when words are hard to find. We search for them in books, where they huddle together, mute and coy, asking us what we want of them this day. When we struggle to gather them up, recalcitrant circus performers unwilling to perform tricks, put on a show, we take a peek around the less obvious places, the tender places that still hurt from rough exchanges with people, or ourselves. What is it we are feeling, thinking now, we wonder? And how do we articulate it? And why do we want to? There is so much effort, isn’t there, in saying this is what I think, this is what I feel. We wonder if the words we pull from those deep places within us are true, if they can be trusted. Is what I am saying accurate? What story am I telling? What is the line between fiction and nonf...

www.courtnayerichard.com I don’t know about you, but I LOVE the story of Mary and Martha (especially as we live in such a busy culture today). It grounds me, because it helps me to see the heart of God. He is all about relationship. And what a great example than to show us how important spending quality time is with the Lord through this vivid and relatable passage of Scripture (see Luke 10:38-42). Mary and Martha were so excited to spend time with Jesus, but one was more engulfed with the work over the visit. So, instead of sitting at Jesus’ feet to receive a word from Him, cooking and cleaning took a higher priority with Martha. No doubt, I believe she definitely wanted to spend precious time with Him, but doing things for Him took more precedence.  And that’s what we have...

Even before the pandemic kept us sheltering in place, I could forget that any regular, normal day, was not so ordinary. All night I rested, slept long and hard and awoke. To this day. To this moment. A miracle. I awake too many days taking for granted the moment of right now. We have so many descriptions of time. We talk about how it marches or it flies. We describe how it drags or runs away. We want to seize time. We want to rustle it; be the boss of it. We watch it. We regret it. We chase it. We rebel against it. I want to mark time as holy, as sacred. I want to worry less about what I do with my time and enjoy more the moments, one by one, I get to live with God. Holy Spirit, come. Show me how you are in this moment. Right now. With me. It can take stopping, pausing, recognizing ou...

I’ve been thinking a lot about Psalm 91 lately.  Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with his feathers,  and under his wings you will find refuge;  his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night,  nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,  but it will not come near you. Psalm 91:3-7 NIV At this moment, as I write this, I have friends who are quarantining for covid-19-like symptoms. Friends of friends who have been hospitalized. Friends of friends of friends who have died. I suspect that by the time this...