Forgiveness Is the Hardest, Holiest Work You’ll Ever Do By Marian Jordan Ellis I used to think forgiveness was a checkbox.Something strong Christians did so they could move on with their lives.Something spiritual and tidy, like a polite nod of the soul. But then I had to forgive someone who hurt me deeply. And suddenly,...Read More

From Honeymoon to Carpool: Reflections on Life as a Bonus Mom When Justin and I got married, I came home from our honeymoon and immediately jumped into the world of carpooling, school projects, and navigating life as a bonus mom. To say it wasn’t how I imagined my life would be is an understatement. His...Read More

In an Age of Deconstruction, It is Vital We Know the Truth of the Resurrection Perhaps the most common word spoken to me each day is “why.” My kids have never taken my word for anything or let things go because I gave them an answer. Following almost every statement I make or explanation I...Read More

Four Truths I’ve Learned About Marriage on our 10th Wedding Anniversary “‘Haven’t you read,’ Jesus replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they...Read More

Rejoicing in God While Living with an Unmet Desire My phone beeped, and a text from a friend popped up on the screen. I didn’t need to read more than a few sentences to discern the pain and disappointment in her heart. She said, “Marian, I’m reaching out to you because I know you get...Read More

A Tribute to my Pastor, Dr. James DeLoach Yesterday, a man precious to my heart entered heaven. Although I pause as I write those words, “entered heaven,” because they just don’t seem fitting. I stumble over this idea because my friend, pastor, and spiritual grandfather, Jim DeLoach lived each day as if he were already...Read More

In a culture where microwaves are considered slow, movies are on demand, and a five-minute wait at a fast food restaurant requires a tremendous amount of patience, we tend to expect immediate gratification at every turn. Our world lives in the “now.” For most of us, putting off desires until the future goes against every...Read More

Five Principles for Dating Wisely I’ve been told more than once or twice that I’m a truth speaker. Girls, consider yourself warned. This Public Service Announcementgoes out to all my single ladies! So whether you are dating, engaged, or been chilling in a dating desert for the past decade or so… this post is for...Read More

This weekend marks the celebration of Father’s Day. For many women, this is a time to honor the man who played the most significant role in her formation as a woman. The fortunate ones can point to a dad who faithfully loved his family and sacrificed to do so. These dads should be honored and...Read More

I noticed a long time ago that there are heaps of books and blogs devoted to helping us navigate the troubled waters of dating, marriage, and family relationships, but no one is telling us how to steer through the rocky seas of wounded friendships. How do we handle the awkwardness that arises over a broken...Read More