Best 13 Posts of 2013

Some of these posts got a lot of hits. Others didn't. These are simply my favorites:

On Family ...
Feb 9 - raising world changers - introducing your kids to heroes
June 3 - the memory we (almost) missed - embracing adventure
Sept 15 - rite of passage - Emma plans to run away from home

On Faith ...
Feb 21 - The Waiting Place - on the gifts found while waiting
Mar 13 - volunteering for the pink slip - extreme generosity
July 1 - shedding our (theological) skin - reconciling academic learning with faith
July 17 - note to self - reflections on being His
Aug 13 - something worth having - the value of hard work 
Sept 21 - divine appointment - the wonder of God's creativity
Oct 3 - saying grace - finding grace when we are weary
Nov 13 - eschatology when it matters most - the value of knowing that God wins
Nov 20 - silver linings - on the blessings that come in hard times
Dec 5 - naming the gifts - on the gifts wrapped in suffering

If a common thread connects these posts, it is that Jesus walks with us through every season of the soul. He meets us in our time of need and whispers his grace, if we have ears to hear. Difficult journeys yield breathtaking views. Difficult projects yield greater rewards. And underneath the muck and mess of life, his goodness is the bedrock on which we can build.

Thanks for journeying with me in 2013. It has not been an easy year, but I have encountered the sweetness of God's presence in life's most bitter moments. May our eyes be open in 2014 to the riches of his great love for us!