My Favorite Posts of 2016

Yesterday I gave y’all a list of my ten most popular blog posts of 2016. I hope there were some thoughts in there that you benefited from. Today I spent some time going back through all of the things that I wrote this year so that I could bring you my very favorite posts of the year. You won’t be surprised to learn that many of these are a little more personal in nature–let’s just say that I spent quite a bit of time wiping tears away as I read through the adventures of the past year.

In that way, the desire to write is such a gift. I’m so glad that I have this space to chronicle God’s working in my life, and I’m happy to have people like you who encourage me to keep going. If I don’t say it enough, thank you.

These posts are listed in no particular order. I hope you enjoy them.

1. The Power of the Cross This post explores the idea of how the glorious cross seems even sweeter when you watch your kids come to know Christ.
2. Someday, But Not Yet The story of a little old lady who approached me at WalMart to tell me she doesn’t like me, and what she taught me about appreciating this phase of life.
3. Peaks and Valleys An important lesson that I had to learn about faith: it’s impossible to live life on the mountaintop.
4. You Need Your Church Sometimes this pastor’s wife has a tough time getting “spiritual” on Sundays. Sunday is one of our busiest, most chaotic, craziest days of the week. But, one Sunday I realized that on my least spiritual days, I need the church more than ever.
5. Peaceful Living in a Loud World This post was a call to peace in the middle of a tumultuous year.
6. Old Letters When looking back reminds you how much harder things used to be. This is a testimony of how far Chad and I have come as married people.
7. To “Lose” a Baby In all these years of blogging, I’ve only written two posts about my three miscarriages. This one is about one night this year when I was surprised to realize how deeply I still feel the heartache of those days.
8. You Only Live Once: A Search for Happiness  This post offers up a personal theory: the YOLO mantra was inspired by a sense of despair. Hear me out.
9. The Last Time  Get the tissues ready. The night I realized that I was probably rocking Emerald for the last time.
10. Sacrificing at the Altar of Love One Another Hard truths for our times.