I have been reading this amazing book for a couple of weeks written by Pastor Timothy Keller (who is one of my all-time favorites). Like Billy Graham, “I thank God for him.” This book is titled The Prodigal God , and as you have rightly guessed, it is about the infamous parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:1- 3, 11-31. Sit with me while I share a few things that I’ve been learning with you (I'm not finished with the book yet). Two groups of people always came to listen to J

Warning: vulnerable post ahead. I’m writing today from a very real place in my heart. If you know me, you know this is something I’ve wrestled with for a long time, probably the past 15 years. Nutrition. Weight. Cancer. These aren’t just topics I’m casually interested in…they’re deeply personal. Part of why I’m writing this is for you, because maybe something I share will resonate. But honestly, part of it is for me too. Writing is how I sort through the swirl in my head and

“My son is not dead. My son is sleeping,” she said convincingly. “Son, wake up,” she pleaded, cradling his limp, bloody body to her chest. Everyone could see that Promise was gone...except for Mama Promise. In reality, she could see, but her heart was denying what her eyes were seeing. This happened earlier this week, in the city where I live--- Jos of Plateau State, NIGERIA. On Palm Sunday , the beginning of perhaps the most important remembrance week in all of human histor

This past weekend, I went away on a little writing retreat with a dear, old friend who now lives in Charleston. It was exactly what my soul didn't know it needed. We talked. We ate delicious Thai food. We exercised. We drank good coffee. We slept in. We perused Target. We wrote. Mostly, we exhaled. We sat in our own quiet writing spaces, side by side, and just… breathed again. We ended up talking a lot about pace. About how, between motherhood, writing projects, work, family

This past Sunday, I celebrated my twenty-fifth birthday amongst family, friends, and laughter. It was my best birthday in years because of all the wonderful messages I received from well-wishers, not to mention the fun we had ( karaoke in a private lounge with the girls)! Before the day came, I had determined to journal a list of the things that I was most grateful for each day leading up to my birthday. I decided I wanted to share that with you here because I believe gratitu

Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be sitting at my computer right now, writing about a topic I have zero experience in: marriage . So, what got me thinking about the topic of marriage? You may be wondering... I recently bumped into a friend in the ever-bustling Terminus main market in Jos, Nigeria. “ Gemma, this is my boyfriend ,” she said, gesturing to the handsome young man who had thoughtfully stepped aside to allow us to greet each other more intimately. W

There are some things people do to you that don’t fade with time. You can move forward, carry on with life, smile again… and still you carry the memory of what happened. Forgiveness is one of those beautiful words that sounds simple… until you actually have to live it... I’m not exactly sure why I’m writing this today. But here I am anyway — fingers on the keyboard, determined to write from my heart, not from what feels polished or “right.” We all know what it's like to be hu

Hello Sis, how you doing? You doing good? Not so good? I wish we could sit down together and talk through the questions I'm asking you, face-to-face. But a brief, reflective pause for us to search how we actually are in the middle of our busy days, I suppose that's also valuable. Perhaps, like me, you’re... exhausted . However you are feeling in this brief, quiet, pause-of-a-moment, let me say a prayer over you. Actually, it's a prayer for both of us. That is what the Lord l

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” The story of Jesus healing the ten lepers, recorded in Luke 17:11–19, is a timeless reminder of the power and importance of gratitude. Set “along the border between Samaria and Galilee,” the scene unfolds in a region filled with tension—a place avoided by many Jews, populated by Samaritans, lepers, and other marginalized groups. Yet this is exactly where Jesus chose to reveal His compassion. Ten men, outcast and destitute, lifted t

Your friend recently landed a new life-changing contract that you both have been praying she would get for ages. You are extremely happy, seeing all her years of hard work pay off in the most amazing way! Your heart is swelling with pride — she deserves this! Your congratulations are loud and nonstop. You are genuinely happy for her newest blessing and glad to witness it. But yet, beneath all that genuine happiness, there’s a tugging in your heart — a soft sigh. You do not en

I turned 38 on Monday, and while I still haven’t figured out how to fold a fitted sheet or how to get the last of the ketchup to come out of the bottle without theatrics, I’ve learned a few things along the way. Some lessons came through joy and tenderness, others through bumps and scrapes, and a few through burnt sourdough loaves. So, in the spirit of celebrating another trip around the sun (and maybe because writing lists feels therapeutic in my 30s), here are 38 little les

Hey there, sister. Are you tired? I am. Even as I sit down to write in this little corner of the internet that’s so dear to me, I can...

We are moving. This little homestead in rural North Carolina was a dilapidated mess when we first bought it a little over three years...

Passover week, this Holy Week, I've been thinking about Jesus' last supper with His followers. They had all come to Jerusalem to...

I have been thinking a lot this Christmas season about rest. We, as a society, need rest. People are tired. Not in the sense of needing a...

*A Note From Catherine: This blog post was written by our beloved Nigerian daughter, Gemma! Elizabeth Sunday, who we lovingly refer to as...

We aren't sure we can do it exactly the way we want to do it, or the way we think it "should be" done, so we don't even try. We don't...

I haven't written a post from my heart in a long time. It has, truthfully, just felt like too much emotional work to try and find...

I deeply long to live to a life that is marked by a "walk of faith." I don't want to have all the answers before deciding to do something...

I'm so glad you're here. Let's dive right in. The 3 questions that have been starring me down in recent months... Will you trust me? Will...