In peace I will lie down and sleep

It was another night of lying on the floor in the dark, my arm raised awkwardly through the cot so my daughter could hold my hand against her face, her favourite (and seemingly only) way to fall asleep. How many minutes had we been like this now? Five?…

The Bible’s guide to time travel

Time is a funny thing. It goes too fast. Then too slow. We want it to stand still and then wish it didn’t. We love losing track of it but incessantly strive to find it. There are few things more frustrating and difficult than running out of time or wasting…

Everyone needs (to be) a mother

As Mother’s Day approaches, the ACR hears from Jane Tooher on what it means to be a spiritual mother. Jane, what does it mean to be a spiritual parent, and in particular a spiritual mother? When someone becomes a parent—whether to biological,…

How to Break Up With Your Phone

Most of us admit to spending excessive time on our phones. Tony Reinke, in 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You, warns that this habit reflects what CS Lewis called the “Nothing” strategy in The Screwtape Letters—a life consumed by trivial distractions,…

New Year, New Habits?

We are creatures of habit. Our bodies thrive on routine—we get hungry at roughly the same times, we generally like routines, and we naturally form habits. This is by God’s design. Neuroscience confirms that repetition ingrains behaviours,…