Sex and its pleasures may not be absolutely essential in a marriage, but we inevitably lose part of the pointer of Christ and his church when sexual intimacy is absent.

The process of writing — putting thoughts into words and sentences and paragraphs — clarifies our thinking in ways that dialogue simply cannot.

Seasons of doubt may afflict our minds and shake our hearts, but they need not take our joy. Beneath the waves of doubt, joy’s deep waters can still remain calm.