Category: joy

• Feast or Famine… Or Fast?

  I’m afraid most of us tend to feel deprived when we fast, abandoned when we go through “famine,” and guilty when we feast (or rest). Why is that?

  Christie Cole Atkins

  September 26, 2026

  joy, spiritual disciplines, suffering

  celebration, closeness with God, drawing near to God, faith, knowing God, sacrifice, salvation, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, suffering

• Worth The Trip

  Recently my 11-year-old son and I went to the Nashville Symphony. It was a wonderful night! There was one moment though when I almost ruined the whole evening.

  Christie Cole Atkins

  August 15, 2026

  complaining, joy, parenting

  complaining, family bonding, frustration, Jesus Christ, joy, parenting, patience, sacrifice, stress, teaching by example

• When Good Things Come To An End

  They say that all good things must come to an end. Though we look forward to some things coming to an end, when it’s something we enjoy, endings can be hard.

  Christie Cole Atkins

  May 23, 2026

  death, joy

  change, Christian ministry, death, friendship, God's love, graduation, Jesus Christ, relationships, sadness, saying goodbye, transition

• Intellectual Versus Emotional Faith

  I think for most of us, our Christian life is a mix of thought and feeling, of the intellectual mingled with the emotional. But for anyone who is very much one or the other, think about what you’re missing.

  Christie Cole Atkins

  April 18, 2026

  Bible study, joy

  Bible study, humility, Jesus Christ, joy, knowledge, love, prayer, the first and great commandment, the Shema, worship

• In A World Half-Full Of Negative People

  I’ve always thought of myself as a positive person. But in recent years, as my kids have gotten old enough to sometimes share their honest opinion about me, I’ve had to face the fact that, though I may feel like an optimist, that’s not really the way I’m perceived by my family, the ones who…

  Christie Cole Atkins

  October 22, 2022

  joy, patience