Make space in your schedule and your life for an Advent guide like this one or another one you choose and invite a few friends, your family, your Life Group, or coworkers to join you. May God remind you of his love and bring you fresh ways to experience him.

I always wanted to be a good Christian, a good parent, and a good wife. Those three things were very important to me. I truly did desire to walk with him, but I thought that you had to do everything by yourself. So my walk was like a yo-yo, constantly up and down. Be strong, put on a happy face, act like everything is fine and mask anything that isn’t; living a life of religion has all these rules of do’s and don’ts.

There is a psalm that begins, “I waited patiently for the Lord, he inclined to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1). What follows is a celebration of God’s goodness after a season in a “desolate pit” and “muddy clay.” It’s a psalm that David Sheets has come to understand deeply.

As part of our In His Image series this fall, we sat down with Mike and Victoria, who shared their story of discovering gender roles in their home and work. God has changed their views over the years leading them to a place of flourishing and serving.