The aim of this letter, instead, is hope. To pierce the darkness with a bit of light, to crack open the door that leads out of the pit. And it’s not even general hope that I’m after. I want to help you find hope in God. Will you allow me to do that, or at least to try?

Biblical counseling in a formal office is a bit like Free Willy.

Yesterday I came into our living room to find my eight year old son, who was supposed to be in time-out, counting the gifts under the tree. “Dad, how come I only have two presents and my sisters have three?”

A few weeks ago I announced my most recent book, One of Us: Christ and the People of Christmas. For those interested, below is a sample chapter of the book, which looks at the birth of Christ through the shepherd’s eyes.

Exciting news! I have a new book out: One of Us: Christ and the People of Christmas. For those of you who have read Resurrecting Beauty, this is very similar in style except the focus is Christmas rather than Easter.

I can’t think of a better metaphor for the goal of the Christian life, and therefore biblical counseling, than a tree planted by streams of water: a person in the midst of sin and suffering, rooted in the grace and truth of Jesus, flourishing.