Half a day with my youngest daughter, and we didn't argue once. The last time that happened, she was in high school. Five years ago. I'd love to tell you what changed in her. Nothing changed in her.

Somewhere across twenty-two years I stopped seeing my daughter and started seeing a file — every closed door, every conversation that went sideways, all of it consulted before she opened her mouth. I called it acceptance. It was closer to giving up.

When Jesus was asked for the greatest commandment, He didn't give one. He gave two and said the second mattered just as much. I don't think that's two assignments. I think the second is what happens when the first one actually reaches us.

Today’s devotion is about the file you've been keeping on someone and what it costs to set it down.

What was God feeling the moment you were baptized? Not watching from a distance, not tallying your failures — but genuinely, deeply moved. Before Jesus preached a single sermon or performed a single miracle, the Father's voice broke through the heavens with delight. If you've ever quietly wondered whether God merely tolerates you rather than celebrates you, today's devotion will challenge everything you assumed about where you stand with Him.

Parents are funny. They laugh and smile at you knowing all the answers while you struggle to figure it all out. They scold you for seemingly no reason and can be frustrating to no end. Yet, outside of your spouse, significant other, or your own children, there is no greater love you will ever find. My Dad has been gone for a while now, but I remember on how he embodies so much of who a good man is. He is how I got to know my other Father. How? Check it out …

We all have to play various roles. I play a role at home as a husband and father. Some roles I fulfill better than others. There is one, Jesus Christ, who fills all the role well, but why was He even necessary? This week’s devotion covers these topics.