Worship Round the World: An Update

It seems like a very long time ago that Tim Keesee and I announced a new project called Worship Round the World. In fact, in some ways, it was a very long time ago since it happened before any of us had ever heard of COVID and before any of us imagined that world travel could one day just slam shut. It happened before my family experienced our great loss and before the other Tim was diagnosed with cancer. Back …

A Family, Personal, and Travel Update

I have just returned from a long journey that took me to a number of countries in Asia and the Pacific. I will share more on that momentarily but first, for those who are interested, I’ve got some updates on a couple of other matters. Nick Challies Memorial Scholarship You may remember that after Nick’s death we established a scholarship in his name at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary—a means of honoring his legacy while also furthering his desire to …

Become a Patron

Would You Consider Becoming a Patron?

I have been blogging at Challies.com on a daily basis for over 19 years now. That long commitment has allowed me to write thousands of articles and hundreds of book reviews while also sending millions of visitors to other sites through the daily A La Carte feature. Of course I’ve also written a number of books, though through it all the blog has remained the “main thing.” Much of the blog’s content is now also translated into Spanish, French, and a number …

Now Available: Seasons of Sorrow

Today is the day: Seasons of Sorrow is now officially available. If you pre-ordered a copy, you should already have it or it should already be on its way. If you didn’t pre-order a copy, then you can order it right now and it will be shipped immediately. (Also, listen to the song inspired by it.) Buy it at Amazon, Westminster Books, CBD, etc. Seasons of Sorrow is an honest look at grief and fears, faith and hope. Combining personal narrative, sound theology, …

About Today’s Seasons of Sorrow Launch Event

This morning I will be hosting a launch event for my new book Seasons of Sorrow. It will be taking place immediately prior to the Getty Music Sing! Conference at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. For those who plan to attend, or who still wish to attend, here’s the information you’ll need: I will be joined by Alistair Begg, Bob Lepine, and the band CityAlight (who will, in turn, be joined by Sandra McCracken). I will …

Seasons of Sorrow: A Special Pre-Order Offer

I recently announced my forthcoming book Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God. In the weeks and months that followed the death of my son Nick, I wrote a series of meditations, some of which I shared through this blog, but many of which I did not. As that first year drew to a close and I came to the first anniversary, I wrote one final meditation, then sent it all to my publisher in …

A Mid-Summer Family Update

It is a holiday weekend here in Canada—a strange holiday that goes by various names across the different provinces and even across different cities within the provinces. I know the first Monday in August as the Civic Holiday, but in Toronto proper it’s known as Simcoe Day while in B.C. as British Columbia Day and in Alberta as Heritage Day. As far as I know, Quebec doesn’t observe it at all. Strange, that. Either way, the majority of people in …

Who You Most Truly Are — A Wedding Speech for Abby and Nathan

Yesterday we celebrated Abby and Nathan’s wedding—the first of a whole new generation for the Challies side of the family (though certainly not the last since Abby is one of 16 children/nieces/nephews). The day was every bit as beautiful as we had hoped. I’ll try to share a few pictures in the near future, but in the meantime thought I’d share the speech Aileen and I delivered together. Tim: This is a day of great joy. It’s a day of …

Laying Ambushes — A Family Update on a Special Weekend

Like so many Canadian boys of his era, Nick went through a pretty significant Nerf Gun phase when he was 8 or 10 years old. Between several birthdays and Christmases he built up quite an arsenal and, for a time, most of his play would in some way involve these guns. There was one game he especially enjoyed. When he found out that guests were on their way over, he would hide outside and watch for their approach. When they …

A Family Easter Update

Easter weekend is always a special time in Canada, not least because both Good Friday and Easter are public holidays. Whether you celebrate Jesus, Passover, the Easter Bunny, or nothing at all, you get two days away from the hustle and bustle of normal life. In an era in which governments seem intent on tearing out the religious roots of our nations, I do wonder how long these distinctly Christian holidays will remain. But for now, at least, they are …