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15 Back to School Bible Verses for the New Year
Daylight met us softly this morning, tenderly folding its arms around us, maternally. It seemed fitting as the kids waved goodbye and headed to school. When they left, I opened my Bible in search of some anchoring back to school Bible verses to help our children navigate the challenges this time of year brings. 15 Back to School Bible Verses It is a time of transition. Most parts of the transition are positive, but the adjustment is rarely seamless. When the waves of life threaten to shake us, we need an anchor. Here are the verses I found to anchor our kids as they settle into the new school year.…
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Grow Closer to God: 15 Practical Ways to Deepen Your Relationship With Him
Shortly after daybreak, I step outside and let the warm summer rain wash over me. Being in nature always feels like an invitation to grow closer to God. The water streams down my brow in tiny rivulets, and I amble down the muddy road. The cacophony of water falling on the canopy overhead drowns out every other noise. The songbirds, insects, and tree frogs are all silent. Most likely, they are hidden away in their forest homes—hunkered down and waiting for the sun to emerge. I think of my family back at the cabin. They’re probably playing board games and eating pancakes. Like the animals, they’re waiting out the deluge.…
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I Have Called You By Name: Let This Change Your Life Forever
“But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1, ESV). We’re sitting in the fading light of a late-summer evening when Aiden, our youngest son, runs to me and nuzzles his cheek against mine. As if he just can’t get enough, he plops onto my lap, wraps both arms around my waist, and buries his face in my T-shirt. “I’m glad you’re my mom,” he declares. “And I’m so glad you’re my son,” I answer. From the deck, his older brother notices us,…
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11 Ways to Get Closer to God This Year
Not long ago, as I hustled from one task to the next, I slipped on the wet floor and fell with a thud. I had no way of knowing that the moment was about to be a lesson on how to get closer to God. As I grabbed my knee and writhed in pain, I suddenly felt two tiny arms holding me. Five-year-old Aiden had witnessed the scene from the living room and rushed to my side to comfort me. My heart melted. My little boy did more than merely call out to ask if I was okay. He didn’t come to my side and stand beside me looking concerned. …
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A Free 2025 New Year Devotional to Help You Connect With God
Do you want to start 2025 by renewing your commitment to spend time with God? Today, I have a free 2025 New Year devotional for you. Mornings With Jesus will help you connect with Jesus every morning for the next 31 days! I originally wrote this devotional several years ago, but I have updated it once again. If you are looking for a devotional to help you start the new year with God, this is a powerful tool to lead you into his presence. Why I Wrote This 2025 New Year Devotional I spent years reading my Bible and practicing a morning devotional routine without regularly encountering God in the…
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10 Life-Giving Bible Verses About Light and Truth
As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the coming of the Light of the World, I’ve been soaking in Bible verses about light and truth. I invite you to join me as I watch the morning dawn, and we’ll savor these Truths together. 10 Life-Giving Bible Verses About Light and Truth This morning the sky greeted us with a color I’d never named. Like a tree-ripened peach, it smiled down from above—ready to offer the gift of its entire self. Thunder groaned a foreboding warning to the south, and I pulled the blanket over my head, resistant to surrender to the light. Meanwhile, I’ve learned that the light finds me…
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On Sale Now: Our New Mother-Daughter Devotional for Teen Girls!
Today is the day! Bekah and I are thrilled to share our new mother-daughter devotional for teen girls. Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for sale in paperback and as a Kindle eBook today. You can even download it for free on the Kindle Unlimited plan right here. Here is what you’ll find inside the book. A Glimpse Inside Our Devotional for Teen Girls As most moms know, connecting with our teen daughters can be complicated. We want to help our girls work through setbacks, grow in confidence, and connect with God. Meanwhile, finding the space to have tough conversations isn’t easy. This…
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Join the Book Launch Team for Our New Mother-Daughter Devotional Book!
Bekah and I have an exciting announcement today! In a few weeks, we will release our second mother-daughter devotional book, and we’re currently gathering our launch team of supporters. Our new book is called Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls. We’d love your support as we send this book into the world. Two years ago, we published a mother-daughter devotional for younger girls called Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith. We’ve received amazing and positive feedback from moms and daughters who have grown closer together and closer to God through this book. Now that Bekah is a…
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10 Ways to Connect With God When He Seems Distant
Most mornings, I gaze at our bird feeder as I sit by the window to connect with God. Today, we awoke to an empty birdfeeder—scant sunflower seeds, black as coal, scattered beneath their plexiglass home. I watched as goldfinches and house sparrows searched the bottom of the feeder for seeds. They all flitted off disappointed, determined to search for sustenance elsewhere. As I considered the disheartened birds, I read the prophet Jeremiah’s words about God’s people: “They have abandoned (rejected) Me, The fountain of living water, And they have carved out their own cisterns, Broken cisterns That cannot hold water” (Jeremiah 2:13, AMP). The empty feeder and the ancient words…
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A Life-Changing Book for Your Women’s Small Group
Are you searching for a book for your women’s small group? I have wonderful news. You can download my new book, Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free, for free on Kindle Unlimited. If you’re not familiar with Kindle Unlimited, I’ll explain how the program works shortly. First, let me tell you about this book. Most of us have been taught that willpower is the key to transformation; however, we’re frustrated because self-effort has failed us in many realms of our lives. We wonder why we can’t find victory over fear, worry, insecurity, and shame. We feel stuck in destructive habits like…
