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The Light of the World: 7 Truths to Shine Light into Our Hearts
“Who wants to go on an adventure?” I ask the kids as we drive through farm country on a frigid Saturday afternoon. As the darkness of impending winter presses tighter, we could all use the reminder that the Light of the world has come. Two hours later, we bundle in mittens, heavy winter coats, stocking caps, and heavy boots. Perspiration beads on my forehead as I slide the final mitten over the little one’s fingers. Managing to pile out the door on the cusp of darkness, we climb into the truck and head for the Christmas light show at the local animal safari park. The questions pour from the backseat…
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God Cares About You: 10 Bible Verses to Stand on in Tough Times
Yesterday, I spent what felt like wasted time trying to find a metaphor for the blue sky that opened wide all around us when we traveled to Wyoming. I even searched for a fitting simile online. Sadly, comparisons to robins’ eggs and soldiers’ uniforms didn’t capture what happened in my heart when the clouds opened wide, Elk Mountain smiled down on us with snowy slopes, and the cold springtime wind sent us hustling to find our jackets. This morning, I opened Luci Shaw’s book of poetry, and today’s poem caught my breath. It was called “God speaks in blue.” God Cares About You Luci offered every metaphor I could have…
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How to Find Rest in God Amid the Chaos of Your Life
Welcome to our last Friday devotional post from the book Girl to Girl! My 12-year-old daughter Bekah and I are excited to share another post adapted from the book today. We wrote the book with a vision for moms and daughters to read each devotion together, but we invite you to join us even if you aren’t a mother or daughter. If your head is spinning as a result of Christmas preparation today, this is your invitation to slow down for a few short moments and find rest in God. How to Find Rest in God As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you. Isaiah 66:14 Mom’s…
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How Does God See Me?
Have you ever asked yourself, “How does God see me?” Your ideas about the way God sees you will radically impact your ability to connect with him in a close, loving relationship. Let’s explore this idea together today. How Does God See Me? We inch closer to the creek beneath the silver arms of the sycamores. Expectantly, we walk to the bend where the water pools in shades of ethereal emerald, and my little boy wiggles with excitement. He holds a stale piece of bread. We’re going to feed it to the minnows today, and sweet Aiden is beside himself with excitement. He squeals in delight as he throws a…
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Is God Mad at Me?
Smoky wisps of fog wrap their fingers through the goldenrod as I sit by the window in prayer. I’ve been distracted lately, and my thoughts have been far from God. A familiar question runs through my mind: Is God mad at me for neglecting my relationship with him? Summer days are full in these parts. I rarely find a quiet moment in this house filled with life and activity. Life has me stretched thin, and by the end of most days, I’m running on fumes. I imagine you know all about the rhythm of the ragged. Maybe you’ve felt guilty for neglecting your relationship with God, but you’re not sure…
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God Loves You Even When You Don’t Feel Worthy
A few years ago, an epic parenting failure left me feeling like the worst mom in the world. I imagine you’ve had a few of your own failures—moments when it was hard to believe that God loves you in the middle of your messiest moments. The evening of my failure, the sun was sinking low. It was time to clean up the house and relax for a few minutes before going to bed. I’d put away the toys three times throughout the day, and I told five-year-old Bekah it was her turn. I was ready to crash onto the couch and clock out for the day. On cue, our sweet…
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A Fresh Take on How to Love God With All Your Heart
Morning opens her mouth with a foggy breath, and the earth cups the grey mist in its lowest places. I sit by the window and get lost in the glory of it all. I begin most days in this spot, and as I lean into the mist this morning, my mind is full. Maybe you can relate. You want to love God with all your heart, but you tend to forget all about him as your mental clutter pulls you away. As I sit in the silence, I’m thinking about writing projects, the weekly dinner menu, the grocery list, my son’s spelling test, and when I’m going to find time…
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Two Ways to Fall More Deeply in Love With Jesus
The old sycamore leans over the icy creekbed with shoulders washed white by the weather. A pine squirrel watches us from a crook in the sycamore’s gnarled elbow, and I stop to get lost in the moment. Closing my eyes, I inhale the scent of the forest in winter and pray a quiet prayer that I might learn to embrace my moments and fall more deeply in love with Jesus in the process. The past few years, I’ve been on a journey to slow down. I’ve been asking God to help me live with less grit and more grace. (You can read about this journey right here.) And in the…
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Has God Forgotten Me?
A single oak leaf glides on the breath of dawn like it’s in no particular hurry to meet its final resting place on the icy earth. I watch from the window and reflect on the events of the past day. We’ve been walking through some long months here, and a painful question lingers in my mind: Has God forgotten me? I long for the gentle reminder that God is still at work in the areas where I’ve been waiting on him for years. Most of us know how it feels to wonder if the Lord has forgotten us. Whether we’re trudging through dark valleys of life-shattering losses or walking through…
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Why Jesus Is My Hope—Even in My Disappointment
As the season changes here, I’ve been intermittently looking back and looking ahead. I’m reminding myself of one truth: Jesus is my hope for the future, and he is my hope in the face of my deepest disappointments. I don’t know what your past season looked like. Maybe you put everything you had into your career, and there’s still no fruit to be seen. Maybe you lost the job you loved. You might have had goals for your finances, your waistline, your marriage, or your ministry. Maybe some of these areas are worse off now than they were when you had all that hope. Even worse, you might have achieved…