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Why You Don’t Have to Fear Being an Outsider
It’s a brisk Thursday morning, and as the alarm clock sounds, I consider backing out of the commitment I made last week. I told a friend I’d join her at a new group for moms. Today, I want nothing more than to stay in my sweatpants all day and avoid the awkward feeling of being an outsider. As I lie motionless in bed, I pause to be brutally honest with myself. I decide I’m done wearing a mask, fitting into a mold, and attempting to straighten my curly hair—all to avoid being an outsider in a world of insiders. C.S. Lewis on Being an Outsider Most of us learn about…
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Easter Encouragement: Let God Lift Your Head
We go to the woods on a cool spring morning. The first bulbs are climbing through the earth to speak secrets known only to those who live long through dark winters. We’ve known dark winters here. We’ve wept over broken ground and shattered dreams, and we need a dose of Easter encouragement this year. As our children search earthen hollows for plastic Easter eggs, I think of the empty tomb. I think of the mystery of healing from brokenness and the miracle of life from death. Easter Encouragement As we search for the eggs, I remember Jesus’ words from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what…
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25 Morning Bible Verses to Start Your Day
I sit on the deck as the ironweed bows its royal head in the late-summer breeze. Opening my Bible, I soak in God’s Word as I begin the new day. Scripture renews our minds. For this reason, there is no better way to start the day than by soaking in morning Bible verses for the new day. Morning Bible Verses for a Fresh Start These words remind me to keep watching and listening for God’s hand in every corner of my life. I pray these words will challenge you to slow down and let God speak into your quiet places, busy places, and all the places in between. He is…
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10 Biblical Affirmations for Kids of All Ages
Not long ago, our family shared a moment that reminded me of the importance of speaking biblical affirmations over our kids. Join us in the backyard, and we’ll talk about teaching our kids to stand on their identities in Christ. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for three devotional books to affirm your children’s identities in Christ. Biblical Affirmations for Your Kids I wasn’t thinking about developing our daughter’s identity in Christ when it happened. It was a balmy August evening, and rays of sinking sun shone white on the lawn as we finished dinner on the deck. My husband Darrell offered to take the kids…
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Hope for Your Hidden Pain and Unspoken Struggles
Our kids looked adorable together, and someone said something about taking a photo. It was after the comment about how they’ll look nice together at prom someday that his eyes filled with embarrassed tears. He buried his face in his mom’s hip and wiped them away on the hem of her shirt. The moment got me thinking about our hidden pain in life. I understood the little guy’s struggle. I hid my tears throughout most of my childhood too. No one ever made fun of me for crying. I simply thought I needed to appear strong. All the time. The Truth About Hidden Pain We all have struggles and weaknesses.…
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18 Bible Verses About Heaven and Eternal Life
While perusing the local library with a friend, she suddenly grabbed my arm and tearfully asked, “Am I going to heaven? I’m so scared that I won’t make it in.” She’d recently lost a loved one and had been thinking about heaven. In response to her question, we found a Bible on the shelf, moved to a table, and studied God’s Word for Bible verses about heaven and eternal life. By the time we left the library that day, she had confidence that she would spend eternity with God in heaven. You might have these same questions. Or maybe you lost a loved one and have been wondering what happens…
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8 Prayers for Young Children: Make an Eternal Impact
Author Toni Morrison once asked the question, “When your child walks in the room, does your face light up?” Along with showing our kids we love them, we support them spiritually by praying for them. Today, we’ll explore eight prayers for young children. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a library of devotional books for kids as well as free devotionals and eBooks to help you grow closer to God. Prayers for Young Children Our prayers impact the spiritual realm. Praying for our kids can radically change the trajectory of their lives. I invite you to pray these prayers over your kids when they are…
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Why Is It Important to Know Your Identity in Christ?
I recently went to lunch with a friend who asked me a life-changing question. We were talking about finding our worth in God when she looked into my eyes and asked, “Why is it important to know your identity in Christ?” She then shared that she didn’t truly know what it meant to find her identity in Jesus. I told her about a difficult time in my life when God taught me how to find my identity in him. (You can read about it here.) Then, we discussed why it’s important to find our identities in Christ. Why Is It Important to Know Your Identity in Christ? Ultimately, knowing who…
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10 Empowering Bible Verses About Identity in Christ
Our daughter, Bekah, asks for a mother-daughter date, and I take her to the lake on a cloudless afternoon. I’ve been feeling less than in pretty much every area of my life lately, and I slip my Bible into our bag with hopes for a few quiet moments to soak in some Bible verses about identity in Christ. Perhaps you need this, too. Maybe you’ve been feeling wounded by the world, and you need God to remind you of your unchanging identity in Christ. Today, I invite you to join us at the lake. I’ll share my heartwarming conversation with Bekah, and then we will dig into 10 empowering Bible…
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Feeling Left Out? This Is for You . . .
I open the refrigerator in search of milk, but the sticker on the door catches my eye. It reads, “Star Student Award.” The white paper is creased and is very well-loved. The little girl who earned this sticker was feeling left out until the day the teacher handed her the sticker. She wore it for two days. The day she earned the sticker, she bounced off the school bus in the blazing heat with a fleece jacket over her shirt. She said she wanted to surprise me. She ripped the coat wide open to unveil the prize she’d been longing for all year: the principal’s star student award. My sweet…
