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How to Have More Motherhood Joy in Challenging Seasons
A quiet undercurrent has been calling me into its flow throughout the past season. It’s a gentle voice that whispers, “Let these struggles of motherhood soften you. Lean into the transformation. In doing so, you will cultivate a deeper sense of motherhood joy.” Cultivating Motherhood Joy It is a gentle call to let these uncertain times chisel my rough edges, to learn to be a woman with less grit and more grace. Granted, throughout most of my life, my grit has served me well. My grit is my tenacity, my determination, my commitment to stay the course on the most rugged trails—my eyes fixed on the horizon, zeal goading me…
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Finding Your Calling From God: A Surprising Truth You Need to Know
Does the idea of finding your calling from God feel too subjective or difficult? I spent years trying to perfectly discern God’s calling for my life. Meanwhile, I missed the most obvious part of his calling. I invite you to join me as I coax our youngest child to sleep, and we’ll talk about finding God’s calling. Finding Your Calling From God The dusky light of summer’s slow fade into autumn makes its way through partially drawn curtains, and I read until the darkness is too thick to see the words. Setting aside the book, I gaze at the tiny boy in my arms. He seems to encompass most of…
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How to Be a Woman of Influence and Inspiration
I remember the way the sun beams slanted through the maples the afternoon I told my mom I was running away from home. I’m sure I was no older than eight or nine, and Mom calmly looked at me and asked just where I planned to go. “To Grandma’s house!” I told her. I imagined myself traipsing down the road toward that little green house that always offered solace, joy, and a safe place to sit in the presence of a godly woman of influence. Thirty years later, our family mourns as we celebrate Grandma’s life and legacy. Grandma went to be with the Lord last week, and it’s hard…
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Why Your Daily Purpose is Far From Ordinary
I’m excited to introduce you to my friend Emily Saxe for this special guest post. While I don’t regularly share posts from guest contributors, Emily and I are women with the same vision for reaching the world through the words God puts on our hearts. I had the joy of talking about life and writing with Emily on the phone a few weeks ago, and it’s an honor to share her words with you today. ~~~ I read the words on the delicate page in front of me. My mind pictures the scene, transporting me from my kitchen table to an olive garden where the sun still wakes. I see…
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How God Uses Brokenness in Your Life to Touch Others
The sun rises salmon over a row of spindly pines, and I stare out the window with an ache in my abdomen. We’ve walked through our fair share of challenges throughout the past months, and I feel a little too weak – a little too broken – to do anything other than sit in this silence and ponder it all. I’m thinking about how God uses brokenness to shape us to the image of Christ when a message appears on my phone. A new friend who lives on the other side of town wants to get together for coffee. She tells me she doesn’t know much about God and that…
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10 Bible Verses About Passion and Purpose in Life
I sit along the trickling creek as ribbons of fading daylight twirl through a canopy of maples. I’m here to talk to God about my life, and I’ve brought my Bible in search of Bible verses about passion and purpose. I need these reminders as I aim to keep up with the pace of our days. The house is filled with the noise of children. Our days are spent splashing in this creek and riding bikes along the winding path. We are surrounded by blessings. These days with the kids also offer very little downtime. If I’m not preparing a meal for someone, I’m cleaning up or scooping food into…
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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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Bible Verses About Regret (and 3 Ways to Let Go)
I sit beside the window in the morning light as birdsong tangles in the poplar tree’s outstretched branches. This morning, my heart is heavy. Pulling out my Bible, I begin listing words that bring comfort: Bible verses about regret and remorse. Perhaps you need these words today as well. We all face times when we look back with regret and wish we could begin again. Today, we’ll look at a list of Bible verses about regret. Then, I’ll share three practical ways to let go of our regrets and move forward. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you move…
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3 Questions to Help You Find Your Calling in Life
Have you been trying to find your calling in life and coming up empty? You’re in the right place. Let’s jump right in and talk about how to find our God-given callings. How to Find Your Calling in Life I remember where I was the moment I decided I wanted to be a teacher. It was my junior year of high school, and I was sitting on a grassy hill watching mist ascend over viridescent fields. It was my favorite season of the year, the season that seemed to awaken every part of me, track and field season. Sitting on the wet earth, I searched my life for the places…
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5 Meaningful Conversation Starters to Foster Hospitality
Do you want to be the kind of person with whom others feel safe sharing their hearts? If so, it can be helpful to have a handful of meaningful conversation starters ready and waiting! I’ve been mentoring younger women for many years. Some of these women open up easily, and I don’t have to use my memorized conversation starters. At other times, these five categories for starting conversations are invaluable. I pray they bless you today, too. 5 Categories of Meaningful Conversation Starters The following five categories for asking deeper questions are etched in my mind, and when I meet to talk with a new friend or to directly mentor…
