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Overcoming the Spirit of Failure and Trusting God
A placid lake shines silver beneath the sinking sun. As we sit along the water, a friend tells me I should share my writing with the world. I want to take her advice, but overcoming the spirit of failure feels daunting. I’ve been writing all my life, but this time feels different. It feels less like aimless wandering and more like a calling. Sometimes it’s hard to know the difference. Sometimes you just want God to write your next step in the clouds or dampen a sweatshirt on dry ground at dawn. You wish he’d tell you exactly what to do and when to do it. I tell my friend…
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4 Insights to Help You Keep Trusting God When It Hurts
A pale, yellow aspen leaf flutters from above. The shape of a teardrop, it swirls on some unseen current and lands at my feet. Picking it up, I’m reminded of the One who counts our teardrops and stores them in a bottle. It’s not easy to keep trusting God when it hurts. Circumstances have been difficult here throughout the past months. Hopes and dreams have crashed and burned, and at times, it felt crushing. Trusting God When It Hurts Most of us have tasted the bitter flavor of broken dreams. Whether you were asking God to lead you into a relationship, give you a child, or bring a long-awaited vision…
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When God Calls You to Step Out: A Review of Fearing Bravely
I invite you to journey back in time with me. We’ll talk about stepping out of our comfort zones, and then I’ll offer insight into a book called Fearing Bravely, which will challenge you to step out, too! When God Calls You to Step Out: A Review of Fearing Bravely It’s past midnight in Tijuana, Mexico. I lie awake on the hard mattress of my cot and listen to the sound of teen girls snoring and tossing in their equally uncomfortable bunks. I’m here as a youth leader with dozens of teens from our church, and we’re serving the people of this city with open hearts and willing hands. Sometimes,…
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When Trusting God With Your Future Doesn’t Come Easily
We threw out the old calendar—the one with the tattered edges and scratched-out plans—and we burned it to ash last week. We watched the flames lick it up like they were happy to say goodbye to the year and all it held. As I watched the tangerine flames dance in the wind, I considered the secret for really trusting God with your future—whether you’re coming out of the best season of your life or the worst. As I reflected on our past season, I gained courage. I also thought about the many times in Scripture when God’s people told stories about his past faithfulness. Maybe we should follow their lead.…
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How to Grow Closer to God: 9 Practical Suggestions
I walked down the road for the sheer joy of stepping into the ivory firmament and breathing deeply today. Maybe I needed a fresh lesson on how to grow closer to God. I’d been feeling distant and disconnected from him, and I hoped that time outside might help me reconnect with him. I was still within eyeshot of the house when something caught my eye. Surrounded by sleepy beige earth, a single sprig of yellow-crowned goldenrod danced in the afternoon breeze. Bending low, I stopped to admire the tiny ray of hope in the middle of the desolate, almost-winter world. There is always beauty woven into barrenness. Somehow, that tiny,…
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What Is God’s Will for My Life? (10 Absolutes)
An oak leaf falls to its final resting place on pale grass—russet and scaled with age. I consider the sights it saw from its perch high above and imagine its six short months were filled with wonder. I’m in the woods tonight to pray about God’s will for my life. I’m not trying to discern an impacting career change or a move across the country. I simply want to create space to assess the rhythms of my days and make sure I’m still in step with my Guide. Twenty years ago, I sat in this same span of forest and asked similar questions about God’s will for my life. I…
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Overcoming Hindrances to Spiritual Growth: 11 Obstacles
I sit beneath a salmon sunset and tell God I want to go deeper with him. A certain pattern of behavior comes to mind, but I dismiss it quickly. I want to grow in my faith, but I’m not willing to let go of the habits holding me back. Most of us face times when we need help overcoming hindrances to spiritual growth. Maybe you can relate. You know how it feels to ask God what he wants you to surrender into his hands, only to butt up against a bad habit you don’t really want to release just yet. I sit with my desires as the coral-streaked sky fades…
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10 Bible Verses About Fitting in: And a Perspective Shift
A few years ago, I stepped about a million miles out of my comfort zone and attended a conference for women who feel called to write and speak. The weekend was filled with informational seminars, discussion groups, and motivational speakers. I was anxious about the weekend for plenty of reasons, and one of my deepest concerns was a quiet voice that whispered, “What if I don’t fit in?” Today, we’ll explore 10 Bible verses about fitting in. Then, we’ll return to my weekend at the conference as I share the lessons I learned about feeling left out and insecure. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for…
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On Hearing God’s Voice: One Thing God Will Never Say to You
There are hundreds of black flies rising from still water when I hear it. It’s a quiet whisper coming from someplace I can’t quite identify: “You’re not good enough for this.” For a split second, I wonder if I’m hearing God’s voice. I’ve heard this voice dozens of times: When I had that big dream that felt way beyond my reach. When I walked into the middle school cafeteria and couldn’t find a single friend. The day I was asked to stand on a podium and share my heart with an audience. When the superintendent told me I had one week to budget, purchase, curriculum-map, and design an entire classroom…
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When God Closes a Door, Ask Yourself This Question
I sit with a friend and admire the daylilies as they bow low beneath the afternoon sun. I’ve just told her about a recent disappointment, and my heart is heavy. I thought God was leading one way, but the door slammed shut in my face. When God closes a door, it can be hard to know where to turn next. I’m pondering my situation when my friend asks a hard question: “Is there a chance you’re trying to turn stones into bread?” She then shares what she’s been learning about turning stones into bread: Before Jesus began his public ministry, the Holy Spirit called him into the wilderness. Here, Satan…
