Purposeful Living
Creative ideas for enjoying your family in all seasons of the year, including spending time in nature, creative ways to celebrate holidays, and ways to teach your children the art of hospitality.
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10 Prayers for Beginning a Meeting With Godly Focus
Before we take a closer look at today’s prayers for beginning a meeting, I invite you to join me as I prepare to release a new book. In just over a month, I will release a new book for teens. It’s called Anchored: A Teen Devotional for Understanding the Old Testament and Applying It to Your Life. My vision is to teach teens the key narratives from the Old Testament while helping them see that all of Scripture is relevant to our everyday lives. These devotions delve into everything from anxiety to sexuality, all drawn from the truth of God’s Word. I’m building a launch team right now. If you’re…
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How to Surrender to God: 8 Ways
The room is silent, except for the ticking of the black clock on the wall, and I await the roaring engine of the school bus. My calling feels humble, quiet, and hidden in this season, and I’m wondering just how to surrender to God in these hard days of mothering little ones. Opening my Bible in search of encouragement, I find Jesus talking to a wealthy young man. Jesus says to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21). As I often do when I read, I imagine…
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15 Bible Verses for Studying: Anxiety, Focus, and Success
The golden glow of my desk lamp illuminated the textbook in front of me. For good measure, a hazelnut candle flickered beside me, my attempt to usher peace into the late-night study session for my most difficult college final. I was a senior, about to graduate with my teaching degree, and this exam held the power to mar my unblemished GPA. The pressure to perform well is enough to challenge even the most focused and successful student. How do we press into peace in these situations? Whether you are trying to help your first-grader study for the weekly spelling test or trying to pass the MCAT, let these Bible verses…
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Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled: Reclaiming Peace
Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful. John 14:27 The country road is wet with rain this morning. Puddles shaped like hearts reflect the pale blue of dawn’s new mercies, and I’m thankful God chose to water the earth while we slept. As I gaze out the window and inhale deeply, I feel the tension in my shoulders. Life has been full here lately. I often catch myself wishing away the days as I wait for the season to shift. This isn’t the way I want to live, praying…
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15 Bible Verses for Teachers This School Year
During my years as a teacher, I kept a framed card with a Bible verse on my desk. It read, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9, ESV). This verse encouraged me on tough days and reminded me to persevere. Today, we’ll look at 15 Bible verses for teachers. If you are a teacher, I invite you to soak in these truths. Let them remind you of why God called you to be a teacher and renew your mind. Maybe you’re not a teacher, but you want to encourage a teacher you care…
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Giving Thanks to God for Everything: Short Prayers of Gratitude
One of the sweetest and most unexpected gifts of a camping vacation is returning home. Everyday conveniences that were once taken for granted become reminders of the importance of giving thanks to God for everything. Giving Thanks to God for Everything First Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to give thanks in all situations. When the monotony of daily life drones on, we can become numb to the blessings surrounding us. After two weeks away from home, spent mostly in a tent, the comforts of home have been surprisingly amazing: Hot, running water with the turn of a knob. A full four-burner stove, including an actual oven! The ease of an electric…
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God Is With Us: How Noticing God’s Presence Changes Us
I stumble upon the words on a Montana morning, sitting beneath towering conifers as they watch over our small campsite: “For the Lord your God is living among you” (Zephaniah 3:17, NLT). God is with us. We know this. I know this. But on this morning, I receive the words differently. Maybe the scenery of a different place has awakened something within me, sharpened me. I think of the 35-hour drive across the country to reach this place. I reflect on the past four days spent in this quiet camping spot. Most of our moments were good. But there were also moments in which kids threw punches, and parents snapped…
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Living Purposefully: 7 Ways to Make a Difference
Our family recently returned from a memorable road trip from our home in western Pennsylvania to the mountains of northwestern Montana. As I reflect on our time away, one interaction reminds me of the importance of living purposefully. Today, I’ll share my experience. Then, we’ll look at seven ways to live more purposefully. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you embrace God’s purpose for you. Living Purposefully Our horses plodded in a steady procession beneath the endless western sky. As we rode through meadows of late-summer wildflowers, the scene reminded me of the years when I hiked through the…
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18 Encouraging Bible Verses for Women to Grow in Faith
As I write to you today, our daughter is nearing her sixteenth birthday. Lately, we’ve been talking about how to find God’s vision for her future and what it means to be called by God. These conversations have led me into Scripture, seeking God’s Truth about faith, strength, and calling. Today, I’m sharing a list of encouraging Bible verses for women of all ages as we aim to walk in alignment with God and grow deeper in faith. I encourage you to share these Scriptures with the women you care about and take time soaking in them for yourself. We’ll explore some of the common Scriptures addressing women, such as…
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9 Empowering Benefits of Fasting and Prayer
Fasting is one of the most overlooked spiritual practices in many contemporary Christian circles, but there are many benefits of fasting and prayer. The Bible describes different kinds of fasts for different lengths of time. Most often, fasting involves abstaining from food, but we can abstain from anything that brings comfort. We’ll look at more examples in today’s post. I’ll be the first to admit that fasting doesn’t come naturally or easily to me. Especially as someone who has struggled with unhealthy deprivation when it comes to eating, I’ve wrestled with fasting from food. Nevertheless, I haven’t given up on this discipline. I’ve also learned to fast from other comforts,…
