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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This Word for the Year Could Change Your Life Forever
Prickly pine needles rise from the carpeting like tiny daggers aimed at stocking feet. I should hoist the vacuum cleaner from the basement and take care of it, but this mounting pressure to pick a word for the year has me glued to the recliner like a woman with a deadline. Last year’s word came effortlessly. Had it not, I might have forsaken the idea altogether. It was a mind-boggling year. I read an article on picking a word of the year last winter, and while I’d picked a Bible verse and name of God for the New Year many times, I’d never picked just one word. Last year on…
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Keeping Christ in Christmas: 8 Practical Ways
We recently pulled out the Christmas boxes. Surrounded by a hodgepodge of fake pine, glitter, and the faint aroma of cinnamon spice, I reminded myself of the importance of keeping Christ in Christmas. It’s easy to get so caught up in holiday festivities that we overlook the reason for celebrating. Keeping Christ in Christmas If the idea of focusing on Jesus at Christmas resonates with you—and if you want less stress and deeper peace this Christmas—here are eight suggestions to help you. 8 Tips for Keeping Christ in Christmas 1. Keep Christ in Christmas by slowing down. Whether you’re shopping for gifts or decorating your home, aim to complete these…
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4 Ways to Have a Christ-Centered Christmas
December has arrived, and I’m not sure I’m ready. I’ve been staring down my to-do list and feeling anxious. I want our family to have a Christ-centered Christmas, but my to-do list is stealing my focus. Sadly, the demands of this season feel more like an invitation to stress than an invitation to worship. Advent is the season for fixing our eyes on the coming Christ, the One who came in the flesh two thousand years ago and will come again to reign forever in glory. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised there is an enemy out to distract me throughout this season of anticipation. After we cut down the…
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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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Finding God in Suffering: 5 Affirmations to Carry You
Some conversations remain imprinted on our minds in the precise location where they took place. Hard conversations with friends. Phone calls that change everything in the blink of an eye. Faith-filled conversations that shift paradigms in our minds and call us to learn how to be brave in new ways. Today, we’ll talk about finding God in suffering. I’ll share five affirmations that have carried me through the darkest days. Finding God in Suffering As last summer drew to a humid close, I remember precisely where we were walking when a close friend asked how I felt about an impending season of immense difficulty. Our family was on the brink of…
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15 Scriptures on Connecting With God When Life Is Full
God’s greatest desire is for a relationship with each of his children. He is a personal God, and he created us because he wants to commune with us. Today, we’ll explore a list of Scriptures on connecting with God as we aim to respond to his pursuit. I’ll also share a personal story, including six practical ways to connect with God when life is full. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God. Scriptures on Connecting With God Let’s see what the Bible has to say as we explore these Scriptures on connecting with God. Scriptures…
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9 Powerful Prayers for Your Inner Circle
I watch our baby boy sleep on the other side of the room while rain streams down the sliding glass door. His eyelids flutter as he dreams, and I ask God to lead me as I aim to pray powerful prayers for this little one’s life. And a vital part of every person’s calling is praying for the people who are closest to us. Today, we’ll explore nine powerful prayers for our inner circles. I’ll also encourage you to find a time of day to devote exclusively to intercessory prayers by guiding you in making a prayer list. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a…
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10 Promises of God With Bible Verses
When life is difficult, anchoring ourselves to the promises of God can help us endure. Today, we’ll explore 10 promises of God with Bible verses to encourage us. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you stand on God’s promises. 10 Promises of God With Bible Verses Let’s see what God’s Word says about his promises. 10 Promises of God With Bible Verses 1. God will give us all we need to walk in his will. When God permits challenges, we can trust that he will equip us to face them in his strength. Second Corinthians 9:8 reads, “And God…
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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 in my life. Life has been full and blessed lately. 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 a little mouth. If I’m not…
