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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How to Choose a New Thanksgiving Tradition for Your Family
November is here with the grey branches of maple trees reaching heavenward and once-vibrant fields of wildflowers wielding frost-burned tufts in unison. We pull the Thanksgiving decorations from the basement shelves and start thinking about instituting a new and meaningful Thanksgiving tradition for our family. It seems appropriate that this month of transition is also culturally known as the month for giving thanks. We are often most desperately in need of reminders to practice gratitude when the tides are shifting in our lives. November has always felt like a changing of the tides for me. November is the time when the kids bound from the bus wearing feathers in their…
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15 Bible Verses About Slowing Down and Enjoying Life
It’s autumn in Pennsylvania. Autumn in this part of the world means cornfields that rustle beige in the evening thermals. It means russet leaves applauding the sky and geese heading south with their human-like voices echoing overhead. Today, I’m turning to God’s Word in search of Bible verses about slowing down as I aim to embrace the season. Today, I’ll share these verses with you. Take the time to slowly read these words and respond to God’s invitation to slower, more intentional living. I also invite you to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you slow down. Bible Verses About Slowing Down…
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17 Autumn Bible Verses and Celebration Ideas
It’s a pristine October day full of color and brilliance, the scent of freshly fallen leaves wafting through the open window. I open my Bible in search of autumn Bible verses to help me celebrate the season. I invite you to soak in these words as well. Then, we’ll talk about celebrating autumn in ways that honor God. Also, be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you connect with God in replenishing ways this autumn. Autumn Bible Verses Here are God’s Words for autumn days. 17 Autumn Bible Verses to Replenish You 1. Jeremiah 5:24 ESV They do not say…
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How to Focus on Jesus Instead of Focusing on Your Problems
The seasons are changing in our part of the world. I watch from my window, where I’m lost in stacks of first-grade homework, bills, and messy reminders about the reality of my actual life. I want to focus on Jesus this morning, but I can’t clear my head in the middle of the mess. You probably know a thing or two about messes. You want to live by faith and focus on Jesus throughout your days, but the chaos of your life pulls you away. How to Focus on Jesus I want to learn to keep my eyes on Jesus, but sometimes, it doesn’t feel practical. Here’s what I’m learning:…
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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. 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 awake and when they are asleep in their beds. God wants to work in the lives of your little ones. 8 Life-Changing Prayers for Young Children 1. Pray for everyday troubles to…
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Discover These Gifts by Slowing Down in Life
I asked Caleb what he wanted to do for his third birthday, and he wanted hot dogs and marshmallows for breakfast and a trip to the sandy beach. He settled for powdered doughnuts for breakfast, but I came through on the trip to the sandy beach. Slowing down in life, for even a day, felt like its own kind of gift. The sandy beach is the name the kids have affectionately labeled a stretch of sandy shoreline along the creek behind our house. We’ve been known to catch bluegills and crayfish in the shallow part of the pool, and surrounded by wilderness, the sandy beach feels like an escape to…
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Living in the Joy of the Lord: 6 Practical Ways
It’s an overcast evening with light air hanging over the black-eyed susans that blanket the fields behind the house. I’m not thinking about living in the joy of the Lord, but I’m about to learn a lesson that will forever change my life. I’ve spent most of the day cleaning the house, dealing with a frustrating computer issue, and searching the basement boxes for size 3T sweatpants. By the time the food is on the table and the family is gathered on the deck for dinner, I’m weary. Living in the Joy of the Lord We’ve just finished our meal when it happens. Our sweet little girl winds up with…
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25 Bible Verses About Being Humble and Kind
Imagine how different the world would be if all people aimed to be humble and kind. We might not be able to change others, but we can take steps to align ourselves with God for change. Today, we’ll explore 25 Bible verses about being humble and kind. I’ll also share an inspiring story about a man who changed the world through a simple act of kindness. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional to help you grow in humility and kindness. Bible Verses About Being Humble and Kind Let’s start by looking at these Bible verses about being humble and kind. 25 Bible…
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How to Step Out in Faith When the Next Step Feels Scary
It’s late August, and the ironweed boasts deep purple blossoms among fields of green and gold. We stand at the end of the driveway with anxious hearts. Today is an opportunity to learn how to step out in faith. We all feel just a little bit scared. I honestly believed I’d be more nervous than our extroverted five-year-old when the first day of kindergarten came, but it seems she’s the one with the jitters. We review the directions to her classroom for the third time. I remind her to focus on eating her sandwich at lunchtime. We discuss important topics like hand sanitizer and hydration: the stuff moms worry about.…
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Refresh Your Soul: 15 Creative Ways
Do you long to refresh your soul but feel unsure of how to do this in practical ways? You are in the right place. Today, I invite you to join me in the woods as I step out of my everyday routines to refresh my mind and body. Then, we’ll talk about practical ways to refresh your soul, even if you don’t particularly enjoy the woods. 15 Creative Ways to Refresh Your Soul Last summer, I took our five-year-old daughter, Bekah, to the woods for her first overnight backing trip. “I don’t think most mothers take their little girls into the wilderness on backcountry camping trips,” a friend remarked. “But…
