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 Get Out of a Rut in Life: 4 Ways
I’m sitting along the creek, pondering how to get out of a rut in life, on a cloudy spring afternoon. I feel divided between life as a mother, a wife, a friend, a Bible study leader, a writer, and more. I am weary, and I’m not sure I’m doing a good job in any area of my life. Gazing at the creek, I remember the truth: Before I am a wife, a mother, a friend, or a writer, I am a child of God. I belong to Jesus, and he belongs to me, and this is what matters most in life. I chew on the words and gaze at a…
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Bible Verses About God’s Plan for Us: 15 Scriptures
Have you been thinking about how to discover your calling in life? Today, we’ll explore 15 Bible verses about God’s plan for us. We’ll also explore practical ways to discover God’s calling by embracing our current work. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you embrace God’s calling daily. Bible Verses About God’s Plan for Us Here are 15 Bible verses about God’s plan for us. 15 Bible Verses About God’s Plan for Us 1. Jeremiah 29:11 ESV For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a…
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How to Surrender to God When Life Is Hard and Your Calling Feels Hidden
A subtle clacking sound echoes from the black clock on the wall, and I stare into the ashen hues of winter outside. I sit by the window awaiting 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).…
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25 Christmas Bible Verses for Inspiration and Hope
In a season saturated with commercialism and consumerism, it’s easy to lose the meaning of Christmas. Today, we’ll explore 25 Christmas Bible verses to help us turn to Christ this month. We’ll also apply these Scriptures by discussing meaningful Christmas traditions that serve others. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free Advent devotional to encourage you this Christmas. Let’s begin by turning to God’s Word. 25 Christmas Bible Verses Here are 25 Christmas Bible verses for hope and joy this season. 25 Christmas Bible Verses to Inspire and Bring Hope 1. Isaiah 9:6 (ESV) For to us a child is born, to us a…
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5 Christ-Centered Christmas Traditions
The world is aglow in colorful lights as we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Light of the World. Sadly, it’s easy to become so engrossed in the hustle and bustle of the season that we forget why we are celebrating. Perhaps you’d like to help your family celebrate with some Christ-centered Christmas traditions this year. Let’s look at five family traditions that can help us keep Christ at the center of our Christmas celebrations this year. 5 Christ-Centered Christmas Traditions If we want to be more attuned to the wonder of the incarnation, we begin by slowing down. We stand in awe that the God of all creation…
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Encouragement for Tired Moms: 5 Ways to Add Joy to Your Life
I discovered a meatball under the china cabinet this morning. Suffice it to say, this wouldn’t be a huge deal if we’d dated meatballs in the past few days; however, we haven’t had meatballs for at least two weeks. We haven’t had meatballs for two weeks. As I scrubbed the floor, I felt compelled to offer a few words of encouragement for tired moms everywhere. Ten years ago, I spent my days teaching students with disabilities inside the walls of a respected high school. Each new day brought new challenges and changes in my schedule. During those years, my husband and I traveled overseas often. For fun, we regularly took…
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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. God is sovereign over the seasons. We can thank him for the shift into autumn…
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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:…
