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.
-
Whatever Is True: Change Your Focus and Change Your Life
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8, NIV The geese are flying south again. I watch them from the yard with a grateful heart. Lilac clouds are stacked like strips of wet wool over a sinking sun, and crickets croon like they’re crying out for love. It all feels like a reminder of the importance of focusing on what is true and good in life. As I savor God’s gifts, something in me shifts. I’m pulled out of the rhythms of productivity and hurry and…
-
16 Practical Ways to Keep Your Heart on Fire for God
We gathered around the campfire as fireflies illuminated the hoary breath of dusk. As I watched the flames dance, I thought about my walk of faith and felt a deep desire to fan the flame of my passion for God. I want to be a woman who is on fire for God, and when I feel the flame dwindling, I come back to today’s list of practices. On Fire for God Let’s get right to the heart of the matter today. I pray these practices will help you fan the flame, too. 16 Ways to Stay on Fire for God 1. Stay on fire for God by seeking him for…
-
3 Concrete Ways to Help Your Children Grow Spiritually
The pewter light of dawn spills through the curtain, and I gather our three children in the living room for morning devotions. I have great ambitions to help these little ones grow in their faith. Sadly, our devotional time often feels like a failure. Like me, you might want to help your children grow spiritually. However, teaching our little ones to walk with God can be challenging. Most mornings, I have to break up at least two arguments about who is going to sit in the recliner. The youngest two children often end up rolling around on the floor making animal noises. I generally cannot get through more than 30…
-
Showing God’s Love When People Interrupt Your Plans
Imagine you’ve reached the end of an especially grueling day. Your to-do list was long, the needs surrounding you were never-ending, and you’re exhausted. You want nothing more than a hot meal and a soft bed. The last thing you want is a lesson on showing God’s love it doesn’t come easily. You pull into your driveway expecting a quiet house; instead, you discover a relative visiting with her children. They are on their way home from vacation and are hoping to share a meal and spend the night. Regardless of how much you love your family, embracing the unexpected visit probably feels challenging. Showing God’s Love When You’re Weary The…
-
8 Back to School Prayers for Parents
The wiry branches of our poplar tree nod in the breeze, and I brace myself for the coming change. These leaves will soon begin to wither beneath the late-summer heat. At the same time, our family will shift into new rhythms as another school year greets us. As I watch the poplar prepare for autumn, I pull out my list of back to school prayers for parents. I wrote these prayers a few years ago, and every year, I use these prayers to pray our kids into the new school year. Back to School Prayers for Parents May these prayers richly bless your family today and in the months to…
-
How to De-Stress, Rest With God, and Cultivate Whimsy
Not long ago, our family went to the cabin because we needed space to rest with God. We needed to break away from household projects and craved downtime for sitting beside smoldering campfires and soaking in the afternoon sunshine along the reservoir. My right shoulder blade had been twitching for days—a sign that I’d been pushing too hard, running on fumes, and succumbing to worry and anxiety. The Importance of Resting With God After 48 hours spent climbing muddy mountain roads, dipping nets in swampy bogs in pursuit of red-spotted newts, eating sandwiches beneath open skies, and bathing in mountain spring water, I noticed a shift in my body. The…
-
Spiritual Renewal: 5 Fresh Ways to Connect With God
A rumble of thunder pulled us from sleep, and we spent the morning in stillness while God washed the world with warm, summer rain. The thin pages of his Word rustled in the breeze while the rain crackled like fire licking up dry grass. Something about a slow morning felt like an invitation to encounter God for spiritual renewal. Summer tends to be a full season for our family. The kids are home from school. Days fly by quickly. My time with the Lord is often short and almost always interrupted. Maybe you can relate. Perhaps you want to connect with God, but you’re pulled in so many directions that…
-
How to be Grateful in Hard Times and Challenging Situations
We’re a half-mile from the truck when the sky opens wide and soaks us with silver beads the size of marbles. Hair matted beneath their bike helmets, the oldest two look at me with shining eyes and declare it the best bike ride of their lives. And to think, I hadn’t seen it that way whatsoever. My kids never fail to teach me how to be grateful in hard times and challenging moments. Obviously, getting stuck in a summer rain shower isn’t the kind of situation that turns a life upside down. There are far worse circumstances. However, our afternoon at the bike path was a gentle reminder for me.…
-
When Enjoying Motherhood Doesn’t Come Easily
Morning dawns with humidity hanging thick and heavy like a rain-soaked curtain. I’m tired after thunderstorms kept the youngest awake in the night, and I don’t want to face this day. These are the days when enjoying motherhood doesn’t come easily. I arise from bed, and in the first moments of the day, nothing goes smoothly. Children argue over who gets to pick the TV show, complain about my choice of cereal, and grumble about why the milk tastes funny. I don’t dare tell them that we ran out, and I pulled the emergency rations of dehydrated milk from the tin in the cupboard. Lord, help us all. It’s not…
-
How to Bear Fruit When You Feel Worn and Weary
We set a vase of wildflowers on the table last week, and they felt like tangible beacons of joy. I gazed at them while I made the morning coffee and prayed about how to bear fruit amid these energetic summer days—days with all three children home and many needs surrounding me. After the coffee was brewed, I read the following words: “And seeing in the distance a fig tree covered with leaves, He went to see if He could find any fruit on it. But when He came up to it, He found nothing but leaves, for the fig season had not yet come” (Mark 11:13, AMP). I’ve always been…