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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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…
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15 Bible Verses About Joy in the Lord
Not long ago, our family went to the cabin because we needed space to rest with God. We craved downtime for sitting beside smoldering campfires and soaking in the afternoon sunshine along the reservoir. Because my joy was lacking, I needed to open God’s Word and soak in replenishing Bible verses about joy in the Lord. 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. Today, I’ll share 15 Bible verses about joy in the Lord. Then, we’ll talk about practical ways to cultivate joy in our daily lives. I also invite you to…
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Spiritual Renewal: 14 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. Spiritual renewal is the process of revitalizing our inner selves, allowing God to transform our minds so that our desires align with his desires. It includes a fresh awakening to the work of God in our lives as we become more aware of what he is doing around us. Perhaps you…
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How to Be Grateful to God in Tough Times
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 to God in hard times and challenging moments. How to Be Grateful to God When You Don’t Feel It Obviously, getting stuck in a summer rain shower isn’t the kind of situation that turns a life upside down. There are far worse…
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7 Prayers to Be a Good Mother (Prayers for Hard Days)
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. These are the days when all my prayers to be a good mother seem like they might not come to fruition. 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,…
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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…
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15 Bible Verses About Living Life to the Fullest
I’ve been watching the poplar leaves grow on the tree in the backyard this spring. Their tiny faces glanced at me through the finger-smeared glass the day I turned the calendar to May. As I opened my Bible in search of Bible verses about living life to the fullest, the leaves offered a reminder as well. I reflected on the weeks spent watching them emerge and change. I remembered noticing the first tiny buds. Every day, they grew a bit more, and I didn’t miss it when the tiny leaves finally grew wide and offered shade on a sunny afternoon. Watching the summer canopy grow was a gentle reminder of…
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How to Declutter Your Mind With God’s Help: 8 Steps
Sometimes, it’s hard to know where to begin when it comes to sorting through our mental chaos. Today, we’ll explore some practical ways to declutter your mind and find peace and clarity. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free eBook to help you set aside time for resting with God daily. First, I invite you to join me in a place where I regularly sort through my thoughts: the forested valley behind our home. How to Declutter Your Mind With God’s Help Last night I took a walk beneath a canopy of beech trees as patches of fog hovered over the creek beside me. …
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7 Encouraging Bible Verses About Starting Over
A towering hemlock casts a sleepy shadow on bare earth, and a pine squirrel gnaws on a walnut from its unseen perch overhead. I am in the woods with a stack of books and a journal—intent on seeking God and as I ask him how to begin again after a setback in my life. Opening my Bible, I begin listing the words of Truth, composing a list of Bible verses about starting over. Bible Verses About Starting Over Here are the Scriptures I find. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God as you begin again.…
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20 Mother Daughter Prayers for a Closer Relationship
I recently went for a long walk with our teenage daughter and was inspired to be more intentional about praying with her and for her. Today, I’m sharing the mother daughter prayers that are helping me lift her before God’s throne more consistently. If you’re looking for prayers to pray over your mother-daughter relationship, I invite you to slowly talk to God as you pray the following prayers. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook for every woman. 20 Mother Daughter Prayers for a Closer Relationship Regardless of whether you plan to pray together or pray over each other from a distance,…
