Transformation
Encouragement on how life's trials and struggles can lead to the transformation that will shape your heart to be more like Christ, bring greater joy, and usher in the fulfillment you crave.
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How to Empty Yourself and Let God Fill You
The syncopated sound of rain on a metal roof nearly lulls me to sleep on a grey afternoon. Life has been full lately, and this afternoon to rest is nothing short of a gift. Perhaps you need this gift, too—space to empty yourself and let God fill you. Empty Yourself and Let God Fill You Every few years, I reread a book called Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton. I rarely read books more than once. Yet I return to this book because I need its truths regularly. I read the book again this summer, and it reminded me of what it looks like to quiet myself…
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4 Signs That God Is Pruning You
Do you sense that God is pruning you and cutting away parts of your life that aren’t bearing fruit? Today, I invite you to join me as I stand on our front stoop, and we’ll talk about the signs that God is pruning you. Signs That God Is Pruning You Yesterday, I pruned the Rose of Sharon. It’s not the season for pruning, but the roseate blossoms were drawing bees to our front door. With flowers hanging like a garland around the door, it was just a matter of time until someone got stung. Suppressing a twinge of sadness, I snipped and shaped the unruly branches. About halfway through the…
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Keys to Spiritual Growth: 4 Ways to Develop Spiritual Maturity
Last spring, the week after we bought a new furnace, I walked into the laundry room to discover a sudsy, wet floor. The washing machine had broken, too. Of course. As I stared at the soapy water, I had no idea that God was going to use the situation to remind me of several life-changing keys to spiritual growth. Keys to Spiritual Growth As I moved boxes and began sopping up the water with beach towels, I calculated the cost of a new washing machine and thought, When it rains, it pours. Later that evening, as I lay in bed and reviewed the events of the day, I remembered the…
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How to Have More Joy in the Lord—Even When Life is Tough
We are at the creek again today—hoping to imbibe the scarce rays of golden sunlight peering at us from behind the wooded knolls. I long to live with deep roots of joy in the Lord, but the winter months are often challenging. We’re on the cusp of springtime now. Nevertheless, the winter months have worn on me. Maybe you can relate. You might not have to fight for joy in the wintertime, but perhaps you’re navigating a difficult season in your life. Today, we’ll talk about how to have more joy in the Lord when life is challenging. No matter what your challenge looks like, I pray these words offer…
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A Life-Changing Book for Your Women’s Small Group
Are you searching for a book for your women’s small group? I have wonderful news. You can download my new book, Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free, for free on Kindle Unlimited. If you’re not familiar with Kindle Unlimited, I’ll explain how the program works shortly. First, let me tell you about this book. Most of us have been taught that willpower is the key to transformation; however, we’re frustrated because self-effort has failed us in many realms of our lives. We wonder why we can’t find victory over fear, worry, insecurity, and shame. We feel stuck in destructive habits like…
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How to Be Transformed by Grace—and Why Willpower Doesn’t Work
I sit beneath the snowy hemlocks and search the forest for any hint of movement. God breathes in shades of grey today—smoky clouds rolling overhead while translucent ice encompasses the frozen world. I’ve come to the woods because I’m feeling stuck, and I need to connect with the Creator so that I might be transformed by grace. Today, I feel stuck in the grip of a habit I can’t seem to break. I feel defeated and wonder if I’ll ever find victory over this besetting sin. I’ve been mustering all the willpower I can gather; however, much to my dismay, willpower seems to be failing me. I spent the first…
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Lean Into Grace and Experience God’s Healing and Freedom
What do you do when your life lacks the healing, freedom, and joy you long for—when you feel stuck and don’t know where to turn? In these moments, God invites us to lean into grace as he works in our lives to accomplish what we cannot do in our human strength. I have exciting news to share with you today! After years of hard work, intensive editing, and much prayer, I’d like to introduce you to my new book, Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free. Here’s a quick description of what you’ll find within the pages of this raw and…
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8 Bible Verses About Change and Transition
The cobalt skies have faded to grey, and aside from a few crumpled leaves, the poplar tree beside our house has shed her summer foliage. Most of the leaves are scattered on the deck in shades of burnt sienna, and I don’t have the heart to sweep them away just yet. I’ve never been great at handling change. I pull out my Bible in search of a few encouraging Bible verses about change and transition in life. Today, I want to hold on to lingering twilight, campfires in the yard, and supper on the deck. Everything within me wants to hold onto barefoot water fights and footraces around a flourishing…
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How to Be Still and Listen to God: 7 Practical Tips
Daylight finds us with an unseasonable chill, and we close the windows and wrap ourselves in fleece blankets. Pulling out my Bible, I flip to a familiar Psalm. It reads, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). I’ve been learning how to be still and listen to God for decades and have yet to master the practice. My mind has been racing again lately, and silencing my thoughts today feels next to impossible. Instead of being critical of my racing mind, I am kind to myself today. I lean back and let the thoughts pass like clouds in a sapphire sky. Finally, after several minutes, my mind…
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How to Embrace Yourself the Way You Are: 8 Ways
Do you ever compare yourself to others and feel like you don’t measure up? Maybe you want to learn how to embrace yourself the way you are, but you don’t know where to begin. You are in the right place today. I invite you to join me in the woods, and we’ll talk about the parts of our lives that make us feel unique as we aim to embrace ourselves as we are. How to Embrace Yourself Just the Way You Are The bluebells have returned. Emerging from rocky soil as if breaking into the light took no effort at all, they hang their huddled heads—embarrassed by their brilliance. It…
