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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3 Ways to Fall More Deeply in Love With Jesus
The old sycamore leans over the icy creekbed with shoulders washed white by the weather. Closing my eyes, I inhale the scent of the forest and pray that I might learn to embrace my moments and fall more deeply in love with Jesus in the process. For the past few years, I’ve been learning to slow down. I’ve been asking God to help me live with less grit and more grace. In the process, God is changing me. I’m also discovering that the secret to living with greater joy and deeper peace is falling more deeply in love with Jesus. What does this look like in my world with winter…
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How to Hear God’s Voice: 4 Keys
Do you want to learn to hear God’s voice and stay in step with him as you make decisions? God wants to reveal himself to us and teach us how to discern his quiet whispers. How to Hear God’s Voice Today, we’ll begin by discussing the most common ways God speaks to us. Then, we’ll explore a practical way to create space for listening to God. Let’s start with the ways God often speaks. 1. God speaks through his written Word. Most reliably, God speaks through his written Word. Has a Bible verse ever jumped off the page as if it were written just for you? Have you ever felt…
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3 Questions to Ask If You Want a Deeper Relationship With God
I sit by the sliding glass and force myself to stay for ten minutes of silence and semi-solitude. I’ve been sitting by this glass intermittently for several years now, trying to incorporate rhythms that will teach me how to have a deeper relationship with God. Most of the time, nothing spectacular happens by this window. I watch the poplar leaves wave mitten-like hands at the dawn. The slow fade of verdant wildflower fields captivates me as summer slips into the cool days of autumn. The Psalms help me lift my eyes to the work of God’s hands. This particular morning, I’m met with a surprise out the window. A grey…
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How to Grow in Faith: 5 Things You Can’t Take With You on the Journey
I sit beneath a salmon sunset and tell God I want to go deeper with him. A certain pattern of behavior comes to mind, but I dismiss it quickly. I want to learn how to grow in faith, but I’m not willing to let go of the habits holding me back. Maybe you can relate. You know how it feels to ask God what he wants you to surrender into his hands, only to butt up against a bad habit you don’t really want to release just yet. I sit with my desires as the coral-streaked sky fades to inky black night. Ultimately, when it’s time to return home and…
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Feeling Discouraged? This Is for You . . .
A vase of salmon-colored zinnias rests on the dining room table. I stare at it through tear-filled eyes, feeling discouraged by the grind of life. On one level, admitting to the discouragement feels like ingratitude. I have a life many women envy. I’m able to work part-time from home and spend most of my days caring for our three children. On a different level, this work feels like a cycle of 15 tasks that will never, ever end. I wonder if I’m making an impact on the world, and this work feels too hard, too humble. No matter where you spend your long days, you probably know about hard and…
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17 Free Devotional Books to Help You Grow With God
Are you ready to develop a deeper, life-giving relationship with God? My vision is to provide tools to help you encounter him. For this reason, I have compiled a list of free devotional books to help you draw close to God’s heart. The first four books on this list are free as eBooks with the Kindle Unlimited plan (you can sign up for a free three-month trial if you do not have the plan) and also available to purchase in print. The remainder of the list is available to download for free with just one click. No plan is required. I pray these books help you connect with the tender…
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A Surprising Reason You Might Feel Spiritually Stagnant
Winter wind washes the outside world with white, and the fields once so luxuriant with farmers’ crops are pale with sleep. I remember the sun-splashed fields of goldenrod as I read beside the window. Like this sleeping world, something inside me feels spiritually stagnant today. I want to be vibrant and faith-filled, but we’ve shifted into a season of simply trying to put one foot in front of the other with each passing day. Awakening Our Spiritually Stagnant Souls I’m reading Dr. Robert Mullholland’s book, Invitation to a Journey, as I sit by the window. He makes a point that catches my attention: Some of us feel spiritually stagnant because we…
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God, Lead Me in the Right Direction: 9 Prayers for Guidance
I recently drove ten minutes to the North Country Trail for an hour of hiking beneath the naked arms of the hardwoods. As I walked, I considered my life, my daily rhythms, and the state of my soul. “God, lead me in the right direction in my life,” I prayed. Every few months, I slip away to talk to God about the direction of my life. Mostly, I want the assurance that I’m walking according to God’s plans. Perhaps you need this space, too. Today, we’ll talk about how to find God’s direction and the importance of seeking his guidance. God, Lead Me in the Right Direction We all need…
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5 Prayers for God’s Guidance in Uncertain Times
Snow falls like a quiet kind of awakening, and when I listen closely, I can hear the heavy flakes gathering. I stand among the beech leaves as they cling to finger-like branches, waving at the dusk like these chilling grey days are not only expected but welcomed. As I listen to the leaves rustle, I begin praying prayers for God’s guidance into the next season. I invite you to join me as I sort through my thoughts in the woods. Afterward, I’ll share five prayers for God’s guidance. 5 Prayers for God’s Guidance On this dusky evening, snow falling like anything but grace from the ever-grey sky, I’m here in…
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How to Be Thankful to God Even When Life Is Hard
It’s a quiet Wednesday evening, and I return home with a truckload of groceries to find an empty house. I have no idea that the evening is about to be a lesson on how to be thankful to God even when life is challenging. After stowing the food in the cupboards, I slip to the deck and discover my family playing in the backyard. They are laughing, wrestling, and chasing the beagles across the wilted wildflower fields. Standing on the deck unnoticed feels like a rare invitation to step back and truly see the big picture of my life from afar. I’m sure other moms can relate: Somehow, the kids…
