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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Why Is Motherhood So Hard? (Encouragement for Weary Moms)
The dim glow of daylight rises over the tree line, and I stare at the light as it ascends mandarin over the shadows. “Why is motherhood so hard?” I whisper. The thousands of quiet struggles of motherhood have worn me thin lately. This morning, I make up my mind not to complain. I will give thanks instead. Nevertheless, I’m still tired. Why Is Motherhood So Hard? There are fleeting moments when I remember life before children: The way my boss affirmed my efforts at work; the way my friends cheered me on for following my dreams; and the public accolades of my teaching career. It seemed people were quick to…
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When Silence and Solitude Don’t Come Easily
A strong west wind rips across the yard, and the last of the lavender aster petals are finally swept away. I sit by the window, searching for silence and solitude, and the churning of this autumn cold front mirrors the chaos in my mind. I am an introvert, and I find silence and solitude refreshing most of the time; however, this doesn’t mean quieting my soul always comes easily. When Silence and Solitude Are Difficult I am also a do-er, a list-maker, and, sadly, a perfectionist. I used to think perfectionism was a trait to be admired, but time and experience are teaching me that the pursuit of perfection generally…
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5 Gifts We Find in God’s Presence
The fields behind the house had just turned beige when life suddenly changed. I stared out the window and prayed that God’s presence would bring me comfort through the long months ahead. I knew I had just stepped into a new realm of needing help from God just to get through each hour. The day I stepped into my third nine-month struggle with hyperemesis gravidarum was both beautiful and terrifying. This medical diagnosis is the term used for a severe and debilitating illness that goes along with pregnancy and generally warrants at least partial bed rest and even hospitalization. The first day of illness was beautiful because, for me, a…
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A Simple Perspective-Shift for Overcoming Irritability
It might have been the long walk through winter’s dark days that had me grumbling. Or maybe it was the fact that our household hadn’t been healthy for four months, a certain child wouldn’t obey a single imperative from his mother, or the waterline kept freezing. I needed some kind of help with overcoming irritability, and it seemed I was nearing the end of my rope. I’d been barking orders all day, and by the time evening fell, I couldn’t have been happier when they all marched over to the neighbors’ house, leaving me with silent surroundings for just an hour. I turned on the evening news and shoveled heaping…
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Transform Your Mind by Overcoming These Toxic Mindsets
There are monarchs on the milkweed, and the sun sinks fiery white above the overgrown weed fields behind the house. “They’re not weeds,” five-year-old Caleb contends, “They’re flowers.” I smile at his words. Maybe he knows the hidden secret about how to really transform your mind when the weeds creep in. “I guess it depends on what you want to call them,” I tell the little guy. “One person’s weeds are another person’s flowers.” We walk to the spot where the fields border the yard – where the monarchs stretch their marmalade wings on the sticky milkweed leaves – and I clip a bouquet for the dining room table. A…
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Rewire Your Brain and Get Unstuck in Your Life
The black walnuts falling to the pavement have been crushed on ashen gravel. There are coffee-hued streaks across the limestone, and as I walk through the minefield, the coming winter feels just a little bit like a death of its own. Just how do you rewire your brain when your future feels bleak? I cringe at the thought of long evenings inside the house, whiteouts rolling in from the west with winds that literally blow our hats across the yard, and evening walks down this same country road with toes numb from the cold. How to Rewire Your Brain I’m mulling it over – dreading it and trying to conceive…
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Drowning in Life? This is for You
I feel like I’m drowning in life the day we take the kids to my parents’ pool for a reprieve. Life has been full, and my to-do list threatens to suffocate me. Caring for the needs of three young children, juggling my writing work, maintaining friendships, investing in our marriage, and making time for self-care is nothing short of exhausting. Perhaps you can relate. Maybe the demands of your days feel crushing, and you feel like you’re drowning in life, too. Today, I invite you to join me at my parents’ swimming pool, and we’ll have an honest conversation about what to do when we feel like we might just…
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How to Overcome Toxic Thoughts With God’s Help
A dandelion releases her ashen fuzz to the sky, and I stand at the window to watch. The window is strong and clear, but a year ago, it was fractured into a dozen tiny lines. I’m not proud of the moment I shattered the window with my bare hand. Nevertheless, the incident eventually helped me learn how to overcome toxic thoughts with God’s help. Maybe it’s taken a year for me to write about this because I was ashamed I had it in me. Maybe you’ve been here, too. Perhaps you’ve yelled just a little too forcefully at your kids, lashed out a little too ferociously at that guy who…
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8 Reassuring Bible Verses About Patience
Most of us are waiting for something. We’re waiting for dreams to come to life, prodigals to return home, and babies to sleep through the night. Some of us are waiting for God to heal our bodies or the bodies of our loved ones. Waiting on God is never easy. Let’s dig into some reassuring Bible verses about patience together today. Bible Verses About Patience The Bible has a lot to say about waiting on God and being patient. 1. Romans 12:12, ESV Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. We all face troubled times in life. Meanwhile, God calls us to press through these times…
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How to Stop Being Moody and Irritable: 4 Practical Insights
We put the trip to camp on the calendar and crossed off the white boxes with eager expectation. Winter felt like it might never end, and we all needed something to look forward to. I was desperate for some space to step back and assess how to stop being moody. Wild places help me find my roots like nowhere else in the world, and I couldn’t wait to get to the woods. At last, the weekend arrived. We packed the bags, loaded the kids, and headed north. Saturday dawned grey and soggy. As the day wore on, it became clear it was going to rain all day. We played board…