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I Surrender All (Sort Of): A Review With Reflections
Daybreak sings a solemn song over a cross-stitched blanket of nutmeg, ash, and ivory. The skeletal arms of the maples still hold their white cloaks, and just a thin strip of charcoal gravel delineates the arched center of the country road. I take it all in from the window as I soak in Michelle Lazurek’s new book I Surrender All (Sort Of). Michelle and I met at a conference a few years ago, and I was drawn to her sweet, sincere spirit immediately. I would have picked up Michelle’s new book even if I didn’t know her because the title feels like a summary of my walk of faith: Surrendering…
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Savoring Life: 6 Practical Ways to Add Joy to Your Life
I’m bent over an industrial meat slicer—not thinking a thing in the world about savoring life—when a phrase comes to mind: “Why do we often have to lose what we have to appreciate it?” I’m 21 years old, and I’m far from my home in Pennsylvania. I’m working in a deli in the middle of Alaska, saving money for next year’s college expenses, and hiking every time I get a free hour. I love Alaska. The view of endless mountains intrigues me. I love to watch the fireweed dance beneath the midnight sun and sit by the river that flows grey with glacial silt. This place meets my expectations and…
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How to See God’s Glory in Your Everyday
I’m honored to welcome my friend Emily to the blog today. She has some wonderful resources to share with you. I’ve already received mine, and these will bless you richly as you learn how to see God’s glory in your everyday spaces! Here’s Emily: ~~~ Tears streamed down my cheeks as my hands gripped the steering wheel. Heading home from Bible study, these tears came from a place of longing. Longing for what, you ask? These were tears I pulled from deep in the well of longing for more. My drive home meant about 40 minutes of cornfields, back roads and farms. Which meant it always provided space for thinking…
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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 Communicate Better With Your Tween Daughter
I’m excited to share a guest post with you today! A few weeks ago, I shared a photo of Bekah holding our new mother-daughter shared journal. I invited Stacey and Lexi Shannon, the mother and daughter coauthors of the journal, to share a post with you today, and I love what they came up with! Enjoy! ~~~ How to Communicate Better With Your Tween Daughter Ideas to Grow Your Mother-Daughter Relationship The tween years can be tumultuous. As our daughters are growing into young women, they are also figuring out their place in the world. They’re changing in many ways, which means we have to change the way we connect…
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God Will Make a Way: When God’s Ways Don’t Make Sense
A thin band of pale light hovers over the horizon like a breath only partially exhaled. I watch from my window like I’m waiting for the day to exert itself by letting go of the light it holds in restrained lungs. I’ve been wrestling with God lately—the kind of wrestling you do when you begin to doubt the promise that God will make a way. I open the Bible with the turquoise cover, and my eyes fall upon the words: “For the Word of the Lord is right, and all his work is done in faithfulness” (Psalm 33:4). It sure doesn’t feel like God’s faithfulness when the dream you were…
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When God Calls You to Step Out: A Review of Fearing Bravely
I invite you to journey back in time with me. We’ll talk about stepping out of our comfort zones, and then I’ll offer insight into a book called Fearing Bravely, which will challenge you to step out, too! When God Calls You to Step Out: A Review of Fearing Bravely It’s past midnight in Tijuana, Mexico. I lie awake on the hard mattress of my cot and listen to the sound of teen girls snoring and tossing in their equally uncomfortable bunks. I’m here as a youth leader with dozens of teens from our church, and we’re serving the people of this city with open hearts and willing hands. Sometimes,…
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A Devotional Book That Will Bless You: I Love You, Mom!
First light gives herself away without a hint of reservation, and I drink down the gift like I’m drinking from the fountain of life itself. We’re in the thick of what already feels like a never-ending winter, and I’m aiming to be intentional about tapping into life-giving resources. I’m slowing my rhythms to soak in golden beams of morning sunlight, splurging on flavored coffee, and digging into books that are nourishing my soul. I recently discovered a mother-daughter devotional book that’s touching my heart in surprising ways. I Love You, Mom: Cherished Word Gifts from My Heart to Yours by Blythe Daniel and her mom Helen McIntosh is filled with…
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Feeling Forgotten by God? This Is for You . . .
A single oak leaf glides on the breath of dawn like it’s in no particular hurry to meet its final resting place on the icy earth. I watch from the window and reflect on the events of the past day. We’ve been walking through some long months here, and a painful question lingers in my mind: Why am I feeling forgotten by God? I long for the gentle reminder that God is still at work in the areas where I’ve been waiting on him for years. Most of us know how it feels to wonder if the Lord has forgotten us. Whether we’re trudging through dark valleys of life-shattering losses…
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Life-Changing Scripture About Leaning on God in Tough Times
Dawn breaks beneath a bitter chill today. The sparrows don’t seem to mind. They chatter at the feeder while their Maker dabs the world with tufts of white lace. I watch from my spot by the window as I search for Scripture about leaning on God. Winter is beginning to wear on me, and we’ve only just begun. I have a feeling I’m going to need some strong words to carry me through the long months to come—months when leaning on God will be the secret for pressing forward. You might not be worn down today, but a time will come. A time will come when you need an anchor. …
