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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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15 Tips for Camping With Kids: How to Make Amazing Memories!
Last summer, our family embarked on an 11-day camping road trip. As we prepare for this summer’s similar road trip, I’ve been reflecting on last year’s journey. Today, I’m sharing tips for camping with kids as well as a few reflections from last summer’s adventure. (If you’re eager to get to the camping tips, scroll to the bottom of this post!) Tips for Camping With Kids Twenty years ago, I wouldn’t have considered an 11-day road trip across the country an epic adventure. Throughout my twenties, it was no big deal to drive from my home in Pennsylvania to the Rockies. One summer, I even made the trek twice. In…
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God’s Timing Is Perfect—Even When He Makes Us Wait
Do you need the reminder that God’s timing is perfect? Maybe you’ve been waiting for God to bring a dream to pass for years, and you’ve started to doubt whether your dream will ever come to life. Perhaps you’ve been praying for a loved one for decades, but you see no sign of God’s movement in the situation. Or maybe you’ve been praying for God to heal a friend, lead you to a spouse, or give you a child. Much to your disappointment, you’re still waiting. Today, I invite you to join me on the porch of our family’s little cabin in the woods, and we’ll talk about learning to…
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How to Keep Your Joy in the Lord: 7 Ways
Daylight met us without hesitation today—clear and blue as infinity. As I sat beside the window and prepared for another day, I felt the heaviness in my chest and realized my joy was lacking. Perhaps you can relate. You want to learn how to keep your joy in the Lord even when life feels challenging. In challenging times, it’s easy to take our eyes off God and get swept into the stress and anxiety surrounding us. How to Keep Your Joy in the Lord As I reflected on this tendency this morning, two familiar words came to mind: “Martha, Martha. . .” These two words come to mind often: When…
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7 Uplifting Prayers of Gratitude to God
Nightfall welcomes a resplendent moon, and I admire it from the window. As I watch the first stars emerge, my heart fills with thankfulness, inspiring me to draw near to my Creator with prayers of gratitude to God. Today, I’m sharing seven prayers of gratitude to God with hopes to inspire your prayer life as well. After exploring these prayers, we’ll talk about how to cultivate prayerful lives. 7 Prayers of Gratitude to God In his letter to the Thessalonian church, the Apostle Paul encouraged these believers to be joyful always, pray without stopping, and give thanks in all situations (1 Thess. 5:16-18). Interestingly, recent findings in neuroscience reveal that…
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How to Give God Control: 5 Scriptures on Surrendering to God
As morning broke, I recently left my usual chair and walked outside to the deck. The world was teeming with energy and life. Songbirds surrounded me as I opened my Bible in search of Scriptures on surrendering to God and slowing my pace. I needed this encouragement because summer break has come. Our oldest children will be home for the next two months. As much as I love these days together, I also fight the urge to rush from one task to the next. In the summertime, I struggle to keep up with the dishes, the laundry, and the constant requests for snacks and entertainment. I feel like I can’t…
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A Glimpse Into Our Family Road Trip to the Rockies
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a family road trip across the country? Maybe you’ve considered the idea, but it doesn’t seem practical. Last summer, alongside our three children (ages 12, 8, and 4), my husband and I traveled thousands of miles, climbed mountains, shivered in our sleeping bags, and cooked over campfires. We used our tailgate as a table, dealt with deflated air mattresses, and bathed in the middle of the woods. Our time on the road was exhausting, amazing, and everything in between. As I reflected on our trip, I also sensed that God was showing me that many of the same mindsets…
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20 Words of Affirmation for Every Child
I want to build my kids up with the words I speak. Meanwhile, I’ve learned that I need to be intentional in this pursuit. It’s easy to get pulled into the rhythms of our busy lives and neglect opportunities to affirm our kids. If this resonates with you, here are 20 words of affirmation for every child. May these words encourage you to be intentional in your parenting and in your speech. 20 Words of Affirmation for Every Child Author Toni Morrison once asked, “When your child walks in the room, does your face light up?” These words come to my mind often. I think of these words in the…
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10 Ways to Connect With God When He Seems Distant
Most mornings, I gaze at our bird feeder as I sit by the window to connect with God. Today, we awoke to an empty birdfeeder—scant sunflower seeds, black as coal, scattered beneath their plexiglass home. I watched as goldfinches and house sparrows searched the bottom of the feeder for seeds. They all flitted off disappointed, determined to search for sustenance elsewhere. As I considered the disheartened birds, I read the prophet Jeremiah’s words about God’s people: “They have abandoned (rejected) Me, The fountain of living water, And they have carved out their own cisterns, Broken cisterns That cannot hold water” (Jeremiah 2:13, AMP). The empty feeder and the ancient words…
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How to Stand Firm in the Lord When Life Gets You Down
The old sycamore leans over the creek with a trunk worn white by the weather. Resisting the pull of its own weight, it seems to keep watch over the valley where the water runs clear over silt and stones. As I rest against it on a warm evening, it seems like a metaphor for how to stand firm in the Lord. Just as the sycamore resists the earth’s gravitational pull downward, we are called to stand against the forces that aim to pull us down. How to Stand Firm in the Lord The Apostle Paul wrote that our struggles are not against flesh and blood but against authorities and rulers…
