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Thinking of Giving up on God? Read This First
I vividly remember the day I decided to turn away from God. I decided that if he wasn’t going to be faithful to me, I was done living for him. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you’re thinking of giving up on God today, too. You’re not alone. The day I gave up on God, I blamed him for my pain, and I was angry about it. Giving Up on God Like me, maybe you’re facing a heartbreaking loss, and you wonder why God seems silent. The instant your life went off the rails, God seemed to leave you alone in your despair. Maybe you feel forgotten, and you’re not sure where…
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God Pursues Us and He Is Carrying These Two Gifts
They say when it rains it pours, and that’s how it felt yesterday morning. First, the coffee pot decided it was done brewing. Next, the Internet crashed, and the channel with the cartoons went pitch black. I sat by the window and reminded myself that God pursues us and offers his peace amid our frustrations. In the meantime, it felt like trouble was pursuing me. There are days when it feels like mishaps and misfortune are chasing us down. Trouble chases us in small ways, such as dead batteries, viruses, and power outages that derail our days. It also comes in more serious ways: health crises, financial fallouts, and broken…
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God Is Enough for Every Storm You Face
It’s easy to assume we have fear, grief, or suffering figured out, only to stumble into a different kind of storm and realize how many layers of understanding still wait to be peeled back. In these times, we need to know that God is enough for every storm. There are layers to hope as well. Just when you start to believe in a deeper kind of hope, life often throws you a harder curveball than you ever expected. You find yourself desperate for a deeper sense of understanding. Hope in eternity feels too far away, and you need hope in something here and now. You need hope that’s more palpable…
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3 Ways to Cultivate Joy when You’re Struggling in Life
It had been the longest winter of my life – the winter of counting down the weeks, the days, and the hours until my health returned. I spent it mostly staring at the dead landscape out the sliding glass door – beige earth folded under ribbons of grey sky that felt dismal and bleak. I’d been trying to cultivate joy by looking to the future, but the discouragement of my illness was like a black cloud blurring my view. You might not be stuck on the couch with a long stretch of illness, but I imagine you have your own brand of discouragement lingering low. Discouraging seasons take all shapes…
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6 Powerful Bible Verses for Times of Trouble and Grief
There are starlings at the bird feeder this morning. Larger and more aggressive than the petite chickadees and nuthatches, they’ve come to wreak havoc on our quiet little world. The squabbling birds remind me of my own current times of trouble. I’ve been stressing out over our budget and our health. We’ve wept over freshly broken earth and grieved lives taken far too soon. Perhaps you are facing trouble or grief today, too. We live in a broken world, and we all face times of trouble. Meanwhile, God offers hope for even the darkest days. He invites us to draw near to him, and he will give us the strength…
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How to Turn to God in Times of Crisis
Shadows flutter on the wall as the candle flickers golden in front of us. I’ve gathered our three children to pray because I want to teach them how to turn to God in a crisis. As our time in prayer begins, I open the Bible. I read the words that have been floating through my mind for the past few weeks now: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). By the yellow glow of…
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God Has a Plan for You—Even When He Seems Silent
We awoke to a fresh inch of snow on the lawn on the first day of April, and it felt like one more day tacked onto a never-ending winter. Whether you’re facing a long winter or enduring a difficult season that seems like it will never end, it can be hard to hold onto hope. You need to know that God has a plan for you, especially when he seems silent. Most of us don’t wait well. Waiting for a dream to come to fruition or a difficult time to end can be deeply discouraging. God Has a Plan for You While You Wait King Solomon said it well in…
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How to Feel God’s Presence in Your Life
Not long ago, I texted a friend and told her about long days in a house filled with noisy children. “I want to know how to feel God’s presence when life mostly feels overwhelming,” I vented. Her response came seasoned with wisdom. First, she reminded me that regardless of whether I feel God’s presence or not, his presence is always with me. “Feelings are futile,” she offered. “Instead of aiming to feel God’s presence, what if you aimed to be fully present to the moments unfolding around you?” She then offered the following six words: “Breathe deeply, love deeply, laugh deeply.” These words have echoed in my mind since she…
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7 Stress Relief Bible Verses About Worry and Stress
After a long winter, a hint of auburn crowns the tree line on the eastern horizon. The buds are emerging on the maples. I’ve been feeling anxious about some changes that will take place in our next season. In response, I open my Bible in search of stress relief Bible verses about worry and stress in life. I need these Truths to wash over me as I step forward without fear or anxiety. Perhaps you need to soak in these assurances, too. Stress Relief Bible Verses About Worry and Stress in Life As I admire the trees, it seems God is pouring his love out as he pours color onto…
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8 Free Family-Friendly Outdoor Activities
Are you looking for family-friendly outdoor activities? Our family has made getting our kids outdoors a high priority, and the results are powerful. I’m revisiting this post today now that our oldest is a teenager, and I’m grateful that she still loves spending time outdoors. 8 Free Family-Friendly Outdoor Activities If you’re looking for free outdoor activities for your family during this time, you’re in the right place. Here’s our family’s list of fun ways to enjoy the outdoors together. Family-Friendly Outdoor Activities: 1. Wildlife Scavenger Hunts For this activity, I create a list of items we are likely to see in the forest near our home: pinecones, different colored…
