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7 Encouraging Bible Verses About Starting Over
A towering hemlock casts a sleepy shadow on bare earth, and a pine squirrel gnaws on a walnut from its unseen perch overhead. I am in the woods with a stack of books and a journal—intent on seeking God and as I ask him how to begin again after a setback in my life. Opening my Bible, I begin listing the words of Truth, composing a list of Bible verses about starting over. Bible Verses About Starting Over Here are the Scriptures I find. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God as you begin again.…
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20 Mother Daughter Prayers for a Closer Relationship
I recently went for a long walk with our teenage daughter and was inspired to be more intentional about praying with her and for her. Today, I’m sharing the mother daughter prayers that are helping me lift her before God’s throne more consistently. If you’re looking for prayers to pray over your mother-daughter relationship, I invite you to slowly talk to God as you pray the following prayers. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook that will help you establish a rhythm of connecting with the presence of the life-giving God daily. 20 Mother Daughter Prayers for a Closer Relationship Regardless of…
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5 Hope-Filled Prayers for Grieving Families
A few months ago, a family in our community endured a heart-wrenching loss. Every time I read updates about their painful journey, I felt like my heart was pierced, and tears flooded my eyes. At the culmination of their awful journey, I visited the Facebook page where they had been posting updates. As I read through the kind and encouraging words written by those who were supporting them, the pain of entering into their story was almost more than I could bear. I was about to close the Facebook page and move on to something different—mostly to assuage the torrent of emotions I was feeling—when a quiet voice whispered, “Stay.”…
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7 Refreshing Bible Verses (and 11 Ways to Be Refreshed)
Yesterday morning, I awoke with a deep desire to go to the woods—to inhale the scent of the creek bottom, decomposing maple leaves, and pungent earth. As I sat with my Bible, I was reminded that God wanted to renew my mind with his written Word, and I let the following refreshing Bible verses wash over me. 7 Refreshing Bible Verses Do you long for the refreshment that comes from God alone? I invite you to soak in these words today as well. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook that will help you find victory in Christ as well as a…
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15 Bible Verses for Wives: Encouragement and Hope
Many young girls dream of growing up, getting married, and raising families. When these dreams finally come true, they realize that being a wife is far more challenging than they imagined. Today, we’ll explore 15 encouraging Bible verses for wives. Then, we’ll look at a way to find great joy in our marriages and lives. I also invite you to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to encourage you as a wife. 15 Bible Verses for Wives Let’s begin with God’s Word. Bible Verses for Wives: Encouragement for Your Marriage 1. 1 Peter 3:4 (ESV) But let your adorning be the hidden person of…
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8 Life-Changing Prayers for Your Daughter
Last night, I followed my daughter through a withered field of wildflowers as dusk chased us toward the forest. Often, I silently pray for her as we walk along this trail. I pray for her friendships, her faith, her worries, and her dreams. I pray for God to guide our conversations and unite our hearts. Like me, you might want to pray life-changing prayers for your daughter, but you don’t always know what to pray. Whether your daughter is two or sixty-two, here are eight biblical prayers for your daughter. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for two mother-daughter devotionals to read with your daughter. I…
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Submitting Your Emotions to God: 3 Steps to Help You
I spent most of my life believing that my emotions needed to be controlled and surpressed. Not recognizing the biblical truth that my emotions were God-given, I often wrestled with the intensity of my feelings. If you can relate, you’re in the right place. Today, I’ll invite you to begin the process of submitting your emotions to God. As we walk through this process, I invite you to join me as I walked through this process myself. Submitting Your Emotions to God Tufts of fog hover beneath an apricot sky as storm clouds roll eastward on the wings of dusk. I sit by the window and focus on breathing slowly.…
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Pursuing God: 15 Ways to Stir Your Longing for Jesus
Last summer, I decided to write our eleven-year-old daughter Bekah a note for each day she would be away at summer camp. After writing a note for each day of the week and tucking them into her backpack, I thought about how excited sweet Bekah would be to read them. I had no idea that the experience was about to become a heartwarming lesson about pursuing God. The day she left for camp, I spotted a stack of envelopes labeled with the days of the week on top of the bookshelf in our hallway. Had she removed my notes from her bag? Looking closer, I realized that I couldn’t have…
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10 Biblical Affirmations for Hard Times
Are you facing a difficult situation right now? I invite you to join me as we explore 10 biblical affirmations for hard times and difficult circumstances. Speak these words when life is tough and you feel discouraged. 10 Biblical Affirmations for Hard Times This week, the robins returned to our wilted lawn. I envisioned the coming days with emerald grass and sapphire skies overhead. I turned the calendar to March two days early because I just couldn’t wait. Perhaps I was wishing my life away, but I wasn’t overly concerned. I wanted to wish away the long, cold months of winter and welcome sunny afternoons in the backyard with little…
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Trials of Faith: 3 Promises for Tough Times
We all face trials of faith. When these times come, we can respond in a variety of ways. Some people blame God for trials, take offense, and turn away from him. Others try to fix the broken circumstances as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, some of us numb ourselves or escape into work. Today, we’ll talk about how to grow through trials of faith instead of being thrown off course by them. Trials of Faith Last year at this time, the valley behind our house flooded. After three days of rain, the ice encasing the creek finally gave way, and the whole valley was swallowed in the icy torrent. Standing at…
