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Knowing Jesus: Four Ways to Go Deeper in Your Relationship
The peepers sing their sweet serenade while raindrops crackle like fire licking up a pine bough. I search the skyline for a hint of lingering daylight and breathe a prayer that God will take me deeper on this journey of knowing Jesus through experience. “What do I need to know as we prepare to head into the summer season of noise and activity?” I pray. The words of Philippians 3:8 come to mind: “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” I’m…
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5 Ways to Rest in God’s Presence: A Review of Just Rest
Snowflakes fall like a quiet benediction on a hushed spring morning. I awaken feeling groggy after another night of tending to coughing children. I’m desperate to rest in God’s presence this morning—to let his love wash over me and fill the empty places. Opening Melanie Redd’s new book, Just Rest: A 90 Day Devotional Journal, I read the following words: “True rest for the soul, however, comes from one place only—and that involves walking in the good way. This is the path we choose when we walk close to Jesus. The pathway to rest is found in Him alone.” We live in a culture in which hurry and hustle are…
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What to Do When Your Dreams Are Shattered
Have you recently faced the loss of a dream? Maybe you’re wondering what to do next, and you’ve been wrestling with God about this dream. You are in the right place. Today, we’ll have an honest conversation about what to do when your dreams are shattered. I invite you to join me in the woods with my little boy, and we’ll talk about bringing our broken dreams to the Lord. What to Do When Your Dreams Are Shattered The earth breathes a new aroma, and we sit by the creek to watch the crocus rise. I could use a dose of hope today, but I don’t mention my heavy heart…
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Why Today Is Going to Be a Good Day
Above a scrim of wispy cirrus clouds, a hawk cries out as it soars upon some unseen current. For the first time since autumn, we slept with the windows open last night. Awakening to a cacophony of birdsong and the melodies of God’s created world feels like a gift given directly from his hand. “Today is going to be a good day,” I whisper. Smiling, I climb from the sheets, make the bed, and think of these eight simple words as I brush my teeth and greet the three children who await me downstairs. I repeat these words as I make the coffee and prepare breakfasts for everyone: “Today is…
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Overcoming the Spirit of Failure and Trusting God
A placid lake shines silver beneath the sinking sun. As we sit along the water, a friend tells me I should share my writing with the world. I want to take her advice, but overcoming the spirit of failure feels daunting. I’ve been writing all my life, but this time feels different. It feels less like aimless wandering and more like a calling. Sometimes it’s hard to know the difference. Sometimes you just want God to write your next step in the clouds or dampen a sweatshirt on dry ground at dawn. You wish he’d tell you exactly what to do and when to do it. I tell my friend…
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10 Bible Verses About God’s Faithfulness in Life’s Storms
The other night, a storm rained itself empty like it was working something out. Sometimes life is like this—you wrestle with God until you’re poured out. During these times, it can be helpful to find an anchor. Today, we’ll explore 10 Bible verses about God’s faithfulness in the storms of life. I invite you to join me as we open God’s Word together. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you navigate life’s storms with God. 10 Bible Verses About God’s Faithfulness in Life’s Storms We’ve wrestled with God more than once throughout this past year. At times, life hasn’t…
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How to Trust God More: 7 Ways to Grow in Trust
Layers of altostratus rest above the western tree line like wet towels hastily folded. Splinters of sapphire peer through their sparse creases and remind me of promises for better days to come. Closing my eyes, I remind myself of the power of trusting God in hard times. Today, we’ll explore seven insights on how to trust God more when we don’t understand his ways. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you grow in trust. How to Trust God More Not long ago, I sat with a friend whose heart was broken. We talked about how to find healing when…
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8 Comforting Bible Verses for Trials and Tribulations
Are you walking through a difficult time in your life? No matter what you’re facing today, God wants to encourage your heart. He is with you, and he will never abandon you. Let’s take a look at eight comforting Bible verses for trials and tribulations. 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 library of free devotionals and eBooks for every season of life. 8 Comforting Bible Verses for Trials and Tribulations The spring beauties are pushing white petals through the beige of last autumn’s fallen canopy, and I wonder if…
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8 Encouraging Bible Verses About Overcoming Adversity
Are you facing a difficult time or walking through a challenging season in your life? Today, we’ll explore eight Bible verses about overcoming adversity as we align ourselves with God’s perspective. Let’s start with a conversation about embracing adversity instead of running from it. Bible Verses About Overcoming Adversity I take the boys to the woods on an almost spring morning. The skunk cabbage is rising through the muddied earth like a foretaste of the vibrant life soon to fill this wooded valley. Caleb’s seven-year-old legs have grown long and lean over the past year, and he hardly complains when we walk together now. As we hike, I remember when…
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8 Prayers for Bad Thoughts & Moods: Shift Your Focus
Spring rain falls warm and soft against my skin. I lift my hooded face to the grey sky as it spits the cleansing rain, and I have an honest moment about my life. Lately, I’ve been in a perpetual bad mood for no reason I can identify. As I continue walking, the walk becomes a prayer, and I spend my time praying prayers for bad thoughts and attitudes. When I return to the house, I feel cleansed, as if God has washed something away. Today, we’ll explore eight prayers for bad thoughts and attitudes. Then, I’ll share a list of questions to ask when you’re in a bad mood for…
