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What Does It Mean to Lay Down Your Life for God?
Have you ever wondered what it means to lay down your life for God and others? Jesus spoke the following words to his disciples: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13, NIV). Perhaps you want to know how to live this out. I invite you to join me as we explore what it might look like to lay down your life for God. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you experience God’s presence and power in your life. How to Lay Down Your Life We’re watching the little one…
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Finding Your Calling From God: A Surprising Truth You Need to Know
Does the idea of finding your calling from God feel too subjective or difficult? I spent years trying to perfectly discern God’s calling for my life. Meanwhile, I missed the most obvious part of his calling. I invite you to join me as I coax our youngest child to sleep, and we’ll talk about finding God’s calling. Finding Your Calling From God The dusky light of summer’s slow fade into autumn makes its way through partially drawn curtains, and I read until the darkness is too thick to see the words. Setting aside the book, I gaze at the tiny boy in my arms. He seems to encompass most of…
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7 Back-to-School Prayers for the New School Year
A band of blue jays awakens the dawn with a cacophony of cackles. It’s early, and I’m not ready to begin the day. Nevertheless, I brew the coffee and gather the kids for devotions. We talk about going back to school and embracing the last days of summer. We offer our back-to-school prayers and pray for God’s peace to go before us into the new school year. Back-to-School Prayers As I process a dozen different scenarios for what this year might look like, I thank the Lord for going with us. The kids name their greatest fears, and we pray through their fears. Later in the day, I put together…
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How to Love Like Jesus When It Doesn’t Come Easily
A warm wind rustles the maples and sounds like clear water flowing over granite. I’m taken back to a different season. Twenty years ago, God began the deep heart work of teaching me how to love like Jesus, especially when it doesn’t come easily. Working at a summer camp will teach that kind of lesson. God placed me in a quiet canyon where wild Wyoming skies brought adventure on tepid summer afternoons, and campfires beneath the stars on chilling summer nights formed lifelong memories. He placed me among dozens of varied personalities. We melded together like one large, dysfunctional family just trying to keep the peace and keep out of…
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How to Give Your Life to Jesus: 5 Insights
I was a teenager when my grandfather passed away, leaving me with a myriad of questions about heaven and God. I’d been raised in the church, but I’d never given my life to Christ. Perhaps you’re here today because you want to know how to give your life to Jesus, too. Today, we’ll talk about how to turn to God and receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you begin growing in your faith. Let’s begin by breaking down how to give your life to Jesus. How to Give Your Life to Jesus…
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8 Encouraging Bible Verses About Change in Life
I wrote this post about how to embrace change as we adjusted to life with a tiny new member of the family. If you feel like any area of your life has been flipped upside down lately, these words are for you. Be sure to keep reading to the end of the post for eight Bible verses about change in life, followed by a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God amid changing circumstances. Navigating Transitions (With 8 Bible Verses About Change in Life) Our family recently stepped into a transition that startled us all. After nine months of enduring my couch-bound illness, we welcomed our…
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When You Feel All Alone in the World
Do you feel all alone in the world? I invite you to read these words slowly. Let them wash over you and shape you from the inside out. When You Feel All Alone in the World The clouds are laying low tonight. Layers of powder blue rest on smoky white. I hold my baby boy in my arms and get lost in the moment. We sway on the glider as blackbirds flutter overhead. They’re headed east, like maybe they’re chasing down the dawn. I glance down at the fuzzy head to see if his eyes have closed. Every time, those bright blue eyes are still open, gazing at me in…
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Satisfaction in Jesus: A Question to Ask Yourself
I’m not thinking about how to find satisfaction in Jesus as the wind rustles the maple leaves. However, as I open my Bible for inspiration on the warm afternoon, I discover stumble a surprising scene. A blind man named Bartimaeus is crying out to Jesus from the roadside. Stopping, Jesus looks at blind Bartimaeus and asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” For an instant, I imagine I am the blind man, and Jesus is asking me this question. “Jesus, you know what I want you to do for me,” I whisper in the deepest part of my soul. As the words leave my lips, I realize…
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10 Steps to Take When You Feel Empty Inside
Fog hovers over clear water this morning. I sit in silence feeling empty inside. When’s the last time you stilled your soul long enough to be real about the places where you feel empty inside? We all have empty spaces. Emptiness might look like numbness, emotional distress, loneliness, isolation, or grief. When we feel empty inside, it can be hard to know where to turn. Today, we’ll look at ten things to do to fill the emptiness in our souls. When You Feel Empty Inside The feeling of emptiness can have many causes. Sometimes, grief leads to emptiness. All losses involve grief, not only death. We can feel empty inside…
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Start Your Day With Positivity: 7 Powerful Tips
The alarm sounds, and it’s been less than an hour since I last laid eyes upon the digital numbers. In fact, I believe I saw these red glowing numbers every hour throughout the past night. What do you do when the idea of learning to start your day with positivity feels entirely unrealistic? I hear a little voice outside the bedroom door. In the room next to me, tiny legs kick hard against the crib mattress as the youngest considers whether or not to cry for more milk. I pray he returns to sleep. How to Start Your Day With Positivity I’m praying for little Aiden to return to sleep…
