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Balanced Spiritually: The Lie You Might Believe About Balance
This morning, snowflakes waltzed on the trodden lawn like tufts of cotton grass bobbing on a summer morning. I’d been thinking about the importance of being balanced spiritually, and that balance felt lacking. Life has felt ridiculously out of balance this winter. A weekly routine once filled with dozens of gratifying and varied tasks has been replaced by what feels like one all-consuming task that drains me of every ounce of energy. It feels as if the twenty equally filled buckets of my life are suddenly empty, and I’m called to pour my life into one prevailing, overflowing bucket that dominates the realm of my daily existence. Today, we’ll have…
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Igniting Your Spiritual Passion: 3 Ways
“What would igniting your spiritual passion look like right now?” a friend asks as we sit in her living room. “If I knew, I’d be doing it,” I admit. “Why don’t you ask God what you need to do?” she asks. I’m about to tell her I’ve already asked him, but I realize she’s onto something. The slow and steady rhythms of life have led me to a season of spiritual dryness, and I haven’t stepped back to ask God what he wants to do in me through this time. In the days that follow, I begin seeking his face, asking what it would look like to run to his…
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3 Keys to Effective Prayer: Radically Change Your Prayer Life
Most of us face times when our prayers seem to go unanswered. During these times, we wonder if why God doesn’t seem to hear our prayers. Today, we’ll unpack 3 keys to effective prayer. These simple insights can radically transform your prayer life forever. I also invite you to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to improve your prayer life. I begin today’s post with an illustration that radically changed the way I pray. After this illustration, we’ll explore the keys to effective prayer. 3 Keys to Effective Prayer Layers of ivory piled heavenward for weeks—the kind of snow that melts and freezes a…
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How to Be a Woman of Influence and Inspiration
I remember the way the sun beams slanted through the maples the afternoon I told my mom I was running away from home. I’m sure I was no older than eight or nine, and Mom calmly looked at me and asked just where I planned to go. “To Grandma’s house!” I told her. I imagined myself traipsing down the road toward that little green house that always offered solace, joy, and a safe place to sit in the presence of a godly woman of influence. Thirty years later, our family mourns as we celebrate Grandma’s life and legacy. Grandma went to be with the Lord last week, and it’s hard…
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10 Calming Prayers for Anger: Pray the Word
We were several weeks into a winter that felt like it might never end when I realized I needed help. I was angry and irritable almost all the time. On a cold January morning, I pulled out my Bible and began reading God’s Word as I let it guide me in praying calming prayers for anger. Today, I’m sharing the biblical prayers for anger that helped me shift back to peace. Biblical Prayers for Anger I pray these words bless you as well. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God and walk in his peace.…
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How to Make a Prayer List (& a Free Prayer List Template)
Years ago, I walked into a friend’s home and noticed a single sheet of paper that forever changed my prayer life. Hanging in her bedroom was a prayer list containing the names of dozens of people for whom she prayed weekly. If you’re wondering how to make a prayer list, today I’m sharing the simple list-making strategy my friend shared with me. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free prayer list template to personalize and use for yourself. How to Make a Prayer List After seeing my friend’s list, I was convicted that I was not very deliberate in the way I prayed for…
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How to be Hospitable Without Being Stressed
Grandma Miles’s house always seemed to smell of molasses, and I still remember the tall jar of hard candy she kept on the shelf by the door. There were always shoes scattered clumsily in the doorway. There were always dishes in the sink, and coffee cups lined the countertop. When I think of how to be hospitable, I think of Grandma Miles. It wasn’t the presentation of perfect baked goods or gourmet coffee that made Grandma’s house the picture of hospitality. It wasn’t the neatness of her shelves or the trendiness of her home décor. What made Grandma’s home the picture of hospitality was the warmth that exuded from the woman…
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10 Refreshing Bible Verses for the Weary and Burdened
The translucent breath of heaven lingers on the morning window panes, and the burdock lifts barbed hands toward a grey sky. Sometimes this season of darkness leaves us all feeling just a little too threadbare. We crave light and warmth. If this is you today, I invite you to soak in these refreshing Bible verses for the weary and worn. I also encourage you to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to give you strength in your weariness. 10 Bible Verses for the Weary and Burdened As I prepare my heart to walk through this season, I’m reminded of the burdens our little family…
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This Word for the Year Could Change Your Life Forever
Prickly pine needles rise from the carpeting like tiny daggers aimed at stocking feet. I should hoist the vacuum cleaner from the basement and take care of it, but this mounting pressure to pick a word for the year has me glued to the recliner like a woman with a deadline. Last year’s word came effortlessly. Had it not, I might have forsaken the idea altogether. It was a mind-boggling year. I read an article on picking a word of the year last winter, and while I’d picked a Bible verse and name of God for the New Year many times, I’d never picked just one word. Last year on…
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10 Bible Verses About Disappointment: How to Handle Spiritual Frustration
Regardless of the depth and strength of our faith, most of us will be disappointed in God at some point. During these times, turning to God’s Word can give us hope. Today, we’ll explore 10 Bible verses about disappointment. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to encourage you. Bible Verses About Disappointment It is Christmas morning here in Pennsylvania. This is the morning God bends down to meet us. This is the day we celebrate a groaning mother’s messy morning in a manger, the birth of a Messiah who comes quietly and unexpectedly. The world didn’t expect the Messiah to arrive…
