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Enjoying the Presence of God: 4 Ways to Experience His Joy
The sinking sun shone white behind a cloak of low-hanging stratus clouds as the kids dipped their nets into a swampy bog. Through the lens of my camera, three bouncing bodies splashed and giggled. Enjoying the presence of God in his created world was filling us all with life-giving energy. I had intentions of capturing dozens of images on the camera that weekend at the cabin. Sadly, the morning after exploring the ponds, I awoke with a virus and barely managed to get out of bed throughout the rest of our weekend. As I lay in the tiny, dark cabin bedroom, I was thankful for the previous evening—for catching red-spotted…
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7 Bible Verses About Giving Thanks in All Circumstances
Another grey sky greeted us this morning. I went to the window and watched the raindrops cling to the spruce needles like tiny, translucent pearls. I was almost tempted to grumble about the rain until I looked at the rolling fields beyond the yard. Dressed in their springtime garments of young green life, the fields seemed to sing a hopeful song beneath the dripping sky. Immediately, I saw the rainy day through a different lens. Instead of complaining, I gave thanks for the promise of springtime, warmer days, and wildflowers. I was lost in my reverie when, suddenly, our 9-year-old growled loudly from his bed and awoke his little brother.…
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5 Ways to Enjoy God Wherever You Are: Lessons From the Road
After 11 days on the road, we returned home to western Pennsylvania last week. All in all, the trip reminded me of how to thoroughly enjoy God and his gifts in every situation. We spent more than 70 hours crammed into a small Nissan Frontier together. For kids who are 12, 8, and 4, that’s a lot of hours. Nonetheless, the kids marveled at the majesty of the Tetons and watched Old Faithful erupt in a cloud of steam. They stood outside the site of their parents’ first date, The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, and they posed beneath Mount Rushmore (Pics are at the end of the post). We slept…
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How to Love Your Life: 4 Practical Ways to Cultivate Joy
I’ve been watching the yellow poplar leaves grow on the tree beside our deck this spring. Their tiny faces glanced at me through the finger-smeared glass the day I turned the calendar to May, and they were about to teach me a lesson on how to love your life—even in the most ordinary seasons. On rainy mornings, the tiny leaves grew larger before our eyes. Like watching our children grow taller, we hardly noticed. I was reminded that it’s easy to miss the small spurts of growth if I never slow down enough to notice. However, as I sat at the window, I marveled at the way life emerged from…
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4 Positive Affirmations for Hard Times
Are you facing a difficult situation right now? I invite you to join me as we uncover four positive affirmations for hard times and difficult circumstances. Speak these words when life is tough and you feel discouraged. 4 Positive 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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How to Find Rest in God Amid the Chaos of Your Life
Welcome to our last Friday devotional post from the book Girl to Girl! My 12-year-old daughter Bekah and I are excited to share another post adapted from the book today. We wrote the book with a vision for moms and daughters to read each devotion together, but we invite you to join us even if you aren’t a mother or daughter. If your head is spinning as a result of Christmas preparation today, this is your invitation to slow down for a few short moments and find rest in God. How to Find Rest in God As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you. Isaiah 66:14 Mom’s…
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Less Stress and More Peace: A Secret to Help You!
We have a special gift for you. Every Friday in December, 12-year-old Bekah and I will be sharing a devotion with you. These Friday posts are adapted from our mother-daughter devotional book, Girl to Girl. We wrote the book with a vision for moms and daughters to read each devotion together, but we invite you to join us even if you aren’t a mother or daughter! We hope to help you have less stress and more peace with today’s post! Let’s get to it! How to Have Less Stress and More Peace And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord…
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A List of Good Habits for Joy and Energy
A pewter sky threatens rain, and I stand at the window as the little one calls from the living room. He wants to know what we’re doing for fun today. I’ve been deliberately turning to my mental list of good habits daily, and I decide on a trip to the woods. “Let’s head to the creek,” I declare, and within minutes, we’re strolling down the road. “Better hurry up. It might rain, Mom,” he urges. “A little rain won’t hurt us,” I tell sweet Aiden. He makes a comment about melting, and we both laugh. Much to our delight, the rain holds off. We spend an hour throwing rocks into…
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5 Morning Routines to Help You Start Your Day With God
Autumn rain hangs from the spruce boughs like glass beads. Cleansing the sleepy earth, it feels like God’s invitation to begin again. I’ve been thinking about my rhythms lately—analyzing the morning routines that are working for me in this season as well as the ones that aren’t. The Importance of Morning Routines Last week, I felt tempted to return to self-effort in an attempt to restore some off-kilter areas of my life. However, this morning, the ivory mist reminds me that a Spirit-filled life is not built around willpower but around rhythms. The rhythms we establish ultimately make up our lives. 5 Morning Routines to Help You Begin Well If…
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God’s Grace Is Sufficient in Every Season
Do you need the reminder that God’s grace is sufficient for whatever you are facing today? Let’s learn how to lean into his grace and trust that he is working in our lives. God’s Grace Is Sufficient Not long ago, I wrote myself a letter. I desperately needed the reminder that God’s grace is sufficient in every season of life. If you need this reminder today, too, these words are for both of us: A Gentle Reminder That God’s Grace Is Sufficient for Us Dear friend, no matter what happens today, remember to breathe. When the to-do list mocks and the work is overwhelming and the noise is deafening, breathe.…