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Characteristics of a Cheerful Giver: 4 Ways to Shift Your Attitude
Welcome to another sneak peek into our forthcoming mother-daughter devotional book, Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls. This book will go on sale on November 5. While we wait for the release date, today’s devotion explores shifting from grumpiness to joy as we aim to be cheerful givers. We’ll also talk about the characteristics of a cheerful giver. This is written for teen girls, but I have a hunch most of us, regardless of age, can relate. Characteristics of a Cheerful Giver Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord wholeheartedly, and King David also rejoiced…
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How to Keep Your Joy in the Lord: 7 Ways
Daylight met us without hesitation today—clear and blue as infinity. As I sat beside the window and prepared for another day, I felt the heaviness in my chest and realized my joy was lacking. Perhaps you can relate. You want to learn how to keep your joy in the Lord even when life feels challenging. In challenging times, it’s easy to take our eyes off God and get swept into the stress and anxiety surrounding us. How to Keep Your Joy in the Lord As I reflected on this tendency this morning, two familiar words came to mind: “Martha, Martha. . .” These two words come to mind often: When…
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How to Have the Joy of the Lord—No Matter What You’re Facing
I jogged through the vernal forest this morning. The tiny leaves offered a partial canopy overhead—not the deep emerald of summer, but the just-born chartreuse leaflets of springtime. The experience washed over me like a reminder of how to have the joy of the Lord embedded in my heart. Cold rain pattered on the forest floor and beaded on my forehead, and I considered the joy I find in a green forest on a rainy day. I also started thinking about cultivating rhythms for joy in my life, and I was reminded of a blog post I wrote a few years ago. After returning home, I found these words and…
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5 Encouraging Quotes for Struggling Moms and Weary Women
Throughout the past 13 years, I’ve spent most of my time caring for our children. As we push through the end of another long winter, I hope to offer a few quotes for struggling moms and weary women. I pray these words will bless and encourage you as you continue pressing forward. You are not alone, and your humble, hidden work matters deeply. Quotes for Struggling Moms and Weary Women A friend recently sent me a text that went something like this: “No one tells you how hard motherhood actually is!” I immediately called her so we could talk in real time. We talked about the difficult newborn days when…
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How to Have More Joy in the Lord—Even When Life is Tough
We are at the creek again today—hoping to imbibe the scarce rays of golden sunlight peering at us from behind the wooded knolls. I long to live with deep roots of joy in the Lord, but the winter months are often challenging. We’re on the cusp of springtime now. Nevertheless, the winter months have worn on me. Maybe you can relate. You might not have to fight for joy in the wintertime, but perhaps you’re navigating a difficult season in your life. Today, we’ll talk about how to have more joy in the Lord when life is challenging. No matter what your challenge looks like, I pray these words offer…
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An Advent Devotional for Less Stress and Deeper Peace
After years of writing, I finally decided to release an online Advent devotional this year! I pray these readings help you slow down, cultivate wonder, and connect with the Lord. I’m releasing it a few weeks before Advent begins so that you can have it on hand and start reading in December. Here’s a glimpse into this new online devotional. I pray it blesses you deeply. Still My Soul: An Advent Devotional for Deeper Peace I sit with the dawn and let my thoughts gather. The grey morning light lifts her sleepy head, and the thin air is embroidered with a crimson cardinal’s song. My mind is scattered, and I…
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8 Bible Verses on Breaking Negative Cycles
I stand in front of the cupboard and stare blankly. I’m not hungry, but this cupboard is where I come to escape when the kids are fighting and the walls are closing in. I know what I should do. I should open my Bible and read through my list of Bible verses on breaking negative cycles of escapism and sin. Instead, I indulge. The cycle of my escapist eating continues, and I feel trapped and ashamed. Bible Verses on Breaking Negative Cycles Perhaps you can relate. Maybe you’ve been trying to overcome a destructive habit for decades, but you can’t seem to find freedom. Today, we’ll explore eight Bible verses…
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How to De-Stress, Rest With God, and Cultivate Whimsy
Not long ago, our family went to the cabin because we needed space to rest with God. We needed to break away from household projects and craved downtime for sitting beside smoldering campfires and soaking in the afternoon sunshine along the reservoir. My right shoulder blade had been twitching for days—a sign that I’d been pushing too hard, running on fumes, and succumbing to worry and anxiety. The Importance of Resting With God After 48 hours spent climbing muddy mountain roads, dipping nets in swampy bogs in pursuit of red-spotted newts, eating sandwiches beneath open skies, and bathing in mountain spring water, I noticed a shift in my body. The…
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How to be Grateful in Hard Times and Challenging Situations
We’re a half-mile from the truck when the sky opens wide and soaks us with silver beads the size of marbles. Hair matted beneath their bike helmets, the oldest two look at me with shining eyes and declare it the best bike ride of their lives. And to think, I hadn’t seen it that way whatsoever. My kids never fail to teach me how to be grateful in hard times and challenging moments. Obviously, getting stuck in a summer rain shower isn’t the kind of situation that turns a life upside down. There are far worse circumstances. However, our afternoon at the bike path was a gentle reminder for me.…
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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…
