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How to Bear Fruit When You Feel Worn and Weary
We set a vase of wildflowers on the table last week, and they felt like tangible beacons of joy. I gazed at them while I made the morning coffee and prayed about how to bear fruit amid these energetic summer days—days with all three children home and many needs surrounding me. After the coffee was brewed, I read the following words: “And seeing in the distance a fig tree covered with leaves, He went to see if He could find any fruit on it. But when He came up to it, He found nothing but leaves, for the fig season had not yet come” (Mark 11:13, AMP). I’ve always been…
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12 Bible Verses About Living Life to the Fullest
I’ve been watching the 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. As I opened my Bible in search of Bible verses about living life to the fullest, the leaves offered a reminder as well. I reflected on the weeks spent watching them emerge and change: I remembered noticing the first tiny buds. Every day, they grew a bit more, and I didn’t miss it when the tiny leaves finally grew wide and offered shade on a sunny afternoon. Watching the summer canopy grow was a gentle reminder of…
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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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8 Bible Verses About Joy and an Invitation to Encounter God
A fresh blanket of snow found us in the early hours before dawn today. With lanky fingers, she reached down and touched us—wrapped us in an ethereal cloak and spoke of rest. I walked to the window and got lost in the purity of the wild world, and in the process, a spark was ignited in my soul. It felt like a fresh outpouring of joy—joy I’ve been craving for far too long. I pulled out my Bible in search of inspiring Bible verses about joy and started soaking in the words. The excitement of Christmas has passed. Many of us look to the long winter season ahead, and we…
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8 Bible Verses About Finding Rest in God
I walked in the winter forest last night. On the cusp of twilight, a million snowflakes clung to the outstretched arms of the maples. Stopping to sit among them, I pulled out my Bible in search of Bible verses about finding rest in God. With cares so heavy I hesitated to name them, I soaked in God’s words, praying for his strong arms to reach down and lift my burdens. Instead, the hushed silence washed over me. Refreshed me. And when I turned to leave the forest, I felt it. The burdens were lighter. Bible Verses About Finding Rest in God Perhaps you need God to lift your burdens too. …
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My Favorite Prayer Guide of 2022: Hidden Manna on a Country Road
Cinnamon-colored sycamore leaves fall slowly, surrendering to the earth. I hold one in my hand, and it covers my flesh like a glove. For an instant, my mind drifts away from the problems of work and home. Peace cloaks me, and I think about the book that’s been serving as my prayer guide this autumn. In her new book Hidden Manna on a Country Road: Seeing God’s Daily Provision All Around Us, Sarah Geringer writes: “When I feel the overwhelm of a bigger-than-me situation, I know it’s time to hit the gravel road and pray it out, surrendering it so I can experience God’s peace. I also know that whether…
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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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How to Give Thanks to God in Tough Times
Not long ago, I sat down with an older, wiser woman, and we had an honest conversation about our lives. We talked about how to give thanks to God in tough times, and she shared her wisdom and experience. No matter what you’re facing today, if you can learn to cultivate gratitude in difficult seasons, God will use it to lift your head. Here are a few things my friend offered to me as we sorted this out. I pray they encourage you to keep looking for God’s gifts in your life as well. How to Give Thanks to God in Tough Times 1. Every day, take a moment to…
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8 Bible Verses About Being Worthy Enough in God’s Eyes
Have you ever asked yourself, “How does God see me?” Your ideas about the way God sees you will radically impact your ability to connect with him in a close, loving relationship. Let’s explore eight Bible verses about being worthy enough in God’s eyes today. First, I invite you to join me at the creek with my child, and we’ll talk about how God sees us. 8 Bible Verses About Being Worthy Enough My little boy and I inch closer to the creek beneath the silver arms of the sycamores. Expectantly, we walk to the bend where the water pools in shades of ethereal emerald, and he wiggles with excitement. …
