-
Being Patient and Kind When Your Plans Are Interrupted
I don’t do well with interrupted plans. I wrote the following post several years ago, but I need the reminder regularly. If you have trouble being patient and kind when your plans are interrupted, too, this is for you. I pray it blesses you. Being Patient and Kind When Your Plans Are Interrupted Morning birdsong twists through the sleepy spruce needles, and a grey squirrel carries a mouthful of leaves across the deck. I sit by the window and get lost in the scene as I read Psalms and sip black coffee. I have no idea that this morning’s quiet time is about to become a test of being patient…
-
Lean Into Grace and Experience God’s Healing and Freedom
What do you do when your life lacks the healing, freedom, and joy you long for—when you feel stuck and don’t know where to turn? In these moments, God invites us to lean into grace as he works in our lives to accomplish what we cannot do in our human strength. I have exciting news to share with you today! After years of hard work, intensive editing, and much prayer, I’d like to introduce you to my new book, Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free. Here’s a quick description of what you’ll find within the pages of this raw and…
-
Transform Your Life With These 5 Prayers for the New Year
The wind howls all day—rattling the windowpanes and nearly bending the old poplar to its breaking point. We watch through ice-glazed glass while the Christmas lights blaze white on the mantle. I have no idea that stepping into the white world is about to help me begin praying focused prayers for the New Year. “You’re not thinking of taking your daily walk today, are you, Mom?” a little voice prods. “Are you worried about me?” I ask, turning from the window where the snow is swirling in small whirlwinds across the yard. “You shouldn’t go out in this,” our young son declares protectively. “The TV said it’s 40-below zero with…
-
15 Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
I recently sat beside the window with a throbbing head. It had been a long day, and the needs of our children felt endless. Feeling like I didn’t have the strength to go downstairs and prepare dinner, I opened my Bible in search of some encouraging Bible verses about unconditional love. Bible Verses About Unconditional Love We all face times when loving others doesn’t come easily. In these moments, we can turn to God’s Word for strength and inspiration as we follow him in loving others. Perhaps you need this strength today, too. If so, here are the verses I wrote in my journal as I let God’s love fill…
-
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…
-
How to Embrace Yourself the Way You Are: 8 Ways
Do you ever compare yourself to others and feel like you don’t measure up? Maybe you want to learn how to embrace yourself the way you are, but you don’t know where to begin. You are in the right place today. I invite you to join me in the woods, and we’ll talk about the parts of our lives that make us feel unique as we aim to embrace ourselves as we are. How to Embrace Yourself Just the Way You Are The bluebells have returned. Emerging from rocky soil as if breaking into the light took no effort at all, they hang their huddled heads—embarrassed by their brilliance. It…
-
How to Begin Again: 3 Insights
A towering hemlock casts a sleepy shadow on bare earth, and a pine squirrel gnaws on a walnut from its unseen perch overhead. I am in the woods with a stack of books and a journal—intent on seeking God and as I ask him how to begin again after a setback in my life. As springtime sunlight floods the forest, it feels like a day to lean into new beginnings. I’ve been feeling restless lately. I’ve been trying to write and struggling to find words. I wonder, Is this God’s way of redirecting my path? I’m mulling this over as I open the thin pages of my Bible, and I…
-
Teach Us to Number Our Days: When Life Doesn’t Go As Planned
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12, NIV). Snow falls heavily—a white veil making our world feel close and small for the morning. After the school calls off classes for the day, after the eight-year-old loses another baby tooth, and after an argument over the TV, I close the bedroom door to pray. “Father, how would you have us use these unexpected hours together?” I pray. I had plans to meet with friends, work on a writing project, and take the youngest to the dollar store. Never one to embrace interruptions, this snow day has thrown me for a loop. I…
-
Combating Anxiety with the Power of Intentional Moments
I’m thrilled to share the wise words of my friend Nichole Suvar with you today! Nichole and I met in the world of online writers, and every time I read her words, they touch my heart deeply. Today, I’m honored to share a post from Nichole about combating anxiety with the power of small, intentional moments. Nichole recently released a new book called Numbering Our Days, and this book is helping me slow down, consider my thoughts, and make the most of my moments in light of eternity. It’s exactly what I needed in this season. This wonderful book contains 49 short devotions challenging us to overcome anxiety and embrace intention…
-
God Uses Broken People—and He Wants to Use You
Have you ever wondered if your mistakes disqualify you from serving God? Today, I warmly invite you to travel back in time with me, and I’ll bear witness to the fact that God uses broken people—and he wants to use you. God Uses Broken People My early twenties were tumultuous. I was angry with God and decided to live for myself instead of living for him. After a few tough years, I realized I wasn’t cultivating the life I wanted for myself. I returned to God with a humble heart and asked him to help me put my life back together. Slowly, God began the restorative work of healing my…
