-
How to Change the World From Hidden Places: 5 Bible Verses About Leaving an Impact
Most of us face moments when the monotony of our daily lives wears on us. We wonder if we’re making a difference in the world and doubt God’s calling. We can turn to God’s Word for hope and encouragement in these times. Today, we’ll look at five Bible verses about leaving an impact. Often, our idea of what it means to make a difference is vastly different from God’s idea. I invite you into my struggle with the idea of making an impact, and we’ll take a closer look at God’s calling for all of us. 5 Bible Verses About Leaving an Impact I don’t wake up thinking of ways…
-
The Importance of Balance in Life: What Does It Mean
This morning, snowflakes waltzed on the trodden lawn like tufts of cotton grass bobbing on a summer morning. I remembered summer with all its life and possibility, and the season we’d settled into felt more like a sterile waiting room where everyone just stared at the walls and prayed for our names to be called. I’d been thinking about the importance of balance in life, and that balance felt lacking. Sometimes it’s all you can do not to put every last ounce of hope in the day when the season finally shifts. With all your heart you want to put your hope in something bigger than your circumstances – Someone…
-
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…
-
Radically Remake Your Prayer Life With This Simple Tool
It’s a foggy almost-winter morning as I join the other women at the table with my Bible and tall pink mug. We are here to dig into Scripture and talk about how to be consistent when we pray. I know my prayer life desperately needs an overhaul, but I’m too tired to come up with a reasonable plan for the remake. We take turns sipping our respective beverages and talking about what God is doing in our lives, and then the conversation turns to how to be more deliberate in prayer. How to Connect Your Prayer Life With Your Thought-Life And then it happens. The dear older woman sitting next…
-
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…
-
5 Kingdom Advancement Prayers for Our World
God’s kingdom is the realm in which he rules and reigns. His kingdom has come to earth in part, but we are all awaiting the day when Jesus returns and reigns in full. Until that time, we can join together in praying kingdom advancement prayers for the world. 5 Kingdom Advancement Prayers for the World Matthew 6:10 reads: “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus’ words lead us to consider: Just what does it look like to pray for his kingdom to come on earth? Undoubtedly, part of this prayer includes shifting from self-focused prayers to world-focused prayers. Reverend Newman Hall writes: “Man’s worship, apart from…
-
Why Your Daily Purpose is Far From Ordinary
I’m excited to introduce you to my friend Emily Saxe for this special guest post. While I don’t regularly share posts from guest contributors, Emily and I are women with the same vision for reaching the world through the words God puts on our hearts. I had the joy of talking about life and writing with Emily on the phone a few weeks ago, and it’s an honor to share her words with you today. ~~~ I read the words on the delicate page in front of me. My mind pictures the scene, transporting me from my kitchen table to an olive garden where the sun still wakes. I see…
-
How to Stay Connected to God When Life Is Full
The house quiets as the school bus rolls away, and I take a moment to pause and review the past few months. I try to do this a few times each year as a way of assessing my rhythms. It’s my way of stepping back to consider how to stay connected to God when life is full. Golden beams of sunlight pierce the windowpane, and I consider the ways God has been moving in my life. I see the calling to be more disciplined in my thought life. I’ve been learning to see what’s right and stop focusing on what’s wrong in my days. I’ve been learning to be more…
-
How to Pray Powerful Prayers for Your Inner Circle
I watch our baby boy sleep on the other side of the room while rain streams down the sliding glass door. His eyelids flutter as he dreams, and I ask God to lead me as I aim to pray powerful prayers for this little one’s life. I’ve been juggling lately. I’ve been juggling my writing career, my friendships, my relationship with God, my family, and more. We each have our own kinds of juggling. We juggle careers, relationships, and self-care. Our quiet and hidden work often feels more humble than our public service. Meanwhile, the hidden service is often the most important work. And a vital part of this hidden…
-
10 Bible Verses About Passion and Purpose in Life
I sit along the trickling creek as ribbons of fading daylight twirl through a canopy of maples. I’m here to talk to God about my life, and I’ve brought my Bible in search of Bible verses about passion and purpose in my life. Life has been full and blessed lately. The house is filled with the noise of children. Our days are spent splashing in this creek and riding bikes along the winding path. We are surrounded by blessings. These days with the kids also offer very little downtime. If I’m not preparing a meal for someone, I’m cleaning up or scooping food into a little mouth. If I’m not…
