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5 Back-to-School Prayers for Students Who Don’t Love School
Last summer, after a rough start to the school year, I changed how I prayed for our kids. If you know a young person who doesn’t always enjoy school, I pray these back-to-school prayers for students who don’t love school will help guide your prayers as well. 5 Back-to-School Prayers for Students Who Don’t Love School Morning dawned breathless today—the weight of late summer’s humidity hanging oppressively overhead. As I gazed out the window and prayed over our kids, I thought about the upcoming transition to school. “God, help us all this year,” I whispered. I then wrote the following prayers in my journal. If you know a young person…
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God’s Power in Us: Power Perfected in Weakness
Thirteen years ago, I became a mom, and life as I had known it changed forever. Today, I invite you to join me in the hospital room at the beginning of my motherhood journey, and we’ll talk about experiencing God’s power in us when we feel weak. God’s Power in Us Outside the hospital window, an apricot glow arises from behind the unclothed tree line. Dawn is coming. Today is my first full day as a mother, and I’m weary. I slept less than an hour last night and cannot move after yesterday’s emergency C-section. Now, more than ever, I need God’s power to carry me in my weakness. If…
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7 Characteristics of a Transformed Life
Are you searching for evidence that God is working in your life? Today, we’ll look at 7 characteristics of a transformed life. I invite you to join me as God transformed me through a challenging situation. Then, we’ll take a closer look at what it means to be transformed by God. 7 Characteristics of a Transformed Life The clock reads half-past two, and the moon hangs high in the inky black of a December night. I’m lost in deep sleep, and I have no idea that I’m about to be transformed by God through the encounter that unfolds. At first, I’m not sure what stirred me from sleep. It takes…
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Letting Go and Trusting God: 8 Reasons to Trust Him
This morning, I was startled to find the wood line painted grey. Nevertheless, the bleak scene matched the state of my soul. I sat by the window and wondered, What is God doing in my life? Letting go and trusting God felt nearly impossible. Above the hardwoods, a lavender cloud arched its back into the shape of a question mark. Perhaps the heavens were questioning God’s purposes as well. Later in the day, I took a walk beneath the naked arms of the maples, oaks, and sycamores. I let my mind trace the footprints of a handful of recent disappointments—disappointments that felt far heavier than a dismal shift of seasons. …
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8 Bible Verses About Change and Transition
The cobalt skies have faded to grey, and aside from a few crumpled leaves, the poplar tree beside our house has shed her summer foliage. Most of the leaves are scattered on the deck in shades of burnt sienna, and I don’t have the heart to sweep them away just yet. I’ve never been great at handling change. I pull out my Bible in search of a few encouraging Bible verses about change and transition in life. Today, I want to hold on to lingering twilight, campfires in the yard, and supper on the deck. Everything within me wants to hold onto barefoot water fights and footraces around a flourishing…
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When God Closes a Door, He Opens a Window—or Does He?
A scrim of periwinkle clouds hangs low in the morning blue. I stand at the window and admire the scene with an aching heart. The thrum of disappointment beats in cadence with my pulse, and I think of an often-repeated adage: “When God closes a door, he opens a window.” I’m not sure who said this first, but in my experience, it’s not always how life works out. When God closes a door, it often feels like being locked in a dark room with no clue of where to turn next. I’ve experienced this more than a few times, and I suspect you have, too. We set our goals and…
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Trials of Faith: 3 Promises for Tough Times
We all face trials of faith. When these times come, we can respond in a variety of ways. Some people blame God for trials, take offense, and turn away from him. Others try to fix the broken circumstances as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, some of us numb ourselves or escape into work. Today, we’ll talk about how to grow through trials of faith instead of being thrown off course by them. Trials of Faith Last year at this time, the valley behind our house flooded. After three days of rain, the ice encasing the creek finally gave way, and the whole valley was swallowed in the icy torrent. Standing at…
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10 Bible Verses to Help With Anxiety and Fear
The amber light of morning finds me through a partially drawn curtain. Within the first moments of the day, my mind returns to a situation that’s been filling me with anxious thoughts. “Not today, fear,” I whisper, and I open my Bible in search of Truth. Instead of meditating on my fears today, I decide to make a list of Bible verses to help with anxiety and fear. 10 Bible Verses to Help With Anxiety and Fear Opening my Bible, I’m reminded that when anxiety and fear come at me, I always have a choice. I can buckle beneath the weight of my paralyzing emotions—giving the enemy a seat at…
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Cast All Your Burdens on God: 4 Practical Ways
Do you want to learn to cast all your burdens on the Lord? I invite you to join me in the woods, and we’ll talk about practical ways to cast our cares on Jesus. Cast All Your Burdens on God: 4 Insights The forest is silent this morning. Shrouded in a fresh cloak of frozen ivory, every fallen log and standing hemlock dozes beneath the weight of winter’s breath. Suddenly, a rustle behind me catches my attention. I turn, startled, expecting a deer or coyote. The forest sleeps. I hear it again and realize the noise is coming from somewhere closer than I first realized. Looking at the ground just…
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Rejection Is God’s Protection: 8 Truths to Stand on
Last year, I faced a crushing setback in my writing career. I almost walked away from writing to pursue a different line of work. Yet as I sorted through my emotions, one truth became clear: Often, rejection is God’s protection. Perhaps you’re facing painful rejection today, too. I encourage you to give yourself time to grieve the loss of your hopes and expectations. Be kind to yourself as you process your feelings and give yourself space and grace to lament what was lost. In the meantime, remind yourself of this truth: God closes doors in our lives for our protection. What If This Rejection Is God’s Protection? Often, God’s protection…
