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A Prayer for God to Take Control in a Situation
Snow falls like a million answers to all the wishes cast on shooting stars. I made a wish while the moon shined white last night. I whispered it in the quiet part of my heart where child-like hopes mingled with prayers. On the surface, it seemed to be a wish for everything to turn out okay. On a deeper level, it was a prayer for God to take control in a situation that was weighing on my heart. I’ll share this story in today’s post. I also encourage you to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you surrender control to God. A…
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11 Encouraging Bible Verses About Failure
A sycamore leaf falls into my hand—brittle and tawny, the color nutmeg. The creek unfolds in shadowy shades of black, and I breathe deeply as my cares fall away. Pulling out my Bible, I begin making a list of Bible verses about failure. I recently failed in an endeavor that was important to me. I need God’s Word to encourage me and help me press forward. We all face failure, and it can leave us feeling paralyzed and defeated. Today, we’ll take a closer look at 11 Bible verses about failure. I encourage you to soak in these Words and ask God to illuminate them in your heart. God wants…
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“Has God Abandoned Me?” (12 Promises From God)
I sit in the canyon where the granite is ribboned with a thousand shades of earthy beige. I’ve come to this canyon to find answers and seek direction for my life. Feeling alone and uncertain, I whisper painful words to the wild Wyoming sky: “Has God abandoned me?” I’ve endured some rough years, and I can’t help but wonder what God thinks about my life. Is he looking at me with folded arms and a disappointed scowl on his face? Is he rolling his eyes and writing me off? I surely deserve to be written off. I’ve been living for myself and not for him. From where I’m sitting in…
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How to Captivate the Heart of Jesus
Dusk settles over Wyoming’s wild country as we gather beneath the milky light of a crescent moon. A cowboy strums his guitar, and I glance at his young apprentice on the far side of the deck. Our eyes lock, and I feel my heart leap in my chest. I have no idea this moment will forever remind me of exactly what happens to the heart of Jesus every time I glance in his direction. Nearly twenty years have passed since I first locked eyes with the handsome young cowboy beneath wild Wyoming skies. We now lock eyes across the kitchen table as our three children bicker about who got the…
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On Hearing God’s Voice: One Thing God Will Never Say to You
There are hundreds of black flies rising from still water when I hear it. It’s a quiet whisper coming from someplace I can’t quite identify: “You’re not good enough for this.” For a split second, I wonder if I’m hearing God’s voice. I’ve heard this voice dozens of times: When I had that big dream that felt way beyond my reach. When I walked into the middle school cafeteria and couldn’t find a single friend. The day I was asked to stand on a podium and share my heart with an audience. When the superintendent told me I had one week to budget, purchase, curriculum-map, and design an entire classroom…
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Jesus’ Words for Your Troubled Times and Mountaintop Moments (with Deb Wolf)
The pines dance silvery-white in the morning sunlight, and if I listen closely enough, I swear I hear them singing in unison. Winter is the quiet season in this part of the world. It’s also the time of year when my soul starts itching for Jesus’ words to reach down from the fiery firmament and speak into my weary heart. Not long ago, God sent more than just a few of Jesus’ words to speak into my life. I was in a season of faithful Bible-reading, but I felt spiritually dry. By God’s grace, he led me to Deb Wolf’s new devotional journal for women. Deb’s 52-Week Devotional Journal for…
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5 Ways to Encounter God in Unexpected Places
I’ve been thinking about how to encounter God in the ordinary moments of my days for a few years now. Today, we’ll discuss 5 ways to encounter God in tough times and unexpected places. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you connect with God. 5 Ways to Encounter God Looking back over these years, I smile as I consider the ways God has most frequently revealed himself in my life: God did the most soul-shaping work in my life in very unexpected places. I consider these thoughts as I put myself in the shoes of a young man who…
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Trusting God in Difficult Times: 3 Powerful Insights
Raindrops hang from the picnic table like glass beads on a string. Morning has come with heavy air and an ashen sky that goads us to sleep longer. Life has consisted of one rainy day after another here. It’s been a hard season of learning about trusting God in difficult times. Perhaps you can relate. If you could use encouragement on trusting God in difficult times, you’re in the right place today. Trusting God in Difficult Times What happens when the thing you prayed would never happen becomes your reality? A friendship that was once life-giving suddenly becomes strained and difficult. You are misunderstood in an area that matters deeply…
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What Are the Blessings of God?
After praying together as a family, our son recently asked, “Mom, what are the blessings of God? You’re always asking God to bless us, but what does that mean?’ I told him that God’s blessings include peace, protection, comfort, joy, and more. As I reflected, I told him that everything good in our lives is a blessing from God. God’s blessings include family, friends, our home, summer sunrises, wildflowers, and more. Since that day, I’ve been more mindful of paying attention to God’s many blessings. If you’d like to cultivate a greater awareness of God’s blessings, you are in the right place today. Today, we’ll explore the question, “What are…
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8 Encouraging Bible Verses About Change in Life
I wrote this post about how to embrace change as we adjusted to life with a tiny new member of the family. If you feel like any area of your life has been flipped upside down lately, these words are for you. Be sure to keep reading to the end of the post for eight Bible verses about change in life, followed by a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God amid changing circumstances. Navigating Transitions (With 8 Bible Verses About Change in Life) Our family recently stepped into a transition that startled us all. After nine months of enduring my couch-bound illness, we welcomed our…
