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Leave It to God: 4 Ways to Cast Your Cares on Him
The wheat field bends low in waves of ragged green as an evening storm blows in. Like velvet brushed by an unseen hand, the monochrome swath is broken. “Leave it to God,” I whisper as I stroll down our country road. Meanwhile, the same ethereal hand seems to sweep my cares away with the wind. I come to cast my cares on the Lord out here beneath these open skies as often as possible. Sometimes, I list my worries one by one. At other times, I imagine opening my heart and letting the One who sees every part of me wash away the concerns that are weighing too heavily. I…
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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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6 Encouraging Prayers for Hopeless Situations
I recently went to the woods to talk to God about a situation that felt hopeless. Perhaps you’re facing some challenging circumstances, too. You are in the right place. Today, we’ll unpack six prayers for hopeless situations as we press into our true Source of hope. We are never without hope when we learn where our unchanging hope is found. This week, I invite you to join me in my favorite place: the woods. Prayers for Hopeless Situations As I walked through the forest recently, I realized I was falling into a behavior that has defined my response to hopeless situations for years: Trying to fix what felt broken. Most…
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Prayers for Broken Hearts: 5 Prayers for Comfort and Healing
It’s not easy to know how to pray for a broken heart. Whether you are hurting or you want to pray for a loved one who is suffering, today we’ll explore five comforting prayers for broken hearts. My hope is that these prayers will offer healing and hope to those who are hurting today. I invite you to join me in one of my favorite places, our backyard fire ring, and we’ll talk about how to pray for hurting hearts. 5 Comforting Prayers for Broken Hearts Four charred logs rest haphazardly on the ashes. Wisps of smoke arise from the center of the heap. As I hunker down for a…
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4 Ways to Begin Healing Your Relationship With Food
It’s a rainy Tuesday evening, and I gaze into the fridge with an insatiable appetite. I want to learn how to stop comfort eating and find my comfort in God, but when I’m honest about it, sugar is more palpable at the end of a long day. I’d love to find healing in my relationship with food, but I have not arrived—not by a long shot. As I stand in front of the fridge, I pray, “Lord, I need your grace. I need you to work in my life and help me break free from my pattern of escapist eating.” Healing Your Relationship With Food There are no lightning bolts…
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The Blessings of Trusting God in Pain and Suffering
I’m cleaning out the basket above the fridge when I discover a tattered calendar. Opening it, I flip through the empty pages. I remember the year vividly. It was a year marked by pain and suffering. Illness kept the calendar blank for months. At the time, I was blind to the blessings of trusting God in our circumstances. Surprisingly, I realize I’m smiling as I reflect on the year. I recall the tears, the sorrow, and the prayers that seemed to go unanswered for months. At the time, those unanswered prayers didn’t feel like something to smile about. The Blessings of Trusting God Most likely, you have a few unanswered…
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How to Stop Worrying and Trust God in Tough Times
I’ve been a worrier for as long as I can remember. Throughout the past decade, I’ve been on a journey of learning how to stop worrying and trust God with the parts of my life that are important to me. Maybe you can relate. It’s not easy to keep from falling apart when it looks like your world might come crashing down at any given moment. Maybe you lost your job, the relationship finally fell apart, or the wayward child still hasn’t come home. It’s not easy to figure out how to stop worrying and trust God. Perhaps you prayed and pleaded for God to bring a dream to pass. …
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4 Practical Ways to Overcome Fear With Faith
Welcome to our second post in the Set Free series. Today, we’ll talk about how to overcome fear with faith. This series offers a taste of what you’ll find in my paperback book, Lean Into Grace. And now, let’s talk about rising above our greatest fears. How to Overcome Fear With Faith Through the frosted windowpane, the world is colored by shapes. An angular patch of green breathes life into the dull surroundings where the neighbor has tended to her plot of earth. The C-shaped stretch of curving country road delineates the wild from the tame. I get lost in the scene and feel like I’ve stepped out of the latest…
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How to Be Transformed by Grace—and Why Willpower Doesn’t Work
I sit beneath the snowy hemlocks and search the forest for any hint of movement. God breathes in shades of grey today—smoky clouds rolling overhead while translucent ice encompasses the frozen world. I’ve come to the woods because I’m feeling stuck, and I need to connect with the Creator so that I might be transformed by grace. Today, I feel stuck in the grip of a habit I can’t seem to break. I feel defeated and wonder if I’ll ever find victory over this besetting sin. I’ve been mustering all the willpower I can gather; however, much to my dismay, willpower seems to be failing me. I spent the first…
