-
Embracing Your Journey: 5 Tips to Help You
“God’s gifts are woven into every journey,” a friend once reminded me. “Embracing your journey happens when you learn to see the gifts, especially the ones hidden beneath challenges.” I’ve thought of her words dozens of times since that day. I invite you to join me in a place that often inspires my writing—the tiny cabin where our family escapes for long weekends surrounded by rolling hills, beech trees, and open skies—and we’ll talk about learning to embrace our moments. Embracing Your Journey The steady cadence of rain falling on a metal roof is broken by children’s squeals in the distance. A few minutes ago, my husband and sons took…
-
Sowing Spiritual Seeds: 8 Truths for When You Doubt Your Calling
When I became a teacher, I remember looking around and thinking, The needs are so great, and I’m only one person. What difference can I possibly make? The idea of sowing spiritual seeds for God’s glory felt like a long shot. I was just trying to survive. Two decades later, I’m no longer teaching in a public school. But I often look at the world’s condition and have similar sentiments. The needs are so great. I feel so small. What impact could I possibly make? Maybe you’ve experienced similar thoughts. Sowing Spiritual Seeds When You Feel Insignificant Not long ago, I read the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. The…
-
How to Cultivate Contentment When You’re Tempted to Grumble
A grey sky hovered over the mountains as we climbed out of the valley. Cloaked in wildflowers and the viridescent glow of summer growth, the hillsides held us in welcoming arms. The scene felt like a gentle invitation to cultivate contentment and peace. As we traveled up the mountainside, the tender growth of flora was gradually replaced by tall stands of conifers—lodgepole and jack pine surrounding us like protective guardians. We spotted elk grazing in meadows and moose meandering through willows. The shift came slowly at first. The trees began to thin and give way to more expansive meadows. Before long, the scant trees all clung to the mountainside below…
-
5 New Year Prayer Points for a Fresh Start
I meander slowly through a forest encased in white. Strangers’ footprints delineate the path through crusty layers that have thawed and frozen a dozen times. I’m in the woods today to regroup and focus on the months ahead. The New Year always feels like a fresh start. Today, I invite you to join me as we explore five New Year prayer points to help us begin this year with focus and hope. 5 New Year Prayer Points for a Fresh Start I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of picking a word, a verse, or a resolution for the New Year. This year, as I stroll through the forest, I…
-
4 Ways to Stay Focused on Jesus at Christmas
For the first year in decades, I counted winter as a gift this year: not a grueling season to survive, but a wonderous season to embrace. As I aim to give thanks for the colder weather and darker days, I’m also reminding myself to stay focused on Jesus at Christmas this year. I tend to get pulled into the rush of my Christmas to-do list, making it tough to stay centered. If you can relate, here are four ways I’m helping our family stay focused on Jesus at Christmas this year. How to Stay Focused on Jesus at Christmas Let’s look at several practical ways to keep our focus on…
-
10 Life-Giving Bible Verses About Light and Truth
As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the coming of the Light of the World, I’ve been soaking in Bible verses about light and truth. I invite you to join me as I watch the morning dawn, and we’ll savor these Truths together. 10 Life-Giving Bible Verses About Light and Truth This morning the sky greeted us with a color I’d never named. Like a tree-ripened peach, it smiled down from above—ready to offer the gift of its entire self. Thunder groaned a foreboding warning to the south, and I pulled the blanket over my head, resistant to surrender to the light. Meanwhile, I’ve learned that the light finds me…
-
How to Renew Your Mind From Negative Thoughts
I recently set out on a slow walk down our country road as the sun set behind the barren maple forest. I had no way of knowing that the walk was going to be a lesson in renewing my mind. Perhaps you need this space as well. Maybe you need to lean into learning how to renew your mind from negative thoughts. As I walked, I noticed that the tree line had turned gray with winter. I’m not ready for these long, dark winter months, I thought. I cringed at the thought of long evenings inside the house and whiteouts rolling in from the west. How to Renew Your Mind…
-
4 Signs That God Is Pruning You
Do you sense that God is pruning you and cutting away parts of your life that aren’t bearing fruit? Today, I invite you to join me as I stand on our front stoop, and we’ll talk about the signs that God is pruning you. Signs That God Is Pruning You Yesterday, I pruned the Rose of Sharon. It’s not the season for pruning, but the roseate blossoms were drawing bees to our front door. With flowers hanging like a garland around the door, it was just a matter of time until someone got stung. Suppressing a twinge of sadness, I snipped and shaped the unruly branches. About halfway through the…
-
7 Uplifting Prayers of Gratitude to God
Nightfall welcomes a resplendent moon, and I admire it from the window. As I watch the first stars emerge, my heart fills with thankfulness, inspiring me to draw near to my Creator with prayers of gratitude to God. Today, I’m sharing seven prayers of gratitude to God with hopes to inspire your prayer life as well. After exploring these prayers, we’ll talk about how to cultivate prayerful lives. 7 Prayers of Gratitude to God In his letter to the Thessalonian church, the Apostle Paul encouraged these believers to be joyful always, pray without stopping, and give thanks in all situations (1 Thess. 5:16-18). Interestingly, recent findings in neuroscience reveal that…
-
20 Words of Affirmation for Every Child
I want to build my kids up with the words I speak. Meanwhile, I’ve learned that I need to be intentional in this pursuit. It’s easy to get pulled into the rhythms of our busy lives and neglect opportunities to affirm our kids. If this resonates with you, here are 20 words of affirmation for every child. May these words encourage you to be intentional in your parenting and in your speech. 20 Words of Affirmation for Every Child Author Toni Morrison once asked, “When your child walks in the room, does your face light up?” These words come to my mind often. I think of these words in the…
