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5 Prayers for Insecurity: When You Wonder If You Fit in
Do you ever walk into crowded places and wonder where you fit in? Maybe you feel like you don’t fit in at all. Most of us have felt this way. Today, we’ll explore five empowering prayers for insecurity as we aim to overcome our fears of rejection. I invite you to join me as I navigated these feelings among a group of beautiful and talented women. Prayers for Insecurity I make my way cautiously from the ornately decorated lobby of the exquisite hotel and follow the lavender banners that lead to the conference room. I’ve just traveled eight hours to attend a women’s conference. This seemed like a wonderful idea…
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A List of Good Habits for Joy and Energy
A pewter sky threatens rain, and I stand at the window as the little one calls from the living room. He wants to know what we’re doing for fun today. I’ve been deliberately turning to my mental list of good habits daily, and I decide on a trip to the woods. “Let’s head to the creek,” I declare, and within minutes, we’re strolling down the road. “Better hurry up. It might rain, Mom,” he urges. “A little rain won’t hurt us,” I tell sweet Aiden. He makes a comment about melting, and we both laugh. Much to our delight, the rain holds off. We spend an hour throwing rocks into…
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Casting Our Nets
Today isn’t my usual day to post, but I’m excited to share the words of one of my dearest lifelong friends today. I met Courtney McNamara when we were in fourth grade at East Lawrence Elementary School, and we’ve been friends ever since! Courtney is a gifted artist, a talented published author, and a tender soul with a huge heart. Her friendship is a treasured gift. She’s one of a small handful of friends who receives my 6:00 a.m., “I need prayer” texts. As we all know, these friends are rare gifts! Courtney’s wisdom on the topic of casting our nets challenged me and blessed me, and I trust it…
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5 Morning Routines to Help You Start Your Day With God
Autumn rain hangs from the spruce boughs like glass beads. Cleansing the sleepy earth, it feels like God’s invitation to begin again. I’ve been thinking about my rhythms lately—analyzing the morning routines that are working for me in this season as well as the ones that aren’t. The Importance of Morning Routines Last week, I felt tempted to return to self-effort in an attempt to restore some off-kilter areas of my life. However, this morning, the ivory mist reminds me that a Spirit-filled life is not built around willpower but around rhythms. The rhythms we establish ultimately make up our lives. 5 Morning Routines to Help You Begin Well If…
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Angry Cleaning: 3 Ways to Move Toward Peace and Joy
I recently went for a walk with a friend who confessed to Angry Cleaning. I didn’t have to ask her for an explanation because I’ve Angry Cleaned more times than I can count. Unlike “Rage Cleaning,” in which we intentionally pour our frustration into the cleaning process, using our anger for good, Angry Cleaning is act of cleaning angrily, often because others are not helping us. I invite you to join me as I walk through the woods with my friend, and we’ll learn how to move away from Angry Cleaning, Angry Cooking, Angry Working, and Angry Parenting. Angry Cleaning A thread of silver water twists its way through an…
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What If This Interruption Is a Divine Assignment?
First light pours through the curtain slow and thick, like buttermilk. Lost in the glory of dawn’s hazy glow, I read a few Psalms as I soak in God’s love. “God, help me embrace every divine assignment you send me today,” I pray. I then recall a moment from several days ago. Could This Interruption Be a Divine Assignment? A few days ago, I’d been sitting by the window for less than ten minutes when our little boy shuffled up beside me dragging a chair. After pushing his chair next to mine, he sat down and snuggled against me. The scene would have been cute if the little guy had…
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Seeking God’s Wisdom: Are You Praying or Ruminating?
Do you ever feel afraid of making the wrong decision and messing up your life? Maybe you need to choose between two jobs, two future spouses, or two different houses. In your uncertainty, you’re afraid you’re going to choose incorrectly and derail your life. You’ve been seeking God’s wisdom, but for the most part, heaven seems silent. A few years ago, I was desperate for wisdom and direction from God. I wasn’t sure whether to continue fervently pursuing my writing career or slow my writing and consider the possibility of having a third child. I reached out to a mentor and asked for advice. Secretly, I hoped she would tell…
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How to Know If You Are Walking in the Spirit: 5 Ways
Have you ever wondered how to know if you are walking in the Spirit? Maybe you want to be used by God and live for his honor, but you wonder if you are making a difference. Today, we’ll talk about how to know you’re walking in the Spirit and explore practical ways to stay in step with the Holy Spirit. First, I’ll offer a silly example of choosing between walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh. Then, we’ll look at five ways to walk in the Spirit. How to Know If You Are Walking in the Spirit Every summer, we clean our house by spraying it with a…
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Are You Afraid of Missing God’s Plan for Your Life?
I walk the country road at dusk—twilight folding over the path behind me like a parted sea falling back into place. I’ve been thinking about staying in step with God’s plans lately, and my heart feels bogged down by worries that I might somehow botch his plan. I wonder if you can relate. I wonder if you’ve ever felt fearful that you just might miss God’s plan for your life. You probably know how it feels to be desperate to hear from God about something important to you. You fasted and prayed and scoured your Bible in search of direction. All the while, you wondered if you might be heading…
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How to “Be Still and Know That I Am God”
The shaded canopy at the trailhead fluttered to the ground, one golden leaf at a time. I was in the woods because I’d grown weary from juggling the many commitments in my life. I was desperate to quiet my soul and relearn how to “be still and know that I am God.” You probably know about the exhausting effort of juggling your commitments. Your arms grow weary, and you desperately need rest. In an attempt to rest in God’s presence, you go to a quiet place, but your mind refuses to settle. When I can’t quiet my mind, I find a few minutes to walk outside. I breathe deeply and…
