-
Four Practical Ways to Cultivate a Consistent Prayer Life
The roadsides are blanketed with wildflowers, and we often spend evenings playing kickball in the backyard now. It’s not officially summer yet, but it feels like summer has already settled upon us. As our rhythms change, I long to cultivate a more consistent prayer life, especially in this busy season. As I reflect on this desire, I’m reminded that God doesn’t want to be an add-on to my busy summer; he wants to do life with me. How to Cultivate a More Consistent Prayer Life A phrase keeps running through my mind: Don’t leave God in the prayer closet. God wants us to meet with him in quiet places. But…
-
What Does God Want Me to Do With My Life?
Have you been asking, “What does God want me to do with my life?” God wants to reveal his will to you. Let’s talk about how to find God’s will for our lives. What Does God Want Me to Do With My Life? The cherry blossoms will soon be salmon with life and hope. I’ve often wondered why God chose to awaken these trees with springtime signs of life before their taller cousins. Maybe he knew we’d all need something remarkably beautiful by the end of the long winter months. Maybe he wanted to give us the best first, a sign of blessings yet to come. After long winter months,…
-
7 Bible Verses About Your Calling in Life
When God calls you to follow him, he offers something more powerful than a plan. Today we’ll explore seven Bible verses about your calling in life and apply these truths to our lives. Let’s begin by turning to God’s Word for insight into his calling. 7 Bible Verses About Your Calling in Life Scripture offers a great deal of insight into God’s calling. Here are seven Bible verses about your calling in life. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God and embrace his calling for your life. Bible Verses About Your Calling in Life 1.…
-
How to Be a More Patient Mom When Parenting Is Hard
It’s 8:00 p.m. on a Saturday, and I need a talking break. I’ve been answering questions almost incessantly for the past 14 hours. I can’t help but wonder how the question-asker hasn’t worn down yet, but he’s going strong. I’m learning how to be a more patient mom through the refining fire of parenthood, and I’m failing more than I’m flourishing. We’re driving home from a visit with Grandma and Grandpa when the questions begin again from the backseat. “Mom, how do they make seatbelts?” he wants to know. “Geez. Do you ever stop talking?” his older sister barks. I feel her pain and try to shoot her a sympathetic…
-
7 Ways to Connect With God and Refresh Your Spirit
Do you want a deeper or stronger relationship with God? You are in the right place. Today, we’ll explore 7 ways to connect with God in fresh ways. I invite you to join me as I gaze at the autumn tree line, and we’ll talk about how to draw near to God in refreshing ways. 7 Ways to Connect With God and Refresh Your Spirit The maples are splashed vermilion, and mist rises ashen from the valley. I take it all in from my morning watch by the window, trying to drink in all this color before the world turns grey. I’ve been contemplating how to have deeper fulfillment in…
-
What Does It Mean to Lay Down Your Life for God?
Have you ever wondered what it means to lay down your life for God and others? Jesus spoke the following words to his disciples: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13, NIV). Perhaps you want to know how to live this out. I invite you to join me in my parents’ living room shortly after the birth of my third child, and we’ll explore what it might look like to lay down your life. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you experience God’s presence and power in your life.…
-
Inspiring Scripture About Serving in Quiet Places
The night before our youngest was born, I took a walk in a thundershower. Something about the way the heavens came pouring out like a flood resonated with the past 40 weeks of my poured-out life. I’d been digging into Scripture about serving in hidden places and clinging to God with all my heart, but I still felt spent. I didn’t really mean to go walking in a storm that night. The radar called for spotty showers. 30 percent. Beneath a thick canopy of maples, the early evening sky looked dusky, even on the brink of Solstice. A low rumble of thunder in the west was the only sign that…
-
How to Know When God Is Leading You: 4 Ways
Have you ever wondered how to know when God is leading you in a new direction? Discerning the difference between our desires and God’s voice can be challenging. Today, we’ll talk about finding direction from God and following his lead. How to Know God is Leading You “If God really speaks to us, then I’d sure like someone to explain the ways God speaks to us,” a younger friend declared as we walked beneath a canopy of blossoming apple trees. There was a hint of frustration in her voice. My friend had been pursuing God and sincerely believed she was following him into a new career endeavor. Her dream seemed…
-
Live Yielded to God for Sweetness of Spirit
Hello, friends! I’m honored to share a guest post from my dear friend Kelly Baker with you today! Kelly’s words point to truth, all while offering practical insight for following Christ in the midst of full lives. She is a prayer partner, encourager, and like-minded sister on mission. Enjoy this challenge to cultivate a sweetness of spirit in your life. I was challenged by Kelly’s words, and I trust you will be as well! ~~~ I recently swapped stories of current family trials with Stacey. She declared, “Oh motherhood is such a death to self at times!” What a true statement! I wanted to crawl under my covers and hide…
-
How to Change the World From Hidden Places: 5 Bible Verses About Leaving an Impact
Most of us face moments when the monotony of our daily lives wears on us. We wonder if we’re making a difference in the world and doubt God’s calling. We can turn to God’s Word for hope and encouragement in these times. Today, we’ll look at five Bible verses about leaving an impact. Often, our idea of what it means to make a difference is vastly different from God’s idea. I invite you into my struggle with the idea of making an impact, and we’ll take a closer look at God’s calling for all of us. 5 Bible Verses About Leaving an Impact I don’t wake up thinking of ways…
