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Igniting Your Spiritual Passion: 3 Ways
“What would igniting your spiritual passion look like right now?” a friend asks as we sit in her living room. “If I knew, I’d be doing it,” I admit. “Why don’t you ask God what you need to do?” she asks. I’m about to tell her I’ve already asked him, but I realize she’s onto something. The slow and steady rhythms of life have led me to a season of spiritual dryness, and I haven’t stepped back to ask God what he wants to do in me through this time. In the days that follow, I begin seeking his face, asking what it would look like to run to his…
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This Word for the Year Could Change Your Life Forever
Prickly pine needles rise from the carpeting like tiny daggers aimed at stocking feet. I should hoist the vacuum cleaner from the basement and take care of it, but this mounting pressure to pick a word for the year has me glued to the recliner like a woman with a deadline. Last year’s word came effortlessly. Had it not, I might have forsaken the idea altogether. It was a mind-boggling year. I read an article on picking a word of the year last winter, and while I’d picked a Bible verse and name of God for the New Year many times, I’d never picked just one word. Last year on…
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5 Kingdom Advancement Prayers for Our World
God’s kingdom is the realm in which he rules and reigns. His kingdom has come to earth in part, but we are all awaiting the day when Jesus returns and reigns in full. Until that time, we can join together in praying kingdom advancement prayers for the world. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to guide you in seven days of prayer. 5 Kingdom Advancement Prayers for the World Matthew 6:10 reads: “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus’ words lead us to consider: Just what does it look like to pray for his kingdom to come…
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Why Your Daily Purpose is Far From Ordinary
I’m excited to introduce you to my friend Emily Saxe for this special guest post. While I don’t regularly share posts from guest contributors, Emily and I are women with the same vision for reaching the world through the words God puts on our hearts. I had the joy of talking about life and writing with Emily on the phone a few weeks ago, and it’s an honor to share her words with you today. ~~~ I read the words on the delicate page in front of me. My mind pictures the scene, transporting me from my kitchen table to an olive garden where the sun still wakes. I see…
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Hold Your Peace: Finding Rest on Life’s Battlefield
“The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:14, KJV Hold Your Peace: Finding Rest on Life’s Battlefield Autumn tends to be a full season for our family. Every year, this season nudges me to seek a deeper level of peace in life when the demands of my days feel overwhelming. This year, I’ve been shuttling the oldest to cross-country practice, storing vegetables from the garden, writing words, holding things down on the homefront, and fulfilling all the normal requirements that fill our days. Slipping away to the woods, it feels good to pause in the middle of it all. How to Hold Your…
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Finding God in Suffering: 5 Affirmations to Carry You
Some conversations remain imprinted on our minds in the precise location where they took place. Hard conversations with friends. Phone calls that change everything in the blink of an eye. Faith-filled conversations that shift paradigms in our minds and call us to learn how to be brave in new ways. Today, we’ll talk about finding God in suffering. I’ll share five affirmations that have carried me through the darkest days. Finding God in Suffering As last summer drew to a humid close, I remember precisely where we were walking when a close friend asked how I felt about an impending season of immense difficulty. Our family was on the brink of…
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When You’re Struggling to Cherish Life
Last week, a friend asked how I was navigating life with three kids. I told her I hadn’t slept more than one consecutive hour since little Aiden arrived. I was honest about the chaos and the constantness of this lovely little life we’ve created for ourselves. She smiled and said something about how I should cherish life in this season. She had good intentions. It just felt like she wasn’t hearing me. A day later, standing by the sliding glass door as the Yellow Poplar flower petals flutter to the deck, all I can see is a mess that will need to be swept from the muddy beams so that…
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7 Replenishing Bible Verses for Tired Parents
Ribbons of sunlight dance through the treetops and a dozen shades of green mingle with the dawn. I gaze out the window with a newborn in my arms. He sleeps soundly for the first time in hours, and I open my Bible in search of encouraging Bible verses for tired parents. 7 Bible Verses for Tired Parents Our third child burst into our lives this week, and it feels like we just stepped from one season to another. The change of trajectory has been stark, to say the least. We have leaped into new routines with a new normal that is full and blessed. Nevertheless, we are tired. As I…
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Why You Don’t Have to Fear Being an Outsider
It’s a brisk Thursday morning, and as the alarm clock sounds, I consider backing out of the commitment I made last week. I told a friend I’d join her at a new group for moms. Today, I want nothing more than to stay in my sweatpants all day and avoid the awkward feeling of being an outsider. As I lie motionless in bed, I pause to be brutally honest with myself. I decide I’m done wearing a mask, fitting into a mold, and attempting to straighten my curly hair—all to avoid being an outsider in a world of insiders. C.S. Lewis on Being an Outsider Most of us learn about…
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14 Bible Verses About Speaking Positive Words
We all deal with frustration. It’s not wrong or sinful to feel frustrated or disappointed, but our responses can lead us to sin. Today, we’ll have an honest conversation about how to respond in these moments. We’ll also explore a list of Bible verses about speaking positive words. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God. 14 Bible Verses About Speaking Positive Words Let’s see what God’s Word says about our words. Bible Verses About Speaking Positive Words 1. James 1:19-20 ESV Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to…
