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A Prayer for God to Take Control in a Situation
Snow falls like a million tiny answers to all the wishes cast on shooting stars. I made a wish while the moon shined white last night. I whispered it in the quiet part of my heart where child-like hopes mingled with prayers. On the surface, it seemed to be a wish for everything to turn out okay. On a deeper level, it was a prayer for God to take control in a situation that was weighing on my heart. A Prayer for God to Take Control in a Situation It was a prayer for my child. Long story short, I feel like I’ve been failing this child. Most parents have…
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3 Ways to Overcome the Fear of Failure With God
A sycamore leaf falls into my hand—brittle and tawny, the color nutmeg. The creek unfolds in shadowy shades of black, and I breathe deeply as my cares fall away. I’ve been feeling like a failure in a few important areas of my life lately. The forest offers space to examine how I might overcome the fear of failure with God. I imagine you know a thing or two about feeling like a failure in the places that matter. Feeling Like a Failure Maybe you feel like you’ll never find freedom in an area of your life where you feel stuck. (Read more on this right here.) Maybe you feel like…
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5 Secrets for More Peace in Life
Dusk was just beginning to fall when my husband began building a small campfire in the backyard. We’d been talking about ways to uncover deeper peace in life, and he bought the fire ring because we’ve always found campfires peaceful. Sadly, nothing about bundling all three kids into winter gear felt like an invitation to greater peace. Nevertheless, when the scent of wood smoke wafted toward the house, I pulled out the mittens and started bundling the youngest. I had no way of knowing it at the time, but that little fire ring would become like a sanctuary: a place to slow down, unplug, and be present with each other.…
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How to Feel God’s Presence in Your Life
Not long ago, I texted a friend and told her about long days in a house filled with noisy children. “I want to know how to feel God’s presence when life mostly feels overwhelming,” I vented. Her response came seasoned with wisdom. First, she reminded me that regardless of whether I feel God’s presence or not, his presence is always with me. “Feelings are futile,” she offered. “Instead of aiming to feel God’s presence, what if you aimed to be fully present to the moments unfolding around you?” She then offered the following six words: “Breathe deeply, love deeply, laugh deeply.” These words have echoed in my mind since she…
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7 Reassuring Bible Verses for Worry and Stress
I notice it on an ordinary Thursday evening. A hint of auburn crowns the tree line on the eastern horizon. I’ve been feeling anxious lately, but as I open my Bible in search of calming Bible verses for worry and stress, my soul settles. It almost seems as if God is pouring out his love as he pours color onto the maple trees. We’ll all face worry, stress, and fear in life. In these times, we need God to pour out his love on us. Meanwhile, God’s Word is an anchor for our souls. Let’s look at seven Bible verses for worry and stress today. 7 Bible Verses for Worry…
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How to Overcome Fear With Faith
Not long ago, our family faced a battle with fear that surpassed any fear we’d ever known. As we wrestled with fear regarding the life of our child, I wrestled with God as I asked him to help me overcome fear with faith. On a cognitive level, I knew the answer: Faith pushes out fear and reminds us of where we find our hope. On a heart level, I had much to learn about walking by faith. How to Overcome Fear With Faith In the months following our child’s frightening medical diagnosis, I turned to God in desperation. I asked him to show me what it looked like to rise…
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8 Bible Verses for Strength in Hard Times
Winter was bearing down on us with a stranglehold that left me breathless at times. Every morning, I sat beside the window and wondered whether our family was about to walk down the most broken road we’d ever known. Day after day, I opened God’s Word in search of Bible verses for strength in hard times. There was a medical prognosis on the horizon, and I was terrified. I’d been standing on Truth that held the power to slay the giant of fear. I’d been rebuking, taking back ground, worshiping, and fixing my eyes on the pure and good. Nevertheless, as I lay beneath the sheets in the silence of…
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Plant Your Feet Here When You Face Fear of the Future
I sit among the aspen as they flutter quaking hands toward heaven. They remind me that Heaven really did reach down to touch this muddy earth. All that’s broken in this world will one day be healed. This gentle reminder comforts my soul as I admit to my fear of the future. Life is full and bountiful for our little family this summer, but the journey that led us to this place was anything but a peaceful walk through quaking aspen. I was downright strung out on the bad days and paralyzed with fear on the worst. None of us are immune to the fear of bad news. We pray…
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5 Powerful Bible Verses for Overcoming Fear and Worry
It gnaws on my anxious heart like an enemy who lurks in dark places. I stare it down in the early morning hours and pray for my unraveling thoughts to settle. My memorized list of Bible verses for overcoming fear is far from my mind, and I am alone in the darkness. I hear this is when most of the faithful women face their deepest fears: under the cover of darkness. We face fears about everything from what will happen if the job falls through to what we’ll do if the scan reports a tumor. How do you overcome your fear when the circumstance you prayed against is on the…
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Overcome Anxiety With God: 6 Steps to Help You
I sit beneath the hemlocks while my little boy throws rocks into the water. I’m thankful we have a place to slip away from the demands of our days. Today, I’m desperate to overcome anxiety with God in this quiet moment by the water. A question comes to mind as I sit in the silence: Where does my life feel out of control? When I feel like I have a grip on my life, peace reigns. However, when my house is a mess, my schedule is overbooked, my kids are disobeying me, and my career feels uncertain, anxiety creeps in. Not long ago, a friend looked into my eyes and…