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How to Be Still and Listen to God: 7 Practical Tips
Daylight finds us with an unseasonable chill, and we close the windows and wrap ourselves in fleece blankets. Pulling out my Bible, I flip to a familiar Psalm. It reads, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). I’ve been learning how to be still and listen to God for decades and have yet to master the practice. My mind has been racing again lately, and silencing my thoughts today feels next to impossible. Instead of being critical of my racing mind, I am kind to myself today. I lean back and let the thoughts pass like clouds in a sapphire sky. Finally, after several minutes, my mind…
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16 Practical Ways to Keep Your Heart on Fire for God
We gathered around the campfire as fireflies illuminated the hoary breath of dusk. As I watched the flames dance, I thought about my walk of faith and felt a deep desire to fan the flame of my passion for God. I want to be a woman who is on fire for God, and when I feel the flame dwindling, I come back to today’s list of practices. On Fire for God Let’s get right to the heart of the matter today. I pray these practices will help you fan the flame, too. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you…
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15 Bible Verses About Joy in the Lord
Not long ago, our family went to the cabin because we needed space to rest with God. We craved downtime for sitting beside smoldering campfires and soaking in the afternoon sunshine along the reservoir. Because my joy was lacking, I needed to open God’s Word and soak in replenishing Bible verses about joy in the Lord. My right shoulder blade had been twitching for days—a sign that I’d been pushing too hard, running on fumes, and succumbing to worry and anxiety. Today, I’ll share 15 Bible verses about joy in the Lord. Then, we’ll talk about practical ways to cultivate joy in our daily lives. I also invite you to…
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Spiritual Renewal: 14 Fresh Ways to Connect With God
A rumble of thunder pulled us from sleep, and we spent the morning in stillness while God washed the world with warm, summer rain. The thin pages of his Word rustled in the breeze while the rain crackled like fire licking up dry grass. Something about a slow morning felt like an invitation to encounter God for spiritual renewal. Spiritual renewal is the process of revitalizing our inner selves, allowing God to transform our minds so that our desires align with his desires. It includes a fresh awakening to the work of God in our lives as we become more aware of what he is doing around us. Perhaps you…
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How to Be Still Before God When Your Mind Is Racing
After a few dry days, the rain returned this morning. Torrents fell in silver swaths that drowned out the melody of birdsong and swept us into the synchronous song of the sky. I sat by the window and let the crackling hush of falling water wash over me as I resisted the urge to begin the work of the day. It felt like an invitation to learn how to be still before God all over again. Being still before God has never come easily for me. I find a quiet place to sit, and within three minutes, I’m writing my grocery list or planning dinner. Perhaps you know how it…
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7 Prayers to Be a Good Mother (Prayers for Hard Days)
Morning dawns with humidity hanging thick and heavy like a rain-soaked curtain. I’m tired after thunderstorms kept the youngest awake in the night, and I don’t want to face this day. These are the days when enjoying motherhood doesn’t come easily. These are the days when all my prayers to be a good mother seem like they might not come to fruition. I arise from bed, and in the first moments of the day, nothing goes smoothly. Children argue over who gets to pick the TV show, complain about my choice of cereal, and grumble about why the milk tastes funny. I don’t dare tell them that we ran out,…
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15 Bible Verses About Living Life to the Fullest
I’ve been watching the poplar leaves grow on the tree in the backyard this spring. Their tiny faces glanced at me through the finger-smeared glass the day I turned the calendar to May. As I opened my Bible in search of Bible verses about living life to the fullest, the leaves offered a reminder as well. I reflected on the weeks spent watching them emerge and change. I remembered noticing the first tiny buds. Every day, they grew a bit more, and I didn’t miss it when the tiny leaves finally grew wide and offered shade on a sunny afternoon. Watching the summer canopy grow was a gentle reminder of…
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7 Refreshing Bible Verses (and 11 Ways to Be Refreshed)
Yesterday morning, I awoke with a deep desire to go to the woods—to inhale the scent of the creek bottom, decomposing maple leaves, and pungent earth. As I sat with my Bible, I was reminded that God wanted to renew my mind with his written Word, and I let the following refreshing Bible verses wash over me. 7 Refreshing Bible Verses Do you long for the refreshment that comes from God alone? I invite you to soak in these words today as well. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook that will help you find victory in Christ as well as a…
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Pursuing God: 15 Ways to Stir Your Longing for Jesus
Last summer, I decided to write our eleven-year-old daughter Bekah a note for each day she would be away at summer camp. After writing a note for each day of the week and tucking them into her backpack, I thought about how excited sweet Bekah would be to read them. I had no idea that the experience was about to become a heartwarming lesson about pursuing God. The day she left for camp, I spotted a stack of envelopes labeled with the days of the week on top of the bookshelf in our hallway. Had she removed my notes from her bag? Looking closer, I realized that I couldn’t have…
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15 Free Online Bible Studies and Devotionals
Are you looking for a free online Bible study, devotional, or Christian book? You are in the right place! My vision is to provide tools to help you encounter God in your everyday life. For this reason, I have written a collection of free online Bible studies and devotionals to help you draw closer to the Lord. Below, you will find 15 free eBooks to help you connect with God in your daily devotional time, bolster your prayer life, and provide healing in difficult seasons. I pray these words bless you and lead you straight into the arms of our Father! Simply click on any of the links below to…
