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A Free New Year Devotional to Help You Start Strong
Do you want to start the year by renewing your commitment to spend time with God? Like me, maybe you enjoy reading from an Advent devotional throughout December, but you hit a wall when the devotional ends. You feel a bit lost and aren’t sure what’s next. I have fantastic news. I have a free New Year devotional for you. Mornings With Jesus will help you connect with Jesus every morning for the next 31 days! Why I Wrote This New Year Devotional I spent years reading my Bible and practicing a morning devotional routine without regularly encountering God in the process. My devotional time felt more like homework than…
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7 Powerful Bible Verses About Purpose in Life
Winter fog huddles over the earth like a guest arriving late to a party that has long since drawn to a close. I’ve been feeling scattered and distracted by the needs surrounding me lately, and I open my Bible in search of Bible verses about purpose. Perhaps you want to know what the Bible says about purpose, too. Whether you’re searching for God’s purpose for your life or merely need fresh inspiration today, let these words remind you that your purpose is much simpler than you might imagine. God is more concerned with how you live than where you work or how you earn a living. These Bible verses about…
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Immanuel, God With Us: How Watching for Him Changes Everything
The angel watches over us from her crooked perch atop the Christmas tree, and it takes everything within me not to climb on top of the TV stand in an effort to straighten her out. As if to compensate for the lop-sided angel, a dozen candy canes adorn a tiny section near the bottom of the tree. Could it be that Immanuel, God with us, smiles at our efforts to celebrate his birth? I’m still chasing perfection in far too many areas of my life, but leaving the candy canes and the crooked angel are signs that I’m moving toward the life I long to live. For several years now,…
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A Sneak Peek into Our New Mother-Daughter Tween and Teen Devotional Book
Calling all moms and daughters! Today’s post will be a bit different! Bekah and I are just dropping by to share an excerpt from the mother-daughter tween and teen devotional we wrote together this year! In case you missed our announcement last week, it’s called Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith. The book is designed for mothers and daughters to read the devotions out loud together (or aunts and nieces, grandmas and granddaughters, or mentors and younger women), and we’re excited to share one of our devotions here with you today. The book will go on sale in mid-November, but we want to…
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Girl to Girl: A Life-Changing Mother-Daughter Devotional Book
We have huge news to share with you today! This might be the biggest news I’ve shared throughout my past six years of blogging! Drumroll, please! Eleven-year-old Bekah and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book together! Last winter, Bekah saw a mother-daughter devotional written by an older mother-daughter pair sitting on our kitchen table. “We should write a mother-daughter devotional!” she declared. “That sounds great, babe. Brainstorm some ideas, and we’ll get started,” I suggested. I hate to admit that I never thought I’d hear another word about the big idea. Our New Mother-Daughter Devotional Book Well, 259 pages later, we are thrilled to tell you that our new book…
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God Hears Our Prayers—Even When He Seems Silent
The summer air was thick with humidity as we made our way into the wilderness. Hemlocks breathed their pungent, piney scent, and the river rolled along casually—inviting us into the clear, cool water. I had no idea this backpacking trip with a friend was about to become a lifelong reminder that God hears our prayers. We reached our campsite and erected our tent as storm clouds gathered overhead. With the invincibility of 25-year-olds, we didn’t worry about the ominous clouds and ran to the river for a swim as soon as the tent was in place. After a short swim, the thunderous clouds descended upon us, and heaven unleashed in…
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Is God Mad at Me?
Smoky wisps of fog wrap their fingers through the goldenrod as I sit by the window in prayer. I’ve been distracted lately, and my thoughts have been far from God. A familiar question runs through my mind: Is God mad at me for neglecting my relationship with him? Summer days are full in these parts. I rarely find a quiet moment in this house filled with life and activity. Life has me stretched thin, and by the end of most days, I’m running on fumes. I imagine you know all about the rhythm of the ragged. Maybe you’ve felt guilty for neglecting your relationship with God, but you’re not sure…
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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…
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Knowing Jesus: Four Ways to Go Deeper in Your Relationship
The peepers sing their sweet serenade while raindrops crackle like fire licking up a pine bough. I search the skyline for a hint of lingering daylight and breathe a prayer that God will take me deeper on this journey of knowing Jesus through experience. “What do I need to know as we prepare to head into the summer season of noise and activity?” I pray. The words of Philippians 3:8 come to mind: “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” I’m…
