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Grow Closer to God: 15 Practical Ways to Deepen Your Relationship With Him
Shortly after daybreak, I step outside and let the warm summer rain wash over me. Being in nature always feels like an invitation to grow closer to God. The water streams down my brow in tiny rivulets, and I amble down the muddy road. The cacophony of water falling on the canopy overhead drowns out every other noise. The songbirds, insects, and tree frogs are all silent. Most likely, they are hidden away in their forest homes—hunkered down and waiting for the sun to emerge. I think of my family back at the cabin. They’re probably playing board games and eating pancakes. Like the animals, they’re waiting out the deluge.…
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What Happens When We Pray: 8 Benefits of Heartfelt Prayer
Twilight finds me in a stand of hardwoods, and I watch the canopy flourish in the evening’s marigold glow. I’ve come to the woods to talk to God. As I sit beneath a towering oak, I remind myself of what happens when we pray. What Happens When We Pray I spent the first part of my life believing that prayer was a way of getting God to do things for me. As I grew in my spiritual life, I learned that prayer is about cultivating a relationship more than making requests. Perhaps you need this reminder today as well. Let’s take a closer look at what actually happens when we…
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11 Ways to Get Closer to God This Year
Not long ago, as I hustled from one task to the next, I slipped on the wet floor and fell with a thud. I had no way of knowing that the moment was about to be a lesson on how to get closer to God. As I grabbed my knee and writhed in pain, I suddenly felt two tiny arms holding me. Five-year-old Aiden had witnessed the scene from the living room and rushed to my side to comfort me. My heart melted. My little boy did more than merely call out to ask if I was okay. He didn’t come to my side and stand beside me looking concerned. …
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8 Prayers for Advent and Christmas: Hope, Peace, Joy & Love
Advent is a season of preparation. On the Christian calendar, it is a season for preparing to celebrate the incarnation, the arrival of God on earth in the form of a Man. Today, we’ll explore 8 prayers for Advent and Christmas as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ. Share these prayers with family and friends or use them in your own quiet moments of reflection. May these prayers help you fix your eyes on the reason for Christmas. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free Advent devotional and a link to a library of free devotional books and eBooks! 8 Prayers for…
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10 Life-Giving Bible Verses About Light and Truth
As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the coming of the Light of the World, I’ve been soaking in Bible verses about light and truth. I invite you to join me as I watch the morning dawn, and we’ll savor these Truths together. 10 Life-Giving Bible Verses About Light and Truth This morning the sky greeted us with a color I’d never named. Like a tree-ripened peach, it smiled down from above—ready to offer the gift of its entire self. Thunder groaned a foreboding warning to the south, and I pulled the blanket over my head, resistant to surrender to the light. Meanwhile, I’ve learned that the light finds me…
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On Sale Now: Our New Mother-Daughter Devotional for Teen Girls!
Today is the day! Bekah and I are thrilled to share our new mother-daughter devotional for teen girls. Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for sale in paperback and as a Kindle eBook today. You can even download it for free on the Kindle Unlimited plan right here. Here is what you’ll find inside the book. A Glimpse Inside Our Devotional for Teen Girls As most moms know, connecting with our teen daughters can be complicated. We want to help our girls work through setbacks, grow in confidence, and connect with God. Meanwhile, finding the space to have tough conversations isn’t easy. This…
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How to Empty Yourself and Let God Fill You
The syncopated sound of rain on a metal roof nearly lulls me to sleep on a grey afternoon. Life has been full lately, and this afternoon to rest is nothing short of a gift. Perhaps you need this gift, too—space to empty yourself and let God fill you. We’ll talk about creating this space today. Also, be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God and be filled. Empty Yourself and Let God Fill You Every few years, I reread a book called Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton. I rarely read books more…
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10 Ways to Connect With God When He Seems Distant
Most mornings, I gaze at our bird feeder as I sit by the window to connect with God. Today, we awoke to an empty birdfeeder—scant sunflower seeds, black as coal, scattered beneath their plexiglass home. I watched as goldfinches and house sparrows searched the bottom of the feeder for seeds. They all flitted off disappointed, determined to search for sustenance elsewhere. As I considered the disheartened birds, I read the prophet Jeremiah’s words about God’s people: “They have abandoned (rejected) Me, The fountain of living water, And they have carved out their own cisterns, Broken cisterns That cannot hold water” (Jeremiah 2:13, AMP). The empty feeder and the ancient words…
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A Life-Changing Book for Your Women’s Small Group
Are you searching for a book for your women’s small group? I have wonderful news. You can download my new book, Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free, for free on Kindle Unlimited. If you’re not familiar with Kindle Unlimited, I’ll explain how the program works shortly. First, let me tell you about this book. Most of us have been taught that willpower is the key to transformation; however, we’re frustrated because self-effort has failed us in many realms of our lives. We wonder why we can’t find victory over fear, worry, insecurity, and shame. We feel stuck in destructive habits like…
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7 Characteristics of a Transformed Life
Are you searching for evidence that God is working in your life? Today, we’ll look at 7 characteristics of a transformed life. I invite you to join me as God transformed me through a challenging situation. Then, we’ll take a closer look at what it means to be transformed by God. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God and be transformed. 7 Characteristics of a Transformed Life The clock reads half-past two, and the moon hangs high in the inky black of a December night. I’m lost in deep sleep, and I have no idea…
