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How to Grow in Faith: 5 Things You Can’t Take With You on the Journey
I sit beneath a salmon sunset and tell God I want to go deeper with him. A certain pattern of behavior comes to mind, but I dismiss it quickly. I want to learn how to grow in faith, but I’m not willing to let go of the habits holding me back. Maybe you can relate. You know how it feels to ask God what he wants you to surrender into his hands, only to butt up against a bad habit you don’t really want to release just yet. I sit with my desires as the coral-streaked sky fades to inky black night. Ultimately, when it’s time to return home and…
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How to Captivate the Heart of Jesus and Change Your Life Forever
Dusk settles over Wyoming’s wild country as we gather beneath the milky light of a crescent moon. A cowboy strums his guitar, and I glance at his young apprentice on the far side of the deck. Our eyes lock, and I feel my heart leap in my chest. I have no idea this moment will forever remind me of exactly what happens to the heart of Jesus every time I glance in his direction. Nearly twenty years have passed since I first locked eyes with the handsome young cowboy beneath wild Wyoming skies. We now lock eyes across the kitchen table as our three children bicker about who got the…
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Drawing Near to God When Life Is Overwhelming
Winter sunlight sings her silver song, and I throw on the heavy parka, make the long walk through biting air, and pour warm water into silver bowls. The beagles lap it up while I stare at the glowing firmament and think about drawing near to God amid the chaos of a very full life. Drawing Near to God The old hen squawks from the coup about the egg she’s birthing in the hoary glow. I can’t help but think we’re all birthing something that hurts in this season where darkness holds out long arms into afternoon hours. The air stings my face as I gaze heavenward and breathe, listening to…
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6 Healing Bible Verses for Grief and Loss
I light a white candle, and it casts long shadows on the wall. As the flame flickers, I open my Bible in search of comforting Bible verses for grief and loss. The heavy cloud of loss has settled like a cloak over my soul, and I wonder if it just might suffocate me. Bible Verses for Grief and Loss How do you find comfort in loss when sadness is your constant companion? Let’s soak in six Bible verses for grief today. 1. Deuteronomy 31:8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be…
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Jesus’ Words for Your Troubled Times and Mountaintop Moments (with Deb Wolf)
The pines dance silvery-white in the morning sunlight, and if I listen closely enough, I swear I hear them singing in unison. Winter is the quiet season in this part of the world. It’s also the time of year when my soul starts itching for Jesus’ words to reach down from the fiery firmament and speak into my weary heart. Not long ago, God sent more than just a few of Jesus’ words to speak into my life. I was in a season of faithful Bible-reading, but I felt spiritually dry. By God’s grace, he led me to Deb Wolf’s new devotional journal for women. Deb’s 52-Week Devotional Journal for…
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God, Lead Me in the Right Direction: 9 Prayers for Guidance
I recently drove ten minutes to the North Country Trail for an hour of hiking beneath the naked arms of the hardwoods. As I walked, I considered my life, my daily rhythms, and the state of my soul. “God, lead me in the right direction in my life,” I prayed. Every few months, I slip away to talk to God about the direction of my life. Mostly, I want the assurance that I’m walking according to God’s plans. Perhaps you need this space, too. Today, we’ll talk about how to find God’s direction and the importance of seeking his guidance. God, Lead Me in the Right Direction We all need…
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Finding Rest in God: How to Create Space
The tamaracks are losing their needles again. They fall like golden flecks of rain, a gift from the Father of heavenly lights. I stop in the middle of the country road and let one fall into my open palm. I’m here because finding rest in God often comes most naturally to me beneath open skies. I’ve been longing for a touch from heaven lately, and I’m revisiting an experiment I tried a while back. It’s an experiment in being intentional about seeking God beneath open skies for just a few minutes each day. Finding Rest in God I need space for this weary and burdened soul to stretch heavenward with…
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5 Gifts We Find in God’s Presence
The fields behind the house had just turned beige when life suddenly changed. I stared out the window and prayed that God’s presence would bring me comfort through the long months ahead. I knew I had just stepped into a new realm of needing help from God just to get through each hour. The day I stepped into my third nine-month struggle with hyperemesis gravidarum was both beautiful and terrifying. This medical diagnosis is the term used for a severe and debilitating illness that goes along with pregnancy and generally warrants at least partial bed rest and even hospitalization. The first day of illness was beautiful because, for me, a…
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Thinking of Giving up on God? Read This First
I vividly remember the day I decided to turn away from God. I decided that if he wasn’t going to be faithful to me, I was done living for him. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you’re thinking of giving up on God today, too. You’re not alone. The day I gave up on God, I blamed him for my pain, and I was angry about it. Giving Up on God Like me, maybe you’re facing a heartbreaking loss, and you wonder why God seems silent. The instant your life went off the rails, God seemed to leave you alone in your despair. Maybe you feel forgotten, and you’re not sure where…
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God Pursues Us and He Is Carrying These Two Gifts
They say when it rains it pours, and that’s how it felt yesterday morning. First, the coffee pot decided it was done brewing. Next, the Internet crashed, and the channel with the cartoons went pitch black. I sat by the window and reminded myself that God pursues us and offers his peace amid our frustrations. In the meantime, it felt like trouble was pursuing me. There are days when it feels like mishaps and misfortune are chasing us down. Trouble chases us in small ways, such as dead batteries, viruses, and power outages that derail our days. It also comes in more serious ways: health crises, financial fallouts, and broken…
