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A New Year Devotional to Help You Start Strong
Do you enjoy reading from an Advent devotional throughout December? If you’re like me, you hit a wall when Christmas comes and the devotional ends. You feel a bit lost and aren’t sure what’s next. Throughout the past few months, I’ve worked hard to create a New Year devotional called Mornings With Jesus to 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 a replenishing encounter with a loved one. Can you relate?…
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How to Grow Closer to God: 9 Practical Suggestions
I walked down the road for the sheer joy of stepping into the ivory firmament and breathing deeply today. Maybe I needed a fresh lesson on how to grow closer to God. I’d been feeling distant and disconnected from him, and I hoped that time outside might help me reconnect with him. I was still within eyeshot of the house when something caught my eye. Surrounded by sleepy beige earth, a single sprig of yellow-crowned goldenrod danced in the afternoon breeze. Bending low, I stopped to admire the tiny ray of hope in the middle of the desolate, almost-winter world. There is always beauty woven into barrenness. Somehow, that tiny,…
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What Is God’s Will for My Life? (10 Absolutes)
An oak leaf falls to its final resting place on pale grass—russet and scaled with age. I consider the sights it saw from its perch high above and imagine its six short months were filled with wonder. I’m in the woods tonight to pray about God’s will for my life. I’m not trying to discern an impacting career change or a move across the country. I simply want to create space to assess the rhythms of my days and make sure I’m still in step with my Guide. Twenty years ago, I sat in this same span of forest and asked similar questions about God’s will for my life. I…
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8 Bible Verses About Abundant Life in Christ
The hayfield has been reduced to prickly stubble, and I wonder if the lush roots grieve what’s been lost. As the geese honk overhead, I stare at the sky and ask God to lead me into a more abundant life in Christ. I pull out my Bible in search of Bible verses about abundant life in Christ. How do we experience this kind of abundance in our everyday places? 8 Bible Verses About Abundant Life in Christ Here’s what I find: Christ’s definition of abundance is quite different from the definition of the world around us. Let’s take a closer look at three Bible verses about the abundant life. Be…
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A Daily Bible Reading Guide to Transform Your Life
The sumac has come to life in shades of fiery crimson. I stare at it from my perch by the window and open God’s Word with a sense of expectation. A few weeks ago, I started a new daily Bible reading guide, and this devotional is leading me straight to the Lord. I’ve been learning from Patsy Burnette for years, and when she released her 365-day devotional book Sweeter Than Honey, I jumped at the opportunity to draw near to God with Patsy. I have not been disappointed. Sweeter Than Honey walks the reader through the full Bible in one year—reading chronologically, which is a compelling way to read through…
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10 Transformational Scriptures on Alignment With God
I sit by the sliding glass and force myself to stay for ten minutes of silence and semi-solitude. I’ve been sitting by this glass intermittently for several years now, trying to incorporate rhythms that will teach me how to have a deeper relationship with God. Today, I pull out my Bible in search of Scriptures on alignment with God. Scriptures on Alignment With God Our lives are transformed when we come into alignment with God. As God shapes our hearts to look more like his heart, our desires begin to mirror his desires. We see breakthrough in our prayers because we are praying according to God’s will. Let’s look at…
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Overcoming Hindrances to Spiritual Growth: 11 Obstacles
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 grow in my faith, but I’m not willing to let go of the habits holding me back. Most of us face times when we need help overcoming hindrances to spiritual growth. 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…
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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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10 Tips for Drawing Near to God When Life Is Busy
Winter sunlight sings her silver song as I throw on the heavy parka. The snow beneath my feet crunches as I walk to the dog kennel 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 air stings my face as I gaze heavenward and breathe, listening to the hollow sound of my heart synchronizing with the terrestrial thrum of a resting earth. Something within me shifts. I feel peace, rest. This is sacred space, holy ground. It’s the place where…
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10 Comforting Bible Verses for the Death of a Loved One
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 the death of a loved one. Close friends recently lost a beloved relative, and the heavy cloud of loss has settled like a cloak over us all. I wonder if it just might suffocate me. Comforting Bible Verses for the Death of a Loved One How do you find comfort in loss when sadness is your constant companion? Today, we’ll explore 10 comforting Bible verses for the death of a loved one. I encourage you to soak in these words and let…
