Stacey Pardoe

Encountering God in the Ordinary

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  • My Books
  • Free eBooks
  • Faith and Family
  • My Story
  • Articles

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  • Transformation

    3 Ways to Fall More Deeply in Love With Jesus

    February 16, 2022 /

    The old sycamore leans over the icy creekbed with shoulders washed white by the weather.  Closing my eyes, I inhale the scent of the forest and pray that I might learn to embrace my moments and fall more deeply in love with Jesus in the process. For the past few years, I’ve been learning to slow down. I’ve been asking God to help me live with less grit and more grace. In the process, God is changing me. I’m also discovering that the secret to living with greater joy and deeper peace is falling more deeply in love with Jesus. What does this look like in my world with winter…

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    Feeling Broken Inside? This Is for You

    April 26, 2017

    Giving Control to God: 8 Life-Changing Ways to Let Go

    December 12, 2018

    How to Stop Living on Autopilot: 3 Ways

    July 12, 2017
  • Purposeful Living

    Devotional Time Tips to Stir Your Passion for God

    December 29, 2021 /

    The windows were blotted with raindrops the morning I walked to the window and prayed, “God show me how to do devotional time with you in a way that revives me.” I sat with my Bible and prayer book, but I felt tired and apathetic.  Familiar practices had grown monotonous, and it was time to breathe fresh wind into my devotional time. Reading my Bible felt more like homework than an opportunity to connect with a precious loved one.  I lacked focus and desire in my prayer life.  My Ignatian prayer guide was no longer leading me to meaningful encounters with God. After noticing these shifts in my soul, I embarked…

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    How to be Brave when God Calls You to Follow

    September 12, 2019

    20 Mother Daughter Prayers for a Closer Relationship

    April 15, 2023
    Embracing Your Journey

    Embracing Your Journey: 5 Tips to Help You

    March 12, 2025
  • Purposeful Living

    How to Love Like Jesus When You Feel Annoyed

    December 15, 2021 /

    My little boy comes to me with his shoelaces twisted in knots.  I’m soaking in my morning reading and enjoying a hot cup of coffee.   I feel like I might be the world’s worst mom, but I don’t really want to set my coffee aside to untangle dirty shoelaces. A fleeting thought crosses my mind—a gentle whisper about how to love like Jesus—and I set the mug on the table. If I’m being real, I don’t want this interruption to the one part of the day I set aside to center myself. “Maybe you’re chasing the wrong center,” a quiet thought speaks to my soul. As I begin the tedious…

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    Teach Us to Number Our Days: When Life Doesn’t Go As Planned

    February 1, 2023

    Seeking God’s Wisdom: Are You Praying or Ruminating?

    August 10, 2022

    Opening Your Heart Is Just as Important as Opening Your Home

    June 5, 2018
  • Overcoming Trials

    How to Get Close to God Again: 4 Practical Steps

    November 3, 2021 /

    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 get close to God again.  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 eye-shot 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…

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    6 Miscarriage Prayers for a Friend or Loved One

    March 31, 2017

    8 Bible Verses for When You Feel Defeated

    July 7, 2021

    10 Tension-Easing Bible Verses for Stress at Work

    September 4, 2024
  • Bible Truth for Everyday Life

    The Teens in Your Life Need This Book: Transforming Your Thought Life for Teens

    October 16, 2021 /

    I spent almost a decade teaching teens in a local public high school.  Throughout those years, I also served as a youth leader and mentored dozens of teens through the tumultuous journey of adolescence.  I wish Sarah Geringer’s book Transforming Your Thought Life for Teens had been available throughout those years! This book is a follow-up to Sarah’s book Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus, released in 2019.  I was powerfully impacted by Sarah’s book Transforming Your Thought Life and appreciated the way Sarah was relatable and yet also pointed me back to the truth of God’s Word.  When I heard she was writing a follow-up book specifically…

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    5 Prayers for Spiritual Healing and Replenishment

    October 31, 2018

    God Uses Broken Vessels, and He Wants to Use You

    October 30, 2024

    How to Draw Near to God: 3 Simple Tips

    June 3, 2020
  • Transformation

    3 Questions to Ask If You Want a Deeper Relationship With God

    September 15, 2021 /

    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.  Most of the time, nothing spectacular happens by this window. I watch the poplar leaves wave mitten-like hands at the dawn. The slow fade of verdant wildflower fields captivates me as summer slips into the cool days of autumn. The Psalms help me lift my eyes to the work of God’s hands. This particular morning, I’m met with a surprise out the window.  A grey…

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    Feeling Discouraged? This Is for You . . .

    July 14, 2021

    How to Overcome Toxic Thoughts With God’s Help

    July 10, 2019

    Lean Into Grace and Experience God’s Healing and Freedom

    January 2, 2024
  • Transformation

    How to Grow in Faith: 5 Things You Can’t Take With You on the Journey

    August 4, 2021 /

    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 Ignite Your Faith When You Feel Spiritually Stagnant

    August 3, 2018

    Falling Behind in Life: Permission to Be Where You Are

    March 29, 2023

    14 Free Devotional Books to Help You Grow With God

    May 22, 2021
  • Purposeful Living

    4 Ways to Grow Spiritually and Connect With God

    July 28, 2021 /

    We were in the middle of a full summer schedule when I read these words from late missionary Jim Elliot: “Wherever you are, be all there!  Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.” Jim’s words prompted me to ask hard questions about living present in my moments as I sought ways to grow spiritually. Ways to Grow Spiritually and Connect With God Maybe you can relate. You want to grow spiritually, but you’re pulled in dozens of different directions. Most days, you hurry from one task to the next with little space for slowing down to connect with God. The morning I read…

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    How to find God's calling on your life and live to serve him

    How to Pray Powerful Prayers for Your Inner Circle

    August 28, 2019

    How to Keep Your Joy in the Lord: 7 Ways

    June 26, 2024

    6 Outdoor Hospitality Ideas for Autumn

    October 16, 2020
  • Transformation

    Feeling Discouraged? This Is for You . . .

    July 14, 2021 /

    A vase of salmon-colored zinnias rests on the dining room table.  I stare at it through tear-filled eyes, feeling discouraged by the grind of life. On one level, admitting to the discouragement feels like ingratitude.  I have a life many women envy.  I’m able to work part-time from home and spend most of my days caring for our three children. On a different level, this work feels like a cycle of 15 tasks that will never, ever end.  I wonder if I’m making an impact on the world, and this work feels too hard, too humble. No matter where you spend your long days, you probably know about hard and…

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    8 Bible Verses About Change and Transition

    November 1, 2023

    How to Savor Life and Find Deeper Joy in the Ordinary

    November 25, 2020

    5 Inspiring Bible Verses About Goals and Dreams

    January 10, 2018
  • Overcoming Trials

    How to Cling to the Lord When You’d Rather Cling to Control

    June 16, 2021 /

    Recently, I sat with a friend in the sunshine as we caught up on life.  We talked about our dreams, our families, and our desires to control our circumstances.  We agreed that we want to cling to the Lord instead of clinging to control but walking it out often feels impractical. Most of us want to learn to cling to the Lord and turn to him when life gets tough, but we tend to grasp for a sense of control before we even think about turning to God for help. Learning to Cling to the Lord I want to learn to cling to the Lord, but I often hold onto…

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    How to Trust God in Hard Times: 4 Ways

    March 6, 2019

    4 Ways to Overcome Obstacles With God

    April 12, 2017

    12 Ways to Destroy the Works of the Devil

    April 30, 2025
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I’m so glad you’re here!

Welcome to Encountering God in the Ordinary. I'm Stacey Pardoe, and I hope to help you connect with God in ways that refresh and restore your soul. I warmly invite you to get started by checking out my library of free devotional books on my “Free eBooks” page.

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My Books

A mother-daughter devotional book to help moms and daughters connect with each other and grow closer to God! Written with my teen daughter, Bekah!

God is waiting to set you free!

Lean Into Grace

Are you tired of feeling stuck in some area of your life? God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you've been unable to achieve through willpower alone. Let Lean Into Grace lead you into God's love as he heals your heart, refreshes your soul, and sets you free.

A mother-daughter shared devotional journal just for teen girls and moms!

This mother-daughter devotional helps moms and daughters discuss tricky topics, including purity, peer pressure, dating, and more, while also leading them both closer to God.

I also offer more than a dozen free eBooks and online devotionals!

Check out this link to view and download more than a dozen free eBooks and online devotionals.

Recent Posts

  • 7 Prayers for Joy and Peace No Matter What You’re Facing
  • 6 Prayers for Loving Others Even When They’re Hard to Love
  • 7 Powerful Scriptures for Spiritual Attacks
  • What Is the Spirit of Offense & How to Overcome It
  • 12 Ways to Destroy the Works of the Devil
  • 10 Spiritual Reflection Questions for Growth and Renewal
  • Is God Calling You to a Balanced Life? (10 Insightful Scriptures on Balance in Life)
  • The Secret No One Tells You in Your Lowest Moment
  • 14 Free Devotional Books to Help You Grow With God
  • A Free 2024 New Year Devotional to Help You Grow With God
  • How to Cling to the Lord When You'd Rather Cling to Control
  • Your Pain Has a Purpose, and This Is Part of It . . .
  • How to Find Freedom From Your Secret Sins
  • How to Stop Worrying and Trust God in Tough Times
  • The Lie You Might Believe if You're in the Refining Fire

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