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Family Devotions: 3 Simple Tips for Success
I vividly remember meeting an older friend for lunch shortly before becoming a parent. I asked her everything from how to do family devotions with toddlers to how to stay connected with teens. After rambling through my questions, my friend looked into my eyes and said, “You won’t be the perfect parent. But if you love Jesus with your whole heart, your love for him will help your kids grow to love him, too.” Fourteen years later, I can attest that I am far from the perfect parent. My husband and I are still very much in the process of raising our kids. Nevertheless, we’re both pursuing Christ with our…
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15 Bible Verses About Unconditional Love
I recently sat beside the window with a throbbing head. It had been a long day, and the needs of our children felt endless. Feeling like I didn’t have the strength to go downstairs and prepare dinner, I opened my Bible in search of some encouraging Bible verses about unconditional love. Bible Verses About Unconditional Love We all face times when loving others doesn’t come easily. In these moments, we can turn to God’s Word for strength and inspiration as we follow him in loving others. Perhaps you need this strength today, too. If so, here are the verses I wrote in my journal as I let God’s love fill…
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8 Back to School Prayers for Parents
The wiry branches of our poplar tree nod in the breeze, and I brace myself for the coming change. These leaves will soon begin to wither beneath the late-summer heat. At the same time, our family will shift into new rhythms as another school year greets us. As I watch the poplar prepare for autumn, I pull out my list of back to school prayers for parents. I wrote these prayers a few years ago, and every year, I use these prayers to pray our kids into the new school year. Back to School Prayers for Parents May these prayers richly bless your family today and in the months to…
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7 Prayers to Be a Good Mother (Prayers for Hard Days)
Morning dawns with humidity hanging thick and heavy like a rain-soaked curtain. I’m tired after thunderstorms kept the youngest awake in the night, and I don’t want to face this day. These are the days when enjoying motherhood doesn’t come easily. These are the days when all my prayers to be a good mother seem like they might not come to fruition. I arise from bed, and in the first moments of the day, nothing goes smoothly. Children argue over who gets to pick the TV show, complain about my choice of cereal, and grumble about why the milk tastes funny. I don’t dare tell them that we ran out,…
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20 Mother Daughter Prayers for a Closer Relationship
I recently went for a long walk with our teenage daughter and was inspired to be more intentional about praying with her and for her. Today, I’m sharing the mother daughter prayers that are helping me lift her before God’s throne more consistently. If you’re looking for prayers to pray over your mother-daughter relationship, I invite you to slowly talk to God as you pray the following prayers. 20 Mother Daughter Prayers for a Closer Relationship Regardless of whether you plan to pray together or pray over each other from a distance, these unifying prayers can help strengthen your mother-daughter bond and lead you closer to God in the meantime.…
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Falling Behind in Life: Permission to Be Where You Are
If you’ve been reading my words for any amount of time, you know how often I write about slowing down and cultivating rhythms of rest. I thought I was an expert at slowing down. Then I picked up Jennifer Dukes Lee’s book, Growing Slow, and her words stopped me in my tracks: “We need permission to be where we are.” Tears filled my eyes as I recognized an underlying sense that I was falling behind in life. Falling Behind in Life Yes, I thought as I read her words. I do need permission to be here—right here, right now. And so began my journey into giving myself permission to be…
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8 Life-Changing Prayers for Your Daughter
Last night, I followed my daughter through a withered field of wildflowers as dusk chased us toward the forest. Often, I silently pray for her as we walk along this trail. I pray for her friendships, her faith, her worries, and her dreams. I pray for God to guide our conversations and unite our hearts. Like me, you might want to pray life-changing prayers for your daughter, but you don’t always know what to pray. Whether your daughter is two or sixty-two, here are eight biblical prayers for your daughter. 8 Powerful Prayers for Your Daughter 1. Pray that troubles and difficulties lead her to rely on Christ. Our daughter…
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Less Stress and More Peace: A Secret to Help You!
We have a special gift for you. Every Friday in December, 12-year-old Bekah and I will be sharing a devotion with you. These Friday posts are adapted from our mother-daughter devotional book, Girl to Girl. We wrote the book with a vision for moms and daughters to read each devotion together, but we invite you to join us even if you aren’t a mother or daughter! We hope to help you have less stress and more peace with today’s post! Let’s get to it! How to Have Less Stress and More Peace And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord…
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15 Bible Verses for Mothers and Daughters
Are you a mother or daughter in search of wisdom and guidance in your mother-daughter relationship? Today, I invite you to join me as we open God’s Word in search of encouraging Bible verses for mothers and daughters of all ages. Bible Verses for Mothers and Daughters Our first child was born on a dark Tuesday night. Throughout the pregnancy, I earnestly believed I was pregnant with a boy. We waited to discover the gender of the mysterious person growing within me at birth. Much to my surprise and delight, when our little one emerged into the world, the doctor declared, “You have a daughter!” I immediately knew God had…
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Scriptures to Speak Over Your Child: 8 Powerful Verses
Not long ago, one of our children was struggling with a challenging school year. As I aimed to help him navigate the difficult transition, I felt led to begin speaking biblical declarations over his life. Today, we’ll look at 8 powerful Scriptures to speak over your child as declarations. These declarations changed the trajectory of our child’s school year. I pray that they will bless your child as well. 8 Scriptures to Speak Over Your Child Speaking God’s Word as declarations over our children can lead forces in the heavenly realm to move. I encourage you to do more than simply read these verses; instead, speak these Scriptures out loud…
