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Who I Am in Christ: Discovering the Part of You That Can Never Change
For the past two weeks, I’ve been offering glimpses into my new book, Lean Into Grace. Today will be our last excerpt from the book. This reading shares the story of one of the most challenging stretches of my life and describes the way God used difficult circumstances to teach me who I am in Christ. Let’s head into the book together. Who I Am in Christ My journey to more deeply understand who I am in Christ began shortly after my 29th birthday when my husband and I discovered that we were expecting our first child. We were thrilled. We’d been dreaming of becoming parents for four years, and…
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Lean Into Grace Is on Sale Now (Plus Reflections on Trusting God in All Circumstances)
Today is the day! My new book, Lean Into Grace, is now on sale! Find it right here! To celebrate, I have a special gift for you: a glimpse inside the book. The following excerpt is adapted from one of my favorite illustrations in the book and includes reflections on trusting God in all circumstances. Thank you so much for supporting the release of this new book. My prayer is that it will lead multitudes of people to life-changing encounters with the Living God. Trusting God in All Circumstances Every summer, I take our daughter Bekah on an overnight camping trip in Pennsylvania’s forested hills. We shove our sleeping bags,…
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How to Stop Worrying and Trust God in Tough Times
I’ve been a worrier for as long as I can remember. Throughout the past decade, I’ve been on a journey of learning how to stop worrying and trust God with the parts of my life that are important to me. Maybe you can relate. It’s not easy to keep from falling apart when it looks like your world might come crashing down at any given moment. Maybe you lost your job, the relationship finally fell apart, or the wayward child still hasn’t come home. It’s not easy to figure out how to stop worrying and trust God. Perhaps you prayed and pleaded for God to bring a dream to pass. …
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Lean Into Grace and Experience God’s Healing and Freedom
What do you do when your life lacks the healing, freedom, and joy you long for—when you feel stuck and don’t know where to turn? In these moments, God invites us to lean into grace as he works in our lives to accomplish what we cannot do in our human strength. I have exciting news to share with you today! After years of hard work, intensive editing, and much prayer, I’d like to introduce you to my new book, Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free. Here’s a quick description of what you’ll find within the pages of this raw and…
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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. 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 that I’m about to be transformed by God through the encounter that unfolds. At first, I’m not sure what stirred me from sleep. It takes…
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When Christmas Is Hard: 5 Insights to Give You Hope
Snow falls heavily like flour through a sifter, and I’m alone with only my thoughts and the hushed whisper of flakes gathering on frozen earth. As I sit beneath the hemlocks, I’m reminded of a season years ago when our family was suffering at Christmas. It can be challenging to know where to turn when Christmas is hard instead of celebratory. When Christmas Is Hard Our difficult Christmas came after a year filled with illness, disappointment, and deep grief. We’d just watched a lifelong dream go up in smoke, and we weren’t sure where to turn next. We were grieving, and we were having a hard time embracing the Christmas…
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Letting Go and Trusting God: 8 Reasons to Trust Him
This morning, I was startled to find the wood line painted grey. Nevertheless, the bleak scene matched the state of my soul. I sat by the window and wondered, What is God doing in my life? Letting go and trusting God felt nearly impossible. Above the hardwoods, a lavender cloud arched its back into the shape of a question mark. Perhaps the heavens were questioning God’s purposes as well. Later in the day, I took a walk beneath the naked arms of the maples, oaks, and sycamores. I let my mind trace the footprints of a handful of recent disappointments—disappointments that felt far heavier than a dismal shift of seasons. …
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Read These 10 Bible Verses When You Feel Like No One Cares About You
Above the tree line, the alpine grasses shiver in the wind while a pika no bigger than my fist eyes me from a rocky alcove. I’m 20 years old, and I’ve been climbing mountains all summer while running from a long list of mistakes. I know my family loves and cares about me deeply, but a quiet thought whispers, You’re all alone, and no one can help you. Perhaps you can relate to this thought. Today, I invite you to soak in the following 10 uplifting Bible verses when you feel like no one cares about you. Read These Bible Verses When You Feel Like No One Cares You might…
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15 Scriptures to Destroy the Works of the Enemy
Are you searching for powerful Scriptures to destroy the works of the enemy? Let’s dig into God’s Word for 15 powerful Bible verses to help you overcome spiritual attacks. Speak these verses out loud when you sense you are under attack. Satan cannot read our minds, but he submits to the authority of God’s Word. Scriptures to Destroy the Works of the Enemy The year I started writing words for the world to read, things began falling to pieces all around us. The kids were constantly rundown with various viruses. There were financial strains, serious health scares, and much more. We faced spiritual attacks without reprieve, and we were worn…
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Give It to God: 5 Ways to Give God Control
A midsummer drought slows the creek to a trickle and darkens it to the color of black tea. I sit by the water with a friend, and we talk about hopes, dreams, and the prayers we desperately want God to answer. We talk about how hard it can be to surrender control—to “give it to God” and trust him with the outcomes in our lives. I wonder if you can relate. Maybe you’ve been chasing a dream that hasn’t come to fruition, and you’re not sure how to embrace your calling while trustfully giving it to God at the same time. Perhaps you’ve been asking God to mend a broken…
