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5 Bible Verses About Waiting Patiently for God’s Perfect Timing
It’s a cloudy Monday morning when I open my Bible in search of Bible verses about waiting patiently for God’s perfect timing. Beside me, the amaryllis has burst into full bloom. It bows low under the weight of its heavy blossom. After all of this waiting for it to bloom, I wonder if the blossom might crush it. I watch the amaryllis become its fullest self, and I wonder about my own growth. Perhaps this recent season of waiting on God has been more purposeful than I’ve imagined. Maybe God knows that if I bloom before I’m ready, the weight of it will crush me. Nevertheless, I’m tired of waiting.…
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Finding God when Prayers Go Unanswered
We’d reached the frayed edges of autumn, where flurries told us winter had come, and yet the calendar told us the winter solstice was not yet upon us. I wasn’t really thinking about seeking God when prayers go unanswered as I jogged down our quiet country road. I pushed my aching body down the road in my weekend routine of a long jog down the dusty roads, and the black dog with pointing ears came at me so hard I screamed in an angry and primal way. I wondered if our long chain of unfortunate events might culminate with an attack from a defensive German shepherd. I questioned whether I…
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For When You’re Disappointed by God
I climb onto the elliptical as a new day dawns, and I have no motivation to follow through with my usual routine. I’m feeling disappointed by God, and I’m not sure I feel like going through the motions today. I don’t feel like working hard, sweating, or watching a motivational message about God and all of his goodness. Maybe it’s the lack of energy lately. Maybe it’s the early morning cries from the little boy’s room that drew me from sleep three hours earlier than usual. Or maybe it’s the disappointment. Lately, I’ve been disappointed by a shattered dream. Everything I had planned for and hoped for has been thrown…
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A Spiritual Warfare Workbook for Overcoming the Enemy
We live in a multidimensional world. On one level, we face battles we can readily identify with our five senses. These battles include relational dissension, financial setbacks, medical issues, and more. Meanwhile, battles are also taking place in the spiritual realm. Today, we’ll look at four surprising truths about the enemy’s attacks. I’ll also offer my online spiritual warfare workbook, Rise Up, to help you stand firm at the end of this post. In 12 easy-to-read chapters, Rise Up will teach you 12 practical ways to put on the armor of God, resist the enemy, and find victory over his attacks. By changing our battle strategies, we can walk in greater…
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5 Inspiring Bible Verses About Discouragement
It’s a brisk autumn morning with lacy frost whitening the lawn. It’s been a discouraging season here, and I am worn out. As I stare at the never-ending to-do list, I realize I could use a few Bible verses about discouragement. This fall has been marked by big bumps along the usually smooth road of our lives, bumps that make us step back and appreciate the simple things of life, bumps that make us grateful to still be here together laughing and crying and kicking soccer balls across wide spans of green grass. Bible Verses About Discouragement I stare into the hazy coral firmament, lost in thought, when a…
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Thanksgiving Encouragement for When Thanksgiving Is Hard
The first rays of morning sunlight stretch through the frosted windowpane. For an instant, I forget that it’s Thanksgiving day. On this day when much of the world celebrates, I could use some Thanksgiving encouragement for my hurting heart. Maybe Thanksgiving is hard for you this year, too. You want to embrace this season and give thanks for the gifts in your life, but giving thanks just isn’t cutting it. If this is your story today, I invite you to join me as we stand on encouraging words amid our discouragement. Thanksgiving Encouragement for the Hurting What do we do when our worlds fall apart and the holidays suddenly hurt?…
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Detours in Life: What to Do When Life Is Interrupted
Our daughter, Bekah, was born on a clear November evening. As we celebrate her birthday this month, I reflect on her life. I also remember the long months leading up to her birth, months that taught me what it means to navigate detours in life. Throughout those months, I planned to continue teaching high school students in my Life Skills classroom right up to my due date. My husband and I planned to vacation in the summer. I imagined that I would continue mentoring teens throughout the pregnancy. I was sure I’d be able to keep running five miles a day until at least the seven-month mark. None of that…
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How to Glorify God in Your Body: 5 Practical Ways
Have you ever wondered how to glorify God in your body? Perhaps you’ve read Romans 12:1 and want to apply it to your life: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (NIV). Today, we’ll talk about how to glorify God in your body with five practical steps. I invite you to join me on a clear winter morning, and we’ll explore the idea of bringing God glory in all we do. How to Glorify God in Your Body Birdsong tangled in the spruce boughs the morning…
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12 “Walking in Victory Scriptures” for Life’s Battles
The Window Trail leads me through a stand of tall hemlocks, and I pause on to peer through the feathered branches. The valley beyond this veil is vast, shrouded in cyan blue like a mystical otherworld. I’m in the woods today because I’ve been feeling discouraged. I’ve brought my Bible, and as I walk, I meditate on several “walking in victory Scriptures.” “Walking in Victory Scriptures” for Life’s Battles Perhaps you’ve also been feeling discouraged in some realm of your life. If so, here are the Scriptures that encouraged and inspired me on my walk and in the days beyond. 12 “Walking in Victory Scriptures” 1. Romans 8:31 (ESV) “What…
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How to Get Out of a Slump
Tufts of moisture spot the sky in shades of periwinkle as we stand along the shoreline. My little boy is wearing white socks under his sandals to protect a large bandage on his wounded foot. I’m not thinking about how to get out of a slump, but what happens next will be a lesson in obedience for years to come. It’s never pretty when disobedience leaves you stuck in the mud, wondering just how in the world you’re going to wiggle to freedom. “Stay out of the water,” I warn as he splashes a playful toe in the muddy water. The little guy is ten feet away, and he figures…
