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16 Practical Ways to Keep Your Heart on Fire for God
We gathered around the campfire as fireflies illuminated the hoary breath of dusk. As I watched the flames dance, I thought about my walk of faith and felt a deep desire to fan the flame of my passion for God. I want to be a woman who is on fire for God, and when I feel the flame dwindling, I come back to today’s list of practices. On Fire for God Let’s get right to the heart of the matter today. I pray these practices will help you fan the flame, too. 16 Ways to Stay on Fire for God 1. Stay on fire for God by seeking him for…
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The Pain of Waiting on God: How to Endure It
Five colorful bluegills swim in the shallows of the creek. They seem to be waiting for something. I watch them while the kids splash in the emerald swimming hole, and I get to thinking about the pain of waiting on God. Most of us are waiting on God for something. We’re waiting to pay off our houses, acquire promotions at work, or step into our dreams. We’re waiting for summer vacations and weekends away from work. The Pain of Waiting on God It’s easy to spend our entire lives waiting for what comes next and miss the lessons that can only happen in the waiting room. Most likely, you’re waiting…
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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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10 Hope-Filled Bible Verses About God Being With Us
The angel watches over us from her crooked perch atop the Christmas tree, and it takes everything within me not to climb on top of the TV stand to straighten her out. Could it be that Immanuel, God with us, smiles at our efforts to celebrate his birth? Today, we’ll explore 10 encouraging Bible verses about God being with us and learn to apply these truths to our everyday moments. For several years now, I’ve been pondering some of the last words ever recorded by John Wesley. Wesley looked back on his life and remarked, “The best of all is, God is with us.” God with us. Matthew 1:23 records…
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Trusting God’s Plans for Your Life (With 7 Bible Verses)
Have you been searching for God’s plans for your life? I’m Stacey, and my 12-year-old daughter, Bekah, and I are excited to share our hearts with readers of all ages as we aim to walk in God’s will. Thanks for connecting with us as we discuss how to trust God’s plan for our lives. God’s Plans for Your Life He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. 2 Samuel 22:20 Stacey’s Thoughts on God’s Plans for Your Life: When I was a teenager, one of my greatest dreams was to win a medal at the state track meet. My race was the…
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Angry Cleaning: 3 Ways to Move Toward Peace and Joy
I recently went for a walk with a friend who confessed to Angry Cleaning. I didn’t have to ask her for an explanation because I’ve Angry Cleaned more times than I can count. Unlike “Rage Cleaning,” in which we intentionally pour our frustration into the cleaning process, using our anger for good, Angry Cleaning is act of cleaning angrily, often because others are not helping us. I invite you to join me as I walk through the woods with my friend, and we’ll learn how to move away from Angry Cleaning, Angry Cooking, Angry Working, and Angry Parenting. Angry Cleaning A thread of silver water twists its way through an…
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God Hears Our Prayers—Even When He Seems Silent
The summer air was thick with humidity as we made our way into the wilderness. Hemlocks breathed their pungent, piney scent, and the river rolled along casually—inviting us into the clear, cool water. I had no idea this backpacking trip with a friend was about to become a lifelong reminder that God hears our prayers. We reached our campsite and erected our tent as storm clouds gathered overhead. With the invincibility of 25-year-olds, we didn’t worry about the ominous clouds and ran to the river for a swim as soon as the tent was in place. After a short swim, the thunderous clouds descended upon us, and heaven unleashed in…
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4 Insights to Help You Keep Trusting God When It Hurts
A pale, yellow aspen leaf flutters from above. The shape of a teardrop, it swirls on some unseen current and lands at my feet. Picking it up, I’m reminded of the One who counts our teardrops and stores them in a bottle. It’s not easy to keep trusting God when it hurts. Circumstances have been difficult here throughout the past months. Hopes and dreams have crashed and burned, and at times, it felt crushing. Trusting God When It Hurts Most of us have tasted the bitter flavor of broken dreams. Whether you were asking God to lead you into a relationship, give you a child, or bring a long-awaited vision…
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When Trusting God With Your Future Doesn’t Come Easily
We threw out the old calendar—the one with the tattered edges and scratched-out plans—and we burned it to ash last week. We watched the flames lick it up like they were happy to say goodbye to the year and all it held. As I watched the tangerine flames dance in the wind, I considered the secret for really trusting God with your future—whether you’re coming out of the best season of your life or the worst. As I reflected on our past season, I gained courage. I also thought about the many times in Scripture when God’s people told stories about his past faithfulness. Maybe we should follow their lead.…
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Why Jesus Is My Hope—Even in My Disappointment
As the season changes here, I’ve been intermittently looking back and looking ahead. I’m reminding myself of one truth: Jesus is my hope for the future, and he is my hope in the face of my deepest disappointments. I don’t know what your past season looked like. Maybe you put everything you had into your career, and there’s still no fruit to be seen. Maybe you lost the job you loved. You might have had goals for your finances, your waistline, your marriage, or your ministry. Maybe some of these areas are worse off now than they were when you had all that hope. Even worse, you might have achieved…
