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Finding Rest in God: How to Create Space
The tamaracks are losing their needles again. They fall like golden flecks of rain, a gift from the Father of heavenly lights. I stop in the middle of the country road and let one fall into my open palm. I’m here because finding rest in God often comes most naturally to me beneath open skies. I’ve been longing for a touch from heaven lately, and I’m revisiting an experiment I tried a while back. It’s an experiment in being intentional about seeking God beneath open skies for just a few minutes each day. Finding Rest in God I need space for this weary and burdened soul to stretch heavenward with…
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Why Is Motherhood So Hard? (Encouragement for Weary Moms)
The dim glow of daylight rises over the tree line, and I stare at the light as it ascends mandarin over the shadows. “Why is motherhood so hard?” I whisper. The thousands of quiet struggles of motherhood have worn me thin lately. This morning, I make up my mind not to complain. I will give thanks instead. Nevertheless, I’m still tired. Why Is Motherhood So Hard? There are fleeting moments when I remember life before children: The way my boss affirmed my efforts at work; the way my friends cheered me on for following my dreams; and the public accolades of my teaching career. It seemed people were quick to…
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How to Find Rest in God: A Review of Kelly Balarie’s New Book
It comes to me as I bend over the sink, tomato juice spattered on the windowpane, a heavy crate of big pinks ripening beside me on the countertop. It’s a subtle impression upon the innermost part of me, and it goes something like this: Don’t hurry through these tasks. These tasks are gifts, and divinity is threaded throughout them. Slow down, inhale slowly, and find rest in God while you do his work. Find Rest in God It’s the season of harvest here, which means there is much to do. There are vegetables to tend to, transitions to navigate, and articles to write. If I’m not careful, I can get…
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When God Closes a Door, Ask Yourself This Question
I sit with a friend and admire the daylilies as they bow low beneath the afternoon sun. I’ve just told her about a recent disappointment, and my heart is heavy. I thought God was leading one way, but the door slammed shut in my face. When God closes a door, it can be hard to know where to turn next. I’m pondering my situation when my friend asks a hard question: “Is there a chance you’re trying to turn stones into bread?” She then shares what she’s been learning about turning stones into bread: Before Jesus began his public ministry, the Holy Spirit called him into the wilderness. Here, Satan…
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Leaning on Jesus When You Feel Empty Inside
There are gaping holes between the boughs of the blue spruce. I’m surprised to notice thick clumps of pinecones at the end of each branch. The spruce is bearing fruit, even in the gaps. I’m reminded of what I’ve been learning about leaning on Jesus when I feel empty inside. When You Feel Empty We all face empty seasons. We wonder how we will possibly manage to bear good fruit in our lives. Meanwhile, Jesus offers an invitation: “Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me” (John 15:4…
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Start Your Day Happy With This 20-Second Routine
The alarm sounds, and it’s been less than an hour since I last laid eyes upon the digital numbers. In fact, I believe I saw these red glowing numbers every hour throughout the past night. What do you do when the idea of learning to start your day happy feels entirely unrealistic? I hear a little voice outside the bedroom door. In the room next to me, tiny legs kick hard against the crib mattress as the youngest considers whether or not to cry for more milk. I pray he returns to sleep. How to Start Your Day Happy I’m praying for little Aiden to return to sleep when a…
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The Truth About God and Your Emptiness in Life
The first red-winged blackbird appeared from out of the pasty white sky on a Sunday, and we marveled at the feeder like we’d never seen such a miracle. We were at the end of a season when all the emptiness in life had us feeling poured out. Everyday moments suddenly feel like miracles when everything else has been stripped away. In the aftermath of the longest kind of winter season, that first red-winged blackbird looked something like a scarlet-caped wonder. At the end of a never-ending night, just a little flicker of light can change everything. Emptiness in Life We knew a thing or two about emptiness in life that…
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10 Bible Verses for Weariness (Plus 5 Tips for Weary Days)
The snow blows past like a horizontal wall of white. I stare at the thousands of tiny flakes like maybe this is heaven’s way of touching this muddy earth. I’m running on fumes all over again this morning, and I open my Bible in search of a few Bible verses for weariness. Maybe you can relate. You might be weary from the demands of a career that is wearing you down, children who rely on you day and night, or something else. Today, we’ll look at ten Bible verses for weariness and explore five tips for tired days. 10 Bible Verses for Weariness I encourage you to soak in these…
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The Importance of Balance in Life: What Does It Mean
This morning, snowflakes waltzed on the trodden lawn like tufts of cotton grass bobbing on a summer morning. I remembered summer with all its life and possibility, and the season we’d settled into felt more like a sterile waiting room where everyone just stared at the walls and prayed for our names to be called. I’d been thinking about the importance of balance in life, and that balance felt lacking. Sometimes it’s all you can do not to put every last ounce of hope in the day when the season finally shifts. With all your heart you want to put your hope in something bigger than your circumstances – Someone…
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A Simple Perspective-Shift for Overcoming Irritability
It might have been the long walk through winter’s dark days that had me grumbling. Or maybe it was the fact that our household hadn’t been healthy for four months, a certain child wouldn’t obey a single imperative from his mother, or the waterline kept freezing. I needed some kind of help with overcoming irritability, and it seemed I was nearing the end of my rope. I’d been barking orders all day, and by the time evening fell, I couldn’t have been happier when they all marched over to the neighbors’ house, leaving me with silent surroundings for just an hour. I turned on the evening news and shoveled heaping…
