-
A Unique Mother’s Day Gift for Moms With Daughters
Mother’s Day is coming soon. Perhaps there’s a mother in your life who is hard to buy for. If so, I invite you to check out this unique Mother’s Day gift for moms with daughters. A Unique Mother’s Day Gift for Moms With Daughters Two years ago, our then-11-year-old daughter, Bekah, saw a mother-daughter devotional written by an older mother-daughter pair sitting on our kitchen table. “We should write a mother-daughter devotional!” she declared. “That sounds great, babe. Brainstorm some ideas, and we’ll get started,” I suggested. I suspected Bekah would write a few devotions and lose interest. Our Mother-Daughter Tween and Teen Girl Devotional Book Much to my surprise,…
-
Six Encouraging Prayers for Hopeless Situations
I recently went to the woods to talk to God about a situation that felt hopeless. Perhaps you’re facing some challenging circumstances, too. You are in the right place. Today, we’ll unpack six prayers for hopeless situations as we press into our true Source of hope. We are never without hope when we learn where our unchanging hope is found. This week, I invite you to join me in my favorite place: the woods. Prayers for Hopeless Situations As I walked through the forest recently, I realized I was falling into a behavior that has defined my response to hopeless situations for years: Trying to fix what felt broken. Most…
-
Prayers for Broken Hearts: 5 Prayers for Comfort and Healing
It’s not easy to know how to pray for a broken heart. Whether you are hurting or you want to pray for a loved one who is suffering, today we’ll explore five comforting prayers for broken hearts. My hope is that these prayers will offer healing and hope to those who are hurting today. I invite you to join me in one of my favorite places, our backyard fire ring, and we’ll talk about how to pray for hurting hearts. 5 Comforting Prayers for Broken Hearts Four charred logs rest haphazardly on the ashes. Wisps of smoke arise from the center of the heap. As I hunker down for a…
-
Keys to Spiritual Growth: 4 Ways to Develop Spiritual Maturity
Last spring, the week after we bought a new furnace, I walked into the laundry room to discover a sudsy, wet floor. The washing machine had broken, too. Of course. As I stared at the soapy water, I had no idea that God was going to use the situation to remind me of several life-changing keys to spiritual growth. Keys to Spiritual Growth As I moved boxes and began sopping up the water with beach towels, I calculated the cost of a new washing machine and thought, When it rains, it pours. Later that evening, as I lay in bed and reviewed the events of the day, I remembered the…
-
Enjoying the Presence of God: 4 Ways to Experience His Joy
The sinking sun shone white behind a cloak of low-hanging stratus clouds as the kids dipped their nets into a swampy bog. Through the lens of my camera, three bouncing bodies splashed and giggled. Enjoying the presence of God in his created world was filling us all with life-giving energy. I had intentions of capturing dozens of images on the camera that weekend at the cabin. Sadly, the morning after exploring the ponds, I awoke with a virus and barely managed to get out of bed throughout the rest of our weekend. As I lay in the tiny, dark cabin bedroom, I was thankful for the previous evening—for catching red-spotted…
-
7 Bible Verses About Giving Thanks in All Circumstances
Another grey sky greeted us this morning. I went to the window and watched the raindrops cling to the spruce needles like tiny, translucent pearls. I was almost tempted to grumble about the rain until I looked at the rolling fields beyond the yard. Dressed in their springtime garments of young green life, the fields seemed to sing a hopeful song beneath the dripping sky. Immediately, I saw the rainy day through a different lens. Instead of complaining, I gave thanks for the promise of springtime, warmer days, and wildflowers. I was lost in my reverie when, suddenly, our 9-year-old growled loudly from his bed and awoke his little brother.…
-
Five Practical Tips for Struggling Moms and Weary Women
Throughout the past 13 years, I’ve spent most of my time caring for our children. As we push through the end of another long winter, I hope to offer a few encouraging words for struggling moms and weary women who are wondering how to uncover the joy and peace they long for. I pray these words will bless and encourage you. Encouragement for Struggling Moms and Weary Women A friend recently sent me a text that went something like this: “No one tells you how hard motherhood actually is!” I immediately called her so we could talk in real-time. We talked about the difficult newborn days when we thought we’d…
-
How to Have More Joy in the Lord—Even When Life is Tough
We are at the creek again today—hoping to imbibe the scarce rays of golden sunlight peering at us from behind the wooded knolls. I long to live with deep roots of joy in the Lord, but the winter months are often challenging. We’re on the cusp of springtime now. Nevertheless, the winter months have worn on me. Maybe you can relate. You might not have to fight for joy in the wintertime, but perhaps you’re navigating a difficult season in your life. Today, we’ll talk about how to have more joy in the Lord when life is challenging. No matter what your challenge looks like, I pray these words offer…
-
Help, I Feel Stuck in Life! (5 Ways to Get Unstuck)
Somewhere along the thin line between night’s inky darkness and the hoary glow of daybreak, I place a flat palm on the frosted windowpane. It’s late winter in our world. Throughout the past few winters, I’ve stood at this same window countless times and whispered, “Help me, Lord. I feel stuck in life right now.” We all feel stuck at times. We feel stuck in habits we cannot break, jobs we don’t enjoy, and callings that suck the life from our bodies. What do we do when we feel stuck in life? Let’s talk about it together today. Help, I Feel Stuck in Life As I stand at the window,…
-
Being Patient and Kind When Your Plans Are Interrupted
I don’t do well with interrupted plans. I wrote the following post several years ago, but I need the reminder regularly. If you have trouble being patient and kind when your plans are interrupted, too, this is for you. I pray it blesses you. Being Patient and Kind When Your Plans Are Interrupted Morning birdsong twists through the sleepy spruce needles, and a grey squirrel carries a mouthful of leaves across the deck. I sit by the window and get lost in the scene as I read Psalms and sip black coffee. I have no idea that this morning’s quiet time is about to become a test of being patient…