Life can be scary and full of stressful things, whether natural like hurricanes and tornadoes and viruses, or manmade like terrorist activities and wars. But the God who created the world HAS NOT ABANDONED US! I’ve always been fascinated by the many times in Scripture where something awful is happening and then, my 2 favorite words: But God (But The Lord) But Jesus Then the whole story changes. There is rescue. There is hope. A miracle. We can choose Faith over Fear, and let go of so many stresses. What does that mean, though? Well, let’s look at … Read More
7 Best Devotionals for Homeschool Moms to Keep Jesus Close
Today, let’s talk devotionals for homeschool moms. We get overwhelmed, and we don’t need to be! There is a certain pressure in life, that we’ve gotta do it all. Keep a well-run house, play with the kids, educate them both academically, spiritually, and with morals and life skills, take care of our husbands and extended families, and have a rich spiritual life at the same time. We feel responsible for maintaining balance, being ‘all-in’ where we are in the moment, and juggling everything. But we can’t. We can’t do it all. Be all. That’s Jesus’ job. And if we keep … Read More
Bible Verses About Fatherhood +11 Best Books For Dad
Christian Fatherhood, Biblical Fatherhood is not automatic. There is work and Sacrifice. Failure and fun. Hope and prayers and perseverance. Knowing what that actually means and seeing what it looks like in today’s world go a long way toward making Christian Fatherhood possible. So let’s review some characteristics of a father, according to the Bible, and then check out some great books that would make good Christian fathers day gifts! *Please note that this post contains affiliate links, where at no extra cost to you, if you purchase through my link, I may receive a small percentage to help support this blogging … Read More
40+ Short Inspirational Devotions You’ll Love
Have you ever read any short powerful devotions that took just a few minutes, but then echoed in your head and heart for days (or longer)? Just a small nugget of God’s truth wrapped in a powerful illustration and paired with the right verse at the right time? Me too. And it’s an awesome feeling. Short inspirational devotions are great for sparking meditation and study. They’re also great at being a touchstone to recenter your day. I want to share some great short devotionals with you, some of my favorites and some that have made me curious. What Are Daily … Read More
How to Live Royal: Book of Esther Bible Study for Teen Girls
We get to revisit the book of Esther today! Twice in one year, but totally different, too. Remember when I reviewed Hadassah: Queen Esther of Persia over the summer? I explained then that I had the unique privilege of doing both a sermon series at church And preview a book of Esther Bible study for teen girls just before reading that fun novel? Well, this is it! I am so happy to introduce you to Aminata and the first Bible study in the Girls of Excellence series. Royal: Life Lessons from the Book of Esther Bible Study for Teen Girl … Read More
Managing Expectations in Relationships: 8 Great Christian Books That Help
My small group did a study on the book The Bait of Satan by John Bevere a couple of years ago. It went a long way towards helping me in managing my expectations in relationships with others. The subtitle of the book is “Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense.” When you think about it, we tend to get offended most when our expectations aren’t lived up to. We take it as a personal affront. If your baby pulled your hair or throws food, you do not take offense. You don’t expect them to behave any other way, they … Read More
What is Lent? Plus 12 Best Books For Lent Season
What is Lent? As a Southern Baptist from before I was born, I didn’t really get it. I mean, why do we celebrate Lent? Isn’t Lent season a Catholic thing? But my current church home isn’t Baptist. And a very dear friend is a Methodist. So I’ve had more exposure to Lent in recent years. And the more I’ve pressed in to the question of what is Lent, the more I value many aspects of the lent season. And of course, I had to come up with a solid list of books for Lent, because that’s who I am. A … Read More
How to Set Christian Goals: Understanding God’s Grace is Key
Okay, so this is a little hard to write. I’ve been ‘in church’ since well before I was born. But in over 30 years, I was still childlike in understanding God’s grace and favor. I’ve had the Sunday School answer, a simple, childish acceptance, which is great, but we’re called to a combination of childlike faith and spiritual maturity. (Matthew 18:2-4, Ephesians 4:11-16, Hebrews 6) I didn’t know what I didn’t know. But now I’m excited. Every time I do learn the Biblical or historical meaning of a word, I find my Bible reading time so much richer. It’s something … Read More
How Do You Plan to Achieve Your Goals? Setting Personal Goals in Life
Knowing what you want, and WHY you want it will take you a long way towards making it happen. But that’s not all that matters. Getting God’s input, making sure that you are following Biblical goal-setting practices, and having access to God’s power and favor in your follow-through? Those things make all the difference in the world!
5 Gratitude Journaling Benefits You Need to Know and The Best Gratitude Journal Choices
This fall I started something new. I’ve known the importance of gratitude but now I’m discovering more practical gratitude journaling benefits – And I am loving the process! For at least 15 years now, I’ve kept a (semi-consistent) gratitude text message conversation with 2 friends, and have seen first-hand the gratitude journaling benefits that has provided. Because there were days when one of us {read me} was in a funk, and got mad when someone else remembered to start the conversation, so we {I} ‘had’ to come up with something to be grateful for. Oh the drama! But its been worth it. The … Read More