Typically we wait for the new year to start fresh, create goals, and feel hopeful. However, each new season of the year offers opportunities for rebirth and new beginnings. As we wind down our summer season and look forward to the first day of Autumn, here are four ways to breathe new life into this new stage. REVIEW The first step for a fresh start is not moving forward but looking back. Consider the previous season. What worked well over... Read more
Prayer. It is an often-illusive aspect of our faith. We know we should pray, we might even know how to pray, but instituting the practice can be challenging. Whether you have littles surrounding you constantly, a high-pressure job, or endless duties, it can be difficult to institute regular, meaningful, or heartfelt prayer. Instituting a prayer walk vastly impacted my personal prayer life. I realized that if I went on a walk in the evenings or mornings it often... Read more
Summer is in full swing. Longer days. Warmer weather. More Freedom. Let’s keep it that way. In the past I have made a “Summer Bucket List” and attempted to fit in each and every activity as if crossing off a to do list would prove that my kids and I had a great summer. However, summer is a time for unfettered living, spontaneity, and rest. The pressure to come up with a list can cause stress or busyness. If that... Read more
Spring inspires all things new and fresh. Plants, animals, weather, and activities all change. There are literal blossoms all around us and the blossoming of opportunities as well. It is a sort of new year all over again in which we can start fresh, dream big, and make new plans. It may be natural to practice renewal in the form of deep cleaning, gardening, home projects, vacations, and so much more. Yet, how can we focus on renewal of our... Read more
If your memories of Saint Patrick’s day as a child center around leprechauns, rainbows, and chocolates disguised as gold coins, you are not alone. Or, if you are like me and lived in a college town for eighteen years, you might be seeing visions of twenty-somethings clad in green as they stumble from bar to bar. There are many holidays that are rooted in excellent spiritual truths that have been watered down or even compeltely forgotten over the years. However,... Read more
Rejoice, Rejoice, the old hymn sings. You fly from store to store, checking lists and spending more. Rejoice, Rejoice, the Pastor declares. But you are shopping the sales for clothes and housewares. Rejoice, Rejoice, beat the depths of your heart. But you’re feeling the pressure to add to cart! While the poem may be silly, the sentiment rings true. The Holiday season is a conflict in consumerism and Christ’s birth. Each year the season begins sooner and the inflatable decorations... Read more
‘Tis the season for gratitude. The rest of the world may have moved ahead to Christmas, but my heart is still in the season of gratitude. We have a thousand small opportunities each day to live in a spirit of gratitude. Yesterday, as I drove through a light sprinkle and the golden leaves fluttered in the wind as if they too were raining from the sky, it was easy to feel an overflow of gratitude. When my... Read more
Teaching your children about God does is not limited to boring lectures, but rather an invitation to bring Jesus along on the adventures, fun, and mishaps of life. When I read the passage in Deuteronomy 6:7-9 that states, “You shall teach them [God’s Statutes] diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up . . . “ I like... Read more
How many lunches do you pack? One for yourself? One for your husband and yourself? Three for your kids? I technically only pack my husband’s, but I still feed my five homeschooled girls every day. It’s a pretty basic task, sometimes repetitive, sometimes mundane, and sometimes I quite frankly would rather toss out some cheese sticks and call it good. That perspective, however, comes from not understanding the worth of the packed lunch. Lunch packing is biblical after all. Did... Read more
Life can be tough. The world is unfair. Ups and downs are simply a part of breathing. Yet scripture commands us to not complain. In fact, scripture goes one step further and tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. Feeling cheerful, yet? Culture might approve of rant sessions and pity parties, but scripture does not. Here are four practical steps you can take when complaints begin to edge in and you feel like throwing on the sweats, binging your... Read more
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