When you want nothing more than to take an afternoon nap, maybe it’s because that’s exactly what your body needs to strengthen itself and carry on.
When your job is sucking your soul dry and you want to make a change, maybe it’s because your job is a poor fit for your gifts and personality and a career change is exactly what your soul needs to flourish...
While we tend to equate saying yes with being “loving” and saying no with being “unloving,” in actuality, declining a request is not necessarily unloving. In fact, when it paves the way for obedience and enables us to accomplish our individual callings, it can be the most loving and godly thing we can do…
Read MoreYou may find it easy to see how nature displays God’s glory. But what about when you look at yourself? Are you filled with the same wonder and awe? Our culture’s constant provocation to personal discontent and our tendency toward self-criticism can make it hard to recognize, but you too are part of the symphony of creation declaring God’s majesty…
Read MoreTo celebrate spring, I’m giving away a gift bundle, which includes:
A copy of Rebecca George’s new book, Do The Thing: Gospel-Centered Goals, Gumption, and Grace for the Go-Getter Girl
A set of fine art note cards by yours truly
A pretty floral notebook,
And 2 fun vinyl stickers!
“…Your worth and eligibility for God’s work are not dependent on degrees or demographics. And if the only thing holding you back from moving toward that thing God is stirring in your heart is feeling “less than” due to lack of a college education or belonging to a specific age bracket, I hope you dismiss those feelings, take a deep breath, and push forward…
Read MoreSometimes, the goals and dreams God has given us can feel the way my plant looked: scraggly, unfruitful—even dead. We might wonder if it’s time to let them go and move on to something else. We might wonder if we heard God wrong…
Read More…The plethora of books, courses, and coaching programs aimed at helping us achieve goals reveals that I’m not the only one who has struggled with moving forward in the goals I’ve set. It seems that, no matter how good our intentions, even our most worthy goals are often met with resistance…
Read More…I feel a similar sense of sadness and fatigue, a kind of malaise that makes me just want to sit on the couch and lose myself in a box of chocolates and mystery novel.
And while there’s nothing wrong is enjoying a day curled up on the couch with a book, I know that what my soul needs is deeper than a simple self-care practice can provide—I need God’s supernatural healing in my heart…
Read More…But though buried, my dream wasn’t dead. The seed of that God-given desire was tucked deep in my heart, and when the conditions were right, it began to grow. And grow. Until I couldn’t ignore it any longer. Instead of thinking about it every once in a while, I thought about it often…
Read MoreWe have a tendency to divide activities into sacred and secular: Being a pastor, youth leader, missionary, etc. is sacred. Being a dental hygienist, mechanic, or vet is secular.
But that’s not how God sees it…
Read MoreSometimes I think it can feel like being thankful is something we’re “supposed to do,” as if it’s an obligation or a duty. But the reality is, it’s a gift to us because it’s a conduit for joy and peace…
Read MoreIf you’re struggling with fears related to an action you need to take, I encourage you to do it afraid. Remember: Fear is designed to hold you back from God’s best for you. It wants to keep you small and stop you from achieving your goals. But the truth is, fear can’t stop you from doing anything…
Read MoreI’m giving away a 2-book bundle that includes one copy of Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad by John Eldredge and one copy of When Making Others Happy Is Making You Miserable: How to Break the Pattern of People Pleasing and Confidently Live Your Life by Karen Ehman!
Read MoreWhen it comes to sadness, our culture may say stuff it. Our family may shrug it off. Our church may minimize it. But whether we’re crying in an airport, a grocery store, or a sanctuary, Jesus will never turn away from our sorrowing hearts. He knows the fragility of our human form. He understands the wear and tear, the tension and the trauma of living on this fallen Earth. Our tears are His treasures…
Read MoreRecently, I’ve felt God asking me to cut back on certain activities, and, to be honest, letting go has been hard. But those previously pruned and bounteous berries remind me of an important truth: Pruning is an essential part of bearing excellent fruit…
Read MoreOne kingdom key to enjoying a deeper relationship with God and succeeding in the good work He’s called us to do is having a childlike heart—one of curiosity, playfulness, and willingness to learn and dream…
Read MoreWe all have an innate desire for our lives to matter, and I think most of us believe that we have a purpose and hope to accomplish that purpose. We know the Bible says God has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11) and that He has called us to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).
But when it comes to actually understanding what our purpose is, many of us struggle. We do our best to help others and serve God, but we often feel unfulfilled and are left wondering if we’re really doing what we’re meant to do…
Read MoreAs Christians, we often hear and talk about bearing fruit. But this concept, though lovely, is sometimes a little vague, and you might wonder, What exactly does it mean to bear fruit?
To help answer this question, I'm sharing an article I wrote for iBelieve.com that goes over four types of fruit found in the Bible and some tangible ways they can be expressed in our lives…
Every month for the past 40 months, I’ve written “devotions due” on the 15th of my calendar—a reminder to submit my two monthly devotions to The Joyful Life Devotion Team.
But at the beginning of this year, I felt God prompting me to step down from this particular team.
I wrestled with this decision because I enjoyed being a part of this group of writers; I love the friendships I’ve formed there and the publishing opportunities I’ve been given. I also worried that I was mishearing God. Being on this team was a good thing, and letting go of it didn’t really make sense. What if I’m wrong and I release something I’m meant to maintain? I wondered…
When we’re first learning a new skill, we often face feelings of failure, discouragement, and doubt. But I was reminded recently that we develop skills in stages, and it’s okay to be in the beginning stages.
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Hi! I'm Carina, and I'm here to help you connect with God and discover and share your unique gifts.
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