Exploring Who You Are: A Key To Fulfilling God’s Purpose for Your Life

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Exploring Who You Are: A Key To Fulfilling God’s Purpose for Your Life

We 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…

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What Does It Mean to Bear Fruit? 4 Types of Fruit Found in the Bible

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What Does It Mean to Bear Fruit? 4 Types of Fruit Found in the Bible

As 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…

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Why Letting Go Is So Important

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Why Letting Go Is So Important

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…

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One Thing You Might Need to Do if You're Feeling Stressed

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One Thing You Might Need to Do if You're Feeling Stressed

As purposeful women, we have goals and dreams we’re doing our best to steward, and this is good. But God doesn’t want us to get burnt out. He understands the toll tough seasons can take, and like the stressed moose who are drawn to the easier walking paths, it could be that He is inviting you to take it easy for a bit…

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Feeling Unmotivated? This Could Be the Underlying Reason Why

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Feeling Unmotivated? This Could Be the Underlying Reason Why

Are you feeling demotivated or discouraged, particularly when it comes to setting goals, planning, or dreaming, and you’re just not sure how to get your zest for life back?

If so, it could be that there is unfinished business—perhaps unresolved grief, a damaged relationship, or a disappointed dream—that needs attention…

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Could Jesus Be Inviting You Into a Slower Pace of Life?

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Could Jesus Be Inviting You Into a Slower Pace of Life?

All my life, I’ve felt the need to hurry. But now I find Jesus giving me the same invitation He gave Alan Fadling: Slow down.

So I’m doing my best to unhurry my life and my heart. I’m learning to accept my slower-paced nature and to walk with my Shepherd beside quiet—not frenzied—waters. I’m learning to find rest in the rhythms of the One Who never hurries His sheep.

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When Times Get Tough and You’re Not Sure How to Keep Going, Remember This

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When Times Get Tough and You’re Not Sure How to Keep Going, Remember This

When the end of the year rolled around, I contemplated what persistence had looked like for me over the previous months. As I did, I realized a truth that may seem obvious, but I had never thought much about before: Persistence isn’t pretty…

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When You Worry About How God Will Provide for What He’s Called You to Do, Remember the Ravens.

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When You Worry About How God Will Provide for What He’s Called You to Do, Remember the Ravens.

My home lies under a flight path used by a group of local ravens. In the mornings, they fly south over my house, heading toward the city, where they scavenge for food. Come evening, they return north to roost.

One day, I was watching the ravens fly by, and the word "provision" came into my mind. I was a little surprised since this was not a word I normally associated with ravens…

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How Our Emotions Help Us Move Forward in Faith and Purpose

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How Our Emotions Help Us Move Forward in Faith and Purpose

Our culture often distrusts emotions—we tend to look down on people who are “emotional” or who base decisions on how they feel. Being guided by logic is touted as the more responsible and realistic way to move through life.

But, as we seek to grow closer to God and move forward in our purpose, what if our emotions are just as important as our minds?

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Do You Need to Lay Something Down?

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Do You Need to Lay Something Down?

The last couple of months have been crazy busy, and in my desire to get all the things done that I’ve needed to get done (and soak up as much summer sun as I can while I’m at it) I’ve found myself neglecting the practices that make me feel most refreshed and rested (like reading and quiet time at home), as well as some of the projects God has called me to do…

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Facing an Obstacle That Looks Impossible to Overcome?

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Facing an Obstacle That Looks Impossible to Overcome?

Has God given you a mission but you're not sure how you'll accomplish certain aspects of what He's calling you to do?

Today, I'm sharing a devotion I wrote for The Joyful Life that I hope will encourage you as you pursue all God has in store for you—no matter how impossible it seems…

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How Do I Know if My Desire Is From God? 5 Questions to Help You Decide

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How Do I Know if My Desire Is From God? 5 Questions to Help You Decide

Rather than impulses to be resisted, our dreams and desires are often signals God uses to lead us into His purpose and callings for our lives. However, while our desires often do point us in the right direction, not everything we want is necessarily God's will. So how can we tell if a desire is truly from Him?

To help answer that question, today I'm sharing an article I wrote for The Joyful Life Magazine. In it, I reveal five questions I’ve found helpful to ask when I’m trying to determine whether what I want lines up with what God wants…

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Feel Too Busy to Take a Break?

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Feel Too Busy to Take a Break?

Have you ever felt that you were so busy you couldn’t take a break? I found myself in that place not long ago.

I’d started a new project—something I felt God had prompted me to do—but as the project progressed, it seemed to consume more and more of my time. When I discovered feelings of resentment creeping in regarding my work, I knew something needed to change…

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Wondering What God is Calling You to Do? How Your Desires Can Be a Clue

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Wondering What God is Calling You to Do? How Your Desires Can Be a Clue

I used to be suspicious of my desires. I was devoted to God and determined to do what was right, and I worried that what I wanted would distract me from God’s plan or that my desires might be self-indulgent or impractical.

But through studying the Bible, I've come to understand that rather than impulses to be resisted, our dreams and desires are often signals God uses to lead us into His purpose and callings for our lives…

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