Christmas Devotionals, an Ermine, and Learning About the Holy Spirit
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Your monthly round up of resources to help you connect with God, make a difference, and live with joy.
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When It's Easier to Count Your Problems Than Your Blessings
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When problems march through my life like participants in a holiday parade, it’s tempting to focus on all that’s going wrong. But it’s times like these, more than ever, that I know I need to be vigilant in fixing my mind on the One Who provides for all my needs…
Read MoreWhen Times Get Tough and You’re Not Sure How to Keep Going, Remember This
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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…
Read MoreWhen You Worry About How God Will Provide for What He’s Called You to Do, Remember the Ravens.
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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…
How Our Emotions Help Us Move Forward in Faith and Purpose
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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?
Read MoreThe First Thing to Do When Your Friend Is Sad
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I had just finished having a particularly difficult, tear-filled conversation with a friend who was struggling when I opened my phone and listened to a voice message from a different friend. In it, she shared some heart-wrenching events that had just occurred in her family...
Read MoreDo You Need to Lay Something Down?
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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…
Facing an Obstacle That Looks Impossible to Overcome?
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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…
Read MoreHow Do I Know if My Desire Is From God? 5 Questions to Help You Decide
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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…
Are You Trying to Adjust to a New Role?
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There’s a gardening proverb that goes like this: “The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, the third year they leap!”
This little adage is a reminder that you won't see much outward growth in the first year after a perennial (a plant that lives for multiple years) is planted…
Feel Too Busy to Take a Break?
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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…
Wondering What God is Calling You to Do? How Your Desires Can Be a Clue
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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…
Are You in a Season of Slow or Uncomfortable Growth?
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I’ve long since mastered walking and talking, but now I’m learning to do other things. And sometimes it feels really uncomfortable and looks really awkward. Sometimes, I feel frustrated by how far out of reach some of my dreams and goals seem. I feel like a toddler, knowing I’m meant to run but not yet able to advance beyond a few wobbly steps...⠀
Read MoreA Simple Way to Develop a Deeper Understanding of God's Love
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…I know it’s completely appropriate for me to sing to God in this way, but for God to sing such words of passion to me—simple, humble, human Carina? He really loves me this much? He really adores me? It felt almost sacrilegious to believe that He would sing to me like this…
Read MoreHe Carried All Our Pain, All at Once
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I can hardly handle modern dental care with a near guarantee of no pain, while Jesus accepted every form of pain known to humankind. He suffered for us physically, mentally, and emotionally. He bore ALL our pain, all at once...
Read MoreThis Simple Act Had A Much Bigger Impact Than I Expected
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God often speaks to us in a “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:12 NKJV), and His small voice sometimes asks us to do small things—things that are so small, we’re tempted to disregard them…
Read MoreDo You Have a Dream but Feel Like It's Being Drowned by Life Circumstances?
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This week, I’m excited to be sharing a guest post from my dear friend Kay Gleaves, who has some encouragement for you to keep believing even when things look bleak.
Kay is a fellow devotion writer on the Joyful Life team, an expert encourager, and an all around amazing woman of God. I know you will be inspired and uplifted by this powerful devotion—I certainly have been!
End of the Month Resources: Building Connection With the Young People in Our Lives, Plus Encouragement for Those of Us With Sensitive Personalities
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Through various situations I've found myself in recently, I've been reminded of my sensitive nature, and I have felt a little bad about it at times. But there are some really good things about being a sensitive person. This article encouraged me by pointing out some of the strengths of sensitive people…
Read MoreWhen What God Is Asking You to Do Feels Like More Than You Can Handle
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We each have callings and assignments, and God invites us to participate in various projects or ministries with Him. Our initial response may be excitement: “Yes, I’ll partner with you God!” But once we start the process, we may begin to think it’s more than we can handle…
Read MoreHope for a Heart Hungry for Love
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When I was a kid, I imagined that someday when I was all grown up and had a husband, all my dreams of feeling perfectly loved would come true…
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