Through Mary Magdalene’s story, we see how receiving grace, recognizing Jesus’ voice, and sharing His goodness leads to contagious joy. I once heard my friend share that when his children leave for school in the morning, he tells them to “be joyfully different.” His aim in doing so is to remind his kids that they…
“At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill countryof Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.“Luke 1:39–41 We Need Community I tried seminary once before. And dropped out….
When joy fades, we can rediscover it by focusing on God’s promises, reaching out to others, and gaining a fresh perspective. Do you sometimes feel like your joy is slipping away, eroding or stale? I do too. It happens to each of us at different times and for a variety of reasons. I remember standing…
Even in the midst of life’s deepest pains, God’s grace is sufficient, and true joy is found in His presence. “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor…
The Christmas story calls us to look past commercialism and celebrate Jesus, the King of Glory, who humbly brought God’s kingdom to earth. Over two thousand years ago, shepherds stood on a hillside as they had done countless times before. They were most likely guarding sheep that would later serve as a sacrifice at the…
The light of Jesus reveals truth, exposes darkness, and guides us to redemption through Him, the true light of the world. “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5 If you looked in my kitchen…
Let’s let go of comparison this holiday season and rejoice with others fully, just as God calls us to do. Comparison only robs us of joy. Most of us want to believe that we are the kind of person who celebrates others readily. We want to believe that we join others’ joy easily and eagerly….
See how sharing something beautiful can become a powerful way to remember the goodness of God in every season of life. When my husband first suggested the idea, I went along with it. Never realizing what a powerful tradition it would become in our family. One of those things we do each year that rivals…
Never surrender our joy. It’s time to fight like women who belong to the God who can never be defeated—which means we can’t be either. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in…
Gratitude has become a common topic of conversation in our culture in recent years. We often talk about gratitude’s power to increase our joy and improve our well-being. And it seems like we can’t walk into a gift shop or boutique without seeing a gratitude journal or a decorative gratitude jar creatively displayed on a…
Avoid legalistic parenting and instead point your kids to Jesus first and foremost. Without a relationship with Him, it’s meaningless. “And he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’” Mark 2:27 (ESV) It was Sunday morning crunch time. As a single mom after my husband died, I was still…
Do you take the time to enjoy what’s right in front of you? How can you be intentional about numbering your days with wisdom? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 Only thirty summers. Doesn’t seem like many, does it? Now, clearly, this is merely…
Have you forgotten what it’s like to have wonder? Sometimes life dries up the excitement of what God is doing. I love summer. It’s my favorite season. When I was a child, the sound of frogs and crickets at night beckoned me to the creek behind my house, where, to my surprise, I would find…
Our bodies were created to need sleep and regular rest. Learn why this is important in the life of a Christian. If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Proverbs 3:24 I wasn’t paying much attention up until that point. But once the interviewer asked…
Explore how God meets us in our hardest moments with His unending mercy. Be led by peace in all you’re walking through. As I write this, the calendar has just clicked over the March first. It is a new day and month, and soon, we will welcome the spring season. I live in Tennessee, and…
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