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Finding Peace During Stress
How do you find peace during stress? “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Mark 5:34 I spoke last week quite a lot on who I was – but now it’s time for me to tell you a little bit about who I am now. I didn’t even know how to write this post (although I had it planned) until last Saturday when I went to founding editor Renee Fisher’s birthday party. The picture above is from that evening. The truth is, I didn’t even really want to tell you who I was before Saturday. My life is pretty great. If there…
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Resolved to Surrender
[Guest Post by Andrea Portilla – Why is it that we try to work harder, give and serve more when all we need to do is simply surrender? I appreciate Andrea’s post, and I hope you will too!] At the beginning of the New Year I had made a resolution: I was going to take a bubble bath once a week! A perfect kind of resolution! The first few weeks into the year I was beside myself, for I came to realize God desired so much more from my life than I had been giving Him. In the midst of motherhood and babies; being a loving wife and intentional mother, I…
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Shame, Our Souls, and the Gospel
[Guest Post by Kimberly Davidson Campbell – I have never met a woman who had it all together on the inside. Maybe you do a good job or holding everything together on the outside, but there’s always traces of shame that tries to steal our joy. I appreciate Kim’s words of encouragement today. Like fresh water in a desert oasis of my heart. Receive them today with love!] As I sit in the passenger seat of my husband’s now trip-cluttered (otherwise immaculate) Camry, I am intrigued and overwhelmed by all the areas of shame that plague me. These areas of shame don’t just plague me — but in some way…
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Choose Joy in a World of Sorrow
[Guest Post by Kay Warren – When I attended the Mental Health and the Church Conference at Saddleback Church, I was inspired by Kay’s story. She has learned to choose joy through sorrowful circumstances. If, like Kay, you find yourself in mourning or grief — I hope you are encouraged today because of Jesus!] Sisters, Jesus was a man of joy. He was a man of joy! He showed it in his attitude; he drew crowds who couldn’t get enough of him. He showed it in his words; he was a master communicator who impacted those who listened to him in person two thousand years ago, and he impacts us…
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When Our Hearts Are Unguarded
[Guest Post by Holley Gerth – Whenever I go through seasons of feeling like I’m not okay, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one. I appreciate her sweet words reminding us why it’s important to guard our heart — and how our hearts can function from a Biblical perspective. Please welcome Holley!] She sends me a text and I can almost hear the sigh in her voice at the end of her words. “I said something I shouldn’t have,” she confesses. She goes on to share that she’s especially frustrated with herself because she’d just been studying how we’re to use our words for gratitude and praise. Isn’t…
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When Church Hurts
[Guest Post by Lori Tisdale – We know each other through mutual friends nearby, and she asked me to share my story on her blog — I had to host her here! If any of you have stepped foot in the church, you’ll understand what it means to be hurt. But. It’s what we do with our hurt that matters. Please welcome Lori!] I was the first born of a new pastor and his young bride. For the most part, I was a very well-behaved preacher’s kid — the teacher’s pet, a devout Missionnette (the church’s version of a Girl Scout). I led the on-campus High School Bible Study, taught…
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The Parenting Package
[Guest Post by Marci Seither – I met her at an event I hosted a writers event at my house last year. I am excited for her to share a parenting story with you today!] I handed my daughter a new toothbrush and toothpaste to pack alongside of her bathing suit and flip-flops. “Do you need more sun screen or the little stick that you can swipe across your nose?” I asked. She continued folding clothes she would need, along with her journal and an assortment of pens. “I think I’m fine,” she said, looking under her bed and retrieving a lost tennis shoe. “Do you have batteries for your…
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Riding Waves of Faith
[Guest Post by Emily Rose Massey – When she asked if she could share her story, it was hard to narrow it down because this girl has gone through so much! Her testimony is as huge as her heart. I know you will be encouraged by her story. If you currently feel stuck under the waves of life, you are not alone. Stand and have faith with Emily today!] Our faith is tested under waves of faith, and in the weight and pressures of life. It’s in the fire, the trials, and the storms of life that we are truly strengthened. We can choose to rise above the chaos or…
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I lost more than a marriage
[Guest Post by Kathy Moore – I have been walking alongside my friend through her separation, and then divorce. It has been especially hard to watch as the gossip train has started, and doesn’t seem to stop. If you are a “Christian” who knows others who have been destroyed by gossip, please forward this to them. If you are one of them — be encouraged by my friend Kathy’s story today.] I am divorced. Out of obedience to the Lord, I have been silent to share my story — until now. Due to continuing gossip, I have felt the Lord’s prompting to speak truth. Matthew 5:13-14 reminds me as…
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Our Need For Intimacy
[Guest Post by Priscilla Cash – When I got an email from a military wife, I had to say yes. Not just because I support our military, but because I know many military wives and moms who can relate. I hope you are encouraged by her vulnerability and courage to share about intimacy.] It was not just that I was a woman. It was not just that I had seen too many TV shows or read too many novels. Deep within, I knew I needed intimacy. It is a profound need. We crave it, we seek it, but it often alludes us. And so, as a teenager, I waited, feeling…
