The Bible points us to culture gratitude as a lifestyle by encouraging us to magnify and praise the Lord in everything. Maybe you have had some extremely hard things happening and life seems pointless. You just don't feel that warm-fuzzy grateful feeling welling up in your heart. It's just NOT there! Your experiences are not mine nor mine yours. Yet, I can share with you the power available to you when you make gratitude a part of your daily lifestyle. A few short years ago I was devastated by the choices that three loved ones had made within a short period of time. It was even … [Read more...]
Becoming a Mary When You’re Totally Martha
Do you yearn to be a 'Mary' when you are 'totally Martha' through and through? This will give you some tips while helping you see that you are ENOUGH! Becoming a Mary when you are totally Martha can be a challenge when you know that you need to improve in serving others. Broken Dreams! Do you dream of being much more than you are? Doing more? Being more for your husband and children? We can learn so much from Mary and be more pulled together in all sorts of ways. Being much more. Much, much more!! BUT . . . most days you feel like you fall so short and that you are totally … [Read more...]
3 Strategies to Face Trials with Joy
It's hard to face trials with joy when things go wrong. You'll be inspired by Paul courageously speaking up in court. Paul was a Roman citizen who was also a Pharisee. He knew the law well and when he was brought before the high priest, Ananias and the Sanhedrin, Paul questioned them in a way that left the Sadducees and Pharisees in total confusion. Face Trials Like Paul! The events of Acts 22 lead into Acts 23 as Paul is brought before the council. As I often face trials, this passage came alive for me as the tension between the Jews, the Romans and Paul builds as this story … [Read more...]
Enrich Your Prayer-Life by Immersing in Psalms
Do you need to enrich your prayer-life with strategies that will teach you how to pray? Come learn with me as I begin immersing myself in psalms. I am not the prayer warrior-woman that I would like to be. I have a long way to go but would love to invite you to join me on this journey as I learn how to pray. At the end of the day, I don't want my life to have been characterized by prayerlessness. I want to have enriched my life with prayer to the glory of the God I love. Prayerlessness is common in our generation and I want to go against the culture and be spiritually healthy. No … [Read more...]
Why Meditating on the Bible is Best
Why is meditating on the Bible the best? Aren't there other ways to meditate and bring wholeness to our souls? We will be looking at the difference between mindfulness meditation and meditating on the Bible to see which way is best or if they are both beneficial. Why would how we meditate matter? That is such a good question that many of you are asking. I have also been asking this and want to be extremely careful to meditate in a way that is aligned with Jesus Christ, my Savior. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2 I don't … [Read more...]
How You Can Delight in Reading Your Bible
Do you delight in reading your Bible? If you're a Christ-follower, learning to delight in God now, is preparation for worshiping Him for all eternity. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2 Think about that for a few moments. We will be spending years and years and years with God in heaven. If you're getting up there in years that might sound like heaven to you and you're so looking … [Read more...]
How I Stay Healthy and Do Life
How do I stay healthy and do life when most people my age and a whole lot younger are struggling to get through the day? Health is a gift from God and at any given moment we could lose it because of a tragic accident, cancer or some other debilitating disease. Yet . . . I can squander what God has entrusted to me and throw it away by poor choices I make. You don't have to look far to find people who are struggling to stay healthy. It's not that they are complaining. They have legit discomfort. Things I Do to Stay Healthy Just a few years ago I was beyond exhausted by early evening. … [Read more...]
How Psalms are Songs for the Heart and Mind
Psalms are songs to encourage and instruct your heart and mind. God shapes your emotions through reading and meditating on them day and night. There have been times in my life that I read from Psalms daily along with reading another passage. Life can get busy and it is easy to neglect to spend time in Psalms. BUT . . . God instructs us to read and meditate on the law every day! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2 What are the Psalms? The Psalms are a beautiful collection of poetry that is divided into 5 books. They are … [Read more...]
How To Meditate on a Bible Verse
Meditating on a Bible verse is one of the best ways to allow God's word to go deep into your heart. I am excited to share some effective techniques that will help you draw closer to Jesus. The word meditation is overused in our culture today. It might be used to imply a technique for eastern religions like Hindi or it might be used by those who passionately follow Jesus. In eastern religions, the meaning of the word meditation has to do with the practice of training the mind to a mode of consciousness in order to realize a benefit. If you are a Christian, that benefit will come … [Read more...]
5 Easy Bible Journaling Strategies for Beginners
Do you want to learn how to implement 5 easy Bible journaling strategies for beginners? This will show you how to get ideas and put them on paper! Too often the empty blank on the page can be terrifying. Especially if it's in your Bible! I have been sharing about Philippians and even put together a Philippians Journaling Workbook. It has been wonderful to slow down and really go deeper with Jesus with only a few verses each day for 8 weeks. I read and journaled about Philippians 4:4-5 earlier today and thought I would share how I completed this page. Maybe you will be inspired … [Read more...]
3 Strategies to Grow in a Christ-Like Mindset
Before we act, before we speak, or before we do anything, we think. That is why these 3 strategies to grow in a more Christ-like mindset really matter. Our words and actions can sure get us in trouble and derail our journey to heaven. Eternity is at the end of the road for everyone who has ever lived on this earth. (John 5:24) Most people live their moments without a thought as to how their life will impact them for all eternity. Even Christ-followers live their fleeting days as if they won't have to make an account for their life. (James 4:14) We forget. We make bad choices. We … [Read more...]
How to Run Hard for Your Reward + Video
When you run hard for your reward, you PRESS on TOWARD your GOAL! Today we will talk about a wonderful verse from Philippians. The apostle Paul is in jail and yet he is encouraging the Philippians to pursue the race of life to gain their reward. Press on for Your Reward I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus Philippians 3:14 We get so caught up in living here on earth that most of the time we forget that there is a life that follows after our death. Everyone will live forever in one of two places. You will either live in heaven or … [Read more...]
How To Get the Most Out of Psalms
Do you love reading the Psalms? Here are some thoughts on how to get the most out of Psalms as you draw closer to Jesus Christ. Many women would say that Psalms is a favorite read during their quiet time. Although reading Psalms during my quiet time is a favorite 'go-to', I'd have to admit that I often have not put in the effort to get the most out of this treasured book. There have been hard times during my life when I soaked up all the encouragement I could glean from Psalms. I really didn't go that deep as I didn't know how or realize the storehouse hidden between the lines. Get … [Read more...]
Unlocking Your Bible with Verse Mapping
Today I'd like to share what I learned about verse mapping and how to include it in your time with Jesus as we creatively study a short passage in God's word. We have been journaling through Philippians by slowing down to examine between two and four verses each day. In comparison to reading through the Bible in one year verse mapping allows you to absorb a smaller portion of God's word. I never really felt like I knew how to study the Bible but lately, I have been learning how to really go deeper into God's word. Have you heard about verse mapping? I don't know about you, but I … [Read more...]
How to Have Right Response to Sin
Do you have the right response to sin in your life? You will learn how to change the tendency to say, "I haven't sinned," into humbly living in victory. Do you go months or even years without sinning? Probably not! Chances are that you rationalize away your sin as 'mistakes' or things you did 'wrong' like I often do. We live in a society that often explains away sin as behaviors and issues that cannot be helped without medications or therapy. I'd like to ask you to take a look at Psalm 51 with me without skimming through it and seeing it as a response to God for a heinous sin that … [Read more...]
