A Click IS Comfortable! To 'click-off' with other women is the most natural thing to do with special friends at church. As women, we gravitate to our favorite friends with hugs and rapid exchanges in animated conversation. A click can also exclude other women who don't totally fit into our group. They can feel left out and lonely. They might have a real need for encouragement but because they are not accepted, their need goes unmet. The passage we are looking at today in James shows why you shouldn't be in a "click" with women at church. It isn't saying that we shouldn't have special … [Read more...]
Authentic Hearers of God’s Word
Have you ever been following your GPS only to find that it took you to the wrong place? I had that happen a couple of years ago and ended up in a cul-de-sac instead of my uncle and aunt's retirement village. You would think Google Maps could find something as big as that, right? I was totally lost and had to stop at a gas station and ask for directions. Have you ever had that happen and then drive away, promptly forgetting whether your next turn would be a left or right? Today, we are going to continue to look at James' warning to be an authentic hearer by being a doer of the word, and not … [Read more...]
Count it All Joy When You are Suffering the Impossible
God desires for us to have total confidence in His sovereign grace even when we are suffering. More than anything, God is glorified when we have complete joy and satisfaction in Him. (James 1:2-8) Suffering comes in all different ways that most of us hope to never experience. I can't imagine what suffering is really like and feel at a loss in writing about it. The ways that I have 'suffered' are nothing compared to what you might have experienced and usually, there is someone who has experienced far worse! We are never fully prepared for the 'bad' things that come in life. I could … [Read more...]
How To Face Your Trials with Joy
Facing your trials with joy is an unnatural thing to do. James is writing this letter to encourage Believers on how to face your trials with joy. Welcome to the study of the book of James!! I am so glad that you are here and I hope you will be totally blessed beyond anything that you could ever imagine! I hope that you will take advantage of the resources that I am including in this study. There is a worksheet for each week to help you apply what you are learning. I might even include some Bible Journaling Art ideas to stretch your study to a new level. I want this study of the book of … [Read more...]
Journaling Through James: Grace in the Fails of Mom-Life
Journaling Through James is the perfect Bible study to help give you grace in the fails of mom-life. Your fails will be turned to blessings as you start soaking in the book of James. This is a powerful book that will take your walk with Jesus to a new level as it encourages you to dig deeper into God's Word. James is a life-changing book. Have you ever studied it before? Whether you have read through James many times, just once, or this is the first time, maybe you have never done a Bible study the way we are going to do this one! If you are discouraged in how your mom-life is playing … [Read more...]
Home For Christmas: A Miracle Home Going
I shall never forget the look on her face as she smiled and waved good-bye. She was leaving us, but she would be home for Christmas. Christmas was always her favorite time of the year. So it was that in November, some three years before, when the doctor had informed her of her need for surgery because of a "mass." She decided to wait until after Christmas, convinced that it was just a benign growth. Then came the dreaded news. It was cancer. The chemotherapy, surgeries, treatments, good days and bad days, ups and downs of the next three years blended together, bringing us to this Christmas … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Avoid a Covetous Heart this Christmas
The Christmas rush is on and shopping is in full throttle complete with retail marketing tempting our covetous heart. How do you as a mom; decorate, shop, bake, and prepare for Christmas this year without wanting stuff you don't need? I love shopping for gifts at Christmas. If it snows, I definitely want to risk the bad roads because it puts me in such a wonderfully romantic Christmas mood for shopping. Thing is, that when I am out shopping, I see things that I (think) I need. I live an hour from stores and thankfully that has kept me from much shopping throughout the year. So, it is … [Read more...]
How to Beat Your Struggle for Self-Control this Christmas
The struggle with self-control is real once the Christmas programs and parties start happening. My struggle is with eating too much chocolate as I make cookies. Maybe yours is with overeating, overspending, that extra Netflix or too much time on Facebook. Oh my, but the struggle is real! So many health issues can result from eating too much food or chocolate but that is not really what this is about. I was baking those yummy oatmeal kiss cookies for our church Christmas program the other day. After indulging in what seemed like half the Hershey Kisses in the bag, I could feel the … [Read more...]
Making A More Meaningful Christmas + Journaling Workbook
How do you make a more meaningful Christmas when all you are doing is rushing and stressing trying to get things done? I am convinced that the Christmas rush doesn't have to be what it is for many of you. Often you just need to cut back on all that you do. Start Your Day with Jesus I know that I have encouraged you to start your day off with Jesus many times before. Even during Christmas. I will be the first to say that with kids in the home it can easily be the first thing that is neglected. Yet, when you spend even ten minutes with Jesus, your perspective on everything will be so … [Read more...]
Holiday Must-Have Quiet Time Gift-Giving Deals
Holiday gift-giving is an intensely fun-packed shopping experience for deals you won't want to miss! There isn't any better way to shop than from the comfort of your home. Grab your coziest wrap and snuggle into its warmth on your sofa. Are you warming your hands with your favorite mug of coffee or tea? I have gathered some of my favorite Quiet Time resources that I love and have given to my friends and loved ones. Some of these are on my list to give as gifts this Christmas. Snuggle up in your comfy throw blanket with a mug of your favorite hot drink and let's shop together! I … [Read more...]
Shake Your Attitude Up with 12 Verses on Gratitude
How's your attitude? It's hard to have gratitude when your attitude is suffering! That's why I'm going to shake up your attitude with these 12 gratitude verses! Did you read what I have been sharing about Living Fearlessly? I made printables for 12 Scripture Memory Cards on worry (who doesn't worry from time to time?) Did you know that there is a difference between being thankful and being grateful? I think most of us really don't see much difference between the two words. Never fear! I am here to encourage you to learn the difference between the two words but that's for another … [Read more...]
Fantastic Black Friday Journaling Workbook Bundle Sale
I am so excited to announce our first-ever Fantastic Black Friday Bundle Sale! Have you enjoyed one of our Journaling Workbooks for your Quiet Time? I use them myself and I am thrilled to be sharing this fantastic bundle sale with you! I am sitting by our coal stove wrapped in my cozy Christmas blanket with my mug of tea. What better way to start shopping for Christmas than in the warmth of my family room. No need to get in a traffic jam with crazy people honking their horns at you! Bible Journaling Workbook Bundle Have you ever used one of our Journaling Workbooks? I use … [Read more...]
5 Reasons You Want Gratitude as a Lifestyle
We have so much to be thankful for, yet, our lifestyle causes us to be too rushed to pause and cultivate a heart of gratitude. We have packed so much activity into our schedules that we end up stressed and unable to see the beauty in our surroundings. I have a mug of peach tea that I am sipping as I chat with you at my kitchen table. The sun is brightly shining through the woods outside the large bay window where I'm sitting. I hope you will grab a mug and get comfy as we talk about gratitude today. I want gratitude to permeate my being until it is a lifestyle. Gratitude: means to … [Read more...]
7 Powerful Quotes to Unlock Gratitude from Your Heart
Have you ever noticed how powerful quotes can unlock something deep in your heart? These 7 quotes from Nancy DeMoss Wolgemoth will do just that for you. That is why you see so many graphics floating through your Facebook or Pinterest feeds with Bible verses and thoughtful or hilarious quotes! Who Doesn't Love Quotes?! A picture with a quote creates an emotional response that imprints the verse into your heart. A serious quote might resonate and stay with you longer because the picture creates a mental image. You might identify with an element of truth in that quote that cracked you … [Read more...]
5 Reasons You Need to Cultivate Gratitude Today
Do you lack gratitude in your day? Here are 5 reasons you need to cultivate gratitude today. You will find how being thankful changes everything even though circumstances stays the same! 1. A Song to Defeat the Foe! We have a foe that is deadly but when we sing a song of gratitude to the One who died for our sins, that deadly foe is defeated! What if you learned along with me to sing more often? We often have mellow Christian music playing in the background of our home. That makes it easy to remember to sing. It is not for the sake of singing that I sing. I often forget that … [Read more...]
