Why I Gave Up Social Media: One Year Later

/
Why I Gave Up Social Media: One Year Later

Last February, I made the difficult decision to give up social media for personal use.  I had many reasons for doing so, and even though I felt it was a good step to take, I was nervous.  Would I feel completely alienated from everyone?  Would I miss important updates from friends with whom I was only connected on Facebook?  Would eliminating my personal accounts give me the peace of mind I hoped it would?

It's been a year since I gave it up, and I'm pleased to report that the world didn't end without me.  :)  In all seriousness, though, I learned several valuable lessons from my social media hiatus.

Read More

Dear Mama Who Feels Like She's Disqualified Herself

/
Dear Mama Who Feels Like She's Disqualified Herself

Two of the spark plugs were running in the house.  One child was playing harmonica at full volume.  All four were shouting gleefully into walkie talkies that were adding annoying white-noise static to the din.  And I had a headache the size of Texas (not related to the chaotic noise but definitely exacerbated by it).

"Guys!!" I shouted, trying to make myself heard over the clamor.  "CUT!  IT!  OUT!!!!" I roared.

Mama Bear had had enough, thank you very much.

It was only after my explosion that I learned that my neighbor, who had given the kids their walkie talkies, had her own set and was on the frequency chatting away with them.  When I'd blown my top like an explosive volcano, she'd probably heard every angry word.

Yup.

Read More

4 Signs that Your Life Is Unbalanced (And How to Fix it!)

/
4 Signs that Your Life Is Unbalanced (And How to Fix it!)

I've yet to meet anyone who thinks there is plenty of time to get things done.  Whether you have a day job, a special hobby, or specific ministry, it can be hard to make sure that you're keeping a healthy balance with the various things you need to do every day.  

In fact, as I've worked on my marriage, my parenting, my blog, and my other obligations, more and more, I'm finding I have to work at keeping that healthy balance.  It isn't something that comes together naturally.

Read More

Are Christians Looking at the "Rocks in A Jar" Analogy All Wrong?

/
Are Christians Looking at the "Rocks in A Jar" Analogy All Wrong?

The first time I heard the "rocks in a jar" analogy, I was intrigued.  The idea of prioritizing my goals and obligations made complete sense.  It was certainly true that unless I put my "big rocks" in my life's jar first, I would never be able to fit in the pebbles, sand, and water as well.  And so, for a long time, I was quite content with the standard "rocks in a jar" analogy.

As I've grown older and my spiritual walk has deepened, however, I've begun to wonder if we as believers are looking at our rocks in the wrong light. 

Read More

Should Christians Approach Goal-Setting With A Different Motivation?

/
Should Christians Approach Goal-Setting With A Different Motivation?

Toward December, I was almost dreading the start of another year.  It wasn't that the closing year had been bad; in fact, it had been a really good one.  But I was worried about goal-setting, or, more accurately, goal-failing.

It happened every year:  I would heroically set goals in January - new habits I wanted to develop, besetting sins I hoped to conquer - only to have reality set in around the end of February when I hadn't made any progress.  Ultimately, with feelings of frustration and failure, I'd throw up my hands and give up on accomplishing any of my goals for that particular year.

Read More

4 Things to be Thankful For this Christmas

/
4 Things to be Thankful For this Christmas

I love the Christmas season.  The colors, the smells, the excitement - it's all wonderful to me.  And as a believer who understands the true importance of Christmas - Christ's incarnation - this time of year is definitely my favorite.  I'm reminded of all that we have to be thankful for, of all that Christ has done for us.

Sometimes, though, the holidays can be difficult.  The pain of a lost loved one can be exacerbated during the holidays.  The frustrations of financial difficulties are only augmented in the face of Christmas.  And illness or depression don't suddenly disappear or get better simply because everyone else is festive. 

No matter what your current season in life - visible blessings or constant struggle - there are at least four things we can all be grateful for this Christmas.

Read More

13 Verses for A Young Man's 13th Birthday

/
13 Verses for A Young Man's 13th Birthday

This weekend, my family reached an incredible milestone:  my oldest spark plug became a teenager!  Looking back, I'm not exactly sure how we got here.  There were so many days during the toddler years that seemed to drag on forever, and yet somehow, the years simultaneously flew by.  It's certainly true what they say about the days being long but the years short!

I felt like I should be able to write something profound about parenting a thirteen-year-old, but since I only have about 4 days' experience to draw from, I decided instead to let God's Word do the sharing instead.

Read More

When All You Want for Christmas Is A Potato Peeler

/
When All You Want for Christmas Is A Potato Peeler

Some years ago, I was talking with our pastor's wife about the lean years when they were first married and he was still in seminary.  She commented, "That Christmas, so many of our friends were talking about getting new furniture or something else big like that, but I would have given anything just to have a new potato peeler!"

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just behind us (do I hear a collective sigh of relief?), you may be feeling overwhelmed with the "lightning deals" and "special steals" that were plastered absolutely everywhere.  Maybe you were able to snag a few Christmas gifts at unbeatable prices.  Perhaps you were even able to splurge on an item or two.  

But maybe you're in a situation where all you want this Christmas is a new potato peeler.

Read More

Guest Post: What If Doing Short-term Foster Care Causes Our Children Pain and Confusion?

/
Guest Post: What If Doing Short-term Foster Care Causes Our Children Pain and Confusion?

Today, we have a special treat here on the blog!  In honor of National Adoption Month, blogger Naomi from Living Out 127 is sharing about her family's experience with foster care.  And I couldn't be more blessed to have her here. 

Adoption is something close to my heart.  Not only have I been adopted into the family of God through Christ's work on the cross, Jon and I have been praying about the possibility of becoming adoptive parents, too.   I don't know how the Lord will lead us, but if He chooses to open the door to adopt, we will be thrilled!

Adoption and foster care come with a lot of uncertainty - it definitely can be considered one of life's hallways!  Naomi raises and excellent question below:  what if fostering a child causes our other children difficulty?  It's definitely something to consider, and she does an excellent job of sharing how her family handled this delicate situation.  

Read More

3 Ways to Develop A Hunger for Spiritual Growth

/
3 Ways to Develop A Hunger for Spiritual Growth

Do you crave spiritual growth?  If not, have you ever wondered why you don't or what you can do to foster a hunger for spiritual things?

I have a sneaking suspicion that if we're all honest with ourselves, none of us truly desire spiritual growth as much as we wish we did.  Sure, we want to grow in our faith, and many of us have probably had at least one "aha!" moment while studying Scripture that was thrilling.  But how many of us have an insatiable hunger for spiritual growth where we simply can't get enough of God and His Word?  

If you're like me, wishing you had a greater hunger for spiritual growth, there is hope!  Here are three ways you can develop a greater hunger for spiritual growth.

Read More

The Christian Life Planner is Now Free for A Limited Time!

/
The Christian Life Planner is Now Free for A Limited Time!

Several months ago, I started noticing just how many planners are now available - daily planners, weekly planners, homeschool planners, business planners.  You can get a physical planner or a digital version.  You can even create your own with the popular bullet journal concept.  You name it, and there's probably a planner for it!  

In fact, there's really only one area I've found where planning seems to be nonexistent or even considered taboo.  I've yet to come across a planner specific to spiritual growth.  I think many Christians feel that planning for something that should be Spirit-led somehow goes against what the Bible teaches.  The more I've studied this, though, the more I believe that God's Word encourages planning in all seasons, including our walk with Christ.

Read More

31 Attributes of God, Day 31: He Is Worthy

/
31 Attributes of God, Day 31: He Is Worthy

Today's attribute of God is His worthiness, an appropriate attribute to conclude our 31 Attributes series.  My absolute favorite Scripture verse on His worthiness is found in Revelation 4:11 (NKJV, emphasis added): 

"You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."

We've looked at His longsuffering, His righteousness, His goodness, His sovereignty, and many other attributes.  And they all come together to prove that He alone truly is worthy of all power, praise, dominion, and worship.  I stand in absolute awe of the amazing, incomprehensible God we serve.

Read More

31 Attributes of God, Day 30: He Is Wise

/
31 Attributes of God, Day 30: He Is Wise

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you felt completely over your head and wished you had the wisdom to handle it better?  This routinely happens to me.  Although I might know how not to handle it, I never can quite figure out the best approach.  And it drives me crazy.  I long to have the understanding and mental clarity needed to determine the root issue, but most of the time, I just don't have enough wisdom.

Thankfully, I don't always need to know exactly what to do or have the perfect words to say, because while I lack that kind of wisdom, the Lord doesn't.  He fully understands each and every situation we encounter in life and knows how to perfectly handle everything.

In short, He is wise. 

Read More

31 Attributes of God, Day 29: He Is Unchanging

/
31 Attributes of God, Day 29: He Is Unchanging

We've almost completed our 31 Attributes of God series!  Today, is another astounding attribute:  He is unchangeable.  

I'm kind of an unemotional person for the most part.  I think my brother even once referred to me as stoic (though, admittedly, as I get older and experience more of life, I'm not nearly as stoic as I once was).  But even so, my mind, feelings, and emotions flip-flop often!  No one would describe me as unchangeable even if I am a little less given to wearing my feelings on my sleeve than others might be.

But God isn't like us.  He is unchangeable, unmoving.  He is steadfast and constant. 

Read More

31 Attributes of God, Day 28: He Is Truthful

/
31 Attributes of God, Day 28: He Is Truthful
Truth is harder than a lie.
- Francesca Battistelli, If We're Honest

Isn't it sad how easy it is to lie?  When I first heard the above line from the song, "If We're Honest," it hit me just how true it is.  For us, telling the truth is more difficult than simply making up a story.

That's not true with God.  He is truthful.  One hundred percent, all the time.  He stands in stark contrast to us who are tempted daily to be untruthful in a number of ways.  

Read More

31 Attributes of God, Day 27: He Is Trustworthy

/
31 Attributes of God, Day 27: He Is Trustworthy

Do you believe that God is trustworthy?  Because so many people aren't dependable, it can be difficult to really, truly believe that God is as good as He claims.  And that's exactly why we can't rely on our experiences to say whether or not God is trustworthy.

Let's see what Scripture has to say:

  • 2 Samuel 7:28 - "And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant" (NKJV).
  • Psalm 22:4-5 - "Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You delivered them.  They cried to You, and were delivered; they trusted in You, and were not ashamed" (NKJV, emphasis added).
Read More

31 Attributes of God, Day 26: He Is Sovereign

/
31 Attributes of God, Day 26: He Is Sovereign

What do you think about the sovereignty of God?  Until I was 16, my family and I attended a church that talked a lot about man's free will.  But then we began attending a church that focused heavily on God's sovereignty, and it did amazing things for my faith. 

It wasn't that our first church didn't believe in the sovereignty of God, but rather it simply wasn't a focal point (at least, not that I remember, but I was also fairly young when we stopped going there).  At our new church, however, the sovereignty of God permeated everything, and I began to understand more clearly how the Lord was in complete control of all things - how He was able to use even seemingly bad situations for His purposes.

Read More

31 Attributes of God, Day 25: He Is Steadfast

/
31 Attributes of God, Day 25: He Is Steadfast

What comes to mind when you hear the word steadfast?  I tend to think of something immovable, something that would remain firm even in the fiercest storm.  And since the online dictionary defines it as "resolute, dutifully firm, or unwavering," I think my concept is pretty much on the mark.

What doesn't come to mind about being steadfast is myself.  There are days when my emotions and feelings are all over the place.  One minute I'm on cloud 9; another minute and can be so frustrated that tears threaten.  And even though comparatively speaking, I may be a little more emotionally stable than some, when I compare myself with God's steadfastness, I'm about as unwavering as liquid jello!  

Read More

31 Attributes of God, Day 24: He Is Righteous

/
31 Attributes of God, Day 24: He Is Righteous
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works (NKJV, emphasis added).

Righteousness.  I so often want to be right, but how often do I aspire to be righteous?  The desire to always be right is often rooted in selfishness and thus is anything but righteous.  But righteousness, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is to be "free from guilt or sin."  In essence, it's about the opposite of the selfish desire to always be right.

Read More