Have you ever wondered what it means to abide in Christ in our daily life? Is there a risk of getting it "wrong" and thereby restricting God or limiting our spiritual life? Let's explore a bit, and as Tim Keller puts it, let's savor [...]
Would you like more confidence, especially in the area of hearing God’s voice? The key lies in becoming familiar with His voice. It is about cultivating God-confidence rather than relying on self-confidence or circumstances to lead the way. How do we [...]
Do you have a friend or family member dealing with loss right now? Holidays can be extra tough. It's normal to feel anxious about what to say or do. Here is a guide you can use to talk to God before you [...]
Would you like an easy way to connect “head” and "heart" knowledge? What can we learn from the early Christians? The consensus among scholars is that the New Testament, including the gospels and letters, was written in Greek for the early Christian [...]
I didn't learn because I thought I already knew what I needed to know. Without even realizing it, I had assumed I had sufficient understanding of a certain subject. When we're not actively seeking knowledge, our curiosity in that area often diminishes, [...]
Have you ever wanted to hear from God … but your emotions clouded your connection. That happened to me At the end of the last post, I mentioned that I was on the verge of publishing my blog article when a series [...]
Mobile users please keep scrolling for more ... and leave a comment or ask a question Do you ever feel depleted? This week, I've been experiencing a divine refill in areas where I felt drained. My energy got used up by [...]
Mobile users scroll down for the full article and find out why: "What We Repeat, Competes: What Will We Choose?" What's on your mind right now? Chances are there is a problem in the back of your mind you are trying [...]
Do you have a "pick and choose" relationship with your emotions? Like, "Hey, joy and excitement, you can stay, but anger and sadness, could you take a vacation somewhere far away?" For Mobile Viewers - keep scrolling down to read the article. Additional [...]
Do you ever get stuck in a rut? Does structure help or hinder? What about your spiritual friendships? Consider recent conversations you've had with someone who shares your beliefs. Is it simple for you to strike a balance between expressing your [...]
What does the “fear of the Lord” mean to you? Why does the Bible use the word fear? I've been reflecting on what the Bible says about the fear of the Lord for the past few months. I also came across some excellent [...]
Do you have a spot in your home where you store items that you intend to organize "later"? Perhaps it’s your kitchen counter. Perhaps it’s an office space. Or the dreaded garage… How do you handle the buildup? Two extremes: Procrastinating Pile Builders “Oh [...]
Do you like to figure things out? Do you look for solutions until you come up with something? Our brains are built to evaluate and problem-solve. They are solution-seeking machines! Stuck But what happens when we get stuck in problem-solving mode? What happens when [...]
How many of you have said to yourself, “Okay this is the year I will read through the Bible and not skim the boring parts…” or “Starting now, I will stay consistent with my morning prayer times.” These are all great things, but … [...]
Do you know someone that has a difficult time during the holiday season? Would you like to know how to help them ... or how not to make it worse? Would you love some tips that you can practice right away? What’s “Trending” (i.e. [...]
Does your mind skip ahead of you? Do you ever start a checklist in your mind before you have all the information? Many of us constantly operate in "checklist" mode. For example, the “checklist” mode may be operational when we read [...]
Have you ever thought … I should be further along in my maturity by now! Why am I strong in some areas and not in other areas? Why do others seem to “get it” more than I do? I've definitely had these queries. However, [...]
Something happened that changed everything. I don’t fully comprehend this change ... but I want to. 1 Cor 6:19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? NLT* John 17:22 I [...]
Moms are tired, I should help out with their kids… My boss would really like that extra project done… I haven’t done anything for myself lately… My friend seemed lonely I should take her out… Do you ask yourself questions like these? Does it [...]
Do you find it frustrating when you are trying to go to sleep and your mind is racing with many thoughts? Do you find your brain goes into a fog when you want to perform a task that needs to get done? What about [...]
A friend of mine was asked by one of her kids what she wanted for Mother’s day. She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh and said, “Oh, that you children would get along!" Could that be how our Heavenly Father [...]
It’s been an interesting week ... to say the least. I decided to gently observe my responses to circumstances and ask questions instead of being a bully to myself. After all, who wants to listen to a bully? Didn’t your mom tell you to [...]
What does it mean to “experience” God? Do we experience God in our emotions? Do we experience God in our thoughts? In the previous post we discussed how to get something from our heads to our hearts. We realized our tendency is to try to [...]
“I know that in my head but not in my heart” Have you ever said or thought that? Many of us have. Some of us carry the thought on to, “I have to figure out how to get it in my heart.” This sounds [...]
Confidence is a wonderful feeling. Would you like more? In a previous post, we looked at Philippians 3 verse 3. Paul says that those in Christ Jesus, put “no confidence in the flesh.” The Greek word translated to “flesh” can be better understood as [...]
What helps you connect with God when you feel overwhelmed? That is the question so many of us are asking. Here is a story of what I experienced with a few ladies this week. I am so thankful for my weekly connect group with [...]
“Good job.” “Your effort really paid off.” “Keep trying” These phrases sound so encouraging. I mean, don’t we all want someone cheering us on? Yes, hearing these phrases is encouraging. There is also a subtle danger lurking in these phrases though. Let [...]
Have you ever felt your mind was overloaded with thoughts? There is just too much going on in your head! You try to be still with God, either to pray for needs or just be with Him ... and you can’t focus. Or you [...]
Are you facing stress and pressure in your life right now? Would you like your joy to increase as well? Having our joy increase makes all the difference. I have a little card by my computer that says, “Enjoy the Journey – for the [...]
Is there any benefit to sorrow? Or is it just something we have to endure? Last time I left you with those questions to talk to God about. What did you hear? What you hear from God is far more important than what I [...]
Have you ever been confused about what the Bible tells us to do with our emotions? Paul tells the church of Phillipi to rejoice always, in everything give thanks. Then in another letter to the Corinthians, he said he despaired of life and felt the weight [...]
What happens when you “ponder” with another person? In other words, what are your conversations like? Do we find some conversations life-giving and some conversations draining? Have we avoided people that we find the conversations are draining? In the last article, we discussed how [...]
What are our expectations for this Christmas season? Do we want it to be extra special for our children and grandchildren even if that means overextending our time and finances? Do we accept the hustle, bustle, and stress because we want a certain outcome? [...]
God is the ultimate gift giver! In the last few posts, we looked at the gift of His Word and His Holy Spirit. These gifts build our confidence to discern our own thoughts from His thoughts. But how do we know if we are [...]
Is there something we can do to help us hear God’s voice more clearly? Yes, God’s written word will help us recognize His voice in our hearts. But how do I understand His written word? In the past few posts, we have looked at [...]
Have you ever been to an unfamiliar place? It could be a new building, or a new city, just a place that was unfamiliar. Take a moment to imagine yourself somewhere new. Now think about two scenarios. The first one, imagine you are all [...]
The more we get to know God through His written word, the more confident we become in recognizing His voice in our thoughts. We want to discern between His voice and our voice. Here’s the neat thing: God wants us to know [...]
Would you like to know if you are hearing God’s voice or your own voice? Would you like more confidence and direction in these confusing times? Many of us are experiencing confusion from conflicting “news” reports, deception in advertising, and even doubt in what [...]
Have you ever felt like a car that is stuck in a mud slick? You keep pressing on the gas pedal, but you are only spinning your wheels. You are trying to move forward but not going anywhere! And the spinning drains your joy [...]
Hello, how are your trips to the joy filling station going? Has it been helpful to fill up more -- instead of trying to avoid all stress, and difficult situations? Last time we also discussed looking to God and not ourselves to create joy. [...]
Last time I left you with a question: “What does “filling up your joy tank” mean to you?” I loved the response I got from Connie Short in the comment section. She was brilliant and I will tell you why. But before we discuss [...]
Much of the time, we live our lives trying to avoid stress. Sometimes that works. But let me ask you a question... How did that work for you during COVID? How is it working for you now? Between the news, job changes, family issues... [...]
So what happens when you are exploring, and an unpleasant memory comes up? Last time we talked about some of the reasons we stay stuck. We want to move forward, but feel like we are standing still, or going around in circles. Sometimes it [...]
I was talking to a friend about some of the reasons we stay stuck. We want to move forward, but feel like we are standing still, or going around in circles. Sometimes it helps to follow a trail back to where we may have [...]
Is it possible we are making time with God more complicated than it needs to be? When we think of spending time with friends, we don't think of it as a project. We don’t feel we have to learn something or hear something profound. [...]
Does seeing only one step at a time make you nervous? Well, it makes me nervous. I would like to see a lot further down the path, so I know what to expect. Hmm. Maybe that is the issue... Expectations Perhaps God knows that [...]
Sometimes taking a nap is the most spiritual thing you could do. Does that sound a little crazy to you? I mean, wouldn’t it be more spiritual to fight the tiredness and read the Bible? Maybe go help someone or spend time in [...]
Do you know there are people you can reach -- that Joyce Meyer can’t? That was quite a thought that popped into my head in the middle of the night. I was trying to fall back asleep but found myself replaying the day [...]
Argh… why do I grab for comfort food every time stress hits? Why do I shut down when something feels too hard for me? Why can’t I just stop doing that? I stared at the list of common coping strategies that the counselor had [...]
I can fellowship with my frustration or I can bring it to God and fellowship with Him. My choice. Attention Have you ever had a small child trying to get your attention? What happens when you try to move them on or redirect them? [...]
“I just wish my daughter didn’t speak so harshly to herself. I don’t know where she got that from? Her dad and I don’t talk to her that way. “ My heart was heavy as I listened to my friend share. Covid isolation has amplified [...]
What if repeating something over and over could tip the scale and it became easier? What if practicing trust could be that way? What if it is as simple as … moment by moment, decision by decision, saying… “I don’t have to understand, I [...]
