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Stop thinking. My son shares with us what his rowing teammate sitting behind him says to him as they move their shell through the early morning waters of Marina del Ray. Stop thinking. Over the phone after practice he translates: Let yourself be present for the moment; be mindful of your movements but not self-critical. This will help you be more aware of where you are, whom you are with, what is yours for you to do. Stop thinking. He is emotional on the phone when he tells us those words’ impact—words delivered to him with kindness and encouragement, not judgment. For he is, he would tell you, in his head a lot. I can relate to the ache of being self-conscious, feeling anxious about whether or not I am the person I am supposed to be. Stop thinking. It makes me realize how much I am get wo...

Scripture writing plans are incredibly simple, yet incredibly effective for helping us read, interpret and absorb the Word of God. Rather than simply letting our eyes pass over a verse and perhaps miss its full meaning, writing Scripture down helps us absorb each word and really think through what the passage before us is saying. Each day in February you’ll have the opportunity to write down a verse. We suggest using a journal where you can add any additional mediations or prayers that the verse brings to mind. Click here to download the December Scripture Writing Guide! Photo credit: SWNDesign credit: iBelieve.com/Bethany Pyle Join Our Telegram Group : Salvation & Prosperity  

The skin on my fingers is covered in paint stains, even after scrubbing them. My hands are stiff with cold. I am brushing the empty walls of the new house with paint—pretty words like Bibliothèque, Ritual, and Côte d’Azur. Lots of splotchy squares. Watching light and shadow change each hue as it dries. The next few weeks are ones of transition. Saying goodbye to a home of almost 16 years, walls that hold stories of my children’s laughter, sacred conversations with friends—so many prayers and arguments and dreams. I struggle with sleeping most nights lately—the anticipation of moving, of completing all that needs to get done—leaving me restless in the hours when my mind and heart should be most at peace. Justin encourages me to honor the emotions I am feeling. We talk about the challe...

I sit upstairs on the floor in an empty room. The sun’s January light, shining warm through the windows, blankets my shoulders and hands. Fulton, our dog, lies next to me, and I study the olive tree’s branches arching toward the sky, the myriad groupings of tiny green fingers curving upward toward layers of blue, and wonder about writing. Not necessarily the kind of writing we do when we put words to paper or fingers to keys. I wonder about the kind of writing we do when we listen to our own thinking and imaginings. In a moment of “reading,” of taking in information—our own thoughts and opinions—we are considering what we think, and, in turn, whom we believe we are. We are assessing our values—what we care about and what we don’t. I consider how easy it is to dismiss the value of our own t...

It is still, now, in my home. The washing machine—tucked into a closet in my kitchen—has stopped its thunderous whirring. The oldest college kid, home for his five-week break, college roommate in tow, pounded his feet out the door a half hour ago. I sit in the front room, looking out onto a quiet street, watching the thin branches of abutilons under the window sway in the morning air. The only sound is the heating vent warming the room, a gentle hum I can scarcely hear. Even the dog has given up his whine for a treat and is sleeping on the rug in front of me. It is calm, but I am not, and I focus on breathing. One deep breath. Then another. God is teaching me peace—what it means, in all circumstances, to trust Him more than me. Lord, there is nothing wrong, and yet I confess that, even in ...

(Photo Credit: Canva)  www.courtnayerichard.com The biblical story of Mary and Martha has been read and heard by many for countless years. And we’re still talking about these two sisters today. This familiar passage of Scripture gives us the illustration of two siblings who both loved the Lord Jesus, but when He came for a visit, they had two different reactions. One was busy and one was still. The question of the hour is are you More Like Mary or Martha in this season of your life? Let’s read the account of this story found in Luke 10:38-42 before we go any further: “As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, lis...

I’ve been tempted to believe I am one of those people who will be betrayed. People I thought were my friends really weren’t, and those I thought I could trust proved me wrong. I shouldn’t be surprised. We live in a fallen world with a fallen nature. But after you’ve given so much to something or someone, often at no cost, and those you have come alongside burn you, it’s hard to not feel hurt. I’m sure I am not alone. Many have felt the pain of turning in trust and then being stabbed in the back. It’s easy for me to take on the identity of a hurt person, but I find that only leads to more turmoil. When hurting, my shoulders slump as I physically try to protect myself from these emotional wounds. I withdraw, shying away from social events and finding myself unable to trust even those I ratio...

The words are air. I didn’t know I needed them like I do. Gulping breaths. Into mind and heart. Space too full. Noise. Noise. Noise. The noise of a mind unsettled. The noise of hopping around—thinking that completing one task and then another will do the settling. But all that happens is discontentedness. I am not present for….what? So many things. Be attentive to what is happening in you, not just around you. But yes, be attentive to what is happening around you and how that affects what is in you. Honor your mind. Honor your heart. Honor the holiness of this day by being attentive. Eyes and ears. Breath. These fingers, these hands. I read an article. An entire article. But I do it while standing in the kitchen, leaning over the counter like I do. I seldom sit—so often I am caught between...

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:5 NLT I am a sister of King Jesus,Daughter of our great loving God.I wasn’t born into this perfect family.In fact, I was born lost and flawed. I wandered through life forsaken,Or so it seemed oft’ to me.Darkness surrounded my heartUntil the day I gazed on the tree Where Jesus, the Son, hung dyingTo ransom the lost of this world.He rose to life everlastingWith my adoption papers unfurled. Not born His daughter, He chose meAlong with all who believe.You, too, can be son or daughterAnd to His great love ever cleave. Linda L. Kruschke is the author of My Name Is Beloved, winner of the Unpublished Memoir catego...

Scripture writing plans are incredibly simple, yet incredibly effective for helping us read, interpret and absorb the Word of God. Rather than simply letting our eyes pass over a verse and perhaps miss its full meaning, writing Scripture down helps us absorb each word and really think through what the passage before us is saying. Each day in December you’ll have the opportunity to write down a verse. We suggest using a journal where you can add any additional mediations or prayers that the verse brings to mind. Click here to download the January Scripture Writing Guide! Join Our Telegram Group : Salvation & Prosperity