Receive

As a mom, wife, sister, and employee, the need for God’s constant presence through prayer is inevitable and palpable. When I’m flustered by the day-to-day tasks of motherhood, it is then I turn my gaze upwards seeking the One from whom my help comes. When I feel alone or unheard, I turn to Him remembering that he always hears me. When I’m at crossroads with decision-making, I seek wisdom from His voice and His word. At the end of each day, no matter how it went, I’m grateful that I made it to the end of the day, with His help. A Prayer for Giving Others the Benefit of the Doubt Father, help me to believe the best of people. Help me not to live life as a victim, always thinking that someone is out to get me. Help me to understand that I’m worthy of love, kindness, and grace because You made...

The week with you in the desert was not what I expected. I always pictured it as a desolate place. A place of emptiness. And loneliness. An absence of goodness and hope and sound. But it wasn’t that, was it? When the Spirit led you into the desert, you were not dropped off and abandoned. Holy Spirit never left you. How could I have imagined, without you, that those 40 days involved this scene: a bonfire and mirth and story after story of your Dad—his character and his laughter and his adventures in creating all that is beautiful and wild and good? I couldn’t see this on my own. Now I admit, while I watched, I didn’t hear every inside joke the two of you shared. But thank you for letting me gather close so I could hear the fire crackling in the night and the sound of your voices as you both...

10 Things Christians Argue About that Won’t Matter in Heaven             Freedom is in knowing who you are in Christ and being able to let things go. It is the refusal to walk in offense and being quick to forgive. It is being slow to speak and even slower to anger.  Freedom is in knowing that you do not hold a grudge from a wrongdoing in the past that would potentially weigh you down.  It is truly, truly, truly a freeing feeling to know that you do not need to always be right. My precious elderly aunt once told me that her more than sixty-year marriage had lasted because she long ago gave up her right to be right.              Sadly, when I began this article, I rea...

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. Colossians 1:15-16a NLT. In winter all stands bare and starkDays fall short and nights bathed in darkSnowflakes light on branches of treesIn this image beauty I see Heather before it’s spring does bloomChasing away winter’s dark gloomFor warmth and more flowers my pleaIn this image beauty I see Crocus sprout next from cold groundSpring has come when sunshine aboundsI smile to hear the buzzing beesIn this image beauty I see Hummingbird calls my yard his homeNot far from nectar source to roamChasing rival he buzzes meIn this image beauty I see Cooper’s hawk soars high in the skySpying songbirds w...

Now has often felt like it’s been in a hurry. If not running, Now is ready to run, expecting to run, considering what supplies she needs when the gun goes off and the racers are at their mark and it is time to go, go, go. Why does Now feel like she is running—running away from me? This happens almost every day, this conversation with Now. To be specific, it happens around two or three in the afternoon. I start counting down with Now how much time she has left until I need to make dinner. I start asking her what moments, exactly, are available to me to soak up, use up, mark up until Now is just plumb worn out and tired. Like me. I confess I beat up Now a lot. I am not nice. But expectant, greedy. I am a weigher of meaning, qualifying and quantifying—measuring what matters to Now and what do...

“If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the utmost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”  Psalm 139:9-10 Two years ago my husband’s job came to an unexpected end.  We had just relocated to take this job four months earlier and had just bought our first house when everything seemed to come crashing down.    I had dreamed of owning a home since junior high and after 14 years of marriage, it had finally happened.  We were settled and I was excited to be putting down roots. The kids were happy.  I was happy.   My husband was not.   Then the job loss happened.   I didn’t know why God was allowing us to walk through such an uncertain time, but initially, I was positive th...

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 March 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 March Scripture Writing Guide! Join Our Telegram Group : Salvation & Prosperity  

10 Things Your Teenagers Wish You Would Talk About             There is no denying the teenage years can be difficult parenting years for inexperienced parents who are ill-prepared for the challenges that await them. I often smile when new parents talk about the challenges of the proverbial “terrible two’s”.  I think to myself. You have no idea the journey awaiting you in ten years!  The truth is, the joy of seeing your little boy or girl evolve into a young man or woman can often be usurped by the challenges of independence, trust, boundaries and curfews.  Learning to navigate the appropriate balance of freedom with responsibility can be tricky waters. Admittedly, when my oldest two children where embarking upon this un...

In the past, as I closed out one year and welcomed another, I would plan, set goals, and resolve.  And while I acknowledged a certain element of the unknown ahead of me and desired to “hold my plans loosely”, I generally felt confident that the story of the coming twelve months was mostly mine to write. However, 2020 shattered any illusion of predictability and control that I might have claimed. I imagine many people can say the same. In 2020 the seemingly untouchable pillars of our American lives crumbled. Churches and businesses are shuttered, kids are not allowed to attend school, foreign borders are closed to us, gatherings in our own homes are illegal, and most human interactions occur with faces covered. Is there anyone who held last year’s New Year plans loosely enough to accou...

I was blessed to talk faith, family, and the Hallmark Channel with Candace Cameron Bure! I hope you’ll listen to her inspiring faith testimony, the secret to how she juggles it all, and which Hallmark movies are her favorites and why! We also talked in depth about her newest character-building children’s book, Candace’s Playful Puppy—you won’t want to miss Candace’s description of her own dog and the adorable dog pictures she shares! WATCH HERE Stay tuned on my website next week for a beautiful Ash Wednesday prayer and Bible verses to begin your Lent intentionally, a piece I wrote for BibleStudyTools.com. To watch other on-demand faith and parenting episodes from my series Chaos to Calm, click here.  Rev. Noelle Kirchner, M.Div., believes we don...

Photo Credit: Canva www.courtnayerichard.com Have you ever felt like you needed to get your life in order? Have you ever felt stretched, overextended, exhausted, or like you bit off more than you could chew? If you’re feeling any one of these emotions right now, let’s talk about balance, boundaries, and bandwidth today (or tonight, depending on when you’re reading this).  I’m going to jump right into it, because you’re either busy trying to grab these nuggets before you dive deep into your workload, during a break, or while lying in bed reading with the covers pulled over your head at night. So, let me not waste any time with this post. Balance – Most of us are busy working on something in our lives. And so having balance between work, ministry, creating content for our audiences, and...

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24 I have moved across the country twice. Both times with no job in sight. I just figured I would find one when I got there. I still look back and wonder “What was I thinking?!” Along with, “Well that was fun.” It is this type of living that often becomes the downfall for those of us prone to reckless optimism. I did always find a job and was able to make it. However, not without a bit of debt. Moving into the unknown, starting anew, and chasing the dream always costs something. Part of me wonders what 2021 will cost, but the better question is, what are we willing to pay? There is a part of me that loves the thrill of leaving...