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(Photo Credit: Canva Pro) www.courtnayerichard.com Just the other morning, as I opened my eyes for the day, I rolled over and felt this amazing sense of peace. It truly was indescribable. The morning was still. It was quiet. I was still in bed (my feet had not yet hit the floor). But then suddenly, one by one, thoughts began to flood in with each demand of the day – until I silenced them! Yep. I shut them down. And you can, too! Whether you’re rolling over to begin thinking about work, your marriage, job (or financial situation), children, lack of opportunity, fears, doubts, comparison, or ambitions – silence them, quickly. In other words, wake up slowly without the pressure to start entertaining the thoughts of dilemmas, demands of the day, or dreams. Instead, “silence” the...

Stress and Anxiety. The world is filled with them both, and they torment me.  Stomach pain, tension headaches, and sleepless nights have all followed in their wake. They have weakened my immune system, making me more susceptible to colds and viruses, pneumonia, and even shingles. I never invited them in, and I detest that they linger. They take residence and hide in the places I feel empty, depleting me all the more. But I am my own worst enemy, being the sinner that I am. They exist because of the war going on inside me. They are outworkings of the side that believes “I am strong” and “I am enough”. The culture that surrounds me bolsters this notion. My people-pleasing ways only perpetuate irrational thinking.  And all of this mess, this chaos, it reeks of sin. Annihilation is i...

Summer vacation is quickly sailing away, and with it the moments dedicated to pursuing rest, adventure, and connection. As I look back on this summer, it is easy to wonder where the sunsets and sunrises went. Packed into the summer were days “off” and trips away, but it was basically being busy in a new location. We fervently checked off the items on our summer “bucket list”: go to Saturday Market, check. Read a book, check. Hike, celebrate Anniversary, go berry picking, swim often, go to the beach, check, check, check. Yet, cramming in these restful activities has somehow created the opposite result. I lost the rest in my resting. How is it that I feel the need for a vacation from vacationing? I’m tempted to scratch out “September” on my calendar and instead write in bold sharpie: GET STU...

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 think through what the passage before us is saying. Click the Download button below to access your challenge!  Photo Credit: ©SWN Join Our Telegram Group : Salvation & Prosperity  

Like any mom with three small children, I have trouble resting. There’s always a load of laundry to fold, a dishwasher to unload,and children waiting to be bathed or fed. When I do have a few minutes to sit down, I have difficulty using that time for actual rest and instead find myself updating my to do list. Sometimes I’m good at setting boundaries and saying “no” to obligations and appointments. Yet still I often find myself rushing from task to task. Not to mention how social media amplifies the sense that one isn’t doing enough. Instagram is full of what feels like hashtagging taunts of “mom boss” and “hustle.” Our family just closed out two weeks of sickness, colds, and even one case of pink eye. Although it felt frustrating that everyone was down, it was also a gift in disguise. I ca...

You aren’t weak. You aren’t incapable. You aren’t unable to do hard things. Come now. Listen for His voice with me. The one who calls you His treasure. The one who made you for amazing, beautiful-beyond-your-dreams things. You can, you know. But not alone. We can’t do these amazing things alone—all these acts of love. The thing He has in front of you to do? Yes, do that. But also let Him show you that other thing—the thing He’s dreamed up just for you but you haven’t realized fully yet. Know that you can do that thing too. You see, God delights in equipping you to do hard things. He delights in the two of you doing all things (maybe especially the hard ones) together. And when the doubt comes—because it comes like a charging bull, doesn’t it, intimating and thundering and fierce, crushing ...

The day was almost sabotaged. It arrived sandwiched between National Blueberry Day and another week of packing with three kids suffering summer doldrums. We sat in moving mess, random socks, treasured Turkish bowls, and Christmas lights were stepped over as we popped fresh blueberries into our mouths. In an effort to keep life enjoyable and remotely summer-ish, we kept to our tradition of picking blueberries though boxes begged to be packed and the to-do list called. Those first exploding sweet-tart tastes led to excited exclamations, but the heat and fatigue of the weeks wisped away the wonder within quick minutes. We foraged on, determined to make good on our tradition, but in the end, our moods nearly spoiled the joy of fresh fruit. Today is what we call glory day, our day of rest among...

As the summer days begin to wane, schedules fill and life begins to find familiar rhythms. If this shift in seasons feels overwhelming,  Psalm 18:2 is a good place for your thoughts to rest. Sarah Dohman has provided this free printable for you, so that you can have a visual reminder of where true refuge lies. Click here to download your free printable! Join Our Telegram Group : Salvation & Prosperity  

We awoke at 4am to fly from one coast of the country to the other. Traveling is exhausting enough for one person, but as a family it seems even more so. Upon landing at the airport, my husband had to get on another plane and fly on for work. The boys and I were on our own. Our belly’s reminded us that it had been hours since breakfast but we needed to gather all our luggage. Then we waited for our ride which never came. Tears of exhaustion burned my eyes as I tried to figure out what to do. After finding another ride and getting home and unpacking our things, we realized there was no food in the house. We headed out to the store and found the car had a flat tire. (Did I mention it was pouring rain?) Then we waited an hour for the repair service to arrive. We never made it to the stor...