Finding Rest in Christ: Producing the Fruit of an Abiding Life
Unless you have been born from above, you cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit. Your unsaved children cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit; your unsaved family members and coworkers cannot bear the...
View ArticleFinding Rest in Christ: 9 Practical Ways to Abide in God’s Promised Rest
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My...
View ArticleWhen Bad Things Happen to Good People
“As [Jesus] passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this...
View ArticleThe Eternal Incarnation of Immanuel
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him, nothing came into being...
View ArticleHappy Birthday, Little Boy
Dear Little Boy, Mommy’s told you how often daddy and I asked God to give you to our family, and three years ago this week, you entered our world. We had been missing you and waiting for you for a very...
View ArticleWhite Chicken Chili
We all need a few go-to recipe favorites, and this White Chicken Chili recipe is my number one! This lady was the best cook I’ve ever known, and this delicious recipe was one of hers. While this recipe...
View ArticleShopping and Gift-Giving Ministry Opportunities
This month Bless Your Heart and Home is celebrating its first birthday!! And so, this week, I’m throwing a birthday bash, offering you a peak into some wonderful ministries where you can shop and...
View ArticleUnworthy to Worship
Recently I was standing beside my newborn daughter’s crib, cradling her in my arms and rocking her back and forth. I was trying to soothe her down for a little nap, and I was suddenly so overcome with...
View ArticleMaking Sense of Romans 8:28 | the testimony of a bereaved mother
What a privilege and blessing it is for me to offer to you these words of truth and life by one of my dearest friends, Daphne McKibben. On March 16, 2013, Daphne unexpectedly lost her almost...
View ArticleWe Don’t Get to Choose Our Ministry
“…fulfill your ministry,” 2 Timothy 4:5 If you’ll wander with me down memory lane a bit, I’d like to introduce you to the 16-year-old-me. Of course, it goes without saying that I was younger then (and...
View ArticleChristmas for the Bruised and Broken
“…And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: ‘Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved...
View ArticleGlimpsing God’s Glory Makes Christmas Worth It
A few months ago, my little pink bundle gasped in her first breath and screamed her first cry. With a warm blanket wrapped around us both, I patted her womb-wet hair and shoulders and murmured comfort...
View ArticleCome Kneel Before the Manger-King
“…the scroll of Isaiah was given to [Jesus]. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the...
View ArticleOh, There’s No Place Like Home {for the holidays}
Ten years ago last week, with joy too great for words, I welcomed my sweetheart home for the holidays. And ten years ago today, he put a ring on it. Fresh from Middle Eastern soil, he was thin and...
View ArticleMommy Is a Zombie (and other such opportunities for worship)
Dear friends, I am delighted that my sweet, funny, and encouraging friend Becky has written a book on motherhood, and she has offered me the opportunity to share a little sample of her encouragement...
View ArticleChrist Removes the Curse of Criticism
{This post first appeared at desiringGod.org} The greatest regret I have in my life is relationships broken by my poor handling of criticism. For many years, I felt unjustly accused and misunderstood...
View ArticleWhen Women Run the Race that Christ Has Already Won for Them
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,...
View ArticleWhen God’s Glory Plunders Your Heart’s Affections
“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10 For the rest of this week, this day, or even in this hour, you and I will be faced with challenges,...
View ArticleSix Scriptural Answers to the Question “Why?”
I’ve heard people say that they would never question God or ask Him “why,” but the Bible offers some answers to this question. While we should guard against the temptation to sinfully resent God’s...
View ArticleA Psalm for Those Who Grieve this Mother’s Day
As I shared over at Arabah Joy’s blog, many women struggle and grieve during Mother’s Day weekend. The Lord has encouraged me greatly through Psalm 13, and if your heart weeps this Mother’s Day, may...
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