Encouraging busy women with Biblical truths
Find Christian encouragement through God’s Word as you weather the obstacles and storms of your busy, everyday life.
We ended Good Friday on a somber note. Jesus’ followers were both terrified of being arrested and in complete shock, sorrow, and disbelief. The chief priests and religious leaders were relieved to have Jesus removed from their midst. Satan and his minions must have been beside themselves with glee. But little did they all know- Sunday was coming. Resurrection power was going to be unleashed!
By definition, a wilderness area is an uninhabited and uncultivated area. The closest I’ve been to true wilderness is camping in the Boundary Waters canoe area of Northern Minnesota. No planes fly overhead, and they do not allow any motorized boats or vehicles. It’s just you, your canoe, hiking boots, and miles and miles of lakes and trails. The meaning of wilderness in the Bible has many similarities.
I was out running errands the other day and heard the song “The battle belongs to the Lord” on the radio. It certainly resonated with me; there are two overwhelming battles going on in my life. But honestly, don’t we all face battles every day? They may be spiritual, physical, and/or mental. Knowing God fights for us should bring calm and peace into our battles. But how do I let God fight my battles? Do I get to sit back and watch Him work? Are there some battles we must fight on our own?
My granddaughters all loved being rocked before bed. The time together somehow turned into a time of singing. The older ones had a repertoire of favorites. The youngest didn’t have requests yet, so when she asked me to sing, I sang “Jesus loves me” along with other songs. Amazingly, the next time I visited, she requested that very song. Can one so young feel the love of Jesus Christ in their heart? This Nana’s heart swelled with gratitude that it had made an impact.
Has the sight of something ever taken your breath away? They don’t come along very often, but one morning while sitting outside for breakfast, I looked up and audibly gasped. An entire rainbow stretched before me- from its point where it entered the ocean to its opposite end. It was indescribably beautiful! It felt like a rainbow message from God; a spectacular reminder of His promise.
Prayer seems like a simple concept, and the Bible gives us a lot of encouragement to pray. By definition, it sounds like it should be easy- it’s just a conversation, right? So why do we struggle with prayer? There are many reasons, but sometimes we just need a little help in getting organized and staying focused. One way to get started is to use a prayer calendar. What is a prayer calendar and how do they help? Let’s investigate…
The New Year brings thoughts of ordering our lives to make our desires and hopes a reality. It’s always good to evaluate our lives and set intentions to improve them. But of all the changes we could make, working on deepening our relationship with Jesus should top our list. He even tells us how to do it: by seeking God first in our lives.
The Christmas season is upon us. It arrives with a long list of things to plan and accomplish in a few short weeks. But it can also be a beautiful time of reflection, waiting, expectation and love. One way to slow down and enjoy the season is to focus on Christmas Scripture. I’ve compiled a list of 20 best Christmas Bible verses to help you reflect and focus on the meaning of Christmas.
I have never been the “journaling” type- odd for someone who loves to write, right? But three years ago, I began a daily gratitude journal and never looked back. It came as a prompting from God as I went through my annual “wrestle with the fall season.” My Mom passed away suddenly years ago in the fall, and thoughts of gratitude and thankfulness vanished for a long time. It made the long, freezing winter months even worse. I’m so thankful God said “enough” and used a daily gratitude practice to help restore me.
We see God’s hand in creating families early on in the book of Genesis. Family relationships are unique- they bond us in ways no other relationships can. And while they can be our best forms of love and support, we only have to look at the very first family to see they can also be quite messy and dysfunctional. Prayer is all about our relationship with God, and prayers for your family are the very best way to care for and nurture them.
